BEYOND THE OBVIOUS Off-beat things to do in Delhi by Debashree Chatterjee Dotted with ancient monuments, sprawling gardens, magnificent forts and buzzing bazaars (markets), Delhi is stuffed with history and heritage. One can keep discovering it beyond layers and with every layer there is a new surprise, and this is what makes her different. [...]
The gastronomical Gem called Delhi A foodie’s path to ecstasy Eat with Debashree Chatterjee, who tells us her favorite 10 restaurants in Delhi Delhi’s rich and diverse culinary heritage reflects hues of various cultures coming together as a single vibrant mosaic. With many gastronomic traditions – a result of many kingdoms and [...]
Kirgistan: A star at old age Somewhere in the middle of nowhere - in the village of the kyrgyz giant Kozhomkul - while searching for our accomodation, we encounter an old woman who is looking for a ride. We have space in our Jeep, she has the same destination, so we are happy to [...]
TRAVELLING LIKE A BOSS Making Delhi your own by Debashree Chatterjee In a city as big, diverse and vibrant as Delhi, it often feels like the entire populace of the place is travelling at the same time and somehow, everybody is going the same way as you and me. This extremeness of everything makes it [...]
MALL’S THE WORD Walking the branded trail by Debashree Chatterjee When you are in Delhi during the sweltering summers, and want to keep “stepping out” 100% optional (WAIT! what about shopping? that’s 100% compulsory) then the many malls in this vibrant city are sure to play the saviour. Take a break from street-shopping and the [...]
Shop till you drop A bargainer’s diary by Debashree Chatterjee Doesn’t matter if you are a self-confessed shopaholic, or a need-based shopper, or a shopahater (haven’t come across any in my life), . Doesn’t matter what you are looking for, or where you are staying in the megacity, you are sure to come across one [...]
SPILLING THE BEANS A coffee lover’s chronicle by Debashree Chatterjee Doesn’t matter if it’s the morning dose or the evening shot, coffee is the life line for most of us (if not all of us). I am sure you will agree that coffee plays saviour for an office-goer, who is late for the meeting; a [...]
Cafés I like in Bhutan By Ulrike Čokl As an Austrian I appreciate the Viennese “Kaffeehauskultur” (coffee culture). You can spend hours and even a full day in cafés, enjoying various types of coffee, cakes and snacks while reading a good book, jotting down your thoughts and working. I was delighted when the first [...]
Stok Kangri (6,123m) is the most popular mountain in Ladakh. Every year, hundreds of people from all over the world have tried to climb the 6,000er. But that over for now, because from now on further expeditions to the mountain are forbidden until further notice. Why all expeditions to Stok Kangri are closed Stok [...]
Visiting a monastery festival in Ladakh is one of the highlights of their trip for most of the visitors and yes, it is something spectacular and touching to see the colorfully dressed monks dance their stories. Here are the celebrations for 2020. Ladakh: Monastery festivals and other celebrations 2020 Hemis-Festival Spituk Gustor in [...]
Meine letzte Kirgistan-Reise liegt leider schon wieder ein paar Wochen zurück, aber geblieben ist meine Liebe für dieses wunderbare Reich in Zentralasien. Im heutigen Blog erzähle ich dir, wer lieber nicht nach Kirgistan kommen sollte und welche Gründe die ausschlaggebenden sind, warum ich so davon fasziniert bin.
Kirgistan ist unbestritten ein Land mit vielen Gesichtern, mit unterschiedlichsten Klimazonen von schweißtreibend heiß bis bibbernd kalt, weiten grünen Ebenen mit weißen Schafpunkten und Bergen so hoch, dass man die Stratosphäre fast berühren kann, doch Paris und Tibet hätte ich hier trotz allem nicht erwartet. Ich wurde eines Besseren belehrt. Aber so soll es ja auf Reisen auch sein.
When you think of Iran, you often associate with it veiled women and a female image that is not equal to that of men. As a European woman, who wants to travel to Iran, one should deal with a few things in advance. How safe is Iran for women? In general, Iran is considered [...]
When visiting a family home in Bhutan By Ulrike Čokl Ulli has lived in Bhutan on and off for many years. She has conducted ethnographic research on traditional hospitality practices, travelling & gift-exchange in rural communities. Thus she is very familiar with village livelihoods all over the little kingdom. She loves developing unique itineraries that [...]
