What’s in a smile? I’ve been writing content for a new travel website for a client, somewhat optimistic perhaps, but he’s determined to be prepared. In doing so, I was…
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The People of India Project – Rajeev Samant
In 1996, Rajeev Samant had an epiphany when he realized that Nashik in Maharashtra had the perfect climate for growing wine grapes. In 1999, he established Sula Vineyards, Nashik’s…
Hotel Review – Woods at Sasan, Gir, Gujarat
For once I had no expectations. I was traveling around Gujarat, making it up as I went, when the invite came to stay at Woods at Sasan. I readily accepted,…
The People of India Project – Kartick Satyanarayan
Kartick Satyanarayan is a well-known wildlife conservationist, who has been tirelessly involved in wildlife conservation, animal welfare and nature protection for over twenty five years. He is the Co-Founder and…
People of India Project – Shubham Thakur
I first met Shubham when he was working at Wasabi by Morimoto at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi. I had the privilege to be dining with Marryam H Reshii…
The People of India Project – George Dominic
If you need someone to blame, then it has to be George Dominic. He was the very first person I met to do with India. It was at a trade…
Encounters With Locals – In a Sacred Grove in Meghalaya
Meghalaya has sacred groves, small pockets of protected forest, hundreds of years old which are owned and protected by individual communities. They believe that they are the abode of…
The Women of India: Anu Dhillon Singh.
Conservationist, environment scientist, amateur historian and safari lodge owner (Mela Kothi Chambal Safari Lodge to be specific) , Anu has been on gap-year mode for over two decades, it’s probably…
Snapshots: Morning Encounters at Chambal Safari Lodge
Woke to the sounds of the forest waking up and decided on an early morning walk instead of floundering in bed. I emerged from my room only to come face…
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…
Desperately seeking satisfaction, could Gujarat deliver?
A few months ago I developed a mild obsession, I don’t know where it came from, it was certainly out of the blue, but it wouldn’t go away, it just…
Women of India – Anamika Singh
I first heard of Anamika when a dear friend Marryam Reshii (also featured in this series) messaged to tell me I simply must meet this genius of tea. She had…
The Murder and the Lion – Wildlife Tales from Gujarat
The collective noun for crows is a murder and we had heard there was a murder. Now anyone who has watched any crime drama wants to get involved right? I…
Online Dating During Covid – Part 01
Several years ago, sixteen to be precise, I was encouraged to start internet dating, by my chiropracter of all people. Baffled as to why I was still single at the…
Women of India – Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu
“Author, travel writer, food critic and columnist, Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu has lived and worked by one motto for two decades: Travel. Eat. Write. Repeat. She sees no reason to change…
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 – Col Manoj Keshwar (Mike)
Col Manoj Keshwar (Mike) proudly served Indian Army, with distinction for 20 years. He is an IIM Lucknow Alumni, an entrepreneur and a TEDx speaker. He left the Army in 2011,…
People of India Project: Mickey Desai
I’d been in touch with Mickey for years and kept promising to visit his lodge in Gujarat but something always seemed to get in the way of my plans. However,…
Snapshots: Hanging with the Girls at Tia Village, the Impressions We Leave behind
I’d spent some time with a couple of ladies who were sitting by the prayer wheel in Tia Village Ladakh. Initially they didn’t want her photo taking and that was…
Discovering Jaisalmer Differently
One can never fail but to be humbled by the hospitality of India’s rural population. I was out on one of my missions, spending ten days in Jaisalmer to discover…
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 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,…
MP & UP tourism going head to head?
In a destination competition between MP and UP for me, without even having to think, the outright winner would be MP. And yet, I am one for giving the underdog…
Not the bloody Taj Mahal!
I am being controversial but honest, the Taj Mahal? It’s not all that. There you go, I have finally not only said it aloud, but put it in print and…
If we cant visit India then she must come to us 2: 12 More Movies about this extraordinary country.
Hello hello hello, Following the sucess of part one of this series (of 2) I couldn’t not post all the wonderful recommendations that were sent to me by all gang…
Now Available – Escape to India by Philippa J Kaye.
Its been a 6 year slog but finally, here it is, my first novel. Naturally it’s based in India, how could it not be? About the book: When Jo Johnson…
From Mundane to Magical in Three Simple Words…..
