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travelandleisureindia.inAUGUST 2020 / 150

Bhumi Pednekar 40

JAISALMER + MALANA + JUNAGADH + TURTUK + KOCHIDomestic Discoveries

$ 4.50 / SLR 450 / NPR 35 / MVR 60

PKR 30O / BTN 200 /TAKA 350

ASIA SPECIAL 10 BEST PLACES FOR A UNIQUE HOLIDAY

Paints The World She Wants To See

India’sEco Angel

AMAZINGEXPERIENCES

ONLINE HOSPITALITYService With A Virtual Smile

WORK FROMHOLIDAYA Writer ReimaginesWFH In Uttarakhand

And They’re All Here In India

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Masks of folk art forms adorn the walls of theKerala Folklore Museum in Kochi. (p. 58)

CONTENTS

3 Letter from the Editor

Discoveries6 From wine-tasting in Japan to

spotting Komodo dragons in Indonesia, we curate 10 exceptional experiences in Asia.

The Intelligent Traveller12 Find out how local stakeholders

are leading Sri Lanka’s sustainable tourism movement; take a peek into the world of online hospitality experiences; hear from a young entrepreneur who is repackaging Ayurveda for new-age customers; and get to know author William Dalrymple’s favourite Indian sites.

Cover Story26 WARRIOR ARTISTE Actor Bhumi Pednekar talks about

the signifi cance of being a ‘Climate Warrior’, offers tips for sustainable living, and reveals destinations that have wowed her.

Through the Lens30 A visual tour of the village of

Malana in Himachal Pradesh unfolds intriguing folklore, quirky locals, and a picture-postcard landscape.

Experiences38 FROM THE ANNALS OF HISTORY

The city of Junagadh shines with stunning monuments such as a palace-turned-mosque, Gothic-style mausoleums, and more.

44 WFH: WORK FROM HOLIDAYA writer and her kids use the new online working and schooling norms to head to the hills.

48 CULTURE BEYOND BORDERS A Balti museum in Leh’s Turtuk

transports you to a bygone era and offers important heritage lessons.

50 SANDS OF TIMEThe ancient Silk Route stop of Jaisalmer regales travellers with tales of nomads, eerie ruins, and a legendary singing community.

54 NO APOCALYPSE NOW A road trip to the Sariska National Park and its wildlife offer some respite from the doom and gloom.

Departments

Features

104 FACE VALUEStanding cheek by jowl with themodern high-rises of Singaporeare colourful shop houses, strikingreminders of the city-state’smultilayered past.

110 WILD UPON WILDGlaciers, �ords, and snow-cappedmountains make the elusive Aysénthe most prized possession ofChilean Patagonia.

Your Best Shot120 Reader Rajveer Singh captures

the dramatic Pangong Tso Lakein Ladakh’s chilly winter.

Augus t

ON THE COVERActor and climate warrior Bhumi Pednekar dreams of travel and a greener planet.

CONCEPT Bhumi PednekarPHOTOGRAPHER Laksheta ModgilTEAM Bhaktee Modgil & Nimisha Tiwari

58 A HOME FOR HERITAGE Discover the gems preserved in

a Kochi museum that doubles as an architectural masterpiece.

61 A PIT STOP AT THE TAVERN Get insights into the history

and distillation of Goans’ favourite local drink, feni.

64 A TALE OF TWO HOUSES Two restored mansions in

Penang’s capital, George Town, act as reminders of the city’s multicultural past and present.

68 CATCHING WAVES IN CANGGU A novice recounts her surfi ng

lessons in Canggu, the lesser-known cousin of Bali.

40 Bespoke Experiences72 Choose from these personalised

Indian experiences and make note of the boutique properties that offer them.

Wellness & Spas87 Explore luxe retreats in the

Himalayas for a spiritual experience; learn ‘body rolling’ from master healer Yamuna Zake; and rejuvenate at one of the top 10 Ayurveda retreats in India.

2 T R AV E L + L E I S U R E I N D I A & S O U T H A S I A | A U G U S T 2 0 2 0

T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E I N D I A . I N 3

f r o m t he Ed i t o rLETTER

SECOND HOMEThis photograph was taken at City Palace, Jaipur, in November 2019, during the launch event of the palace’s Gudliya Suite, which one can book on Airbnb. I can never get enough of the city—its rich history, heritage, culture, and cuisine. Jaipur is my second home, and every chance I get, I pack my bags and set off on a road trip from Delhi to the city of royals.

HAVE JUST BOOKED MYSELF A HOLIDAY. Yes, you read that right. It’s called #WorkFromHoliday, something one of our writers experimented with on a sojourn to Uttarakhand, beating pandemic blues and fi nally taking the travel plunge (p. 44). I am off to

Jaipur on a road trip. While naysayers might disapprove of it, I believe life must go on, albeit carefully, consciously, and with all the safety precautions recommended by experts.

India is a treasure trove of experiences for the wanderer, and every year, our August issue pays homage to this incredible country. From some of the most bespoke experiences that only India can offer (p. 72), to the top 10 places that offer Ayurvedic treatments (p. 94), especially for a post-pandemic wellness getaway—our India special traverses the length and breadth of the nation to bring you unique journeys you can embark on as the country opens up. Immerse yourself in the wonders of India with captivating travelogues—the roads that lead to the wilderness of the Sariska National Parkin Rajasthan (p. 54), the ancient Silk Routejunction of Jaisalmer (p. 50), a Kochi museumthat acts as a time portal (p. 58), and the manyforts, stepwells, and tombs in Junagadh (p. 38).

Our cover star, the talented actor and climatewarrior Bhumi Pednekar, has conceptualisedthis issue’s projection shoot to reflect the wayshe envisions this planet’s future—green andcolourful, sustainable and thoughtful. Shereveals her passion for nature conservation,sustainability tips for the common man, and hermost memorable Indian holidays in a candidinterview (p. 26).

Elsewhere in the issue, we navigate the rest ofAsia. You’ll discover eco-friendly itinerary ideasacross Sri Lanka (p. 12), architectural discoveriesin Penang’s capital (p. 64), a first-time surfer’slessons in the lesser known beach paradise ofCanggu in Indonesia (p. 68), and 10 offbeatholiday ideas across the continent (p. 06).

Aindrila [email protected]

#TNLTRAVELS ON@travelandleisureindia @tnlindia

As I refl ect on the last three months, the one thing that stands out is the resilience of my peers, team, and industry. That’s the beauty of the human species. We always bounce back. This time, when we travel again, which we surely will, we promise to do so responsibly.

Please Note: Some of the destinations and businesses mentioned in the magazine may be closed at the moment due to COVID-19. Refer to the rules and guidelines issued by your state government and those in place at the destination of your choice before making travel plans.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFAindrila Mitra

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This Bengaluru-based BikerRode across 10 CountriesHopping on a bike and touring 10countries is no mean feat. But forBengaluru-based biker Candida Louis,it was a long-cherished dream.travelandleisureindia.in/road-trip-from-india-to-australia-bengaluru-biker-candida-louis

Safety Tips for Your Post-COVID Road Trip in IndiaIn keeping with the increasingpopularity of road trips post COVID-19,here are a few essential tips to helpyou plan a safe driving holiday.travelandleisureindia.in/planning-a-road-trip-in-india-post-coronavirus-trip-planner

How to Make Your RoadTrips Greener?As the world gradually reopens,conscious travel must once againtake centre stage. Bookmark thesepointers for your next trip, anddo your bit for a greener planet.travelandleisureindia.in/plastic-free-july

This month, get back on the road and discover some of India'sgreatest driving holidays.

TIME TO HIT THE ROAD

SPOTTEDMeet climate activist AakashRanison who is redefining roadtrips one mile at a time.travelandleisureindia.in/aakash-ranison-leh-to-spiti-valley

DISCOVERCheck into these boutiquehotels in Rajasthan when youtravel post the pandemic.travelandleisureindia.in/boutique-hotels-in-rajasthan-1

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Bhumi Pedn kar 40

JAISALMER + MALANA + JUNAGADH + TURTUK + KOCHID m stic Dis ov r es

ASIA SPECIAL 10 BEST PLACES FOR A UNIQUE HOLIDAY

Paints The World She Wants To See

India’sEco Angel

AMAZINGEXPERIENCES

ONLINE HOSPITALITY

WORK FROMHOLIDAY

And They’re All Here In India

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A GLOBETROTTER’S GUIDE TO THE LATEST IN TRAVEL

Disc veries10

EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES

IN ASIAThe unique cultures, varied landscape, and rich history of Asia offer inimitable

experiences for travellers. We’ve picked 10 for your bucket list! BY SHIBANI BAWA

FLY OVER BAGAN IN A HOT-AIR BALLOONThe ancient city of Bagan in central Myanmar was once known to have more than 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries within a 100-square-kilometre area. Most of these were built between the ninth and 13th centuries, when Bagan was the capital city of the Kingdom of Pagan. Today it is estimated that 2,200 of the structures still exist. The best way to view them is from the wicker basket of a hot-air balloon gently gliding over the landscape. When the ancient architecture breaks through the early morning mist, it makes for the most ethereal sight. Three companies—Balloons Over Bagan, Oriental Ballooning, and Golden Eagle Ballooning—offer these flights over the Bagan Plain. visit-bagan.com

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GO WINE TASTING IN JAPANIt may come as a surprise, but Japan has been producing wine for over a century. There are more than 300 wineries from Hokkaido to Kyushu, and Yamanashi prefecture is the largest wine growing region. Bookmark these establishments for your next wine-soaked vacation in the prefecture: Katsunuma Jyozo Winery (katsunuma-winery.com), a family-owned winery, is set in a 140-year-old merchant’s house. Lumiere (lumiere.jp), the oldest family-owned winery in Yamanashi founded in 1885, has a swanky restaurant that serves Japanese and French fusion dishes paired with their wines. Marufuji (rubaiyat.jp), a winery established in 1890, produces 1,70,000 bottles a year. Here, the tasting is housed in a traditional Japanese building with dark wooden beams and shoji sliding screens. jnto.go.jp

SHOP IN THE FLOATING MARKETS OF THAILANDWhile shopping is an integral part of travel, jumping from one mall to another may mask the local vibe of a destination. Floating through a canal on a long-tail boat, though, makes for a memorable shopping experience, one that Thailand is famous for. From some of the best street food to trinkets, souvenirs, and local art, Thailand’s floating markets offer quite a variety of buys for shoppers. If you’re in Bangkok, take your pick from the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, which featured in the Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun, or the all-day Taling Chan. For a quick experience, head to the Bang Nam Pheung Market, which is about 20 kilometres from central Bangkok and has only six boats. Pattaya, however, boasts one of the best floating markets in Thailand. The Four Regions Floating Market (pattayafloatingmarket.com) is spread over 1,00,000 square metres and is divided into four sections housing 114 shops. tourismthailand.org

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FOLLOW THE TEA CARAVAN ROUTE IN CHINAThis is the mother of all train journeys! The Trans-Mongolian Railway follows an ancient tea caravan route from China to Russia (and the other way around). The journey takes a minimum of six nights and five days, traversing 7,826 kilometres through the extremities of Siberia to the Gobi Desert. The train allows you to do stopovers, though they have to be pre-arranged and tickets organised accordingly. While you can do the trip without stopovers, do not miss the opportunity to visit Mongolia, where you can feast on vistas of rolling hills and wild horses dashing alongside the train. transsiberianexpress.netFR

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CATCH THE SUNRISE OVER BOROBUDURBorobudur, an ancient Buddhist temple in Central Java, is set amid smoking volcanoes and a thick jungle. The temple complex is built in the style of Mandala, which symbolises the universe in Buddhist teachings. The square-shaped structure has four entry points and a circular centre representing Nirvana. The complex features carved stone reliefs depicting the teachings of different sutras, as well as 504 statues of Buddha in different meditative poses. There are many ways to enjoy this historic site, but one of the finest is to hike up the surrounding hills to see it at sunrise. There are many vantage points. Take a short hike up the Barede Hill, or enjoy the panoramic view from the summit of Mount Andong. indonesia.travel

