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, squatting, drinking chai amidst their brilliantly festooned camels. ‘’Every year, some 30,000 camels descend on Pushkar, a small town in the state of Rajasthan, in…
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 recogniseable images we see of the Pushkar Camel Fair and yet, this fair provides nothing towards their wellbeing and sustainability. To delve a little into their history is to open a Pandora’s Box…
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 determine the top achievers. First launched in 2004, the awards recognise and reward businesses, destinations and operations contributing to a more sustainable and tourism industry….
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 to those who enjoy a drink or two with dinner. But once that hurdle has been overcome, what are the words that spring to mind…
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 favourite lodge, Shergarh in Kanha National Park (Yes, the inspiration behind by book, Escape to India). This initially, this wasn’t for the wildlife, but because…
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 notes, and the fact that the volume was set so high as to distort anything that was forced, hurricane like, out of the speakers, the…
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 nor hurry her along. India is magical, baffling, confusing and unfathomable and frustrating. She is captivating and beguiling, fascinating, awe inspiring but most of all,…
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 trip to India; there weren’t many places to stop and refuel on long, gruelling drives, but our driver knew the best places for a great…
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 time out to appreciate the city for what else it has to offer, because, there is far more to it than meets the eye and…
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 mean a double murder because for there to be a murder chances are that there had been a death that could have been a murder…
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 I understand that marketing constantly needs new spins but what made me really smile about this was that they were featuring what I call destination…
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 of many hotels this is correct, however this is not the case for many inbound DMC’s. Another reaction was that sustainable travel would save the…
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 conservation groups who also do their utmost to raise awareness to protect this endangered species, and the lodge owners who provide wonderful accommodation for you…
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 showcasing the real India along side their speciaist fields. Then, by some quirk of fate, I ended up working along side him for a large…
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 and fellow speakers. I was then told the topic, Adventure Tourism. I panicked slightly, I mean I love a bit of horse riding and white-water…
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 in the UK gives connotations of toilet rolls being placed in fridges and lager louts at the end of the Westgate run, a pub crawl…
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 Ended with, ‘I want to be a leader because I want to change things.’ Which immediately resonated with me as it relates so much to…
People of India Project – Bob Rupani
I’ve never actually met Bob, and I never usually feature people I’ve never chewed the fat with over a campfire or an Old Monk, but his was the first book I bought when I moved to India. Road tripping is something we sort of know about in the UK, but it was after I moved…
The People of India Project – Shilpa Sharma
Shilpa started Breakaway to share her love for travel with others, and the philosophy of the company is very much ‘Beyond the Brochure’ experiences, enabling guests to enrich themselves with the connections made during their travels. Here are her 15 Questions in 5 Minutes: Who you are (naturally!) I’m Shilpa, a Creative entrepreneur with business interests in…
The People of India Project – Gaurav Bhatnagar
I first met Gaurav at the Outlook Traveller Responsible Tourism Awards in Delhi where he was a gold medalist! He is the inspirational figure behind The Folk Tales, which started in 2013 with the aim of offering travelers a chance to experience life in rural India by integrating tourism with socially and environmentally responsible initiatives…
The People of India Project – Sanjay Thakur
Sanjay and I had been in contact for some time but I first got to meet him by chance whilst consulting with a DMC in Delhi on a day when he was visiting. I didn’t know much about the NE of India at that stage, I’d seen some itineraries over the years but they…
Discovering India Differently: Jodhpur
THINK JODHPUR and quite rightly the image of Mehrangarh Fort pops in to your mind. It is undoubtedly magnificent, in my opinion, the most impressive of all the forts in Rajasthan (on the main circuit) and one monument that I encourage a visit to. It is excellently curated and well maintained, the jewel in…
Discovering Wales Differently
I’m sorry, what, bog snorkeling? Did I read that right? What on earth is Bog Snorkeling? Of course, the person who sent this text knew exactly what they were doing, having followed my less than conventional travels around India for 20 years. The minute they heard that I was heading to Wales, they asked where…
The World’s Tallest, Highest, wettest, most buoyant, gruesome and most bizarre, only in India!
