Year: 2016

Where To Travel In India: My 9 Personal Faves From 2016

Published by Dev

2016 turned out to be a promising year for my travelling stint. If the entire year put together, I think I spent more than 300 days on the road. I covered a part of Southeast Asia, a bit of Nepal and much of India (now only left with 6 Indian states, including Gujarat and Rajasthan, and they are next in the list). Where most of the places I visited were great, some were exceptionally better. Better in a way that they carried the essence of Indian culture, its diverse landscapes, and represented India as a wonderful destination to travel. So if I were to recommend any places from those I visited in India, in 2016, they would be… Alappuzha Backwaters, Kerala Alappuzha, also known as Alleppey, is home to a vast network of waterways and a few thousand houseboats. And the experience of sailing downs its interconnected lagoons and smaller canals while overlooking the paddy fields of succulent green, curvaceous rice barges and village life along the banks, is totally magical. You can also call it …

11 Travel Tips For Varanasi

Published by Dev

Varanasi turned out to be such a lovely town that I had to write at least 3 posts about it. I recently shared an introduction to Varanasi about where to stay and how to best experience the town. I also told you what to expect from the Ghats, which are famous for cremation ceremonies. But then I realised that none of them addresses the basic etiquette you must follow while you’re here. Being the spiritual capital of India, Varanasi can be confusing. Right from “can we click pictures of burning pyres” to “how to deal with touts” – people have their doubts. In an effort to answer those random but important questions, here are the 11 most important tips you need to know: 1) Come to Varanasi, but don’t come here first. Varanasi is wild, particularly for those who are new to Indian culture. Watching dead bodies lit on fire, and naked sadhus whitewashed in ash, can scary you to a degree that you would not want to leave your hotel room. So before coming here, …

From Street Scene To The Ghats of Varanasi: What To Expect!

Published by Dev

If you’re travelling alone, and are unaccustomed to the frenzies of India, Varanasi may just be the craziest Indian city for you to travel to! Varanasi, also known as Benares, is considered as the holiest of all Hindu towns, bringing people from all over the world to see the religious ceremonies that take place there. As believed in Hinduism, death in Varanasi brings salvation. By getting a cremation on one of its ghats, you get a direct ticket to heaven. Throughout India’s long history, it is in Varanasi, that many prominent figures – including Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi – have spent time on the Ganges River, meditating and practising spirituality. But that doesn’t mean that you’d find people meditating or chanting god’s name here, or in any way, living their life in a subtle manner. Street Scene In Varanasi Is Wild If you think that the street scene in India is crazy, in Varanasi it is wild. Consider Varanasi as New Delhi on steroids. Nowhere have you been and nothing you’ve seen, in your entire …

Introduction To Varanasi

Published by Dev

When I first arrived in Varanasi, I had its most clichéd picture in mind: a group of people surrounding the burning pyres on a ghat, a few lost sadhus whitewashed in ash, and the daily Ganga Aarti. Though I knew that the town is more or less comprised of 80+ connected ghats, running to a length of almost 10 kilometers – visualizing Varanasi anything beyond its clichéd picture, was quite hard for me. During my first 15 minutes of arrival, I remember attesting it to the autorickshaw driver that I’m finding Varanasi quite similar to Haridwar, or “Rishikesh without mountains”. I asked him if he has ever visited Uttarakhand. He rejected, in the most uninteresting manner. But as the time went past, and I thoughtfully overstayed in the town, one day after the other, I realised that Varanasi was perhaps not anything like Haridwar, or Rishikesh, or any other Indian town for that matter. After all, it is one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited place on earth – dwelling a civilization as old as …

Scuba Diving Myths: Debunked!

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What’s keeping you out of the ocean? Is it the fear of drowning or getting stung by a lionfish? Some of you might also be thinking that diving is expensive. Before doing my first scuba dive, I had my own doubts (or better put, myths!) too. But my biggest fear was running out of air while I was still underwater. “Has any of the trainees have ever run out of the air, in their cylinder, while diving with you,” I remember asking my instructor, Jason, moments before our first dive. Though we were cautiously trained about how to share air and avoiding other diving hazards, I was unsure of rescuing anyone (or even myself) if anything went wrong. And I think these doubts are only natural. After my first scuba diving experience and posting a few pictures about it on my Facebook page, a lot of people asked me about my experience followed by a question that seemed to be putting them off from trying scuba diving. So now that I’ve done a few dives and …