GO KAYAKING IN LAOSIf slow travel is your thing, bookmark the quaint river town of Vang Vieng in Laos. Your relaxed trip can be enlivened with a kayaking trip down River Nam Song. Ideal for beginners, the river features some fun rapids as well as caves. A typical experience includes three hours of kayaking and one hour of exploring caves such as Tham Lom, which is great for swing jumping, and the bat cave Tham Non, which is famous for having been a rescue shelter for villagers during the Second Indochina War. Through the journey, you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the Nam Kouang Valley. vietlongtravel.com

SEE WILD KOMODO DRAGONS IN INDONESIAThe largest living lizards in the world are found only on a few volcanic Indonesian islands. Komodo dragons are named after a dragon-like creature that is rumoured to have lived on the island of Komodo. Their intimidating size, peculiar head and legs, and thick, long tails are certainly reminiscent of mythical dragons. The Komodo National Park in Indonesia gives access to five islands where these creatures roam freely. Besides the dragons, the park boasts a pink-hued beach, and the area is home to spectacular marine life that is best enjoyed while snorkelling or diving. komodonationalpark.org

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FIND EERIE HANGING COFFINS IN THE PHILIPPINESTravel need not always be rose-tinted. It can also be dark and hauntingly beautiful. The Echo Valley Sagada in the Philippines is home to an eerie ancient practice dating back almost 2,000 years. The Igorot people of a remote village in the Cordillera Central Mountains bury their dead in a gravity-defying graveyard. Hand-carved coffins are suspended high above the ground—tied or nailed to the side of a cliff. This practice is believed to bring the deceased closer to their ancestral spirits. The older coffins are roughly one-metre long, and family members had to break the bones of the departed to fit them in the caskets—in the foetal position. The newer coffins are thankfully double in length. philippines.travel

TAKE A VINTAGE CAR TOUROF LUANG PRABANGThe most vibrant city of Laos, Luang Prabang, offers an interesting fusion—a French colonial town with Asian influences. Laos had come under French rule during the colonial era, and even though the country got independence in 1946, one finds the remnants of the European legacy till date in the architecture, food, and even local customs. Enjoy this wonderful melange of East and West while cruising the temple-lined streets of the charming UNESCO-protected town in a classic vintage car such as a Rolls-Royce Shadow 1973 or a Mercedes-Benz E Class from the 1970s. Do make sure that your tour includes a stop, or two, at some delightful French bakeries. icstravelgroup.com

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SURF SAND DUNES IN VIETNAMThe red sand dunes of Mui Ne in Vietnam get their vibrant colour from a combination of fine sand and iron ore from an old mine that existed here. Besides the natural beauty of the shifting dunes, adventure enthusiasts visit the destination for a range of thrilling activities like sand surfing and driving all-terrain vehicles. It is interesting to note that sand dune surfing on the board is guided mainly by women and children; the latter are particularly proficient in instructing visitors. After the adrenaline rush, you can enjoy a beautiful sunset tour. The area is also a delight for sand artists and nature photographers. vietnam.travel

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The King GuestRoom is inspiredby traditionalJapanese housesin Nara.

The 1,000-plusdeer in Nara areconsidered sacredand protected.

Silk Road Dining fuses the best of Eastern and Western cuisines in an open kitchen.

While the property’s sophisticated decor puts you into a trance, its two distinctive restaurants and a stylish lounge bar take guests on an exciting culinary journey. Pick a teppanyaki, sushi, or multi-course kaiseki dinner at Azekura, the speciality restaurant. Chefs curate the best of Eastern and Western cuisines with locally-sourced ingredients at the hotel’s open-kitchen restaurant, Silk Road Dining, which celebrates the journeys of ancient merchants. Unwind with a Sake Bomb or Cherry Blossom Cocktail at the Flying Stag, an authentic afternoon tea room during the day and a chic bar by night.

The hotel is equipped with a huge ballroom and four meeting rooms with multiple layout options for events and special occasions. It also has a 24-hour fi tness centre for your daily workout routine, and an indoor swimming pool. For the ideal evening, take a stroll along the River Saho, which is lined with cherry blossom trees, and head to the Spa by JW, where you can pick from a wide range of scrubs, massages, and facial treatments. marriott.com

― SUSHMITA SRIVASTAV

ROLLING HILLS, ancient temples, shrines, and a famous deer park—if there’s a languorous side to the fast-paced Land of the Rising Sun, it has to be Nara. Japan’s fi rst permanent capital with the

largest count of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country, Nara brims with experiences. And lending it a touch of glamour is the JW Marriott Hotel Nara, the brand’s fi rst entrant into the Japanese market as well as the fi rst international luxury hotel to perch in the ancient prefecture.

With 158 luxurious guestrooms including 16 suites steeped in modernity and dressed in warm and earthy tones, JW Marriott Hotel Nara’s interior design is inspired by the surrounding landscape.

Touch of LuxuryMarking the brand’s debut in Japan, JW Marriott Hotel Nara makes for a luxe respite after a day of exploring the ancient city of Nara.

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Goa’s FirstLEED Platinumproperty, ITCGrand Goa, hasdedicated 36.8per cent of its sitearea to nativevegetation.

ITC Hotels has launched the WeAssureprogramme, which assures guests of sanitation,hygiene, safety, and infection-control practiceswith an accreditation by the NationalAccreditation Board for Hospitals & HealthcareProviders (NABH). It has also partnered withDNV GL–Business Assurance, one of the world’sleading business certification bodies, to ensurestringent clinical levels of hygiene and safetyat its properties. Not only have all ITC hotelsbeen certified LEED Platinum, Welcomhotelproperties in Bengaluru, Coimbatore,and Amritsar have also joined the league.Welcomhotel Amritsar is Punjab’s first LEEDPlatinum-certified hotel, thanks to an array ofsustainable initiatives that range from reducingwater consumption to using solar panels.

Nakul Anand, executive director–ITCLimited, says, “ITC Hotels has been atrailblazer in sustainability—from pioneeringthe Clean Air initiative to making all itsproperties free of single-use plastic. As perUSGBC, ‘built to LEED’ or ‘LEED equivalency’doesn’t exist—there is no substitute for thecertification. Our ‘Namaste’ logo too embodiesour commitment to Responsible Luxury—silent yet powerful, distant yet connected,embodying within itself oneness of the soul.Service can and must always touch the heart.”

Sticking to the ethos of ‘Reduce, Recycle,and Reuse’, ITC Hotels has never shied awayfrom taking drastic measures to preserveecosystems and reduce its carbon footprint. Itwas the first hotel chain in 2007 to offer waterin glass bottles, Sunya Aqua, instead of plasticbottles. It’s no wonder that ITC Hotels remains afavourite among conscious travellers from Indiaand abroad. itchotels.in ― SUSHMITA SRIVASTAV

FOR A LONG TIME, ITC Hotels’ commitmenttowards the environment has appealed todiscerning guests, who are becomingincreasingly aware of their duties towards theplanet’s well-being. In a decisive endorsement

of its values, ITC Hotels has become the first and largesthotel chain in the world with the maximum number ofproperties accorded the highest rating of LEED Platinum(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) by theUS Green Building Council (USGBC). The distinction ishardly a surprise, given the group’s decade-long credo of‘Responsible Luxury’—an ethos that integrates world-classgreen practices with contemporary design elements todeliver the best of luxury in the greenest manner.

In a post-pandemic world, travel and hospitality havetaken on new meanings. In a first for the industry,

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Leading by ExampleWith the USGBC accolade of the highest number of LEED Platinum hotels in the world, ITC Hotels pioneers a unique blend of sustainability and luxury.

ITC Grand Bharat at Manesar is high on sustainability and has

a Swasthya menu for diners.

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SUSTAINABLY YOURSThe tiny island nation of Sri Lanka is leading Southeast Asia’s sustainable tourism movement,

with a dynamic bunch of local entrepreneurs spearheading change. BY RIAAN JACOB GEORGE

I n d i a & S o u t h As i aT r a v e l + L e i s u r e

Cape Weligama is set atop a picturesque promontory rising 40 metres above the Indian Ocean.

S R I L A N K AG U I D E

Intelligent Traveller

TIPS AND TRICKS TO HELP YOU TRAVEL SMARTER

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makes lifestyle products out of concrete—personalised souvenirs and objets d’art. Similarly, artist Dhanushka Wickramaratne of Cane Couture (canecouture.lk) works with rural communities and local artists to create a range of super-chic cane bags, while Xýlo (shopxylo.com) is an eco-friendly brand that specialises in cork placemats and coasters as well as bowls, chopping boards, and spoons made from discarded wood. “Rather than buying a factory-minted souvenir, the sustainable movement is real in Sri Lanka, where tourists can directly participate,” Pendigrast tells me.

Across town, I step into the chic confines of Urban Island (urbanisland.lk), a gorgeous design store in an art deco bungalow, featuring a distinct tropical vibe. Urban Island’s quirky collections are sourced from local artisans using indigenous fabrics and raw materials in things like linen, books, accessories, bags, and even table decor.

I cannot visit Colombo without making a quick pit stop at the iconic Barefoot (barefootceylon.com), whose story represents the very essence of sustainability. Way back in 1964, Barbara Sansoni started Barefoot to promote local artists and craftsmen who worked from home in order to eliminate factory lines and provide unique, local, handmade souvenirs. Even today, Barefoot’s network of artisans spans across Sri Lankan villages.

O NE BALMY AFTERNOON in downtown Colombo, I catch up with Natalie Pendigrast, interior designer turned entrepreneur whose store, Pendi (pendi.lk), can give anyone major design goals. In this beautiful sunlit space,

Pendigrast curates an exquisite collection from Sri Lanka’s trendiest sustainable brands and artists. “There is so much interesting work going on in terms of sustainable creativity in Sri Lanka. I wanted to use my store to give a platform to these local brands. Everything here is made in Sri Lanka,” she explains.

That afternoon at Pendi, I hang with the who’s who of the creative community. Nihara Fernando runs Botanic Hues (narni.studio/botanichues), which uses flowers, leaves, turmeric, and other natural resources to dye fabrics, while Kanil Dias’s initiative, Geo Blox,

Urban Island is a design store in an art deco bungalow. Left: The store’s quirky collections are sourced from local artisans.

Each product at Pendi is part of a limited collection and hand-finished. Above: A sustainable handbag from the store.

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INSIDE A STYLISH ESPRESSO BAR in the16th-century Galle Fort Hotel (galleforthotel.com), I have a conversation with local sustainability entrepreneur Atheeq Ifthikar, whose community experiential platform

Ceylon Soul (ceylonsoul.com) promotes responsible tourism in the region through its experiences. Ifthikartells me, “I make it a point to engage local communitiesin whatever experiences I curate. These could be anything from cooking with locals, visits to markets andsourcing indigenous vegetables, thereby supporting localfarmers, and even checking out indigenous artisans. Since cinnamon is a huge crop for us, we also try to gettravellers to enjoy an experience at a cinnamon farm.”

As I walk through the Galle Fort Hotel, it becomesevident that this luxury precinct is sans any big chainhotels, and is dotted by small-scale, homegrown, luxuryboutique properties and villas, most of which practisesustainability. Take the boutique hotel, The Bartizan (thebartizan.com), for instance, situated in a restored heritage structure, with just under a dozen rooms. TheBartizan’s rooms use elements of local art and craft, eco-friendly materials, and minimal plastic. The ambience is of less consumption. In fact, this is the

From left: JetwingLighthouse has itsown sustainabilityprogramme;The Bartizan useselements of localart and craft,eco-friendly materials,and minimal plastic.

THE SOUTH CONNECTIONgeneral vibe of the hospitality industry along this coast. A couple of kilometres away, the Sri Lankan-owned brand Jetwing Lighthouse (jetwinghotels.com) takes pride in being one of the most sustainable chain hotels in the country, consistently winning awards for it. Like the chain’s other hotels, Jetwing Lighthouse has its own sustainability programme. The staff tell me that all the water in the glass bottles used in the hotel is fi ltered and bottled in an onsite plant, thereby reducing plastic and the carbon footprint of water bottles being transported.

