In 2023, over 9 million tourists visited Georgia, drawn to its ancient cathedrals, forts, monasteries, scenic mountains and wineries – ANIL THAKORE
Georgia was never on my bucket list. So, when friends suggested a holiday in this East European country, all I could recall was that a few years ago a brutal Russian invasion had […]
Anil Thakore reports on an enjoyable week-long excursion to the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the picturesque Ha Long Bay and Hanoi city in Vietnam
During the past three decades since foreign exchange purchase rules and regulations were liberalised and Indians started travelling abroad with vengeance, the charm of Western countries […]
Yoginder Sikand reports from northern Laos where evidence of the deep-rooted Hindu influence on Laotian Buddhism is reflected in scenes from the Ramayana on temple walls. Moreover he stumbles across incriminating evidence of America’s secret war of the 1960s in Laos, when it became the world’s most heavily bombed country
This former French colony, separated from consumerist Thailand by the River Mekong, is an unspoiled oasis of forested misty peaks, placid lakes, and acres of emerald rice fields interrupted by golden spires of Buddhist monasteries – YOGINDER SIKAND
A week in Bangkok and I was fed up. The madding rush of traffic-clogged streets, rampant consumerist […]
Road trips in India are a great way to travel. On a road trip, you can see the transition from one place to another. You notice the subtle changes that take place as the land, water, and culture change slowly. A road trip allows you to travel at your own pace, pausing wherever your eyes […]
Forsake the beaten paths of tourists’ Turkey to trek through the mountains of Kurdistan to visit the shrine of one of the world’s most revered mystics, the 13th century Hazrath Jalaluddin Rumi –YOGINDER SIKAND
Partly in Asia and partly in Europe, Turkey is one of the most fascinating countries to visit. I had been to Turkey […]
Road trips in India are a great way to travel. On a road trip, you can see the transition from one place to another. You notice the subtle changes that take place as the land, water, and culture change slowly. A road trip allows you to travel at your own pace, pausing wherever your eyes […]
In 2023, an estimated 40 million tourists and pilgrims visited Varanasi (formerly Banaras or Kashi) making it one of the most frequented destination of the Indian subcontinent. Orthodox Hindus choose to spend their twilight years in this city because of the belief that taking the last breath here liberates their soul from the rebirth cycle.
A desire to check out whether the God’s own country hype which attracted 15 million tourists last year is warranted, prompted a short investigative tour of the better northern half of the state
Within a continent-sized nation which despite its rich heritage of ancient cultural monuments and natural attractions draws a mere 7.24 million foreign […]
Although some corners of Cambodia are untouched by the excesses of mass tourism, it’s quite clear that this country is being influenced by neighbouring Thailand. Massage parlours, western-style bars and discos have mushroomed in every little town. Our solo traveller continues his exploration of Cambodia
Naturally Angkor Wat, the largest religious structure in the world, […]
Daman is a small town on the west coast of India — sandwiched between the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. But it has managed to establish to hold a niche identity for itself. Some of this identity is rooted in its past as it was a Portuguese colony along with Goa. You might remember […]
Set within the Angkor Archaeological Park that covers several thousand acres of flat plain in Cambodia is the temple complex of Angkor Wat — the world’s largest religious shrine. A solo traveller describes a memorable excursion
My bus trundled down a highway leading out of Bangkok, already clogged with traffic at an early hour. Four […]
With its mountainous landscapes, snow-capped peaks, wind eroded volleys, icy deserts and ancient Buddhist monasteries, this last Shangri La is attracting a growing number of tourists
Surely one of the major reasons why this mountainous beauty — declared a Union territory in 2019 — has been a bone of perpetual contention between India and Pakistan […]
Last year 10 million tourists from around the world heeded this fast-track nation’s siren call to savour its multiple charms.
