Dr Srinivasan Periyathiruvadi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement “The majestic mountains, the Himalayan terrain, humbled me, smashed my ego and there were many profound life lessons. Numerous expeditions made me understand who I am,” says Dr Srinivasan Periyathiruvadi, Chennai-based medical practitioner, founder of Lister Metropolis and co-founder of Jeevan Blood…

A picturesque view of the Sunkarametta trek near Araku in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT The mist-clad peaks and meandering streams of the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh and bordering Odisha transform into a charming beauty during the monsoon. As the monsoon rolls in,…

The Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Every June, the Eastern Baa Atoll in the Maldives attracts the world’s largest known population of manta rays, a sight that people across the world travel to witness. The Manta Trust, a charity set up in 2005…

A rendering of the Disney Adventure ship | Photo Credit: special arrangement It is not often (read: never) that one gets to sail with Captain Mickey Mouse and his entourage of entertainers, all from the fantastical worlds of Disney, Pixar and Marvel on the high seas. Imagine a navy blue…

The Shakti scheme has created a demand for buses. From June 11, 2023, to June 24, 2024, women made a total of 234,40,78,298 free trips on RTC buses. | Photo Credit: file photo : The Karnataka Transport Department is planning to restart 3,800 bus routes across the State that were…

The Salihundam Buddhist site located in Gara mandal of Srikakulam. Renovation works are nearing completion. | Photo Credit: V. Raju Several historians, academics, writers, and heritage enthusiasts have been working diligently to restore the prominence of Srikakulam’s forgotten ancient history. Despite being regarded as one of the most backward districts…

The Dutch building located near Srikakulam collectorate | Photo Credit: V. Raju An ancient Dutch building located near the Srikakulam collectorate is gaining popularity, thanks to joint initiatives of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). The elegant structure constructed 300 years…

The highway between Jammu and Katra plays witness to views of far away mountains, a series of tunnels, and monkeys wreaking havoc. At a point when one would expect a ‘Welcome to the holy town of Katra’ signboard, they are first greeted with ‘Domino’s Pizza: No Onion, No Garlic’, and…

In March this year, Lubaina Sheerazi did a polar plunge. Organised by Antarctica21, the fly-cruise expedition to Antarctica had experts leading a small group of travellers on the great white continent. “From transiting the Lemaire Channel, also known as the Kodak Gap because of its breathtaking beauty, and cruising on…

The silence of the night is broken by the soughing of trees in the breeze. Armed with flashlights, cameras, and curious minds, a group of about 15 members, led by Nature educators, embark on a trail to explore the unknown in the Eastern Ghats near Kambalakonda forests in Visakhapatnam. The…

Public-Private Partnership ventures are likely to support the speedy completion of various innovative projects at leading eco tourism spots in Kozhikode district. | Photo Credit: K Ragesh Even as prominent ecotourism destinations in Kozhikode offer visitors a feast for the eyes during the monsoon season, the district is yet to…

Known for its towering ambition — reflected in glitzy high rises and gilt-edged luxury — Dubai has been setting its AI wheels in motion way before the term ‘artificial intelligence’ entered everyday conversations. In 2016, the government, in collaboration with IBM, launched an AI-based service allowing users from the business…

The number of passengers affected even when 1-2% flights get cancelled in a month is staggering.  | Photo Credit: Kannal Achuthan 10042@Chennai Since December 2023, hundreds of cancellations and poor on-time performance of airlines have left thousands of people stranded at airports across India. Between March 31 and April 3…

At Ronil Goa, there are spaces for high energy sundowners as well as those who seek some quiet | Photo Credit: Mohsin Taha/Special Arrangement At Ronil Goa, JdV by Hyatt’s first property in India, Sachin, aka Rocketman, greets guests lounging in the cabanas with a free shot. Strapped to his…

The once thriving village, home to several temples and archaeological finds, comes alive for its annual temple festival between April and June It is a blistering, hot April day in Goa and the sun is merciless. We have just arrived in Curdi…the submerged village that emerges only between April and…

A carpet of fabric in a gradation of red, brown, and maroon spreads across a dirt road leading up to a barren mountain range. Close by, a cross-section of land lights up in blue fluorescence at night. If the last edition of sā Ladakh, South Asia’s highest contemporary land art…

Solo travel is all the rage these days, hailed as a surefire way to boost independence, confidence, and self-reliance. You can’t flip through a travel magazine without stumbling upon a slew of tips and tricks tailored for solo adventurers, especially women. They’ve got everything from safety advice to lists of…

Meenakshi Das and her bike | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Meenakshi Das is a little over 40 years old, a fitness trainer In Guwahati, Assam and a biker. In December 2023, she set out to see the world, solo, and on her motorcycle (a Bajaj Dominar). Her goal is to…

When award-winning explorer and filmmaker Reza Pakravan ventures into uncharted territories across the Asian Arabian Peninsula, he encounters his fears and, eventually, overcomes the apprehensions and accomplishes his goals. Reza is known for his expeditions to remote corners of the globe. So when Saudi Arabia was opened for the world…