I drive down the gorgeous Galle coastal road towards Lake Koggala to discover one of the island’s most exclusive eco-resorts, Tri (trilanka.com). Its 11 gorgeous suites feature truly innovative design—living roofs, vertical gardens, rainwater channelling, and growing of endemic plants, mangroves, and trees. In addition, Tri’s chalets feature solar panels, and the structures have been created using recycled local wood.

CERTIFIED GOODTHE SRI LANKA TOURISM Development Authority started the National Sustainable Tourism Certification as a means to make the tourism industry in the country more sustainable. Last year, 37 hotels were recognised for their noteworthy practices by the NSTC. Leading the pack were Heritance Kandalama (heritancehotels.com), Jetwing Lighthouse Galle, Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort (anantara.com), Cinnamon Citadel Kandy (cinnamonhotels.com), and Mövenpick Hotel Colombo (movenpick.com).

Heritance Kandalama is set amid the woods

on a mountainside.

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SITUATED IN THE Haputale mountains in central Sri Lanka, The Cliff Lodge eco-camp is the country’s best-kept secret. For starters, getting there requires an eight-kilometre off-road drive in a 4X4, following which you need to hike nearly two kilometres through the forest. The Cliff Lodge is in the midst of an abandoned tea plantation. This place only accepts one booking at a time, so you have the place entirely to yourself. While there is no electricity, no hot water, and limited phone network, you are provided gourmet meals and a host of sustainable experiences. If you don’t want to sleep in the tent, you can opt for the glass sleeping pod along the side of the mountain for a glamping experience.

to their natural ventilation. This way they reportedly save over 70 per cent energy, Nawagamuwage tells me.

Tucked away in another corner of the Sri Lankan tea county, Malik Fernando, scion of Dilmah Tea (dilmahtea.com), drives me around the lush green expanse of Ceylon Tea Trails. Under the luxe Resplendent Ceylon umbrella (resplendentceylon.com), featuring Cape Weligama and Wild Coast Tented Lodge, these highly experiential Relais & Chateaux properties are high on the sustainable tourism agenda. Ceylon Tea Trails, a series of restored plantation bungalows separated from each other by several kilometres, boasts a small carbon footprint, again partly thanks to the absence of air-conditioning. “We use water from natural sources, we send our food waste to the piggery nearby to avoid landfi lls, and Resplendent Ceylon is involved in a host of conservation, research, and community engagement activities,” Fernando shares. During a recent visit to Cape Weligama, I discovered that the group also works closely with the local community on beach cleanliness, runs the village pre-school and community centre, and is embarking on a programme to restore the reef in the bay.

I F YOU ARE LOOKING FOR a luxurious vacation in the Sri Lankan hills, chances are you have heard of Santani (santani.lk). Considered to be one of the most exclusive wellness resorts in the region, tucked away in a lush forest

outside Kandy, Santani is best described as a haven of sustainable wellness with its 16 mountain chalets and four forest chalets. On a cool morning, on one of Santani’s panoramic patios, I get chatting with the man behind the concept, Vickum Nawagamuwage. Blending sustainability and wellness is the mission, he tells me. “Human sustainability is the result achieved by being the best you can be physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is not about following any fad or practice. We want to bring out the best in you, in a sustainable way.”

Following two years of extensive research, the chalets, located in the midst of a sprawling former tea plantation, were designed smartly. Within the chalets, I do not notice the absence of air-conditioning, thanks

IN THE HILLS

From left: Cape Weligama works closely with the local community on beach cleanliness; Ceylon Tea Trails is a series of restored plantation bungalows.

The Cliff Lodge is located on

Haputale, which is surrounded by hills covered with tea plantations.

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Runway ReadyDon your desi avatar for domestic travel with this traditional eBY PRIYANKA CHAKRABARTI

5

1. PERFUMEMen’s Armaan Apparel Perfume, Sugandhco, `550 (50 ml); amazon.in———2. WATCHStamp Watch, Jaipur Watch Company, price on request; jaipur.watch———3. WALLETOlive Croco Print Leather Wallet, Brune, `2,999; voganow.com———4. BAGClassic Weekender Duffel Bag, Aulive, `3,900; aulive.in———5. HAIRCAREHair Wax, Beardo, `275 (75 g); nykaa.com———6. ESSENTIAL HOLDERWaist Pouch, Malai, `5,000; made-from-malai.com ———7. SKINCAREBeard Oil, The Man Company, `440 (30 ml); themancompany.com———8. FOOTWEARBalmy Men Rivet Cross Strap Flat, Aprajita Toor, `3,999; aprajitatoor.com———9. CLOTHESFall/Winter 2019 Menswear, Anita Dongre, `1,47,000; anitadongre.com

The heritage gems of Orchha in

Madhya Pradesh call for convention.

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Chic in IndiaChannel your inner fashion goddess with these homegrown labels.BY PRIYANKA CHAKRABARTI

Look regal as you take a

tour of Jodhpur’s glorious past.

1. BAGMara Cabin Travel Bag byShivangi Bagpai, MixMitti,`5,000; mixmitti.com———2. BRACELETRose Gold with Emerald and Fine-Cut Diamonds, Narayan Jewellers, price on request; narayanjewellers.com———3. HAIRCAREScalp Tonic, The Earth Collective, `900 (100 ml);theearthcollective.in ———4. RINGColour Bond Collection, Kohinoor Jewellers, price on request; kohinoorjewellers.com———5. EARRINGSStud Earrings, RK Jewelleprice on request; rkjewell———6. MASKGiraffe and Chintz Print Reversible Mask, Payal Sin`795; payalsinghal.com———7. FOOTWEARNoor, ShilpSutra, `3,299; shilpsutra.com———8. SKINCAREHydrating Rose Petal FacKal Hans Naturals, `575 (5kalhans.com———9. CLOTHESSpring/Summer 2020, WilFlower, Payal Khandwala,request; payalkhandwala

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1858 GEOSPHEREMONTBLANC

This year, Montblanc has created a new iteration of the1858 Geosphere. The watch designed for exploration is now offered in a lighter, sportier variant. But the heritage elements continue: the 1930s Montblanc logo, the typeface of the numerals, the railroad minutetrack. This blue variation is meant to evoke the coloursof glaciers and snowy mountains. Since the original watch was a tribute to the Seven Summits, it befi ts anadventure in the Himalayas. montblanc.com

A TIME FOR EVERYTHINGAs travel bubbles pop up all over the world, it’s time to look at India and therest of Asia with a fresh perspective. Here are fi ve recently launched timepiecesto suit the mood of your travel destination. BY MITRAJIT BHATTACHARYA

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1. LIMELIGHT GALAPIAGETThis year’s editions of the Limelight Gala, a model with stylish curves, asymmetrical lugs, and a gem-set bezel, hark back to Piaget’s heyday of jewellery watches in the 1960s and 1970s. Arranged around four themes—The Art of Movement, The Art of Gold, The Art of Colour, and The Art of Light—the ultra-thin jewellery watches come with a delightful gemstone twist. The Art of Light watch (in pic) is a rose-gold model with a mother-of-pearl dial and a setting of 42 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel. Perfect for a luxurious night out in Hong Kong. piaget.com― ― 2. PORTUGIESER YACHT CLUB CHRONOGRAPHIWCThe big story at Watches and Wonders 2020 was the comeback of Portugieser. A decade after its maiden voyage, the third-generation Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph sails into port. The novelties are a larger case size, relocation of the date window, some fine-tuning on the dial, and a new metal bracelet. The watch comes in three iterations—take your pick for that yachting expedition in SE Asia. iwc.com

3. REVERSO ONEJAEGER-LECOULTREBorn in polo fields during the British Raj, Reverso has its history intertwined with Rajasthan. The Reverso One Red-Wine, launched earlier this year, is an interesting offering for women. The design is influenced by the Art Deco movement, in vogue at the time the Reverso was born. This can be seen particularly on the dial, where Arabic numerals framed at the corners, a sunray guilloche pattern in red, and handset all speak to the 1930s origins of the timepiece. jaeger-lecoultre.com― ― 4. CONNECTEDTAG HEUERThe Connected collection has expanded this summer with four variations of colours featuring new materials, watch faces, and straps. It offers timepieces designed in the purest watchmaking tradition with a state-of-the-art digital experience that comes with weather forecast, a second time zone, and sunrise and sunset times. The TAG Heuer mobile app helps with greater personalisation. Whether it’s biking in the hills, a workout by the sea, or golf at a secluded retreat, the watch keeps up with you. tagheuer.com


HOMEGROWNHAPPINESSIn the spirit of going local, we’ve collected abunch of homegrown gear that’ll ensure younext vacation is easy and fi lled with fun. BY VAIBHAV SHARMA

EasyRoadsThis road trip

app is just whatyou need for

your weekendgetaway. It letsyou plan pretty

much every detail of your trip, from the fastest route

to highway motels and restaurants

along the way, and any nearby sights

for which you should stop. In-

built collaboration and community

features also make this a lot of fun, and you can even share tips from your past

road trips.

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S5. TELESCOPESTAR TRACKER 76/900 EQ1The homegrown brand of telescopes, Tejraj & Co., might be a great investment for anyone who spends ample time away from polluted cities. The new 76/900 EQ1 is powerful enough for the budding astronomer, has a 6x24 finder scope for easy use, and there’s micro-motion altitude control for easy fine-tuning. A bunch of nifty accessories―filters, star maps, cleaning kit―offer great value for your money. `8,400; tejraj.com

1. BLUETOOTH TRACKERVAYA LYNKKeys, wallets, hand baggage, laptops—keep them all safe on your travels with this nifty Bluetooth tracker. It’s got a 30m range, a record of where items were last located, a replaceable battery (which lasts nearly 10 months), and separation alerts that warn you if you’re leaving something behind. Definitely a saviour when you’re onyour flight back. `1,090; vaya.in― ―2. RUCKSACKWILDCRAFT TRAILBLAZER 60There is nothing like the vast outdoors, withits guaranteed social distancing and fresh air. Next time you’re out

ry all your

gear in this Wildcraft rucksack. This top-loading drawstring pack is made of lightweight fabric, and has a separate pocket to store essentials, a proper airflow system, compression straps, and loops for walking sticks. `7,499; wildcraft.com ― ―3. CHARGERAMKETTE FAMILY CAR CHARGERThis four-port car charger with an extension puts a charging port in reach of everyone accompanying you on a road trip. That includes spouses who need to make urgent work calls and bored kids with iPads on the back seat. `549; amkette.com― ―4. E-BIKEHERO LECTRO GLIDE Bikes make Himalayan getaways all the more fun. But have you tried pedalling uphill to your homestay after gorging on parathas at a riverside dhaba? Definitely not fun. Get an e-bike and make life easier. The baby of Hero’s range provides a 30-km range, a top speed of 25 km/hr, and four power assist modes to cater to all levels of fitness and post-lunch sluggishness. `21,000; herolectro.com

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May I Help You... Virtually?In the absence of patrons, Indian hospitality players have begunto offer brand experiences online. Could this be the future of travel?RIAAN JACOB GEORGE probes.

HESE DAYS, IF YOU LOG in to Instagram or Facebook between 5 pm and 7 pm, you come across a bunch of live sessions on an array of subjects. These real-time video sessions range from counselling chats to tutorials offered by bloggers and cooking demonstrations. Hospitality players

haven’t been left behind, aggressively publishing innovative content on social media. The majority of these online experiences are in the form of Instagram and Facebook live sessions, but there are also webinars, Zoom calls, YouTube videos, and what-not available for free consumption to India’s cyber citizens. While hotels, airlines, and other businesses wait for normalcy to return, many are banking on such ancillary experiences on the Internet to drive engagement with patrons.

DIGITAL EXPERIENCESThe Ritz-Carlton, Pune (ritzcarlton.com) conducted a home photography campaign in collaboration with Goa-based narrative photographer Maria Philipose as part of their Pause for Possibilities campaign. People were asked to share their home photographs that were related to travel in some way, and tag the hotel, thereby generating traction. While there is no explicit connection between home photography and the hotel’s offerings, Vineet Mishra, general manager, tells me that they wanted to “make the diverse community capture unique perspectives of this extraordinary worldwide lockdown, which is a shared global experience.”