An explanation
There must be very few in India who are unaware of the multiple charms of Malaysia as a tourism destination. This relatively parvenu nation’s $57 million (Rs.251 crore) media campaign that kicked off […]
With a population density of merely 19 people per sq. km, this outpost of western civilization in the antipodes presents a topography of natural wonders including alpine glaciers, rugged mountains, sparkling lakes, steaming volcanoes and tropical rainforests. It is increasingly drawing Indian tourists
The two western outposts in the Antipodes — the distant down-under countries […]
Whether it is for leisure, adventure sports such as mountaineering, fishing, paragliding, skiing, rock climbing, trekking or just plain relaxation amidst soaring mountains and pristine nature, Himachal has it all
As India’s middle class keeps expanding exponentially in the post-1991 era of economic liberalisation and deregulation, and perpetual shortages of airline and train tickets in […]
Sightseeing in game parks featuring the rolling savannah landscapes of Kenya and Tanzania apart, the prime agenda of the 12-day excursion was to retrace the entrepreneurial journey of my late India-born father, reports Dilip Thakore
As people get on in years and approach the biblically ordained lifespan of three score and ten, it’s natural to become […]
Down the ages, India, the land of sages and seers has been famous for its grand temples, well-designed mosques and faith-inspiring shrines. In a country where domestic tourism is largely faith driven, Religious and Pilgrimage (R&P) tourism is big business. From the snow-swathed Amarnath shrine in Kashmir, the cavernous Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu and […]
Contemporary UAE is one the world’s fastest growing tourist destinations. It offers visitors sun, sand, sea, sports, unbeatable shopping, top-class hotels and restaurants, intriguing traditional culture, and a safe and welcoming environment
Contrary to popular opinion, Dubai (pop. 3.55 million), a shopaholic’s delight, is not a country but a constituent state of the United Arab Emirates […]
A rising number of millennial parents are carefully planning holidays to offer children immersive education experiences. In this New Year special we recommend five learning holidays
Holidays don’t have to be only about fun and frolic. They can combine enjoyable and educative activities to offer a wholesome experience for children. Lately, a rising number of millennial […]
Given its salubrious year-round climate, neat and orderly coffee plantations and scenic country vistas, Coorg has emerged as a high-potential tourism destination
Set under the thinning canopy of the Western Ghats in the south-west of Karnataka (pop. 63 million), Coorg is the heart of India’s coffee country. During high season (April-June), the entire district is enveloped […]
A holiday destination which offers an enlightening insight into European culture, particularly of the Renaissance age, is this sunny wine-growing and cultural heart of Italy
Among the numerous hitherto exotic tourism destinations favoured by the fast-expanding middle- and upper-income groups is Tuscany, the sunny, wine-growing and cultural heart of Italy — a holiday destination which offers […]
Contemporary Odisha offers visitors nature in all its glory with beaches, rivers, waterfalls, hills, forests and tribal life plus a rich tradition of architecture, monuments and sculptural art
Odisha (formerly Orissa) is most well known for being the epicentre of the ancient Kingdom of Kalinga. Emperor Ashoka, king of Magadh, invaded Kalinga in 261 BCE and […]
After its recent emergence from the stifling shadow of the defunct Soviet Union, Prague has become one of the most popular holiday destinations of Europe. Offering historic sites, architectural marvels, charming gardens, classical concerts, art galleries and museums, the city is a great educational experience
Once the proud epicentre of Europe, the Czech Republic, which borders […]
With some of the highest motorable roads worldwide, a close-up experience of the Himalayas, high-altitude lakes, and primeval wilderness with miles of solitude, the charms of the Union territory of Ladakh are unique
The Union territory of Ladakh (pop. 1.3 million) administered by a Lieutenant Governor is among India’s most trending tourism hotspots. Once visited only […]
The only state of India to host the Western and Eastern Ghats culminating in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu boasts five Unesco World Heritage sites and a southern tip plunging into the sea at the point of confluence of the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean
Contrary to popular opinion, Ooty, Kodaikanal and the neighbouring […]
Cut off from the rest of the world by its isolationist military junta for several decades, Myanmar has attracted considerable attention in recent times as an exotic tourism destination whose glittering pagodas have earned it the descriptive of the Golden Land
Although it’s in the news for all the wrong reasons, our neighbour nation Myanmar aka […]
What Goa is to Mumbai, Al Ain is to Dubai — a well-developed holiday destination offering footsore shopaholics a feast of rest and recreation opportunities
History is likely to prove that the rulers of the tiny port city state of Dubai (pop. 3.49 million) were considerably wiser than the sheikhs and princes of other states, nations […]
In this issue, we feature seven off-the-beaten-track domestic destinations for rest and recreation.
