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The money that you spend on travelling, is an investment in yourself. Sounds cliché, right?! Read that again! Well, scientists have proved that travelling has a positive effect on your body and mind. So, every time you travel, you invest in improving your health. If mental, physical and emotional health tops your priority list, the 10 health benefits of travelling, listed in this article, will change your take on travelling. We know this might not be a good time to travel. But it's a good time to know the benefits of travelling so that when its safe to do so, you know what to prioritize. Travelling has several health benefits that have been scientifically proven and lets take a deeper look at what they are. 10 Health benefits of travelling are: Decreases stress levels Lowers risk of depression Rewires mental (brain) health Improves muscle health Strengthens immunity system Improves sleep quality Keeps your heart fit Improves respiratory health Helps in maintaining strong bones Curbs period problems 1. Decreases stress levels Stress is a silent killer. It can cause an increase in blood pressure and an increase in stress hormone named cortisol. This eventually leads to weakening of the circulatory system and increased risk of cardiovascular disorders, gastrointestinal problems and fertility issues. Travelling takes your mind off the on-going stressful situations in your life. It helps release happy hormones and decreases cortisol level, thus making you calmer and content. A research study conducted by ‘University of Pittsburgh’s Mind & Body Centre’, determined that a holiday enhances positive emotional levels and causes a drastic drop in stress levels in corporate employees. It was observed that just by removing people from the activities and environments that tend to be the source of stress, the levels of cortisol decreased significantly. A significant drop in stress levels was noted in more than 80% of participant subjects just after a day of travelling. Stress reduction is one of the most important health benefits of travelling. Travelling resets your body and mind and takes you away from your daily stressful routine. You feel less anxious, well-rested and in a better mood when you are on a vacation. And these improvements don’t disappear as soon as you return home, but they last for several weeks after your vacation. Of course, this works better if you do not miss your flight/ bus and don’t lose your baggage! If you tend to put yourself in financial difficulty by travelling, then you will find it harder to reduce stress. 2. Lowers risk of depression A survey done by ‘Diamond Resorts International’ found that over 75% vacationers reported feeling happier when they planned a holiday at least once a year. Just the trip planning phase can give you a lot of happiness. And reminiscing vacation memories triggers happiness long after you have returned from a holiday. Hence, travelling either takes you out of a depressive state or lowers your future risk of depression by a significant percentage. Travelling tends to lift your mood and can be a source of motivation for you. Visiting specific places, like mountains, forests and beaches, are shown to be effective at lowering rates of stress-related diseases including depression and anxiety. Since light regulates melatonin level and you tend to absorb a lot of it on a typical vacation, it has a positive effect in treating/ lowering depression. A survey conducted by ‘Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin’ found that women who vacation at least twice a year are less likely to suffer from depression and chronic stress than women who vacation less than once every two years. Treating depression is indeed one of the major health benefits of travelling. 3. Rewires mental (brain) health According to ‘Merzenich's Body of Research’, people who - travel to new places, keep learning about new languages and culture, encounter novel experiences, and interact with new people, are far less likely to develop cognitive decay and encounter degenerative disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A fixed daily routine does not exercise your mental faculties as your brain does not have to deal with any new information. Travelling exposes you to new unpredictable situations. This forces your brain to new pathways and creates fresh neuronal connections which increase emotional stability, cognitive flexibility, and creativity. Travelling gets your brain involved in making new decisions, learning new languages, navigating through new pathways and encountering novel stimuli. You have to think about every small thing when you are in an unfamiliar place, which gets your neurons firing. This keeps your mind young and improves memory and concentration. Apart from these, travelling often gives you much needed time with yourself or your loved ones. It lets you introspect and reflect upon your life in a different way, something your daily life does not allow. Hence often best solutions or ideas come during or right after travelling. 4. Improves muscle health While on travel, you work your muscles more frequently as you are excited to learn about your new destination. You walk, you swim, you hike, you participate in adventure activities; much more than you would do when you are back home. This helps develop and tone your muscles nicely. In a usual routine day of work, you tend to be inactive for long periods by sitting on a desk in front of your computers. The lack of movement tightens your muscles and causes spinal deterioration. While travelling, you are more physically active and get enough exercise to develop muscles without even realising it. Research states that you tend to walk at least 12,000 steps a day when you are sightseeing. Even a walk on a sandy beach forces your muscles to work twice hard than the usual. And it’s not just about the muscles in your limbs. The heart is also a muscle. Travelling keeps your heart healthy. We have often observed that our muscular strength increases after a good hike/ trek. 5. Strengthens immunity system While travelling, you get exposed to various foreign substances like new food, different environment, altering weather conditions and novel surroundings. The interactions of these fresh foreign particles (read antigens) with your immune system leads to the development of new antibodies (proteins that fight against foreign particles) in your body. These antibodies further protect you from illnesses in future by strengthening your immune system. When you are constantly on the go, travelling from places to places, you provide your body with a chance to adapt to thousands of germs, bacteria and viruses. These pathogens, in turn, make your body and your gut stronger. Well, research says that some new pathogens are not at all a bad thing! Even we have observed that after years of travelling extensively, we seldom get sick when exposed to new weather, environments or food. However, this does not mean that you shouldn’t be practising basic hygiene like healthy eating and sanitizing. With proper precautions, you can easily boost your immunity without any risk of falling sick. Strong immunity builds up hence turns out to be a vital health benefit of travelling. 6. Improves sleep quality Bad quality of sleep results in irritability, chronic disorders, and poor cognitive efficiency. Research states that an adult should sleep at least seven to eight hours every night. This sleep time can be easily achieved during travelling as you tend to get tired after walking, sight-seeing and carrying out activities. Devices such as smartphones and laptops emit light that causes melatonin suppression. Poor sleep is one of the results of the decrease in melatonin content in the body. While travelling, you are less likely to use these gadgets which eventually helps in improving the quality of sleep. Also, the natural light that your body absorbs when you are outdoors, increases the melatonin levels in your body. Furthermore, it is easier to sleep when you are less stressed and free of anxiety, which we know are the major health benefits of travelling. A planned trip can help regulate your circadian rhythm and help improve your sleep cycle. This, we have experienced first hand. Whenever we are on holidays, we tend to sleep more deeply and peacefully than the other nights we are at home. 7. Keeps your heart fit The more you walk and the more activity you do, the more you get your heart pumping. And travelling makes you indulge in more activities. If your heart pumps stronger, you will be at very low risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol problems. One of the biggest health benefits of travelling is that it makes your heart healthy and strong. Research has proved that walking more while travelling helps in releasing happy hormones, thus reducing stress levels. Lesser stress means a lower risk of having a heart attack or a stroke. In ‘Framingham Heart Study’, the researchers found that men who didn’t take a vacation for several years were at 30% more risk to have heart attacks. 8. Improves respiratory health City pollution and other urban toxins are taxing on your respiratory systems. These increases your chances of susceptibility to various respiratory problems like asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer and sinusitis. You may not even realise, but your respiratory system is struggling each day to keep you away from these ailments. Travelling to places that takes you away from urban pollution and industrial set-ups offer your lungs a respite from the toxicants. It helps the lungs to detoxify and recoup back to a healthier state. Breathing in the fresh and oxygen-rich air of forests and greener spaces significantly cut down the risk of asthma and other respiratory diseases. Travelling to beaches and breathing in the salty ocean air helps in reducing cough and decreasing sinus pressure. On the other hand, travelling to high altitude places like mountains helps in improving lung capacity and lung functioning. Keeping lungs fit is an important health benefit of travelling. 9. Helps in maintaining strong bones When you travel, you tend to spend a great deal of your time outdoors while doing activities and sight-seeing. This naturally results in absorbing a lot of sunlight (if you travel to a warm place). The sunrays provide Vitamin D, a very essential nutrient that can’t be gained even through proper diet. Vitamin D is directly linked to increased absorption of calcium through the digestive system and mobilizing calcium into the bones, thus making the bones strong and healthy. Vitamin D also significantly reduces the onset of osteoporosis (weak and fragile bones due to decreased bone density). Hence, taking a break from work and travelling to a warm place that provides ample sunshine (read beach!) is extremely good for your health. We make sure that while travelling, we absorb as much Vitamin D as possible, by getting up early and soaking up in the morning sun. Strong bones are one of the scientifically-backed health benefits of travelling. 10. Curbs period problems Generally, women do not prefer travelling during their periods as they believe that the period problems dampen their travelling experiences. But travelling can help in curbing period problems like irregularity, heavy bleeding, mood swings, abdominal cramps and bloating. While many hormones play a role in controlling your menstrual cycle, the two most important ones are – cortisol and melatonin. Excessive cortisol release causes mood swings that include irritability and anxiety. Research has proved that travelling lowers cortisol levels, thus relieving the body of excessive stress and helps with the mood swings during menstruation. Decreased level of melatonin causes women to suffer from PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome). Travelling involves soaking up in the sun, that increases the level of melatonin in the body, thus alleviating period problems like irregularity and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Higher melatonin also leads to better sleep and decreased crankiness. Moderate exercise and activities during travel help improve blood circulation, hence relieving abdominal cramps and bloating. So, do not hesitate to travel while on your periods. But also make sure you do not overdo things that elevate menstrual stress. Also, do not be careless in maintaining proper hygiene and sanitisation while travelling during periods. PIN THIS IMAGE Health benefits of travelling are huge and there are several other benefits apart from the ones mentioned above. Travelling helps you reinvent yourself, it makes you mentally resilient, it enhances creativity, improves your productivity, betters your communication skills and broadens your horizons. Now that you have finished reading about all the good things that travelling does to your mind and body, it’s time to wait for the pandemic to get over, pack your bags and get going! Happy travelling. #TravelInspiration

We love travel magazines. Some might feel travel magazines or magazines in general are a thing of the past, but we strongly disagree. In today's world where we keep getting bombarded with information from all directions or simply do a google search to get the information we need, magazines may seem a little less relevant to few. But there are so many like us who continue to see the benefits in subscribing to magazines and find it extremely useful. You may choose a digital version of the magazine if that is more convenient, but there is no denying the fact that magazines still have their place in today's world. In this article, let's dive into why you should still read travel magazines and see some of the best travel magazines in India. Why you should read travel magazines? or any magazine? How we consume content media today has evolved rapidly over the last couple of decades. But what has also evolved is what kind of attention we pay to each form of media. If you monitor your screen time on digital devices, you might find that a lot of time you spend goes into skimming and scanning through your feeds, be it social media, news, YouTube or Netflix. The nature of these forms of content is bound to be less targeted and less immersive for most of the audience. We tend to use these media forms less intently while dividing our attention through other means. Given that most of these forms are free and designed for general audience's consumption, we tend to browse them more and soak in less. Note that these observations may not apply to all and may not apply to an individual all the time, but apply to most people most of the time. Let us contrast this with the experience of subscribing and reading magazines. Firstly it starts with choosing the right magazine. It is then followed by payment. And this leads to consumption. The entire journey is far more intentional, based on trust on the quality of content you would receive and is topped with a feeling of guilt if you do not really consume it. The magazine too is designed for a specific target audience and is hence far more relevant than any form of broadcast media. The focused and leisure driven nature of consuming a magazine is far more enriching than skimming through any sort of feed. Lastly, magazines are self-orienting. The time you spend reading a magazine is 'your time' and the more time you spend reading, the more satisfied you would feel. Consuming magazines is associated with well-being compared to broadcast media forms which would make you feel exhausted after extended consumption. Suggested Reads - How can you buy/Subscribe to Travel magazines in India? So if you feel the urge to give it a shot, let's dive into some travel magazines in India. These travel magazines have both print and digital versions. We recommend getting digital versions as it is the more responsible way to consume it. Digital magazines save paper and do not require any fuel to reach you. However, if you are one of those who love the smell of paper and stores all magazines, go ahead and subscribe the print versions. You can buy one issue of a magazine or become a gold member in Magzter and subscribe to 5000+ newspapers/magazines for a month/year/longer. Magzter is the world's largest digital newsstand and has the biggest collection of current and past issues of newspapers & magazines of all types. Becoming a gold member of Magzter is definitely worth it as it gives you unlimited access to every category of magazines. Your interest and hobby of reading is not going anywhere so we recommend going for the 3 year plan which reduces your per month cost. Check it out now - Best global Travel Magazines in India Some of the best global travel magazines available across the world and in India are : National Geographic Traveller In the world of magazines, National Geographic is definitely a legend. And in the world of travel magazines, National Geographic Traveller is slowly becoming that legend. While the original National Geographic magazine started since 1888 focusing on Science, History, Geography, Culture etc., they started a travel-specific version in 1984 known as National Geographic Traveller. Owned by Disney now, National Geographic Traveller has become a source of immersive travel experiences and authentic storytelling. It covers destinations in interesting ways and focuses a lot on culture, sustainable travel and stories. It is published across the globe, but UK and Indian edition are the most popular. Frequency - Monthly Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - National Geographic Traveller India National Geographic Traveller UK National Geographic Traveler en Español National Geographic Traveler Romania Lonely Planet magazine The story of Lonely Planet's origin is very inspiring and relatable. A couple - Maureen and Tony Wheeler travelled across Europe and Asia by land and arrived in Melbourne in 1972. This paved the way for their first book - 'Across Asia on the Cheap' and establishing what would become the empire of Lonely Planet. Over the years Lonely kept publishing travel guides for destinations across the world focusing on helping travellers plan their trips. In 2009, they started the Lonely Planet magazine which has earned an equal reputation as their guide books. Lonely Planet magazine covers inspirational articles as well as informative ones answering basic questions such as how to reach, where to stay, what to eat, things to do etc. It currently has 8 International editions to suit needs of different locations across Asia, Europe & US. Frequency - Monthly Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - Lonely Planet Asia Lonely Planet Espana Lonely Planet UK Condé Nast Traveller Condé Nast is a 100+ year-old global mass media company named after its founder Condé Montrose Nast. It houses several famous magazines such as Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Wired etc. Condé Nast Traveller came into the picture in 1987 with a focus on luxury and lifestyle travel. As one would expect, most people read it for its aspirational value and create a wishlist. The pictures here would be vividly instagrammish with a flair of its own and the content is primarily targeted towards premium customers. It has 9 different international editions spread across Asia, Europe and the US. Frequency - Bimonthly Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - Condé Nast Traveller India Condé Nast Traveller Russia Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure magazine came into the picture around 1971 in its current form. It was transformed from a 34-year-old travel photography magazine to a general travel magazine. Currently, Travel + Leisure is owned by Meredith Corporation which also houses a couple of other dozen magazines such as People, Better homes & gardens, Health, Fitness etc.. Travel + Leisure also targets higher class and features high-profile luxury, lifestyle and niches such as wellness travel. You would often find articles written by non-travel journalists cutting across various poets, novelists, artists etc. It is known for using celebrities and models to make the destinations much more desirable. Their yearly issue on Weddings & Honeymoons is also worth checking out. Frequency - Monthly Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - Travel + Leisure India Travel + Leisure India - Weddings & Honeymoons Business Traveller Business Traveller as the name suggests focuses on today's frequent fliers and corporate travellers. Started in 1976 in the UK, it quickly gained popularity due to lack of competition in this niche and currently has 14 editions worldwide. Intending to cater to its niche, Business Traveller covers information on airlines, airports, hotels, car rental etc. along with industry trends, weekend guides, climate etc. There is also a heavy focus on reviewing travel products, accessories, gadgets, loyalty programs, offers etc. Frequency - ~10 issues/year Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - Business Traveller India Business Traveller Middle East Business Traveller UK Business Traveller China Business Traveller Africa Best Indian Travel Magazines All the above magazines have various country-specific editions which include an edition for India. Let us now look at some homegrown brands and see travel magazines in India which were found and are distributed only in India: Outlook Traveller & Outlook Traveller Getaways Outlook traveller is travel magazine from Outlook publishing house famous in India for some other magazines such as Outlook, Outlook business, Outlook Money etc. Part of Rajan Raheja group of companies, Outlook traveller started around 2005 and has since become one of India's most popular travel magazine. The focus varies from industry trends to practical advice and is usually simple and crisp in its writing. They also branched into creating travel guide books known as Outlook Traveller Getaways which focuses on a single topic, could be - a destination, a festival, or other allied travel themes. Outlook Traveller Frequency - Monthly Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - Outlook Traveller Outlook Traveller Getaway Discover India Magazine Discover India magazine prides itself in being India's oldest magazine launched in 1988. Since then it has made a reputation for itself in terms of exploring and showcasing India. The magazine is currently owned by the Indian arm of The Hubert Burda media group, Germany, which also publishes Travel+Leisure India, AsiaSpa, Architecture + Design to name a few. Irrespective of the nature and background of the traveller, if someone is looking to explore India, Discover India would be the best option. Frequency - Monthly Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - Discover India Few other relatively lesser known travel magazines in India focusing on different niches and worth checking out are : Discover India's North East Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - Discover India's North East The Luxury Collection Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - The Luxury Collection India outbound Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - India Outbound Hotel Business Review Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - Hotel Business Review The Traveller Trails Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - The Traveller Trails Adventure & Wildlife Buy latest digital issue or subscribe - Adventure & Wildlife Airport/Airlines magazines in India A compilation of best travel magazines is incomplete without including Airport/ Airlines magazines that you would come across every time you are out flying. They do largely focus on promoting themselves which is kind of a turn-off, but they do have some interesting stories as well. Did you know that these magazines are also available online if you want to check them out? Check out some travel magazines in India published by Airport/ Airlines: Airports India by Authority of India Checkout the free digital issues - Airports India Go-Getter by Go Air Checkout the free digital issues - Go-Getter Hello 6E by Indigo Checkout the free digital issues - Hello 6E Shubh Yatra by Air India Checkout the free digital issues - Shubh Yatra Spice Route by Spicejet Checkout the free digital issues - Spice Route Trujetter by Tru Jet Checkout the free digital issues - Trujetter Vistara by Vistara Checkout the free digital issues - Vistara PIN THIS IMAGE How was this compilation of best travel magazines in India? Have you read some of these travel magazines? Is there any magazine we missed out? Do let us know your thoughts in the comment section. #TravelInspiration All magazine pics credit: Magzter and respective airlines/airports authority of India.

