@ Home

Contributed to the Times of India @Home book, a repository of homestays across the country. I reviewed and wrote about the South India homestays for this book.

A Goddess For A Day

Our maali was an uncontroversial man. Digging at the soil with relentless vigour, transplanting creepers from one edge of the wall to another, watering two large sprawls of grass and a long stretch of furrowed area with a thin hose with trickling water thanks to the compromised pressure. To watch him go about his business […]

Beastly Luncheon

If you didn’t know better, Abdul Latif Kureshi would appear to be the Pied Piper of the Rawaton Ka Bass area in Jodhpur. After all, he does have at least 15 dogs trailing him for 2km every afternoon, as he makes his way to the Mehrangarh Fort at a funeralesque pace. No haunting tunes waft […]

Periyar

Typical of a famous tourism destination, Kumily (or Thekkady), the base town to visit Periyar National Park, is inundated with guest houses and hotels over a range of budget. Though this town is not that significantly big, there are ample options for travellers to choose from. Since this place has no dearth of accommodation options, […]

Hampi

The surreal landscape of Hampi and Anegundi is not just a reminder of the formidable empire of the Vijaynagara Kingdom. The towns, hold within them, a trail of more than 83 monuments, a bear sanctuary and fascinating spots for bird watching, ancient cave paintings amongst other sight seeing options. The mighty Tungabhadra River cuts across […]

Chikmagalur

It’s not often that a smuggling legend becomes the most important historic and natural lineage to a destiantion. But that’s exactly what happened when a 17th century Sufi pilgrim, Baba Budangiri, tucked away seven seeds of coffee in his belt, when returning from Mecca. He came back and sprung them on the fertile hills of […]

Temple Trips Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh is home to a wealth of temples, both ancient and modern, living and archaeological. Temple bells, incense, flowers, holy rivers and throngs of devotees characterize many temples in Chhattisgarh, a land of the devout. In others, the centuries have done their job, leaving behind just the essence of spirituality amid ruins and ancient carvings. […]

Summer Holidays

Contributed to the Summer Holidays Lonely Planet Guidebook for suggestions to take a break during the summers. n this book we have tried to represent the best holiday destinations from all over India, some short and convenient, some long and ambitious. It thereby allows you to choose the holiday best suited to your family needs, depending […]

Filmi Escapes

Contributed to the Filmi Escapes Lonely Planet Guidebook that takes the traveller through a Bollywood trail in different parts of the country. This is a first-time book for India! How often we must’ve wanted to travel to every place we’ve seen in the movies. The Ladakh of Aamir and Kareena in 3 Idiots, the Kasauli of […]

Best Escapes Hills

Contributed to the Best Escapes Hills book for regions in the South of India. The valleys, deserts and palm-lined beaches are all well and good, but it can get hot down there. India’s princes and British colonials long used cool mountain towns as refuges from the heat and today the hill stations still have lush forests […]

Lonely Planet India

Supported the Lonely Planet, UK team to re-assess and pen the ‘Srinagar and surrounding areas’ section, after the areas were inundated in the floods of 2014. The sections are part of the Lonely Planet India book for 2015-16. #1 best-selling guide to India * Lonely Planet India is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on […]

Spiritual Trips

Uttar Pradesh offers unrivalled opportunities for the spiritual travellers with more then a handful of destinations focussed around strong divine ties. Be it the Buddha circuit from Sarnath in the east to Kushinagar and Shrawasti bordering Nepal or the Sangam of the rivers Yamuna, Ganga and the mythical Saraswati at Allahabad, the state caters to […]