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…
Could Mahua Become The National Drink of India?
I remember the first time I tried it. I had an audience, eight eager faces anticipating what my reaction would be. Years ago (okay, actually decades) when I was a ski rep, my team would buy me tequila, which I hated, purely for their own amusement, it would appear my tequila face was a sight…
#Celebrate25K2K Day 01, Kerala backwaters.
A cheeky little upgrade from Delhi to Cochin was a lovely welcome back, particularly after the hellish transit procedure at Delhi Airport. Be warned if on connnecting flights. After that the day just got better and better. My first south Indian breakfast was on board and then on arrival in Cochin I was whisked off…
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…
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…
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…
Modern Day Memsahib: Escape to India Chapter 01
My hand paused half way through its ministrations of teeth brushing. I stood, open mouthed looking at him aghast through the reflection in the bathroom mirror. He hadn’t even paused in the rubbing down of his body. He had said it as casually as asking for a coffee and just carried on seemingly oblivious…
The Moment It All Began – Tamil Nadu
Back in 1998 I made my first trip to India. I had been asked by three investors to set up a travel company for them, they had decided on south India and I was despatched to recce with the aim of determining the product, then, writing the brochure and launching the company. The initial plan…