My sister had been dreaming of going on a ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani’ kind of trek ever since the movie came out. I tried pepping her up for a solo trip to anywhere and gave her the usual tips for solo travel in India. In between someone who came home had this epic statement to make …
Why Triund could be the perfect first Himalayan trek? Read More »
I had read passing references about the Brokpa community, most of them were rumours of German women coming in search of pure Aryan men. The people living in ‘four Aryan villages’ had remained culturally secluded and were different from the rest of the Ladakhis. Huff Post interviewed me about this, here. Read : Into Unknown Ladakh I …
Walking into the past along the frozen Indus in Ladakh Read More »
Yurutse: A ‘one home’ Ladakhi village in Markha Valley A local has been kind enough to walk with me to Rumbak, I have been warned against venturing out alone. It is January cold and a woman has recently been mauled by dogs on the same trail. The cloudy skies give way and it is snowing …
Musings from the one home village of Yurutse at 4200m Read More »
‘You will die in the cold’, say my friends. With temperatures falling to -40 degrees celsius, winter travel to Spiti is unheard of! There are no flights and hence no escape route, in case something goes wrong. It is hard enough in the summers; I know after my various long sojourns to this ‘middle land.’ …
‘Go away if you aren’t going to buy any charas,’ said the guesthouse owner and frowned upon us. We were quite stunned to hear that in this 2000 year old hamlet. For years I had read about the famous (or infamous) Parvati Valley and had never ventured there alone. This time in October-November 2014 I …
The road to Dudhsagar is flooded in the bountiful monsoons and the train track is the only accessible alternate route to see the waterfalls. Dudhsagar literally means a ‘sea of milk’. The waters fall from a great height; Dudhsagar is also one of the 100 highest waterfalls in the world. It lies in the Southern Part …
A photo journey of trekking to Dudhsagar Waterfalls in the monsoon Read More »
Goa was the first destination that made me realise my penchant for slow travel. On my second trip, I was privy to the dying hippie culture in 2002. We had stealthily found out the whereabouts of a rave party and were in for a culture shock for days to come. It was as Bob Marley said …
There were signs pointing to the ‘Beatles Ashram’ as I kept walking on the sandy stretch after the clutter of buildings ended on the right side of Ram Jhula in Rishikesh. The building seemed to be consumed by the forest. There was a baba sitting with a disciple smoking a chillum. I was told that …
I stroll aimlessly on the deserted mall road in Manali on a chilly November morning. My mind is wandering far away, not knowing where to go next. The days have passed in a daze, coming back from a random trip to Parvati Valley. Read : Finding the offbeat in Manali Read : Winds of change in Malana …
Upon reading Kerouac’s On the Road for the second time; I have a sudden need to be on a road trip. Somewhere wild and free, without a care in the world. We only live once, right? Life is either a great daring adventure or nothing. A road trip might be the only time in …