It is said that "Outside a dog, books are a man’s best friend”. And what shall we say about travel books?! These books make our imaginations travel greater distances than we could actually do in this limited lifetime. Travel books have been a major part of our travel planning and research. They have been a companion in the boring train, flight journeys and any dull day. Not just a companion, but many of these books have been an inspiration. We asked some of our favourite travel bloggers around the world for their favourite travel book that inspired them to travel the world. And while travel books can be of various kind, we are specifically referring to stories - true or fictional that stimulates those cells that love wandering. Some of these books many not fall under the category of travel per say but the way they describe a location or experiences are bound to make you feel immersed in a foreign land. We are not talking about travel guides here. So, here’s a compilation of 30 books that were suggested and that will surely inspire wanderlust and make you want to go to places you might have not even heard about. 1. EAT PRAY LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert Contributed by Manpreet from HelloManpreet.com Eat Pray Love is a beautiful book based on a woman who believed to have it all - a career, a husband and she felt she was living a life of bliss. Until she got a divorce. This led to her wanting to discover her true purpose and what she wants from life. She first travels to Italy and learns how to appreciate nourishment. In India, she learns the power of prayer and meditation, and in Bali, she unexpectedly finds the power of true love. While travelling around the world, Elizabeth journals her experiences of travels. This journey was one where she looked for comfort within herself, after experiencing a very difficult divorce. What makes the book amazing and a must-read is that she talks about so many unique and small details of places that we might underestimate. It’s a great inspiration to set yourself to have the best travel experience ever. Not only is this book a great inspiration to explore some of the most magnificent places in the world, but it inspires you to be influenced by the world on a much deeper level. It teaches life lessons that you can hold onto forever, reminding you that you are in control of your life and how you want to live it. 2. WILD by Cheryl Strayed Contributed by Lee from The Travel Scribes If you’ve even got a passing interest in hiking or travelling in the USA, you need to immediately get your hands on a copy of Wild, penned by Cheryl Strayed. Strayed, a hapless hiker who had never really gone on a walk longer than an hour, gave up all the trappings of suburban life – her job, house, car and husband – to set off on her very first backpack and walk over 1100 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. Strayed starts her solo journey of discovery in the Mojave Desert, making her way through the states of California and Oregon before finally arriving in Washington, at the Bridge of the Gods. The writer knows nothing about long-distance hiking, and her inexperience shines through, but it’s the stories of those she meets on the ‘road’, how she overcomes her fears and her breath-taking descriptions of her beautiful surrounds that make this a must-read memoir. Undoubtedly one of the best travel books to inspire wanderlust, Wild was also made into a blockbuster feature film, starring Reese Witherspoon. 3. DOWN UNDER by Bill Bryson Contributed by Pauline from BeeLoved City When it comes to travel books, Bill Bryson sets the standard! This American author is well known for his best-selling books about the USA and the UK but also has one about Australia! Down Under (also known as In a Sunburned country in North America) is going to make you want to jump on a flight to Australia right away. In this book, Bill Bryson tells us everything about his travels in Australia. Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne; everything is in there! The most interesting thing about it is that it’s not just a travel book, it’s a culture book. Bill Bryson immerses himself into the Australian culture. He stays with locals and tries to understand what Australia is all about. He also mentions the wildlife and aboriginal culture which is quite interesting. Finally, it’s very funny! Bill Bryson has a bit of a gift for ending up in the most hilarious situations. Reading Down Under, is like travelling through Australia with the best travel buddy you could ever find. 4. NINE LIVES by William Dalrymple Contributed by Amrita from Tale of 2 Backpackers William Dalrymple is a noted historian who has penned several books on the Indian subcontinent. Nine Lives is a collection of nine stories based on his travel in the Indian subcontinent. The nine stories are about 9 very different individuals who Dalrymple had met during travel in India. The nine protagonists are entirely different from each other and the path they had chosen is neither easy nor common. The beauty of the book is that it tells the story of very different journeys which seeks a common goal. The book gives an interesting insight into the culture, religions and festivals of India. The readers will get a taste of the diversity and uniqueness of the people and culture of India. This book will make you more interested and inquisitive on the culture and traditions of India and will inspire you to travel to the nooks and corners of India. 5. MARRIED TO A BEDOUIN by Marguerite van Geldermalsen Contributed by Maartje & Sebastiaan from The Orange Backpack Married to a Bedouin, where Marguerite writes about her life in Petra in Jordan, will spark your wanderlust. She travels around the world by herself in the 70s and ends up in Jordan at some point. She visits the rock monuments at Petra, meets a local Bedouin and decides not to leave. Sounds like one of your daydreams when travelling, right? Though the book doesn’t make you understand how Marguerite falls in love with a Bedouin she can hardly speak with, you do get why she doesn’t want to leave. The place is beautiful. Most people know Petra from its famous Treasury and the Siq, but Petra is a huge city with many rock temples and houses. Many of these old rock houses in the abandoned city are used by Bedouins for hundreds of years. Marguerite lived in one of those ancient rock monuments for years, close to the famous Treasury. The autobiography will draw you towards Petra for sure, making you want to hike around this enormous ancient town in the rock desert. Suggested Reads - 6. LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien Contributed by Diana from Travels in Poland As one of the best-known high fantasy classics, made even more popular after it was transformed into several movies, the Lord of the Rings is an amazing read of three books. Written by J.R.R. Tolkien over 80 years ago, the series of books has inspired a cult following and has sold hundreds of millions of copies. The story revolves around a ring that has a powerful force and changes hands through generations, finally landing in the hands of Frodo Baggins. The story follows the adventures of Frodo as well as his friends as he goes forth on a journey to take the ring away from the Shire. The backdrop of the books has been terrifically depicted and popularized in the New Zealand landscape in the movie as well. The detailed description of locations and the travels that Frodo and his friends are on creates truly mystical and beautiful places in one which would inspire you to travel and live an amazing adventure. It is a must-read for travel enthusiasts as its fantasy fiction creates a longing to move, discover and seek adventure. 7. TALES OF THE ALHAMBRA by Washington Irving Contributed by Joanna from Andalucia in My Pocket One of the most inspiring books that will make you dream of visiting Granada, in Spain, is Tales of the Alhambra. This is the book that brought the Alhambra on the touristic radar, now being the most visited monument in entire Spain, with over 3 million people from all the world coming to see it every year. Tales of the Alhambra is a collection of essays and sketches written by Washington Irving during his visit to Granada. Back then, the Alhambra was left to despair after being destroyed in the French siege from 1812. It acquired further damages 9 years later after an earthquake. Irving asked for permission from the archbishop of Granada to live inside the palace for an entire month and that is where he got the inspiration to write the book. Tales of the Alhambra is a book combining both myths and narrations of historical events wrapped around his travel journal involving the now famous monument. 8. THE WHITE MASAI by Corinne Hofmann Contributed by Martina & Jürgen from PlacesofJuma The White Masai is an autobiographical book and gives deep insights into the cultural life of Africa, as well as into its breath-taking landscapes. It’s about a 27 years young Swiss girl named Corinne, who is with her boyfriend Marco on a holiday to Kenya. On an excursion, she meets a local Masai warrior Lketinga and falls in love with the exotic man straight away. Both of them speak broken English and therefore have communication problems, but still, they quickly get closer. Corinne visits the Masai’s village, which is not far from her hotel and gets to know the local Priscilla, who speaks English well and can mediate. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the country and her feelings for Lketinga, Corinne decides to move to Kenya. But first, she has to go back home. She ends her relationship with Marco and sells her business and her flat. Despite all warnings from friends and relatives, she moves to Kenya after half a year. In the book, The White Masai, Corinne tells her own story about the many wonderful moments, but also the tragic problems of this unusual relationship, about new friendships, her serious illness and how she survived in the bush. 9. LAND OF JADE: A Journey from India through Northern Burma to China by Bertil Lintner Contributed by Jitaditya Narzary from The Travelling Slacker Land of Jade is one of the most iconic travel books that are surprisingly not that famous. Maybe this is because it focuses on a region that itself is rarely discussed or explored by tourists. What makes it even more astounding is the circumstances, both personal as well as external, which were so difficult that most other people would have given up. The author Bertil Lintner was banned from entering Burma (Myanmar) due to his political reportage. Yet, he plans to enter illegally through Northeast India along with his wife Hseng Noung, who is a photographer. On top of that, their daughter is born in Nagaland when they were planning to enter Burma, Yet, they go ahead with the risky plan, carrying their month-old daughter with them! They enter Burma through the Mon District of Nagaland, which borders Northern Burma and then spend months in the strife-torn land before finally escaping to China. Do note that this region is a highly unstable one, with several insurgent groups constantly fighting with government forces. Even the insurgent groups of North-eastern India find refuge in these impregnable jungles. This travelogue also describes meetings with many rebels and narrow escapes during encounters, and in general, provides rare insights about the people and politics of a region that few have traversed. 10. THE ART OF TRAVEL by Alain de Botton Contributed by Jasmine from The Travel Quandary The Art of Travel is not your typical travel book. You won’t find a love story or a transformational journey. The book is not based in any one place, nor does it revolve around a protagonist or a group of characters. Rather, The Art of Travel is a collection of Alain de Botton’s travels and an analysis of voyages taken by fellow renowned explorers and public figures including French poet Charles Baudelaire, Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh and the biologist Alexander von Humboldt. Alain de Botton is a Swiss-born British philosopher and author. His writing focuses on philosophy’s relevance in everyday life, inciting curiosity and deep-thinking in his readers. In The Art of Travel, de Botton tells readers how and why we ought to travel. He analyses the anticipation of travel versus reality, considers how our hunger for the exotic fills a void we cannot seem to satiate at home and reminds travellers to search for beauty in the granular details in every step of our journeys. If you already know where you’re inspired to travel to, The Art of Travel will supplement your wanderlust, encouraging you to consciously move through this world with heightened senses. 11. SHANTARAM by Gregory David Roberts Contributed by Tanayesh Talukdar from Shoestring Travel Gregory David Roberts, an Australian author, is a former heroin addict and also convicted bank robber who escaped from Pentridge Prison in 1980 and fled to India where he lived for ten years in Mumbai. The book is loosely based on Gregory’s life and his uncertain future. In Mumbai, he finds a God figure in a local mafia boss, an Afghan named Khader and a lover in a mysterious Swiss woman who inspires the most in this novel. What the novel teaches the most is how it is always finally your decision to start over, how to rectify from the mistakes you need to forgive yourself first, come to peace with yourself and accept everything coming your way with compassion and love. Reading this book will help you to know Mumbai in detail before visiting as it talks about the places to visit there, the eateries, the people and much more. 12. NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND by Bill Bryson Contributed by Alysa Tarrant from Voyaging Herbivore Notes from a Small Island is a laugh out loud narration of Bryson’s journeys around England in the 90s. As an American, he takes a unique perspective on England in an era before cell phones and Google maps, and instead explores everything from caves in London, to the tiniest villages nestled in the English countryside. The book begins along the southern coast of England as Bryson takes a ferry over from France and recalls his younger days when things seemed a little shinier and his back hurt a little less. He takes you all the way up through England, and before you know it, you’ll have a strong urge to hop on a train and see where the journey takes you. Bill Bryson is a world-renowned travel writer known for his many books that take a look at the happier sides of life. Whether you’re wondering how the universe was created or you want to follow Bryson as he putters around England trying different pubs and getting caught in the rain, you’ll easily enjoy every second of his stories. 13. THE DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown Contributed by Jayashree from DoiBedouin Dan Brown is known for his gripping takes on historical bibliographies. He is indeed the literal master of intellectual cliffhangers. The Da Vinci Code is more than just a thriller. It is just the brain food needed in this lockdown. But do not just gauge it on a thriller mystery scale. The chapters are strewn with codes and cryptic messages that would factually take you on a quest through Europe. Starting with a murder at the Louvre Museum, the quest begins with the clue left by the victim. A Vitruvian Man, by Leonardo da Vinci. Solving a Fibonacci series, Langdon, sided by Sophie, gets a cryptex, from the Bank of Zurich, connecting to the Holy Grail. Decrypting the cryptex, they find a second cryptex and a riddle pointing where to look for. They end up travelling to the tomb of Isaac Newton in Westminster Abbey, London. Next clue lands them at Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland. Some long-kept secrets get revealed. However, the last stop gets them back to Louvre, where the final piece of the puzzle awaited. I could not help but quote from Harry Potter here, "I open at the close". Scintillating, yet the descriptions of the places would lure you to travel to the places itself. And it so happens that the "Da Vinci code itinerary" does exist in real life with slight improvising. 14. THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS by Ann Brashares Contributed by Raquel from Meals and Mile Markers If you feel like you’re in a travel rut, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a book that will spark your wanderlust again! The first in a series of four books about the coming of age of childhood best friends, it takes you to several different places, including Greece, Maryland, Baja California, and South Carolina. If you read the following books, you’ll visit even more travel destinations! Ann Brashares uses simple stories to share big ideas in her popular book. These girls have the same experiences as tons of other girls (although they take place across the world) while learning about what it means to become an adult. By integrating inspirational quotes and relatable stories, Brashares will encourage you to step out of both your travel rut and any other rut in which you may be stuck. Even if you’re stuck in your home state this summer and you want to feed your wanderlust without leaving the house, read The Sisterhood of the traveling Pants. You can dream about exploring Europe or Mexico and maybe even start making plans! Not only will you read about the adventures of these teenage girls, but you’ll feel as though you are right beside them, living the same exciting lives. 15. MY JOURNEY TO LHASA by Alexandra David-Néel Contributed by Wendy Werneth of The Nomadic Vegan In this autobiographical work by French adventurer and Buddhist scholar Alexandra David-Néel, she tells the story of how she became the first woman from the Western world to visit the capital of Tibet. Her journey took place in 1924, at a time when Tibet remained quite isolated from the rest of the world, and foreigners were not allowed. But this didn't stop David-Néel, who had already spent several years travelling through Asia to learn from Buddhist monks she met along the way. On her journey to Lhasa, she travelled on foot across the Himalayas, accompanied by a young Tibetan lama whom she later adopted as her son. Disguised as a beggar, she survived on yak butter tea and tsampa (barley flour) and slept on dirty floors in the homes of locals who gave her shelter. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to visit Tibet, and it's an especially inspiring read for female travellers with an adventurous spirit. 