Janhvi Kapoor at her family beach house in Chennai Along the Akkarai beach on the East Coast Road (ECR), you might just spot Janhvi Kapoor doing yoga or unwinding with coconut water. “Being a beach baby, I think our home in Chennai is perfectly located,” says the actor of her…

A TikTok trend has reached travel. The latest travel trend blowing up on social media is called destination duping and it involves shunning major tourist centres/cities for equally interesting and affordable alternatives. A travel twin, if you may. Travel tech company Expedia was the first to mention destination dupes in…

Imagine waking up to giant icebergs, glancing down from your balcony to find a colony of penguins on the ice or the beauty of the most far-flung inhabited island on Earth — Tristan da Cunha! From the snowy surrounds of Antarctica to Mexico’s tropical West coast, for the residents of…

River rafting across the waters of the Ganges in Rishikesh | Photo Credit: RAJATK/ Getty Images The curious case of the breathing bridges I still remember trying to catch the monsoons in the wettest place on Earth, Mawsynram in Meghalaya. That was a couple of years before the pandemic when…

Composer Vipin Mishra always dreamt of combining his two passions — music and adventure activity. Though he grew up on classic rock bands, over the years, he developed a liking for Indian music. It led him to come up with the docu-series Folkroad, which has Vipin and his team travel…

Visitors enjoying in kayaks and boats at River Nagavali at Anija village in Rayagada district, Odisha. | Photo Credit: KR Deepak Two things about Anija, a village located in the Rayagada district of Odisha take you by surprise. One, less than three hours from the humidity, dust and din of…

Last week, a six-year-old elephant in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris was found lying weak and exhausted in a private property, possibly due to the lack of green fodder and severe heat in the hills this year. Reminiscent of 2017, when a number of elephants died of thirst…

Travel can be transformative, and great travel writing can be transformative too. A good travel book can feel both like a trip already taken but also one you cannot wait to take. Here’s a selection of recent titles on travel and destinations, from the wildernesses of India to the adventures…

File photo of a sanitary worker in Vijayawada. | Photo Credit: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar Hill stations in India have witnessed a notable escalation in traffic congestion in recent years, particularly during weekends and the summer season. This phenomenon is notably pronounced in popular destinations across the country. On congested days, travel…

Perilla seeds, fermented bamboo shoot, soy beans, coffee grown in the Garo Hills, smoked fish, a beautiful book by Anurag Banerjee, and some cook books. My last stop before I fly back home from a holiday is always the fresh produce market. And when it is the incredible Iewduh in…

My travels have always been spontaneous. We [wife Svetlana, and kids Zoraveur, 10, and Beyla, 5] don’t need an excuse to pile into my Ford EcoSport and head out. I often go to the mountains with the children because it’s accessible, I love driving in the hills, and they get…

‘In reality, vacations are anything but unoccupied.’ | Photo Credit: Illustrated by Allen Shaw My sister has been invited to a destination wedding in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The programme seemed eminently bucketlist-worthy. The hosts had planned excursions to see the famous waterfalls and go on safaris. Then much to…

Themes of migration and displacement are common in André Aciman’s fiction. | Photo Credit: Getty Images The Italian-American André Aciman had been a well-known and widely respected writer since the 90s, when he published his memoir Out of Egypt and a string of popular short stories in magazines like The New Yorker. But…

It is 11 a.m. in Kodaikanal, and I am stuck in traffic at the junction near the town’s star attraction — the lake. Behind me, rows of cars, buses and vans wait impatiently, honking. I look to the right where a trio of aerator fountains, one of the features of…

Summer of 2024 | Photo Credit: Courtesy Suket Dhir As summer peaks, and before you pack your bags for your next trip, think how best you can holiday this year. Tourism is wrecking the fragile ecosystems of our mountains and hill stations, as Kodaikanal resident Lathika George writes. The heatwave…

May in Ayemenem is a hot, brooding month. The days are long and humid. The river shrinks and black crows gorge on bright mangoes in still, dust green trees. Red bananas ripen. Jackfruits burst. Dissolute bluebottles hum vacuously in fruity air. Then they stun themselves against clear windowpanes and die,…

Where can you go for a short, three-day break, say a long weekend that serendipitously pops up on your calendar? You’re in Chennai or somewhere in south India and the question looms: how do you make the most of this rare luxury? A hill station? The tourist spots are crammed.…

In 2017, Jose Dominic was invited to dinner with the Salem family in Kochi’s Jew Town. Kenny Salem, an “old friend”, had migrated to Canada and was back to visit his ancestral home. Dominic was expecting his hosts’ famous dishes that evening, perhaps Jewish-style chuttulli fish fry and egg pastels.…

Picture taken by Samina Sultana of a golden eagle hunter of the Kazakh tribe who reside in the Altai Mountains in Mongolia.   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Echoes of the mountains, tranquil seascapes, the poetic rhythm of life and enchanting shades of Nature will come alive this weekend at…

