holiday - Supriya Sehgal

Delhi to Naggar: Mountain Lullaby

Daydreaming comes naturally as I sit on the terrace café of my hotel in Naggar, a small town in Himachal Pradesh that borders Manali. The morning light is perfect—I don’t have to squint to keep the sun out. I prop my feet up on a wooden bench and dig into a bowl of home-made crunchy […]

Delhi To Jayalgarh: Skirting The Alaknanda

A rock track blaring on the music system, incessant grumbling for a cup of tea and a holler for a temple stop for good luck miraculously synthesized into a soothing hum once the entire family had wiggled into comfortable zones, both in the car and in their heads. It was a rare occasion—three generations of […]

More Than Just Beaches

I was the youngest of six playmates in a large house with two sprawling gardens, a busy mango, plum and guava orchard and a sticky floored cowshed. A large patch of veggies was covered with grape vines for the much needed shady breaks in the bright Dehradun summer sun. There was always a large bushy […]

Planter’s Punch

You can meet G.A. Carver Marsh on the 32nd hairpin bend while climbing the Upper Parlai of Anaimalai Hills and throw in a gratuitous wave at his statue for an excellent holiday that you are about to have!

Temple Trips South India

Temple Trips South India: One of the most exciting books to research, the temples in Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh threw up the most intriguing legends and fascinating rituals. It was well worth my time to meander through snaking long queues to get a peek into the many sanctums. Armed with very little spiritual inclination […]

Beach Escapes

Beach Escapes: India’s coastline covers more than 7500 kms. I was fortunate to travel along Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and contribute to the some of the beach escapes to the Lonely Planet Guidebook by the same name. Escape to a beach if you like the sun and sea breeze, fresh seafood, and your […]

A Dutch Touch To Galle

Villa Templeberg Built over 150 years ago, this Dutch colonial manor house is surrounded by a coconut plantation and is frequented by travellers and the winner of the hotel’s annual writing residency programme. it is a wonder that any work or sightseeing gets done when surrounded by the temptations of a massage room and rooftop […]

The Middle Land

As I deliberately slowed down the pace of my tea to absorb, the young lama’s story of joining the monastery, I could not help but graze my memory for having a better backdrop to a conversation in a long time. I was sitting at the edge of the Komic monastery with my new friend, more […]