16. REBIRTH by Kamal Ravikant Contributed by Hannah from Bad Tourist Travel & Lifestyle blog Kamal, a man who has travelled the world and had some amazing experiences, typically writes motivational books in the professional development space. However, "Rebirth", although a very inspirational book, is more of a tale of travel and enlightenment. It is the story of a man, facing personal turmoil in his life who seeks challenge and truth by hiking the El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage through northern Spain. The story is very moving and makes all who read it seek to do the same. This book paints an unforgettable picture for anyone who has always wanted to walk the Camino. Not only is the path a beautiful walk with ancient roots but this book shows how it can be a powerful spiritual experience as well. Walking with the main character, Amit, on his journey on the El Camino, you can get a first-hand look into what the experience might feel like. It is all around a great story of personal growth and how travel can play an important part in our development and ability to heal. 17. THE GOOD GIRLS GUIDE TO GETTING LOST by Rachel Friedman Contributed by Sarah from The Prosperous Blonde The Good Girls Guide to Getting Lost: A Memoir of Three Continents, Two Friends and One Unexpected Adventure is a fun, engaging read that combines self-actualization with good, old fashioned travelogues. Author Rachel Friedman is a young college graduate who has no idea what she wants to do in life. She has no idea who she is, so she sets out on a magical and very funny adventure that leads her through parts of Europe, Australia and South America. This book will appeal to you, if like Rachel, you’re searching to find your way in life; or if you want to learn more about life in other parts of the world; or if you like to read hilarious prose describing frequent travel mishaps! This book will have you laughing out loud numerous times. You’ll particularly enjoy her stories of Ireland and her stint as a hungover waitress and her hostel adventures in rugged South America. 18. THE LOST GIRLS by Amanda Pressner, Holly C. Corbett, and Jennifer Baggett Contributed by Kim from My Global Ways The Lost Girls: Three Friends, Four Continents, One Unconventional Detour Around the World is written by three twenty-something friends who decided to leave behind their busy New York lifestyle to travel the world, visiting four continents over a year. Jen, Holly, and Amanda are all talented writers who each bring their sense of humour and perspective to their travel experiences. Honestly one of the most inspiring, relatable and enjoyable travel books you could ever read. The girls cover everything from volunteering in Kenya, the struggles of leaving ‘real-life’ behind, hostel parties, the ups and downs of long-term backpacking and travel friendships/ relationships. It is a travel book but also touches on the struggles the girls face in their ‘quarter-life crisis’, their friendship, their privilege and personal growth. It will add a few new places to your bucket list, but will also serve as an encouragement to leave the rat race behind and live life by your own rules. 19. ORIGIN by Dan Brown Contributed by Bhushavali from My Travelogue by Bhushavali Origin is the 5th book in the Robert Langdon series, who is a symbologist & Art history professor who works at Harvard University. After reading the book, you will look forward to visiting Barcelona for its stunning landscapes and architectural beauty. Origin is completely set in Spain. It’s a murder mystery that deals with the contradictions between the modern world and religious doctrines. The initial chapters are set at Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, near Barcelona, where a meeting between one of the lead characters happens with important members of 3 religions. There is a small mention of the Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest. Back in Spain, the murder happens at the Guggenheim Museum! At this point, the protagonist Robert Langdon escapes from here to reach Barcelona where the story continues in Casa Mila and Sagrada Familia, the fantabulous monuments designed by Antoni Gaudi. The film wraps up at Valley of the Fallen, where Robert Langdon manages to solve the murder mystery or…. did he? 20. DARK STAR SAFARI by Paul Theroux Contributed by Ed Gold from Safaris Africana In the Swahili language ‘safari’ means ‘journey’, and this book is the story of Theroux’s own, once in a lifetime African safari. His epic overland trip takes him the length of the continent by bus, car, and train, from Egypt’s Cairo to the Mother City, Cape Town. After his graduation, Paul Theroux spent years teaching in Malawi and Uganda in the 1960s and 70s, and his appreciation of how life works in much of Africa is apparent throughout the book. His descriptions of the countryside, villages and towns he passes through are so vivid they make you feel as if you know the places, and he has a knack for bringing the everyday people he meets along the way to life - often eliciting funny or fascinating insights. It’s a well-researched book, and alongside Theroux’s take on his journey, there’s plenty of background information on each of the countries he travels through, including Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa. This makes it a must-read book for anyone with itchy feet, or an interest in Africa! 21. A YEAR IN PROVENCE by Peter Mayle Contributed by Anda Bartos from Travel for a while A year in Provence is about a British writer who fell in love with the Provence region in France and followed his dream moving there with his wife and two dogs. A series of novels was born out of this life-changing move, the most well-known being probably 'A Good Year'. His writing style is easy and engaging and you will find yourself smiling more than once while reading any of his books. A year in Provence covers the first year of this new life. The book is not a journal as you might think, but rather a series of defining moments that will introduce you to the laid-back life in this part of the world where time slows down and lets you enjoy life peacefully. It will take you exploring the woods of the Luberon, the beautiful region between Avignon and Aix en Provence, and will leave you wanting to enjoy the sun, the food, and the authentic rural life of Provence. Expect quite a few lunches and dinners with lots of details that will make you hungry instantly. 22. THE OLD PATAGONIAN EXPRESS by Paul Theroux Contributed by Alek ZD from Nine to Five Voyager Paul Theroux's critical way of looking at society brings a unique viewpoint to travel literature. He's the anti-Instagram, someone who gives you a realistic view of what to expect when travelling. He can come across as harsh, but he's not uninformed: he's seen most of the planet. The Old Patagonian Express is his 1979 travelogue on the good, the bad, and the ugly of train travel. Theroux boards a train in Boston and ends up in Patagonia, Argentina months later, at the very southern tip of the Americas. Along the way, he attends a riotous soccer game in San Salvador, interviews inhabitants of the former Canal Zone in Panama, and spends several days visiting the blind writer Luis Borges at his home in Buenos Aires. He speaks with dignitaries and common folk alike and vividly paints a unique picture of each culture he comes across. The book sows an idea that, wherever you live, you can walk out your front door and end up somewhere new and fascinating. The Old Patagonian Express will inspire you to just board trains and go somewhere you have never been before, or to get in your car and just drive. Theroux puts a fine point on the phrase, "The journey matters more than the destination." 23. BEYOND THE TREES: A Journey Alone Across the Arctic by Adam Shoalts Contributed by Mikaela from Voyageur Tripper To commemorate Canada 150, Adam Shoalts crossed the length of the Canadian Arctic, alone and by canoe. His route took him from Eagle Plains, Yukon Territory, then met his boat and proceeded to canoe camp across several rivers and lakes to reach Baker Lake, Nunavut - a journey of nearly 4,000 km that required five months to complete. Adam Shoalts is known as Canada’s Indiana Jones and has a reputation for making impossible trips reality. This story is no exception. Throughout the trip, he paddles up rivers of the strong current, encounters more than a handful of grizzly bears (but doesn’t carry a shotgun), fights his way through ice-covered lakes, and nearly gets trampled by a Muskox. Beyond the Trees is a story of an epic Canadian adventure, told through the lens of environmental conservation, witty humour and a dash of escapism. It is perhaps one of the best outdoor adventure books written. You will be captivated by Shoalts’ wildlife encounters and feel energized by his tenacity in the face of obstacles. More than another, you will finish the book with a keen desire to get out in the wild and explore yourselves. 24. THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho Contributed by Camille from Everything Yoga Retreat The Alchemist is one of the most inspiring books to read on your next trip. This book was written by the famous author, Paulo Coelho. He published the Alchemist in 1988 and has been inspiring the world with his beautiful stories ever since. The Alchemist is about a shepherd boy from Andalusia named Santiago. The boy embarks upon a journey in search of a treasure that he had dreamt of. His adventures take him from Spain to North Africa, and the Sahara Desert. In this book, Paulo Coelho combines magic, wisdom, and mysticism into an inspiring tale of self-discovery. If you read the book, you’ll learn that it’s important to listen to your heart and follow your dreams. This is how this book will inspire you to travel the world and to search for your treasure. The Alchemist tells a beautiful and meaningful story that you could easily enjoy on your next adventure. 25. HOLY COW! by Sarah MacDonald Contributed by Megan Johnson from Red Around the World Sarah MacDonald backpacked around India in her twenties and was not impressed. She vowed to never return and when a beggar told her she would return one day, and for love, of all things, she said "never!" and gave him and the country the finger on her way out. Well, eleven years later the prophecy comes true and she finds herself on her way back to India when her husband is relocated for work. Holy Cow is a travel/ex-pat memoir by Sarah MacDonald that mostly takes place in New Delhi but includes travel around the country in search of peace with a colorful cast of characters she meets along the way.  It's a great read for anyone interested in traveling through India and life abroad as well as spiritual travel. It will have you itching to pack your bags thanks to Sarah's hilarious, but also meaningful, encounters and travels around India. One of the funniest parts of the book is the detailed account of various people she meets while on her journey through India. 26. VAGABONDING by Rolf Potts Contributed by Nishu Barolia from Tanned Travel Girl "Money, of course, is still needed to survive, but time is what you need to live." How many times, we wait for that perfect moment to take that big decision of leaving normalcy behind and exploring the world. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts is a book that will convince you of the fact that you need not wait for the perfect timing to take a break from normal life and plan long term travel. Rolf Potts, the writer of the book, has been travelling for over 20 years and in his book, Vagabonding, he has talked about his anecdotes from around the world. The book covers some extremely valuable tips on planning before starting off the long term travel expedition and building life on the roads. The book will also help you in prioritizing your spending to be able to enjoy an experience which you may have never thought of otherwise like Star Bucks coffee over taking scuba diving lessons in a remote island in Indonesia. This book is highly recommended to everyone looking to live life in a nomadic way! 27. AROUND INDIA IN 80 TRAINS by Monisha Rajesh Around India in 80 trains is a story about Monisha Rajesh, a British-Indian, who returned back to India after 20 years and set out on a 400000-kilometre adventure around India in 80 trains. She travelled across the length and breadth of the country meeting wonderful characters with epic stories. Her travel buddy cum photographer who turned out to be an atheist, tagging along with her in a country built on religion, challenged her to look at things with a completely different perspective. This book will definitely inspire solo female travellers and give them some necessary tips to travel in India. The book is more about people that Monisha meets in her journey than the places that she visited. Around India in 80 trains teaches an important lesson that people hop in and hop out of your life just like they do in a train but at the end of the day the people who you deemed less important will make an impact in your life and extend a helping hand in your difficult times. It is through travelling that you learn life's most valuable lessons. 28. THE BEACH by Alex Garland The Beach is a story of a young backpacker named Richard who is in search of a hidden beach untouched by tourism. He dreams of finding a paradise and miraculous runs into a man who happens to have a map of the paradise. When he finally arrives at this particular beach in Thailand, he finds a perfect life that consists of swimming, farming, fishing, and smoking dope with a bunch of another community of backpackers. Do things end well for Richard? Well, you have to read the book or watch the feature film based on the book to know more. Alex Garland beautifully describes the beaches of Thailand and will make you want to pack your bags and head there straight away. The Beach is edgy and gritty in its narrative and the characters feel horrifyingly real. The story flows in such an interesting way that you will long for reading one more chapter making the book a quick read. Alex Garland's style of writing will make you wish for more. 29. THE GEOGRAPHY OF BLISS by Eric Weiner Contributed by Oksana and Max from Drink Tea & Travel The Geography of Bliss is a fascinating travel memoir by Eric Weiner about his search to discover the happiest country in the world. As a former war correspondent, he was saturated with the lives of unhappy people for over a decade. In his book he travels to the Netherlands to take a first hand look at the World Happiness Index. Then to explore some of the happiest and most unhappy countries in the world. Including countries such as Switzerland, Bhutan, Qatar, Iceland, Thailand, Great Britain, India and the most incontent - Moldova. In each location, he explores how themes like wealth, religion, politics, and education have an impact on happiness. The book is infused with psychological facts, humor, and keen observations. It reinforces the importance of human connection and will make you want to pack a bag and discover these “happy” places on your own. It's a book that’s hard to put down! 30. THE NIGHT TRAIN AT DEOLI by Ruskin Bond Contributed by Vaibhav Khare Mountains. As soon as we say this word, imagery of lush green slopes, fragrant valleys, downtrodden paths appear in our mind. Mountains and valleys are pretty close to every traveller's heart. A traveller isn't, after all, a true traveller unless he has ventured through both shorelines of seas and the woods of mountains. And who better than Ruskin Bond can describe a narration that captures the beauty of these hills in their truest raw form. His book “Night Train to Deoli” is a perfect example of the same. The story revolves around the writer’s voyage to his hometown and his venture with the small, isolated station of Deoli, where he meets this girl whose appearance leaves him captivated. She is a poor seller at the station yet the way she holds herself is dignified and graceful. His encounter with this girl leaves a longing in him to meet her again. This encounter makes him feel responsible towards the girl and he decides that he will meet her again. Next summer, he again travels to Deoli in hopes of meeting her again. But to his dismay, she is nowhere to be found. The ordeal he goes through to find her turns out to be futile as well. In this small yet thought-provoking way of his own, Ruskin Bond makes you go through life in its raw form, reinstating that unlike fiction, real life isn’t permanent. You have to learn to lose and gain people you love. The poignant way in which he simply captures this simple fact of life mesmerizingly true. For all those readers out there, this is not just a story. It’s life defined in its simplest form. PIN THIS IMAGE Have you read any such book that inspired your wanderlust and urged you to travel right-away? Let us know about it in the comment section below. #TravelInspiration

