Tokyo – Shinto when Happy, Buddhist when Sad!

Tokyo is more a city to experience than to see. Where there is no dearth of modern buildings with flashy lights, there are quiet trails with wide roads and greenery all around. The residential areas have several small coffee shops that serve fantastic coffee with cookies and snacks. The train stations are like cities by themselves and are very easy to get lost in and … Continue reading Tokyo – Shinto when Happy, Buddhist when Sad!

Japan – So many choices!!!

Japan had been high on the wish-list for a while. It has pretty much everything I look for in a destination – beautiful nature, a vibrant and unique culture, delicious cuisine and the most modern architecture of them all. It is not the cheapest place to visit, especially because of the cost of hotels, but the cheap flights from India make up for some of … Continue reading Japan – So many choices!!!

Moscow – An unexpected journey

This was in some ways the land of the unknown. Moscow carried in part an image of a city run by the mafia, with dark alleys, high crime, language problems, and major safety issues. What we discovered was something totally opposite – beautiful colorful city, happy-looking facades, actually helpful people and an amusingly easy to read language. We walked around most of the time and … Continue reading Moscow – An unexpected journey

New York – A nostalgic guide to food and drink !

I have been in and out of the city for the last 15 years. At times spending several weeks or months at a time and on some occasions making multiple week long trips a year. Over years I have found my favorites places to eat and drink. Then on every trip I would discover a few new places, some fantastic and others just meh. This … Continue reading New York – A nostalgic guide to food and drink !

Ranthambore – Spotting the striped!

I have grown up visiting wildlife sanctuaries for annual family vacations. This always added to the familiarity and affinity I have towards the most natural of destinations. The four names that always inspired an awe in my mind were Kaziranga, Gir, Sunderbans and Ranthambore. Interestingly I didn’t visit any of these three growing up as the stars didn’t align on me travelling with my father … Continue reading Ranthambore – Spotting the striped!

Prague – The swankiest old town and a ghastly day trip

The most anticipated last leg of the journey kicked off with a fairly refreshing six hour long first class train journey ending at the Prague station. The Sun was threatening to set by the time we got into cabs and it was dusk as we checked into our hotel right in old town square, next to the Hard Rock Cafe. Hotel Rott had a charming … Continue reading Prague – The swankiest old town and a ghastly day trip

Europe – history, culture and long walks

Europe has its own unique charm – all the colonial wealth has gone into creating some of the most imposing architecture. There are tall standing chapels and massive castles on the banks of wide rivers. There is usually a cobbled stone old town lined with cafes and some tiny hole in the wall museums and gelato shops. Since all this was built in the just … Continue reading Europe – history, culture and long walks