A good travel backpack can transform your journey, giving you the freedom to move easily through airports, train stations, cobbled streets and trails with everything you need on your back. For many travellers, especially backpackers, budget travellers and those visiting multiple destinations, a well-chosen backpack is more practical than a wheeled suitcase, leaving your hands…
You do not need a motorbike or a marathon road trip to experience the magic of Ladakh — a fly-in, comfortable seven-day itinerary by shared or private vehicle takes in the region’s greatest hits at a relaxed, well-acclimatised pace. From the monasteries and palace of Leh to the high passes of Khardung La, the dunes…
Kerala, “God’s Own Country”, strings together some of India’s most beautiful and varied experiences — and six days is the perfect length to sample them. This classic route takes you from the colonial port of Kochi up into the misty tea hills of Munnar, across to the spice plantations and wildlife of Thekkady, and down…
Rajasthan is the land of maharajas — a desert state of mighty forts, lake palaces, blue and golden cities and living folk culture that makes for one of India’s most spectacular journeys. A week is enough to ride the classic circuit from the Pink City of Jaipur to the blue city of Jodhpur, the golden…
Planning a trip can feel overwhelming, especially with so many decisions to make — where to go, when, how much it will cost, what to book first, and how to make sure nothing important is forgotten. Yet a well-planned trip is almost always a smoother, cheaper and more enjoyable one, and the planning process itself,…
Few things can dampen the excitement of an international trip like jet lag — that groggy, disorientated, exhausted feeling that strikes when your body clock is out of sync with your destination’s time zone. For Indian travellers heading to far-flung destinations across multiple time zones, jet lag can steal the first precious days of a…
For the millions of Indian vegetarians who love to travel, eating abroad can be both exciting and a little daunting. While vegetarianism is widely understood and easily catered for in India, in many countries it is far less common, and well-meaning locals may not realise that fish, meat stock, lard or eggs make a dish…
Italian cuisine is one of the world’s most beloved and accessible food traditions, and for Indian travellers it is often a comforting and delightful experience, with its emphasis on fresh ingredients, simple preparation and rich, satisfying flavours. Far beyond the pizza and pasta familiar from home, authentic Italian food is deeply regional, seasonal and varied,…
Japanese cuisine is among the most refined and revered in the world, celebrated for its precision, seasonality, presentation and respect for high-quality ingredients. For Indian travellers, it offers a fascinating culinary adventure that is quite different from home — subtle, delicate and often centred on rice, seafood, noodles and broths rather than bold spices. Eating…
Vietnamese cuisine is celebrated worldwide for being fresh, light, fragrant and beautifully balanced, and for Indian travellers it offers a delightful change of pace — lighter than much Indian food yet bursting with herbs, aromatics and subtle, refreshing flavours. Built around rice, noodles, fresh herbs, broths and a delicate balance of flavours, Vietnamese food is…
Thai cuisine is one of the most beloved in the world, and for Indian travellers it strikes a wonderful balance between the familiar and the new. Built around rice, noodles, fragrant herbs, chillies and bold, layered flavours, Thai food shares the Indian love of spice and aromatics while offering its own distinctive sweet, sour, salty…
Europe is the dream destination for countless Indian travellers, but its reputation for being expensive leads many to assume it is out of reach. The reality is that, with smart planning, Europe can be explored on a surprisingly modest budget — by choosing affordable countries and cities, travelling overland on cheap trains and budget flights,…