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 to see go the same way? I now see destinations I visited some 20-25 years ago which were extraordinary and my heart bleeds at what…
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 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…
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 thanks to Rajeev Samant who, having returned from California, was having trouble sourcing good quality, affordable wine in India. Quickly realising that if this situation…
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 done for a few years and it made me have a realisation. Itineraries are, more often than not, put together determined by facts. The drive…
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 the Ken River, and an idea which initially began as a community project & you know it’s going to be good. Good is in fact,…
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. I think my opening gambit was, “Well you don’t need me to tell you how fabulous this is.” His reply, “Thank you, I have always…
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 by cycle. He is doing this to reach out to the people of India, as he says, ‘The last remaining custodians of our natural heritage…
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 years, haven’t you seen it all?” And the answer, quite simply, is no, no where near. I’ve tried, goodness knows I’ve tried, but you see,…
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 not just to know it, but it’s also to experience it, to feel it. Product knowledge is vital, particularly when you really want to feature…
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, some laugh. But I repeat sincerely, “Because you are beautiful.” I can’t explain with my dreadful Hindi what I would like to add, “Because your…
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 Guide for Delhi for many years, besides being an independent writer on cuisine and matters gastronomic. In addition, she has written a number of books…
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 seen it, you couldn’t sell it. I would travel to India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal 2-3 times a year to ‘learn’ the destination in…
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, 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 recognisable 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 of…
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…
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…
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 before living in India, I always had to travel for work, and that meant initially discovering and latterly revisiting the most popular ‘tourist’ destinations. Since…
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…
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…
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…
Five Things You Never Knew You Needed to Know About Rhubarb
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
Snapshots: A stay at Walterre and Discoveries around Dehradun
Woken by the sound of rain thundering down on the tin roof of the charming English meets India-style, country cottage. Ventured onto the terrace where we sat in comfort, under the shelter and sipped on g&ts whilst witnessing the angry skies thunder around us and the brilliance of the lightening showcasing the surrounding hills, standing…
The Raika Journey Begins
They call it serendipity. I’d been struggling with a brutal rash for three days, from my scalp down to the soles of my feet. This is something that never happens to me, I’m not even sure I had nappy rash as a baby! I’d tried creams and antihistamines to no avail, I’d been unable to…
5 Most Popular Hiking Places In Jaipur — JaipurThruMyLens
5 Most popular trekking and hiking places in Jaipur for adventurous people. via 5 Most Popular Hiking Places In Jaipur — JaipurThruMyLens
Discovering Destinations Differently: Jaipur
Back when I was a tour operator in London, in the early 2000’s, we decided to make Jaipur a three night destination, we saw the need for people to slow travel down and this was a destination that offered a lot. Since then I’ve spent two years living in Jaipur and have worked with various…
Jaipur & the Great Outdoors – yes it is an adventure destination.
People tend to think if they have been to Jaipur and seen ‘the sights’ then there is no point going back. I disagree, Jaipur is a destination that can be visited time and time again, the city itself has so much to offer, but if you have ‘been there and done that’ as far as…
Varanasi Part 2 in which it got a whole lot worse, before it got great!
The writers’ conference which I had enjoyed immensely had come to an end. The only bit I had hated was the hotel, The Ramada, it was my second stay in a Ramada hotel, and I can assure you, it will be my last. However, in terms of the city, we had been shown the bits…
The Poop Survival Plan
The last 2 Christmases, I have been fortunate enough to spend at Devshree in Rajasthan. On one of these occasions we ventured down to the farm for a typical lunch cooked by the villages, the way and they cook for themselves. Okay, we had a fully set table under the trees and then cushioned charpois…
Landour, The Land That Time Forgot
Impossibly tight U-bends, an impossibly, narrow, steep road, up and up and round and round, reverse a bit, try that corner again, and again, up and off, out of the overcrowded mayhem of Mussoorie, to the tranquillity of Landour, a mere 5kms away in distance but a world away, in time and temperament. Landour, is…
Discovering Udaipur Differently
There are treks, cycle rides, horse safaris and fascinating surroundings to explore: Discovering Off-Beat Udaipur. A few years ago, I was asked by a certain five-star hotel chain, to put together a series of excursions in and around their hotels in Jaipur and Udaipur. They wanted ‘off-beat’, they wanted things that others may not think…
Top Five things in Puri for under INR200.00 (or GBP2.50)
Five things in Puri for under GBP2.50. I often say, when referring to something cheap, or someone who wants something but doesn’t want to pay, ‘Oh, he wants that for GBP2.50.’ It’s just a figure I hit on for no particular reason but have banded it about now for several years. Living in Delhi, though…
Lucknow,The Ugly Duckling Became a Swan
I first visited Lucknow in 1999 and have no fond memories of the place. Any vague flashbacks which do remain are of a dirty, broken city with one dank, dark hotel, scruffy monuments, litter; you get the picture. It was , as far as I remember a depressing city. In its entirety it should have…
Cochin, But Not As We Know It
A barely perceptible ripple on the surface of the water alerted the beady eyes of the multi-tasking Vinod, who promptly dived into the lake, emerging seconds later, his small, wiry brown body glistening with droplets of water as he threw three live fish onto the gangway of our private Chinese Fishing Net to show them…
19 Things You May Not Know About Ladakh.
It is fascinating and stunningly beautiful, yes its full of monasteries and monks, but there are some things I hadn’t figured on: 1. Ladakh has the smallest cows and horses I have seen in India, however it should be renamed as the land of the enormous chickens, they were HUGE. 2. 10% of the population…
When the cows come home, an alternative safari, Kanha National Park, India.
I do appreciate that when people come on a safari to India, they want to see tiger and yes, to see a tiger in the wild is a magnificent experience and one to be cherished. I used to have a few issues with this. A few years ago, in 2007 to be precise, I ran…