Travel often leads to interesting encounters with strangers some of which turn into lasting friendships. So it was when I arrived in Warsaw on my first FAM trip in September 2015. On my first night out, I struck up a conversation with a quirky but charming Iranian émigré, Nima Moghaddam, sitting at a table next…
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…
In July 2019 I spent a month in a Summer Chinese Program, co-held by the College of Intensive Chinese Studies, Beijing Language and Culture University and the Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Hong Kong, as my first initiation into my MBA Program at HKU. The only trip that I had previously made to…
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…
Watching Bangladesh play Pakistan at cricket isn’t exactly on my bucket list of things to do! But when the venue is Lord’s and the occasion is the World Cup that can definitely tip the balance. Being the beneficiary of a generous Bangladeshi fan who couldn’t make it, it was a surreal experience sitting among a…
[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.
