City

Ah, Thailand. Probably the most popular Southeast Asian country for backpackers, luxury travelers and everyone in between. The capital city, Bangkok, is one of the biggest travel hubs in the region with two airports connecting countless…
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Varun Grover dons many hats—satirist, writer, lyricist, comedian—but through all of it, one thing is assured, his mastery of language. His stories have enthralled in Masaan and Sacred Games, lyrics have resonated in Dum Laga Ke Haisha and …
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From Mumbai Satara, Maharashtra Go for: Idyllic explorations of the hinterland Post monsoon, travellers make a beeline for the Kaas Plateau to see the valley of flowers, and move onwards, missing out on the diversity of Satara. At the foot…
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Nako, Himachal Pradesh Instead of Chitkul The village of Nako lies 150 kilometres from Chitkul in Himachal Pradesh, a rather steep drive up the switchbacks of Kahzigs connecting Kinnaur to Spiti. If Chitkul has somewhat suffered the perils…
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Munroe Island, Kerala Instead of Alleppey Drifting down the backwaters of Alleppey, on a charming, often luxurious, houseboat, remains the quintessential Kerala experience. But if you are looking for something more offbeat, more Indiana…
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In Calcutta, where I grew up, one often hears the phrase ‘baro mash-e tero parbon’, which roughly translates to ‘thirteen festivals in twelve months’. So as a child, I grew up watching a lot of festivities around me, Diwali being one such.…
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Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh Instead of Varanasi In both look and feel, Maheshwar, a tiny town to Indore’s south, evokes Varanasi vibes. Some even call it the “Varanasi of Central India”—a grand comparison it shoulders rather well. Ghats here…
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Bengaluru, Karnataka Even as Bengaluru loses its acres to unchecked real estate development, several green oases in the technopolis house a stunning avian population. Though the city’s major oxygen suppliers Lalbagh and Cubbon Park host a…
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With December upon us, the time is right to take a breather and reflect upon the year that has gone by amidst paradigm shifts in our understanding at the cellular level and new ground gained in the daunting domain of space exploration, the…
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Sipping steaming green tea, I lean over the wooden gate fencing my boutique property in Himachal, lost in thoughts of nothingness. A cool morning breeze caresses my face and I warm up to the faint rustle of cherry blossoms across the…
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It was the roaring twenties and Mumbai was Bombay. Art Deco buildings went up one by one until Bombay would soon have the world’s second largest collection of these streamlined but ornate structures. Towards the end of that decade, Bombay…
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I am on a morning walk, hunting for a strong cup of chai, when I come across a 300-year-old haveli—Bhartendu Bhawan—tucked away in the old by lanes of Varanasi’s Thatheri Bazar. The house belongs to Bhartendu Harishchandra—author,…
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For many, Diwali is all about the festivities—sweet treats, family gatherings and colourful rangolis. For others, it’s a long weekend waiting for a vacation. If you fall in the latter category, we’ve got you covered. Here are quick escapes…
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As the winter sun simmers over the Bay of Bengal, Kolkata renews vows with its perennial playmate, food. Grandmothers (and of late, commercial sweet shops) willing, plump parcels of pithey and jaggery-scented batis of payesh are a given.…
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