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Deciding where to stay in Bali in 2019? From stunning resorts and cute beach hotels to budget hostels, this accommodation guide will help you pick your dream accommodation. It’s easy to see why Bali is one of the world’s top…
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She writhed and swayed as the notes of the bhajan wafted off the Ganga like a divine benediction. Like the woman, others in the audience, too, had been transported to a divine plane. On our first evening in Rishikesh, we attended the…
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Planning an epic trip to the Far East? Here's my detailed two weeks in China itinerary and guide. Two-Week China Itinerary China is big and loud, modern and rustic, traditional and forward-moving all at once. It is a world of sharp…
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On the drive down to Kabini from Masanagudi, fine, red earth pirouettes in the windy trail left behind by the tyres of my jeep. In a few hours, we arrive at our accommodation for the next three days, just off the edge of the Nagarhole…
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Any visitor to Nagaland usually passes through Dimapur, before moving on to the hills of peaceful Kohima, home to the Hornbill Festival, 75 kilometres away; the pristine village of the Angamis, near Kohima, called Khonoma; scenic Dzukou…
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Our Panna is quite a dry forest. The green you see now will wither soon,” 20-year-old Iden Lal smiles at me as we walk across the dry deciduous expanse just within the territorial area of Panna National Park. What I notice first is how…
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Dear 28-year-old me, We haven’t hung out in a while. At 68, I could blame the knees, but really it’s the foggy brain that seems to be always leaking out of things to remember. And by that I don’t mean bulbs that need fixing or the names of…
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Sipping on some kahwa to start off an elaborate iftar meal in his drawing room in Srinagar, Ferooz Ganai looks surprised when I enquire about visiting the old city the next day. A long-term acquaintance of my family, Ferooz uncle had…
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Spring in the eastern Himalayas connotes not only a spectacular burst of flowers, it also marks the peak activity of the region’s glorious passerines, who are busy courting as the temperature thaws. Sikkim’s Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary…
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Like most non-resident Bengalis, I travel to Calcutta frequently, and every time, I chance upon some unexplored treasure tucked between the drapes of history. But this time was singularly special. I have been researching on the journey of…
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Stealth and grace marked his every step; his long furry tail swished like a bridal train, helping him maintain balance at the top of a ridge. The snow leopard paused, preened and then presented a proud profile, unaware of the adoring…
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“You want to go to a farm in Ratnagiri in the middle of May?” “Yes! And we can go mango picking.” “But in May?” My reaction was not that unexpected. Temperatures often reach 40 degrees in Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra in the summer. It’s…
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“You must make your way to the gateway of the Deccan through Malwa,” declared Anu aunty. My husband and I were in her dining room in Indore, gorging on home-made dal baati, a speciality of the region. I was trying not to overeat in…
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I was seated on the fifth floor deck of my Grand Executive Suite in Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty. Overlooking the serene expanse of the Vembanad Lake, I sipped my morning coffee. Lush green palm trees swayed in the wind as glistening rays of…
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In the last dozen years, I’ve made at least one annual trip down this road; very often on my own, down a cut and dried route. It starts with a night bus from Delhi that reaches Haridwar in the wee hours. A quick chai in the lone, just-open…
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