Travel industry, the sector which came to a screeching halt amidst coronavirus pandemic, has slowly started to open up in a phased manner. As the countries emerge from the over two-month-long lockdown which was meant to curb the novel coronavirus pandemic, the way we travel won’t be the same at all, till there is vaccine out there. Going forward, we are going to witness a major shift in the travel trends. Travellers will seek for new health safety protocols and social distancing norms to re-initiate their travel plans. They will now look for travel trends that will make them feel safe and confident that their health is safeguarded. Safety, health and hygiene will be deeply embedded in traveller’s psyche and hence in travel choices in the coming future. In this article, we will share our insights about how we think travel will change post-COVID and what you must do to adapt to this new style of travel. 1. Staycations and Offbeat destinations over Touristy places The travellers are apprehensive to get on an airplane right now. Needless to say, the fear of getting contacted by someone/ something carrying virus is not going to leave us any time soon. Hence, travellers will initially be more comfortable doing in-city trips compared to outstation ones. Domestic destinations reachable within 3-4 hours will be more preferred than the international exotic locations. Most travellers have decided to slow down and indulge in activities that their hometowns have to offer. Staycation will be a major travel trend for the foreseeable future until people get comfortable with the safety measures and how things turn out. Staycations will provide travellers with the much-needed quality time without the hassle of travelling. To avoid contact with more people, travellers will prefer visiting offbeat destinations instead of the touristy places. Social distancing activities like fishing, walking tours, cycling tours, farm visits, camping, hiking, bird-watching, photography and trekking will be practised more. Theme parks, museums and iconic landmarks that attract a lot of tourist crowd would be abandoned. We started appreciating the often-neglected things like balconies, plants, chirping birds, windows, terraces and fresh air during the lockdown. When the pandemic settles, travellers will likely look towards such places of natural beauty like wellness and wilderness camps. 2. Homestays over Hotels Travellers will opt to stay at places where human contact is limited and contact tracing is easier. They will prefer staying at private rental properties, boutique homestays and independent AirBnBs instead of big hotels and resorts. For a few months, travellers will be uncomfortable to check-in to properties that have a lot of volume, a lot of people at the reception desk and in the dining rooms. Accommodations that are more isolated, amidst nature and have a smaller number of rooms will be favoured, e.g. villas and private homes. However, homestays in touristy places like Dehradun and Mussoorie will be less preferred than those in the offbeat locations like Landour. As travellers will hesitate to venture out for sightseeing, homestays that offer a chance to have meaningful conversations, indulge in some unique, immersive experiences and relish local delicacies within the property premises, will be picked more. Meaningful travel is going to be the next big thing. In-house amenities, cleanliness, hygiene and comfort are the attributes that travellers will look out for in accommodations. Even short-term rentals where the room is equipped with a kitchenette will be in demand for people seeking an extended leisure trip but worried about safety. 3. Private transportation over Public transport Sanitisation is the new security for future travellers. They will not be confident to use public transportation as there will always be doubts about its cleanliness and hygiene. Also, challenges like crowding, failure to maintain social distance and difficulty in contact tracing, are other reasons why public transportation will be looked down upon. The fear of boarding a shared vehicle is something that travellers are not ready to handle right now. In these times, the classic road trip will make a comeback. Travellers will first plan for short trips to destinations where they can drive in their own private vehicles. Car and bike rental companies that provide assurance that the vehicles are deep-cleaned after each use are likely to see an uptick. Agencies offering self-drive cars for a rental will be more preferred than chauffeur-driven ones. People will stay away from mass-transport to stay safe. Hence, walking, cycling, two-wheeler riding and personal car driving will see a surge. Even researchers have suggested that personal vehicles are deemed to be extremely low risk in these pandemic times as compared to public transportation. 4. Solo tours or Family tours over Group tours In the foreseeable future, solo trips hold the key for the revival of the travel sector. Coronavirus pandemic has made us realise how important our family and friends are. Hence, family tours and tours with friends will also surge after the pandemic. People would obviously want to travel with known familiar faces than with strangers from around the state. Group tours will shrink due to social distancing challenges while travelling with a greater number of people. This would, of course, be a downside for the first time and middle-class travellers who feel more comfortable and affordable to travel as a group. Even if travellers decide to travel as a group, the group will be smaller to ensure social distancing. The vehicles will be less occupied or there will be two vehicles where there is a need for one. 5. Fine dining over Street food Due to the coronavirus outbreak, people began to think about how they consume food. The ‘thinking’ involves getting to know where their food is sourced from and what safety measures are taken while preparing and delivering it. The chef-driven fine dining restaurants will now make a comeback. Restaurants that curate a better experience right from hygiene to safety in packaging will be preferred over the others. Street food joints, however cheap, will not be a choice of the eatery by travellers. In-house restaurants in resorts will be more trustworthy to eat at than anywhere else outside. While on a staycation, the travellers will prefer to pack the home-cooked food and savour it on the go. With hygiene and cleanliness being the primary area of concern after the pandemic, street food will not be a preferred food option anymore. Travellers would pick food from their favourite restaurant on their own rather than getting it delivered to their accommodations to eliminate the handler in between. There will be a rise in single portion servings for catering to solo travellers or even group travellers as they won’t be comfortable sharing food now. 6. Rural Tourism over Urban Tourism The coronavirus outbreak has hit densely populated urban areas much much more than the scarcely populated rural areas. The major reason being built-in social distancing from the geographic dispersion of populations. With urban areas full of things to do and touristy spots, travellers will now look out for a slower pace and more relaxed vacations. Many rental properties in rural areas tend to have extremely spacious land, which can be perfect for secluding oneself from the crowd. While travellers are still sceptical of moving out on the streets in urban areas, they can enjoy the outdoors in the rural areas. Going for a morning stroll, spotting wildlife in nearby forests, people-watching, and getting to know the local culture can be all done in rural areas without any fear. Getting a chance to eat authentic local cuisine is another reason why travellers will love visiting the countryside. Slow travel is the next popular travel trend. Instead of planning to pack the day with several places to visit, travellers will choose to stay at one place and enjoy and learn most about it. And that's what rural tourism has to offer! The above are going to be the new travel trends now. The travel industry is going to face a major change, hopefully for good. Travellers will first try to venture out close to home, stay at private homestays, preferably to rural areas, use their own private vehicles to travel, eat at fine-dining restaurants and either travel solo or with family and friends. PIN THIS IMAGE What will travel be like in the coming future according to you? How are you planning to adopt to the changes in travel trends? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

As the world is coming out of lockdown, the international as well as the state borders, are still expected to be closed for an unknown period. Different countries and states will open their borders to travellers at different point of times. We are often asked these days – ‘How safe will it be to travel across state or country borders?’. Well, we are still sceptical. In fact, we suggest everyone to start cautiously by travelling to nearby places close to their own hometown by opting for a staycation. If you are coming across this word for the first time, staycation means spending holiday in one's own hometown by visiting local attractions and doing fun activities. This could involve staying at your own home and doing day trips or opting to stay in a hotel in the same city for a change. Well, what better place to travel than your own hometown! You will have adequate safety information about your own hometown than any new destination and that could make your staycation safe and stress free. Exploring your own city again, through fresh eyes, can be as much fun as exploring a new place. Ask yourself this question - Have I seen everything that my hometown has to offer? We are sure you haven’t. You definitely need a staycation! In this article, we will give you some staycation tips and ideas and will offer you some ways to embrace your next holiday at home. How to plan a Staycation? It is important to plan a staycation just like you would plan a vacation. Start planning your staycation by - Collect information about your home town - Pick up a map of your hometown from any local tourism agency or open google maps and go through it in detail to get started. Advance towards a staycation in the same way as you would plan any vacation Read other people’s blogs on your hometown and see what they recommend visiting. Read online reviews or TripAdvisor reviews for personal recommendations from people who have visited places in your hometown that you are interested in. Tourists often know more about a place than a local as they would have researched it in detail unlike a local Buy a guidebook. Find out the best sites to visit. You could be surprised that you didn’t know many Pick up that glossy brochure that the airport or tourism offices flaunt. It often comes along with a map that will guide you to undiscovered local attractions, nightlife offerings, adventure activities and quirky restaurants. You can even check your city’s tourism website or the wiki page to see what’s new and interesting in your hometown Go on a Staycation Act like a tourist and take a tour of your hometown. Visit all the sightseeing places that interest you from your research. While people may ask you to skip going to places you normally do during a staycation, we believe it doesn’t matter if you have been to a place before. Go there again and try to see it differently! But don’t hesitate to explore new ones Take time to discover new things. Travel slow. Talk to locals and see what they have to add to your already existing knowledge about your city Walk through narrow lanes instead of driving/ riding a vehicle. Get lost in the streets. The whole idea of a staycation is to come across some parts of your city that you never knew existed Include the lesser-known and less popular sites in your hometown sightseeing itinerary. These could be in outskirts or around your hometown as well Go back in time by visiting museums, ancient monuments, and iconic buildings in your city. Dive into history and look for reasons behind the well-known facts Visit water bodies like a lake or a beach and opt for a fun activity like boating or swimming. Go for a trek. Climb a nearby hill or mountain. Carry a picnic basket and enjoy your favourite meal with a view There might be several places in your city that you pass by each day and silently vow to visit someday. Make a plan to visit all those while planning your staycation Change your perspective when you go on a Staycation Join a guided tour. It could be a plain sightseeing tour, adventure tour, food tour or historic tour. This will help add to your knowledge about the history of your city, the new sightseeing places, the old and authentic restaurants to eat from, and good places to shop at Try taking a different mode of transportation while on a staycation. Opt for a bus ride or a subway or a bicycle tour or get on the hop-on-hop-off buses even if you have your own car Find the highest viewpoint in your city and get a panoramic view of the entire town from up there. Catch a sunrise or sunset from this new vantage point and you will fall in love with your city all over again Join a meetup group where you could find people having similar interests in exploring your town. It’s a great way to meet new people and make new travel buddies Attend local events happening in your city. It could be anything from theatre to art shows to exhibitions to concerts to sports events. Locals often miss out on attending the events happening in their own city. Volunteer for events that interest you like a beach cleaning drive Show someone around as a part of your staycation. Couchsurf or catch up with people who are new in your area and either join them or offer to play their tour guide Opt for a night tour and re-visit all the sightseeing places that you loved, to see how they lit up during night time if there are experiences that you are craving for but they are not available in your hometown, try finding a virtual way of experiencing it. Since it would still be unique and something you don't do often, you would still have fun Try out local restaurants Look out for old and authentic eating joints and taste the locally produced delicacies. Try not to order the regular stuff that you generally eat while on a staycation Make a list of all the popular restaurants and cafes that you would like to visit and tick them off as and when you get a chance to eat-out. You will be surprised by the long list of must-eat joints in your hometown Try dishes that are special and unique to your place. Maybe you have missed out on eating the tastiest food offered by your hometown. Look out for family-owned small restaurants and eateries Ask for food recommendations. Go restaurant-hopping. Meet the chef and ask him to prepare you his/her special local dish Learn to cook a local delicacy that you love. Join a cooking class or ask a friend or relative if they can teach you how to prepare your favourites Spend the night in a hotel Check yourself into a hotel in your own hometown to feel like a tourist. This can give you an instant holiday feeling. After all, staycation is a perfect opportunity to spend some time on yourself If you live on the outskirts, opt to stay somewhere in the middle of the city to get a different vibe. And if you live within the city, look for a stay someplace in the countryside where you could be one with nature Make use of the travel desk at the hotel to find out about exciting places to visit and tips and hints on things to do around Choose to stay at some unique property like a boutique hotel or a refurbished old house or a historic property or an eco-friendly homestay. This will provide you with the much-needed change that you were seeking for. One of the key elements of a staycation is to stay disconnected and away from work Staying in a hotel is a great way to make friends with other travellers over a cup of coffee in the in-house café or simply while lounging around Carry Your Camera You will be surprised by how little photographs you have of your own city. Carrying a camera wherever you go during the staycation will make you feel like a tourist and eventually you will end up with a bunch of great photos Revisit your photos whenever you want to see how wonderful your hometown is. Your clicked photos will act as special memories that you could store with you forever Viewing your city through your camera lens will add to its beauty. Clicking selfies in front of your favourite places can actually be a lot of fun Simple alterations in your everyday life can help you achieve your travel plans. Always remember travelling is not about the distance that you cover. It's about the experiences you have and the journey more than the destination. Discovering hidden gems in your own hometown can be a lot of fun. PIN THIS IMAGE Are there any other tips that you would want to add to our staycation suggestions? Do share them with us in the comment section below. #TravelInspiration

The definition of travel has changed a lot over the last decade. Flights have become cheaper, basic itineraries have been modified to include as many sightseeing places as can be adjusted, and pretty photos on Instagram has changed the way how we view travel. Amid global warming, over-tourism and problems in waste disposal, there’s an urgent need to protect the world and make changes in the way we travel. Not many travellers understand what responsible travel means and it is need of the hour that they realize that travelling responsibly isn’t always travelling cheap or backpacker style. To most, the word ‘responsibility’ means burdensome, that often contradicts the fun of travelling. But in fact, travelling responsibly gives one more opportunity to connect with nature and indulge in authentic experiences. By adopting a style of tourism that minimizes the negative impact on environment, economy or culture, any traveller can contribute to responsible tourism. Simply putting it, responsible travel is all about dealing with your own waste, conserving water and energy, abandoning the use of plastic, supporting the traditional way of life and contributing to the local community. Let’s take a look at how you can take baby steps to travel responsibly. Here are some of our key tips to responsible travel that we have acquired over the years of travelling the world. Start at home Abondon plastic usage - Minimize your footprint Support local community and local businesses Give back or volunteer Do a land journey or fly responsibly Respect local culture and customs Select less travelled countries or travel in the off-season Say no to animal exploitation Keep graffiti and artwork skills to yourself Stay in eco-friendly accommodations Be careful of your social media posts Educate & spread awareness Lets dive into each of them and understand them better - 1. Start at home Responsible travel starts way before you leave home. Responsible travel is just an extension of responsible living. If you are conscious of your usage and wastage at home, you are bound to be conscious of these things when you travel. So to travel responsibly, start living responsibly as a first step. Consider every drop of water as precious as your assets. Use as much as you need, but not a drop more which might be wastage. Double-check if the taps are properly closed and flush adequate less water. Turn off the tap when you are brushing. Many cities are encountering a shortage of energy and water. As with water, use electricity responsibly. Turn off lights, fan, television and charging points when not in use. Do not keep the bathroom lights switched on unnecessarily. Before setting off to travel, turn off or unplug all electronic appliances and check that no water taps are leaking. While travelling, you might be in a five star hotel or a homestay, use electricity and water only as much as you need. Just because you are not paying for it separately, does not mean you keep the AC on even when you leave the room. 2. Abandon plastic usage – Minimize your footprint We all know that plastic is bad for environment. But we often give little thought to how we manage it. Ask yourself a question whenever you visit a heavenly place - Do you want to convert the surreal paradise into a plastic land? Don’t you find it gross to see the food wrappers and coke bottles littering the pristine beauty of nature? If you visit beautiful small villages or hike in lush green forests or trek in snowy mountains, be extremely conscious of what you do with waste. These places do not have a way to get rid of the plastic garbage; neither do they have a waste segregation system or any recycling plant. Being a responsible traveller here was of utmost importance. Do not litter even if the locals do. Carry a metal water bottle with you and get it refilled wherever you can. This will help you avoid purchasing plastic water bottles water every now and then while travelling. Say no to plastic straws. Even better, carry your own bamboo straw. Avoid buying and consuming packaged food; not only is it harmful to your body, but it also creates a lot of waste. If at all you buy them, dispose it responsibly in bins. And if you dont find bins, carry the waste food packets with you all the way back to cities and then dispose it in bins. It is always a good idea of having one section of your bag for dry waste disposal. In fact, most backpacks today are designed such that they have a section in the bottom for garbage. If you don't have one, you can always carry one polythene bag in your backpack where you put any non-biodegradable waste that you generate. We recall while trekking through forests to Dudhsagar Falls and Tambdi Surla falls in Goa, we picked up every piece of plastic and stored it in a larger plastic which again we found on the way. By the end of the trek, we felt extremely proud and satisfied. 