India is the birthplace of Ayurveda and yoga. Treatments and practices which look at the causes rather than the symptoms. Practises which focus on wellbeing in the present, ongoing, health…
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Seeking: Explorers and Adventurers for travel beyond the mainstream.
Celebrating a quarter century of determinedly trawling India, from Kutch to Kohima, Kashmir to Kerala, seeking the extraordinary, peeking behind closed doors, never accepting the offerings of face value, knowing…
Discovering Destinations Differently
The origin of “Discovering Destinations Differently.” Back in 2015 I started visiting mainstream destinations, spending a day visiting what all tour companies showcase and then, bucket list ticked I’d spend…
The Delhi to Agra train scam.
Fog + Gatiman = latest train scam. At an ungodly hour, bleary eyed, and trying to enter New Delhi train station, we heard, “No madam, you must go to that…
The First Lodge in Zambia to be awarded Fair Trade Tourism Certification
The South Luangwa in Zambia, versatile options for extraordinary safaris. I had arrived at Flatdogs C amp in Zambia at night, meaning that I couldn’t see much of my…
Discovering Hampi – Differently of course!
Indian Experiences, has always believed in seeking out true & authentic experiences. A city is so much more than its monuments, it is made up of its food, arts, crafts,…
Roaming with the Wild: India’s Top 10 Wildlife Parks
India’s diverse landscapes are a playground for nature enthusiasts and wildlife lovers. From majestic tigers prowling through lush jungles to the Wild Ass which thrive in the desert of Kutch,…
Just a little bit about mindful travel
For me, mindful travel isn’t just about getting off beat. There is no point in driving to or even through off beat destinations or just staying there for a night,…
Discovering Nepal Differently – Have you heard of Kirtipur?
Discovering Nepal Differently. You’ve heard of Kathmandu, but have you heard of Kirtipur? It’s one of those little-known gems that’s only 7 kms from Kathmandu but a world away from…
CHN: Introducing New Destinations Whilst Combatting Over Tourism in Nepal.
How do you cope, in these days of gross over tourism, with promoting fabulous new destinations that you discover and want to shout to the world about, but don’t want…
Sustainable Travel: An Interview with Shiva Dhakal Founder of Community Homestays Nepal
The year was 2020 and, as I would, thinking that the pandemic would be a storm in a tea cup, I set off to Nepal on a consultancy project as…
Sula Wine – Sustainability and Stays
Think Nashik 20 or even 10 yrs ago, and people mentioned temples, pilgrimages & the Kumbh Mela. But today, the first word from most people’s lips is ‘wine.’ This is…
Travel Planning: The Written Word vs Reality
I’m currently consulting on a wonderful project, putting together India, Nepal and Bhutan portfolios for a new to India tour operator. This has involved writing up itineraries, something I haven’t…
Slow it down
Travel: The written word vs reality. I’m currently consulting on a wonderful project, putting together India, Nepal and Bhutan portfolios. This has involved writing up itineraries and I had an…
Reflections on a Perfect Stay, Sarai at Toria
Take a wildlife biologist, author, film maker and conservationist and a wildlife photographer, film maker & writer, add specialist knowledge of Panna National Park (since 1995) a location adjacent to…
Lessons from the Road
One thing you’ll always notice about India is there always noise. This isn’t just in the cities (where it is getting too much) but in the forests, plantations, on the…
Changing the narrative at The Indian Summer House.
Changing The Narrative. I stayed recently at the rather fabulous Indian Summer House in Kerala. The owner happened to be out of station and so we had a video call….
Could Mahua Become The National Drink of India?
I remember the first time I tried it. I had an audience, eight eager faces anticipating what my reaction would be. Years ago (okay, actually decades) when I was a…
Roopesh Rai on being pro-planet, pro-people, and for profit!
Roopesh and I keep meeting, chatting and discussing various projects. He called in to see me recently to discuss his latest project, a mission to cross 6 states of India…
#Celebrate25K2K – Day 3 – Johns Farm and Home
Serendipity has played such a major part in this trip, both in the planning stage and now on the ground. There’s a homestay I’ve wanted to visit for a while…
Wilderness without Wifi – The Magic of Fringe Ford
The first Shaji bombshell came as I was exclaiming over the view. We’d just met. A tiger had killed a deer right in front of the lodge two days before…
#Celebrate25K2K Day 01, Kerala backwaters.