Ulli's bucket list of the 10 things you have to do / see in Bhutan By Ulrike Čokl Ulli has lived in Bhutan on and off for many years. She has conducted ethnographic research on traditional hospitality practices, travelling & gift-exchange in rural communities. Thus she is very familiar with village livelihoods all over the [...]
By Ulrike Čokl Ulli has lived in Bhutan on and off for many years. She has conducted ethnographic research on traditional hospitality practices, travelling & gift-exchange in rural communities. Thus she is very familiar with village livelihoods all over the little kingdom. She loves developing unique itineraries that offer a glimpse into the rich cultural [...]
Why the East of Bhutan is a “Hidden Gem” for Travelers By Ulrike Čokl Ulli has lived in Bhutan on and off for many years. She has conducted ethnographic research on traditional hospitality practices, travelling & gift-exchange in rural communities. Thus she is very familiar with village livelihoods all over the little kingdom. She loves [...]
Wherever you travel, there are local rules and customs that you should research and know in advance. At least rudimentary. It is not necessary to become an expert in the local culture. But striving for correct behavior is something that should be in the list of priorities when traveling. Of course, small faux pas can [...]
Foreign countries, foreign customs. Whenever you travel, always try to research in advance about the local customs at your destination. This will help you avoid awkward or unpleasant situations, and make friends quickly. Kyrgyzstan is no exception, and it has a few rules worth knowing. Of course, small faux pas and unintentional mistakes can happen, [...]
We proudly present our two new promotional videos showing what our trekking tours in Ladakh looks like. Videos by Patrick Haderer This is trekking in Ladakh When you step out of the plane in Leh, you already are at 3500 m of altitude. That’s no small thing. The plane is (hopefully!) pressurized to [...]
Monastery festivals and buddhist celebrations in Ladakh The dates 2019 Colorful robes, scary masks, unusual musical sounds for western ears, never seen dance steps, these are monastery festivals in Ladakh, where monks in incredible dance performances try to impart stories and philosophies of Tibetan Buddhism. If you feel like it, plan your trip so that [...]
Sain bain-uu? Сайн байна уу? Learning a few words in Mongolian makes it easier for you to get in touch with the people of Mongolia while traveling. Even though the younger Mongolians speak English quite well today and the older generation mostly speak Russian and even some German, you can still make friends faster with [...]
When traveling, you can’t and you shouldn’t try to completely behave as a local, but you should check out the customs and rules of your destination before each trip. This saves you and the locals many uncomfortable moments. The people in Sri Lanka are very friendly and you are always welcome as a traveler, but [...]
To know a few phrases when going to a foreign country is always useful. There are more than just one language that are spoken in Sri Lanka but most of the Srilankan know Sinhala (only in the north where mostly Tamils live it might get tougher with only Sinhala). We think you should know these [...]
Sri Lanka is an ideal destination that you can visit almost all year round. All you have to know is where and when will it be raining, and adjust your trip accordingly. The rain moves from west to east; when the rainclouds sweep the west coast, you should focus on the east of the island, [...]
A trip needs planning, especially when the destination is a remote and exotic country, like for example Sri Lanka. The two most relevant questions are of course: do you need a visa? And do you need special vaccinations? Here you will find the most important information to consider before your trip to the beautiful island [...]
Despite its name, the Ladakhi "Baby trek" is not a trail on which you can see little diaper-wearing babies hiking with miniature backpacks, quenching their thirst by drinking milk from feeding bottles, sitting by cozy streams and talking about the beauty of the Himalayas. But then, how the hell did this popular short trek in [...]
Top 10 Places and activities in Delhi Delhi is huge, noisy, and for many people also a bit scary. But Delhi is more than just the ever-growing and always busy capital of India, constantly threatening with bursting from its seams. Indeed, there are countless charming and exciting facets to discover here: monuments and forts that [...]
We are often asked by our guests whether they should bring small (or sometimes larger) presents with them on their journeys, and if so what would be the best kind of gift. This isn’t a question with a simple answer, so we have written this post to look at the most important aspects. Should [...]
3 changes for the Online-Visa for India The indian government has further liberalised its visa regime aimed at bringing more tourists and business travellers to the country. The new changes came to effect on 1st April 2017. No it is not an april fool ;-) Here are the 3 most important changes regarding the [...]
