If the vibrancy of Hemis Monastery left you enlightened with knowledge, it is time to experience the colors of a famed Buddhist Festival – the Naropa Festival that is celebrated here. In my last post, I left you with a glimpse of these colors. The huge Buddhist Thangka unfurled at the Kumbh Mela of Himalayas … Read more
When I planned my trip to Europe, Paris, for me, was a must-visit, on-top-of-my-bucket-list destination. I was raring to get there and discover all that my French textbooks talked of. Another bit was of course, the curiosity aroused by the Da Vinci Code ;-). With its amazing history and culture, this city did charm me but … Read more
The plan was to head to the London Eye and take a ride to see London city from atop but what happened that day was completely different and pleasantly so. After our trip to the British Museum, a small account of it here, we had planned to visit the London Eye and the Tower Bridge … Read more
Bhutan can be quite a scandalous place! It is possibly, the only place where Phalluses are worn as charms! I swear! They are! And if you find this first line shocking, well, then a quick alert before you proceed to read this post. While there is nothing obscene about the post, it could get you … Read more
All through my earlier posts on Rajasthan, especially Bikaner, I expressed a desire to relive that era. Mostly for its luxurious residences, its rich lifestyle and the little quirks that the royalty used to indulge in. Little did I know that my wish was going to be granted – without me going back in time … Read more
Mauritius does tend to keep its tourists and travelers occupied with its beaches, adventure sports and nature parks. And rightly so, given the plethora of beaches and mountains that they have. Mauritius has a lovely fusion culture and the one thing that people often miss out or skip here is – digging deeper into the … Read more
In one of my earlier posts for Valentine’s day, I mentioned a town called Lucerne from Switzerland as one of my 10 romantic destinations. A few days back, I was browsing through my memories of Europe and that got back to my visit to Lucerne. I honestly, spend only half a day here but that was enough … Read more
Goa is a perfect confluence of East meets West. The blend of the Portuguese culture with the Indian roots is what makes is such a colorful and delightful place. This fusion was evident to me during the heritage tour of the Fontainhas with its narrow streets and bright houses. However, it was a visit to the … Read more
My last trip to Indonesia was discovering a world beyond Bali. There is no doubt that Bali is beautiful but wandering beyond it to explore the hidden gems of Flores Island was even more enthralling. Given my own experience, I would definitely recommend that one looks at including Flores, if they are headed to Indonesia. Here are … Read more
Have you heard of a European style town in Nepal? If your answer is No, then I know that I am only human – for before I visited Bandipur in Nepal, even I did not know a town of that sort even existed. For me, Bandipur was just a forest in South India. Thus, when … Read more
As I stood staring at the Kumari Ghar in Kathmandu Durbar Square, I thought to myself – there has to be some connection that brought me back to this country so soon – in fact, within just 3 months of my first and previous visit. If you have followed my earlier trip, you would have known … Read more
Meeting Kumari – the Living Goddess of Nepal was only possible due to the Indra Jatra – an 8-day annual festival of Nepal; one for which I was invited by the Nepal Tourism Board. I had heard of this festival during my previous visit when I discovered the cultures and traditions of Nepal. It seemed … Read more