Yesterday there was an article in the Guardian, bakers and chefs in the southern state of Kerala had baked what they said was the world’s longest cake at (approx.) 6.5kms, I suppose the actual length depends on how many hungry people there wer around! But it got me thinking, where in the world can you…
Supporting India: Small/Local NGO’s and Aid Centres That Need Your Support
The people of India are enduring unimaginable hardship, hospitals are overwhelmed, and there is a critical shortage of oxygen and ventilators, livelihoods have been lost and people are starving. Many of you have messaged us to ask me how you can help with the smaller organisations who may not be getting much exposure, but which…
Sri Lanka & A Truly Extraordiary Wildlife Experience
They said the meeting place was by the Buddha statue just on the edge of the town. A short while later they called to see if I’d reached. ‘I don’t think so,” was my response, “Is it obvious, could I have missed it?” I credit them for not being sarcastic in their response, being, as…
Shops, Restaurants, Heritage and More at The Piece Hall
Why don’t you go to The Piece Hall? Where? The Piece Hall? Why? It’s a Grade 01 listed building and has got lots of shops. It didn’t do it for me. I didn’t go. I didn’t know what I was missing. I’ve since visited. I do now. I then said I was going to write…
People of India Project: Sameer Shisodia
I’m not sure how Sameer and I first connected. We’ve chatted about this and come to the conclusion that social media will have played a part, sharing similar passions is another. He is one of those people that one just inherently knows that, despite having few meetings in the flesh, we’re from the same tribe…
It’s Rhubarb Season, but did you know?
It’s cold, even by normal Yorkshire standards. Snow is on the ground and for several days temperatures hover around 0C, to which phone apps add comments such as ‘feels like -5C, which aren’t terribly helpful. Weather like this means a couple of things. The first is quite obvious, yes, it’s winter in Yorkshire, fortunately we…
The Mysteries of Mountains
Ghostly, ethereal Layer upon interwoven layer of mountains Shrouded in a gossamer mist Haunting, mysterious. Standing proud or hunched? Kind or cruel? Smugglers, nomads, shepherds, Centuries of stories Love? Maybe But bravery, grief, hardship, sorrow then death Hidden in their rugged and steadfast embrace. The view, this view induces gazing Wistful Pondering The mysteries of…
Snapshots – A Visit to Vann Vihar, India’s Smallest National Park
It looks glamorous and I can’t deny it is fabulous, but being on the road on a recci trip is tough. The things you don’t see, although I agree that I am my own worst enemy as I hate to miss out on anything vaguely different or potentially interesting. This results in daily 0530 starts…
The Story of Tea and it’s Journey into Tourism.
From a Portuguese Princess to India to the world’s most popular brew to somewhat unexpected forays of tourism. The journey of tea might not be quite what you expect! ‘Stick the kettle on,’ must be one of the most used sentences amongst the British population. We are renowned for our love of tea; the problems…
My Original Top 4 Off Beat Hotels for Slow Travel
Ever since I first visited India in 1997, I’ve had a passion for what’s different, away from the mainstream destinations but places where there is the opportunity to discover the real India, away from the chaos and mayhem. Where you have time to peel back the layers of a destination, they are invariably hosted by…
Discovering Goa Differently
Discovering Goa Differently I’ve never been a beach person, truth is, I was once voted worse than a man to take shopping and worse than a child to take to the beach, that was 25 years ago, nothing has changed. It came as quite a surprise therefore that Goa was my choice of destination for…
A Tribute to the Dogs Who Love Us Warts and All
As Brits we are a nation of dog lovers, we are renowned for it. This has only increased throughout lockdown, I am sure that there are stats on this, but just from the numbers of people walking puppies that we see out daily these days, my guess is that a lot of people have become…
Top Ten Reasons to Visit Sri Lanka
Serendipity – the phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. That’s the definition, but have you ever wondered where the word Serendipty came from? Probably not, but let me tell you anyway. It was inspired by one of the former names of Sri Lanka, Serendib, and that to me, is what Sri…
Did you know the Mulbery Bush nursery rhyme originated at Wakefield Prison?
