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A Review of Fort Jadhavgadh: Royal Maratha Treatment
Fort Jadhavgadh is located a mere 40 minutes – or fourteen kilometers – from the heart of Pune, Maharashtra. From my parents’ house in Pune, the ride takes barely thirty minutes. Instead of going the smooth road to Lonavala or Mahabaleshwar, my best friend Avni and I decided to take the more bumpy, rugged trail (literally!) to this 300 year-old Maratha fort. Fort Jadhavgadh touts itself as a luxurious experience that promises to take you back in time to Maratha royalty. The property prides itself as the first and only heritage fort hotel in Maharashtra and is most popular with visitors from nearby cities. As we drove through the nondescript…
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Top Coffee Spots in Delhi-NCR
Call me out on this cliché but there is nothing better than sinking into a nice book with some great coffee. After eight years in Delhi, I have found some great places to shun company, sip some great coffee and be an unapologetic introvert/bookworm. And I don’t mean at Starbucks! Here are some of my top coffee spots in Delhi-NCR: 1. Sibang Bakery – Gurgaon Located in one of Gurgaon’s many non-descript malls (South Point on Golf Course Road), I first discovered this café nearly three years ago. Since this part of Gurgaon is a hub for many Asian companies, it is easy to find authentic cafés that cater to the…
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Zostel Gokarna – A Review
Cliffs, beach views and tranquility – Zostel Gokarna has it all. Although not bang on the beaches like most other shacks in Gokarna, this Zostel – perched on a cliff overlooking the Kudle Beach – has something unique to offer budget/backpacking travellers. Gokarna is a great place to spend a weekend and is quite close to Goa (for those who think Goa is too mainstream). The three of us reached here by train from Udupi, only a few hours away. Other travellers here were mostly stopping over for a day or two on their way to Goa. Like most other Zostels, this one too has both mixed and female dorms…
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Wandering through the Neemrana Fort Palace
Rajasthan has got to be one of my favourite destinations. Part of it stems from spending two years of my adolescence in Jaisalmer. The other part stems from the fact that it is so gosh darn gorgeous – I can’t even! Back in college I had always wanted to go to Neemrana after listening to countless accounts of how fun the zip-lining was. But slowly, that enthusiasm faded – Neemrana started to seem like a cliché picnic spot for every bored Dilliwalla. My first ‘visit’ to the Neemrana Fort Palace in 2015 was with my family and it ended in an abrupt decision to go back home. The entry fee…
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Gurgaon’s Secret Paradisiacal Bookstore
It was a typical Sunday. We had finished a hearty breakfast – sandwiches, chocolate cake, vanilla latte, et al – at Sibang Bakery (it’s Korean) at Gurgaon’s South Point Mall – I tell you this understated mall has THE BEST treasures tucked away. (Try Izu, if you love Japanese. The portions are larger than most Jap restaurants in Delhi-NCR). Anyway, so instead of going back home, we decided to walk around the mall in the hope that we stumble across another hidden egg. And lo and behold, there it was: the best bookstore ever! Hidden in plain sight, Chapter 101 seems like a pretty nondescript shop from the outside. In…
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In Vasco da Gama’s footsteps – St. Mary’s Islands
It was a dark stormy night on the high seas in A.D. 1498. The waves were strong, splashing hard against the sides of the ship, sending its inhabitants into a frenzy. To make things worse, torrential rains poured down upon them. Months and months had past sailing on the oceans and now these mariners desperately needed to find land. Hours later, the waves calmed down, the clouds cleared and it was dawn. The sun was at the horizon now, the sky a medley of dreamy colours. And then a scream from the heavens pierced the air. “Land ahoy!” Sure enough, after nights and nights on the stormy Arabian sea, Vasco…
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A Sunny Day at Karnataka’s Kaup Beach
I had never stayed near the beach before this. I’ve been a frequent visitor, yes, an enthusiastic splasher and sunset-photo-taker even. But living so close to one of my favourite things on earth, never until now. Manipal doesn’t exactly own a beach but it’s proximity to many is what matters, as my cousin Nikhita (also my roomie) likes to point out. Nikhita has been a beach babe for practically all her life so naturally she knows the best spots [outside] town. Kaup beach – actually pronounced ‘Kapu’ in local Tulu – is about 15 kilometres or 30 minutes away from Manipal and the easiest way to get there is by…
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A Morning in the City of Dawn – Auroville
My first trip to Pondicherry was with my family when I was a teenager. I don’t remember as well as I probably should but I do remember being in awe with Auroville (pun intended). I remember driving past the sacred Matrimandir which was still being built at the time (back in 2007) and that I was proud of being able to take a clear picture of it through the fine mesh covering one of its gates. And I definitely remember making a mental note to come back again because I loved the peace and quiet in the green ‘jungle’ with its red sandy path. So one morning, 9 years later,…
