In the middle of nowhere in rural Karnataka is the remains of (perhaps) a glorious past. Where nicely chiseled stones and beautiful sculptures tell you million stories. Hundreds of unnamed craftsmen with their skillful hands and genius minds lived and died for their kings and queens, while building and leaving behind stupendous architectural marvels that [...]
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What excites us most in our trips is the last-minute additions or diversions in the plan. At Belgaum, through a common friend, we met a businessman who has interests in history and architecture. And he suggested that we check out Halashi and gave the directions to reach there. Obviously, not many people have heard about [...]
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An old Italian lady who speaks only Italian, a young Italian settled in Switzerland who could speak English and an Indian couple. All in a small town in Sicily, at an almost-deserted bus terminus. A rain-drenched evening that welcomed darkness without embracing twilight. We started experiencing the warmth of Italian hospitality right after we got [...]
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Ladakh and the Himalayas never cease to excite and surprise us. Bidding adieu to the Tso Moriri wetlands and its lovely cranes and bar-headed geese, we set out to Sarchu. Before Sarchu enthralls us, we find thrill and awe en route! A plateau at a height of 4,000 m, flanked by mountains. The road is [...]
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Happy to tell our readers that we were part of a team commissioned recently by India Today & Maharashtra Tourism to publish an Annual Volume on travel called India Today Maharashtra Tourism Guide. Our contribution was an essay on all Trekking options in Maharashtra which was covered under a section called Special Interests. The issue [...]
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Every trip has interesting unplanned detours. This time, for our 5-day Karnataka trip, we had kept the itinerary completely open. Only return tickets to Belgaum were booked. We had some broad idea of the places we want to visit, but ‘when’ and ‘how’ to visit were left to be decided during the trip. So, after [...]
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An ancient temple complex at about 15 km from Badami, Mahakuta is part of the travel circuit of Badami–Aihole–Pattadakkal. Surrounded by hills with bushy forests, the complex was built by the Chalukyas and is the seat of Shaivite faith. The complex has a large number of small- and medium-sized temples scattered around a pond (or [...]
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Some times the history, the geography, the weather and the people of a place adds to the dynamics of a travel experience, often enriching it. That’s what happened to us at Badami. After being to Ajanta, Ellora, Kanheri, Pandavleni and the Elephanta cave temples, we have remained overawed by the sheer ability of human beings [...]
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Elated after the rafting on the Indus, sad to leave Leh, but with vibrant anticipation of what lies ahead, we set out for further journey travel through the incredible landscape. Dry. Arid. Cold. And no habitation for miles and miles. Tso Moriri was the destination for the day. That meant getting back to Leh from [...]
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We woke up on day five of our Himalayan safari brimming with excitement. Rafting on the Indus was the highlight of the day. Sadly, our last day in Leh, too. We had been following the course of Indus and just got to dip our feet in the river on the way from Srinagar to Kargil. [...]
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The descent from Chang La reveals a stark landscape that brings awe and fear. Snow-clad mountains again turn dry and arid. The sandy river bed reminds of a desert. The long, winding roads are often breached by the brooks formed by melting snow. Camps of Changpa nomads are seen on the slopes. These nomads rear [...]
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Though we were on the lap of the mighty Himalayas for four days, snow was beyond our reach. We had longingly watched the glaciers from afar on our way from Srinagar to Leh. Our wish to play in snow was finally granted at Chang La or Chang Pass. At 17,586 ft, Chang La is the [...]
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Lashing rains. Howling wind. Western ghats can’t get better (and dangerous) than in the monsoons. We were on the Sirsi–Jog falls leg of our Western-Ghats-on-road exploration. Jog Falls is the highest waterfall in India. The Sharavathy river takes a roaring plunge over 250 meters to bottom without any breaks (hence untiered). The river splits into [...]
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It was William Dalrymple’s ‘The Last Mughal’ that triggered our curiosity about the history of Delhi. Not that we were not aware of Delhi’s historical significance. Unfortunately, Delhi brings to our mind all its negatives—lack of safety, extreme heat or cold and the like. When we did our first ever trip to Delhi as ‘travellers,’ [...]
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A beaming youth welcomes us to Purushwadi, applying red sindoor on our foreheads and adorning our heads with the typical Maharashtrian headgear, the Gandhi topi. Each gets a flower, too. We are at Purushwadi for the two-day Navratra celebration, a part of the rural tourism initiatives by Grassroutes. After the sleepy journey on the early [...]
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“My heart was brimming with the longing: to travel all those miles, sometimes nonstop, and come to your place. The urge was so strong, I couldn’t resist it. Oh! Just thinking about wallowing in the cool waters, relishing the scrumptious food aplenty, meeting friends from across the world, made me do a little jig. But [...]
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As kids, like many of us, we were awed by the concept of submarine – something that can travel under the water. And we were under the impression that submarines are a 20th century invention. Yes, the modern submarines were made in later half of 20th century. But efforts to travel under water have been [...]
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What do ‘Volvo’, ‘Bheeman’, ‘Paper egg butter’, ‘Navanandana’, ‘Duck Lasoon’ and ‘Ruby Pai’ have in common ? Seemingly unrelated? Not until you visit the famed ‘Pai Brothers Thattukada’ in Cochin (Kochi or Ernakulam). These all different dosas among the fast food joint’s 36 varieties of dosas. The only place in the world one can get [...]
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When travel turns to be an ‘industry’, it comes with all the perils of standardisation. ‘One-day package’, ‘two-day package’ with a set list of things to see and do. Hotel staff rarely knows places other than these. Most taxi drivers insist there are no other interesting places. Not to mention the standardised Punjabi menu most [...]
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The sprawling fields of oilseed plants form a carpet of yellow flowers in the valley. Making it the more exquisite are the sunlight and the shadows cast by the clouds. Araku Valley is indeed about simple beauties and timeless pleasures. The Friday Market The Araku town comes alive on Fridays as the tribal men and [...]
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