Tranquil immaculate beaches, often isolated enough that you’re the only person walking on the shore with the odd local walking home, Kovalam was once renowned for spotless beaches and its endless shoreline. The hippies, however, ‘discovered’ the secret hideaway that Kovalam beach is back in the 1970s, and tourism here hasn’t looked back since. Significantly...
Formerly a trade hub for spices, sandalwood and ivory, Trivandrum which was called the ‘evergreen city of India’ by Mahatma Gandhi is now an immense IT nest contributing to nearly 80% of the state’s software exports. Ranked as one of the best cities in Kerala to live in, it is mainly used by tourists as...
Kerala’s least populous district, Wayanad is also its best-known secret. Complete with misty mountains, splendid forests, pristine rivers, and cascading waterfalls, Wayanad is ‘the’ hill station of choice in South India. Not particularly touristy, the district is famed for its wildlife parks and unspoiled nature. Interestingly, Wayanad’s recorded history dates back to as early as...
Stunningly beautiful throughout the year, the road to Sangla is certainly paved with good intentions. Loose rocky terrain makes most of the drive to Sangla seem like an adventure in itself with gorgeous apple orchards and ‘hanging’ villages on the other side of the gorge. The valley’s largest inhabited settlement, Sangla has interesting Tibetian eateries...
Everyone loves Shimla, and what’s not to like? However, maybe it’s time you took a step away from the madding crowd? Somewhere close but not too far? A mere 60-km drive from Shimla takes you to the town of Narkanda. Higher reaches, plentiful summer sunshine or vibrant white winters in abundant apple orchards – all...
Of manicured tea gardens, misty mountains, clear streams and beautiful waterfalls, Munnar’s landscape is exquisite enough to draw people from across the country throughout the year. Originally begun as a spice plantation by a British resident of the then Travancore kingdom, John Daniel Munro, 1,36,600 acres of leased land (from the royal family) later gave...
Shimla offers much more than charming colonial buildings against a backdrop of the magnificent snow-capped Himalayas. Much more than the dozens of Bollywood songs set on Mall Road or its oldest boarding schools. The upper reaches around the Shimla region offer skating on natural ice as well as host the MTB Himalaya (South East Asia’s...
Jungles, waterfalls and a plethora of historical monuments, contemporary Cambodia is the successor state to the Khmer empire which ruled much of what are now Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. A nation that has been through hell over a blood dribbled history, it never fails to stay true to its unyielding spirit and unwavering optimism. Cambodia’s...
Iceland is, for lack of a better adjective, Nordic Nirvana. Everything that world is craving for right now, Iceland already has. From egalitarianism to sustainable living, you name it, they thrive in it. Satisfyingly unique in its beauty and inspiring in its relentless endeavor to make it better year after year, Iceland is as warm...
Of Lamas and monasteries, butter tea and gently grunting yaks, there’s much more to Ladakh than just spectacular scenery and deep blue lakes. Though made famous by the odd Bollywood movie every now and then, most of Ladakh still remains largely unexplored. un[travel] Ladakh for its gompas and stupas, for walking to the turquoise Indus...