From My Homestay… A Quick Guide To Kabbinakad, Coorg

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I remember when I first spoke to Sharath, asking if I can visit them and explore the coffee plantation and the nature around their homestay, in Kabbinakad, Coorg, he replied in the most candid manner. A part of his response also sounded a little customary – following the usual banalities of any hospitality business. He wrote, sounding ostentatious, that they would be happy to show me the best of nature and Coorgi hospitality. “What a polished statement,” I thought. But it was until I actually visited his place that I realised it was indeed among the best, and most unspoilt nature, I have ever seen. And the hospitality Coorgis were always known for, was no less remarkable either. I first visited Coorg, some 6 months ago, experiencing one of the many camping sites around the place – and the experience always stayed in my memory, quite afresh. But this time as I reached Kabbinakad, located around 30 km towards the east of Madikeri, I found it much different, and perhaps more surreal. I remember losing myself …

GOA Travel Guide

Published by Dev

I avoided Goa for a long time, travelling the length and breadth of India on several trips but never making it to the vacation hot-spot known for beaches, sunsets and parties. I always thought that Goa must have lost its charm, due to waves upon waves of Indian and western European tourists that travel there. But I was wrong! I travelled this amazing little part of India (in Nov’16) for nearly a month – with most of the time on its beaches in the south and I immediately fell in love with Goa. I loved its atmosphere, the beaches, all-night crazy parties and a laid-back tropical vibe. What’s better is, from first-timer honeymooners to crazy college party mongers, there is something for everyone in Goa. You can find beaches as dead as a village in the far-out corners of the Himalayas, to those hosting all-night raves. There’s sun, sea, sand, seafood and pretty much everything else you need to make your holiday better. Come here to lose yourself in a heavenly experience. Come here for a great holiday. …

Choosing A Perfectly Quiet Beach In Goa

Published by Dev

Before you read this article, let me tell you that you’re not going to find anything quiet in Goa if you will visit during the peak holiday season of December to February. To have a peaceful holiday in Goa and find a quiet beach, visit during monsoon or during summer (when the weather may just be a little brutal for the masses to flock there). So let’s read ahead… Goa is big. In fact, massive. And depending on which part of the Goa you decided to stay, you pretty much shape your entire Goan experience. You can perceive it as a chilled out ambient heaven or something completely opposite of it. If I were to describe my initial few days in Calangute, North Goa, in one sentence, I’d agree with what lonely planet has written in their guidebook’s cover page “Where the beach meets the bazaar”. But that wouldn’t make any sense, if I think of my last few days at Kakolem Beach, in South Goa. Why not? Because the entire (Kakolem) beach had only one …

Hot Air Ballooning In Goa: What It Feels Like

Published by Dev

After groggily waking up at 5:15 in the morning – before even the birds woke up – I was ready to leave and reach our Hot Air Balloon flight station, some 30 kilometers away from the place where I was staying, at Agonda beach, in South Goa. I’d barely slept the night before because I was so excited. After all, the idea of flying in a basket, led by a 10-meter giant balloon – the first-ever method of flight created by man, was quite a celebration. Flustered and windswept, I reached the location – a long empty ground, almost in the middle of nowhere. I had nearly considered it a bad start of the day, and then my eyes fell on a massive, oval-shaped balloon. I’d never seen a Hot Air Balloon from so close, in my life before – and as I remember, it looked beautiful! Under the safe and knowledgeable direction of Rita, our flying pilot, who has been flying this thing for the past 16 years (yes, you read that correctly, 16 years …

Dreaming Of Goa? Win A Free Stay At One Of The City’s Coolest AirBnb!

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Hello readers! The time of the year has come, once again, when all you want is spend a few romantic evenings by the beaches of Goa. Thanks to the coolest Goan host on Airbnb this is now possible for you (the lucky couple!) to experience, without having a need to pay a penny. What Do You Win? – A two nights complimentary stay for TWO people in a quiet, comfortable villa, located in Dona Paula, Central Goa. (You can use this free stay anytime before 31st March, 2017) – A 24*7 caretaker to help you with anything and everything. – Free Wi-fi in the property, so you can share live updates and make your friends jealous! Okay, let’s add some visuals to the awesomeness of this prize, shall we?  How To Win? It’s pretty easy. There are two simple steps to enter the contest, and then you pray to lady luck. Follow FootlooseDev on Facebook and Instagram. Provide your details below: Email Address * First Name Last Name   Dates to Note! The last date to enter the contest …