3. Support local community and local businesses This applies to 3 facets – eating, sleeping and buying. Instead of buying a soft drink, ask for a juice. Buy locally grown fruits instead of food packets. Try out local delicacies. Eat at local eateries. This is where you will find the tastiest and most authentic food. Buy local souvenirs from government-run emporiums or local shops. Choose to buy locally made handicrafts instead of mass-produced mugs, keychains and magnets. Try not to bargain much. That meagre sum of money that you are trying to save will go a long way for the person whom you are purchasing from. However, to support local business, do not go around buying products made from endangered species or wood. Choose to stay at an eco-friendly homestay with locals rather than splurging on a renowned hotel chain. Always remember that the shells and corals should stay at the shore and the leaves and shining stones shall stay where they belong to. Research legality and local ethics before you pick these up for your home decorations. 4. Give back or volunteer Volunteer while travelling. Opt for a work exchange - where you get to stay for free in exchange for some work. Here, along with learning new skills, you also give back to society. Research for non-profit organisations in the area you are visiting and support in any way you are capable of. Volunteer only for worthwhile causes and with reputed organisations. If you possess some skills, put your expertise to good use. Like teaching a language in a rural school or helping paint a hospital. While you may not have time and bandwidth to volunteer at every place that you visit, you do have money to donate or buy useful things for locals. Rural schools, old age homes and orphanages accept donations to support education and development. We donated stationery kits to local school kids in Spiti Valley. Just their excitement to receive gifts and the smile on their faces made our trip worthwhile. While giving back to the community is a great idea, refrain from giving money to poor children begging on the streets. Doing so encourages them to skip school and beg for easy living. But if you really want to help out, buy them food instead of giving them money. 5. Do a land journey or fly responsibly We have realized that a land journey is many times more fulfilling and adventurous than directly flying to the destination. When moving locally within and around a destination, choose to walk or cycle or hire a shared taxi or take a metro to emit fewer pollutants. Use public transport. Switch to a greener mode of transportation. Travelling by train, bus, or even hitchhike has gained a lot of popularity these days. Take pleasure in slow travel. There’s only so much that we can experience in this lifetime. Do not try to pack 100 different places-to-see in your weekly trip itinerary. Instead, spend quality time in one place and grasp as much as the place has to offer. It’s understood, that sometimes you just cannot avoid flying. While travelling across oceans and very long distances or if you have limited time in hand, there isn’t much option but to book a flight. In such scenarios, you can contribute by choosing direct flights instead of stop-overs or fly with an airline that promotes sustainable air travel either by using sustainable aviation fuel, by planting more trees or by other similar methods. Also, pack light. Every extra gram of your luggage adds to your flight fuel burn. 6. Respect local culture and customs Being a respectful traveller is the first step to being a responsible traveller. Travel with an open mind. Research about the local culture before visiting any place. Learn to speak a few words and phrases in the local language and use them to greet people around. This will allow you to be readily welcomed by the locals. Educate yourself on the social culture, customs and traditions and behave accordingly. Ex. At every holy place of worship in Bhutan, you are supposed to wear full sleeves clothes and cover your legs. In Golden Temple in Amritsar, everyone must cover their head – be it a man or a woman. Research and dress respectfully while visiting temples and monasteries. Follow rules at tourists’ attractions. If a signboard says ‘No photographs’, don’t click. If it says ‘Maintain silence’, do not create a ruckus. We read a wonderful quote while walking on the streets of Landour, near Mussoorie. It said: ‘If we liked noise we wouldn’t be here; if you like noise you shouldn’t be here’. Beautiful! Isn’t it? Act responsibly – do not play music on your mobile or bluetooth speakers for everyone to listen. This is something very popular with hikers. You might be hiking in a beautiful peaceful forest or trekking in mountains with some scenic landscape and suddenly you will hear music coming from a bluetooth speaker of a passerby. Not only does it spoil the peace of a tranquil place, it also hampers peace of mind of every person on the way who did not choose to listen to it, but had to. Be considerate and use earphones instead. Respect the tranquillity and solitude of the place as well as the privacy of people. Do not try to shove cameras in the lovely faces of the locals. Instead, ask them politely if you could click. 7. Select less-travelled countries or travel in the off-season Though the travel industry is growing, the number of attractions, more or less, remain the same. In Goa, the locals have started using their agricultural lands for commercial tourism. In Agra, the increase in the number of tourists has resulted in large scale deforestation for hotel construction. The sparkling white marble floor of the iconic monument, Taj Mahal, is said to turn yellow. Research where you want to go and see if you are adding to the existing problems. Many popular destinations have started putting efforts to combat over-tourism by holding protests and campaigns. It’s advisable not to plan a trip to such destinations or you can choose to travel there in the off-season. Ensure you travel responsibly especially when it comes to these destinations. Find destinations that are more earth-conscious than party-conscious. Prioritize visiting places where the locals are still happy to meet you. 8. Say no to animal exploitation In developing countries like India, there are no regulations on how animals are treated at major tourist attractions. Hence, it becomes a traveller’s responsibility to act sensibly and be accountable for their actions. While riding elephants in Dubare elephant camp (Coorg) or Camel riding in Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) looks like a great way to help locals earn a few bucks, the animals are generally mistreated, overworked, starved and taught unnatural tricks. They might be either abused, drugged or both. Plan for an animal-friendly holiday. If you are keen on spotting and clicking wildlife, sign up for ethical safari rides in national parks where the animals move freely in their habitat and are not caged. 9. Keep graffiti and artwork skills to yourself We are pretty confident we don’t need to emphasize this point, but no harm mentioning it. You need not record or mark your presence everywhere you go. Don’t carve your name on anything, be it stones, monument walls or barks of trees. We have been disappointed so many times to see the inscribed love locks that irresponsible tourists would have left on so many beautiful monuments across India. As it is said: ‘Take nothing but memories and photographs, leave nothing but footprints.’ 10. Stay in eco-friendly accommodations There are plenty of eco-resorts and eco-villages that do no or negligible harm to nature without compromising the fun and adventure of a holiday. All that is required, is a bit of research and some thought. La Villa Bethany in Landour and Dudhsagar Plantation in Goa are a few such eco-friendly accommodations that we have stayed. They participate in reforestation projects, support local businesses, believe in effective waste management, believe in farm-to-table dining and give a chance to leave a smaller footprint. Over and above these green and eco-friendly measures that these accommodations partake, staying at such places enables you to gain a unique understanding of the local culture. 11. Be careful of your social media posts Be alert about how you represent the culture you witness at the places that you travel to on your social media handles. Your pictures are the source for someone else to understand the customs and values that the place holds. Be careful about how you use your pictures. Think twice before posting those dreamy, 'perfect' images with a 'perfectly' flowy dress with a 'perfect' backdrop. Do you really want to showcase unreal images on your social media feed? Because life of travel and adventure is nowhere as perfect as it seems on Facebook or Instagram. Think before you post a photo and add the location of a perfectly pristine and isolated place that hasn’t yet been discovered by crowds. Do you really want those places to be the next Taj Mahal or beaches of North Goa? 12. Educate and spread awareness Travelling responsibly might come naturally to some people, but others may just be unaware of the implications their actions can have. If you spot someone, unintentionally doing some harm to the community or to the environment, mention it and educate them in a friendly and polite manner. Villagers of Mawlynnong (Meghalaya), do not shy away from requesting the tourists to pick up their own waste. It is only through education that we can spread awareness about responsible tourism. If a restaurant, homestay or a tour organiser is doing good to the environment, tell the world about it. Teach your peers to travel responsibly. If you see animals treated inappropriately, report it. Remember - Little steps go a long way. Do you still think travelling responsibly is a lot of work? Relax. You need not be 100% perfect in following these tips. Do what you can and enjoy travelling like you always did. Once the world is COVID-free and you get to travel again, remember to make a positive impact by travelling responsibly. PIN THIS IMAGE What responsible travel tips do you follow while travelling? Is there any responsible practice that we have missed out? Let us know in the comment section below. #ResponsibleTravel

These days, due to COVID lockdown, I have been missing a lot of things that I used to take for granted before. I miss going out for long walks. I miss sitting on the swing in the nearby park. I miss going for a swim. I miss sneaking out of the house late in the night to savour an ice-cream. I miss going to the movies. I miss my outdoor running routine with my favourite music blaring in the headphones. I miss riding to unknown destinations to watch a sunset. I miss going out to feed and spend time with the street dogs. I miss being the old me. But the thing I miss the most is, without a doubt, travelling, meeting new people and learning new things on the go. This COVID lockdown has taken a toll on me. Each morning I wake up with a fear of what-ifs. What if I will never go back to the life that I loved. What if the normal world that used to exist soon becomes a fictional story. What if I will have to say goodbye to people, I thought would stay longer with me. What if I will never see my loved ones again. What if I will never be able to visit places that I very carefully placed in my travel bucket list. And as the day continues to unfold, I have to look for comfort. For me, that comfort only comes from travel (and ice-cream!). There is no other way to keep me sane in this COVID lockdown period without hoping. Hoping that everything will be fine soon. Hoping that I will be travelling again. Hoping that I will do all that I had ever dreamt of. I understand how difficult it is to pass days in this global pandemic and waking up to unhappy news each day. So, I have started reading and watching travel content. If you are a travel buff like me, trust me, this list of travel movies will inspire your wanderlust in this ‘stay at home’ period. So, watch these and never stop hoping. I have been meaning to write this post for a long time. Being an avid reader and writer, I always prefer books over movies. But off lately, I have come across some incredible travel movies that took my heart away. I am travelling and going to places virtually, by watching these movies and I suggest you do the same. So, here’s a list of travel movies (both Hollywood and Bollywood) that you must watch in this COVID lockdown period to inspire your wanderlust. BEST HOLLYWOOD TRAVEL MOVIES TO INSPIRE YOUR WANDERLUST A lot of Hollywood movies that inspire us to travel were adapted from books. And usually its always better to read the book and then watch the movie to gain the maximum inspiration. So we have also provided a link to buy the books that led to creation of these travel movies. 1. Into the Wild (2007) Movie available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Into the Wild is a story about moving away from the comfort zone, step out and live an independent life. The movie is an adaptation of the book of the same name and narrates the story of a man who abandons all he owns and hitchhikes to live in the wilderness in Alaska. The movie raises some thought provoking questions and epitomises adventure, freedom and the joy of impromptu travel plans while traversing through Alaska’s stunning landscapes. Buy Into the wild book by Jon Krakauer 2. Away We Go (2009) Movie available on Amazon Prime US Away We Go is a story of meeting and interacting with new people having different lifestyles. It is a feel good road movie about long-time lovers expecting their first child, who set-out for a house-hunt around the country for their child to grow. They eventually realise that finding a home is a journey into one’s heart. The movie provides a bittersweet tour of North America. 3. The Before Trilogy (1995, 2004, 2013) Before sunrise available on Netflix, All movies available on Amazon Prime US Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight is a slow-cinema trilogy, all set in exotic locations in Europe. The love story of the couple who meet in a train, takes you on an intimate journey across Vienna, Austria, Paris and the Greek Islands. Shot at an interval of 9 years with the same actors, these three movies bring about various facets of love through conversations between the lead characters and in a way prove that travel has the power to revamp your perception of life. Cant wait for 2022! 4. The secret life of Walter Mitty (2013) Movie available on Amazon Prime US The secret life of Walter Mitty is about the life-changing journey of a corporate employee who is pushed out of his comfort zone and has to embark on an adventure to remote locations in Greenland and Iceland and even to the Himalayas. The movie is a testament that travel gives you an opportunity to embrace your fears. 5. The Bucket List (2007) Movie available on Netflix The Bucket List is a story of two terminally ill elder patients who head off on a road trip with a bucket list of adventures they had only imagined doing once. The movie reminds that life is too short and you should tick off your bucket list sooner than later. The movie is filmed in various locations in Africa, India, Egypt, China, France and the US. 6. The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) Available on Amazon Prime US The Motorcycle Diaries is based on a true story on the life of Che Guevara’s motorcycle road adventure. The main lead travels over 14,000 kilometres across 8 months with his friend on a motorcycle through some stunning locations in South America, including Machu Picchu, Patagonia, Buenos Aires, Venezuela, Atacama Desert and Caracas. This road trip helps inspire and shape the rest of his life from being naive to revolutionary. Buy Motorcycle Diaries book by Ernesto Che Guevara 7. The Darjeeling Limited (2007) Available on Amazon Prime US and Hulu The Darjeeling Limited is a story about three wealthy and spoilt American brothers who take a rail journey across India. The movie beautifully depicts how travel can wonderfully heal and rejuvenate a person. While the movie has its flaws, it juxtaposes the chaos, culture and colours of India and the captivating visuals come in the form of barren deserts and forested mountains. 8. Wild (2014) Available on Amazon Prime US Wild is a real-life story of a woman’s 1000-mile journey across the US. Based on a book, it is about the inspiring story of her bravery and self-discovery. This movie will make you realise that it’s always about the journey and not the destination. The movie reminds that travelling is a process of recovery and self-acceptance. Wild is an absolute must-watch for solo female travellers. Buy Wild: A journey from lost to found book by Cheryl Strayed 9. Seven years in Tibet (1997) Available on Netflix Seven years in Tibet is about Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian mountaineer, who sets off to conquer a Himalayan peak but eventually ends up in Tibetan city of Lhasa. The movie is about his struggles and his friendship with Dalai Lama. Seven years in Tibet provides an insight into the stunning scenes of the Himalayas and the Potala Palace. Based on a book by same name, the movie shows how travelling can change your life. Buy Seven years in Tibet book by Heinrich Harrer 10. Eat Pray Love (2010) Available on Netflix Eat Pray Love is a movie adaptation of a book with the same name written by Elizabeth Gilbert. The story is about a woman who quits her job to travel the world. Her travel takes her to Italy, India and Indonesia (Bali) where she finds her true self. The movie teaches to let go off the past and embrace the future with an open heart. Buy Eat Pray Love book by Elizabeth Gilbert BEST BOLLYWOOD TRAVEL MOVIES TO INSPIRE YOUR WANDERLUST There are few Bollywood movies themed purely around travel. Either travel is a smaller aspect of a movie or there are Bollywood movies which inspire wanderlust through its amazing portrayal of certain locations. We have included both these types of movies which inspires one to hit the road. 1. