Monday 31 December 2018

2018 Travel Calendar


2018 was the year of mini breaks: trips lasting one to three days. Low on budget and time, I found myself having to choose between no trips and micro trips. For somebody who finds 2-week trips short, I surprisingly enjoyed these bite-sized escapades. Throw in the fact that all these trips were very last minute, and improvised on the go, and it rings true that travel does teach you a lot about yourself; I never imagined travelling in a “chaotic” manner, and yet I did.

2019 is luring me with a lot of promises. I’m ready to move on from my brief romance with brief trips, but nonetheless, happy at having learnt about new ways to keep my travel spark burning.                                                                                                                                                                            
Kabini
This old favourite never disappoints, easily leaving me refreshed in just a few hours. I didn’t even have to wait until I reached Kabini for the excitement to set in…just packing my jungle clothes for the trip melted those blues like nothing else. Add in some safaris with knowledgeable naturalists, the tranquillity of the forest, and a quick digital detox, and I returned ready to dive back into routine.



Tranquebar
On my wish-list for over a decade. Finally, plans fall into place. A cyclone threat looms large. My car breaks down. I almost return home. Decide to go ahead without my car. The cyclone passes, but not before giving Tranquebar a good wash. I traipse around town with my umbrella, in the rain. Enough said.

It’s hard to believe that I had a great time in spite of all this, but that’s the charm of Tranquebar.



Mumbai
Visiting home in December—the season that’s as cold as Mumbai can ever get—I capitalised on the good weather to go on rambles and guided walks in South Bombay, or “town”, as we call it. Of course, taking the hubby to discover more Irani Cafes was on the menu, as was the hunt for the best Undhiyu, a Gujarati winter speciality that’s my favourite. We ended up deviating for some butter chicken along the way, but the fragrance of Undhiyu finally led us to culinary heaven.



Chennai
A reluctant visit to attend a family function turned into the perfect way to sign off 2018. I am slowly discovering fun and exciting facets of Chennai, and a guided walk around traditional Mylapore kick-started my first staycation. Shocking relatives by checking into a hotel instead of staying with them was just the beginning of an exciting weekend. After a room upgrade in a heritage hotel, some truly fabulous food, attentive and personalised service, and lots of ‘nothing time’, I understood why staycations have been gaining popularity.




Monday 23 April 2018

Workshop: An Introduction to Travel Writing



Collaborations are always exciting! Which is why, an offer to create and conduct a travel writing workshop for WEVID, whose workshops aim at addressing the evolving demands of the design industry, was too tempting to pass up.

The widespread popularity of travel has created an enormous platform for swapping stories. Images and words are powerful tools to share your travel experiences with family and friends. The sheer number of travel blogs has also meant that stories get easily lost in the crowd. This workshop offers an introduction to travel writing to those who want their storytelling to stand out, and will help participants write well-crafted and engaging stories that go beyond being just another trip report or blog post. In the age of Instagram and hashtags, long-form writing that sustains interest is challenging. This program aims to fill that gap.

Date      : 06 May, 2018 [Sunday]
Timing   : 9 am to 5 pm
Venue    : Innov8 Coworking, Koramangala, Bengaluru
Open to : Any individual interested in travel writing (18 years and above)

Workshop curator & facilitator: 
Raji Sunderkrishnan (architect, writer, editor & photographer)

For registrations, please follow this link: https://goo.gl/forms/RhVJnRc6u4M7D2243 

More details at: www.wevid.in/nb