All posts filed under: Miscellaneous

5 Beautiful And Very Distinct Places In India Everyone Must Visit

Published by Dev

Ever thought of taking that much-deserved break and losing yourself in a place virtually free from all sorts of communication? If yes, then this is a perfect place to start from. The places mentioned below aren’t your standard honeymoon destination, these are those places which can take your breath away and leave you shell-shocked with the beauty that these places in India has to offer. These are the 5 Must Visit Places In India: Pangong Lake, Ladakh Restricting Ladakh tourism to just Pangong lake would be an extreme injustice, but if you ask me to pin point the most beautiful place in the region, then Pangong would definitely top my list. Pangong Lake doesn’t have a heavy traffic or inflow of tourists, so if you want to scream at the top your voices unabashedly, come here. The sight of the lake can instantly instil a sense of peacefulness in your mind. The lake located at a height of about 4350m is around 124km long and is also home to various migrating birds. Ladakh is definitely …

Backpacking in Europe Or Backpacking In Southeast Asia? Tips For Indian Backpackers!

Published by Dev

Europe and Southeast Asia can be completely different when it comes to travelling, and the many obvious dissimilarities like the differences in the cost of travelling, visa complications are no alien to us either. Southeast Asia offers easy visa possibilities, whereas Europe on the other hand, makes it tougher to get one. So if you’re planning a trip abroad, and are confused about what would be a better choice for you, personally — is it holidaying in Europe or holidaying in Thailand, or Bali — then these four but more peculiar differences will help you make your mind better. Visas If money is no foundation, and you’re planning to cover a few number of countries in one trip, it makes more sense to backpack in Europe, because you’re only required to apply for a Schengen Visa and you’re free to cross 28 borders in Europe, without having to worry about border security. Southeast Asia, on the other hand, requires visa formality for every country. Though most nations in Southeast Asia give Indians the option of Visa …

Back To From Where It All Started. Back to Basics

Published by Dev

By the time you’ll be reading this, I’ll be flying over the Black sea, inching my way towards Oman, before finally boarding the flight to New Delhi. If you already do not know, I am arriving home after a 2-month backpacking trip across Europe. But all this time, as I backpacked across Europe, a part of which seemed more like a business trip, and less like backpacking, I wondered if this was originally how I planned my travels would end up as I’ll progress as a travel writer. I mean after exploring 8 beautiful countries across the green European continent, why do I still miss a part of what I’d left behind. Why do I still crave to explore some empty rain-forests, or the colossal Himalayas, where I’ve already been a thousand other times before. Why do I find such vast spaces more charming than ever now, despite them being a place where Google hardly works, and cell phones lose their reception too — making the experience a bit too unfavourable for any web-blogger like me? And yet, I …

Top Holiday destinations For Wheelchair Users

Published by Dev

Everyone enjoys going on holiday – but it’s easier for some than others. If you use a wheelchair to get around, for some of the time or always, you need to research the accessibility of locations. The surrounding area and terrain is of upmost importance, and you’ll want to know the hotel can cater to all your requirements. In addition to picking up the phone and talking to someone, this guide to travelling with a medical condition suggests using Google’s Street View to get a feel for the local area – if there are any shops or other facilities, and whether you’d be able to get around with ease. But to help you decide where to start your search, I’ve done my bit too, and handpicked some top holiday destinations for wheelchair users: Tenerife, Spain If you’re after a bit of sun, Tenerife is one of the most popular destinations in Europe for disabled travellers. With a bit of online research, you’ll be able to find an adapted hotel or apartment to suit. There are walkways, …

From Getting Robbed In Bratislava, Slovakia, To Saying No To Making Generalizations: My Experience, As It Continues…

Published by Dev

Before you read the story, I request you to please read it till the end. Please do not leave it in between finding a negative tone against Slovaks, or the Eastern Europe at large… because that was never the intention, and just cannot be!  While planning my 2-month backpacking trip across 8 countries in Europe, and before I arrived in Bratislava, the capital town of the east-European country of Slovakia, a few people warned me about having my wits about the place. “You be careful walking along those streets; eastern Europe can be surprising,” they claimed. But I never cared much for their unsolicited advice. I mean for a person who had spent most of his life learning the art of self-defense, inside the crazy boundaries of a city like New Delhi, eastern Europe should be no problem, right? “I’ve seen worse,” I would carefully assure myself. To sometimes even brag about it a little, and sound more experienced, I would utter an experience or two from my solo backpacking trip in Southeast Asia, and Cambodia …