It’s all about selling a lifestyle rather than just a bed, says Sohrab J Parakh, director of marketing, W Goa (marriott.com). “Hospitality marketing is not just a beautiful picture on the gram or a stunning video with a thousand likes. When a hotel brand’s passion points are lived through music, fashion, design, and fuel, they are missed by those who are addicted to the #FOMO

During the lockdown, W Goa offered a virtual seven-day detox session with a yoga coach.


ALL – Accor Live Limitless, the daily lifestyle programme of Accor hotels,launched a digital campaign #ALLatHome, offering its patrons immersivecontent on sports, food, and entertainment.

its narrative of well-being. The campaign, Wellbeing Master Series by Kaya Kalp, is driven by Dr Suraj Dubey, head of spa and wellness. The fi rst session on palm refl exology, focussed on boosting immunity and vitality, was conducted by Dr Mamtha, the resident naturopathy physician at ITC Grand Chola Chennai. “On closer analysis of the market, we found that wellness is one of the most signifi cant areas of guest engagement. This is indicative of a trend, one that will fi nd greater meaning in our future offerings. We need to retain engagement with both guests and our social media community,” the home-grown luxury group’s COO, Anil Chadha, tells us.

mania.” W Goa, known for its fl amboyant lifestyle offerings, kept the entertainment value up during the lockdown with live sunset DJ sessions, a virtual seven-day detox with a yoga coach, and a live cocktail session in partnership with Pernod Ricard.

The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts (oberoihotels.com) has also been on-board the knowledge-share bandwagon, posting a host of immunity-building recipes on their website. Created and conceptualised by the group’s in-house team, this was a culinary brand building exercise of sorts, where larger audiences, including both patrons and non-patrons of the hotel, could be part of the brand experience.

BUILDING A LIFESTYLEA few brands stepped back to focus on the bigger picture of hospitality. Sports, entertainment, and food were harnessed in Accor’s (all.accor.com) global campaign #ALLatHome, a virtual brand extension of its Accor Live Limitless division. Ibis Music, for instance, was a very successful gig-driven programme at Ibis hotels across the country. Ibis India decided to repackage Ibis Music as #GigsatHome. Every Friday, artists like The Gilsons, Prachi Kapil, AZTEC, and The Suryansh Project took over the Ibis India Instagram handle to perform live gigs. “In addition to providing a platform to young artists, we wanted to deliver unique experiences to our virtual community, as our in-house gigs are on hold for now. The idea is to entertain and stay connected,” says Sylvain Laroche, director of operations, Ibis India.

Another strategic move was when a mass market brand like Amul partnered with a luxury hotel to reach new audiences. JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar (marriott.com) collaborated with Amul India to create a range of easy home recipes, bringing the former’s premium content and experiences into a more relatable context. The fi nal objective was “to craft virtual experiences for guests to bridge the distance,” says Anshuman Bali, the hotel’s executive chef.

Wellness has been one of the most hotly debated topics in recent times, and ITC Hotels’ (itchotels.com) campaign, Digital Master Series, is a noteworthy branding exercise. Through six wellness videos, the luxury group is communicating

An Airbnb Online Experience of fashion illustration from the Delhi home of designers Shivan and Narresh.


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director of Airbnb Experiences APAC, reveals the thought process, “Online Experiences provide an easy opportunity for someone to become a host and earn an income. Secondly, guests have easy access to people in other countries, breaking geographical borders, in order to experience something unique. In terms of our online experiences with Indian personalities, we managed to co-create engaging genre-specifi c experiences.”

Indian airline Vistara (airvistara.com) also used the lull in air traffi c to create travel-related content. In a series of webinars and live chats across Instagram, Zoom, and YouTube, the airline’s bosses engaged with travel infl uencers to discuss pressing aviation-related matters such as the new normal of fl ying, safety, and sanitisation facilities on fl ights, awareness about pre-, in-, and post-fl ight measures as well as topics like frequent fl yer miles. From an aviation standpoint, this was a great way to drive conversation and create content buckets that might be of interest to any fl yer.

How the new normal pans out remains to be seen in the next couple of months. But one thing is for sure. The marketing and branding teams of hospitality companies will have to reinterpret traditional strategies and think of larger, more inclusive schemes to engage both customers and non-customers, and ensure brand visibility even in a global pandemic.

Clockwise from left: Every Friday, artists like The Gilsons, Prachi Kapil, and The Suryansh Project took over the Ibis India Instagram handle to perform live gigs; Airbnb offered Online Experiences such as faux calligraphy; The Ritz-Carlton, Pune in collaboration with Goa-based narrative photographer Maria Philipose, conducted a home photography campaign to interact with users.

OTHER PLAYERSIt wasn’t only hotels that used virtual experiences as a marketing tool. Home-sharing giant Airbnb (airbnb.co.in) led the pack in innovation. Recently, it expanded its Online Experiences—given that most people were not able to access real-life Airbnb Experiences—in partnership with a host of leading Indian personalities across fi tness, food, fashion, and home decor. As a result, we saw a fashion illustration experience from the Delhi home of designers Shivan and Narresh, an interactive mixology workshop with Monkey Shoulder ambassador Pankaj Balachandran, a table styling workshop with decor specialist Devika Narain, a zero-waste cooking class by Chef Sandeep Sreedharan of Goa’s Mahé restaurant fame, among other experiences. Parin Mehta, regional


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Arjun VaidyaOLD RECIPE,

NEW PLATINGArjun Vaidya, CEO of Dr. Vaidya’s, is

creating a whole new segment of consumers for Ayurveda by offering 5,000-year-old

solutions in modern packaging. The 28-year-old entrepreneur speaks to SUSHMITA SRIVASTAV about his

rich family legacy, the pandemic, and selling Ayurveda online.

What inspired you to establish Dr. Vaidya’s? Our family has a legacy of practising Ayurveda for over 150 years. My forefathers have all been Ayurvedic practitioners, and we have 100-plus family formulations passed down from generation to generation. It started when my great-grandfather moved from Gujarat in 1923 and set up a small clinic in Bombay (now Mumbai). Then, my grandfather took over in 1971 and became one of the most famous Ayurvedic doctors in the country. He used to attend to 300-350 patients per day, and yet, just like his father, never took any consultation fee; patients were

asked to pay only for the medicine. Later, my father started a jewellery brand, but there was always this regret in the family that we didn’t take the legacy forward. I was diagnosed with juvenile bronchitis at the age of two, and after 12 years of my grandfather’s treatment, I was completely cured. So, I grew up as a believer of Ayurveda and spent a lot of time poring over ancient texts with my grandfather and transcribing formulations on the computer for him. When I went to the US for my education, I saw organic products becoming fashionable and yoga being repackaged. I wondered why we couldn’t make Ayurveda cool too.

After I moved back to India, I spent three years working for a private equity firm; during this time my grandfather passed away. Then, I quit my job, launched the brand in October 2016, and named it after him.

Is there a travel memory with your grandfather that you cherish?Every Diwali, we would go to Southeast Asia with the entire family. This was the one time of the year when I got to spend a lot of time with my grandfather. Every evening, we would enjoy tea and snacks at different hotels. Those conversations with him about life, Ayurveda, and golf are some of my most cherished ones.C

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A city you love for its food?Istanbul, and Providence, Rhode Island, US. I lived in the latter when I was in college.

Many Ayurveda brands have cropped up over the years in India. What makes yours stand out?Whether it’s the product or the marketing, we try to do things differently. We are trying to repackage Ayurveda in a way that appeals to the youth. For e.g., products like Chyawanprash candy or a hangover cure in a capsule! Unlike others, 90 per cent of our sales come from our online channel. In three and half years, Dr. Vaidya’s (drvaidyas.com) has catered to over 10 lakh customers across 16,500 pin codes.

In the wake of the pandemic, how do you see the Ayurveda sector growing?I think 2014-19 saw the renaissance of Ayurveda. The year 2020 is the reflection call. This is the time when millions of people who didn’t know anything about these herbs or practices are growing curious. It is an opportunity for us. I believe that people will initially come to us for improving their immunity, but eventually, they’ll start respecting and accepting Ayurveda as a lifestyle.

Ayurvedic immune-boosting drinks like kadha are used widely in Indian households.

during the pandemic. Supply chain is a big challenge. Also, working with smaller teams and managing through containment zones have been major issues. However, we believe hard work is our strength, and the customer is our reason for being, and these philosophies have pushed us through this trying time. We were shut for only 10 days towards the end of March, and we have proudly been delivering orders this entire time.

What’s next for the brand? Right now, our immediate goals are to go deeper in the online space, improve customer experience through better digital consultations, and educate people around the globe about Ayurveda and holistic wellness. So far, we have held more than 50 live sessions on Instagram with experts and coaches from different fields. We have done many podcasts, and we have WhatsApp groups in place.

What’s next on your travel plans? Alibag, soon. And later, Greece. We’ve tried to go there multiple times, but something has always come in the way.

Other than India, which is your favourite wellness destination?Thailand, for sure!

Which of your products are most popular among customers?We launched five products during the lockdown—a hand sanitiser, a fruits and vegetables wash, an immunity booster, and ashwagandha and giloy capsules, all of which are big on either immunity or hygiene. We are focussing on what the consumers need at the moment.

What are the biggest challenges you have faced lately?Like any other business, it has been difficult for us to process

Ashwagandha and giloy (right) capsules are popular products of Dr. Vaidya’s.


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In what ways has Delhi changed since you wrote City of Djinns?Irrevocably. It has gone froma city of about half a million to 26 million. But very few of the things I love have disappeared. In a way, it is everything I love plus a modern city. The downside isobviously the environmental crisis, and it does worry me.

In The Historian’s Eye, the photographer in you comes out. Where does he sit on a bench already occupied by the historian and the travel writer?I was always a photographerfirst. It is not like you have toresign from one job to take up the other. You can do all

THE STORYTELLERAcclaimed writer William Dalrymple’s lifelong obsession with India and

its history has resulted in an array of bestselling novels, with his most recent book The Anarchy all set for a TV adaptation. The award-winning

author speaks to AMITHA AMEEN about Delhi, his favourite Mughalstructures, and the most underrated heritage sites of India.

Will iam DalrympleA U T H O R

of these things. Obviously, my focus has been on history in the last three years doing The Anarchy. Now, it’s all sorts of different stuff. I try to visit the places that I write about. I don’t necessarily

of the guides retell rubbish.But you are [now] getting anew breed, particularly fromDelhi where high-qualityheritage walks are beingconducted by graduateswho have studied history.

Five essential India reads?Favourite modern travelbook: Maximum City bySuketu Mehta.Favourite ancient myth:Some version of theMahabharata. There is nobetter introduction to themind of ancient India thanthat. I came through PeterBrook’s The Mahabharatabut there are many otherversions available.Modern Novel: The Godof Small Things byArundhati Roy.Book of history: There areso many but the one that started me off was The Great Moghuls by Bamber Gascoigne.Book of poetry: There are so many wonderful translations now in Penguin Classics.

Which is your favourite Mughal structure in India?It has to be the Taj Mahal. Other than that, the Moti Masjid in Lal Quila.

Places that act as virtual time portals in India? Mandu in Madhya Pradesh, Hampi and Badami in Karnataka, Kanchipuram and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu.

need to take photographs, but I usually do.

What are some of the most underrated historical sites in India?The state that is most underrated is Madhya Pradesh. Mandu, Sanchi, Khajuraho, Eran, Maheshwar, Gwalior—there is just so much to see! In many ways, Madhya Pradesh is the heartland of India, with the Buddhists, the Muslims, and the Guptas.

What is the worst historical myth you’ve heard from a tour guide?When have I ever heard an accurate rendition of history from a tour guide? So many

Dalrymple feels Sanchi is an underrated town.

Bhumi Pednekar’s Climate Warrior initiative raises awareness about global warming, conservation, and sustainable living.

A CHAMPION OF CLEAN-UP DRIVES AND

CLIMATE STRIKES, ACTOR BHUMI PEDNEKAR

RECENTLY BECAME A ‘CLIMATE WARRIOR’

AND CALLED UPON FELLOW COUNTRYMEN

TO DO THE SAME. ADILA MATRA

CAUGHT UP WITH THE BOLLYWOOD ACTOR

TO TALK ABOUT HER ENVIRONMENT

INITIATIVE, BUCKET-LIST DESTINATIONS,

AND FAVOURITE TRAVEL MEMORIES.