It is that time of the year again when the scorching sun is upon us, as is the much-awaited summer holidays. If planning a trip abroad or a break in the hills is not on your list this year, may we suggest exploring India’s wild side. Experts say this is…

Indira Point, India’s southern-most point, 600 km (about 375 miles) south of Port Blair, in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. Within India, people are picking up packages to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. | Photo Credit: File photo With the academic year coming to an end, travel enthusiasts are packing…

Love the sea? Want to live that Robinson Crusoe life, stuck on an island: except you prefer to be surrounded by luxury? Try Helengeli, an island in the Maldives known for its healthy corals, giant sea turtles and reef sharks. All of which make this a scenic destination for diving…

Members of the ‘Jeeper Girls of Trivandrum’  | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT There is excitement in Dr. Awungshi Philamazan’s words as she talks about how she completed level one of a course for offroaders. The proud owner of a Force Gurkha, a four-wheel drive, she says she has been driving…

New age sport: Players take part during 4th Khelo India Winter games at ski resort in Gulmarg February 21. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad Buoyed by its successful record of hosting four national winter games, Kashmir’s snow-capped town of Gulmarg is vying to become the venue for international events such…

While metro Phase 2A and Phase 2B are expected to be completed in two years, work on Phase 3 will start soon. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR Providing a further boost to urban mobility in Bengaluru, which is plagued by traffic issues, the State government on Thursday approved Phase…

Among respondents, 42% had experienced baggage delay or lost baggage at least once. | Photo Credit: NeoPhoto In the last two years, every one in two flyers in India had experienced damaged baggage at least once, as per a survey by LocalCircles. In the same period, every two in five…

On March 1, Maldives came a tad closer to India with the launch of Manta Air’s direct commercial flight from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International airport to Dhaalu airport in the pristine island nation. It was welcomed by the Indian High Commission’s first secretary Kiran Khatri among other officials.  Though this comes at a time…

Gang rape: Sleuths from the Crime Investigation Department inspect the spot where a 45-year-old Spanish woman was allegedly gang-raped, in Dumka district of Jharkhand. On March 1, a woman tourist from Spain camping with her husband was allegedly gang raped in Dumka district, Jharkhand, while travelling to Nepal from West…

In the quaint village of Turtuk, one of the northernmost villages in India deep in the Himalayas, close to the Line of Control between India and Pakistan , surrounded by strangers- turned-friends, I celebrated my 22nd birthday. Freezing toes, a cake made of halwa and a night filled with Kishore…

Kashmir was once known for its spirituality — and not for Pakistani militants and infiltrators as in the 90s. It was fertile ground for spiritual movements, be it the Buddhist, Shaivite and Sufi Islamic traditions, during the medieval ages. They knitted the secular culture called Kashmiriyat that preached brotherhood and…

Kaji nemu at a local market in Assam | Photo Credit: Irin Kashyap If you thought the love language of an Assamese is a cup of good tea, you have probably not dined enough with them. No, it is not the alu pitika (Assamese mash potato) or the famed fish…

The Shore Temple in Mamallapuram | Photo Credit: B VELANKANNI RAJ On a crescent-shaped beach where waves build along the coastline stands the ancient Shore Temple, some 60 kilometres South of Chennai. The lone survivor from a row of temples that once dotted the sands of Mamallapuram, it is one…

In the absence of a foot over a bridge, thousands of pedestrians struggle every day to cross the road near Krishnarajapuram railway station. | Photo Credit: Suchith Kidiyoor Despite being an eagerly awaited project, the opening of the Namma Metro line between K.R. Puram and Whitefield has again proven that…

Tourists take a boat ride in the Anasagar lake during sunset, in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Image used for representational purpose only. | Photo Credit: PTI With the Congress government in Rajasthan promoting “experience-based tourism”, foreign tour operators are being invited to the State for joining the themes of heritage walks, nature…

The Rudra meditation cave near Kedarnath. A little over a kilometre’s trek from Kedarnath, the Rudra meditation cave, about 3,500 metres above sea level, is booked out for April. It has a 75% booking for May and 65% for June, during the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand, scheduled to start…

They had called it a ‘vast open-air library’ before we got there. But that hadn’t quite prepared me for the sight of thousands of inscriptions carved into the sandstone surfaces of mountainsides in Jabal Ikmah, in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla region. Names of kings and traders, their official proclamations and records…

Palnadu Collector Siva Sankar Lotheti during the trial run of the adventure tourism package at Kondaveedu Fort in Palnadu district. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement In an attempt to attract tourists to the Kondaveedu Fort, the Forest Department has launched a one-night-one- day adventure tourism package comprising trekking, rock climbing,…

During Ramzan all roads lead to Old city | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL Kebabs getting ready to be served | Photo Credit: PERIASAMY M This year, Hyderabad is waking up to special menus for Sehri, which is the early morning meal eaten just before sunrise when Muslims resume their roza…

