Year: 2018

From Top Travel Destinations To Top Learnings: This Is My 2018 In A Flashback

Published by Dev

To be honest, 2018 has been the most productive year for me since I’ve started travel blogging. It has provided me with opportunities and took me to places that I thought I won’t come across so soon in life, at least not within the initial three years of my blogging stint. I mean I remember when I got a call from India’s Ministry of Tourism — the office of Incredible India — that I’ve been selected as one of the only four Indian travel bloggers (and with it, the first few ones they’ve ever worked with) to experience and talk about a 7 day luxury train ride in India The Golden Chariot, I couldn’t believe myself. And then, just next month, Germany Tourism invited me as their India Travel Influencer for the second time, because they loved my work, and despite already been to Germany twice and having a dozen blog posts on Germany on my blog, they still wanted me to write a few more. And that wasn’t all, there were other highlights in store …

Top Solo Travel Destinations For Indians

Published by Dev

Solo travelling is certainly more mentally tormenting than travelling in a group. As a solo traveller, we are more inclined to visit destinations we have already visited before or the ones that, at least, qualify the list of “most solo travel-friendly destinations around the world”. For me, for example, if I am travelling to a new place, and I am travelling alone, a place tends to stifle my solo adventure spirit if I find a few backpacker hostels there. Because hostels not only help me save money on accommodation (as paying for a double-bed room without having someone to share the cost with, is a lost deal) but it also assures that I will find few fellow-travellers and double the fun. Other factors that encourage me to travel solo to a new destination, includes… A good public transport system, because paying for the entire taxi is painful and drains out my budget as a solo traveller. A friendly local community, with local people speaking a little English. Plenty to do alone, on a budget. A general …

Fojal Valley: Exploring The Unexplored Himachal Pradesh

Published by Dev

From its placement and appearance, the town of Fojal certainly looked like a place where tourists would want to spend a few relaxing nights, avoiding the crowded Kullu-Manali trail in Himachal Pradesh. And then, Fojal is a popular paragliding site in the entire Manali region. Yet there were no guesthouses, for I was searching for one for over two hours now. Those who visit Fojal Valley, do only a day trip, try paragliding, and head back to where they came from. So yea, after wandering confusingly and pleading a few random locals for a bed, when I had almost lost the will and decided to head back to Manali, my eyes beheld a sight totally unworldly. The shining snowcapped mountains were appearing golden at a distance. A few local Himachali houses were moreover adding to the charm. For a moment it felt as if I have time-transported myself into the golden age of 70s or 80s when people shared more green space around them, than concrete; when the chirping of birds echoed all day, from afar; …

Travel Tips For Long Term Traveling

Published by Dev

Since I’ve quit my corporate career in 2015 and became a full-time nomad, I’ve learned that long-term traveling has its own challenges. It is something very different from short weekend trips. When you’re on the road for months, you’ve to think and act differently. From packing travel essentials to maintaining a daily personal routine to keeping a hold of your budget, long-term travel is a different deal altogether. I mean I remember when, before becoming a full-time traveler, my weekend holidays had only one agenda: to relax, unwind, and not care about a thing. I would pack anything (always more than I wanted); spend money (on food and accommodation) carelessly, and plan more than what was necessary. So yea, where long-term travel offers amazing life experience, it does come with its own set of challenges, and these tips will help you maintain your new nomadic lifestyle and avoid chucking it all in after a few weeks. Pack Light When you are planning to stay on road for months, the most important thing to keep in …

How People Get Paid To Travel: Understanding The Term TRAVEL INFLUENCER

Published by Dev

So every time someone comes across my Instagram profile and find me traveling around the world, they ask the same inevitable question: how do I sustain this lifestyle if I don’t have a job. “Do you get paid to travel?” they would ask. And when I tell them that I do (get paid to travel) because brands hire people like me — the so-called travel influencers of the digital age — to promote their services and destinations on our channels, they sound even more confused. “What is this term travel influencer, what does it even mean? Why would a brand hire you to promote them” and a few other relating questions that come next, almost effortlessly. It happened to me recently that I was contacted by a medical student asking me for a way to have a quick escape in her life. She wanted to travel around the world and needed a way out. And as I started explaining things, and with that, using some technical jargon, I figured that I was only confusing her more. …

