If you are a frequent Economy class air traveler who dreads his next long haul flight, read these tips to make you feel more comfortable. (more…)
Archive for July, 2009
Tips for a Long Haul Flight
Friday, July 31st, 2009Whale Watching at Cape Cod
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
It was long that I’d smelt and felt the sea. So when I expressed my sea-starving to my friend, she suggested that we do something different the following weekend. The solution was whale watching at Cape Cod. (more…)
A Weekend in Ruskin Bond’s territory: Musoorie
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009The stories of Ruskin Bond set in the ‘Queen of Hills’ tempted us to plan a trip there one weekend in May. April to June and September to November is the best time to visit Mussoorie, we were told, when the Himalayan ranges are clearly visible. The hill station is located at an altitude of 2003 meters above sea level in the Garhwal hills (more…)
Dharmashala- Little England on the Hills
Saturday, July 18th, 2009Our friend’s wedding beckoned us to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh and we were all set to explore the Himalayan town which is also the abode of the Dalai Lama. Dharamshala is now a bustling hill station in the Kangra valley with a sizable Buddhist population. After an 11 hour drive from Delhi to Dharmashala navigating through road side farmlands, hilly towns, sharp bends, breathtaking scenery of towering cliffs and coniferous trees, we reached our destination and checked into a hotel. . (more…)
Walking with the Lions at Mauritius
Thursday, July 16th, 2009My walk with Lions at the Casela Nature & Leisure Park, Mauritius deserves mention in this separate blog. It was indeed the cherry on the cake in our Mauritius trip. (more…)
Venice of the East- Alleppey
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009A weekend, last year, found us in ‘The Venice of the East’ in ‘God’s own country’-Kerala and it has every reason to be called so with it’s pristine backwaters, narrow canals, coconut lagoons, paddy farms, fish farms, villages, cultural arts, and festivals – which are of international fame. (more…)
The Johnston Canyon Hiking Trail
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009After our stay with a friend in the city of Calgary, we finally drove down 116 km for the mountains in Johnston Canyon for hiking. The rugged wilderness, seven gushing waterfalls, a picturesque walking trail alongside a deep canyon, the beat of the falls keeping time with your trek- all this thrown in makes Johnston Canyon a heady mix of a romantic as well as an adventurous experience. (more…)
The Coffee Bowl of India- Coorg
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009Our trip to Bangalore spilled over to a long weekend so the obvious plan was to go backpacking. After evaluating the many options that Bangalore has to offer, we settled on Coorg also called the ‘Scotland of India’. That would be quite like a trip abroad on a low budget, we told ourselves. The name was given to Coorg by the British and it was not just for the climate and landscape, but also because the Coorgs like the Scottish people, have distinct costumes, and enjoy their drink (coffee in this case) to the fullest. (more…)
Romancing the Sun & Sea at Mauritius
Sunday, July 12th, 2009Miles of lush sugarcane plantations, mystical mountains, cascading beautiful waterfalls and rainforests abounding with coniferous trees and casuarinas…It was some such description of Mauritius that lured us to the spectacular island. It’s a melting pot of all cultures- The Indians, Africans and Europeans co-habit the place to create a colorful, cosmopolitan, island culture. (more…)
Trek to Lohagad
Saturday, July 11th, 2009
When our nature-starved minds and hiking-starved legs cried ‘Trekking’ in unison we just couldn’t ignore the demand. With Saturday being ruled out because of work, we had to choose a place for a single-day trek which would also leave us with enough energy for Monday’s work. The choice was Lohagad (The Iron fort) just 2 hours from Mumbai. After a train journey to Malawli (one station after Lonavla) we walked the 7km to the fort. (more…)