CONCEPT: BHUMI PEDNEKAR

PHOTOGRAPHS:LAKSHETA MODGIL

TEAM: BHAKTEE MODGIL &

NIMISHA TIWARI

WARRIORARTISTE


Tell us a little about ‘Climate Warrior’. How important is such an initiative in today’s world? I have been very conscious about climate change since I was a little girl. I spent many nights thinking of it when I was a teenager. After I became an actor, my work and opinions regarding the crisis came to the forefront. Subsequently, my team at Yash Raj Films (YRF) and I decided to use my social media platform to communicate, and to celebrate the people who were actively working towards saving the planet. Climate Warrior is an attempt to change the thought process and help people recognise that climate crisis is the biggest threat that mankind has ever faced.

What are the challenges you face?The biggest challenge is getting people to accept that there is a threat to our existence. I don’t think people understand that all the recent natural disasters and the frequency at which these are happening is something to be worried about. We think of it as a far-off phenomenon, but it is not. Major rivers are drying up, we are battling a pandemic, the ice caps are melting, and Arctic forests are on fire. Another thing we don’t understand is that these changes are irreversible.

In a post-COVID world, discarded masks and PPE kits pose a threat to the environment. What is your take on this?People should not discard masks on the street. Set aside a place in your house to dispose of masks, and send them to a recycling plant as biohazardous waste. In Mumbai, the high tide throws up gloves and masks on the shore—it is a horrible sight.

What are the other sustainability practices you recommend? Making basic adjustments can have a huge impact. Discard your plastic straw, use a bamboo toothbrush, try to not take long showers, plant a tree, cycle, walk, share your rides. These are adjustments we all can make. Until a few months ago, my family and I were the only ones in the building who segregated waste; now all the floors are doing it. Most of our plastic is sent to a recycling facility, and wet waste is turned into compost. This can go a long way, because landfills are some of the most toxic places on earth.

What changes should we bring about in the way we travel to minimise negative impact on the environment? You can start with small things like carrying your own cutlery when you travel and being mindful of the waste you generate on a road trip. When you go shopping, try and opt for sustainable brands, support local businesses and those that are conscious about animal cruelty, water consumption, and child labour.

Do you think the ‘new normal’ will bring about innovations in the movie industry? Sure, there are a lot of movies being released on OTT platforms. But I think one has to experience cinema in a theatre. I really hope they do open soon. I also feel technology is going to be our best friend.

You must have travelled widely for film shoots. Any experience/destination that stands out? I had great fun shooting for Saand Ki Aankh in Johri village, Uttar Pradesh. I was there for two months—there were huge farms; we would pluck our own vegetables and cook on chulhas. Another enriching experience was shooting in Chambal for Sonchiriya. I have never seen a terrain like that—the ravines are spectacular, and the river is so serene. We also stayed at a rustic heritage property that had been converted into a resort.

Which is your most memorable vacation?My mom, sister, and I took a road trip from Mumbai to Haridwar around eight years ago. We have travelled the world since and before then, but nothing beats that trip.

In these times, it’s important to stay physically and mentally fit. What is your mantra? I stay with my family, so my days are busy. Cooking, cleaning, organising, reading books, watching shows—there is a lot to do. Another thing that has kept me going since the first day of the lockdown is a workout routine. It makes me feel positive and happy, and I recommend that all of you try to squeeze some kind of workout into your routine every day. Even if it is 50 jumping jacks, it will make a huge difference to your mood.

BHUMI’S INDIA BUCKET-LISTI WANT TO VISIT GULMARG; I’VE HEARD WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT IT. I HAVEN’T REALLY EXPLORED THE SOUTH OF INDIA, SO KERALA IS DEFINITELY ON THE LIST. I ALSO WANT TO EXPLORE THE SEVEN SISTERS, HOPEFULLY SOON.

The actor says shopping from sustainable brands can make a big difference.


Malana, H imachal Pradesh

the

A WORLD OF THEIR OWNWith its outlandish customs and peculiar residents, the ancient village of Malana in Himachal Pradesh

tickles the fancy of every inquistive traveller. TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS BY RON BEZBARUAH

From left: Two sisters take a break from their daily chores and admire the first snowfall of the year; the village of Malana is covered in a blanket of snow during winter and looks like a holiday postcard.


Clockwise from left: A little boy stands next to a giant pine tree atop

a hill and observes a white wall of snow

approaching the village from across the ridge; winters can get harsh

with 12-15 inches of snowfall, hence

trekking through these parts isn’t for the faint-hearted; Malana sits at

an altitude of 3,029 metres, between the Chanderkhani pass

and the Deo Tibba peak.


Clockwise from right: Children walk to the village school on a winter morning, getting into snowball fights en route; a Malani man carries his son downhill; the kids often spend the winter indoors, cooped up around family fires that stay lit all day long

and leave the entire village blanketed with a thin layer of smoke; the residents of Malana have Mediterranean features—light-brown eyes and long noses. They claim

to be ‘pure-blood descendants’ of the soldiers of Alexander the Great’s army.


Clockwise from left: It is fairly common to

see kids strolling around the village

alone; heavy snowfall often shuts the

motorable route to the village, leaving

just a back road that the locals use to get

rations, a fairly tricky path with patches of soft snow on a cliff

edge; the children of Malana are usually more friendly than

the elders and readily pose for photographs.


WITH A CHILDISH GIGGLE, I extended my arm to aid my six-foot-tall friend, who struggled to stand straight. With feet slipping in the snow and legs involuntarily split, his skating stance wasn’t exactly graceful. Out of nowhere, a little boy appeared. With a wide grin, he offered his

tiny hand to my friend, and with a slight tug, got him out of his predicament before disappearing in the snow. Such are the children of Malana, strong yet kind souls with far too much wisdom in their eyes.

In this ancient village of Himachal Pradesh, time seems to have stood still. Nestled in the Parvati Valley, Malana lies isolated from the rest of the country, in the shadow of Chanderkhani and Deo Tibba. And though the ‘Forbidden Land’ title lifted when the village opened its doors to tourists, the history of the Malani people remains shrouded in mystery, and is often the subject of urban gossip. It is said that Malana is one of the oldest democratic systems of the world. Malanis have distinct physical features and a unique dialect. The brown-eyed, long-nosed inhabitants claim that they are descendants of the soldiers of Alexander the Great. They marry within the community to maintain their ‘pure’ bloodline, and due to strict upper-caste beliefs, tend to be a bit hostile towards outsiders—no tourist is allowed to touch them or their belongings.

While the men spend their days lazing around and smoking chillum, save for the occasional trek to the peaks to hunt, the women rough it out, chopping and collecting firewood, tending to the children, and keeping the house running. They also look after the enigmatic marijuana fields of the region, which produce some of the finest hashish in the world called Malana Cream. The school is open all year round, through the calm summers and harsh winters. After classes, the kids roam about on their own, clambering up and down the valley, engaging in mud fights, sledding, or just bumming around. They are usually friendly and may even try to sell you some Malana Cream!

Malana is centred around Temple Jamlu, where prophecies are told and weddings and other festivities are held. Jamlu is the primary deity of Malana, and every decision regarding the village is communicated by the deity oracle. The temple is also rumoured to house swords of Alexander’s army. A hefty fine of `3,500 is levied on any outsider who touches the temple walls.

Despite its quirks, the village remains one of my most unique escapades. From getting lost in a blizzard to nodding off under a 200-year-old pine tree, to being invited by locals for a drag from their chillums, it gave me timeless experiences.

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FROM THE ANNALS OF HISTORYSheathed in legends and rife with historical anecdotes, a visit to Junagadh in Gujarat is akin to turning the pages of time. BY SANDY & VYJAY

ROUND 70 KILOMETRES from the home of the Asiatic lion at Gir National Park in Gujarat lies the city of Junagadh. While it’s thrilling to drive through a forest teeming with lions, the intricate layers of history

and legends that Junagadh is wrapped in are no less exciting to explore. In fact, the very existence of the Asiatic lion in what is dubbed as its last wild home is linked to a chapter of Junagadh’s history. Lions were once on the verge of extinction, owing to indiscriminate hunting and habitat loss, but thanks to the conservation efforts of the last ruling Nawab of Junagadh, Muhammad Mahabat Khan III, the species got a fresh lease of life.

The Nawab belonged to a dynasty that had ruled over the princely state of Junagadh for around two centuries. After India gained Independence from the British in 1947 and partitioned into two countries, the Nawab saw it fi t to accede to Pakistan even though nearly 99 per cent of the population was Hindu. In a dramatic turn of events, a plebiscite led to Junagadh becoming a part of India. The Nawab reportedly fl ed to Karachi with his entourage of 200 dogs.

FORT FABLESOur fi rst tryst with Junagadh’s fascinating history begins at the entrance of an old citadel. Standing defi antly against the onslaught of time, Uparkot Fort has walls that wear innumerable scars. After all, it has seen 16 sieges—one lasting 12 years!

“This is the spot where the guards were killed through treachery and the fort breached,” says our guide, gesturing towards the inner gates. The fort also fi nds a place in mythology and is believed to

The depth of Adi-Kadi Vav is said to be about 53 metres. TU

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have been built by the Yadava king Ugrasen, better known as the grandfather of Lord Krishna. It was then called Revatnagar, after the hill on which it was built. Strictly historically speaking, it is acknowledged that the first structure of the fort was built in 319 BC by Chandragupta Maurya.

Uparkot served as the seat of power of Junagadh state under different dynasties. For a period of time between 73-70 BC, it was even ruled by the Greeks; a rock edict in Junagadh talks about a Yavana (Greek) king named Tushaspha. Subsequent rulers included the Shakas, or Scythians, and the Gupta dynasty. Following that, the fort lost its importance and faded into oblivion, claimed by the jungle and hidden from the world for almost three centuries.

In the 10th century, a king named Griharipu of the Chudasama dynasty is believed to have reclaimed and restored the fort. The Chudasamas ruled the region from Uparkot Fort till almost the end of the 15th century when the fort was conquered by a Turkic ruler named Mohammed Begada. Then, it was the turn of the Mughals to rule over Junagadh for about 200 years. The last dynastic rule that again lasted for over 200 years was that of the Nawabs of Junagadh.

Uparkot Fort served as the seat of power of Junagadh state under different dynasties.

PALACE OR MOSQUE?A cryptic board in Gujarati reads: ‘Ranakdevi Palace – Jumma Masjid’, with an arrow pointing towards a square structure with slim pillars in each corner. A series of steps leads to its entrance, where a woman sits and sells Ayurvedic oils.

With a dramatic flourish, our guide explains that the structure was once a two-storeyed palace with 16 rooms. It was named after a legendary queen named Ranakdevi, who married the Chudasama king Ra Khengar in the hall where we were standing. This union

Uparkot Fort is believed to have been built by the Yadava king Ugrasen.

A woman selling an array of spices inside the fort.

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was wrought with tragedy. The Solanki king Siddhraj Jaysing was besotted with Ranakdevi and wanted to marry her. It was he who laid siege to the fort for 12 years and finally breached it with the help of Ra Khengar’s nephews. He is then said to have killed the king as well as the two young princes, before abducting the queen. It’s believed that she immolated herself rather than give in to his nefarious designs.

Today, what remains of the palace is a single, large-pillared chamber with an ornamental balcony that opens to the side. This part is a preferred spot for pre-wedding shoots. In the centre of a wall is a beautifully decorated niche—the mihrab, an essential element in a mosque that indicates the direction of Mecca. After the fort was conquered by the then Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Begada, the top floors of the palace were razed and the structure was converted into a mosque. Soon after, the palace and Uparkot itself were abandoned, as the Sultan built a town outside the fort.

CANNONS THAT FAILEDTwo cannons perched high above the city of Junagadh stand pensively near the Ranakdevi Palace. They are a bitter reminder of defeat. The cannons were used at the port of Diu by the Turkish Naval Force in an attempt to ward off a Portuguese invasion. The help of the Turks had been requisitioned by the then Sultan

From left: Ranakdevi Palace was later convertedinto a mosque; stone pillars inside the Buddhist caves built during the time of Emperor Ashoka.

of Gujarat. However, the Turks tasted defeat and the cannons were later brought to Uparkot Fort. Interestingly, they have names: Neelam and Manek.