A cheeky little upgrade from Delhi to Cochin was a lovely welcome back, particularly after the hellish transit procedure at Delhi Airport. Be warned if on connnecting flights. After that…
Celebrating 25 years in India
This is it. My 25th year in India. I had no idea on that first trip, just where the journey would take me. People say to me, “Come on, 25…
The Art Of Bespoke Travel
“If you havent seen it, you can’t sell it.” This was the philosophy that was told to me when I first started in the travel industry. To see it is…
Because you are beautiful…
May I take your photograph, I ask (always). They pat their hair and ask why?“Because you are beautiful,” is my reply. They respond in various ways, some surprised, some shy,…
Delhi Diaries: Valentines Day, Indian Style
It was Valentines Day and I was in Lucknow, ‘on assignment.’ I had a choice, I could stay in and ordered room service or I could venture out and have…
Chicken Tikka Masala? There’s no such thing…
This week we mourn the sad passing of Ali Ahmed Aslam of Glasgow’s inimitable Shish Mahal, and founder of Britains National Dish, chicken tikka masala, so I thought it an…
Delhi’s Top 10 (Original) Eateries according to Celebrated Food Critic Marryam Reshii
Marryam H Reshii has been writing about food and lifestyle for the last 35 years. She is the Times of India food critic and has worked on the Times Food…
Cheetahs are reintroduced to India but what about the indigenous people of Kuno Palpur?
There’s been a lot of talk over the last couple of years amongst a niche section of society, this is a section however, that whilst relatively small, crosses all boundaries…
India: Knowing a Little Bit About a Lot Goes a Long Way
Face book today reminded me of this post below. It made me think. I started specialising in India as a destination in 1998. We had a policy; if you hadn’t…
Has tourism failed the camels which made Pushkar Camel Fair a Globally Recognised tourist event?
It has become a scene as synonymous with India as the Taj Mahal, thousands of Raika camel traders with their immaculate white dhotis and brilliant and intricately tied red turbans,…
The Raika Journey – Immersive Tourism Supporting the Camel herders of Rajasthan
The Raika are a community in peril, their lifestyle is in danger and their future is uncertain. The Raika provide the globally recognisable images we see of the Pushkar Camel Fair…
WTM RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARDS INDIA LEADS THE WAY – 17 WINNERS REVEALED
India was the standout destination at this year’s awards, winning 17 accolades and emerging as a “leading country for responsible tourism.” An international panel of judges came together remotely to…
Three hotels in Gujarat which aren’t quite what you’d expect.
Think of Gujarat and what comes to mind? The first thing every inbound agent will say is that you can’t drink, not strictly true but yes, it can be off-putting…
India’s Natural Wonders….. Wildlife parks beyond the tiger
My passion for wildlife had an accidental start. A failed relationship and a grumpy boss led me to take a sabbatical for six months running the fabulous and still my…
Discovering India Differently: Eco Lodges in Corbett National Park
My jaw hit the hideously over-patterned carpet. There he stood, microphone in hand bleating out something entirely unrecognisable, both for his apparent ability to change key four times in three…
The Mistress That Is India
India can’t be instantly appreciated, nor can she be rushed. She will reveal herself in her own time, she will move at her own pace. You can’t demand from her…
India’s Top 13 Street Foods As Voted By Its Most Intrepid Travellers
It all started with a plain dosa: one of those giant crisp pancakes made with fermented rice and lentil batter. It was 1998 and I was on my very first…
Discovering Agra Differently (and more sustainably)
The Taj Mahal re opens today, there is no denying that it is a magnificent monument (putting my prejudices aside here!) but if you are going to visit Agra, take…
Discovering Amritsar Differently
The year was 2017 and in 18 years of being a specialist in travel to India, I had never visited Amritsar. Why was this? I have no idea. Maybe because…
The Murder and the Lion – Wildlife Tales from Gujarat
We had heard there was a murder and were invited to investigate. Anyone who has watched any crime drama wants to get involved right? In this instance a murder could…
So what exactly is a micro-destination?
I saw a video clip a few weeks ago by NDTV that made me smile. It was all about micro destinations and how they are the future of travel. Now…
Focus on Mainstream Destinations for a More Sustainable Travel World
At the start of the pandemic, there were a lot of knee jerk reactions as to what would save tourism in India. Many rightly said domestic tourism and in terms…
My Top Five Books Tiger Centric Books – A great and diverse small collection for International Tiger Day 2020
It’s International Tiger Day, social media will be flooded with images of this truly magnificent animal, hopefully also praise for the forest guards who spend their lives protecting them, the…
People of India Project – Varun Narain Mathur
I first met Varun many years ago when he, way ahead of the game, had set up a company to promote extraordinary guides of India, true experts who believed in…
Discovering India Differently: Adventure Travel in Rajasthan
A while ago I was asked if I’d give a talk on travel in India, nothing unusual there. I happily agreed. I was told they would revert with the topic…
Vindaloo,Who Knew?
This is, or should I say was, a pork vindaloo. I kind of forgot to take the before picture. It was rather tasty. Now, the mere mention of a vindaloo…
Cultural Intelligence, leadership and travel
I’ve started a senior leader’s course with Common Purpose, as part of this we listen to a Ted X talk on Cultural Intelligence with Julia Middleton, its founder. This talk…