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Chiang Mai and Samoeng Circuit, Thailand

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The city close to nature, foodies’ paradise, grand temples of intricate architecture, dotted with quaint villages and a scenic mountain road circling through villages, jungles, waterfalls, and farms, Chiang Mai is a balanced blend of urban life and peace of mind. I stayed in a homestay run by a very courteous couple in one of the by-lanes close to the Old City. Pancakes cooked by the host were so delicious that I made them my regular breakfast every morning. I explored the Old City and night market for 2 days and dedicated the rest of the days to traveling to nearby villages and completing the scenic drive of the Samoeng Circuit. Wat Chedi Luang Varaviharn The Old City, walled on four sides, is the most happening place in Chiang Mai, bustling with cafes, restaurants, pubs, street food carts (one of them being Michelin Star!), hotels, tourists, and not to forget grand temples, and there are lots of them, each one equally beautiful in its own way and charming. The most popular among them...
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Tungnath Chandrashila Trek, Uttarakhand

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  How far can one push themselves to experience the smugness of summiting this beautiful peak?  This story is the answer to the question. Chandrashila Peak Standing tall at around 4000 meters, Chandrashila peak lies in the quaint little village of Chopta 30 kilometers ahead of Ukimath in Uttarakhand. My first acquaintance with this trek was when I read about it in Ruskin Bond's book 'All the roads lead to Ganga'. The write up describing the place and a quick google search was enough to set my mind on it. But I never thought it would take me three attempts to materialize it ! My first attempt was in February 2018 with my cousins. We reached the base village Chopta late at night around 10 pm after driving for 10 hours due to construction of all weather road. But to heavy snowfall that continued day and night, the whole area was wrapped in thick white layers of snow and the trek had to be cancelled. Never the less, Chopta looked beautiful. The second attempt was in April 2020 ...
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Alappuzha, Kerala

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Have you ever experienced moments of contemplation, where you let go of everything? The deadlines at work, the financial worries, the pressure to have life figured out, the constant urge to check social media – all those thoughts that occupy your mind and push you towards one action or another. Imagine letting go of it all and simply "Be." If this seems like a distant dream and such moments are rare occurrences in your life, then Alleppey is the place to be. Alleppey, also known as Alappuzha, is a town located in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is renowned for its scenic backwaters, tranquil lagoons, and picturesque canals, earning it the title of the "Venice of the East." It also has beaches dotted with shacks and cafes in the alleys running across the seashore. All of it makes Allepy a perfect place for a laid back vacation that you must take once a while to reset and recharge. I had initially planned to explore Idukki, but then the idea of a stopover in A...
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Varandha Ghat

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Ever felt to ceaselessly contemplate the nature's sketch in front of you and and feel blisfull at that very  moment !  Varandh Ghat is one such place. Located in Sahyadri, Varandha ghat connects the eastern Maharashtra to the Konkan region. This ghat is nature lovers delight. It is dotted with lakes, dams, colurful flowers, quaint villages. The scenic beauty of it will leave you mesmerized when it meanders through mist filled clouds and green landscape. My first rendezvous with this ghat came by chance where I was returning back from Goa and had to take detour for some reason. At that time it was very much frequented by people hopping from east to west. As the infratructure for Konkan connectivity improved, it has become offbeat and mostly frequented by the vehicles from adjoining villages or government buses . This is a blessing in disguise for preservaiton of its pristine beauty. Let's begin the journey... Sometimes the journey is much chershing than the destination and at f...
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Soyal, Himachal

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  One place where you would be graced with Serenity and Peace, it is Soyal ! Manali is surrounded by many beautiful places popular among tourists like Solang, Bir, Rohtang pass and flodded with cafes having great vibes. It is a place where you can be with the nature and also enjoy the chillout life of the metro cities. But if you are the one looking out for pure peace, serenity and bliss; then you need to head out to small hamlets and trails, offbeat to the touristy world of Himachal. Nestled among the pine and deodar trees, with pristine water streams gushing through them and covered with greenry as far as you can see is the small cosy hamlet of Soyal (Soil in Google Maps). It is located just 10 kms from Manali city towards Kulu (Nagar road) and yet offbeat. To reach Soyal you can drive till Mansari village and then walk for about 2 kms. There is a school near the parking spot with good view of the village and thats from where you have to walk towards Soyal. There is literally not...
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Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

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Jailsamer, a place to experience sun, sand, art, food, literature and folk stories in one shot ! Jaisalmer is well known tourist destination around the world. Situated far west of Jaipur, the capital of  Rajasthan, it is truely a 'Golden City', an oasis in the middle of the Thar desert. It is astonishing sometimes to believe an arid land majorly filled with sand and extreme warm temperature has so much to offer, right from beautiful palaces to lakes and delicious food to literature, one would get everything in this gem of the erstwhile pricely state. Being on the ages old silk route route, this city prospered and over the centuries has inculcated rich culture, tradition and lot of interesting stories to be told. Lets start the journey and the stories ... Places to explore : Jaisalmer Fort, Sam Sand Dunes, Kuldhara, Longewala and Tanot border villages and Gadisar lake. Best time to visit : October to March. Jaisalmer Fort Jaisalmer means 'The fort of Jaisal'. King Rawal ...
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Andharban Trek, Maharashtra

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Ever felt like going on a trek that feels like a cosy walk in lush green garden surrounded by clouds ! If the answer is yes, then Andharban is the trek for you. Andharban literally means Dark Forest and it quite aptly describes this trek. Located in Sahyadris, this trek connects Tamini ghat with Konkan overlooking Kundalika valley. The trail passes through lush green dense forest, waterfall, lake, a quaint little village, couple of streams and commences with a picturesque dam. The best part of this trek is that you would go through all these spots without exerting too much pressure on your keens as the ascent and descent both are so gradual that it feels like a long morning walk. Starting point : Tamini ghat ( Independent View point ) near Pimpri village It is 50 kms from Lonavala, approx. 1 hour from Pune. End point :  Bhira Dam Duration : 5/6 Hours Trail : approx. 14 kms Let's start the trek ! We started of quite early in the morning from Pune and had our breakfast on the way....
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Manda Forest Walk, Jammu

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 Wanderers always find new paths to explore and paths destine wanderers to new experiences.  It's May'2021 and everything is shut. Groceries and essential services operate from 6-10am and post that the whole city of Jammu is deserted. A long drive on highway, relishing delicious savories at Pahalwan's and stop over to have scrumptious Kaladi kulcha in the busy old city market would usually be a days affair because of the hustle and bustle of the city, but it just reduced to hours for this hop over as the city got under lockdown. Usually this time of the year in Pune, I would be trekking some new fort in Sahyadri or exploring mountains in Himachal or Garhwal/Kumaon regions of Uttarakhand. Its been many years since I have spent so much time in my own backyard that finding or rather re-discovering old paths, alleys, gullies and spots became a constant habit. I would walk for  8-10 kms just to quench this wanderer thirst in me as all travel plans seemed far fetched from reali...
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