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…
Smack bang in the middle of the Indian subcontinent is the giant sprawling state of Madhya Pradesh. And lying in the centre of the state is its unassuming capital of Bhopal. As a tourist destination, Bhopal has little to offer – unlike Jaipur or Hyderabad it was never the seat of a great empire. And…
At first glance Port Blair seems like an unprepossessing Indian market town, but dig deeper and you will find a fascinating colonial history.
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…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1614″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text] The luxury car manufacturer of the wine set is clearly Chandon, the champagne maker. And much like the exclusive Rolls-Royce, the winery sits in solitary splendour, about an hour north of Nasik, against a picturesque backdrop of the ancient Dindori Hills. The difference in atmosphere and style is evident from the…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1574″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text] As a wine enthusiast of long standing, I have travelled the world in search of this nectar of the gods, from Napa Valley to La Rioja to the Cape Winelands. But I am embarrassed to say that I have never visited the vineyards in my own backyard. Sometimes you end…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1503″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text] The drive up to Darjeeling (“the land of the thunderbolt”) from Bagdogra airport failed to evoke any memories, but as soon as we reached the outskirts of Ghoom, the glow of the setting sun on the Kanchenjunga massif as it soared above the evening clouds brought it all back. The…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1456″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text] The Araku Valley is the hub for adventure activity in Andhra Pradesh [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Adventure tourism is catching fire with the Ministry of Tourism having declared 2018 the Year of Adventure Travel in India. As it is my favourite type of tourism, I was excited when I was invited to attend…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Our trip to east was a combination of a voyage of discovery for Mallika, Tarini, and Saroj, and a nostalgic journey for me.
