20 evocative beach pictures from around the world 

From walking a protected turtle breeding ground in Goa with two doggies and swimming in rock pools in the Seychelles to riding a motorcycle on a beach in West Bengal, here are 20 evocative beach pictures from our travels around the world.

A perfect long weekend among the hills and tea plantations of Coonoor

Surrounded by the Nilgiri mountains, the hill stations of Coonoor and Wellington make for the perfect long weekend, with spectacular views, rolling tea plantations and misty winding roads.

How we lived the island life for a few days in the Andamans

From snorkeling around the spectacular corals of South Button island and sitting in the still water of Wandoor beach to wandering around creepy Ross Island, here is how we lived  the island life for a few days in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India.

Eight great reasons why you should visit Rajasthan, the ‘land of kings’

Magnificent architecture, imposing fortresses, colourful locals, complex cuisine, and traditional street art... find all this, and more, in Rajasthan—literally, 'the land of kings'.

View of the Teesta from near Kalimpong, West Bengal, India

Six great experiences to have when you’re in Kalimpong

It was April in 2014, and my wife and I desperately needed a holiday. We were tired of the beach, though, and so we decided to head up into the mountains. After casting about a bit, we decided on Kalimpong in West Bengal, where we could stay as guests of the army, and where my wife could re-live some fond childhood memories. Here are six great experiences we discovered while we were in Kalimpong.

A getaway in the clouds: O’Land Plantation, Coonoor

Most visitors to the Nilgiris take in the sights and sounds of Ooty and its populated environs without realizing that the seemingly-infinite tea plantations on the hills offer a completely different experience, far from the madding crowd and closer to the wild

Twelve brilliant things to see in and around Sydney

In September 2010, after much planning and wrangling of schedules, we embarked on a well-deserved three week vacation to Australia. We had already decided early on that, rather than scramble around madly trying to do everything possible, we would instead stay in Sydney and get a feel of what life was like in Australia.

Sunrise on Bird Island, Seychelles

Six amazing discoveries we made in the Seychelles

Towards the end of 2011, a friend of my wife’s proposed that we go on a combined vacation, just us two couples, and suggested the Seychelles as a destination. We were a little hesitant, because we had heard it was expensive, but its reputation as a tropical island paradise was tempting enough for us to start doing some research. A few weeks later, our friends backed out, much to our chagrin, so we decided we would go alone. Through our research, we found out that, even though our vacation would be expensive, we could save a bit if we didn’t do too much island-hopping, and stayed on Mahé island most of the time instead. So it happened that we split our eight-day vacation between Mahé and Bird Island (more on this one later), and made six amazing discoveries along the way.

A road trip through Germany (part 6): Munich and the Oktoberfest

In September 2015, my mom, my wife and I embarked on a month-long trip through Germany, with a few days in Belgium and the UK thrown in for good measure. On the itinerary: Wuppertal, Brussels, the Rhine, Germany’s ‘romantic road’, Munich and the Oktoberfest, Berlin, London and Cambridge. All in a month’s time. This is part six of the story, and is about our experiences in Munich and during the Oktoberfest.

A road trip through Germany (part 5): Ainring, Salzburg and the Jenner

Once we had soaked in enough of the medieval atmosphere of the romantic road, we headed south-east, further into Bavaria and towards the border with Austria. There, just on the border, is the tiny little village of Ainring—known mainly for its golfing and as a stepping stone to Salzburg, a quick hop across the border in Austria.

Marienberg fortress in Wuerzburg, romantic road, Germany

A road trip through Germany (part 4): The ‘romantic road’

After our few days of doing nothing much in Gau-Allgesheim, it was time to hit the road again. This time, there wasn’t anyone to say ‘hi’ to, and it was about soaking in the past along the ‘romantic road’: a series of towns and villages that still retain their medieval charm from hundreds of years ago.

A road trip through Germany (part 3): The Rhine valley

When we got back from Brussels, we spent a few more days in Wuppertal, and then started our road trip in earnest. The first leg was a drive down the Rhine via Leverkusen, Cologne and Koblenz to Ruedesheim (a distance of just over 200 km, roughly one-third of the length of the Rhine in Germany) to meet some old friends of my mom’s.

Wuppertal and Cologne: Getting ready for our epic German roadtrip

In September 2015, my mom, my wife and I embarked on a month-long trip through Germany, with a few days in Belgium and the UK thrown in for good measure. On the itinerary: Wuppertal, Brussels, the Rhine, Germany’s ‘Romantic Road’, Munich and the Oktoberfest, Berlin, London and Cambridge. All in a month’s time. This is part one of the story.