Going to Shymbulak was a heavily debated decision. In winter Shymbulak is a top attraction – a fabulous ski resort. In summer it mostly offers a great view. However, taking 3 cable car rides after a 40-minute drive was too much for just a great view. In addition, the third cable car was likely to be closed during the off-season. The first two cable cars … Continue reading Day 6 – Finding snow in Shymbulak
Even in a simple trip, there are some complexities. I wanted to get done with them earlier and then relax in Almaty. Three of the most recommended destinations were a bit of a drive away and in the same direction. It was strongly recommended that we make it into an overnight trip, and we did. A friend with a local contact got in touch with … Continue reading Day 2,3 – Glamping trip to Kolsai, Kaindy and Charyn
I had planned and even booked trips to Kazakhstan a few times before. Those trips never happened for many different reasons – visa was a pain in the a**, flights got canceled due to Pakistan airspace closure, etc. This time the stars aligned a lot better. The flights are operating normally and new flights are starting on the route. The complicated visa process has been … Continue reading Kazakhstan – A planners delight!
The drive from Agra to Jaipur is quite a smooth one, except that it lacks too many places to eat. Some resorts are a little off the highway, but nothing that would be quick. I stopped at an open-air place that seemed clean. Most of the menu items weren’t available, but the stuff they had was quite good. The drive also passes by Bharatpur Bird … Continue reading Golden Triangle – A new side of Jaipur
There are truly a lot of flavors of Jim Corbett National park – you just have to choose which one you want. It’s a beautiful forest, very green with two rivers, many tributaries, and a large lake. It hosts a lot of wildlife, tigers, elephants, crocodiles, deer, and many others. The way it is split up, though makes it harder to cover all of it … Continue reading Corbett- Rare combination of luxury and nature
Moon shots are always fascinating – they can make for a wonderful background to nearly any outdoor night shot. However, with better lenses and cameras the moon is becoming more prominent in the foreground. On a clear night, a good DSLR with a high zoom lens can capture even some of the surface detail of the moon and this is all getting better. I remember … Continue reading Photography: The moon shot!
Let me start by saying that if you are looking for details on the hot air balloon rides, you won’t find much on this blog. A mix of weather issues and some laziness meant we never ended up on those beauties. However, there is still enough to see around Cappadocia and many things that will still blow your mind with your feet firmly on the … Continue reading Cappadocia – Fairy Chimneys and Alien Landscape…
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!
As little as 6 years ago, it was was an unknown lake on the outskirts of the city. I have had the pleasure of being the only one in the National Park for about an hour some six years ago when the government asked for an application requesting entry submitted a day in advance for 7am entry. Thankfully that rule isn’t around anymore and you … Continue reading Delhi – A small birding paradise nearby!
Eat Travel Click 