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) Available on Netflix and Amazon Prime While one always thinks of Hollywood movies when it comes to travel and action genre, no other movie in Bollywood strikes the chord to travel as Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara does. The movie takes you through scenic drives along coastal Spain. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is a story of three friends who take a long needed holiday and indulge in adventure experiences across different locations that help them overcome their fears. The movie stresses on the fact that memories are the best investment in your life. 2. Highway (2014) Available on Hotstar While Highway might be an unsettling movie, its bluntness is shadowed by the picturesque landscapes of Northern India. The movie beautifully reels through the remote Sangla Valley in Himachal Pradesh and wades along the endless highways of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi. The movie inspires you to drop everything, head on a road trip and let fate take care of you. It brings out the true meaning of freedom. 3. Jab We Met (2007) Available on Amazon Prime Jab We Met is an accidental love story between two characters who take you on a romantic journey across India. The shots of vast green pastures of Bhatinda, snow-covered mountains of Manali and Shimla, roads of Rajasthan and the beautiful Rohtang Pass are breath-taking. The movie teaches to live in the present rather than dwelling on to the past. 4. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) Available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani will inspire you to pack your rucksacks and venture out on exciting Himalayan treks. The movie beautifully captures amazing destinations like Himachal Pradesh, European streets and Rajasthan. This movie confirms the belief that you can find a soulmate while travelling. It is a perfect mix of travel and friendship. Watch this movie and take that holiday with your friends before you plunge into real-world life. 5. Queen (2014) Available on Netflix and Sonyliv Queen is a quintessential travel movie not because it showcases exotic destinations or journey through a place, but because it hits all the right cords of a traveller's heart mainly through the mental state of its lead character. From fear of being in an unknown country to figuring out her way, she finally makes friends for life in an unfamiliar land; something which is extremely common for travellers worldwide. This slow transition is portrayed through an extremely delightful and innocent character and difficult circumstances. Queen is a story of discovering self-confidence in an unknown land. 6. Karwaan (2018) Available on Amazon Prime Karwaan is a life-changing road journey of three characters who are accidentally brought together by love, loss and death. The movie in its essence is so relatable that you will feel like you are watching real-life events from the sidelines. The movie does full justice to the beautiful Nilgiris of Karnataka and backwaters of Kerala. Karwaan is more about letting go off your emotional baggages. 7. Notebook (2019) Available on Amazon Prime Notebook offers most ravishing views of Kashmir where every frame bursts with beauty. The movie is equivalent to an old-world romance where the characters hardly share screen space but still fall in love. This movie actually has nothing to do with travel, but the top-notch cinematography and goosebumpy sceneries of Kashmir’s Wular Lake will surely inspire your wanderlust. 8. Dil Chahta Hai (2001) Available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Dil Chahta Hai is a story about three close friends and how they find love in the most unexpected places. The movie is shot in alluring locales of Sydney, Goa and Mumbai and single-handedly boosted tourism in Goa. Though it fluctuates across many emotions, Dil Chahta Hai is sure to urge you to plan a trip with your friends. It teaches that time and distance does not diminish bonds between friends. 9. Dhanak (2015) Available on Netflix Dhanak’s story is based on the innocence of children and their wide-eyed beliefs in optimism. Dhanak is a story about love and hope. The movie is about road-journey of two children and teaches us to keep faith. Dhanak takes you through stunning landscapes of deserts of Rajasthan with rippling dunes, colourful turbans and tribal women. It symbolises the coming of age. 10. Tamasha (2015) Available on Amazon Prime Tamasha is one of those movies which has a mix of die hard fans and haters. It is most remembered for its lovely portrayal of Corsica, France but is much deeper than that. Tamasha is about a man's conflict between his two selves - one which is seen when he travels and other which he is trying to become in line with society's expectations. The movie showcases this inner struggle and journey of discovering his true self. This movie is bound to invoke your sleeping or hidden self and if you are an explorer at heart, it will awaken your wanderlust. PIN THIS IMAGE I would love to keep updating this list time and again and keep adding to it. Let me know if you come across any such movie that inspired you want to travel. Did you find the listicle useful? Do let me know in the comment section below. #Travelinspiration

We are sure you have all been through endless searching while trying to book the cheapest possible flights. With so many travel websites and the dynamic changes in flight rates, we tend to spend a lot of time looking for deals, coupons, special promotions, and offers to save money on flights. We understand how major budget allocation for each trip goes towards airfare. These secret tips from us will help you book a cheap flight without putting a hole in your pocket. 1. Make use of multiple search engines No single search engine is perfect. Always try a combination of search engines to ensure you are not missing out on the cheapest flight. Many travel websites do not list budget airlines. It’s always better to compare the prices with third-party booking sites before going ahead and booking with one. 2. Use airline points or miles If you are a frequent flyer of a specific airline, you earn air miles or points as part of their loyalty program. You can accumulate these points and then redeem them for booking your next flight. Same goes with specific credit cards that offer travel rewards in the form of points on hitting the minimum spent. Premium credit cards also give free lounge access which helps you if you have taken a red eye flight (read on to know more). 3. Fly with budget or local airlines Budget airlines always offer cheap airfares than their traditional premium counterparts. If you are travelling to remote places, it is always advisable to check for local airlines. Sure, you will have to compromise a bit on comfort and meals, but budget and local airlines surely help fulfil your long-term travel dreams without breaking the bank. For example, Flyadeal is Saudi Arabia's new low-fare airline. Cleartrip offers great deals and discounts on Flyadeal Airlines ticket booking. So, if you plan to visit Saudi Arabia, you should not miss out on this offer. 4. Book early Airfares generally rise closer to the departure date. Best time to book a flight is 5-7 weeks before your departure. If you are travelling to a destination in its peak season, its better to book still earlier. Do not, we repeat, do not wait on an unknown sale. However, booking very early is also not the best option. As per a research study, the airfares are moderate at the very start (i.e. 3-4 months before the departure), they keep on declining in the middle time (i.e. 1-2 months before the departure) and then again start rising during the last 3-4 weeks. Try to locate that sweet middle spot. 5. Be flexible with your dates Flight costs vary a lot based on the approaching festivals, peak seasons of travel, day of the week, and time of the year. The solution is to fly after a major holiday or festival time, during the off-season, and on weekdays in place of weekends. Being flexible with your travel dates can help you save a lot of money. Search for alternative dates or lookout for the entire calendar month fare to book that cheap flight. 6. Look out for special deals or festival offers The best way to get to know about the upcoming deals and offers, follow pages of airlines on various social media handles. Last minute deals offered by several travel portals can also help you save up on flight tickets. Always keep an eye on the festival special deals and anniversary promotions. 7. Set price alerts Once you finalise your destination and date of travel, set an airfare alert. This option is available on most portals. They will notify you if there is any drop in airfare. So, if you have a lot of time left before your travel, it's better to wait and track the airfares. 8. Fly from alternative airports In some cases, flying to a larger airport near your destination will save you money. Flying to the destination may not be always a cheap way to travel. So take a cheaper flight to nearby airport and reach your destination via road or rail. 9. Fly at odd hours Generally, early morning and late-night flights are cheaper than the ones that fly during the day-time as there is less demand for these. Backpackers and solo-travellers can explore this option to fly at odd times. We have benefited ourselves by taking plenty of red-eye flights. Having a travel credit card makes it easy to take a such flights as you can relax in the lounges for free. 10. Use hand-baggage only fare If you are a backpacker or travelling solo with less luggage, always look for hand-baggage only flights. The airline expense increase when the flight is heavy, hence they provide incentives to people carrying less baggage. It’s always wise to buy a razor or deodorant from the city you are visiting than carrying it in your bag and paying extra for the check-in luggage. Hope these tips help you with booking flight at cheap airfares. However, do not get all frenzied trying to bring down the flight cost. While its always great to find deals and discounts, check if all the hard work in finding such deals is really worth your time. Let us know if we missed some trick that you use often. PIN THIS IMAGE #Travelbooking

We always advise our friends to get a backup of all their favourite photos on a timely basis. Being a travel blogger and photographer couple, we tend to click a lot of photos and videos. These photographic memories are priceless to us and form a deep part of our lives. So, we know the importance of backup and maintenance of storage devices. However, you never know when a hard drive will go bad or crash right out of the box. Hence, we keep ourselves updated with the latest recovery tools and software. We wrote about how Stellar data recovery software once turned out to be our saviour when two memory cards carrying all the photographs from our Meghalaya trip went corrupt. Recently, we came across a similar software introduced by Stellar named 'Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional'; and we can't recommend it enough. It is a must-have for all the photographers and vloggers out there. In this blog, we will walk you through the key features of the Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software and how you could use it to recover or repair your lost or accidentally deleted photographs. So let's dive right in. Stellar Photo recovery software is a DIY software for both amateur and professional photographers. It can help them recover photos, videos and audio files easily and quickly. When we started understanding the number of ways Stellar Photo Recovery is useful and superior than most options out there, we decided to make a list. So here are some most useful and important features of this software - Key features of the Photo Recovery - Professional Software: 1. Recovery from all storage media There have been times when we found that our SD card has been damaged or corrupted and we lost all the photographs and media files. Well, now Stellar has a unique Photo Recovery - Professional software that can be a life saviour for us during such times. The software can undelete our lost photos and media files from any type of damaged or corrupted SD card be it mini, micro, SDHC or SDXC. Above all, the software also works on memory cards, memory sticks, pen drives, SSD cards, P2 cards, multimedia cards, XQD memory cards, USB flash drives, and many more. 2. Retrieves deleted photos and repairs damaged photos Many a time we accidentally delete photos and media files from our SD cards without even copying them. Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software can recover such deleted photos and repair the damaged photos from all types of storage media. 3. Supports file formats of all major cameras Being professional photographers, we tend to click images in RAW file format. While we have come across data recovery tools that recover lost photos in JPEG formats; this is the first time we are looking at a software that recovers RAW file images as well. Yes, Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software supports file formats of all major cameras like Canon, Epson, Fujifilm, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, Sigma and so on. The software also supports drone cameras. 4. Retrieves deleted videos and audio files Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software can retrieve accidentally deleted videos and audio files as well. It supports a range of around 100 video and audio file formats like MP3, MP4, RPS, 3GP, AVI, MPEG, MKV, MTS, DIVX, VOB, OGG, OGM, 3G2, ASX, MTS, AJP, F4V, VID, TOD, HDMOV, MOV, MQV, M4B, M4V, WMA, WMV, RA, AMR, IFF, SND, MXF and SVI. We’re sure this feature is highly useful for vloggers who take travel videos and interview people. 5. Recovers photos and videos from encrypted drives Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software works even on BitLocker encrypted drives or partitions and can easily retrieve lost photos, videos and audio files. 6. Performs deep scan The Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software can perform a deep scan of the drive to recover every bit of lost or deleted photos. It also recovers photos from the drives that have bad sectors. 7. Works smoothly with storage capacity > 6 TB Most recovery software fails to recover photos from drives and devices that have a large storage capacity. Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software, however, helps to recover files from media with size as high as 6 TB and more. 8. Restores files with original date-timestamp Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software supports recovery of files with the original timestamp, camera model/ name, resolution or file name. This makes it easy and convenient to identify the required files from a lot of unnecessary photos. 9. Extracts thumbnails of corrupt photos Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software supports thumbnail recovery for photo file formats. It restores both the original image and its respective thumbnail. 10. Shows preview of repaired photos There are multiple preview options supported by Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software. Such easily sorted scanned results help in identifying the files to be recovered. 11. Allows to save the scanned information Once you scan the drive in the Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software, it allows you to save the scanned results and use that information to resume the recovery at a later point without scanning the drive again. 12. Ascertains health of storage device The Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software provides SMART information about storage devices that reveals the health and temperature of the device. This helps take a timely backup if the device is on the verge of failure. 13. Easy-to-use The Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software has an easy to use graphical user interface which is basically self-explanatory. The first time we used it, we did not need any guidance in terms of reading the steps to follow. It is so intuitive. 14. Ensures fast recovery The Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software is an easier, faster and better way to recover the lost photos, videos and audio files. Its recovery rate is higher than any other data recovery software available in the market. The software also displays estimated time of recovery while the scanning process is ongoing. 15. Offers in-lab recovery This is something we know about Stellar from our previous experience. If you are someone who is not tech-savvy and are unsure of whether your photos, videos or audio files will be recovered, you can simply mail your storage device to Stellar’s store. The data care experts will happily get back to you with the results of the scan. How to install, activate and recover data by using Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software: 1. You can purchase, download, install and run the Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software from Stellar’s website. They also have Standard and Premium versions. 2. You will get an activation key via e-mail once you purchase the software. You can simply click the activation button, paste the key and click ‘Activate’ button to successfully activate the software. 3. On activation, all the hard drives that are connected to your computer/ laptop will be displayed. You can select the desired drive from which you wish to recover photo, audio and video files. 4. Finally, click ‘Scan’ and the screen will show you the scanning status and the time required to scan the entire drive. 5. Once the scanning is completed, the preview details of all files and folders found will be displayed. 6. You can simply select the files and folders that you want to be recovered. You can narrow the search result by selecting specific file types that are displayed. Once you have selected the files to be recovered, click ‘Recover’. 7. You will be asked to select the destination where you want your recovered files to be stored. Next, click ‘Start saving’ and the selected files will be recovered and saved at the specified location. The best feature of this Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional software is that it is 100% secure. We authorize complete access of our device to the software, when we download it. There’s always a fear that our personal data might be misused or a virus might invade the device. Stellar photo recovery software works best here, as it provides complete privacy and guaranteed security. Even you can benefit by using the Stellar Photo Recovery software to recover your lost photos, videos and audio files with ease. You can check out the Stellar Photo Recovery - Professional Software here. PIN THIS IMAGE Have you at any point of time lost your precious photographs or videos? What did you do to recover them? What are your thoughts on the Stellar photo recovery software? Do let us know in the comment section below. #ProductReviews #Softwares