THE BUDDHIST CAVESA pigeon sits in contemplation on what looks like a flat rock surface interspersed with strange-looking clefts. A series of winding steps leads you down into caverns. This is the site for a group of second-century rock-cut Buddhist caves, built during the time of Emperor Ashoka.

The caves are actually chambers that were made by scooping out rock. They are in three tiers. As you descend into the interiors of these mystical quarters, which were once the resting

The two medieval cannons in Uparkot Fort were brought from Diu, following a seige in 1538.

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Interiors of theRanakdevi Palace.

Bahauddin KaMaqbara is inspiredby Gothic, Hindu, andIslamic architecture.

place of Buddhist monks, you are overcome with a sense of timelessness. The first storey housed spartan living quarters and meditation cells. The bottom storey housed the assembly hall. Though time has stripped the place of its artistic ornamentations, there are pillars that remind you of Athens. An ancient example of Graeco-Scythian architecture, they have spiral ridges across their shafts and octagonal plinth bases with ornamented capitals.

An intricate system of vertically-cut cisterns and drains channelled rainwater into a pond, ensuring water supply as well as acting as a natural cooling system down below. With the chambers being open to the sky, natural light flowed into the subterranean quarters.

THE STEPWELLS OF UPARKOTWater is indeed the elixir of life, and battles have been waged over the resource through the centuries. Wells, and in particular stepwells, were part of the landscape across western India in ancient times. While the stepwells of Uparkot were devoid of artistic elements, they were quite useful in their time.

The Adi-Kadi Vav is associated with a tragic legend—that of two sisters who sacrificed their lives for the welfare of the kingdom. According to local myth, water could not be struck despite digging deep into the rock face. A worried king sought the advice of an astrologer, who told him that water would flow from the well only upon the voluntary sacrifice of two sisters.

Around 170 steps lead to the pond at the bottom. The depth of the well is said to be about 53 metres. The well dates back to somewhere between the 10th and 15th centuries. As you walk down to the water, the different strata of rocks on either side create a colourful pattern. There is another stepwell nearby known as the Navaghan Kuva, named after a king who lived during the early 11th century. The huge well is housed within a large forecourt and reached by wide, winding steps. Skylights ensure ventilation even at the bottom of the well.

The stepwells of Uparkot seem to have been the precursors to the more ornamental and elaborate stepwells seen elsewhere in Gujarat, such as the beautiful Adalaj Ki Vav near Ahmedabad.

ELEGANT RESTING PLACESOn a busy junction in Junagadh, two exquisite structures stand side by side. They seem out of place in the midst of the bustling traffic. At first glance, one of the structures looks like a Gothic cathedral, but the presence of Islamic architectural elements quickly rules out this possibility. It is a beautiful building with onion-shaped domes clustered on the roof. Arches, intricate carvings, French windows, and columns are all blended with perfection. In many ways, the building with its intriguing mix of design elements of Gothic, Indian, Islamic, and European architecture, is FR

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From top: Thehuge facade ofMahabat Maqbara;the Khapra KodiyaCaves are believedto have been builtbetween the thirdand fourth century.

GETTING THERERajkot Airport, at a distance of 103 kilometres, is the nearest. The better connected city of Ahmedabad is located around 316 kilometres away from Junagadh. One can travel by road from either of these two cities.

STAYBellevue Sarovar Portico, Junagadh is an upscale contemporary hotel located in the heart of the city (doubles from ̀ 3,500; sarovarhotels.com).Click Junagadh offers elegantly furnished rooms (doubles from ̀ 2,500; subahotels.com).

a reflection of the chequered and diverse history of Junagadh. The mesmerising structure is the mausoleum of Nawab Mahabat Khan II, who ruled over the region in the 19th century.

It is difficult to take your eyes away from the hypnotic beauty of the centuries-old mausoleum, but you must, as another masterpiece in stone vies for attention just a few metres away. The structure that has an eerie resemblance to the Taj Mahal is the mausoleum of Sheikh Bahauddin, the Wazir-E-Azam or prime minister of Junagadh in the late 19th century. Another excellent synthesis of Gothic and Islamic architecture, the mausoleum, known as Bahauddin Ka Maqbara, stands out for its four unique minarets, one in each corner. The distinctive feature of each minaret is the staircase that hugs it from the outside.

THE KHAPRA KODIYA CAVESSome distance away from the city centre, hidden behind dusty lanes, stands another gem. The Khapra Kodiya group of caves is deemed to be the most important of the three cave groups that have been found in Junagadh and its vicinity. Chambers have been cut into the rock

and are devoid of any decorative trappings. Though there is not much to see, the historical and archaeological importance of these caves is immense. They are believed to have been built sometime between the third and fourth century AD, or even earlier, to serve as a place for rest and meditation for wandering Buddhist mendicants.

The best way to wrap up a visit to Junagadh is to dig into a mammoth Gujarati thali, with an intricate and colourful spread of flavours and aromas—a sensory feast not very different from the city’s fascinating and colourful history.

The 19th-century mausoleum of Sheikh Bahauddin resembles the Taj Mahal.

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T’S 3.45 AM, AND I’M DOING a pre-travel house check. Appliances unplugged, chargers packed, windows locked—we’re going straight from four months of house-arrest to a road trip, and mixed in with the excitement is anxiety and guilt. Sharing our plans with friends and family has garnered

mixed reactions, from envy to worry to outright disapproval. As far as travel is concerned, the world is divided into two camps. One views travel for its own sake as foolish and frivolous. The other concedes that life should go on, albeit with caution.

The resort we are headed to, Atali Ganga, is among the fi rst to reopen in this relatively untouched valley of the Upper Ganga, about 30 kilometres north of Rishikesh. For now, I’m focussed on the fi rst step. I want to avoid pit stops by minimising time on the

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WFH: WORK FROM HOLIDAYRADHIKA TANDON travels to an Uttarakhand resort with her kids as state borders open up. Atali Ganga not only defi nes the new normal for hospitality in a post-COVID world, but also paves the way for an alternative lifestyle where work, online schooling, and holidaying go hand in hand.



Clockwise from topleft: The road toAtali Ganga iscovered in mistduring monsoon;a morning hike in theforest; the tables atthe cafe are set twometres apart.

road. Hence the departure at this ungodly hour, which I am assured will get us there in about four hours. We leave on time. Whether this excursion is brave or foolish, I’m about to fi nd out.

Step two is getting through the checkposts. It’s been a week since hotels were allowed to reopen. There are stories of chaos at state borders and people being forced into institutional quarantine. I have a pass from the Uttarakhand government, and we have fulfi lled all the conditions. But the mixed reports make me nervous, with good reason as it turns out. We are stopped four times on the way. At the Haridwar checkpost, I get embroiled in a ridiculous argument with the police, who insist that all passes from red zones were invalidated a week ago. But my pass, which states that I come from a red zone, was issued the day before, I counter. We go around in circles

until suddenly, and good-naturedly, they give up and let me through. While the hassle was minor, I am struck by how confused everyone seems and how little coordination there appears to be between check points that are just kilometres apart. (At the time of writing this, fresh clarifi cations have been issued and I am told the situation is improving daily.)

When we drive up through the gates of Atali Ganga, I feel myself fi nally relax. Our bags are unloaded, sprayed, and C

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to facilitate bubble-dining. This is how a COVID-safe buffet works: use the hands-free sanitiser before opening the doors, while wearing a mask of course. Choose a socially-distanced table, already laid out with UV-sterilised plates and cutlery. Carry your plate to the buffet where a masked, gloved, and face-shielded attendant serves you. Then, return to the table and take off your mask to dine. I notice how quickly everyone seems to adapt to the system. We learn to recognise a smile in the eyes above the masks. Once we have exchanged travel histories and grown more comfortable, we even sit outside at an appropriate distance and chat. We learn some names, make some friends. The shift is subtle, the way we have learned in the last few months to keep a wider circle of personal space. But we are still talking and laughing and connecting. It feels normal, and normalcy feels like a blessing.

Atali Ganga hits the sweet spot between back-to-nature and comfortable luxe. All the way from the swimming pool at the lobby level to the unique high ropes course at the top of the property, it offers an array of outdoor adventures and many picturesque corners to curl up with a book. It’s exactly the kind of place we were craving.

From top: The high ropes course—Altitude@Atali—is a popular outdoor activity at the resort; the staff wear face shields, masks, and gloves; temperature checks are compulsory for checking in.

disinfected by gloved staff wearing face shields, before being carried directly to our cottage. Having completed contactless check-in formalities online before arrival, we are briefed on new safety protocols, such as optional turn-down service, before being handed our keys, freshly sterilised under a UV tent and proffered on a tray. I love how within the first five minutes, they manage to melt away my city-bred fears. It is reassuringly clear that a lot of thought has gone into minimising touch-points and ensuring physical distancing. A warm and competent briefing sets the tone for the week ahead.

Atali Ganga looks like it was built with physical distancing in mind. Each well-appointed cottage is set at a distance from the other, with its own private sit-out area and views on three sides. Communal areas such as the cafe and lobby are lined with glass doors, letting in light and fresh air. Everywhere I turn is the green of the dense forest where this little idyll nestles, lush now in the monsoon. It’s soothing.

The White Water Cafe is an airy room with a sit-out. In pre-COVID times, it invited guests to get together at the end of a day’s adventure; now it is rearranged

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GETTING THERE From Delhi, Atali Ganga is approximately six hours by road. Or you can fly to Dehradun airport (25 minutes), from where it is a 90-minute drive.

STAY Atali Ganga is one of the first resorts in the country to reopen—with ample new rules and facilities in place to ensure guest safety. It offers a pool, spa, climbing wall, high ropes course, mountain biking, and guided hikes. Professionally guided rafting and kayaking trips are also offered in season. From `19,380 (special offers at 30-40 per cent off till September 20); ataliganga.com

From left: The outdoor pool at Atali Ganga; every cottage is set at a distance from the other, with its own private sit-out area. Below: The resort offers an array of outdoor activities including river rafting.

I am carrying work, and my teenage daughter has a full school schedule of online video classes. My son, freshly graduated, is the only one of us completely on vacation. Until last year, a holiday in mid-July was unthinkable; we’d usually be settling back into routines after the summer holidays. Here, it definitely takes some self-discipline, but we find a new rhythm, one that allows us to switch back and forth between work and vacation. The days are full, productive, and packed.

My mornings start with a yoga session overlooking the river. Afterwards, I sit outside my cottage with tea and laptop, the view competing with work for my attention. My daughter, who needs a stronger Internet connection for her classes, uses the conference room with its superior connectivity. This is a glass-enclosed space perched above the lobby, with fabulous views, especially at sunset. We hike, swim, and lie around the pool, reading. We try our hand at

the high ropes. Nine metres above the ground, up among the treetops, we push our bodies on an aerial course in ways to which they have become unaccustomed. It’s exhilarating!

There are days when work gets neglected, but we reschedule. When a morning’s excursion into the forest followed by a riverside picnic proves too tempting a distraction, we resolve to spend the afternoon working at the cafe. My daughter sits across the table, history and economics battling pleasantly aching limbs and a desire to just mooch. Our eyes meet and we grin, both spontaneously bursting into laughter. We can’t believe this is how we’re rolling now. Perhaps we will never take this kind of freedom for granted again.

I love to think that the boundaries between work and life can be dissolved. There was already an ever-growing tribe of us who opted out of the 9-to-5 lifestyle. The events of the last few months have shown that an alternative lifestyle can be a practical possibility for many more. A world where we are unchained from desks and routines. Where the stress of dealing with peak-season rush could be replaced by the freedom to just pick up and go at any time of the year. If there are silver linings to be found in this pandemic, perhaps one of them might just be a new way to travel and do life.C

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From top: The kitchen of the Balti Heritage House and Museum; granite pots that are around 300 years old.

A decorative tea urn known as samovar.