India, where one must always expect the unexpected. A fact I remind myself of daily but one which she reminds me of hourly. I was traveling recently in Gujarat and…
If We Can’t Visit India, She Must Come To Us -13 Films About This Extraordinary Country
The man at customs on my most recent trip to India (and the friendliest customs man I’ve ever met) asked me if I liked India, I replied in the affirmative…
International Women’s Day 2020
May I take your photograph, I ask (always). They pat their hair and ask why? They protest that they are old and ask why someone so much younger wants to…
Snapshot, Dawn at Nagarkot, Nepal
It starts with a blanket of black, a darkness, a covering, the occasional twinkle of a star. As it lifts, hills and mountains, shapes and colours start to emerge, layer…
Community Homestays, Nepal
And now for something completely different. This was my stay in Pataudi, not only is it (not yet) famous for almost being a UNESCO site, Pataudi was the first destination…
Snapshot: Nepal welcomes me for the fourth time.
Day 01: Arrival NepalI opted to say in tonight and headed to the roof top bar. There are only two other people here, a couple, Instagram influencers. They are flouncing…
Driving Across India: Realising a life long dream.
The dream started when, living in Delhi, I decided to buy a car. An expat living in India, who’s been selling holidays from the days when these were the only…
Do not trust Konjoin Technologies and their CEO Nirmesh Rajyaguru.
Do not trust Konjoin Technologies and their CEO Nirmesh Rajyaguru. Konjoin Technologies was referred to me when I needed a unique software solution built in order to launch my business….
Delhi Belly, Truth or Myth?
I’ve just been following a thread on FB. One person asked how to avoid Delhi Belly and the long and short of the barrage of ensuing responses was that you…
Storytelling East vs West, A Cathartic Process or Escapism?
Sometime in 2015/6 I recently went to a reading by famous Indian play write, Girish Karnad who started his performance by saying something that in all my years, I didn’t…
Snapshot: Slowing it down for Christmas.
Most tourists dash around Rajasthan, ticking off it’s cities, and put up with the traffic and noise in order to marvel at its forts and palaces. But can one really…
Weather in India, Best Time to Travel and When to Avoid where.
India is vast with many different weather patterns and truly is a year round destination. The below is a quick guide to the best time to travel to which regions….
Snapshots – When cooking on gas isn’t quite what you expect!
My company tagline is, Discovering India Differently, and this day, heading away from the main sights of Varanasi, led me to do just that. We headed out of Varanasi, in…
An Interview With India’s Centre for Soft Power, Why Tourism Needs to Move Beyond The Taj Mahal.
India’s Tourism needs to move beyond the Taj Mahal Sudarshan Ramabadran March 25, 2019 An economic impact report (2018) by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has said that…
My take away from 20 years of hotel inspections.
So, here’s a question. I’ve been reviewing hotels now for over twenty years. During that time, I have stayed in a wide variety of hotels from budget brands to homestays…
People of India – Anand Sankar
Anand Sankar set up Tons Trails as a means of promoting off-beat travel in one of Uttarakhand’s most beautiful and undiscovered regions, offering tourism that is 100% locally run, socially responsible,…
Snapshot – Shiva, Snakes and Spirituality, Varanasi
So there we were, sitting on the ghats, on chairs (most pple were sitting on the floor) and in prime position for the arti ceremony thanks to our hosts at…
Beyond Delhi, India’s International Airports and where they lead to!
Most people consider Delhi to be the main entry and exit point to the wonderful country that is India and the splendours which abound therein. It therefore stands to reason…
Snapshots, a motorbike temple!
In India, always expect the unexpected. The trip that I had planned was to be, or at least I was hoping would be a a truly wonderful, if incredibly unconventional…
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…
Encounters With Locals – The Doctors Surgery
Encounters with locals continued….. This scene, the doctor’s surgery in a village in Rajasthan. The reason, being felled by a top to toe, and by that I mean from my…
People of India – Vaibhav Kala
Adventure courses through Vaibhav’s blood – he is integrally responsible for opening up remote Himalayan valleys to adventure tourism, and has helped open up Indian river running like none before…