Nature

Languages

By

I believe all world languages would be incomprehensible if not accompanied by gestures and smiles. I also believe all travelers agree with this plain statement. Undoubtedly it can trying, like when asking for directions to a hotel in Papua New Guinea or wondering about the cost of hiring a Land Cruiser in Socotra Island, but otherwise there is a lot of fun in trying to understand and err—being understood. It completes what can be called a proper communication!

Read More

Kodachadri – A Rocking experience

By

Nestled in the western ghats of the south indian state, Karnataka, is Kodachadri , a mountain peak (altitude – 1343 m above sea level). The first thought that crosses anyone’s mind on mention of Kodachadri is trekking as it is known to be a trekker’s paradise.

Read More

Peacefully Loud & Violently Quiet – Renukaji, H.P.

By

Renukaji in Himachal Pradesh is a tourist destination with religious significance. The place is a scenic combination of a lake, a temple, an HPTDC hotel, a wildlife sanctuary, and all these are surrounded by high mountains. One can spend a few peaceful days watching the mahseer swimming in the lake or the leopards, bears and lions (got to be lucky to see them) in the sanctuary. We were four guys on two Royal Enfields on a fun trip and we found Renukji to our liking.

Read More

On the trail of Nilgiri TAHR

By

I wanted to see and photograph the elusive mountain goat known as Nilgiri Tahr for some time, and grabbed the opportunity three years ago when I traveled to Kerala with my brother. It was a long flight from Canada, via London and Dubai and landed in Cochin. After a brief rest we went to Kottayam, some 45 miles south and from there drove four hours east to Munnar, a hill station famous for its tea plantations. It was late September and the climate was perfect. Surrounded by huge mountains and lush forest interlaced with streams, this area is ideal for wildlife habitat.

Read More

Oak Grove Inn, Lansdowne – Review

By

There aren’t too many options to stay and most of them offer very basic amenities. After a lot of research on the internet, we realized that all the hotels with decent reviews (Blue Pine Resort, FairyDale Resort, GMVN Tourist Guest House etc) were booked for the weekend. I was trying to get in touch with anyone who’d give us a room to stay so that we could escape the city and accidentally found just one review of Oak Grove Inn on one of the hotel review websites. That gave me a lead, I googled further and got to the hotel’s website with contact information and called Colonel Rawat (the owner) to check if they had any space left. To my surprise, he plainly said that all the rooms were available and we’re welcome to stay over the weekend.

Read More