Wanderink

Riding out: Five states in two days on my Bullet

On Ugadi day if you are in Andhra Pradesh you won’t be able to spot a single mango tree without somebody on it. This day of Telugu New Year – March 23rd this year – is also the harbinger of the mango season. The Hyderabadis love their mangoes. When I say love, they really dig […]

When in Nepal eat Newari

Maheshwor Shrestha, like several thousand other youngsters like him, came back from the Gulf when prospects there dimmed. He returned to hometown, Gungapur in Kathmandu, Nepal, to pursue his dreams of starting a restaurant. And to marry his childhood sweetheart – a courtship that lasted for 13 years and ‘quite a lot of convincing’ as […]

Curio capital: Kathmandu

The winding road set in the midst of a coniferous forest was a continuing reminder of the place I was leaving behind. Definitely, Nagarkot was cleaner and greener, above all, quieter. If you are looking for quality time introspecting or bonding, then you have to be away from the hubbub of Kathmandu. And the quickest […]

Nagarkot rising

Most of us urbanites find forests irresistible. For my part, I just couldn’t bring myself to leave Chitwan. So I asked at the Unique Resorts, where I was staying, to arrange for me one last ride through the forest. Niranjan, the mahout, came with his black beauty, Champakali, an intelligent, frisky hulk with twinkling, naughty […]

Elephants, canoes and other memorable rides

A clear dawn descended, typical of a tropical zone like the Terai where the Chitwan National Park was located. On Mahendra’s recommendation, I decided to go for a canoe ride around the forest to try my luck at spotting some of the famed wildlife. Spotting wildlife, rather trying to, seemed to be the buzzword here. […]

Heart of the forest – Chitwan National Park

If Pokhara was an escape, Chitwan was supposed to be better – an escape into the wild. I headed to the former hunting reserve of the ruling dynasty and one of the few remaining tall grassland habitats in the world. Here I would be watching an enthralling sunset, canoeing close to crocodiles and generally getting […]

Escape to Pokhara – 2

Pokhara is a quaint little tourist town which is not really in a rush to get up and get going any given morning. Tourism was a late entrant in Pokhara and till the 60s, the town was accessible only by foot. Most of the valley was meandering fertile fields which gave way for haphazard development. […]

Escape to Pokhara – 1

The city lights and the sights had taken its toll. I was by now ready to give my right hand for some peace and quiet. You need peace? Then go to Pokhara! Nobody actually said it. But nevertheless, it seemed a good idea. Pokhara Valley lies close to 200 kilometres to the west of Kathmandu. […]

Resham firiri on a high – the rise of Nepali music

Music has an undeniable role in the life of every Nepali. It throbs in every vein, beats in every heart. Till recent music was confined to soul-less belting out of tried and tested western numbers. And to raunchy renditions from the neighbouring Indian film industry. Not anymore. Here, there is a song for every occasion. […]