Trip reports

Kumaon, Oct 2014

Upper Kumaon is well known for adventure sports. The lake district is another well-known destination for "family" tourism. We mainly targeted the area in between, which is haunted by those who, like us, are interested in leisurely walks with binoculars and cameras. The whole of the Kumaon from above Naini Tal to below Kausani is their playing ground. Read more ...

Tadoba, May 2013

We arrived in Tadoba at the tail end of a heat wave, with daytime temperatures going up to 48 Celcius. A large part of this reserve forest consists of bamboo, interspersed with teak, tendu and mahua. May is after the flowering of the mahua and the flame-of-the-forest, so these red flowers were gone, but the brilliant yellow amaltas was in bloom. Tadoba is currently overcrowded with tigers, and it is possible to sight around six different tigers in each trip. Read more ...

Gwalior, Dec 2012

In Dec 2012, Gwalior was cold and foggy, flights were delayed, and the sun would burn through the fog at around noon. Gwalior is small, but like the rest of Madhya Pradesh, has great things to see: the fort and its temples, the circular hillside temple of Mitawali, the superb little temple in Padawali, and the Bateshwar complex next to it. Orchha is within reach. The infamous Chambal river is within an hour's drive, with spectacular sightings of wild dolphins, gharials, alligators and a large number of winter birds. Read more ...

Tripura, May 2012

In May 2012, Tripura was hot and humid, only relieved by the occasional thunderstorm. We were told that the best time to visit Tripura is October-January. The lush jungles and the five century old historical monuments make Tripura a wonderful place to visit. Insurgencies of a decade ago have faded in recent years, and Tripura is now safe to travel in. Read more ...

Kanha National Park, May 2005

The clouds were piling up when we entered Kanha national park. The air was already cooler than the morning. We went first to the spot where the last couple of days a tiger had guarded its kill— a large Gaur. The stench was strong, but the meadow was full of grazing Chital. Clearly no tiger here anymore. Read the pdf ...