Blog

A Quirky Trip around Rajasthan

Jodhpur ladies group

We’ve told you about European walled cities, now it’s the time to head to India. Here we show you a Rajasthan you may not have seen before – from a lake city with no lake, to the best omelettes ever, via giant sundials. Read on! Rajasthan is an arid land, with hilltop castles and fortified cities … Read more

Pulikkali: The Tiger Dance

Did you know that there is one day in the year when pot-bellied men are all the rage? And there’s more. Pot-bellied men, sporting tiger body-paint, dancing around the streets. No, I’m not making fun of you. It’s Pulikkali, our latest Festival Friday instalment.  Boys, before you reach for the pies, and the body paint, read … Read more

DIY Kerala Backwaters

India Backwaters 3 Men in a Boat

A boat trip around the backwaters of Kerala is high on many travellers’ lists, but it can leave you with a big hole in your wallet. Here’s where we teach you to do it yourself. For peanuts.  Think Kerala, and it’s likely you’ll conjure images of palm-fringed canals and sunsets from the deck of a … Read more

On the Tragic Fate of Temple Elephants

India Onam elephants 2

Well, we haven’t had a Festival Friday for a while. To celebrate World Environment Day, this week we would like to offer something different. An article on the Onam festival in Kerala, and some thoughts on the fate of temple elephants.

India Fatehpur Sikri elephant carving
Elephant carving in an Indian temple

Kerala has something different from the rest of India. A mellow, slower pace of life. Touts won’t bother you, rickshaw-drivers are likely to be napping on the back of their vehicle. If you have read Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, you’ll know what I mean. Kerala is a place of crumbling colonial architecture and steamy forests, criss-crossed by canals and fringed by beautiful beaches.

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India in Five Sacred Sites

India Taj Mahal side with man

We continue our India month with an exploration of five sacred sites, some famous some less famous, to highlight the cultural and historical heritage of this incredible country. 1) The Taj Mahal Wait. Wait a second. What do you mean ‘sacred site’? The Taj Mahal, India’s iconic sight, daily trampled by hordes of camera-toting, paan-spitting tourists? … Read more