Author: Priyanka Dalal
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Q: As a Solo Cycle Tourer, How Do I Fit In With People Back Home in India?
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Happy are those travel moments when one finds kindred spirits or in this case sant sangathi i.e. the company of fellow spiritual devotees. These are not very often because people are of all different kinds and finding a true sync is tough especially for me.
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Chiang Mai River Route Cycling to Chom Thong, Thailand [Podcast]
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My first podcast on my first long distance ride of my Thailand cycling trip. It was recorded a couple of days after the trip. This ride was also one of my longest in the cycle tour – about 80-90 km. I don’t have a GPS tracker so can’t be sure. I will map this route…
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People thought I was a Muslim: A Testament to Thailand’s Pork Obsession
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Even in the most random places I visit, with little to no tourist footprint, the locals can guess that I am an Indian. I am not sure how – maybe because of Bollywood? Or maybe some odd Indian traveller has reached the place earlier however unlikely it seems. Conversely, in India many rural folk think…
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Cycling Bangkok to Pattaya: A Travelogue with Route Map and Photos
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It has been a long day. I will myself up from the bed. I have yoga practices to do and then I have to consider my sprained ankle. And consume some fluids. And if the body aches, only stretching vociferously helps. I have cycled for 3 days. About 190km across southern Thailand. This is quite…
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Amazing Canal Walk in a random Bangkok Suburb: Long Transit at Suvarnabhumi Airport?
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Currently, in Thailand on a cycle tour. Frequently my route is by a river. River fronts can often be very interesting. Be it Taiwan’s River bike path or the ghats of Varanasi. How about a canal then? Here’s a look at a canal walk in a random Bangkok suburb [if you like, skip the text…
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![South East Asia Cycling Tour #1: When the VFS Guy Gave Me a 101% Rejection Guarantee [Podcast]](https://maproute.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ff1ec-img_20190121_060710-compressor-e1548255764112.jpg?w=450)
South East Asia Cycling Tour #1: When the VFS Guy Gave Me a 101% Rejection Guarantee [Podcast]
contact me at inspiritualityblog(@)gmail(.)com for personalized pilgrimage planning for a powerful spiritual experience
My cycling tours are all self-planned and there are many challenges with each tour which I need to figure out. The visa application is one of the first. When I went to apply for my Thai visa the VFS guy gave me a 101% rejection guarantee….. and then I got the visa. Check out my…
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![Taking Your Cycle in the Indian Railway Train [Podcast]](https://maproute.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/35627-copy-of-text-placeholder-compressor-e1547371308261.webp?w=650)
Taking Your Cycle in the Indian Railway Train [Podcast]
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Ideally, I would want to service my cycle properly in a nearby cycle shop or by myself at home and then start off on trips from my doorstep itself. But that will hardly ever happen, especially cause cycling in India is a bit more challenging than I would like. Much easier to fly of to…
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![Scared to Travel Solo? [Podcast]](https://maproute.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/5526b-withdevta-compressor-compressor-1-e1547281509439.jpg?w=450)
Scared to Travel Solo? [Podcast]
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Don’t you get scared to travel solo? Is it safe? How do you tackle your fears? I face a plethora of questions around this theme quite often. Especially after I talk about my solo cycling adventures or getting lost on a solo hike. So on the first episode of my travel podcast, I speak about…
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If Only India Were a Bit Safer: Cycling Bharat
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I am planning my next full-fledged cycle tour to South East Asia, and I am trying to convince the visa authorities to let me in their country without a return ticket (because I want to cycle 3 countries for 3-4 months, how do I figure out where/when to take a return ticket?!). And I am…
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Q: I want to stay with the locals in Indian Rural Villages? Is it Possible?
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Typically, we urban folks never consider going to a village and living with them (unless it is planned by a group). But if it is something that we truly want to do then it can be done. And I have seen many travellers, even foreigners doing this in a nice, spiritual way. So when I…
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Year in Review: 7 Months Travelling
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It’s that time of the year again when I write year-end review posts, take some time out to evaluate how I am doing and fine tune my life! Since last year, I have been doing my year end reviews according to the Indian traditional calendars – Vikram and Veer Samvat (don’t know about them? I…
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Q: Paid Camping is costly, Wild Camping may not be legal. How do I keep my camping costs minimal?
