In which we head to Jaipur. I am usually an advocate of longer stays in a destination, get out there, discover it, tailor it to more than the sights it is famous for. Going to Jaipur and only seeing the fort and palace, is like going to London and just seeing Big Ben and the…
Memsahib's Dad visits India – Part 1
Introduction: A brief background to this Memsahibs dad ‘series’ is that I have been specialising in travel to India since 1997. I moved here in 2006 and yet my parents never visited me, it just wasn’t mum’s idea of a place she wanted to see. Sadly she died 3 years ago, just before Christmas and…
Gatiman Express Train Scam – watch out.
Trying to enter Delhi train station, “No madam, you must go to that entrance.” Half asleep I complied. At that entrance, official looking man in suit, “Madam, tickets please.” I complied. “Madam, Bhopal Shatabdi, 10 hr delay, fog. New train, Gatiman Express, on time. From Old Delhi. You have credit card?” At “credit card” I…
Golden and Rhubarb, the Triangles in My Life.
My life seems to be determined by triangles. I currently live on one vertex of what is probably the most famous triangle in the world, well, apart from the Bermuda one, but then, if I was there I probably wouldn’t be alive, so let’s say, the most liveable triangle in the world, The Golden one….
4 Hot New Hotels, Tamil Nadu Finally Comes of Age.
I have been traveling to Tamil Nadu since 1997, it is a fascinating destination, full of temples and Dravidian influences but it has always been a tough destination to sell for a couple of reasons. The first is that many people just focus on the temples, let’s face it, you can hardly move in the…
The changing face of travel.
I was recently re watching one of my favourite films, The One Hundred Foot Journey. Each time I watch it, a sentence spoken, usually by Om Puri, who I think is fabulous, triggers a thought. This time it was a scene when his family were trying to prevent him from purchasing the closed down restaurant…
The Changing Face of Travel
I was recently re watching one of my favourite films, The One Hundred Foot Journey. Each time I watch it, a sentence spoken, usually by Om Puri, who I think is fabulous, triggers a thought. This time it was a scene when his family were trying to prevent him from purchasing the closed down restaurant…
Delhi Diaries; The Imperial, Impervious, Kathi Roll
From humble beginnings in Imperial India to The Imperial, India – the kathi roll has traveled far and transcended generations, states, and castes. Having ordered one at The Imperial Hotel in Delhi recently, which did strike me as a little preposterous, they are street food after all, I figured I should try one right back…
Haven’t we seen this somewhere before?
There are monuments in India which have been copied in other destinations but did you know that there are also copycat monuments actually in the same destinations as the originals? In my explorations over the last 12 months, I have found two examples of monuments which have been copied and one entire city! They are…
A photo tour of Kolkata
Calcutta has to be one of my favourite cities in India. Of course it is a busy bustling place, all of India’s cities are but there is a gentleness to it. I have always said, it is a city with the heart of a village. The gentle atmosphere and verdant nature reminds me of Kerala,…