While on a trip to visit family in Pune, happened to come across Cartist – a creative automobile art festival and roadshow. So, these car and art lovers are on a road journey across India showcasing the work of talented artists. The festival provides a platform, encourages and promotes the artists, art students and creative individuals. You can read more about them on their website.
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It was a good day for a walk in the city. The day was clear and not too hot, and since I wasn’t doing anything significant (apart from lazing around on a Sunday afternoon) I decided to stroll off to the Flower Show happening in Bangalore. Every year, on the occasion of Independence Day, Lalbagh hosts a flower show. This year the garden city is celebrating the 206th flower show and it’s dedicated to the great Rashtra Kavi (national poet) Kuppali Vekatappa Puttapa who is fondly called as Kuvempu.
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The nonchalant rains made the drive on the private roads through the tea estates of Wayanad slightly bumpy and rough. Had it not been the wee hours of the day, the lush tea estates would have proved to be a pleasant distraction. We were in Wayanad to see ‘Splash’ – a Monsoon Carnival organized by Kerala Tourism and Wayanad Tourism Organization. This week long Monsoon Carnival includes fun and exciting rain games and sports like mud football, volley ball, off-roading jeep rallies, marathon, and more. There was so much excitement and enthusiasm in the air as the vibrant town relishes the rains.
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The best part about traversing the unpopular trails has its share of unbiased fun and the power to enjoy at your own discretion. The Nagalapuram forest trek is one such fairly uncommon, 1-day trek in the Eastern Ghats. Even at a moderate pace and stops to refill bottles or clicking photos, one can complete the ascent in about 3-4 hours. More often than not trekkers descend and camp at the base. The Nagala hill with their rocky faces and beautifully sliced gorges have levels of hills – the easiest peak being approx. 650 meter high. The trail can be trekked in several ways, by crossing the range from East to West or vice-versa, or trekking to and fro from the eastern/western side.
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This article was originally published on B-Change
A book, a movie or simply for the sweet sake of wandering, whatever may have inspired you to plan your first trek – go for it! It’s never too late to start anything that has been on your mind for long. However, to do something you’ve never done before and because trekking in the mountains is way different from a leisure stroll, you need a fair amount of groundwork. Inadequate preparations and half-baked knowledge can turn a great experience into an unpleasant one.
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“The mother turtle never meets her babies, and so she takes the utmost care to protect the eggs as she leaves them in mother nature’s lap”, Mohan – my host spoke, as we sipped on the ginger tea. Since my arrival the previous evening, he had shared many interesting facts about the sea turtles. The dawn was breaking, but it would still be some time before the first ray of sun entered this densely covered, remote village; tucked away amidst the Sahyadri mountain range in coastal Maharashtra.
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Each place has its own charm and although I don’t compare one place to another, I couldn’t help but notice how similar Gokarna is to Goa, and yet how different it is. Gokarna trip was a quick weekend getaway to beat the heat and experience the new Zostel backpackers’ hostel.
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From snow clad, to stark, to lush green, there’s a myriad of trek trails in India for anyone who is an adrenaline junkie. The mystic mountains of Himalayas in India that are an exotic beauty, have always attracted adventurers and trekkers from around the globe. Trekking in the Himalayas has so much to offer and the experience is sure to stay for life.
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“Phoolon ki Ghati” the board read, meaning “Valley of Flowers”. A mountain stood tall behind it with its peak buried in the wispy clouds. The mist moved about slowly with an aim to embrace everything in its path.
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Splash! A leap of faith taken! The surface closing overhead, you are sinking in slowly. Buoyancy is working its science but the weights on you help you descend into the colorless waters. You hear the sound of your breath and your heartbeat regulates with the rhythm of the quiet waters. Tranquility takes over and everything becomes still, even the chaotic thoughts go hush. Absolute peace pervades as you glide weightlessly in the vibrant underwater realm.
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Sitting in a sparsely crowded bus station at 5 a.m. and sipping hot tea, I looked around. A few curious faces stared back at me. I was waiting for the daybreak. A sudden plan & I had packed my backpack, journeyed overnight and landed in a new place at the wee hours. And so here I was, waiting for the sunrise to take over the hostile darkness. In about an hour or so, there was light & we strutted in the small town to lookout for a place to stay. After checking some places (read negotiating the tariff) we finally dumped our luggage in an okay-ish room (clean+affordable is always a thumbs up for me).
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I woke up to the announcement saying, “ladies and gentlemen we will be landing shortly…”. I sat up groggily rubbing my eyes, “…please make sure your seats backs and tray tables are in upright position…”. I straightened up and followed the pilot’s instructions. I checked time in my wristwatch and yawned lazily only to get glared by my co-passenger. To avert the scowl and to hide my embarrassment, I looked out of the window. But I almost jumped and shouted excitedly in my seat – outside the little window, I could see a blue paradise! Below the fluffy clouds, in the middle of an emerald and turquoise sea was the little paradise land of the Andaman Isles!
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I was excited for my first international beach vacation with my girl pals. My passport was to get its first ever visa stamped in and I was super excited. We were going to Thailand. My friends and I were to fly in to Bangkok from our respective cities from where the vacay would begin.
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Traveling is exciting and packing bags is like a countdown – excitement building up every minute. As a kid I have seen Papa pack bags with perfection and I am glad I’ve inherited some of his skills. I have always been praised for my ‘only-one-light-backpack’ travel style even for longer trips and it just keeps getting better with time. So if you’re not a light traveler yet, fret not, you’ll be there soon. I am listing some packing tips that help me a lot; these especially come from my holidays/backpacking trips.
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Lake of moon: Chandratal/Chandertall
The cold mountain winds were blowing and making it difficult for me to walk anymore on the rough trek path towards the lake of moon – Chandratal, situated at an altitude of 14100 ft (4300 meters, approx.). Halfway through, Tenzin – our local friend and guide had slowed down his pace to match up with mine.
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