Darjeeling Tea Garden. Image: Jishnu Chakraborty
Darjeeling, also called the ‘Queen of the Hill Stations’, is celebrated for its tea and its toy train, a World Heritage Site. The fabulous Kanchenjunga Himal (8582 m), the third highest peak in the world, is a familiar backdrop to the town. Darjeeling town is the headquarters of Darjeeling District in West Bengal of India. Continue reading
Pashminas displayed in a local shop. Image: flickr/Patrick Gage Kelley
1997 to 2000 were boom years for the pashmina industry in Nepal. Markets in the West were so enamored by the elegance of Nepali pashmina that they just couldn’t have enough. According to a leading manufacturer then, orders were doubling and quadrupling every other month. Continue reading
Gangtok Town. Image: flickr/Amit
The man behind the reception desk at the Tourism Information Center on MG Road, Gangtok, asks me, “Do you have an ILP?” Seeing my confusion, he elaborates, “Do you have an Inner Line Permit?” “I didn’t know that I needed one,” I answer. “Well, then that makes your visit illegal,” he says. Continue reading
On the last week of one November, I landed in Kathmandu after a six-month stay in the United States of America. The very next day, I took a flight to Bhadrapur, from where I drove down to Kakarvita on the Indo-Nepal border, and then to Siliguri on the other side. Continue reading
Over Christmas in Pokhara my brother and I went for a nightcap at Café Babylon, a first floor bar atop a rickety spiral staircase. We ordered an Everest beer and 2 glasses and sat at our table in anticipation. Continue reading
A long time back, a friend had the opportunity to visit Copenhagen in Denmark. He took along a score or so of Nepali silver jewelry with him and showed them around in some shops on Stroget (the city’s famous pedestrian street). To his pleasant surprise, almost all of the pieces were snapped up immediately. Continue reading
Always wanted a tattoo but never knew what to get, or where? That problem was solved when my girlfriend gave me the smallest Christmas present ever. I looked at the wrapped up gift, which was about the size of a playing card, with utter disappointment. I unwrapped it to find a business card showing the receipt of money paid for a tattoo, and my appointment date: the 11th of January. Continue reading
Anyone who’s been in Kathmandu longer than a few days knows the worth of being able to turn the volume down on the city and escape the constant sensory experience. While there is so much to do and see in town it’s a relief to do something that requires little to no energy. Continue reading
A review by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine concluded that organic food does not have any significant advantage over normal food. However, this holds no water with millions of health conscious people around the globe including in Nepal where interest in organic food is growing stronger every other day. Continue reading
Nepal is not only an amazing destination for exploring mountains and cultural riches; it is also an inspiring place for discovering more about your self. An yoga retreat, a yoga class or meditation course can make your holiday itinerary more rewarding, and give you tools for positive change back home. Continue reading