Travel


Someone asked me why do we travel? Why can’t we save some money for future, or buy some land or buy some gold or invest in something else? I laughed at that question. It’s in the genes, yes, you heard it right! My dad had traveled to all the 29 states in India and his wish to visit Andaman & Nicobar Islands, which is one of the Union Territories of India, was never fulfilled though. The travel bug bit me in the very early days and since it’s my genes, I couldn’t resist myself from packing my bags whenever I got an opportunity.

Luckily, my hubby also loves travelling and he makes a wonderful fellow traveler. Together, after the wedding, we have travelled so much so that others envy us. We have a little toddler who loves travelling and yes, he’s been lucky enough to travel to different places since the age of 3 months old.
Every time we travel others ask why we spend unnecessarily on travels. And we cannot but only laugh at such stupid questions. In Kannada, my mother tongue, we have a proverb, "Kosha odu, desha suttu," which means, “Read as many as books possible, travel as many places as possible”. Traveling for us is not something getting our passports filled with stamps from different countries. It’s more than what mere words could explain. It’s not just a desire to see the world beyond our own borders, but over the years it has become an addiction. We don’t travel just to satiate our curiosity, but to constantly challenge ourselves to learn more about the world, and also ourselves.

Moreover, what we love most about travelling is experiencing something that we cannot find in our place, like touching the snow, viewing autumn leaves, tasting authentic local food, etc. Every time we have travelled, we have got to know ourselves much better. We have found our limits, both physical and mental, by travelling. We have felt free each time we have gone to a new place. At every single place we have met some incredible people. We have learnt a lot besides having fun. Travelling has defined us who we are today.

When we travel we don’t sit on the beach reading a book. We go out, see places, connect with people, learn different culture, eat local food, etc.  Our goal is not just to come home different, but better. I couldn’t agree more with Michael Palin who said: “Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life.”


Lankan diaries: Polonnaruwa - the royal ancient city

Lankan diaries: Sigiriya Rock Fortress - the Eighth Wonder of the World

Lankan diaries: Habarana elephant back ride


Lankan diaries: Beware of con drivers targeting travelers in Sri Lanka

A Day in Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha

Travel piece on Tiger's Nest Monastery in Bhutan

Sarangkot in Nepal

Roman Bath in the UK

Travel piece on Striling Castle

Loch Lomund in Scotland

Travel piece on Bahrain

Desire to Flee Qatar’s Blazing Sun

A trip to Meghalaya- Day 1

Hotel Trimoorti in Kolkata- Day 2

Guwahati: The Gateway of North-East- Day 3

Nongpoh in Meghalaya- Day 3

Umiam Lake: A Picturesque Delight- Day 3

Ashutosh Inn in Shillong- Day 3

Meghalaya: The Abode of Clouds- Day 3

Shillong: Scotland of the East- Day 3

A Romance and Poetry with Shillong Peak- Day 4

Lumparing Buddhist Lamasery in Shillong- Day 4

Lady Hydari Park in Shillong- Day 4

Lewduh or Bara Bazar in Shillong- Day 4

Delhi Mistaan Bhandar in Shillong- Day 5

Standing Stones or Mawbynna in Meghalaya- Day 5

Cherrapunjee or Sohra in Meghalaya- Day 5

Ramakrishna Mission in Cherrapunjee- Day 5

Nohkalikai Falls in Meghalaya- Day 5

Mawsmai Caves in Meghalaya- Day 5

Ka Khoh Ramhah or Motrop in Meghalaya-Day 5

Thanghkarang Park in Meghalaya- Day 5

Kynrem Falls in Meghalaya- Day 5

Seven Sisters Falls in Meghalaya- Day 5

Living Root Bridge at Riwai in Meghalaya- Day 6

Sky View in Meghalaya – Day 6

Mawlynnong, the Cleanest Village in Asia- Day 6

Khasi food in Mawlynnong, the Cleanest Village in Asia – Day 6

Balancing Rock in Meghalaya– Day 6

Don Bosco Museum of Indigenous Cultures in Shillong- Day 7

Take a break from your job, travel and find the happiness you've lost

Hong Kong scraps visa-on-arrival for Indians 

Why Northeast is a safe haven for solo female travelers

Welcome to the coldest village on Earth where the temperature can hit -71.2C

Meet the 89-year-old Russian grandmother travelling the world

Day 1: In God’s Own Country

Day 2: Syrian Jacobite Christian Wedding

Day 3: Kadamattom Church

Day 4: On a houseboat in Kumarakom

How "3 Idiots" destroyed Ladakh

Sacred groves of Kerala: Backed by divinity, but not legality

Bali named as world's best tourist destination for 2017

Travel piece on Tiger's Nest Monastery in Bhutan

Trivandrum rare pictures (1850-1950)

Purple Island in Qatar

Rain in Doha: Missing walk in the rain...

Purple Island in Qatar

Al-Jemail or Ghost Town in Qatar

Al-Zubarah Town

Al-Zubarah Fort

Zekreet Fort and Beach

Souq Waqif

Mesaieed Beach in Qatar

Sheikh Faisal's Museum in Qatar

Fuwairit Beach in Qatar

World’s ‘highest’ village in Spiti Valley runs dry as global warming hits the Himalayas

Rare photographs of Bangalore -- Part I

Rare photographs of Bangalore -- Part II

Rare pictures of Mysore -- Part I

Rare pictures of Mysore -- Part II

Olive trees in Palestine

Meghalaya's living root bridge