Ladakh is undoubtedly one of the most popular and beloved places in India. From the time you enter college and have your kids, I bet you would have heard the Ladakhi stories. I and Priya have always wanted to visit this arid place. A couple of times we ended up making the bookings. But could not make it to this rugged place until recently. This time everything seemed to be perfect and my brother Abhijeet, and my brother in law Gopi too were eager to join us. Although flying is one of the most preferred and popular choices we wanted to take a very long drive and Gopi wanted to ride an Enfield solo. Everything was set, the bike was rented, the car was geared up and we were all very excited to start the trip. Google maps are handy and very helpful for navigation and we followed this route from Gurgaon.
Continue readingAbhinash Jena
Getting bit by the monsoons in Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a Sanskrit word that means ‘clouds abode’ and is undoubtedly the wettest place I have ever seen. I chose to visit Meghalaya in June during the monsoons because it is when the mountains come alive. Most of the days I spent here was either raining or misty and the mist was not merely fog but little particles of water flying. This means if you are riding a bike in the mist you will be wet to your underwear. This was the first time I was riding solo and even visiting an unknown place without Priya and this time I had no plans either.
Continue readingHow about a tiger hunting trip to Bandhavgarh?
Yes, I went on a hunting trip to Bandhavgarh National Park and I was hunting tigers with my camera. While I was writing this story my wife Priya thought it was lame to title my story such, but do not take me literally and I love nature. It was supposed to be a surprise from Priya for our anniversary.
Continue readingPack up your bags and visit Goa like never before
I and Priya have visited Goa a couple of times but this time it was a mixed bag. And in this bag you will find a beautiful sleepy Portuguese town, a bustling ride me the happy road and some mouth-watering authentic Goan cuisines. Goa is like a fridge where everyone comes to chill. But it wasn’t like this until the nineties when the state saw a surge of tourists. In Goa, there are three distinctive ethnicities; Christians, Hindus, and Muslims.
Continue readingGetting out of the contemporary for a perfect getaway
Uttarakhand is popularly known as ‘Dev Bhoomi’ or the land of Gods and is home to millions of devotees. It is a diverse state with soaring Himalayan peaks, busy cities, jungles and a holy land with renowned temples and ashrams. Over the years many people have visited this sacred land for peace, pursue spiritualism, adventure and a getaway for happiness.
Continue readingWhy do we keep visiting Kerala?
This is one of the questions that we keep hearing from a lot of people we know. But I got a counter question to respond to it, Why not? Kerala is one state that I am proud to have experienced. I love their culture and is very different from the rest of the country. Where the rest of the country is more bent towards capitalism, Kerala, on the other hand, fights to protect its natural resources.
Continue readingSkylines of Coron island in Palawan, the Philippines
The skylines of the Coron islands in Palawan seems to be handcrafted by the greatest artist nature itself. It is a small fishermen island nestled in a beautiful landscape and divine diving spots. The islands are soon becoming crowded with tourists from all around the world after it got rated highly in Nat Geo. So if you like explorations and are okay with limited options and unlimited beauty then you better hurry.
Continue readingRiding a bike into God’s own country, Kerala
I could not think of anything better than a bike to go around God’s country, Kerala. Why bike of all? was what all the people except Priya asked. It’s quite simple I work, save, travel and repeat. I work in a cubicle and a car feels nothing better than a cubicle with visual screens on all sides. Whereas a bike is a thing which tests me, feels me and gets me to the edge. Its the whole package which includes:
Continue readingA photo journey into a country of islands, the Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelago with almost 7000 big and small islands. The country has a diverse landscape from white sand beaches, volcanoes and mountains. These photos prove why it is a paradise on earth for photographers.
Continue readingChocolate Hills are straight from your childhood’s drawing book
Everyone has imagined a place that truly existed while drawing the landscapes in our drawings in our childhood. Now imagine visiting a place that looks exactly like you have been drawing back then. Some people say the chocolate hills are man-made artifacts but they aren’t.
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