Michelin-starred Aliyaa Island Restaurant and Bar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is on an India tour to showcase its speciality Sri Lankan cuisine, in collaboration with Chef Siva Suppaiya. The festival at Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel culminates at Ritz Carlton in Bengaluru. Chef Siva hails from the tea estates of Nuwara Eliya…

A pair of ostriches reached Tiger and Lion Safari in Tyavarekoppa near Shivamogga. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Tiger and Lion Safari at Tyavarekoppa, near Shivamogga, has received a pair of ostriches. The mini-zoo received the ostriches, the heaviest birds on Earth, under an exchange programme with Arignar Anna Zoological…

France is the most sought-after destination for Indian travellers among Schengen states, but also has the largest number of visa rejections, according to Schengen Visa Statistics 2022. Image for representational purposes only. | Photo Credit: The Hindu photo library France is the most sought-after destination for Indian travellers among Schengen…

Kunwar Hemendra Singh Chundawat | Photo Credit: Prabalika M Borah When you dine with royalty, you get to listen to stories of erstwhile royal kitchens, their daily procurement activities and how food was best enjoyed; the experience gets even better when the food is cooked or served by a member…

A still from ‘Naatu Naatu’; Ramji Natarajan Loved making reels of ‘Naatu Naatu’ from Rajamouli’s RRR? Loved the hook steps by Jr NTR and Ram Charan and the way this peppy number was shot? The song that the entire world celebrated this year – ‘Naatu Naatu’ – was actually filmed…

South Goa: Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte inaugurates Spirit of Goa festival at Colva beach in South Goa, Friday, April 21, 2023. (PTI Photo) (PTI04_21_2023_000392A) The Goa government will promote spiritual tourism in the coastal State by signing agreements with other states, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said on Wednesday. “Destinations…

The Museum of The Future building in Dubai | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Ameca looks puzzled. Her eyes flutter as she looks sideways, and ponders at my question: ‘What do you like to eat?’ “I’m not alive, but I need a permanent power supply…” she says. I ask her if…

MELATTUR BHAGAVATHA MELA NARASIMHA JAYANTHI | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives The close to seven-hour drive from Chennai to Melattur (near Thanjavur) to watch the Bhagavata Mela could be exciting for a first-time traveller. Lush paddy fields, small streams flowing down rocks, children playing in the sun… the visuals provide…

“Sitting in the forest in the dead of night and watching thousands of fireflies glowing in unison feels like the stars have descended on earth. They seem to light up the forest from one end to the other in a magical pattern,” says Digvijay Rathore, a senior trek leader of…

Water canon salute was given by AAI to inaugural indigo flight operating directly from Goa to Dehradun. Photo: Twitter/@aaidoonairport The first-ever flight connecting Goa to Dehradun turned into a memorable event for Shasha Saldanha, the co-pilot, who believes the historic journey would inspire more women to pursue a career in…

Sheena Joffi | Photo Credit: TH It is a different exhilarating and offbeat experience for many to ride through the scintillating Leh and Ladakh landscape, feeling the fresh and cool wind on one’s face, relaxing the body, mind, and soul. Nestled in the Himalayas, this popular hill station has now…

The ongoing Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) has revealed that some of the major threats faced by wetlands and the birds in and around them are habitat destruction, poaching, construction activities and landfills near water sources. The team of Wildlife Conservation Through Research and Education and Vizag Birdwatchers Society led by…

A quintessential summer day in Tamil Nadu’s five major tiger reserves sees the dry rustle of grasslands, trickles of streams, and the occasional wild forest fire. Animals like elephants, deer and panthers step out of the shadows to lounge near water bodies and small birds ride piggyback. “We begin preparing…

Sarva Pindi as shown in Chef Sudhakar Rao’s book Aromas of Telanagana The struggle for separate Telangana was not just about jobs and water. It was also about its culture, its history, its art, and its food. Food in Hyderabad meant biryani, haleem, tomato cut, khichidi khatta and a host…

Israel has seen a surge in new cases of the more infectious coronavirus variant in recent weeks, and began closing its borders and restricting travel in late November. Representational Image. | Photo Credit: Reuters The tragic train accident in Odisha has put the spotlight on safety and financial protection for…

Hordes of tourists flock to hill station resorts in Himachal Pradesh, which generates ₹11,000 crore annually and constitutes 7.3% of the State’s Gross Domestic Product. | Photo Credit: PTI A haven for those seeking respite from the scorching heat prevailing in other parts of the country, Shimla has enjoyed considerable…

Emil George at Umling La, the highest motorable pass in the world | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Automobile/travel enthusiast and digital content creator Emil George says he did not research too much when he embarked on a road trip that covered 28 States and six Union Territories, which comprises mainland…

The alpacas here also double up as therapy animals Ed Sheeran does not want to sing. Worse still, he looks positively repulsed as I try to croon ‘I’m in love with the shape of you…’ He hurriedly walks his fluffy derriere away from me and joins his friends Crumpet and…

N Muthamizh Selvi at the Everest summit | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement At 12.20 a.m. on May 23, N Muthamizh Selvi, a teacher of Japanese from Tamil Nadu, was among the first people to summit Mount Everest for the day. Nobody scales the peak during this hour though. Summit ascents…

