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Just came back from a week long trip to God's own country, Kerala. And all I can think of now is languid sailing along on backwaters surrounded by lush greenery. Or sunlit white beaches and blue skies. Or carpets of green tea gardens and spice plantations. Or rolling hills and.......you get the drift? Kerala mermerized us with her beauty and abundance. But what was most striking was the happy, warm smiles on the faces of its people.  Kerala sure knows how to warmly welcome you and make you feel at home. We loved the hospitality, the food, the helpful nature of people and the rich cultural heritage of this state. It was my first visit, but needless to say, it will be far from my last. We stayed in beautifully maintained homestays (booked via booking.com), where our hosts did everything to make us comfortable. Thanks to this wonderful place and it's lovely people. Already waiting to visit again. #travel #vibrantindia #kerala #...

Have you been to India's largest halophytic mangrove forest, aka, Sunderbans? The tidal forest is a rich ecosystem with thriving flora and fauna that every nature lover should visit. Lush, dense forests, the gushing, swirling waters of three rivers, and thriving, vibrant wildlife complete the charm of Sunderbans, located partially in West Bengal, India, and partially in Bangladesh. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987, for its unique eco-system and biodiversity, these salt tolerant mangrove forests provide habitat to over four hundred wildlife species. It is also home to the reclusive, majestic Royal Bengal Tiger, the one whom the Immortal Hand framed with such “fearful symmetry” (Blake’s memorable lines!) But, enough of the dry facts. A visit to this magical land had long been on my travel agenda.   In 2019, I made a three-day trip to Jharkhali, a tourist stop in the vast Sunderbans area. My family and ...

#Digha is a small seaside town on the shores of Bay of Bengal. Situated at a convenient distance from Kolkata, you can plan a quick weekend trip to it's beautiful beaches to refresh your mind, body and spirit. Though it's a popular holiday destination for Bengalis and Kolkata residents, few people outside Bengal are familiar with Digha. Unlike Puri, Pondicherry or Kovalam, Digha doesn't enjoy country-wide popularity among travelers. You can say it's one of Bengal's best kept tourism secrets. With it's golden sandy beaches, glorious sunny weather,  and a host of facilities for comfortable and affordable stay, Digha can easily give other seaside towns a run for their money. However, the trick is to know where to stay and what to avoid. So this is a ready reckoner for tourists: Dos: Opt for Old Digha beaches for stay and bathing. Those are far more beautiful and secluded than the commercialized, over-crowded New Digha beaches. Plan your visit ...

Jaisalmer: Our train (Ranikhet Express) was over two hours late, and instead of 11.15 p.m., we reached Jaisalmer at the unearthly hour of 2.00 a.m. Thankfully our hotel, Wanderlust, had sent a car which brought us through the deserted roads to our destination. Even at that late hour, we were excited on glimpsing the Golden Fort or Sonar Kella. The jewel in the crown of Rajasthan, this sandy town is located at the western most tip of the state, in the midst of the Thar Desert. The gold colour of most of Jaisalmer’s havelis and edifices comes from the sandstone, which is available in plenty here. Our safari to the desert was planned the next day, followed by a folk song and dance performance by local artistes at a desert campsite. The safari on camels was both bumpy and thrilling to say the least. Unaccustomed to such ‘lively’ forms of travel, we sat precariously as the camels made the way through the rocks and sand of the desert. The keepers prodded the camels to p...

Folks, I hope you enjoyed my earlier part of the Rajasthan travelogue. It is difficult to describe the Rajasthan experience in so many words, but I am trying. Here, I present the second and last of the series of my Rajasthan travel accounts. After leaving Ranthambore, we started for Bundi, a relatively lesser known destination in the state. We were eager to see it, however, after reading glowing recommendations from the Lonely Planet. Bundi is a preferred stopover for tourists from abroad, given its quaint, unspoilt beauty. Thereafter, we covered the famous Ajmer Sharif Dargah at Ajmer, which is roughly a four hour trip from Bundi. Finally, from Ajmer, we boarded our train to the penultimate destination of our trip: Jaisalmer. Bundi: The road from Sawai Madhopur to Bundi is a rather rough one, full of potholes and narrow. We were surprised that the highway was so poorly maintained. It took us three hours to cover the distance, but the journey left our bones rattlin...

The land of sand and forts, the land of history and architecture, the land of valour and large-heartedness – Rajasthan. The jewel of India, the land with history seeped in every stone. I had the pleasure of visiting this awesome magical state last month. Of course this wasn’t my first visit and neither my last, hopefully. Having covered the mandatory Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Mount Abu in our earlier visits, this time family and me decided to visit the relatively lesser known places. Strictly speaking of course, Ranthambore and Bundi are not quite that unknown, particularly among foreign tourists, but these are not your typical touristy places. A breathtakingly beautiful Jaisalmer was also thrown in into the itinerary, as how could one miss the world famous “Sonar Kella”? Days of research on the net and studying railway time-tables later, we were ready with a five-place tour itinerary, starting December 16, 2017. Here I present the first of the series of my Rajasthan travel accou...

The sea at Puri, Orissa, India, has a mind of its own. Attempting to bathe in these waters, specially at high tide, requires a lot of intrepid energy. For one, you go all spruced up to have a good bath in the sea, towel in hand, sunglasses and hat in place, and leggings all curled up. And then gingerly step into the water, testing it, so to speak. And no sooner you are near the waves, a huge one comes all of a sudden and overpowers you with all its fury and might. You don't know where to look, what to hold on to. You are totally, completely overpowered, and thrown out of gear. Out goes your composure and balance! Floundering in the rush of the waves, you clutch on to dear life by somehow grabbing some sand, or whatever solid is near you. The fury of waves is such that you are totally compelled to succumb to its might. Nothing, repeat nothing, prepared you for such an experience. If there is an overwhelming experience then this is it. It is a worthwhile experience, one...

Going on a vacation? Wow! Lovely! You are sure to have a lot of fun. Sunny beaches, lush mountains, heritage sites, or rolling meadows and green forests, a holiday to any one of these is just what the doctor ordered to beat the stress of regular life. Sit back and relax or go adventuring, its your call. You are going to have a great time, right? Wrong! Because you need to stay somewhere and what you see is hardly what you get in holiday stays. Pardon me for cribbing, but all those rosy pictures painted by websites and travel brochures usually are just that - rosy pictures. Lets do a reality check of all the marketing hype around places to stay: "Serene, calm, cozy resort in the midst of lush green forests that are abundant with flora and fauna" usually turns out to be a bunch of huts in the middle of nowhere, devoid of any amenities, where spending a night tackling power-cuts and mosquito bites turns out to more of an adventure than the forest trail  "3-star fa...

Darjeeling, the Queen of the Hills in eastern India, enamored me with her undulating peaks, spectacular views and quaint charm. Misty skies and descending, enveloping clouds added to the other-wordly charm of this beautiful hill station. What's not to love in this lovely town? Winding lanes running up and down, dotted with little tea shops and cafes, offering the famed Darjeeling tea and some delicious cakes and snacks, provide succour to tired feet and souls. Sunshine plays hide and seek with dark clouds and thick fog. The local people take the unpredictable weather in their stride. They have grown up in this land, braving nature's hardships and quirks with a smile. When the sun does shine, it bathes the entire ranges and peaks with a glow. It seems heaven has descended on earth. The next moment dark clouds loom and there is a chilly, freezing wind blowing. In this paradise, there are some worldly treats to visit. The Darjeeling zoo, nestled in the Himalayan Mounta...