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…
Olfactory India. Can the character of a city be determined by its’ aroma?
OK, the title may cause some sniggers. ‘’OMG, India stinks!’’ declare all the people who have never been there, the same ones who are convinced that all you will be confronted with are an overwhelming wave of poverty and will be struck down imminently, never to recover, with Delhi Belly as soon as one foot…
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 that. Not even with her spectacles on.” Who you are (naturally!) A free spirit What inspired you to create/join your business? Travel writing was…
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 out there on the worldwideweb for all to see. I have had to visit it many times (forced by my career choice) but this ‘familiarity’…
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 discovers that her latest beau is in fact married to someone else, it’s not surprising that an offer to manage a lodge in an Indian…
Golden and Rhubarb, the Triangles in my Life.
My life seems to be determined by triangles. I spent years living on one vertex of what is probably the most famous triangle in the world, well, apart from the Bermuda one, but then, if I was there I probably wouldn’t be alive, so let’s say, the most liveable triangle in the world, The Golden…
Modern Day Memsahib: Escape to India – Chapter 2
Chapter 2 I heard the taxi door slam, bottles chinked, shrieks and grumbles were heard. At last! The gang had arrived. I allowed myself a wry smile; of course Allegra wouldn’t take the underground. I grabbed the blanket off the back of the sofa, where I had been sulking and sobbing for the last couple…
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…
Varanasi, Benares, Banaras or Kashi, regardless its not an easy destination.
Varanasi will chew you up and spit you out and won’t be concerned about the consequences, not even one iota. For through tourists flock there in their masses, to visit the world’s oldest living city, and to absorb, as if by osmosis, some of India’s famed spirituality; as Tahir Shah so succinctly put it, ‘Enlightenment…
You’ve Never Heard of Ossett?
Summer 2012: Ossett, the town from which I hail decided to host a ‘Promote Ossett’ day in a manner in which has left me baffled ever since, not to mention leaving many local school children traumatised at best, scarred for life at worst. I heard about the event in the local pub the night before,…
Snapshot – India in a nutshell
A snapshot on India: Sitting in Manchester Airport, the man next to me asks where I am going and grimaces when I say Delhi. The second sentence out of his mouth is, “My wife won’t go there, there is too much poverty.” I reply in all innocence, “Oh, have you been?” He replies, with a…
Snapshots – Shopping in Delhi
Forget Trump, forget Brexit, forget the fact that Delhi govt purchased a snow plough, forget racism against cows – I went into a well known store in Khan Market looking for a present for my fairy godmother who likes all things “fabulous.” Spotted a fancy silver and white mug and thought it would be a…
4 Hot Hotels, Tamil Nadu Finally Comes Of Age.
I have been traveling to Tamil Nadu since 1997, it is a fascinating destination, full of temples and Dravidian influences but it has always been a tough destination to sell for a couple of reasons. The first is that many people just focus on the temples, let’s face it, you can hardly move in the…
India and a Rather Unusual Wedding Custom
I am not sure entirely, or really even partially, at what point I fell in love with India. I am still not sure I can put a finger on exactly why I did either. It is a place where I do feel more at home than anywhere else, which is strange as I have…
Women of India – Marryam H Reshii
Marryam H Reshii has been writing about food and lifestyle for the last 30 years. She is the Times of India food critic besides being an independent writer on cuisine and matters gastronomic. She has been working on the Times Food Guide for Delhi for the last several years. In addition, she has done a…
People of India – About
Several years ago, I started to blog about the people of India, they are, for me, what makes this country so extra ordinary. I have never encountered such resilience and resourcefulness (aka jugaad) as I have from the people who truly belong to this country. From innovators to creators, artists to authors, tuk tuk drivers…
People of India – Bikram Grewal
Bikram Grewal is an ornithologist, author, birdwatcher and conservationist from Delhi, India who has written several guides to Indian birds. His father was a senior civil servant in the Indian government. He has been working with governments and private groups to promote Eco-tourism in Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal and Nagaland. His 2002 book Birds of India…
People of India – Sumant Batra
A lawyer of international repute, social commentator, thought leader and creative innovator, Sumant is a many-faceted person with accomplishments in diverse spheres. He romances with life, lives his dreams and thinks through his heart. A cultural champion, museum owner, collector and writer, Sumant Batra is the founder and architect of a number of innovative creative…
GWOC – Something about which I know nothing
On my flight to Manchester last week on Etihad, I read an excellent article by Jamie Lafferty about the Great Wall of China. Excellent not only because it was well written but I also enjoyed the slightly humorous no nonsense style, akin perhaps to my own. It is rarely that I read travel articles, which…
Delhi Diaries, Encounters with Locals, part 2
It seems that it is impossible to walk down the street in India, or get through a single day without having some sort of wonderful if unexpected encounter. Here are some more random, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant encounters from my daily wanderings. Seriously, the Kohinoor Diamond? I was quite happily walking to work the other…
Delhi Diaries: Valentines Day, Indian Style
Not sure Lucknow or maybe India fully gets Valentines day. Here I am in a restaurant in the newest ”in” place in town. The decor is classic Indian style, tacky overkill with thousands of heart shaped balloons taped to walls, strapped to chairs and dangling from ceiling lights. Mind you, with those descriptions and what…
Delhi Diaries: The changing face of India, women drivers & pilots!