On January 8, 1819, sitting in Dimbatty valley, the Collector of Coimbatore, John Sullivan, wrote to Sir Thomas Munro, who was Governor of Madras: “My dear Colonel, I have been in the Highlands for the last week. This is the finest country… it resembles I suppose Switzerland more than any…

Watch | How to make a California sushi roll International Sushi Day is on June 18. And if you have had achari sushi, paneer tikka sushi or Jain sushi, then you know sushi has already found its Indian avatar. This Japanese dish made with rice rolled in seaweed is now…

A mango eating competition in progress | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Summer lingers under the canopies of tall mango trees as a whiff of nostalgia fills the air on a Sunday morning. In June, the peak of Chennai’s mango season, Hanu Reddy Farms in Guduvanchery welcomes visitors for the 2023…

Airbnb logo is seen displayed in this illustration. | Photo Credit: Reuters Online accommodation hosting platform Airbnb on June 19 said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Ministry of Tourism to showcase India’s heritage stays and promote cultural tourism. The company will partner with the…

File picture of Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia at the launch of Digi Yatra | Photo Credit: PTI Airports have been advised to ensure that registration of air travellers for the Digi Yatra initiative, which provides digital processing of passengers at various checkpoints with the help of a…

Rohit Reddy with his father Venugopal Reddy Cheruku inside the newly done up Hotel Indu Deluxe | Photo Credit: Sanjay Borra A few Hyderabad-based Iconic restaurants such as Hotel Indu Deluxe at Saifabad, Niloufer Cafe at Himayatnagar and Blue Sea at Abids revisited their space after the pandemic induced lockdowns…

Visitors experience the adivasi lifestyle at Giri Grama Darshini at Pedalabudu near Araku, 130 kilometres from Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Taking a stroll through a manicured garden overlooking verdant fields and rolling hills, gazing at clear skies, watching the village women rhythmically pound paddy in a mortar, listening…

(LtoR) Fooball legends John Barnes of Liverpool FC, Giovane Elber of FC Bayern Munich, Marco Cassetti of AS Roma, Emile Heskey of Leicester City FC and Gary Mabutt of Tottenham Hotspur FC pose with their jerseys during the Singapore Festival of Football press launch in Singapore. | Photo Credit: AFP…

When the pandemic took a little breather in the last quarter of 2020, it propelled Maldives and Goa to superstar status. People were jet-setting (some in private charter jets) to these beachy destinations or road-tripping around Goa. Social media overflowed with the greenish-blue waters of the Maldives, the hot golden…

Krishnakumar Viswanathan and his cousin Mahadevan Rajamani | Photo Credit: Special arrangement When Krishnakumar Viswanathan and his cousin Mahadevan Rajamani decided to go on a cross-country expedition, they were sure of one thing: theirs would be a little different. “I had just bought a CNG powered car and we thought,…

Visitors going around the strawberry farm at Pedalabudu village near Araku, 130 km from Visakhapatnam, where the strawberry picking has become a popular seasonal activity this winter. | Photo Credit: KR Deepak It was a little past noon, and the foggy winter skies covered the faraway hills overlooking farm fields…

At Tipai, a 38-acre property set beside Maharashtra’s Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary Tea under a gazebo, a picnic by the river, sundowners by your private plunge pool… and all this along the fringes of a dense forest known for its Bengal tigers. Expect luxury in the wilderness at Tipai, set beside…

AM PM, the newly launched café bar in Kolkata is straight out of Baz Luhrmann’s sets of The Great Gatsby — an aesthetic that blends the colonial era club culture of Kolkata with a millennial approved zing.  Interiors of AM PM A café during the day, the aroma of artisanal…

A still from Shubha Mangalyam… YouTube video song by Vidya Vox on weddings in Kerala. A three-language romantic video song by renowned Indian-American singer Vidya Vox on weddings in Kerala has garnered over a million views on YouTube, highlighting the State’s appeal as an ideal destination for weddings and honeymooners. The…

A view of Velliangiri Hills in Coimbatore | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Recently, a video of a novel exercise to cut down plastics by Tamil Nadu Forest department went viral. It shows pilgrims visiting Velliangiri Hills in the Western Ghats, about 40 kilometres from Coimbatore, tag their plastic bottles with…

Hyderabad-born Chef Asif Rasheed Syed, now settled in Naples, Florida, recently cooked a typical Hyderabadi meal for the US vice president Kamala Harris’ Bakrid party. Chef Asif who owns the popular 21 Spices by Chef Asif, a modern Indian restaurant, says he was not only honoured but also surprised to…

Kirat Brahma with the team of Zankla Studio | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Make way Barbie and Ken, here come Lowgee in ethnic wear and purple hair and Mamaibodo, the neighbourhood’s strict Bodo uncle. Dokhona-clad Lowgee and UN aka Upendra Nath Brahma in a gamcha are both toys created at…

