One of the advantages of not being a Nepali is that you can enter the casinos. The laws of the land officially forbid a native from gambling. However, this has not come in the way of the two valleys – Kathmandu and Pokhara – from becoming favoured destinations for the global gambler. There are four casinos housed in four of Kathmandu city’s top hotels and another one in Pokhara situated 200 kilometres to the west of the valley. Most of the casinos offer 24-hours of non-stop poker, blackjack, roulette, flush

It is easy to be carried away by all the richness and diversity of the art and architecture of Nepal which has earned her the title ‘heritage country’. Honestly, I was getting a bit weary of it by now. But in a country with a landscape as varied as arid snow mountains to tropical jungles, with a multitude of ethnicities, limitless culinary spreads and a thriving tourist economy, the traveller is never at a loss for options. Backpacking was more a lifestyle than a mode of travel during its early

In Nepal, heritage is a way of life. The grandeur is spellbinding and legends come alive. A country of contrasts, where god and mortals live together, a treasure trove of architectural marvels. When it is an act of faith that made the whole country, it is no surprise that there are more religious monuments than houses. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal and the largest city in the country, is believed to have been founded around 300 AD. However, real development in Kathmandu and surrounding Patan and Bhaktapur began only from

The following travelogue on Nepal is based on the series ‘See More Nepal’ written and directed by me for Travel Trendz TV. Were there nothing else in Nepal save the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, it would still be aptly worth making a journey half way round the globe to see. E.A. Powell, The Last Home of Mystery, 1929, London Bhaktapur, between the 14th and the 16th centuries, was the capital of Nepal. Though today it has lost the privilege to Kathmandu, it still retains its culture and traditions, some say, even

(The following travelogue on Nepal is based on the series ‘See More Nepal’ written and directed by me for Travel Trendz TV.) The ancient city of Patan, known as the city of fine arts, is just 5km southeast from Kathmandu. It is widely believed to have been founded by Emperor Asoka in the third century BC though there are no proofs to support it. The place is also called Lalitpur which means ‘the beautiful city’. The day I came to Patan Square happily coincided with the Krishna Janmashtami celebrations, the

(The following travelogue on Nepal is based on the series ‘See More Nepal’ written and directed by me for Travel Trendz TV.) Here, heritage lives. It is revered and celebrated. It embodies not just the culture and the traditions of the land, but epitomises a way of life. It is a source of pride and forms the crux of many conversations. The grandeur takes you by surprise, the intricacy holds you in awe and the legends leave you spellbound. Welcome to Heritage Country, Nepal. Nepal, with more than 60 linguistic

(This is a reproduction of the travelogue I wrote for the North East Sun magazine published from New Delhi. Basically a compilation of the the individual accounts from each of the seven days, this is a quick reference for anyone who wants a glimpse of the festivities. Not so much details though. I have been getting requests to reproduce parts of the Hornbill account from Wanderink. Please go ahead, but kindly attribute the source to Wanderink.com, that’s all! Happy New Year!!) The celebrations had started during my train journey from

“Excuse me, do you smoke?” A brawny guy wearing dark glasses – it was pitch dark even on the outside – and a shocking pink jacket asked me. “No, I quit.” I replied. “Of course you know I didn’t mean just cigarettes,” he said laughing and dipped into his pink pockets for a cigarette that looked like a forgotten soul from Alcatraz. This incident was the final day of the Hornbill Festival in a nutshell. Merry-crazy crowds. Berserk with joy. Swaying in union, with a joyful abandon. Fighting with a

Hornbill Rocks. Because any band worth its, well, rocks, has to earn its stripes from Hornbill. Preferably by winning. With screen days crowd of over 15,000 and close seven times that on the finals, the benchmark is well set. “When we started the Hornbill rockfest, there were only two small speakers…the sound seldom reaching till the entrance gates,” said Neingulie Nakhro, event director, Hornbill Rockfest. “But look at us now, we have the best acoustics in the country today and all the leaders of the industry want to join hands

(This is the fifth in the Hornbill series. Apologies for the delay in the uploading…several reasons, including the really, terrifically crazy rockfest finals the day before. And whatever afterwards…) Somebody akined cars to a tin box. By extension trains would be jolly rides with Tutankhamen and flights, plush cells. So, I decided to give the cultural fare a miss on the fifth day and explore Kohima town. On foot. “Which is the way to the Cathedral?” I asked the first pretty lady I met when I started from Naga Bazaar