2013 Travel Calendar

The irony of 2013 – I always imagined that being self-employed would give me a lot of time to travel, but, reality was that it left me with neither time nor money. In a flash of brilliance, I planned a few trips around a timeshare membership which had been lying unused for aeons. This was my saviour for the year, as it allowed me to enjoy a few vacations without pinching my pocket.  

The other defining characteristics of this year’s holidays - most were road-trips, some were work-related travel and one was so spontaneous that I’m still surprised I went. My trusty 9-year old car was a constant companion for more than 35 days on the road this year.  

I can’t be sure what the rest of 2014 has in store for me, but, I’m beginning the new year with a much-awaited trip; yet another road-trip. From being a paranoid road-traveller, I’m discovering how having the right company on a road-trip can make it my favourite way of travelling; hands-down.

Karnataka & Goa road-trip

18 days and 2300 kms - I enjoyed my first-ever road-trip so much that it set the tone for the other holidays this year. Restricting my travel to a section of coastal and North-west Karnataka, 18 days gave me enough time to soak-in the flavour of the region. Of course, with Goa being just a hop-skip-jump away, we couldn’t resist a few days in South Goa before returning to Karnataka. 

A sneak peek at my myriad experiences in Karnataka, which I now call home:

http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2013/02/january-on-wheels.html

Other stories from this trip:

http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2014/05/juggling-identities.html

http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2014/11/kambala-race-of-titans.html

For planning your trip, read the trip log here:

http://nomadandabag-guides.blogspot.com/2014/04/karnataka-road-trip-trip-log.html

Bhadra

I’d visited Bhadra for the first time as a part of my Karnataka road-trip. When some work took me back there, I was only too happy to go. Though working meant that I could not go on any safaris, I enjoyed every minute of spending time by the water, surrounded by the raucous calls of hundreds of River Terns nesting and hatching. 

Read about Bhadra here:   

http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2013/10/bhadra-still-water-still-mind.html

Chasing the monsoon

A friend was on assignment in South Kerala, awaiting the onset of the South-west monsoon. One particularly tedious day at work, the photographs she kept sharing with a bunch of us led to furious planning during the lunch break. Tatkal tickets and a quickly-packed bag of monsoon gear in hand, two of us set off to join her, without a return ticket; the most whimsical I’ve ever been. The next five days were spent chasing the monsoon; rather, chasing the chaser of the monsoon. This impromptu trip has given me one of my most memorable experiences - watching the monsoon wall move towards land whilst standing on a deserted fishing beach, soon being smacked on the face by piercing rain and uninhibitedly jumping and screaming in the ensuing storm, soaked to the gills. 

Read about some of my other monsoon experiences: 
http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2013/09/under-my-umbrella.html

Kerala road-trip

I returned to Kerala towards the end of the monsoon. This time, the trip revolved around a long-standing desire to see the famous snake-boat races of Kerala. We drove long-distance from Bangalore, through Cherai, Alleppey, Kumarakom and Thekkady, for 11 days. Disappointingly, the organisation of the Nehru Trophy boat race left much to be desired, though the sheer muscle power of the rowers kept me spellbound.  I also discovered that Thekkady is no longer the pristine, quiet forest it used to be, in my memory from 15 years ago. However, the night trek through the Periyar Tiger Reserve despite a sprained foot, a gravity-defying Kalaripayattu performance and emerald monsoon vistas made the trip worthwhile.

Bandipur

Two back-to-back trips to Bandipur on work gave me the opportunity to spend time in a forest I hadn’t visited that often before. The proliferation of Lantana and Parthenium has reduced the visibility of the forest floor, but, birds, plants and insects gave me more than enough to focus on.

Hogenakkal Falls

‘Niagara of the east’ or ‘smoky rock’ – whatever you choose to call Hogenakkal Falls, it does make for an enjoyable day trip from Bangalore. The river Cauvery winds her way across the two states fighting over her, creating a spectacular cascade on each side. The ‘Karnataka falls’, the ‘Tamil Nadu falls’, coracle rides through picturesque gorges connecting them, oil massages by the water and fresh, fried fish sold by enterprising vendors – Hogenakkal has options to keep everybody happy.

The 'Karnataka Falls'

Thadiyandamol, Coorg

Coorg’s highest peak deserves its own special trip. And, no amount of time will suffice. Four days spent on and around Thadiyandamol revealed the profusion of life it supports – birds, reptiles, fungi, flora and other fauna. It also made us very aware of every joint and muscle we possessed, the sad fallout of sedentary city life. But, to share the pain, to hobble around together, to make exciting discoveries at every turn, to pluck leeches off ourselves each evening, and to lounge around with coffee and snacks after a very exhausting day, were a bunch of friends.  It made for a very memorable birthday. 

Kurinji, Sholas and a dragonfly, at Thadiyandamol

Read about my Thadiyandamol trek, here:

http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2015/08/thadiyandamol-trek-ground-beneath-my.html

Read about other trips to Coorg:

http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-river-runs-through-it.html 

http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2012/01/coorg.html

2012 Travel Calendar

On the heels of travel-filled 2011, this year was a mixed bag. I kept up with the previous year's momentum in the first half of 2012. As the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end"; so did my carefree travelling.

I ended my 15-month sabbatical in June, and, having had to set up my independent work, I've not been able to travel since. Before you wonder how my calendar looks full without travelling, I want to clarify that it wasn't as much travelling as I'd like; I did manage to sneak in a few trips, though. Writing, unfortunately, took a huge back-seat. Day-dreaming about my sparse trips kept me going.