6 Biggest Travel Mistakes To Avoid

Published by Dev

Going for a long vacation or becoming a long term nomad? Make sure you avoid these self-destructing travel mistakes! Travel writers always give useful travel tips that talk about what to do when you travel. They are all must-see and must-do lists. Go there, eat this and try that. But what about those tiny mistakes that sometimes create a momentary disappointment, and at other time, big-time blunders. From avoiding currency exchange at the airport to avoiding carrying a traveller’s cheques, there are so many insignificant decisions that can lead to a regret a later stage. But the good thing is, with a little planning ahead, it’s easy to avoid the common travel mistakes and enjoy your vacation a little more. I’ve made all these mistakes too, and it is by doing them wrong in the past, I’ve learned how to make them right today. Hence, from my experiences, I’m sharing some of the common travel mistakes you should. These tips will make you a savvy traveller. Never Eat Near A Major Tourist Site The food near any …

Want To Become A Frugal Backpacker? Learn To Sleep And Shit Anywhere!

Published by Dev

It’s not the appearance or the idea of lugging a 70L travel backpack, but your habits that make you a real, frugal backpacker! Frugal backpacking is more than just slinging a backpack over your shoulder, wearing the same shirt for a week, and doing laundry in sinks. It’s a way of living, of compromising with the worst imaginable situations, and yet, not complaining about them. I remember during my early days of travelling, how a few habits or the little insecurities of my mind made backpacking so difficult for me. Though I could easily travel in rickety buses and eat at someplace totally disgusting, I was still not a right fit. Every time I left home (or even before leaving) to have that grand adventure, I made sure that I find a roof at night and a shit-hole in the morning. And these habits always only curbed me from living my perpetual backpacking dream. It moreover curbed me from stepping out of the fray and travelling off the beaten path, because if you’re going to …

6 Reasons To Visit Genting Highlands While You Are In Malaysia

Published by Dev

Malaysia is one of those countries that can never disappoint a tourist. From Highlands that are a breath of clean, cool air; to mesmerizing islands; to new-age modern cities – Malaysia has something for everyone. But among all, if you’re looking for something that fits best to your few days of family holiday, just outside of Kuala Lumpur, look no further than the Genting Highlands. For those who don’t already know, Genting Highlands is approximately an hour drive from Kuala Lumpur and is nestled on a mountain peak! So expect really cooling weather. What else you can expect from Genting is a crazy theme park, a strawberry fun farm, mesmerizing cable car rides, some memorable shopping experiences… well, the list is long. But if I were to suggest the top experiences you should head to Genting Highlands for, as soon as you’re done with the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur, they would be these: A Ride In The Cable Car Though you can reach Genting Highland via your own car, the best way to get …

Travel Confession: I Hate Flying

Published by Dev

Before you make generalizations let me get this straight, I am not scared of flying.  I am not afraid that the aeroplane I’m flying with will fly into a mountain because of pilot error. Or that a Korean Navy ship decided that the Boeing flying above their head is an enemy aircraft and knocked it off by mistake. No, I don’t find flying a scary thing, and I feel perfectly normal even during the worst of all turbulence in the history of aircrafts. Moreover, I know flying is, by far, the safest mode of transportation available today. Yet every time I have to fly it scares the living shit out of me! Flying Only Seems More Dangerous Until I Actually Board The Flight The idea of missing a flight, arriving at the wrong airport, or worse, forgetting the passport, scares me to death. Because missing a flight, for no matter what reason, means losing a big chunk of your travel budget. During one of my recent trips to Southeast Asia, something similar happened, and the …

Top Signs That You Are A Backpacker At Heart

Published by Dev

Backpacking is more than just lugging a 70L rucksack on your back. It is a way of travelling, of feeling comforted even during the most uneasy conditions. And if you ever wondered whether or not you qualify as a savvy backpacker, now is the time to find out. If you do most of the things mentioned below, chances are you’re a true backpacker at heart: You always write down your parents’ address when asked for your permanent address. The occupation column on application forms leaves you confused. You have friends pretty much in every corner of the world. You love the idea of slow travel and getting lost in a new city. You sniff-check your clothes to find out whether they’re wearable or not. You can wear the same shirt for a week, and jeans for two weeks. A pleasant outdoor weather is more important to you than anything else. You do your laundry in the sink. There’s always a pouch of detergent in your bag. And a tissue roll. If surprisingly you find a …