Sariska National Park Safari - What To Expect, When To Go & Wildlife Encounters

The itch to travel was growing day by day, mostly because of two reasons. Firstly, no trip in last eight months and secondly, my just one month old car was yet to be tested which was sitting idle in the garage with just 212 Kilometers on the odometer. Even these 212 Kilometers were covered in city itself running daily errands, taking my son to his Karate classes, taking my wife for never-ending shopping wherever there were heavy discounts. The urge to test the performance of the new vehicle on the expressway was growing each passing day.

Nyepi Day AKA Silence Day, and My Accidental “Luxury Survival Retreat” in Bali

There are certain rookie mistakes travelers make: forgetting to pack sunscreen, trying to pet the “friendly” street monkey, or confusing Australian spring break with “peaceful yoga retreat week.” But me? I managed to book our vacation the same week of Nyepi day, moreover, I booked our return flight from Bali the morning after Nyepi Day —the island’s famous Day of Silence.

And of course, I wasn’t alone. Oh no, this wasn’t just my travel blunder. This was a full family production starring:

Me: the self-proclaimed travel genius who “triple-checks everything.”

My wife: the woman who absolutely pretends to triple-check everything, except she assumed I hadn’t booked our exit during an island-wide lock-down.

Our kid: a delusional boy who believes Wi-Fi is a basic human right, on par with food and oxygen.

What is Nyepi, anyway?

Goa (India) - Home Away from Home - Chapter 4

Covid-19, The Virus, Pandemic, India under Lock-down, Oxygen, Masks, Sanitizer, Stay Home.... We got used to hearing all these terms since March 2020 when we witnessed first of its kind pandemic, at least for our generation. We were all locked in our homes surfing the news channels to understand what exactly is happening, what is this virus and why is it so dangerous? More information we got, scarier it became. Stepping out felt like a thing of a past and we all adapted to the new normal and started working from home. No excitement for weekends, the only excitement we felt was watching new web series, having zoom calls with friends and trying new recipes at home.

Why 'The Mona Lisa' is so Famous?

The worlds' famous smirk of The Mona Lisa, possibly the only woman in the history who has been stared at by millions without blinking once. She is googled more than your last crush, visited more than your neighborhood grocery store and, written about so much that even she might roll her mysterious eyes (if she could). But what makes her that famous? Sure she is gorgeous but lets be honest - so are cat videos and they don't live in bulletproof glass. So lets rewind to the renaissance and spill the paint...

Living Root Bridges & Endless Rain: Exploring Meghalaya the Funny Way

 

We all have our own bucket list with all the fancy places we want to visit and experience by our own. I also have one, but to be honest, Meghalaya was there but not in my Top 3 destinations. I am more of a beach person who enjoys lazing at the quiet beach holding a beer under the sun looking at the waves. My wife though, wanted to go anywhere other than beach. Meghalaya is one destination we agreed on instantly. One of my friend also decided to join us along with his partner a day later.

Booking tickets and hotels didn't take much time, but deciding what all to cover in Meghalaya took lot of time. We had limited time and list of places to visit was huge. We spent lot of days in designing the itinerary and finalizing the places we would be able to cover within the limited time we have and trust me, this was most difficult part. Although we did cover most of the places, but if we had more time, we would have enjoyed a lot more. 

Goa, when it started to feel like Home - Chapter 3

My mind keeps telling me to explore other places, new destinations, explore different cuisines, but my heart keeps telling me to go back to Goa. Not that I don’t love exploring, but I don’t know why, when I think about vacation, Goa is the only place that comes to my mind. Goa to me is like a second home where I feel relaxed, comfortable and satisfied. I love beaches, the serenity, the warmth of the sun and the feel of water and sand on my feet.

Sariska National Park Travel Guide: Best Time, Safari Tips & What We Saw

Not a very long time ago, I was pretty stubborn to view the tiger in its full glory, where it roams wild and free, where it doesn't have to rely on human to be fed, where just his one roar is enough to make every living being turn their heads. With an unsuccessful track record of not spotting a tiger in any of my previous endeavors, to Jim Corbett National Park and Ranthambore National Park, I was pretty keen to give it another try.

Sariska Tiger Reserve, situated in Alwar district of Rajasthan is well connected via road to Delhi and is just 3 hours drive away, approximately 200 kms. Stretched over an area of 881 sq km, this area was a hunting preserve of Alwar until it was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1955 and as of Oct 2018, it hosts 18 tigers including 5 cubs.

McLeod Ganj Travel Guide: Monasteries, Momos & Our Family Adventure in the Himalayas

After a long time I was visiting any hill station. Usually vacation for me is relaxing at the sun soaked beach with crystal blue water and nothing else to do. For a change, I decided to spend my summer vacation visiting McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, also known as "Little Lhasa" or "Dhasa" (a short form of Dharamshala used mainly by Tibetans) because of its large population of Tibetans.

I was visiting this place with family so I wanted the best travel experience for my wife and kid. The best way I could find was direct connect to McLeodGanj via Himachal Pradesh Tourism Volvo from Delhi which had good reviews all over the internet and seemed safe too.

As usual, my wife did all the packing which she is great at and we left our home to catch our Volvo from one the busiest bus depot of Delhi. Thankfully we reached on time and soon boarded the bus  for 6pm which had mostly young crowd with 'Mountains Calling' written all over their faces. As we started the journey, my son looked outside the bus' window and within half an hour he fell asleep in his comfortable seat with blanket on. Seats were really comfortable and cozy for a long ride. The bus staff played 'Bhai's bollywood movie' which we watched for a while until we stopped for dinner on the way at Haveli, Karnal.

Top Things to Do in Pondicherry (Besides Eating All the Croissants)

This time, all we were looking for some fresh place, some offbeat destination, far from the usual favorites Goa and Kerala, we finalized to explore Pondicherry (Puducherry). More commonly referred as Pondy, a French colonial settlement in India until 1954 which is now a Union Territory town bounded by Tamil Nadu state. The best part is that French legacy is still preserved in its French Quarters, The White Town which reflects the French Architecture, mustard/orange colored villas, boutiques and French food.

I was lucky enough to grab a great deal on flight tickets for three of us, my wife, son and myself. Booked tickets Delhi - Chennai to and fro for early February, two months in advance. Days passed in excitement and research of all good places to visit, planning all itinerary. As always, wife did all the packing with her surprising super skills and took care of everything. And no, I didn't forget my camera this time.

Ranthambore Safari Tales: Tigers, Chaos & Adventures in the Wild

Well, I haven't been lucky to spot a tiger during my last trip to a National Park, Jim Corbett and this time I decided to make it happen in Ranthambore National Park, famous for its Bengal Tigers and as everyone says, you can spot a tiger easily. Its is situated in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan and is one of the best places in India to spot animals in their natural habitat.

In my quest to spot a tiger, my team and me decided to explore Ranthambore National Park. All bookings were done in advance and all sorts of plans were being made to make this a trip to remember.