Mount Kailash, the celebrated north face, at Dirapuk in the remote south-western part of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China From September this year, devotees will be able to visit Mount Kailash, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva, from the Indian territory. Officials said that the Border Roads…

For many, food is the highlight of any holiday. Butter-crusted naans in the bylanes of Amritsar, mildly spiced stews with appams in Kerala, and fragrant biryani in Chennai. The list of culinary memories linked to our travels are endless. Not surprisingly, more travellers are now creating itineraries that revolve around…

There’s a popular saying in India, Athithi Devo Bhava, which means the guest is god. Backed by the adage and the significant growth of the travel industry in the country, homestays have become a viable option today for both travellers and homeowners alike. For the guest, it’s a home away…

Bhumi Pednekar’s latest venture – a boutique hotel in Goa | Video Credit: Special Arrangement Bhumi’s connection with Goa runs deeper than her Instagram posts. Her paternal side of the family belongs to Pedne or Pernem where she makes an annual trip to her ancestral house. Now, Bhumi has invested…

Historian Rajesh Govindarajulu with participants of heritage walk at Kottai Eswaran temple near Town Hall in Coimbatore. | Photo Credit: Siva Saravanan S The golden orange sun, seen amid the foliage of the neem tree at Koniamman Temple, prepares for its descent. A pigeon, comfortably perched in the middle of…

A file photo of Shimla Toy Train. The hill state of Himachal Pradesh has seen an exceptionally large number of tourists from within and outside the country visiting in the first half of this year, an encouraging sign for the tourism and hospitality industry. Image for representational purposes only. |…

Rocky Singh in the backwaters of Kerala | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Rocky Singh is on another culinary road trip through Kerala. Food connoisseurs, and friends Rocky and Mayur Sharma (Rocky and Mayur) have been unravelling little-known food joints, popular cafes and dishes across the country, through their TV show…

In Dubai luxury is casual. A grocery run in a Lamborghini, Wagyu in mall burgers, sharks in a lobby. And a Refik Anadol multimedia artwork providing a languid backdrop to the reception of the hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown.  Titled Winds of Dubai, the intriguingly moody art showcases vivid three-dimensional sculptures…

Designer Deepshikha Khanna of Good Earth spends eight days in Ladakh and comes back with sheep wool shawls and a deeper appreciation of true sustainability

Kavirajan P.K. and his wife Sulochana at Ephesus Ancient City in Turkey. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Forty-five countries and counting. Kavirajan P.K., a sexagenarian from Ambalappuzha in Alappuzha, consumed by wanderlust, is busy globetrotting to discover and experience the world first hand. Kavirajan, who made his first foreign trip…

Butter, Bella, Charlie and Veeran are Indie dogs, all rescued, adopted and living in different parts of the country. Their stories of finding forever homes are very different but what binds them is their many adventures on the road as they travel with their human companions. Yati Gaur and Butter…

From dancing to fitness activities, there’s a lot on offer at the festival Surfers doing what they do best Unless you are living under a rock, you must have heard of the Covelong Classic Surf, Music and Fitness Festival. Back for its ninth edition, this event since its inception in…

The Telangana government has decided to introduce Telangana State Tourism Awards under various categories on the eve of World Tourism Day celebrations on September 27, 2023, with the theme ‘Tourism and Green Investments’. The awards will be given to all the segments of the travel industry recognised either by the…

Birla Mandir temple at Kurukshetra, Haryana | Photo Credit: Getty Images The Union Ministry of Tourism is creating awareness on lesser known tourist attractions in the country by holding special festivals and conventions at these places every three-four months. Sources in the Ministry said that the events would be held…

The sun sank on a sandy horizon along the butter-smooth road from Bhuj Airport in Kutch district of Gujarat to Tent City in Dhordo village on a December evening. The 85-kilometre journey to the venue of Tourism Corporation of Gujarat’s annual flagship desert festival, Rann Utsav, introduced a landscape dotted with shrubs, occasional trees,…

Sighting a Royal Bengal Tiger in the wild leaves a lasting and profound impact, and tourists from far and wide come to India in the hope of seeing one. With travel and wildlife photography becoming a popular hobby among young urban Indians, lesser-known tiger reserves are catching up with the…

How the metro rail transformed travel in Chennai | Video Credit: B. Velankanni Raj Madras’ rapport with trains has indeed been a fascinating one. In February 1895, the first tram was introduced connecting Power House, Egmore and Pachaiyappa’s College. A century later, on November 1995, the MRTS made its way…

A view of the Araku Pinery, a new eco-tourism initiative started by the AP Forest Department that is being managed by the Van Sanrakshan Samiti of Shantinagar in Araku. The place has become a popular location for pre-wedding and film shoots within a short time since its inauguration in November…

The Milky Way at night sky in Hanle | Photo Credit: Akshay Satish A stunning view of the Milky Way in a 180 degree arc extending from the South to the North at the night sky in Hanle, Ladakh, India’s first dark sky reserve, is an unforgettable memory for a bunch…