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“I have been thinking / contemplating cycling Europe and looking for any pointers. I came across your travelogue during my search and found out that it can be done.” Received an email with a bunch of questions from this person looking to cycle tour in Europe. One of the Qs is about camping, Q: Free…
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The Feeling of ‘Home’
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I remember talking to a German traveller in Australia. We were both staying in the same Melbourne AirBnb. I was cleaning my cycle in the backyard for my upcoming flight to Taiwan in a few days. While she was thinking about her trip back to Germany in a month or so. She had spent a…
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My Travel Blogs will now be more Selective & 3 Other Channels Where You Can Find Me
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These long form travel blogs take a while to write. It has come to a situation that I simply cannot jot down blogs on a weekly basis, though it is a very enjoyable and constructive activity. I have too many other things that I am very excited about on my plate right now – it…
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All My Solo Travel Stories Will Never Be Told: Feeling Sober
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As a trend solo travel seems cool and liberating. An ingrained aspiration of every modern woman. However, in reality it’s a lot more. Deep and ongoing solo travelling is formative. It forms your very fundamentals. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but if it clicks for you, you become a certain way. There was a…
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![Unexpected Visit to the Kelva Beach, Konkan Maharashtra [Photos]](https://maproute.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/e1698-img_20180710_104233-01-compressor.webp?w=800)
Unexpected Visit to the Kelva Beach, Konkan Maharashtra [Photos]
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My train from Ahmedabad got stuck at Kelva station on 10th July, 2018 due to incessant Mumbai rains. I spent some of the time watching a waterlogged bridge outside my train window. And the rest of the time I was wondering if one shouldn’t take the opportunity to explore Kelva beach side? Eventually, after 12…
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When I had to Summarize My 9 Years of Solo Travelling In India & The World
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Recently I got the opportunity to write my first paid travel article. This was in OPEN magazine, May 2018, travel issue. They wanted to feature the joys and sorrows of a woman solo traveller. It was an interesting assignment because hitherto I had never written an actual summary of all my experiences solo travelling in…
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Mahudi Jain Temple, Gujarat
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There is something about this temple that calls on our devotion…
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Life Across A Waterlogged Bridge, Mumbai Monsoons
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When I left Ahmedabad (Amdavad) on 9th July in an overnight train for Mumbai, I did suspect that our train would be delayed. Because I had followed the heavy rain situation of the day via Twitter. So, I even told my Mom to have dinner properly as we would be late for breakfast. I was…
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The Historic Centre of Córdoba in 28 Pictures
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I found my way to Córdoba in Andalucia, Spain because it was a good base for hiking and cycling in the countryside. I earlier wrote about these various nearby trails one can explore. But something needed to be said for the historic centre of Córdoba. This old town area is a UNESCO heritage site and…
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Mahavir Jain Temple in Kattumalaiyanur, a Tamil Nadu Village
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In 2018, the Mahavir Janma Kalyanak or the birth anniversary of Mahavir Swami happened on 29th March. I was then in Tiruvannamalai. Typically on these ‘big’ days, I like to visit a Jain temple. So while there are a few Jain temples in Tiruvannamalai city, I thought of going to the one marked as “Mahaveer…
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Travel Budget: A Month in the Himalayas for 15000 INR ($200) or Less
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“How much do you spend while traveling?” is a question that I have been frequently asked. And I have been meaning to write posts on travel expenses for a long time. People often assume that travel is a lot more expensive than it needs to be. Our travel budget really depends on our choices as…
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10 Ways To Make Your Adiyogi Visit More Memorable
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The Adiyogi visit is powerful for many devotees. This post is an attempt to help you make it even better…
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Jain Temples Of Puzhal, Chennai
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Earlier, in April, came the auspicious day of Chaitri Poonam or the Full moon of the Chaitra month for Jains. It is the day the first disciple of Adinath, Pundrik Swami got enlightened. And along with him crores of other swamis. Adinath (or Rushabhnath) is the first Jain tirthankar in this half yuga cycle, so…
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Griffon Vultures are Awesome! That Crazy Hike in the Subbetica, Andalucia
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(I didn’t click this pic, it’s from Pixabay.com :) ) I had that solo hiking situation in Andalucia, Spain where I eventually got lost and had to be rescued. Well, yes, the latter part of it – getting lost, accepting it and then getting rescued – was totally crazy and I had to write down…
