Homestays in India
There’s a saying in India, “Atithi Devo Bhava“, which means “the guest is God”. Indians consider it a great honor to have guests in their home and go out of their way to pamper and please them. Sadly, most travelers coming to India stay in hotels and never get to experience the true homely ambience of Indian hospitality. But all this is changing now, thanks to growing popularity of homestays in India.
A homestay is similar in concept to that of a bed and breakfast in a family home, …

MTDC toilet at Lonar
This is the state of the common toilet in MTDC resort at Lonar.
Does it look okay to you? Is there something missing?

Such a clean and lovely toilet !
No water or flush tank, forget about the tissues, clean pot or floor.
Worst or best thing that is missing here is a door! When there is no door, you’d be a fool to expect a hook to hang your bag or scarf etc. Right ?
And man, I had to use it more than once! When you have to pee, you …

Jazz Lovers – Gear Up
All this happened, a few months back.
“Preparation for Harare Winter Jazz festival is in full swing” V told me. He also said we might be going there to enjoy Jazz players from all over the world.
I do love music, but this was something else. One does not travel thousands of kilometers to watch people blow their own trumpets.
I asked him the dates and V, in his usual self, said “I don’t know yet but we have time. It is winter festival. Unless, of course, you …

Have you stayed in any out of ordinary, unconventional accommodation? What do you prefer normally when you travel?
Here are a few from my collection.

Hut with thatched roof.

So, I had encounter with nature, courtesy Sajan Nature Club. Situated at a distance of around 100 KMs from Mumbai, this resort is ideal for a weekend getaway, be it a family or a group of grown ups or kids.

Near the office.
Through their website, I had opted for a

Among other things, backpackers often look for budget accommodation. I am also a backpacker and travel on tight budget. However, I am yet to stay in a dormitory … mostly because I need my comfort zone especially when I travel alone. I do not mind shared baths but when it is time to relax or to take a nap after a tiring day, I need a quiet place and some private space to myself.

So, when I was backpacking to Malaysia & Thailand earlier this year, I was always on the …

Travellers have certain amount of vulnerability and uncertainty attached to them. They are not aware of the tricks played by locals and they invariably fall for it.
I was no exception and at times I too fell for certain tricks.
1. Hotels & credit cards – After a tiring bus journey to a new town & after checking 3-4 hotels/guest houses as per my budget I did not have anymore strength or patience. Then I check the last decent place. It has fair tariff, and accepts credit cards as well ! Since …