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’…
The African safari finds itself on most bucket-lists, and not without reason. But it is also likely to be one of your more expensive holidays, so it’s best to prepare well for it.
I turned 50 this year. It was a milestone that one can feel quite ambivalent about. Of course, the odds of making a century are usually well below 50%, and so it is in life—it is unlikely that you will live to be 100. So, often the reality belies the hope.
“Believed to be one of the most challenging river-rafting experiences in the world, riding the great white waters of River Zanskar in Ladakh is a heady cocktail of thrill, skill and pumping adrenaline,” says Ranjan Pal. Ladakh. A land of incomparable beauty – stark yet stunning. I have marvelled at this region’s craggy peaks, multi-hued…
When asked as to why he wanted to summit Mt. Everest, mountaineer George Mallory famously said “Because it is there!”. For those of us who lack the resources, and perhaps the bravado, to climb to the highest point on earth, a trek to Everest Base Camp is the next best option.
Skiing is offered at several locations across all Himalayan states but for the serious enthusiast, only a handful of resorts are worth considering.
Once a seat of power, the Iranian city is an epitome of architectural and artistic elegance. Once the seat of the great Persian Empire and long considered to be Iran’s most beautiful city with its stunning collection of historic architecture, tree-lined boulevards, flower gardens and parks, Isfahan is a fascinating place to visit. Shah…
Guest Blog by Mallika Pal Stereotyped for its tartan and haggis, Scotland holds the crown jewels of British wilderness, whiskey and if you’re lucky, weather To visit Scotland is to delight in a series of oxymorons – from the rugged elegance of the Highland silhouette, to the humble patriotism of Princes street and the illuminated…
SAROJ AND ME WITH MAN MANDIR PALACE IN THE BACKGROUND Dominating the town of Gwalior is its magnificent fort built atop a solitary outcrop of the Vindhyas. Since its construction in the eighth century AD, the fort has had many masters, with practically every ruler of India laying siege to it. Over the centuries, the…
