Category: India
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Guide to Matheran – Asia’s only vehicle-free hill station #Mumbai
For Mumbai-kars Matheran is a household word. At home, the talk of a short getaway from Mumbai usually starts with Lonavala or Matheran. So when my family decides to go to Matheran during a long weekend this Summer, I was quite skeptical. I presumed there would be crowds and I wasn’t sure it would really…
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Srirangapatna – the Fort Town & Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Karnataka
Re-looking at our history is one of the things I love about traveling. So many little nuances of places strike you when you are actually there. Like I may not have imagined the pride of the Hoysala kingdom without going to the Belur & Halebeedu temples. Imagine finding ruins of Kishkindha from Ramayana stories in…
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A Quick Jaunt to Chikmagalur, Coffee Land of Karnataka
To whomever I mentioned “I went to Chikmagalur”, they all had heard of it before. Could be the Coffee, as Chikamaglur is often known as the Coffee land of Karnataka. My first impressions of this town was – small, quaint and spacious. Broad roads (as per India), small 2-3 story buildings and beyond these buildings I…
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Solo in Uttar Pradesh: Vrindavan – Agra – Varanasi
You may recall I had earlier written about how the hospitality and caring culture of Himachal Pradesh SHOCKED me. It was my first experience of random strangers going completely out of their way to help and make me – solo on the road – feel at home! I am remembering that experience as I write this…
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Woman Solo Travel & the Indian Family #1
How did you get your parents to allow you?? – A lot of women and men too, have asked me this question when they realize that I am solo traveling. For a lot of Indian parents, the idea of their daughter traveling solo is bizarre and fraught with danger. Here I share with you my…
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Take a visual tour of the Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Had a great time roaming around in the Hawa Mahal of Jaipur. I spent practically the whole afternoon there (which explains why I have a whole bucketlist of places left to visit) . I took the audio guide. When it is well made I really enjoy the audio guides in India. I listen to it…
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Udupi & the nearby Malpe Beach of Tulu Land, Karnataka
If you are aware of the South Indian cuisine restaurants present everywhere in India, then Udupi would be synonymous with them, BUT If you have travelled there, then like me… when you hear Udupi, you would think of Krishna temples, Malpe beach and what not. I travelled there a while back and then wrote very…
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13 Photos of Maharashtra Backwaters to Blow your Mind – Parule, Konkan
This year started with a very memorable travel adventure to the backwaters of Maharashtra, a town called Parule. The dearth of information online about this place had already intrigued me. Finally, I felt, I was on my way to discover some truly unknown and offbeat places. The fact that the place turned out to be so…
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Ponk Stop at Surat [an Indian Foods Photo Series]
Come Winter, Gujarat bursts with all sorts of delicacies. Papdi, Undhiyu, Soonth Gol, Saalam Pak, Adadiyu and what not. Ponk is one of these delicacies. Written as પોંક in Gujarati, it is pronounced as “soak” but with P “Poak” Different regions of Gujarat have their own Winter specialities. Ponk is a speciality of Surat. It…
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Manikarnika, The Burning Ghat – Varanasi
Having become Time itself, I destroy the world here, O Goddess! ~Shiva, Padma Purana 1.33.14 As I said Varanasi has been one of the most intriguing trips I have made. Never have I felt a city so full of going ons. Just inane, often crazy, some brilliant, other bizarre going ons. Just going on. Like…