Jabalpur
Sited near the geographic centre of India, Jabalpur (pop. 1.4 million) is one of the major cities of the Hindi heartland state of Madhya Pradesh (pop. 87.4 million). Its defence related industries apart, Madhya Pradesh is famous for its Marble Rocks, a […]
An isolated kingdom sited in the deep Himalayas which claims to measure progress by a Gross National Happiness Index, gradually westernising Bhutan may well be the world’s last Shangri-la
Sandwiched between China (Tibet) in the north and India to the south, east and west, for almost a century, […]
Deriving its lyrical name from simul or silk cotton trees of the region, the Simlipal Tiger Reserve is sited in the Mayurbhanj district of the eastern seaboard state of Odisha (pop.46.8 million). Renowned for blazing red silk cotton blooms and shaded by flame of the forest tree cover, this abundant forest hides its secrets in […]
There are 500 uninhabitated islands with tropical forests, deserted beaches, exquisite coral and marine life within Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands is likely to come as a pleasant surprise
In the popular imagination despite its 3.28 million sq. km landmass and its vast unpeopled rural tracts, contemporary India is a heavily overly-populated country with “teeming millions”. […]
For the discerning Kolkata (aka Calcutta) remains a city with a glorious imperial past which retains its old-world flavour and Marxist coffee house culture
It’s rare to encounter an informed individual who is neutral about Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), described as the ‘city of dreadful night’ by Rudyard Kipling, even before an estimated 3 million refugees from […]
Tourism, the mainstay of the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir, crippled by long years of militancy and civil unrest, is reviving.
Tourism, the mainstay of the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir (pop. 12.3 million), crippled by long years of militancy and civil unrest, is reviving. An aggressive promotional campaign of the government coupled with […]
One of the 40 Unesco recognised World Heritage sites in the country, Hampi is evocative of the pomp and glory of the Hindu kingdoms of the pre-Mughal era which has brought visitors from across the seas to marvel and write about it
Virupaksha Temple
A designated Unesco World Heritage Site, Hampi (pop.3,300) — sited in […]
With sea levels reportedly rising by one-two inches per year because of global warming, there’s a strong possibility that many of the 1,196 islands constituting the Maldives may disappear underwater in the near future. Advice to adventurers: visit sooner than later
If you are a member of the growing tribe of adventurers worldwide interested in checking […]
Encircled by Assam to the north, Burma and Arunachal Pradesh to the east and Manipur down south, this unspoilt land of green valleys and shrouding mists offers the visitor warm, colourful people and ecologically well-preserved habitats
A fascinating kaleidoscope of legends and lore, tribal wealth and pristine beauty, Nagaland’s multi-hued cultural tapestry offers the visitor warm, […]
The story of India’s past from the 12th-20th centuries remains immortalised in the well-preserved monuments and exquisite gardens of Delhi which became India’s admin capital in 1931
With an archaeological heritage dating back over 2,500 years, Delhi, with its magnificent array of monuments, forts, tombs, palaces, mosques, temples and churches has as much to offer as […]
The awe-inspiring Himalayas sprawl 2,560 km across north India. Therefore a visitor has to experience them piece at a time, drawing up and following a carefully planned itinerary
The mighty Himalayan range of mountains evoke a wide array of emotions in people. For the
adventurer it’s a vast playground; for a naturalist it’s a paradise of […]
Notwithstanding the ravages of the past half century the Blue Mountains continue to exert a strong allure and the hill stations of this southern state attract large crowds through the year
Recently a group of trekkers set off down the The Finicio Trail in the Nilgiris aka, the Blue Mountains. The three day trek followed a […]
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