IHAD OFTEN IMAGINED MYSELF cruising on the Khardung La road or hunched atop a Bactrian camel in Nubra Valley. But when my friends and I fi nally made that summer road trip across Ladakh, I found myself drawn towards Turtuk, the northernmost village of India, beyond which lies the

Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan.The eight-hour drive from Leh to Turtuk, along the

River Shyok, was memorable. The awe-inspiring vof changing terrain and the patriotic music that blfrom the hundreds of army trucks en route kept ugoing through tough conditions. Turtuk, on the bof River Shyok, was under Pakistan’s control until 1971. Post the war, the Indian Army gainedcontrol over the border village. But linguisticallyand culturally, the village and its people retain althe traits of the Baltistan region.

Once in the border village, I wandered in thenarrow alleys, looking for the Balti Heritage HousMuseum—the only touristy recommendation in thamlet. Located near a polo ground, the 140-yea

CULTURE BEYOND BORDERSOn a trip to the northernmost frontier of Ladakh, RIDHI AGRAWAL visited a unique Balti museum set up inside a heritage house, and discovered a culture that has survived despite wars and shifting borders.

house turned out to be unlike any other museum I had ever visited. There it stood—a dull white structure, built using stone and wood in traditional Balti style.

The shuttered windows of the museum refl ected the mud-brown jagged mountains and the apple and apricot trees that made up its surrounds. A set of steep stairs led me to the semi-opened wood-roofed lobby on the fi rst fl oor, where I hoped to meet the Ashoor family—Mohammed Ali Ashoor and his wife Rahim Bi—who run the museum. A hesitant callout arose Ashoor’s son,

Ghulam Hussain Ashoor, from his afternoon siesta. His face lit up on

seeing a visitor, and he offered me a tour of the family’s private

living space—the kitchen-cum-living room. The museum was actually a house!

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The museum givesyou a rare peek intothe locals’ lifestyle.Below: Shoes madeof animal leather;a decorativemetal lock.

that Ghulam Hussain Ashoor’s younger brother, Wasim Yahya Ashoor, began working on the idea.

As I walked towards the biggest room, long and ancient robes, shawls, furs, and caps, all made using yak wool and animal leather, came into view. In less than 20 minutes, the tour was nearing its end with the last of the rooms—the kitchen. The heirlooms in the kitchen were anywhere between a few decades and a few centuries old. As I sat down on the warm fl oor, Ashoor explained how the wooden and brass cutlery, some engraved with gemstones, were used. Picking up the foot-long mortar and pestle, he gesticulated, “This churned butter and milk, and the mixture was added to tea.” Striking the stone against the cha-mak, the gyadh-pu (stone stove) was lit.

I marvelled at the circular wooden block, paa-shing, used to imprint fl atbread with beautiful designs, especially during special occasions like Eid, and the small windows that kept the cold out. Ashoor removed the red felt carpet, raising a trap door to reveal an underground granary that was used to store dry grain. The meticulous planning that went into surviving the region’s harsh winters was mind-boggling.

When I saw huge mugs labelled ‘Bray’ in an adjoining storeroom, I wrongly assumed they were meant for beer. Ashoor corrected me smugly. The wooden jugs were used to measure grain. Among other memorabilia were chan-ma, a sharp scissor used for shaving the fur off goats and yaks, a wooden weighing scale, a leather bottle and purse, and rope balls, made using sheep, yak, and goat hair, that sat on a wooden trunk.

As I reluctantly headed towards the exit at the end of the tour, I took one last deep breath to carve the house and its treasures in my memory. This is what history must smell like.

wooden pillar, called bhus, typical to Balti architecture. Two adjoined hearts on it that resembled an endless loop, caught my eye. “It represents brotherhood, while the lotus fl ower at the bottom is a sign of purity,” he explained. Next, he showed me into a room that contained several clay and stone pots, which were traditionally used in weddings. Two 300-year-old granite pots stacked on a wooden rack were the highlight of this collection.

“This house was constructed in the 19th century by my great-great-grandfather, Ali Ashoor. Since his time till my father’s, there have only been single sons in the family, so all the wealth and property has remained undivided, which is why this house still belongs to us,” explained Ashoor. I noticed some hunting tools: an arrow, called dha in Balti, and a sword, called rahii, made using the horns of mountain goats, hanging on a wall. More mountain-goat horns glared at me as I walked into an attached storeroom fi lled with equipment once used by polo players.

“Though there was always a plan to open the house to the public, the idea of setting up a museum inside came much later,” said Ashoor. It was right before my visit in July 2018

GETTING THEREYou can fly to Leh from Delhi on one of many domestic airlines that serve the route. To reach Turtuk (203 km), you can book a private cab for ̀ 7,000-`9,000 from the Leh taxi stand. The Balti Heritage House and Museum can be reached by walking up the Farol side of Turtuk.

STAYSet up over four acres of land, Turtuk Holiday Resort offers tented accommodation and all-day dining, with a Balti organic farm ensuring that guests have the option of savouring authentic farm-to-table local cuisine. turtuk.com

MUSEUMThe Balti Heritage House and Museum is open every day, 8 am to 8 pm. Entry at ̀ 50


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HE SETTING IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. I’ve just alighted from my trusty camel to see vibrant swaying cloth break the stark monotony of the desert. After a ceremonial welcome in royal fashion, I settle down to enjoy the mesmerising view. My fellow travellers and I are seated on majlis-style

cushions shaded by canopies, gin-and-tonic in hand, and are being served generously by a team led by Nakul Hada, general manager, Suryagarh Jaisalmer. In front of us, Mehboob Khan and his troupe croon ballads against the backdrop of the setting sun. They belong to the Manganiyar community who used to sing for royal families on important occasions like festivals, childbirth, death, and even the onset of war. They narrated tales about families, and in return, received positions in royal courts and land as patronage.

It is August, the perfect season to experience their monsoon singing tradition. Mehboob Khan traces his ancestral roots to Sindh (once a part of United India, now in Pakistan) but he was born in a village

SANDS OF TIMEJaisalmer’s sands have witnessed hundreds of caravans of traders and travellers over the course of centuries. This has lent the desert destination a unique diversity of flavour. On a trip to this ancient Silk Route junction, ANANYA BAHL unravels the many secrets of Thar.

Thar in Rajasthan is the biggest wool-producing area in India.

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are dressed in long kurtas and a wrap-around called a tehmat, along with a white safa.

We stop at the Khaba outpost of Jaisalmer’s royal family, which served as the first resting station for travellers on the Silk Route. The royals would take a fee or surcharge from these travellers, give them provisions along with security so that they were rejuvenated to resume their trading journey into Central India. This was mostly done through a barter system that resulted in the introduction of goods and artefacts from Central Asia. It was some time during this juncture in antiquity when the Paliwal Brahmins of the region rose in prominence. They were expert craftsmen, farmers, and opium traders who left Pali and settled in Jaisalmer. The thriving business

in Rajasthan called Phalodi, located between Bikaner and Jaisalmer. This oral tradition is handed down generations, and most of his troupe, the women included, are from Khan’s extended family. Hada tells me about Jaisalmer’s reputation as the ‘land of gypsies’ and how some of the most primitive musical instruments are still widely played here. These include the algooza (double flute) and khartal (wooden castanets). The evening’s final act is performed by a musician who adeptly extracts folk and popular tunes from the morchang (Jew’s harp). So, this is how the Silk Route travellers romanced a starry night during those long, hard months of travel!

People from Mongolia, China, and the Far East journeyed for months through these lands. Evidence of its status as a renowned stop on the Silk Route can be seen today in the 1,100-year-old Jaisalmer Fort, ancient havelis, and architecture pre-dating the Mughal period. Even the populace is varied: Muslim communities, the singing Manganiyars and Langas, the Bhati Rajputs, and the Bhils (nomadic settlers) call this region home. Suryagarh Jaisalmer is located about 20 kilometres from the city, and as Hada and I drive past the dunes, a mise en scène reminiscent of this glorious past unfolds at a leisurely and indulgent pace. The most striking evidence is in the locals’ attire. The Hindu Rajput women are veiled and appear in bright yellows and pinks, wearing both gold and silver jewellery, while the men wear white kurtas and dhotis along with brightly coloured turbans. Muslim women wear bottle-green, black, and grey robes along with a round, bulky nose pin; the men

The infinity pool at Suryagarh Jaisalmer. Above: A shepherd at Joshida Talao, which made for an oasis on the ancient Silk Route.

The Manganiyar community of Rajasthan used to sing for royal families on important occasions.


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their pasture lands, and reservoirs. Further into the hinterland are the cemeteries of the community—as per tradition, they were always situated about three to fi ve kilometres away from the residential settlements. Even in death, there is a mark of trade, evidenced in the cenotaphs adorned with Egyptian and Phoenician symbols. These were traders from foreign lands who died during their travels and were buried alongside the Paliwal Brahmins. The Kuldhara ruins were also a part of the Paliwal community’s settlements. According to a legend, the community packed its bags and fl ed the place one night, leaving behind the ghost town that we see today. The story goes: around 400 years ago, a local minister in the region, Salim Singh, set his sights on one of the girls in the Paliwal community. When he expressed his desire to marry her, the community chiefs protested. But with little recourse, they resorted to their last option—escape. Today, the ruins are rumoured to be haunted, and during eerie night drives through the area, guides tell tales of scorned spirits and chudails who inhabit the place. During the day, it looks like a regular collection of broken structures and a temple. Sceptics, however, say that the place was abandoned because of decreasing water supply and a possible earthquake.

About 15 kilometres away from Suryagarh Jaisalmer is the quiet hamlet of Mundhari. The residents are mostly nomadic farmers and goat herders who are blissfully cut off from the rest of the world. What makes the area special is the presence

Anjeer ke kofte with missi roti is a delicacy in Rajasthan; the city of Jaisalmer at night.

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The ruins of Kuldhara village in Jaisalmer are said to be haunted. Below: The suites at Suryagarh Jaisalmer are full of regal details.

of unique sweet-water wells. No one knows how these wells came to exist, but the resource does make the community completely self-sustained—which adds to their elusiveness. Their physical features resemble those of the indigenous people in the Hindukush and surrounding regions. The presence of beris (percolation wells that store rainwater) throughout the region stands testament to the fact that travellers from all over would stop along this route to feed their livestock. A lovely chhatri attached to the beris ensured travellers could rest. The structures look like they sprung up out of nowhere, but the forefathers thoughtfully placed them at strategic locations. Our drive ends at a stunning vantage point from where we can see the Jaisalmer Fort twinkling under the night sky. I can only imagine the relief the Silk Route sojourners would’ve felt seeing the glimmering citadel and hearing the cacophony of civilisation after endless months of isolation en route.

Hada decides to reward my enthusiastic explorations with a Thar-style dinner. We sit under canopies, and Mehboob Khan and his troupe join us as we dig into specialities inspired by the region. The standouts for me are the bolito khargosh (hare meat cooked on wood fi re), sangri salad (a creamy slaw made with indigenous desert bean), fennel-fl avoured khamiri roti, and a delectable samosa stuffed with mawa. After a regal meal, I lie on the shifting sands of time, my thoughts fl itting back to those who arrived here after much harder journeys. A shooting star streaks across the night sky, and instantly, I feel like my spirit has connected with that of a weary traveller from aeons ago.

GETTING THEREBy road, one can reach Jaisalmer via national highways from Jodhpur (282 km), Bikaner (331 km), and Jaipur (555 km). Currently, TruJet (trujet.com) operates direct flights to Jaisalmer from Ahmedabad. The luxe Palace on Wheels train stops at Jaisalmer as well.

STAYBlending the region’s traditional ethos with luxurious modern delights, Suryagarh Jaisalmer strives to showcase a side to Rajasthan that is off the tourist radar, and it does so with panache. Consider booking through its current Shelter at Suryagarh programme, which starts at �`10,000, plus taxes, per night and includes ceremonial dinners, daily live music, cocktails, and high-speed Wi-Fi to enable guests to work

remotely. Charter flights are available on request. Haveli Residences from `19,000 plus taxes per night, Pavilion Rooms from `10,000 plus taxes per night; suryagarh.com

EXPERIENCESDon’t miss the Breakfast with Peacocks at Khaba Fort. Indulge in a Halwai-style menu as hundreds of peacocks flock here at dawn to feed.

