Sentinels of the Hills

Author : TeaForTravel      Blog : Tea for Travel      Date : 4/24/2013 6:59:00 AM

'; ;; ; ; Its been a bone rattling, wide-eyed, tummy rumbling, exhausting few months – and I say this with complete satisfaction; wouldn’t have it any other way! Writing for Lonely Planet Guide books has been challenging, intensive but completely worth it. Apart from travelling to new destinations, being inducted in a private Theyyam performance at a village in Kerala, trekking alone in Coorg and Chikmagalur and spotting a few leopards along the way, its some people that stu(...)'

Read full article

Andrew’s Ark & Other Kumbh Stuff

Author : TeaForTravel      Blog : Tea for Travel      Date : 12/19/2012 12:17:00 PM

'All is at peace with the famous inside-outside red guavas of Allahabad and the resilient Patthar Girija (Stone Church) that watches over the row its’ fruit sellers. But there is tension brewing not too far. Just 12 kms towards the banks of the river Ganga and Jamuna, vast stretches of sand are transforming at rapid speed. The Maha Kumbh Mela starts less than a month from now and the mammoth work of allotting land to all the religious bodies (akhadas), vehicle passes, photography pas(...)'

Read full article

On a 'Great Stay' Trail!

Author : TeaForTravel      Blog : Tea for Travel      Date : 7/4/2012 7:36:00 PM

'Its been a great last month! A wish come true guide book and a chance to travel a lot into the Western Ghats-  hoping that such luck is gonna hang around for some time! Considering my love for tea, there's no doubt that I love the Nilgiris trail. While the neat tea-scaped hills never fail to put me in a good mood, the over treaded towns like Ooty tend to make me REALLY push myself to seek the positives... And when you are constantly on the road ( I get withdrawal symp(...)'

Read full article

Between Tradition and Tyrants

Author : TeaForTravel      Blog : Tea for Travel      Date : 3/3/2012 6:27:00 AM

'The morning starts with a small Puja on the tracks  The scorching sun only adds to the soaring tempers at the Kambala ... It’s the annual Buffalo Race in Southern Karnataka - a festival that goes on for 3 months and displays a diverse set of traditions and beliefs which don't quite concur with our modern thinking. Pairs of buffaloes from villages are pegged against each other in races in slushy tracks. Earlier, these used to be in the fields, now there are special tracks b(...)'

Read full article

Shedding Bangalore in Delhi

Author : TeaForTravel      Blog : Tea for Travel      Date : 2/20/2012 7:07:00 AM

'The perennial poser for tourists - The rickshawalah!I don’t know why I had beads of sweat line my forehead on a chilly February morning in Delhi. Obviously it was something other than the bleak sun, desperately trying to convey its presence behind a thick tuft of grey clouds. I soon found out! You see, having been in Bangalore for almost 8 years now, I am not used to brazen requests for a photo, a barrage of questions on why I was standing alone, a far from mild insinuatio(...)'

Read full article

South Canara for Kambala Buffalo Race

Author : TeaForTravel      Blog : Tea for Travel      Date : 1/19/2012 5:33:00 AM

'17th JanAny unknown small town can seem quite hostile and threatening if you arrive at 4.45 a.m! As most of my travels usually are, this one too was free flowing and sans a plan! As the day caught up on me, the same topography looked so much more cheerful and busy, shedding the Cimmerian shadows!It was a day to go back and forth on the west coast between Udipi and Mangalore, chasing one lead after another! The stale fish of smell and humidity may bother some, but I strangely find it(...)'

Read full article

Eulogies for the New Year...

Author : TeaForTravel      Blog : Tea for Travel      Date : 1/11/2012 6:16:00 AM

'Amidst many hectic travels, we sort of overlooked this little section! Apologies and ‘spit on a handshake’ promise that we definitely will be updating this for you to see whats happening behind the scenes!Starting the year on a rather sad note with some ‘eulogies’! Ofcourse metaphoric, its saddening to see some destinations that we’ve loved, succumb to the over impression of tourists that it cannot handle. Mind you, we would love it if the country’s travel instincts were honed and m(...)'

Read full article