How Sivananda Ashram, In Rishikesh, Changed Me

Published by Dev

It has been three years since the events that are described here took place. Three years since I was a student at Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy in Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh, learning about a divine lifestyle and how not be affected by little ups and downs in life, and yet I never mentioned anything about the place here. It is not that over the years I’ve lost touch with Sivananda Ashram (I think I’ve visited Rishikesh and stayed in the Ashram more times in the previous three years than any other place in the world) or that I didn’t want to talk about it; but the fact that I never found a compelling reason, was the reason. Sivananda Ashram, for me, is like a second home, a place that has nourished my roots and made me what I am today. And just like you don’t feel a need to write about your home and make it public to the world, I never felt it important to be writing about Sivananda Ashram either. But this time, as …

Hong Kong: In Pictures

Published by Dev

When it comes to photography and pictures, Hong Kong can never disappoint. I mean you just Google search for Hong Kong Pictures and you will get the idea: there is just no end to scrolling down. From one of the world’s most congested concrete jungles to green spaces to an interesting street life, Hong Kong has everything a photographer may need. During my blog trip with Cathay Pacific Airlines, I ended up exploring Hong Kong for a few days, on my own, and never did I feel a desire to make friends or look for a company. The streets of Hong Kong and my camera were enough as companions. Also Read: My Suggested Hong Kong Travel Itinerary So out of a few days of directionless wandering, and an effort to capture Hong Kong and its essence in my lens, this is what I’ve produced. This is… Hong Kong, In Pictures Hong Kong, as a city is quite strategically located, with a cram-full of skyscrapers in the middle surrounded by lush green hills. Standing on top …

Why India’s Blue City Jodhpur Couldn’t Intrigue Me

Published by Dev

Before you read ahead, please note that everything that’s written below about ‘Jodhpur not being able to impress or intrigue me’ is solely personal. I am sure there are people out there who loved Jodhpur but from the eyes of an Indian backpacker belonging to Delhi, who, more than anything, wanted Jodhpur to be something more than a confusing and muddled Indian neighborhood (as he grew up watching one in Delhi, every day) this is how Jodhpur appeared! As I alight at Jodhpur railway station, I was greeted by a confusing mob of a few hundred people — with some looking pretty familiar to the town, while others, seemingly hopeless and confusing as a  tourist, in a new city, would be. And I was no different either. As I exited the station, I got into the usual gamut of rejecting the constant soliciting of ‘Sir Auto’, ‘Sir Hotel’ requests until I walked a few steps away from anyone who could slyly put their touting Hat on me. Crowded, dusty and defiled, as Jodhpur appeared in the …

How To Spend Two Days In Jakarta: An Ideal Itinerary

Published by Dev

Visiting Jakarta, in Indonesia, for a short time of only two days? This ideal two-day travel itinerary will help you plan your holiday better and get the most out of your 48 hours in Jakarta. When it comes to the popular tourist destinations in Indonesia, Jakarta, despite being the capital city, holds no place — not even among the top 5 destinations in the country. But with most international flights (particularly the budget connecting ones) first landing at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport, many people, before making it to their original destination of Bali or someplace else, end up in Jakarta. And since their original plan had no time for Jakarta, they only often stay for a day or a maximum of 48 hours. During my recent blog trip with Indonesia Tourism, I also ended up exploring Jakarta for just a few quick days. And as I did, I realized that Jakarta was actually a very beautiful place and had much more to offer than what most people expect — a bustling metropolis. It had theme parks, temples, shopping …

Why I Loved Indonesia

Published by Dev

There are some places in the world that, almost voluntarily, and perhaps a little forcefully too, make you develop a sudden liking towards them. It may be because of the natural beauty of the place, the food you had there or something else. For me, for example, it’s always the people. If I feel that warmth in local people and connect to the community in a way I do back home, I know that I can love the place. This is the reason why I have always adored the Himalayas. And this is why I loved Indonesia too. But that’s not the only reason why I loved Indonesia, or why I decided to write this article at first place. Indonesia, as I explored during my few days of stay in Jakarta, has much more to offer than an overdose of warmth in its people. It has world-class beaches, mountains, colorful metropolis, tantalizing food, amazingly friendly people and a promising digital-nomad scene (yes, I am talking about Bali!). Whether you’re a traveler or a fancy holidayer, if …