Cobblestone Chronicles

View of the snow-capped Dhauladhar ranges from Billing. You would be surprised by the vast number of clandestine suburbs Himachal Pradesh is an abode to. While places like Kutla , Barot, and Bhunbuni are few where natural bounties are copious, there are also few destinations in the ‘dev bhoomi (Land of God)’ of India where the mountains kiss the sky, which are meant to fly, and I mean that quite literally! Tucked away in the valleys of Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, are the hamlets of Bir and Billing; and even with a treacherous mountainous roadway of 14 kilometre between them, these towns are almost always referred to as one, and for a good reason too! Back in 2015, Bir-Billing witnessed the International Paragliding World Cup. Ever since, these towns have attracted colossal crowds. However, Bir-Billing are more than just paragliding destinations; for me, I will often remember this place as the home to some of the most serene locales – some poised and placid meadows, a multit...

Hong Kong is a concoction of contrasts - it is home to a skyline that is a vertical exhibit of glass and steel skyscrapers graced in a spectrum of neon lights, and yet retains the chaste culture of a city silhouetted against the quiet, serene, nonchalant hilltops! Not many cities in the world project the symbiosis of exquisite disparities. Hong Kong, however, is a city where dreams, differences and deftness are conflated. It is a perfect congregation of the Eastern and Western cultures, a place which is equally known for its natural beauty as much as for its towering skyline, a city known for its classical, yet contemporary culture!  Even with all the infrastructural notoriety, Hong Kong hasn’t atoned its soul. Till date, it remains one of the most distinctively creative hubs around the world, a showcase of diversity - an esplanade decorated by artists, chefs, entrepreneurs and designers alike; a city known for off-beat hikes and some assorted old-school experiences !...

There is a place in Central India where the sky meets the holly woodland. For when the sun begins to head home, hues of orange and yellow stretch far and wide. A blanket of clouds fill them in and a few moments later or so, the once cyanic sky turns into a never-ending canvas, right from the painter’s palette like an abstract splattered above the scenic plains. Though I’d tell you that there are several places in Central India that make for a unique and fulfilling holiday if wildlife or birding is something you’re fond of, the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve is one my favourite places when it comes to wildlife. Now, I’ve travelled to Bandhavgarh only once but, the memory of that particular trip is etched in my mind in a way that I can almost visualize every sighting I had on the six safaris that I undertook there and given a chance, I’d travel to this pristine land any day. Bandhavgarh was an experience like never before.  A deeply desired tourism destination by many, Bandha...