As 2012 draws to a close, I hope the next year brings more new experiences everybody’s way, more new friends and more places to fall for. And, I hope to get back to writing my stories, which I've so missed. Here’s where 2012 saw me:

Chikmagalur

The mystic Baba Budan certainly chose well, when he decided to plant coffee here. Hill-dappled & cool Chikmagalur has perfect weather to grow coffee in and grow lazy in. When the weather proposes, why dispose? I suitably lolled about, in an estate aptly called 'Linger'. I walked through the estate, spotted birds, trekked and enjoyed the local cuisine. For those not inclined to laze, Chikmagalur is surrounded by dense forests, trekking routes and pilgrimage spots.

BR Hills

With trees flowering in full bloom in February, the forest was at its best, as if bedecked with flaming gold & orange jewellery. Hours spent driving through this tiny forest, in the company of friends, made this a fun-filled trip. I also had a pee-in-the-pant moment, when a herd of elephants blocked our route into the forest and sent a vehicle ahead of us scampering back in reverse gear. Luckily, after some wait, they moved down-hill and we could move on.

Kaziranga national park, Nameri tiger reserve and Hoollongappar gibbon sanctuary

This was a ten-day trip to a part of the country I had not visited before. Here, the moody Brahmaputra heaves his way through pristine, verdant countryside, creating vast flood-plains. People and animals both venerate and are intimidated by this river, which is this region's boon as well as bane, due to periodic flooding. For me, sighting the one-horned Rhinoceros, the Hoolock Gibbon and rafting down the Jia Bharali River looking for birds were highlights of the trip. See my photo-essay here: http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2013/02/this-time-last-year-kaziranga-nameri.html

Coorg

If the phrase 'bummed around' were to literally mean 'seat one's posterior around the place', that is what would summarise this trip to Coorg. A bunch of friends at a friend's coffee plantation, this holiday was for eating and lounging. We moved only to go to the dining table or to reach out for more of the yummy food. Ridden by guilt, we did spend a few hours practising star-trail photography, amply aided by Coorg's unpolluted & clear skies.

Read about my other trips to Coorg: 
http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2012/01/coorg.html
http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-river-runs-through-it.html 

Gir

The last bastion of Asiatic lions, Gir allowed me my first ever view of a lion outside the zoo. The hot April week took me through shrivelled, brown forests where lions camouflaged easily. I was rewarded with sightings of a handsome young male, a battle-worn elder marking his territory and a lioness with her daughter, amongst other birds and animals. The excitement continued as our driver almost had us miss our flight back and we had to endure a manic, movie chase-style drive through old Ahmedabad's dusty, narrow markets and alleys. Read about my Gir trip: http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-summer-at-gir.html

Tadoba

Tadoba in the scorching summer heat - madness or not? My apprehensions melted (pun intended) when I set foot into this beautiful forest. At the risk of sounding clichéd, it was love at first sight; suddenly, the heat didn't matter anymore. Leaving Tadoba was very difficult; after ten days, it had begun to feel like home. I finally saw my first ever tiger at Tadoba. When I wasn't seeing tigers, I had numerous other birds & mammals to keep me company.

Read about a trip when I almost spotted my first Tiger: http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2012/02/when-tiger-stood-me-up.html

Pench

I arrived here from Tadoba at the ungodly hour of 2 a.m. and went on safaris for two days. An admirer of all flora and fauna, I set out eagerly in this forest, said to have inspired Rudyard Kipling's 'Jungle book'. Pench had other plans for me, though, and revealed nothing to me except langurs, vultures and a kingfisher. Not even deer or many other birds. Sigh!

Agumbe

Accessed by driving through winding roads & moist rain-forests, Agumbe welcomed me with non-stop rain. They don't call it the wettest place in South India for nothing. The monsoons are a good time to spot frogs and, if you are lucky, the King Cobra. A wet weekend spent without electricity (even at night) and an abundance of leeches, it took me a week after return to get the dampness out of everything, including myself. My camera, which had succumbed to the humidity and moisture within the first few hours at Agumbe, took a couple of weeks to recover, though.

Pondicherry

The only time in life when I spent almost an entire holiday sleeping! Getting away from a particularly stressful and sleep-deprived time at work, Pondicherry was the perfect antidote. A fabulous drive from Bangalore set the pace for the trip. I'd also booked myself into a resort at the outskirts, a rarity for somebody who loves home-stays and B&Bs. Right by the beach, I bummed around, enjoying the sea, the walks and the food. I set out to Pondicherry one day, to show my other-half the beach promenade, the French & Tamil quarters and Auroville. But, languor forced me right back to my beach and my sleep. I relented; sometimes, you need these breaks where you do absolutely nothing.

Yercaud

It's close enough to Salem to be treated by locals as a part of their city, and, close enough to Bangalore to make it a 'day-trip' option for some. So, what was I doing staying here for three days? Even the hotel staff was surprised.

About my Yercaud trip: http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2012/12/yercaud-good-things-come-in-small.html

Bangalore

How many of us have not 'seen' the very places we live in? In Bangalore for 9 years now, I’d not yet fully explored the city. I decided to remedy that this year. Bangalore has the dubious distinction of not having "anything to do"; I set out to find if that's true. And I must admit, the city did have me stumped for a bit. But, soon, I discovered that the city's attractions were not 'in your face'; you had to dig deep to enjoy it. From temples to parks to odd palaces and museums to pubs, I explored Bangalore and also contributed to a small online guide about the city.
Read this for information I put together about Bangalore: http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2013/01/namma-bengaluru.html