Which parts of the Taj are being cleaned in 2018? The scaffolding went up in 2016 and even a British Royal visit could not stop the drive to restore the marble of the Taj Mahal to it persil whiteness. After a long silence, the Architectural Survey of India (ASI) has now released the planned […]
Block Printing in Bagru : A Hands On Textile Experience
India’s beautiful block print fabrics have been a highly desirable and internationally marketable craft for literally thousands of years. Remnants of fabric printed with Rajasthani motifs have been discovered in the third century Roman trading town of Palmyra in Syria and others found in modern day Pakistan date back 4,000 years. With its innate beauty, […]
Chai-a-licious: How to Make Masala Chai
Masala Chai, the spiced, milky and often very sweet tea is a ubiquitous part of Indian life. For me it is the ultimate cuppa. There is something that is soul satisfying in the time it takes to brew – the exotic spices journeying to my nose on swirls of steam and the deep exhale of […]
Tribal Art in Mumbai: Creating Your Own Warli Story
10 New Zealand ladies discover the simple beauty of Warli Art at a workshop with artist Rashmika Mehta in Mumbai. India’s art story is as extensive and diverse as the country itself. Outside of India, we may be familiar with the intricate Rajput miniature painting style of Rajasthan but across India, the richness of mythology […]
Interview with Amit Sankhala: Why India Should Be Your Next Wildlife Safari Destination.
The Sankhala name is synonymous with wildlife conservation in India. This year I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with Amit Sankhala twice. In Jaipur and again closer to home, over a glass of Pinot Noir when he made a quick stopover in Queenstown. We sat down to talk about the wildlife safari opportunities in India. […]
India Cycle Tours for “Rail Trailers”
Have you done the Rail Trail (or any other of New Zealand’s fabulous cycle trails)? Loved it and keen to combine cycling with an exotic holiday? So lets go cycling in India! India? Really? The country renowned for its huge population, crazy traffic and lack of lane adherence? Where you might just have to queue up at […]
Cooking with Cow Poo in Jaipur
Few people would argue that Rajasthan is arid… The Aravalli hills remind me of a much more compact version of terrain surrounding Cromwell, my hometown in Central Otago New Zealand. They certainly don’t have scale of the Pisa and Dunstan Ranges, nor are they capped by snow in winter but the terrain underfoot is just […]
Confessions of a Travel Itinerary Geek: Exploring India in Style
I have a confession – I am a travel itinerary geek. As I specialise in India travel and African safaris, I read a lot of itineraries and to put it bluntly…. some of them just leave me a little underwhelmed. “Travellers are on a journey of discovery, not a journey of exhaustion.” With India […]
