Cobblestone Chronicles

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...

Spending three nights and four days in a jungle is no doubt fun, relaxing, interesting and there’s absolutely nothing you’d need to worry about! With cozily nestled resorts that offer you everything you need while on a holiday to their humble staff and jeeps rights at the doorstep, a safari getaway is simply the best you can make of your trip. But, if you’re the kind of person who often looks for a mix of adventure and mystery in every trip, Nagzira is the place for you! The abode of leopards they call it; the Navegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve, unlike other national parks, surprises you with an experience that is raw and unsullied in its own way. A vital forest, linking central and southern areas of forests such as Kanha, Tadoba and others, this forest is uniquely named ‘Naag’ after a snake temple situated in the middle of the forest and ‘Zira’ which means a ‘source of water’ that comes from a hill in the place. Interesting, isn’t it? In the day, the paths tell a differ...

You won’t believe me at first when I say, we’ve known the mystic land of Pench ever since we were little kids. We loved every bit of how fiction and reality interlaced, weaving an age old story of the adventurous little Mowgli and his wild friends who found comfort in the wilderness, swayed from branches all day, fought the mighty Shere Khan and went after the Red Flower! Take a peek into your childhood days when watching the venturesome Mowgli on TV made you smile. I remember how diligently I never missed an episode! In the cartoon, Mowgli’s home was the astounding forest of Pench, a place that inspired Rudyard Kipling to pen down one of the most loved and appreciated work of children’s literature; The Jungle Book. I almost instantly fell in love with this jungle on my very first safari, understanding why Kipling had decided upon this very forest as the setting for his story. Nestled in the Chhindwara and Seoni districts of Madhya Pradesh, Pench National Park g...

Cape Town From being a strategic port for the Dutch and then the British in the past, to being the driver of South Africa’s tourism industry and being of great importance to the country’s working economy, nestled between the South Atlantic Ocean and the gigantic Table Mountain lies the versatile city of Cape Town. Cape Town is a kaleidoscope of shifting emotions and cultures. The road along the Atlantic coast slowly but surely transitions from the relatively relaxed beaches to the turbulently busy waterfront area as one gradually enters the city centre. The beauty of Cape Town truly lies within its diversity, from the sprawling beaches of Clifton and Tableview to name a few, to the macabre vibe of Robben Island’s old prison that once held South Africa’s greatest icon in Nelson Mandela, the long-stretching vineyards on the Cape Peninsula and the amalgamation of British, Dutch and South African cultures. Despite the change in scenery associated with different parts of the c...