When Cathay Pacific Airlines contacted me for a blog-trip and asked me to create my own Hong Kong itinerary, I knew what was next: a few sleepless nights of obsessive research and excitement. More research though, as I had to create my own itinerary and plan my holiday. I have made many itineraries throughout my travel career and I know how long it can take. For example, my one week Germany road trip took me more than 2 full days to plan it on papers. When I travel on my own, I try to co

“Unfortunately, you are not doing the Valley of Flowers trek the right time of the season. The best time to visit valley of flowers is between 15th July to 15th August,” provided the tour guide Shobhit, making me feel sorry for myself before the trip even begun. On September 5th, the flowers had already started shedding, and with them, some of the leaves too. The monsoon was far from over too. In about one month from now, winter would hit the Himalayas turning the Valley of Flowers

In September, the peak tourist season for Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib trek and for visiting the Valley of Flowers was already far from over. I was told how the valley would have appeared totally different, draped in a blanket of colourful wildflowers, had I made it a month ago. But in the second week of September, the valley looked pretty much washed-out, just like any other ordinary valley in the Himalayas. The number of people doing the Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib trek also decrease

I remember when Chhattisgarh Tourism invited me to explore Chakradhar Samaroh and famous places to visit in Raigarh, I was bursting with excitement. Visiting Chhattisgarh was high on my list. I had heard about the mentions of its undiscovered beauty from a fellow traveller and an avid motorbiker, whom I happened to meet last year during a bike ride from Jammu to Killar. “Don’t leave any opportunity to visit Chhattisgarh,” he would repeatedly insist “especially if

Sitting at nearly 3000m above the sea level, looking at the same landscape I am most familiar with, I wondered if I am, indeed, wasting my time here. I mean for a travel blogger, whose profession makes him money only by visiting new places and talking about them on the internet, isn’t it necessary to keep moving, always? And yet, here I am, back to the same place I have been to, a dozen times before. Yes, I am talking about my second home, Sethan that I first traveled to back in 2

Packing for a holiday divides people into two schools. The first leaves everything to the last minute, throwing in as much as possible; the second packs early and systematically, but often has to unpack again because they need something already stowed away in the suitcase. Hence, these useful holiday packing tips. Well, I happen to be the first case (as most backpackers do) but believe me, if you want to pack for a holiday better, you don’t want to do that. For most of my journeys, I en

Before I talk about my travel photography equipment and editing software I use, let me tell you that this is an old post. I’ve changed a lot of my travel photography equipment lately. Currently writing an updated version of the article. So either wait for the new article to release or read what travel photography equipment and editing software I was using back in the days. One reason to read this outdated blog is that it can give you a good insight into budget photography equipment

As an international travel blogger, holding a weak Indian passport in hand, I often deal with providing a confirmed return flight ticket when applying for a visa — or worse, providing a proof of my onward journey while getting a visa-on-arrival or a visa-free entry. I remember the first time it happened to me I was crossing the border into Thailand wanting to continue backpacking into a few other countries in Southeast Asia. Though I was exiting  Thailand in just two weeks (as visa on ar

Since I quit my job to travel, in 2016, I’ve been frequently discussing useful travel photography tips for beginners. I have been taking pictures around the world, trying different tips and self-teaching myself every day from what works and what doesn’t. And in the process, I’ve learned that photography — particularly travel photography tips — is a self-learning process. The more you click the more you learn. But what else I’ve learned is that a few good tips from

Sitting at the patio of the Sunset Beach Hut, a sustainably built eco-resort in Pulau Macan Island, that I first realized there’s more to Indonesia than I ever knew. Here, only the distant sound of the ocean’s gentle waves kept me company, blissfully far from the honeymooners and sunbathers who often flock to Indonesia. It had been only a few minutes that I had started reading the book (about life on the Indonesian Islands) and I was already being pulled away from the world, into s

There are some places in the world (like Indonesia for me) that, almost voluntarily, and perhaps a little forcefully too, make you develop a sudden liking towards them. It may be because of the natural beauty of the place, the food you had there or something else. For me, for example, it’s always the people. If I feel that warmth in local people and connect to the community in a way I do back home, I know that I can love the place. This is the reason why I have always adored the Hi

When it comes to the popular tourist destinations in Indonesia, Jakarta, despite being the capital city, holds no place — not even among the top 5 destinations in the country. (Search on Google and you won’t find many blogs suggesting a Jakarta travel itinerary either). But with most international flights first landing at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, many people, before making it to their original destination, end up in Jakarta. So, if you too end up in Jakarta, and decided to travel around,

When it comes to photos and pictures, Hong Kong can never disappoint. Google search for Hong Kong Pictures and you will get the idea: there is just no end to scrolling down. From some of the world’s most interesting streets to green spaces, Hong Kong has everything a photographer may need. During my blog trip with Cathay Pacific Airlines, I ended up exploring and clicking these Hong Kong pictures and photos for a few days, on my own, and never did I feel a desire to make friends o

It has been three years since the events that are described here took place. Three years since I was a student at Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy, in Sivananda Ashram Rishikesh, learning about a divine lifestyle and how not be affected by little miseries of life. And yet, I never mentioned anything about the place here. I didn’t even mention much about it in my Rishikesh travel guide blog. It is not that over the years I’ve lost touch with Sivananda Ashram or that I didn’t

For a country like India that is so diverse and distinct, train-travel remains a beautiful highlight. Hopping from one place to the other while noticing small differences in the culture, traditions, and landscapes is a delight of a different kind. And when you get to do it under the luxury of having your own private room, world-class food, a gym, a spa, and a lot of royal treatment, things become even more interesting. Yes, I am talking about one of the five Maharaja Trains that run acr

Since I’ve quit my job to travel in 2015 and became a full-time nomad, I’ve learned that long-term travel tips are something you learn with experience. When you’re on the road for months, you’ve to think and act differently. From holiday packing tips to maintaining a daily personal routine to keeping a hold of your budget, long-term travel is a different deal altogether. I remember when, before becoming a full-time traveller, my weekend holidays had only one agen

From its placement and appearance, the town of Fojal certainly looked like a place where tourists would want to spend a few relaxing nights, avoiding the crowded Delhi to Manali road, in Himachal Pradesh. And then, Fojal is a popular paragliding site too (known as Dhobi Paragliding site). Yet there were no guesthouses, for I was searching for one for over two hours now. Those who visit Fojal Valley, do only a day trip, try paragliding, and head back to where they came from. So yea, after

Solo travelling is certainly more mentally tormenting than travelling in a group. As a solo traveller, we are more inclined to visit destinations we have already visited before or the ones that, at least, qualify the list of “most solo travel-friendly destinations around the world”. For me, for example, if I am travelling to a new place, and I am travelling alone, a place tends to stifle my solo adventure spirit if I find a few backpacker hostels there. Because hostels not o

Update: My 2019 In A Flashback To be honest, 2018 has been the most productive year for me since I’ve started to travel blogging. It has provided me with opportunities and took me to places that I thought I won’t come across so soon in life, at least not within the initial three years of my blogging stint. I mean I remember when I got a call from India’s Ministry of Tourism — the office of Incredible India — that I’ve been selected as one of the only four Indian

With people watching videos on my Youtube Channel they often ask about my Motorbiking gear – from helmet to riding jacket to other things.To answer their questions, I’ve put together this page that talks about all my useful motorbiking gear. This page will give you a brief idea about what I carry when I am riding and why I recommend a similar product.Please note that some of my motorbiking riding gear may seem expensive and you can certainly buy a cheaper alternative, but the quali