Chandratal Lake is considered to be one of the most incredible lakes in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is a high-altitude lake located in the Lahaul and Spiti district of India. The name of the lake originates from its crescent shape. The name Chandratal translates to ‘The Moon Lake’ in Hindi language (Chandra = Moon; Tal = Lake). The beautiful lake is surrounded by plenty of snow-capped mountain peaks. We read about Chandratal Lake a couple of years ago and since then it had always been in the top of our travel bucket list. The lake was the last destination of our trip to Spiti Valley. In this blog, we provide you with a travel guide to visit Chandratal Lake. Location of Chandratal Lake: Chandratal Lake is located at an altitude of 13,940 feet from the sea level in Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. It is a freshwater lake and is 2.5 km long in terms of circumference. Chandratal Lake is the source of the Chandra river – a source river of Chenab that flows from India to Pakistan. The lake is in a remote setting where even the roads do not reach. Chandratal Lake is situated 12.5 kilometers off the route from the Gramphu-Batal-Kaza road. The Chandratal Lake can be accessed either from Manali or Shimla-Kaza route. However, it is closer to Kaza (90 kilometres) than to Manali (125 kilometres). The motorable road ends 2 kilometres before the Chandratal lake and you will have to walk the remaining distance to reach the lake. The walk to reach the trek is not particularly difficult and can be done with anyone having basic fitness. How to reach Chandratal Lake: Locating Chandratal Lake on the map is not difficult, but reaching the lake is sure difficult. As discussed above, the lake can be reached either from Manali or from Shimla-Kaza. Manali to Chandratal Lake: From Manali, Chandratal Lake is a weekend or a long-weekend destination. It can be visited as a standalone trip or can be clubbed with sightseeing in Shimla and Manali. The route to reach Chandratal Lake from Manali is as follows: Manali – Rohtang Pass – Gramphu – Chhatru – Batal – Chandratal Although this route can be easily covered in a day, the altitude gain is huge and if you are not fit, your body will not be able to acclimatize to the low oxygen levels. Hence, we recommend travelling to Chandratal Lake from Shimla-Kinnaur-Kaza side. If that does not suit your travel plan, halt for a night at Solang Valley (north of Manali) or Batal, before planning an overnight stay at Chandratal. Note that not everyone who travels by this route feels signs of AMS (Acute mountain sickness). However it is suggested you take your own precautions and plan your trip. Shimla-Kaza to Chandratal Lake: From Shimla, Chandratal Lake is a week-long or a 10-day destination. It is highly advisable that you also visit Kinnaur Valley (Nako, Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa) and Spiti Valley (Tabo, Dhankar, Pin Valley, Key, Kibber, Komik, Hikkim, Langza) before heading to Chandratal Lake. The route to reach Chandratal Lake from Shimla is as follows: Shimla – Narkanda – Karcham – Nako – Tabo – Kaza – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal This route passing through Kinnaur district ensures that you ascend gradually and slowly acclimatize to the higher altitude. We chose this route for the same reason. Note that time shown in google maps in this region would not hold true. The roads are extremely bad and non-existent. And not to forget quite dangerous. For example, you can assume that if you start from Kaza at 9 AM, you may take few halts at Chicham bridge, Kumzum pass and for lunch, and reach Chandratal lake only around 4-5 PM giving you couple of hours before it goes dark. Read our previous blogs on Spiti Valley by clicking on the links or images below: 1. Introduction to Spiti Valley 2. Plan your trip to Spiti Valley 3. Travel guide to Kinnaur Valley 4. Travel guide to Gue and Tabo 5. Travel guide to Dhankar Lake and Monastery 6. Travel guide to Pin Valley 7. Places to visit around Kaza (Key, Kibber, Chicham, Hikkim, Komik, Langza) 8. Travel guide to Langza and Buddha statue 9. Travel guide to Chandratal Lake (This blog) Road conditions from Kaza to Chandratal Lake: The road conditions from Kaza to Chandratal Lake are not so good. The roads are nothing more than a dirt track. The road conditions further worsen after Kunzum Pass. Even despite all the hardships, one has to face on the road, the landscape that these roads run through are breath-taking. Kunzum Pass: Kunzum Pass or Kunzum La is a high-altitude pass that connects Spiti Valley to Lahaul Valley. India has many high altitude mountain passes and Kunzum pass is amongst India’s highest motorable mountain passes at an altitude of 15060 feet above sea level. It offers an awe-inspiring view of the Chandra-Bhaga mountain ranges. The Kunzum Pass remains closed most of the year due to heavy snowfall. It opens only for 3-4 months (June-September) during the summer season. Kunzum Pass is broad and is easily crossable. There is a temple dedicated to Goddess Durga at the top of the pass. All the tourists, as well as the drivers, perform a parikrama (clockwise circumambulation) of the temple. Several stupas are also located at the top that is considered to be holy. Colourful Buddhist prayer flags decorate the entire pass and are a sight to behold. We visited Kunzum Pass while on our way to Chandratal Lake from Kaza in August. The weather was cloudy, chilly and extremely windy. It started pouring when we got down at the pass to see the temple and most of the views were covered in clouds. And then suddenly the winds cleared the clouds and we were offered a stunning and clear view of the Bara-Shigri glacier. Bara-Shigri glacier is considered to be the second-highest and longest Himalayan glacier in India. This massive glacier is 30 km long and is aptly named as Bara means big and Shigri means glacier in Lahaul dialect. The entire surrounding valley was covered by a carpet of yellow flowers giving us perfect photography opportunities. Chandratal Lake: As per local folklore and tales from Mahabharata, Chandratal Lake is the place from where Yudhisthira (eldest Pandava) was taken to heaven by Lord Indra (God of rains, heaven and storm) in a chariot. The locals still believe that the lake is blessed and revere it with high spiritual relevance. When travelling from Kaza, a right turn before Batal and a curvy ride for 12 kilometers will take you straight to Chandratal. Chandra River flows parallel to the roads till the lake. The roads are extremely treacherous and hostile. One needs extremely good driving skills and heart to drive on these roads. Also hope there is no vehicle coming from opposite direction as the roads are narrow and right on edge of the cliff. As you near the lake, you will first come across the camping site set up by various tours and travel agencies. Camping beside the lake used to happen few years ago but is prohibited now and all the campsites are as far as 3-4 kilometres from the lake. The motorable dirt track road will take you only till the parking lot from where you will have to trek for 2 kilometres to reach Chandratal Lake. One can trek to Chandratal Lake from Batal or from Kunzum Pass as well. The trek to Chandratal Lake can be ranked as an easy trek with not many steep ascents or descents. Chandratal Lake is literally in the middle of nowhere. The trek is through vast meadows covered in grass with wildflowers blooming here and there. The almost treeless rolling hills against clear blue skies made a picture-perfect setting. Such landscape was vast and went on for miles and miles. We walked at a slow pace, grasping in everything that nature had to offer and it took us about 20-30 minutes to finally reach the Chandratal Lake. We were speechless at the first sight of the emerald coloured water of Chandratal Lake nestled between hills. It seemed unreal like mysteriously hand-painted by some unknown power in the middle of nowhere. There was a white coloured stupa at the banks of the lake covered with Buddhist prayer flags that fluttered with strong wind. The beauty of the Chandratal Lake sure had a calming effect on us as we sat there, truly mesmerised by the sight and listening to heavy wind and the sound of the water as small waves hit the banks. We started walking around the path circling the Chandratal Lake, also referred to as ‘Parikrama’, and marvelled how at every turn, the water changed colours, from emerald to turquoise blue to deep green. The lake water was absolutely chilling and we did not dare to even dip our feet. We did not complete the entire parikrama, as the clouds suddenly started engulfing the landscape and it slowly started drizzling. But we will never forget those 2-3 hours that we spent beside the Chandratal Lake – our much-awaited destination for years. Stay facilities or camping near Chandratal Lake: As mentioned earlier, camping at the banks of Chandratal Lake is banned since past 4-5 years. The entire area now falls under Chandratal Lake Wetland Reserve, which is a protected site under the Wildlife Act. The camping site is 3-4 kilometres away from the lake. You can either pitch your own tent or opt for staying at one of the existing camping facilities. We highly recommend booking your tent stay before taking the trip to Chandratal Lake. If your stay plan falls on weekend it might be difficult to get a tent. Spiti Valley Tours helped us in organising our stay near Chandratal Lake. Our tents were quite modern and spacious with a double bed and an attached bathroom. The facilities though basic were adequate and cosy. The kitchen tent was where we spent most of our time playing games and exchanging travel stories. Since there is no electricity in this area and everything runs on generator, we would recommend carrying power banks and fully charged mobiles/cameras. The generators might be turned off in night. This also gives great opportunity to do some astro-photography. Since it rained the night we were in Chandratal, we could not click the sky or tents. Things to keep in mind before visiting Chandratal Lake: Whether you are visiting Chandratal Lake from Manali or Kaza, start early in the morning to reach the lake in daylight. Do not rely on Google Maps for distance and time calculations. With such high altitude and rough terrain, your speed will be way slower than what any app would suggest. Make your stay arrangements at Chandratal in advance. In case you reach Chandratal and do not find any campsites ready to accommodate you, the closes accommodation you can find is near Batal at a famous dhaba called - Chacha-Chachi Dhaba. An old couple has been running this place since almost 50 years and having helping bikers and travellers during normal and difficult weather conditions in this remote place. They have a beautiful story and a legendary status amongst those who frequent this region. To avoid Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), make sure that you are absolutely fit before taking the trip to Chandratal Lake, especially if you are travelling from Manali. Keep yourself well hydrated at all times to protect oneself from AMS. Carry your own water and energy bars on the trek. Keep the environment in and around the Chandratal lake clean, kindly do not litter. Do not carry plastic bags, bottles and trash. In case you do, bring your own trash back to the cities. Wear comfortable attire and sports shoes for the trek to Chandratal Lake. Carry warm clothes and dress up in layers. Always carry an extra pair of socks in case the ones you’re wearing get wet. It is also advisable to carry a poncho with you. We highly recommend not to self-drive unless you are used to driving on notoriously dangerous and winding roads. We hired experienced drivers from Spiti Valley Tours for our entire trip. PIN THESE IMAGES Have you been to Chandratal Lake? How was your experience? Please feel free to add your tips and recommendations for fellow travellers in the comment section below. We would love to hear back from you. #India #NorthIndia #HimachalPradesh

Langza is one of the remotest villages of India in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Close to headquarters of Spiti Valley - Kaza, Langza is a high-altitude village is known for ancient marine fossils, for spotting endangered animals, for the warmth of the people, and for its gigantic Buddha statue overlooking the Spiti Valley. The landscapes of Langza village can leave anyone spellbound. In fact, we rate Langza as the most beautiful village we have visited in Spiti Valley. In Langza, we got a first-hand experience on how people live and co-exist harmoniously with nature. Their way of living is totally in sync with the terrain’s rough geography and unforgiving weather. This blog will serve as a travel guide for you to visit Langza village. Read our previous blogs on Spiti Valley and Kinnaur Valley by clicking on the below-mentioned links/ images: 1. Introduction to Spiti Valley 2. Plan your trip to Spiti Valley 3. Travel guide to Kinnaur Valley 4. Travel guide to Gue and Tabo 5. Travel guide to Dhankar Lake and Monastery 6. Travel guide to Pin Valley 7. Places to visit around Kaza (Key, Kibber, Chicham, Hikkim, Komik, Langza) 8. Travel guide to Langza and Buddha statue (This blog) 9. Travel guide to Chandratal Lake Langza Village: Langza village is located in the western part of Himachal Pradesh at an altitude of 14,500 feet from the sea level. As a backdrop to the village stands a majestic snow-covered mountain called as Chau Chau Kang Nilda (CCKN), almost like a stage curtain erected in the background. The CCKN peak, which apparently means ‘blue moon in the sky’, appears prominent on the skyline against the deep blue sky. Some people rightly refer to Langza as the ‘Switzerland of Spiti’ though it is more brown than green. Patches of bright green fields spread on brown hills makes Langza a little paradise. The uneven slopy elevation of the landscape adds to its picturesqueness. The small village houses 150 residents who work hard to retain their ancient traditions and customs. Location of Langza Village: Langza village is a high-altitude village situated in the westernmost remote corner of Himachal Pradesh, India. Barely 16 kilometres away from Kaza, the headquarters of Spiti Valley, Langza village is still unexplored, untouched and offbeat. From Kaza, the road climbs rapidly through the wavering bends and end up in a plateau after gaining thousands of feet in a short time. For the brown barren surroundings, the plateau seems strangely green. The entire landscape looks like a gigantic garden carpeted with grass. And beyond the landscape stands the tallest peak in the region, the Chau Chau Kang Nilda peak towering at 20,000 feet. History of Langza Village: As we mentioned in one of our previous blogs – ‘Introduction to Spiti Valley’, most villages of Spiti were submerged under the ancient Tethys Sea millions of years ago. When the Himalayan range emerged, the Tethys Sea disappeared. The fossils of the marine animals inhabiting the Tethys Sea are still found in the villages of Spiti Valley, mainly Langza village. If you have proper tools to dig and time to search, you can definitely unearth the fossils in Langza. Things to do in Langza Village: 1. Visit the Langza Buddha statue A gigantic statue of Buddha guards the little hamlet of Langza. It is the tallest structure in the village and is located atop a hill. The most popular picture of Langza or even that Spiti valley that you may find on the internet is that of the Langza Buddha statue. You can reach the statue after a 10-minute short hike from the parking area.​ When we visited the Langza Buddha statue, cold wind was blowing fiercely making us shiver. Still, all we could do was stare in awe at the colourful statue standing alone and facing the beautiful valley surrounded by snow-peaked mountains. Every nook and corner from above the hill was worth capturing. The villagers believe that the Buddha idol protects them from evil spirits and thus revere the statue with the utmost respect. ​2. Tread around to spot some endangered species Langza village, being located at a high-altitude, is home to several endangered species like snow-leopards, Himalayan wolf, red fox and Ibex. These animals can be seen roaming around the village in the winter months (Dec-Jan). Many travellers stay in Langza village to get a glimpse of the big cat in the landscape covered with thick white snow. Here again, you will need the help of a local guide in identifying the trails these animals move in. Also having a local guide would ensure you are safe. ​3. Photograph the incredible landscape Langza village is a heaven for photography enthusiasts. The landscapes in Langza are unlike anything you will find in other places. You can even spot the Milky Way with naked eyes during the night-time. Several constellations can be easily spotted in the absence of bright lights, which can give you brilliant photography opportunities. The snow on CCKN peak shines gently due to moonlight and glittering stars which again is a great opportunity to click star trails. Tip: If you want to capture milkyway, Buddha statue at Langza is the perfect location. However ensure you visit Langza on a cloudless and moonless night. It gets really cold and windy near Buddha statue in night so ensure you have enough protective gear. You can also go around and see the Langza village along with Buddha statue from different angles. It is beautiful no matter where you capture it from. Because of the high-altitude of the village, the light is bright and crisp and the sky is deep blue during the daytime. The Buddha statue adds a unique magical feel to the area. Buddha statue is also a great sunset point and you must see the golden hour here. ​ 4. Go fossil hunting Langza is popularly referred to as the ‘fossil village’ of Spiti valley. Ammonites – a type of spiral-shaped fossil can be easily discovered in and around the village in high concentrations. Young kids of the village dig up these fossils and sell them to the tourists as souvenirs. However, tourists must understand that these fossils are archaeologically significant and if taken away, could destroy the geological heritage of the region. The locals of Langza village make mud replicas of the fossils which can be bought as souvenirs in place of the actual fossil collection. ​5. Stay with the locals in a homestay Most travellers visit Langza village as a day trip from Kaza, the nearest town with comfortable stay options. However, if you want to experience the life of a Spitian for real and understand their culture and tradition, you should stay in a local homestay with the villagers. There are no accommodation options other than the simple homestays in Langza village. The houses