The glitzy Terminal 2 of Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. | Photo Credit: File Photo Kempegowda International Airport’s Terminal 2 will commence international operations on September 12. T2 was scheduled to commence international operations on August 31, however, the day before, BIAL the operator said the scheduled operations had been postponed.…

Jinder Mahal | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Jinder Mahal is excited to come back to India. Though he has a few relatives in Punjab, the Canadian WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) star of Indian origin seldom gets to visit the country due to his busy schedule. So, when he knew he…

Walk through Chettinad’s bustling lanes, and you will be welcomed by heritage mansions featuring intricate handiwork, ponds with lotus blooms, and ancient temples with ornate facades. The region once helmed by the Nattukottai Chettiars, was known for its opulence in every realm: architecture, culinary heritage, art and craft, and more. …

Cartoon-themed balloons galore | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The Balloon Run Marathon is the highlight of this year’s Tamil Nadu International Balloon Festival (TNIBF). Being an annual event in India, it has seen a significant increase in footfall over the last few editions. In its ninth edition this year, the…

It was a starlit night. Flickering light from dozens of oil lamps cast long shadows. Abdul Ghani sat with eyes firmly shut. His focus, on the words he was uttering, and on the steady beat set by a duo of tambourines. As his serene voice filled the air another joined…

At 6.45am on an uneventful day in July, seven trekkers and I wished each other cheery ‘good mornings’ at our campsite in Trunkhol, Kashmir, some 3,500 metres above sea level. Amidst idyllic rolling green meadows where horses grazed, we sat chomping down a hearty breakfast of omelette, buttered toast, Maggi…

A photograph of Aizawl, the capital city of India’s northeastern state of Mizoram When I was a corporator, my office was on the other side of the hill and it took me over an hour to get there. Because of the small lanes and roads in Aizawl, we have traffic…

As the yellow-green blur of a whizzing auto sweeps by, a string of jasmine lying on the sidewalk quivers from its impact. The sidewalk faces the long, heavily guarded expanse of Fort St George, now home to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly , Secretariat and a host of Government buildings.…

Passenger timetable revision is done annually in October in consultation with other railway zones. | Photo Credit: file photo The timings of 314 trains of the 568 trains running in the South Western Railway have been revised. Addressing the media, Kusuma Hariprasad, Additional Divisional Railway Manager (Admin), Bengaluru Division, on…

The Russian capital showcases its modern face for a tourism reboot in a business-as-unusual environment 

Thomas Dohm and Nicholas Hon with their happy cab. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A common sight on Indian roads, three-wheeled auto rickshaws are one of the most convenient modes of transport. But for Thomas Dohm from France and Nicholas Hon from Malaysia, it was an adventure of a lifetime…

Chettinad is a fever dream. On its sun-baked arid landscape, punctuated by cacti and laced with palm trees, majestic century-old mansions rise like castles in a children’s tale.  Set in quiet villages, and springing up on narrow dusty roads, these ornate structures shimmer like mirages in the unrelenting heat. Their…

Passengers seen at Challaghatta metro station in Bengaluru on October 9, 2023. The long-awaited Whitefield-Challaghatta Namma Metro Purple Line corridor quietly commenced operations on October 9 at 5 a.m., seamlessly connecting the eastern and western parts of Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain Without any formal inauguration and celebration, the…

The entire stretch of the Purple Line from Whitefield to Challaghatta spanning 43.49 km was opened on October 9. | Photo Credit: K. Bhagya Prakash “Taking the metro for my daily office commute brings me immense joy as I bid farewell to my personal vehicle. This shift not only simplifies…

DJ Piyush at a dandiya night in The Park Navratri is that time of the year when the dancer in many of us is let loose. The colourful chaniya choli and dandiyas are made ready for non-stop dance and fun. Piyush Bajaj, the most sought-after DJ for danidya gatherings in…

A file photo of commuters boarding a BMTC bus at the Mysuru Road metro station. A key finding from research conducted by the Indian Institute of Science’s Centre for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning (CiSTUP) to improve the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s planning and operations has revealed that if…

In May, avid traveller Sunu Mathew and her friends had taken a seven-night cruise from Barcelona and sailed to Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, La Spezia, Civitavecchia and Naples. Three months later, Sunu still cannot stop talking about the cruise aboard the Symphony of the Seas that took them to ports in Spain,…

Clutching a copy of her Aadhaar card, Parvathamma was waiting for the conductor to issue her a free ticket on a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus in Shivamogga town in south Karnataka. She was travelling to Holalkere in Chitradurga district in central Karnataka. “The journey would have cost…

Tourists at Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood Top of the world Can a frame be an interesting attraction to visit? If you’re in Dubai, it can. At The Dubai Frame, an observatory, museum and monument in Zabeel Park, you get a spectacular view of not just the sunset but also a…

The new vistadome coaches in Kashmir’s sky trains | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad The autumn sun lights up the 40-seater vistadome coaches introduced this month on trains plying in the Kashmir valley. The glass roofs give you a glimpse of the sky, which will soon be filled with swirling snowflakes…

