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,…
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 that news of the cholking smog plaguing Delhi is bound to be detrimental to the tourism industry. However, there are plenty of other international entry…
People of India – Young Naturalists – Avijit Dutta
Avijit completed his formal education with an honors degree in History from hometown Calcutta followed by a post graduate degree in Tourism Management. But it was his early years in school up in the Darjeeling hills where he developed a close affiliation to nature, the reason for which he chose the job of a Naturalist…
The Rajbari Bawali; they call it inspired heritage and here’s why…
Way back when, when I was still a tour operator based out of London, James and I, at Ampersand, decided to slow travel down and get people to spend longer in each destination and therefore, have the opportunity to discover more, appreciate it more or simply spend time in one of the hotels they were…
Snapshot: 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…
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,…
India and the art of bargaining…..
I love Om Puri. Actually, I hate that first sentence, it is so easy to say love and hate these days without really meaning it. How can I love him? I don’t even know him, but, I do love the characters he plays in films. I recently rewatched The 100 Foot Journey. I saw it…