in the village are made of mud, wood and bricks that help keep the interiors warm even if it's snowing outside. All the houses are uniform in architecture, look symmetrical and are painted white. We stayed at a homestay recommended by our travel agency. It was furnished traditionally but had basic modern amenities like comfortable beds, western toilet, separate but clean bathroom and hot water. Our hosts were happy to share a slice of their lives with us. They welcomed us with such warm hospitality and precious smiles that it was difficult leaving them by the end of our short stay. 6. Talk to the locals and understand their culture Changing seasons in Langza village brings about major changes in the lives of the locals. We got to understand Spiti a lot more from our hosts at the homestay. Each family in the village owns some part of the land in or around the village. In summers, all the villagers concentrate on work. They work on their fields for crops like barley, potatoes and peas or rear their animal livestock or stock up dried food for winter months. Winter is a time to reap the awards of the hard work done in summer. It is a season to relax, drink, celebrate, dance and party. Some youngsters work as tour guides, tour operators, porters or cooks for trekkers. We found the locals to be very friendly, humble, honest and hard-working. ​7. Try some lip-smacking Spitian food Meal times allowed us to mingle with the family of the host at the homestays. Our hosts treated us with some delicious home-cooked local delicacies like Spiti bread, home-made butter, tomato chutney, farm potato and peas vegetable, and rice. Black tea and milk tea were served at all times of the day which gave us comfort in the cold Langza weather. We had some of our favourite times at Langza while having meals. ​8. Climb the Chau Chau Kang Nilda (CCKN) peak This could only be done by travellers who have a good experience in high-altitude trekking. Due to its proximity to the village of Langza, which is now linked by a motorable road with Kaza, CCKN has become the most popular and most-often climbed peak in Spiti, receiving many climbers. You would need help from professional guides and porters to climb CCKN peak. It isn’t a one-day trek and would require several days of camping in harsh climatic conditions. If you are not a professional trekker or are short on time, you can enjoy the view of the majestic CCKN peak down from Langza village. ​9. Visit the local temple It is believed that all the deities of Spiti Valley reside in the local temple called as ‘Lang’ and protect the village from evil powers. The temple is also called as Langza Gompa. ​10. Hike up to Tsonyeti and Chumo Lakes Tsonyeti lake, located at an altitude of 14,850 feet, is about an hour and a half hike away from the Langza village. It is like a small pond that is visited by migratory birds in July and August. Chumo lake, located at an altitude of 15,150 feet, is larger than the Tsonyeti lake. It takes around 2-3 hours of steep hike to reach Chumo lake. The site of the Chumo lake offers a spectacular view of the Chau Chau Kang Nilda peak. Spiti Valley Tours: We are highly indebted to Mr. Lara of Spiti Valley Tours to include stay in Langza in our itinerary. While he has his own homestay in Langza, it was completely booked on our dates. Hence he organised and booked our stay in another homestay. Our hosts were excellent and we would never forget their wonderful hospitality. We highly recommend booking a trip with Spiti Valley Tours either directly from their office at Kaza or through their official website. PIN THESE IMAGES There aren’t many sight-seeing places to visit in Langza village. It is a great place to just relax, enjoy the spellbinding landscapes, and chat with locals. If we had enough time, we would have loved to stay in Langza for a week that too in different seasons of the year. Do not miss out on spending a night here. Langza is one place that we can visit again and again. And do let us know your thoughts on our blog about Langza village and Buddha statue. #India #NorthIndia #HimachalPradesh

Spiti Valley is unlike any other valleys in Himachal Pradesh, India. It doesn’t have any vegetation rich mountains, dense jungles, farms and orchards and English hamlets like other valleys. Instead, Spiti Valley has Grand Canyon like brown and barren mountains with strange shapes and colours. However, the valley has much more to offer than just the mountains, rocks and arid vastness. The charm of Spiti Valley lies in its quaint villages. These villages that seem like a tiny dot from afar, are full of life, culture, tradition and hospitality. Settled in the lap of trans-Himalayan range, Spiti Valley is home to some of the remotest, highest and most beautiful villages like Key, Kibber, Hikkim, Komik and Langza. On your trip to Spiti, do not miss out on Spiti's most famous sight of Key monastery, world's highest post office at Hikkim, world's highest and 2nd highest motorable villages at Komik & Kibber, Asia's highest bridge at Chicham and giant Buddha statue at Langza. In this blog, we will list down 5 villages of Spiti Valley that are worth visiting. Stay tuned. Read our previous blogs on Spiti Valley and Kinnaur Valley by clicking on the below-mentioned links/ images: 1. Introduction to Spiti Valley 2. Plan your trip to Spiti Valley 3. Travel guide to Kinnaur Valley 4. Travel guide to Gue and Tabo 5. Travel guide to Dhankar Lake and Monastery 6. Travel guide to Pin Valley 7. Places to visit around Kaza (Key, Kibber, Chicham, Hikkim, Komik, Langza) (This blog) 8. Travel guide to Langza and Buddha statue 9. Travel guide to Chandratal Lake Key monastery in Key village: Key Village (also known as Ki or Kee village) is situated between Kaza and Kibber on the left bank of the Spiti river. It is located just 12 kilometres away from the bustling town of Kaza. The small village houses an odd 70 families who mainly depend on agriculture for survival. Key village houses the famous Key monastery. The monastery is a 3-kilometre uphill climb from the village. You can either hire a taxi/ rent a bike from Kaza or tag along with someone going towards Key to visit the monastery. Key monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and is one of the oldest monasteries in Spiti Valley. It is located at an altitude of 13670 feet above sea level. Key monastery was built by Dromton, the founder of Gelugpa sect, in the 11th century. The monastery was constructed on a conical shaped hill, possibly on an extinct volcano, as per the Himachal Pradesh Gazette. It was devastated several times in petty wars between Kullu and Ladakh and particularly during Dogra war in 1841. It was also attacked by Sikh army and its old books and statues were destroyed. An earthquake in 1975 caused further damage, after which Archaeological Survey of India took steps to repair the monastery. Hence the outfit of Key monastery seems rather modern today. Key monastery has three floors, one of which is underground and used as a storage area to store supplies for winter, and dresses, musical instruments, masks and other necessities for occasions of religious ceremony. The ground floor has invariably fashioned rooms, built in similar architecture, for the monks. The large heap of rooms have low doors and narrow corridors between them. Through dark passages and torturous staircases, one can reach the topmost floor which has a beautiful assembly hall richly painted with murals. Currently, the Key monastery is home to 300 lamas who reside within the sacred walls throughout the year. They also provide guest house services to the tourists for a meagre amount. During our visit, red-robed child monks were playing around in the playground outside the Key monastery. With their guidance, we hiked up a hill towards the backside of the monastery. On a defined trail, we went upwards for 10-15 minutes and as we turned, we got a stunning bird’s eye view of the Key monastery with the beautiful Spiti river and mountains in the backdrop. From above, the Key monastery appeared like a hill fort perched on a rugged ridge. The view gave us the essence of the existence of the century-old heritage beautifully painted in white and red. This view of Key monastery is the best view we got in Spiti Valley. Note: Photography is allowed only in some sections inside the Key monastery. If you are doubtful, ask before clicking. Monks will invite you for butter tea while exploring the Key monastery. They will tell you all about the history and working of the monastery. Do give them some donation while you leave. In the meditation hall of Key monastery, you will find many monks chanting prayers or in deep meditation. Please keep silence and respect the aura. Do not miss visiting the view point we just described above Kibber Village: Kibber is a large village and is the last Spiti outpost before Ladakh. It is located at an altitude of 14010 feet above sea level and is just 10 kilometres away from Key village. Originally known as Kyber, the Kibber village was once hailed as the highest motorable village in the world till road to Komik village was built. Kibber village houses some 90 families, has a beautiful monastery and a wildlife sanctuary. It is also a base camp for treks to adjoining high altitude peaks. Popular treks like Parang La and Kanamo peak trek starts from Kibber. The Kibber wildlife sanctuary is 1400 square kilometres vast and protects animals like snow leopard, red fox, Himalayan wolf, ibex and Tibetan wild ass. In winters, Kibber village becomes a base for travellers interested in spotting the rare snow leopard. Kibber monastery was established by Serkong Rinpoche, the teacher of Dalai Lama. The monastery is located in such a serene and peaceful location that even Dalai Lama has expressed a wish to retire in Kibber someday. Kibber is considered as one of the highest well inhabited village of Spiti Valley with inhabitants staying all the year-round. Picturesque white houses with bright red rooftops add to the charm of the village. With an increase in tourism, many households have set up basic homestays with the help of the local community. Kibber village is a paradise for nature lovers, wildlife enthusiasts as well as for photographers owing to its panoramic beautiful landscapes and immeasurable beauty. Hardly 6 kilometres from Kibber village lies Chicham village, which you must not skip visiting due to two reasons. One, because the drive from Kibber to Chicham is extremely breath-taking with wonderful views of Mount Kanamo. And secondly, because you will get to see and walk on Asia’s highest suspension bridge situated at an altitude of 13600 feet from sea level. Chicham bridge is an engineering marvel as it is built over a 100-metre-deep gorge. Before Chicham bridge was built, that is till 2017, locals had access to Chicham village only via a pulley and ropeway system called as the Kibber-Chicham ropeway. Hikkim Village: Hikkim village, located at an altitude of 14570 feet, houses the highest post office in the world. Situated 16 kilometres away from Kaza town, Hikkim is nestled between the villages of Komik and Langza. Hikkim village is home to 40 odd families who mainly depend on agriculture for a living. The post office in Hikkim was set-up in the year 1983 in the house of a post-master named Rinchen Chering. From the parking area, we had to hike down through steep 65-degree decline to the house cum post-office of Rinchen Chering. The post-office goes into a half-yearly hibernation every year when it snows. The high-altitude village of Hikkim does not have any cell phone signals of internet connectivity; hence the post office is the only source of communication for the villagers with the outside world. The post-delivery system in Hikkim is a 2-man show. Every alternate morning 2 men from the village deliver the mail on foot to Kaza post-office. From here, the letters reach Reckong Peo by bus and another bus takes them to Shimla railway station. From Shimla, the letters travel on a toy train to Kalka and then again in a bus to New Delhi. It is from Delhi’s post office that these letters get sorted as per their destinations and are forwarded to the respective directions via road, rail or air. We were extremely eager and excited to send a postcard to our family and friends from the highest post office in the world and we sure did send hordes of postcards. It felt quite strange to write a postcard in this world of SMS and mails. But honestly, it was fun and we felt a deep sense of connection to our loved ones while writing to them, unlike the mails. We had already bought beautiful postcards from Kaza; however, they are on sale just near the parking area in Hikkim village. The locals charge INR 40 for a postcard. A stamp amounting to INR 5 has to be stuck on a postcard to be sent anywhere in India and INR 25 has to be stuck on postcards to be sent to international destinations. Surprisingly, the ones which we sent to Singapore were delivered earlier than the ones which we sent to our home towns in India. Do remember to click a picture with the red post-box hanging outside the post-office. Apart from the highest post-office in the world, Hikkim has nothing much to offer except the beautiful village and breath-taking views. You can also visit the village monastery at one far corner that overlooks the entire village and the valley. With Chau Chau Kang Nilda (CCKN) peak in the backdrop and view of the trans-Himalayan range in the front, Hikkim is the most stunning place to send a postcard to a loved one. Komik Village: Komik village (also spelled as Komic village), at an altitude of 15500 feet, is about 4 kilometres from Hikkim and 20 kilometres from Kaza. Komik village is considered to be the highest village in the world, though this ranking has been debated. The road to Komik is partially unpaved mud trail and it steeply winds uphill through barren mountains set against the bright blue sky. A sudden change in weather condition can be felt as one reaches Komik village. The village is set in a bowl-shaped depression in the high trans-Himalayan ranges. Hardly 20-25 families live in complete isolation, literally cut off from the rest of the world in Komik village. Their houses are similar to any other Spitian house with white walls and bright red roofs. Komik village is famous for the Komik monastery or the Tangyud monastery that houses a statue of Maitreya Buddha or future Buddha. The locals believe that the Buddha looks after the well-being of the people in Spiti Valley. Hence the monastery is highly revered and is considered to be of great religious significance by the locals. The Komik/ Tangyud monastery is built like a fortified castle on the edge of a deep canyon above Komik village. The monastery overlooks the vast valley covered with patches of greenery and with snow-peaked mountains towards the front. Komik/ Tangyud monastery is also the highest motorable Buddhist monastery in the world. The mud-walled monastery, built in the 14th century, houses several murals, scriptures and thangkas belonging to the bygone era. It also houses monk quarters where some 40-50 monks reside. We were lucky to witness a lama rally where they circumference around the monastery on foot while chanting mantras. We also visited a separate room full of tantric masks and fearsome statues in a building besides the monastery. Right at the entrance to this room was hung a stuffed snow leopard from the ceiling. Women were not allowed inside this room. Towards the other side of the same building were a few other monk residencies and a guest house as well. We wondered how it would feel to stay at the highest village in the world next to a room that housed a dead snow leopard. World’s highest restaurant is located just next to the Komik monastery. It is named ‘Spiti Organic Kitchen’. They serve delicious food made from local ingredients and you have to believe us when we tell you that their menu was exhaustive; at that highest point of the valley. We enjoyed the mouth-watering food soaking in the meditative silence, the untouched beauty, and the view of majestic mountains, with hardly a soul around. And soon we came to know that there’s a horse race to be conducted in the valley near the Komik village. Within less than an hour, the parking area was full and locals from near and far wandered around, practising sprinting with their beautiful horses. Langza Village: Langza village, located at an altitude of 14500 feet, is popularly known as the Fossil Village as you can dig up fossils of marine creatures everywhere in and around the village. It is also popular for the huge statue of Buddha overlooking the snow-capped mountains and the beautiful Spiti Valley. The majestic peak of the Chau Chau Kang Nilda (CCKN) mountain can be best viewed from Langza. However, the essence of Langza village lies in its villagers. A trip to the village is incomplete without spending time with locals and understanding their way of life, culture and tradition. We highly recommend spending a night at a local homestay in Langza village. Langza’s beauty cannot be described in a couple of short paragraphs. Hence, we have written a dedicated blog on Langza village which you can visit to know more. Covering these 5 villages near Kaza These 5 villages can be covered while staying in Kaza as a day trip. Kaza has enough hotels/ homestays/ guest houses and if you start at 7-8 AM, you can complete all these places in a day. However, if you are into photography or want to immerse yourself into Spiti's culture, we would suggest staying in a homestay in any of the villages. All these villages have homestay options but our recommendation is to stay in Langza. Hikkim and Komik are on the same route while Key and Kibber are on the same route. Langza is a slight deviation in the middle so we would recommend covering Hikkim - Komik and stay in Langza. Proceed to Key, Kibber and Chicham bridge the next day. Note that if you want to start from Kaza or Langza and cover - Key, Kibber, Chicham, Kumzum pass and reach Chandrataal, you would have to start early in morning around 6:30 AM and would have to spend limited time at each of these locations. If you want to spend more time at these places, split your trip in 2 days. All of these villages can be visited as an excursion from Kaza, the headquarter of Spiti Valley, where you will find the most comfortable stay. However, each of these villages has basic homestay facilities you can choose to stay in. Based on your time and comfort you can choose to wander in these little hamlets as per your convenience. Just remember, the beauty of Spiti Valley lies in its villages! PIN THESE IMAGES Hope you fall in love with these little isolated villages of Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, India just like we did. Let us know if you found this article useful in comment section below. #India #NorthIndia #HimachalPradesh