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…
So what exactly is a micro-destination?
I saw a video clip a few weeks ago by NDTV that made me smile. It was all about micro destinations and how they are the future of travel. Now I understand that marketing constantly needs new spins but what made me really smile about this was that they were featuring what I call destination…
The People of India Project – Gaurav Bhatnagar
I first met Gaurav at the Outlook Traveller Responsible Tourism Awards in Delhi where he was a gold medalist! He is the inspirational figure behind The Folk Tales, which started in 2013 with the aim of offering travelers a chance to experience life in rural India by integrating tourism with socially and environmentally responsible initiatives…
People of India Project: Sameer Shisodia
I’m not sure how Sameer and I first connected. We’ve chatted about this and come to the conclusion that social media will have played a part, sharing similar passions is another. He is one of those people that one just inherently knows that, despite having few meetings in the flesh, we’re from the same tribe…
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…
Have Bucket Lists Destroyed The Art of Travel?
Have Bucket Lists Destroyed the Art of Travel? Travel: To go from one place to another, typically over a distance of some length. Journey: Originally a literal unit of time and travel, has become a metaphor for the experience of living life with all its ups and downs. I recently read the Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas and it reminded…
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…
The Women of India – Bhavna Menon
Bhavna Menon graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Delhi and later, moved to Mumbai to pursue her post-graduate studies in Journalism. She is currently employed with Last Wilderness Foundation, an NGO working towards wildlife conservation, as a Programme Manager and has a particular affinity for leopards. Last Wilderness Foundation (LWF) an organisation that…
Snapshots – A Weavers Village in Guwahati
A village home in rural Guwahati, we were there predominantly to see the handlooms still being used and how they are being kept relevant in today’s market, which is dominated with machine made items. There are around 120 home looms still operating in this region. But what struck me, along with the cleanliness of these…
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 to startled face with a herd of nilgai. We each stood stock still and stared until they vanished back into the trees. Not two minutes…
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 what else could be done in terms of experiences for travellers. It was June. I know that I should know better, but I’d already done…
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 say one has done Rajasthan unless one has had a tranquil lakeside breakfast, the only sounds the chatter of a plethora of birds, strolled 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
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…
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…
Top Tips for Traveling to India
Part 01 – Planning your trip. Think about why you really want to visit India and what interests you. It is very easy to follow a cliched program in India, following the masses just because everybody does it. If it is a first time, then most people want to see the Taj Mahal and therefore…
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…
Memsahib’s dad visits India, aged 80 – Part 4.
I am not sure if two years in a row makes something an annual event, but it would be rather nice to think so. Christmas 2015 at Devshree was all about lovely walks, exploring the fort, lazy lunches, chilling out on charpois after a farm cooked lunch (and discovering the delights of cow s**t bread…