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Seven reasons to visit Hornbill Festival
I was at the Hornbill Festival for just two of its 10 days. Yet, I found enough reasons to fall in love with it and want to return.
The northeast Indian state of Nagaland is known as the land of festivals with all its tribes enthusiastically celebrating their own festivals. To encourage inter-tribal interaction and promote the cultural heritage of the state, the Nagaland government organises the Hornbill Festival every year in the first week of December. Continue reading Seven reasons to visit Hornbill Festival
The importance of a local contact
I have written earlier about the importance of a local contact when you are travelling.
Much more than helping you reduce costs in a number of ways – right from hosting you to giving you tips about budget travel locally – such a contact helps you have a very personalised experience of the place you are visiting. Continue reading The importance of a local contact
Five things a budget traveller should be
Budget travellers not only balance the books, but also their outlook. The savings account needs to shape up, but so does one’s attitude. If you’ve always admired those who can pull it off, but were not sure how, here’s a ready reckoner. The entry into this merrily growing club isn’t exclusive, the keys lie within each of us.
Here are five essential personality traits of a budget traveller. Continue reading Five things a budget traveller should be
How I dug out cheap air tickets
Flying and sleeping eat up the major part of any travel budget. Consequently, if you can check these costs, it’s possible to bring down the cost of your travel cost by a considerable amount.
I have earlier written on how to find cheap flights. In this post, I will share with you two examples of how a little bit of digging around saved me several thousand rupees. Continue reading How I dug out cheap air tickets
Greetings: Kiss, hug or shake hands?
I was quite surprised the first time I saw two grown men greeting each other with loud kisses on the cheek on a pavement in the university area of Paris.
I had the idea that in the West, when two men exchanged greetings, they shook hands, a man and a woman greeted each other by kissing both cheeks of the other person and girls just hugged each other. So, I decided to ask my French friend Géraud about it. Continue reading Greetings: Kiss, hug or shake hands?
10 things you should always pack
When on a trip, have you had that oops-I-forgot-to-pack-that feeling?
I used to have that quite frequently and learning from my mistakes, I started making a packing list before trips. I start the list quite a few days before the trip and keep on adding to it as I remember stuff over the following days. That way, I am less likely to forget something.
With time, I’ve become quite the expert and I pack light but right! Continue reading 10 things you should always pack
Ten reasons to visit Pushkar Camel Fair
Rajasthan usually forms an integral part of the itineraries of most travellers visiting India. With its vibrant culture, grand palaces and forts and breathtaking sand dunes, it deserves every bit of the attention it gets.
But the one event that attracts the largest number of visitors to this desert state is Pushkar Camel Fair, which takes place over five days during October-November on the banks of the Pushkar Lake. Continue reading Ten reasons to visit Pushkar Camel Fair
Why travel insurance is important
To those who did not buy travel insurance before your last trip, had an awesome time exploring new places, and came back with great experiences, I will tell you this — you may not be so lucky next time.
I am no pessimist or sadist, just a practical person. Make no mistake, travel insurance should be on the top of your to-do things before any trip to a foreign country.
Schengen visa guide for Indians
Germany has recently outsourced its visa application cell to VFS, which handles the visa process of several other countries, and it appears, the process has become simpler and faster.
I spoke to my friend Piyush, who has just returned from a terrific trip to East Europe, on the visa process. Continue reading Schengen visa guide for Indians
Murshidabad: Your date with history
Before the British came to power, Murshidabad was the capital of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. This town, about 200km from Kolkata, is bursting with history.
The best way to go around is to hire a tanga (horse-drawn carriage) or a cycle-van. Continue reading Murshidabad: Your date with history
Why you should be on Couchsurfing
Are you on Couchsurfing? No? Then, you are definitely missing out as a traveller.
Let me give you a brief introduction on what’s it all about. A stays in Mumbai and B stays in London. When A visits London, she sleeps on B’s couch. If B has some free time, she hangs out with A and possibly shows her a glimpse of the life of the local people. A does the same when B visits Mumbai. No money is involved. Continue reading Why you should be on Couchsurfing
Don’t stress over elusive airfare deals
Over the past few months, several Indian airlines have been advertising incredibly low air ticket offers in phases.
Interestingly, when many people landed on the booking pages of these airlines, they either did not find those advertised fares or found a “Sold out” sticker on those fares. In some cases, users could not even access the website concerned during the sale period. Continue reading Don’t stress over elusive airfare deals