Battling the treacherous Palsi rapid We sit tensely in the raft, knuckles white on the T-grips of our paddles. The last minute briefings are over and we’re ready to go. Our intrepid team of kayakers and rafters has spent almost an hour scouting this big Class IV rapid from the shore. Named for Ningguing village,…
The vineyards at Nederburg, South Africa’s leading winery This was to be our second trip to South Africa. And this time we were certain that we would not miss out on the famous Route 62 which winds through South Africa’s winelands. The main purpose of our visit was my cousin’s wedding at Robertson, about 100…
A bleak overcast sky on the way from Tallem to Jakthang We are the pilgrims, master; we shall go Always a little further: it may be Beyond the last blue mountain barred with snow, Across that angry or that glimmering sea — James Elroy Flecker I woke up that October morning in Gangtok with an…
Zip-lining is to bungee jumping as snorkelling is to scuba-diving— not quite the real thing but with enough of an adrenaline charge and a solid sweaty workout. Ever since I chickened out of a tandem jump with my daughter off the highest bungee jump in the world at the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa, I’ve…
Mayo buddies at the top of Lohagad Fort When I was a young lad growing up in Mumbai (then Bombay), my dad used to be Head, Marketing at the old Burmah-Shell oil company. While this meant that he was busy and away a lot, it also allowed us privileged access to a lovely cottage in…
Prashant and Sana Tie the Knot I am a big fan of destination weddings in India. For the host, this is a clever way of weeding out all the hangers-on who you don’t want at your event, because only those who really care will shell out the airfare to attend an out-of- town shindig. And…
If you walked into The Wine Company, a recently-opened wine restaurant in Gurgaon, you would be forgiven if you thought you had walked into the wrong place! Wine restaurants conjure up images of white tablecloths, elegant refinement and the discreet murmur of the sommelier in your ear as he tips the wine into your Riedel…
Jaipur is the most important royal city of the Rajputs. Golf is a royal and ancient game. And Mayo College was established as a school for Indian royals during the Raj. Mix it all together and you get the Jaipur Golf Carnival organised for Mayo alumni at that most royal of golf courses, the Rambagh…
“With its deserted beaches and coves, Almeria whose Arabic nametranslates as Mirror of the Sea, is definitely worth a visit.” ~ Ranjan Pal Tucked away in a corner of Andalusia, the port city of Almeria is often overshadowed by its more famous rivals Cordoba, Granada and Sevilla which form the Golden Triangle, the classic tour…
This article has originally appeared in the February 2016 edition of Exotica magazine. Check the PDF version here. While Warsaw is stiff and formal, business and politics, Krakow is laidback and friendly, colleges and culture. Warsaw is vertical with tall buildings and grand avenues full of traffic; Krakow is horizontal. RANJAN PAL savours a unique ‘poles apart’…
