Among International Airports, IAH is a Dismal, Dreary Experience
By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: It had been a good six weeks of traveling for me between five countries (including the US), ten cities and 17 flights and I had endured the usual frustrations of those who are prepared for the uncertainties of air travel. For instance, at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, I realized that […]
Nepal tourism department braces for ‘traffic jam’ at Mount Everest
KATHMANDU: Nepalese officials are bracing for a “traffic jam” at Mount Everest this season, due to a surge in the number of climbers eyeing to conquer the world’s tallest peak. This time, there will be around 400 climbers who will embark on the journey to scale the 8,848-metre-high Mount Everest from mid-May, according to the […]
Sightseeing in India Off the Beaten Path Mumbai’s British Legacy: Old Glory, New Names
By Pramod Kulkarni On the Road: This is the sixth and final episode describing my wife Jyoti and I’s visit to India during Dec.-Jan. 2016. After returning to Mumbai from the Konkan coast, we still had 2-3 days for sightseeing in Mumbai before returning to Houston. During past visits, we had seen the familiar sights […]
Sightseeing in India Off the Beaten Path Historic Kolhapur & Konkan Coast
By Pramod Kulkarni On the Road: This is the fourth episode describing my wife Jyoti and I’s visit to India during Dec.-Jan. 2016. After returning from Hyderabad to Mumbai, we still had about 10 days before our return to the US. So, we decided to take another excursion, this time to Goa. At the time, […]
Sightseeing in India Off the Beaten Path – The Grand Palaces of Nizam’s Hyderabad
By Pramod Kulkarni On the Road: This is the fifth episode describing my wife Jyoti and I’s visit to India during Dec.-Jan. 2016. After about two weeks in Gujarat and Pune, we flew to Hyderabad for four-day visit. I grew up in Hyderabad from essentially my birth to the age of 16 in 1967 with […]
Sightseeing in India Off the Beaten Path: Pune’s Medieval and Maodern Attractions
By Pramod Kulkarni On the Road: This is the fourth episode describing my wife Jyoti and I’s visit to India during Dec.-Jan. 2016. After a nine-day trip in Gujarat, we spent four days in Pune, the cultural capital of Maharashtra, visiting family and friends, and taking in some of the sightseeing attractions. Rather than describe […]
Sightseeing in India Off the Beaten Path: Medieval Junagadh and Cultural Vadodara
By Pramod Kulkarni On the Road: This is the third episode describing my wife Jyoti and I’s visit to India during Dec.-January 2016. As outlined in the first episode, we undertook a 9-day trip to Gujarat. Adjacent Gir National Forest is what was the princely state of Junagadh. Located at the foothills of the Girnar […]
A slice of south India in Balochistan
In a piece written some years ago, the political commentator and writer Mohan Guruswamy talks of meeting Baloch children on a visit to New Delhi. The children were evidently surprised when they discovered that uru and arisi were words that meant village and rice in their tongue as well as in Tamil, a language that Mohan Guruswamy understood. […]
Sightseeing in India Off the Beaten Path Somnath-Porbandar-Diu and Gir National Forest
By Pramod Kulkarni On the Road: This is the second episode describing my wife Jyoti and I’s visit to India during Dec.-January 2016. As outlined in the first episode, we undertook a 9-day trip to Gujarat. Our Gujarat saga began with a flight from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. Our tour driver met us at the airport […]
Sightseeing in India Off the Beaten Path: Travel through Gujarat and Along Sea Coast
By Pramod Kulkarni On the Road: Like most working couples in the U.S., my wife Jyoti and I could barely manage two weeks of vacationing in India. As such, each trip to our native land would consist of a whirlwind of visits to the major urban centers for reunions with relatives and a few friends. […]
Beat Your Post Travel Depression With A Bang
It’s the moment practically everyone dreads: the end of an amazing trip. Returning home, whether it’s from a two-week-long vacation or a month long trip, can hit you hard, and post-travel depression can affect everyone. Here are top 7 ways to beat those blues. 1. Keep Those Final Days Busy That’s right! Most people just […]
The 7 best Christmas markets in the world
Salzburg, Austria Scent of mulled wine and stalls with traditional Christmas knick-knacks, the Salzburg Christmas market is one of the most popular haunts. Said to go back as far as the 15th century, it’s located at the foot of the Hohensalzburg fortress. The Oberndorf Christmas Market, a village north of Salzburg, is where the world’s […]
The wonders of Leh and Ladakh
If you are scouring for a comprehensive guide for the places to visit in Leh and Ladakh, here is some help. Check out Pangong Tso that is the undisputed highlight of the region and everything you wanted to know about it. Choose from the ancient monasteries of Lamayuru and Diskit, drive off to the high […]
5 Interesting Ways To Use Instagram For Travel Planning
Planning your trip in advance is getting easier with travel-enabling websites and apps being available to hand. Instagram is one such treasure trove, which can be used to check out locations and fellow travellers feedback, says an expert. Aurvind Lama from an online bus booking platform which leverages technology solutions to simplify and streamline bus ticketing […]
Of legends and lakes built by courtesans
The story goes that the woman was a courtesan with the local chieftain who lived in a cave on a hill overlooking the lake. There is no record of her name, but a local writer called her Chandrasani; she is more commonly referred to as just sule, which is Kannada for prostitute. The lake […]
Romancing the Rocky Mountains in Calgary
You know Calgary for its accomplishment of hosting the winter Olympics of 1988, or as the place that hosts the famous Stampede (the annual rodeo exhibition). But beyond the traditional, your wandering eyes could also be romancing the Rocky Mountains in Calgary. Like when you head out onto the Observation Deck of the Calgary Tower […]
A comprehensive guide to Gold Coast: the theme park capital of Australia
Gold Coast is served sunny side up with summers that last for a good 250 days of the year. Add to this, gorgeous beaches with powder white sands, azure waters and surf lessons at every waterfront; award-winning restaurants with views of the waves that serve delicious local delicacies and the best of international cuisine; hotels that aim to spoil you with spa treatments […]
Taman Negara: Malaysia’s wild side
Did you know where the oldest rainforest is located? Well if you said Amazon, just like I did when asked this question, you are wrong! It is Taman Negara in Malaysia, which is over 130-million-years old rainforest. Taman Negara in Malay literally translates to ‘national park’. Covering 4343 square kilometres, this tropical rainforest spans over […]
The most stunning beaches in Kerala
Its stunning backwaters have acquired worldwide fame, but there are numerous stunningbeaches in Kerala as well. Situated along the state’s beautiful coastline on the Arabian Sea, each of these beaches is unique in its beauty and ambience. You can cruise your vehicle on the state’s only drive-in beach at Muzhappilangad, pamper yourself at an upmarket resort near Kovalam’s picture-postcard crescent beaches or spend days […]
Exploring the majestic glacial lakes in Kalam Valley
MINGORA: Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Swat State in 1961 rightly called it the Switzerland of the East as Swat is an abode of high mountains, green meadows, tall waterfalls and clear lakes. The valley offers every luxury to nature lovers and adventure seekers, however, to explore its over 50 glacial lakes one […]