Many people have been to Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary in Ladakh, year after year, hoping to catch a glimpse of the snow leopard. Photographer Nitin Pasricha however, was among the lucky few to catch a rare sighting on his first trip. He was part of a 10-night guided driving holiday through…

BMRCL plans to run these coaches on the newly opened K.R. Pura-Whitefield stretch. | Photo Credit: special arrangement A group of senior Bengaluru Metro officials visited the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) factory in China, which is yet to supply Namma Metro coaches that the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation…

Seventy-three days after they began, Gujarati businessman Daman Thakore (50), his 75-year-old father Deval and 21-year-old daughter Devanshi have returned to a beloved family member’s place of birth. This family member just happens to be a bright red, vintage convertible – a 1950 MG YT – affectionately christened ‘Lal Pari’…

Swapna Mathivanan has grown up around pets since she was young and knows that life can become quite hellish during Deepavali. Her two golden retrievers become especially terrified when there are incessant blasts from loud crackers. When she was looking to build a hotel back in 2018 outside Chennai, pets…

The ‘time cafe’ in Kalamaserry, Kochi  | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT GVQ Time Cafe in Kalamassery, Kochi, is the kind of place that makes you wonder how much more beautiful the pretty white-and-sage green café that sits at the top of a shady slope could get when it rains. We are…

: Namratha Upadhya started her career as a business analyst at a private IT firm near Trinity Circle in 2011. Presently, she is Assistant Vice President-Risk and Compliance with the same company. Throughout her 12-year career, she has consistently travelled from Baiyappanahalli to Trinity Circle office on the Namma Metro.…

There is so much more to Goa than just beaches, shacks and its party scene. With a history so eventful, Goa has many untold stories to tell. And, Aguad Interactive Museum: The Land, The People, and The Struggle is an effort in that direction. The recently-launched museum, which is set…

Satheesh Vellinezhi | Photo Credit: Satheesh Vellinezhi I’ll be frank, when I started this column, the aim was absolutely clear. I wrote it to make the world a better place. By the third line of the first column, I gave up that idea. Now the aim is a little different.…

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. File | Photo Credit: ANI Meghalaya is developing a tourism model that does not pit the economy against ecology, according to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. As the State plans to scale up its tourism industry, it hopes to create a market for hospitality even while…

Shravanabelagola is a site of great antiquity and a repository of monuments. | Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM The monuments at Shravanabelagola in Hassan and Lakkundi in Gadag districts will be proposed for inclusion under the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage Site by the State Department of Archaeology Museums…

The lodge has three categories of rooms  A tiger sits outside my bathroom. Separating us is a three-centimetre, double-laminated glass window. His gaze follows me as I gingerly tread across the bathroom floor. I brush my teeth, wash my face; our eyes trained on each other all the while. But soon he gets bored.…

Tourists enjoying rides in kayaks and circular boat at the water body in Kambalakonda Eco Tourism Park in Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: KR Deepak Zipline at Borra Caves People enjoying a ride of the new zipline at Borra Caves to the other side of the hill, near Visakhapatnam. | Photo…

In 2010, when Bengaluru-based Sandhya Chandrasekharayya tossed the idea of winter trekking to the locals of Sankri village in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, they were nonplussed. “No one treads this trail off season,” they remarked, pointing to Kedarkantha — a route on which they would graze their sheep and cattle in…

Parengtar — a quaint hamlet on India-Bhutan border in West Bengal’s Kalimpong district | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Dotted with green trees, the grid-shaped, sienna-toned paddy fields of Parengtar — a quaint hamlet on the India-Bhutan border in West Bengal’s Kalimpong district — overlook the blue-grey mountains. The nip in…

Gauri Khan (centre) with Shane and Falguni | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement For Gauri Khan, the little details matter. Which is probably why, two white urns, with 3D peacock motifs, are the source of much discussion at the Falguni Shane Peacock showroom in Kolkata. Gauri who has done the interiors…

As the sun sets over the lush landscapes of Sanctity Ferme in Krishnagiri, a unique gathering is set to unfold from December 15 to 18 — the Bloom In Green festival. Founded by Aswathy R, since its inception in 2018, this annual event has become a symbol of conscious living,…

Radeesh Ratnakar Shetty  Radeesh Ratnakar Shetty is the owner of more than 400 lamps collected from across the world. At Deepotsav, Radeesh’s collection is being showcased at his store, The Purple Turtles in Jubilee Hills. The collection of lamps pays homage to the timeless significance of traditional oil lamps, where…

Representational image of travellers at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru | Photo Credit: BHAGYA PRAKASH K Domestic air passenger traffic rose 9% to more than 1.27 crore in November, according to official data released on Friday. Last month also saw daily air traffic touching new highs multiple times. IndiGo…

In February 2020, American Airlines said it planned to operate a 285-seater Boeing 787-9 aircraft on the Seattle-Bengaluru route. | Photo Credit: AP When announced in early 2020, the scheduled flight between Seattle and Bengaluru of American Airlines was supposed to be the first non-stop one between the city and…