As a child, my grandfather would walk me to the fields above his house and as we gazed down over Wakefield he would always point out three buildings, conspicuous by their architecture, these were the Cathedral, the town hall and the prison. They are the three landmarks of Wakefield that have always been familiar to…
Sustainable Travel: An Interview with Shiva Dhakal Founder of Community Homestay Network Nepal.
A year ago today, I set off to Nepal on a consultancy project as part of the work we do with Indian Experiences. A few weeks earlier, I had been introduced to Shiva Dhakal, found of Royal Mountain Travel Nepal and Community Homestays Nepal, a true visionary who wants to change how travel to…
What do Sandal Castle, a nursery rhyme and Pontefract Cakes have in common?
Oh, the grand old Duke of York He had ten thousand men He marched them up to the top of the hill And he marched them down again And when they were up, they were up And when they were down, they were down And when they were only half-way up They were neither…
Calcutta, a destination I’ve never been able to write about.
There is a black hole in Calcutta, a historical fact which gave place, in part, to the reputation of this misunderstood city thankfully, unwittingly rebranded as the ‘City of Joy.’ Calcutta has created her own black hole in my mind she is indescribable. I visit time and again, determined to capture her soul, her essence,…
Rediscovering Yorkshire – The longest way round is the shortest way home.
Two things happened yesterday. Probably a lot more to be fair but two things to prompt this article, which is handy when you need daily content for a ridiculous writing challenge! The first was that I took dad out for a drive, he’s been getting cabin fever and, given that I’d been raving about the…
Walking With Vikings
Walking with Vikings Walking and words, two passions of mine. Last week I was out walking discovering, as many of us now have, my own back yard, finding walks and history and stories right on my doorstep that I previously never knew existed. Given the amount of rain and snow that we’ve had, as soon…
Have Bucket Lists Destroyed The Art of Travel?
Have Bucket Lists Destroyed the Art of Travel? Travel: To go from one place to another, typically over a distance of some length. Journey: Originally a literal unit of time and travel, has become a metaphor for the experience of living life with all its ups and downs. I recently read the Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas and it reminded…
The Women of India – Julie Kagti
Julie reached out to Indian Experiences as a result of our social media. She told us that she was doing tours in Assam and we arranged to have a chat. I was intrigued enough to venture up to Assam to meet her (no hardship to be fair it was an area I had wanted…
Snapshots, Discovering India Differently, Kota, who knew?
The giant orb of a setting sun guided us down river, casting magical lights on the rippled water as, surrounded by the stark cliffs, we spotted nilgai, owls, vultures, storks and crocodiles. This was our spectacular introduction to Kota, Rajasthan, why had no one mentioned this to me before? In a world of over tourism,…
Beyond the Tiger – A comprehensive guide to India’s wildlife
India’s Wildlife Beyond the Tiger India is often overlooked by wildlife enthusiasts, many of whom seem to prefer heading off to Africa to see the Big 5, those who do venture to the sub-continent some in search of tiger, in a single minded obsession, and yet, India has so much more than our stiped king…
The Women of India – Bhavna Menon
Bhavna Menon graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Delhi and later, moved to Mumbai to pursue her post-graduate studies in Journalism. She is currently employed with Last Wilderness Foundation, an NGO working towards wildlife conservation, as a Programme Manager and has a particular affinity for leopards. Last Wilderness Foundation (LWF) an organisation that…
People of India – The Young Naturalists – Sunny Shah
I only met Sunny relatively recently, in September to be precise. I’d asked my mentor if he knew of any good naturalists in Gujarat and he recommended Sunny. As it turned out, he was wrong, Sunny isn’t a good naturalist, he is incredible. He has foresight & insight, knowledge & passion, intelligence & vision. I…