The longer I spend in Delhi, the more I realise just how quickly India is changing. Being in travel and therefore usually immersed in heritage and culture I spend most of my time here surrounded by the traditional but, five years away and a return to Delhi has assisted in emphasising the huge changes which…
A Rare Hotel Review, The Four Seasons, Mumbai
Whisked seamlessly in a seven series BMW from the airport to the Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai, my reintroduction to the Maximum City as it has endlessly been called, after seven years away. My companion was only used to the good life, and whilst I love scruffing around in India, as I call it, tuk tuks,…
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…
Travels in India, dress sense, east vs west
There really is nothing quite so elegant as an Indian lady in a sari. I don’t think any other national dress can even begin to compete and what is wonderful is that they are still widely worn throughout the country. The colours are so vibrant, reds, oranges, turquoise to name hardly any (there is no…
Delhi Diaries: The Value of a Perfectly Round Roti
This week, I went out discovering Delhi, as I do. One of my visits was to the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, perhaps the most famous Gurudwara in India, outside of Amritsar. Here they also feed thousands of people every single day, and so after doing the usual rounds, I ventured into the kitchen which is run…
Delhi Diaries: 2nd August ’15
Life starts to settle down and routines start to form. I have time to venture further and I am intrigued to discover what changes have happened since I have been away, for sure, Delhi is still the same old crazy place, but it would appear that it is attempting a new level of sophistication –…
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,…
Delhi Diaries: 5th July
Life back in India, some things change, some things stay the same. Delhi, as happens with any city, continues to evolve, when one is here all the time, it is harder to notice the changes. During my time away, the hideous rape case that shocked the world took place and, despite it being too late…
Delhi Diaries: 28 June 2015 When India works with you.
Twenty months ago, I wrote a couple of blog pieces about having moved back to Delhi, or so I thought, as in moved back to Delhi, not wrote the pieces, they are there for all to see. But you see, as I have said many times, India can be a cruel mistress, though in my…
Delhi Diaries: About Kalpana
“But you have to get a maid, you can’t survive without one!” This was the refrain I heard many times on moving to Delhi last time and one which I realised was very, very true. I was promptly found Flopsy by my landlady who was ultimately usurped by Kalpana – for that debacle,read https://memsahibinindia.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/dealing-with-house-staff-part-2-flips-flops-at-50-paces/ and that’s who…
Delhi Diaries: She welcomes me home…..
Step off the plane and the aroma of Delhi hits you. A stroll along the now famously hideous airport carpet, luggage out in record time, skip through duty free, a taxi ride in a cab that should have been scrapped 20 years ago, the 3 inevitable questions from the taxi driver, ”Your country madam, your…
Ayurveda Part 3 Sarcasm aside, day 6, it’s time to get serious.
Ok, all jokes aside, it’s time to explain what this Ayurveda is and the benefits of it. Don’t worry, I am not going to get technical but, it is an ancient vedic system of medicine which takes in all aspects of life, it is about following a daily regime and eating properly and basically keeping…
Ayurveda warts and all, part 2, the treatments announced
I know I said that Germans flock to these ayurvedic resorts in their hoards, but they really do! I am the only English person here, two Indian couples and the rest are Germans oh with a few Russians thrown in for good measure, you can spot them by the bling, very tight fitting clothes and…
Ayurveda – Warts and all. Part 1
To say that my health over the last four years has been a bit shabby would be an understatement only equaled by my aging aunt saying that Saddam Hussein didn’t seem like a ‘terribly nice chap,’ or that Hitler bumped off a couple of people in his time, or that pomegranate seeds, carefully peeled and…
Delhi Diaries: Finding Digs in Delhi
You wouldn’t think that finding accommodation in Delhi would be such a mine field, but as a single female, trust me, finding somewhere to live was shall we say tricky. You see, I am torn. I love Delhi, and to live in Delhi with all of its history and culture, rather than live in the…
Delhi Diaries: Dealing with house staff – part 1
Having never had staff in the UK I couldn’t see why I would need them just because I had moved to Delhi, ‘Oh, you must find staff’ everyone said, ‘a reliable maid and a good driver at least, they can make or break your life here’, and I was soon to realise just how true…
In India, We Speak Like This Only
Another day another train. The Dehradun Shatabdi this time and an a/c chair car for INR580.00 or £5.80 for a comfortable 5 hour journey. Not only is this journey comfortable, you are provided , within the price of your ticket, with a bottle of water, newspaper, tea, breakfast (veg or non-veg) and more tea. Not…