For the last two years, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the travel and hospitality industry. And travel writers like I have been on the thinnest end of the wedge. So, when I got an invite to travel to Thailand in February, it was like a lifebuoy being thrown to a drowning man and I grabbed…
In the history of colonial India, the British will always be the dominant imperial power that ruled the subcontinent. In contrast, the Portuguese were a middling power, confined to a small part of the country, and with no overreaching political vision but with strong mercantilist and religious ambitions. They came centuries before the British, in…
My first ever trip to India’s magical and mysterious Northeast began with a phone call from Prabir Banerjea, the affable CEO of Wild Mahseer www.wildmahseer.com inviting me to visit and write about their amazing tea tourism venture. And so began a complex tour which took me through Assam and Nagaland with wonderfully varied experiences that…
A tour through Northeast India is often overlooked by travellers because of the distance and expense of travel to this remote part of India. Secondly, unlike Rajasthan, the sightseeing highlights of this region are scattered over a large area making the trip a larger investment in time and effort. However it is such a fascinatingly…
Norway ’s tumultuous relationship with the sea has written some of the most defining chapters in maritime history. We learnt these on a tour of Oslo’s museums. Check out the complete article on Travel+Leisure here. When I visited Norway last summer, I didn’t know how important the sea was to this small nation so close to the…
Resort owner Samit Sawhny talks about founding Barefoot at Havelock in the Andamans and the challenges facing the islands as they open up. This article originally appeared in the July/August 2019 edition of Action Asia magazine featuring Barefoot Havelock, Andamans. What first brought you to Havelock Island? I came to Havelock as a backpacker, in…
A SCOUTING VIEW OF THE DREADED RAPID CALLED THE WALL At the ATOAI annual convention in January this year, I was lucky enough to win a two-night stay at Bull’s Retreat, the home base camp on the Ganga of Mercury Himalayan Explorations, founded by my friend Akshay Kumar. I cut my teeth white-water rafting on…
Motoring through the Aravallis after the monsoon has set in is a special experience. The dusty hills come alive with their new coats of green, like sheep growing back their fleece after the hot summer in preparation for the winter to come. Leaving the urban sprawl of Jaipur behind, my daughter Mallika and I drive…
At daybreak, I stand at the edge of the great forest where it gives way to the vastness of the Indian Ocean. Behind me is a vaulted cloister of giant Mahua trees that blocks out the sky. In front of me, a single wave rises to form a cylinder of the most impossible blue as…
Looking for a perfect destination spa experience? Check out how we enjoyed our staycation at Alcor Spa Resorts amidst royalty.
