Cobblestone Chronicles

Dharamshala, alongside its sister-suburb, Mcleodganj, is perhaps the only place which packs a ton of birr, brought together by the breathtaking Himachal food, local shopping experience, treks, and scintillating mountain-sunrises! So here is a question - which is that one place which has often been known as the foxy concoction of culture, nature, food, and religion? I bet you won’t find many destinations with a blend so unique, with a brew so solitary, and with an identity so sui generis! Dharamshala is indeed the beating heart of Himachal Pradesh - being home to the bewitching cedar forests on the edge of the Himalayas, this city welcomes lost wanderers and excursionists alike, and surprisingly enough, entertains both the demographics.   A typical view from Dharamshala, with the phenomenal snow-clad Dhauladhars in the backdrop I travelled to Dharamshala following my weeklong backpacking respite in Bir-Billing . Having already experienced the hippodrome of nature’s bounty and advent...

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 !...