My travel to Sri-Lanka had no real expectations. It wasn’t one of those journeys that I was undertaking to witness nature’s stupendous beauty. I was seeking to be at peace with myself. Colombo was suffocating at best. I made my way to the hills and tea country in Ella, and to the coast in Mirissa. I hiked in the Horton National Park to the World’s end. I was still anxious. It was in Arugam bay that I found myself at…
Lake Tamblingan, nestled in the central highlands of Bali is your off-the-beaten-path destination if you are looking to get away from the crowds in Ubud. It makes for a great getaway from Ubud since it is easily accessible on a two-wheeler, which are ubiquitous in Bali. What was a hot day in Ubud soon turned into a cool breezy ride through some gorgeous highland scenery. Cosy eating joints, coffee plantations, rice fields add a lot of character to the ride…
I had been looking for an opportunity to get my scuba PADI open water certification for a while. After being unable to any diving in the Andaman islands earlier last year owing to constant rain and murky conditions, I was looking at Similan islands in Thailand. However, that never happened. Being in Bali opened up a plethora of diving options – from training and certifications to some world class recreational diving without having to invest the time with books and …
Traveling to Hampi is more than just a visit to an interesting new place: the timelessness of the place opens a door to a completely different world, a bygone era which still seems to be breathing life. It is hard to miss its pulse. As you approach Hampi by road, the landscape grows on you with every passing minute: boulders balancing on each other at impossible angles, the fresh countryside, the palm trees, and in the middle of these: a historic relic…
Places having exotic, strange, queer sounding names have always fascinated me. Kudremukha, nestled amidst the Western Ghats, had made the list quite a while back. Horse-faced when translated to English. The fact that this used to be a centre for iron ore mining added to the intrigue. Owing to the threats to the environment and the wildlife, Supreme Court had ordered all mining activities to be discontinued. Legal dispute is apparently still in limbo. It’s raining cats and dogs The…