south

The five-day annual revelry that engulfs Kolkata come October is upon us—Durga Puja, when the City of Joy shakes itself out of sweet slumber and embraces cultural frenzy. Folks have begun to wake up to the sound of dhaak and in some…
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Puja eshe gechhe. Puja is here. Even in a year marked by the ravages of pandemic, some tell-tale signs of the Bengalis’ annual autumnal revelry have survived. The fleeting whiff of urban shiuli (night-flowering jasmine) had long…
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Day Trips and Overnight Trips by Yacht Mandala Sailing offers Skippered Charters using a Jeanneau 42’ yacht. I’ve already listed sailing charters on the site.  They’re more for people who want to spend a few days sailing…
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The hand-painted horse came to life as I spun the barrel for the umpteenth time. I watched it gallop choppily through the slits of the zoetrope, a 19th-century animation device, captivated by the simplicity of this drum-shaped precursor to…
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Free staycations for Bali residents as Indonesia tests virus protocols South China Morning Post
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May 2017, Karnataka: I’m on an annual sojourn to my native place in the coastal town of Mulki, a half-hour’s drive from Mangalore, where rice fields are interspersed with tiled clay roofs of old homes. The balmy summer air is laced with…
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Gushing waterfalls, prehistoric caves, fragrant spice plantations, rejuvenating treks, as well as diverse flora and fauna are some of the many things that define Wayanad in Kerala. In addition, Wayanad is home to some of Kerala’s top-notch…
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On a Sunday morning, I normally would have taken the ‘fast’ train down to South Bombay, but today I wanted to drive through the city. Lin Baba, Gregory David Roberts’s semi-autobiographical character from the 2003 novel Shantaram, wove…
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Monsoons in India ripen the mood for a romantic and nostalgic getaway. Escaping to remote waterfalls flanked by misty mountains, lush forests housing a rhapsody of migratory birds or little shacks on beaches to catch puffy clouds and rainy…
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Planning your first trip to India for 2021? Here's my recommended India itinerary for those looking to experience the best of India in 2 weeks. India is an absolutely fascinating conglomeration of cultures, colors and flavors. They say you…
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On some weekdays, Dr. Simin Patel would hop on BEST bus No. 126 that ferried her from Dhobi Talao to her home in Tardeo. As soon as the bus approached the Anjuman fire temple, she’d instinctively crane her neck towards the opposite…
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