Dear 2012.

Dear 2012,

Haven’t you come so soon? I am still reveling in my escapades of 2011, marveling at the beauty of our world. 2011 was a good year, you know. I wish it hadn’t ended so soon. But now that you’re here, I dream of flying on your wings to places far away, where snow-topped mountains and their valleys lie untouched, in wait for me. I see myself floating on your seas, in waters so blue, my eyes hurt. Your roads are calling out to me, filled with people whose smiles will keep me warm & whose stories will melt my heart. Oh 2012, you’ve come so soon. Now please tease me with what you might have in store for me.

Nepal & Bhutan, over land.

I hope to cross the India-Nepal border over land through the majesty of the Himalayas, either near Varanasi or Rishikesh, and continue my love affair with Buddhist territories. If luck is on my side, Tibet will be moved off my bucket list too.

Albania, courtesy Mynatour.

Earlier this year, I won a travel blogging contest to spend a week hiking through the Alpine countryside of Albania, thanks to lots of votes & support from my Twitter & Facebook communities. I must repay with lots of travel tweets, updates & pictures!

Backpacking through the Balkan states.

Clubbed with the Albania getaway, I hope to backpack through the Balkan States over the summer. That means applying for over ten visas, but I trust it’ll be worth it.

Andaman Islands

The Andamans have indiscriminately been showing up in my travel readings & conversations, and I’m convinced I must pay their sun-kissed beaches and turquoise blue waters a visit.

Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve

As phase two of my solo adventure in Spiti, I hope to traverse the Himalayas of Uttarakhand in 2012, and spend some me-time in the lap of the Nanda Devi reserve.

India Untravelled

My quest for an India Untravelled shall continue, and evolve into something I’ve always dreamed about, something that warrants a post entirely on its own, so stay tuned. I promise not to disappoint!

Photo credits: Göran (Kartläsarn),  Godo-Godaj, Les Haines, Senorhorst Jahnsen

Mission 2012: Rediscovery of India

This article was originally published on The Hindu.

You have revelled with the crowds on the beaches of Goa, learnt the Golden Triangle route like the back of your hand, photographed the terrain of Leh, experienced royalty in Rajasthan, sailed the backwaters of Kerala, and played with snow in Manali. In the coming year, get off the tourist trail and discover a different side of India.

From Punjab, with love.

This article was originally published in The Hindu.

As a kid, I’ve often heard my grandmother talk about growing up in our native Punjab. I pictured little boys and girls running across big fields, plucking sour fruits and wild flowers, returning home at noon to the aroma of curries made with veggies fresh off the farm and paranthas laden with home-made white butter. I never imagined waking up to these images someday, given how they seemed only to be romanticized in the memories of people I knew.

Size matters.

We Indians are notorious when it comes to packing for a vacation. I remember all the family holidays that started with dragging heavy suitcases out of the house, bargaining with porters at the railway station, asking burly men for a hand to get the luggage up the luggage shelf of the train, and keeping track of all our many belongings. It didn’t matter whether the vacation lasted a weekend or a week; my mom had to pack what she had to pack. I’m glad I didn’t inherit her packing skills… [Read more on Women's Web]

This article was originally published on Women’s Web.

Photo credit: Jhong Dizon.

2011 in Travel: The year that was.

Flipping through my travel archives of 2011, I am overcome with a strange sense of nostalgia. The world suddenly feels as small as that plastic globe you can buy off a children’s store.

I’m strolling on the beaches of Southeast Asia one day, and hiking on the countryside of Europe the next. One minute, I’m warming myself with a gelato in Italy, the next I’m sampling momos in the Himalayan desert of India. I’m going solo, over land and on water, unearthing travel secrets that conceal themselves from a large part of the world.

Spiti: Secrets of the Valley.

This article was originally published on Offbeat Travel.

I’m fascinated as Tenzing describes a mystery mountain close to his hometown in Spiti. He’s my first local friend, and the expert driver who we’ve entrusted with our lives, up the precarious mountain roads from Shimla to Spiti.

On Solo Travel & Indian Women.

This travelogue was originally published on Women’s Web.

“Are you married?” she curiously asks me. I reply in the negative, without bothering to delve into my ‘I don’t need it’ philosophy. When I ask her the same, she excitedly tells me that she can’t wait to, that her family is eagerly looking for a suitable match, and that age has nothing to do with it.

Corbett: Secrets of the Jungle

This post was originally written for & published in the Hindustan Times.

As our jeep manoeuvres through the broken forest trail, a gale of wind blows off the hood of my jacket and whispers in my ear. Suddenly, I’ve forgotten that I’m cold and sleepy at an hour when even the sun is tucked in. I’ve been to Corbett before, but only on a tiger chase. Today, I want to unearth the mysteries of its wilderness.

On the Countryside in Punjab.

Through the thin white barks of Eucalyptus trees, the first rays of sunrise promise to brighten a chilly morning. I walk through a small clearing in the field, amid dark green shrubs dotted with white, and extend my hand towards what look like snow-flakes, only they don’t melt at my touch. If you haven’t yet guessed, I’m strolling amid cotton fields. The seeds have burst, and the cotton is blooming.

Malaysia: 3 Travel Adventures You Don’t Want to Miss.

For the almost half a dozen years that I lived in Southeast Asia, Malaysia was one of those next door neighbors that provided respite with its pristine blue waters, forest-covered expanses and inviting mountain peaks, all under the same roof, and more importantly, all under the same visa.