Try the sand treatments at Rait—The Spa, which offers services inspired by the Silk Route, using indigenous frangipani and oils.

Intrepid explorers can embark on Suryagarh Jaisalmer’s midnight Chudail Trail, which navigates the ghost town of Kuldhara, dark lakes brimming with spirits, ancient burial grounds, abandoned ruins, and other surreal spots in the desert.

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HE LOCUSTS. They came in from the sun, like fi ghter jets ambushing an unsuspecting enemy. Taking a roadside break on our drive from Delhi to Sariska, my partner and I were admiring the landscape—the Aravalli hills covered in lush green foliage after the fi rst monsoon rains. Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, a voice

from a WWII comic strip crackled over the radio. “Dive, dive, dive!” We scrambled back into the Jeep Compass, shut the doors, and waited for the swarm, so dense that it nearly eclipsed the sun, to pass by.

“It feels almost biblical, doesn’t it?” she said, fi nally. I shrugged. The thought had crossed my mind. In March this year, standing on the summit of Mount Nebo in Jordan, where Christians believe that Moses led his fl ock, saw the promised land, and died, I’d got a phone call from the Indian embassy advising me to hop on a fl ight home immediately. That mysterious pestilence, COVID-19, was sweeping across the globe, and countries were going into lockdown. Coming as it did, after calamitous bushfi res in Australia, fl oods in India, China, and Indonesia, countries teetering on the brink of wars, it did

NO APOCALYPSE NOWFour cubs at Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan rescue MERAJ SHAH from visions of post-pandemic doom. PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHAN CASTELL

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Just over 200 km from Delhi, Sariska National Park reopened this June with a new set of rules following months of lockdown.


and a garden. You half expect David Livingstone to walk in, hang his hat on the stand, and sit at the table at the old-world verandah while liveried staff discreetly pre-empt his requests. Hitendra, the resident naturalist, plays that role rather well. ‘Hatsy’ is an expert on tiger behaviour and likes to narrate from his repertoire of exciting, unverifi able tiger tales to wide-eyed guests. The uncrowned king of Sariska Manor, however, is Oliver II, the golden labrador. With a delightfully playful mien, His Olliness rules Sariska Manor with a light paw and has a reputation for being man-child’s best friend.

seem rather ominous. “You were laughing at us,” snickered a doomsday prepper on the fl ight home. “The end is nigh.”

“In that case, I’m glad we’re at Sariska,” she said, when we woke the next morning. “It’s the original sanctuary, isn’t it?” It took me a while to realise she was referring not to the animals, but the Hindu mythological epic, Mahabharata. You see Sariska’s 880-square-kilometre arid deciduous forest is where, according to believers, the Pandavas took refuge. On a safari in the park later that day, we would witness that legacy in action: the devout, who fl ock year-round to a temple inside the sanctuary, feed animals that gather on the roadside like clockwork on afternoons when the temple is open for visitors. Not the tigers, to be sure, but the monkeys, wild boars, and various species of antelope and deer are quick on the uptake when it comes to a free meal. Except for those who’d consider these ‘confi rmed sightings’, I’d highly recommend avoiding the park on Tuesday and Saturday afternoons.

Given the preponderance of erstwhile royalty in Rajasthan, I was circumspect about checking into Sariska Manor. I need not have worried. Gajendra and Sunita, who own the place, are chatty, down-to-earth folk with decidedly un-manor-like demeanours. ‘Manor’ is, in fact, reasonably accurate when it comes to the look and feel of the resort: very neocolonial, awash in pastels, sepia-tinted pictures on the walls. The roomy living quarters are an extension of the same architecture and ambience. Spaced generously apart, the seven cottages perimeter a gorgeous pool (that’s currently out of bounds),

Clockwise from top left: Sariska Manor is a boutique jungle lodge with 26 rooms across seven quaint cottages; the hills around the manor are perfect for a picnic; the resort boasts a neocolonial look.


On the park safari, we don’t spot a tiger. It isn’t the end of the world. As magnifi cent as these animals are, people tend to fi xate on them, ignoring all the other denizens of the forest who, at least at Sariska, are only too happy to say hello. There’s a veritable army of antelope and deer—blackbuck, sambar, blue bull, spotted deer, etc. The 21 tigers in this reserve are not going to starve anytime soon. And then there are the birds. Sariska is connected with the Keoladeo Ghana National Park (keoladeonationalpark.com) and is hugely underrated as a birding destination.

I, too, have been guilty of giving Sariska the short shrift, subliminally infl uenced by the one blemish that the park has not been able to wipe clean. In 2005, the sanctuary acquired the shameful mantle of being the only tiger reserve in India to lose all its tigers to poaching. Shaken out of apathy, the authorities nabbed Sansar Chand, the despicable poacher believed to have

done most of the damage. Shockingly, a road that runs through the sanctuary was allowed to continue as a thoroughfare till 2008. While Ranthambore, a mere 170 kilometres away, has fl ourished, Sariska’s big cats have been stymied by confl ict with people—we cross paths with residents—there are 29 villages within the park— nonchalantly riding motorcycles in the park. Once upon a time, the tiger corridor stretched from Sariska to Sawai Madhopur and Karauli—a range that’s now been claimed by farmland.

I sigh at the losses we sustain—the big cats and us—as our worlds grow too circumscribed for the allowance of freedom. Three months of lockdown have impressed upon us the value of free range. That freedom, all travellers understand, is the way to the centre of things. To take that away from a traveller, from the big cats, is to take away everything.

Defying all odds, six cubs have been born in

Clockwise from above: The writer’s ride for this road trip; Sariska Tiger Reserve now has 20 tigers; the area is home to a diversity of birds, including spotted owlets and shikra; while the park may be best known for its tigers, other wild species make for equally exciting sightings.

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Clockwise from left: Neelkanth Temple situated on a hill near the Sariska National Park attracts devotees of Lord Shiva; around 50 km from Sariska Manor, Chand Baori is an architectural marvel with 3,500 narrow steps arranged in perfect symmetry that descend 20 metres; Kankwari Fort is located deep inside the national park.

GETTING THERESariska National Park is around 110 kilometres from Jaipur, which hosts the nearest airport. Sariska Manor lies at the southern edge of the park at Tehla village—a drive of 230 kilometres from Delhi. The best way to reach is to take the Delhi-Jaipur highway and turn off at Daruhera for Alwar. We took two cars, the Jeep Compass, which had no difficulty navigating the occasional crater, and the Toyota Camry Hybrid, a luxury sedan that wafted over terrain it’s obviously not been built for, with remarkable poise.

STAYSariska Manor offers 26 rooms. Doubles from ̀ 17,300, includes three meals, snacks, and high tea; sariskamanor.com

SAFARISariska is among a clutch of national parks in Rajasthan that were reopened in June 2020. Safety protocols in light of the pandemic include masks, head-covers, and sanitisation on entry. The number of people allowed in each vehicle has been halved to three, and a guide is mandatory. The national park will remain open throughout the year—the only time in recent history that visitors can visit during the monsoon months. Safari timings: 6 am-9.30 am, 3.30 pm-7 pm; `4,530 per gypsy (includes entrance fee, gypsy, guide charges). The hotel can organise the same for guests (`7,000).

Sariska this year. Four of these have defi nitely survived. We saw but a pug mark—and that was the shiniest, happiest moment I’ve had since the pandemic hit us. “Imagine these cubs running around the forest with their mother, learning to hunt and survive,” says my partner with a broad grin. “It’s a miracle!” Nothing short of one, I concur. Maybe, the world isn’t ending after all. Maybe we just need to learn to share it better.

A HOME FOR HERITAGE

It is not often that eclectic ancient artefacts of a region fi nd their home in a structure that is equally impressive in its

historic and creative value. This is what makes the architectural masterpiece of Kerala Folklore Museum so unique.

TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY GUSTASP & JEROO IRANI

Finely etched fi gures on the ceiling of

the Kerala Folklore Museum. Inset: One of

the painted wooden masks on display.


I T’S A RELATIVELY NEW BUILDING, just a few centuries old, that took seven and a half years to build. The elegant three-storey edifi ce of the Kerala Folklore Museum (keralafolkloremuseum.org) in Kochi has the bones and sinews of 25 antique structures that meld together

to make a seamless cohesive whole. The museum, with its attractive wood and

laterite facade, is family-run and pops with colour, stocked as it is with over 6,000 artefacts of every age and stripe. The focus of the collection is on South India, particularly the coastal state of Kerala, and was amassed by a sole art dealer, the late George J Thaliath. This was a man driven by an overwhelming passion to unlock the mysteries of the past and save the state’s cultural heritage.

But the museum is not a textbook history lesson. There is a sense of creative chaos here, artistic anarchy almost, of shifting colours, time, and space as though one is gazing through a kaleidoscope. When we visited the museum this February, it quickly became evident to us that for George and his wife Annie, the past was a giant jigsaw puzzle of carelessly discarded pieces of history that they tried to fi t together as neatly as they could. And the museum was their playground.

While the treasures within are an eye opener, the edifi ce, too, is a labour of love. A massive 700 cubic metres of wood, extracted from old crumbling homes, was restored and assembled by 62 skilled woodworkers. “We approached several architects but fi nally designed the building ourselves with the help of a structural engineer,” said Annie, whom we met while wandering the fragrant confi nes of the museum. (Annie now owns and runs the museum with the help of 16 staffers, and her son, 27-year-old Jacob.) It’s the only architectural museum in Kerala, claimed Annie, and the building embodies three styles—of Malabar, Cochin, and Travancore—typical of north, central, and south Kerala.

During his lifetime, George scoped the land for ancient temples, churches, and heritage homes that were in a state of disrepair. Annie shared his passion and often accompanied him on his travels. Over three decades, they bought and preserved artefacts, which they stored initially in their own home. The doors of the museum were thrown open on January 1, 2009, and the couple’s dream of sharing their treasures with the world fi nally saw fruition. Sadly, in November 2018, the 58-year-old George passed on.

Once we went past the imposing metal stambha (pillar) that rises in front of the museum,

we wondered if we were in someone else’s nostalgic trance. The pillar had been rescued from a Lord Krishna temple located in the pilgrim town of Guruvayoor, and we caressed a wall that had inscriptions from the 16th century.

Leading up to the plinth were three stone steps, fl anked by elephants, and worn smooth over the centuries by the footsteps of devotees. They had been rescued from a 16th-century temple in Tamil Nadu, while a 17th-century door frame with dwarapalakas (or guardian deities typical of temple entrances) welcomed us into the treasure trove.

The museum holds 6,000 artefacts from the collection of George J Thaliath. Bottom: Masks of folk art forms adorn the walls.

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A costume ofTheyyam, northKerala’s ritualdance form.

Traditionalcarved woodenbeams on thethird floor.

GETTING THEREMost domestic airlines fly to Kochi International Airport from major cities in India.

STAYIn the Fort Kochi neighbourhood, vintage bungalows and warehouses have been converted into hotels. Xandari Harbour (xandari.com/harbour) is a delightful option; Brunton Boatyard (doubles from ̀ 8,000;

cghearth.com) is charming as well. The city of Kochi has options like Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty (doubles from ̀ 6,400; hyatt.com) and Radisson Blu Kochi (doubles from ̀ 3,800; radissonhotels.com). Baymaas Lakehouse (doubles from ̀ 5,533; natureresorts.in), located on the backwaters in Cheppanam, is a picturesque getaway.

The wood-panelled interiors brimmed with finely carved antique ceilings and 150-year-old staircases with polished balustrades. A wide spectrum of art objects dazzled—an old carved temple door, the altar of a church, a 16th-century dome of a mosque, statues of Hindu deities, a painted ceiling, Kathakali and Theyyam dance masks, swords and shields, musical instruments, temple jewellery, silver artefacts, ornamental crosses from a Syrian church, statues of coquettish apsaras, murals, palkis for overweight kings, etc.

Slowly, a story emerged of a richly endowed state that in its prime had traded with the world. “We have Western, Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist cultural influences in Kerala,” said the young Jacob. “Even Buddha, when he travelled to Sri Lanka, passed through Kerala.” For centuries, Kochi was a hub for the trade of spices, silk, ivory, porcelain, lacquered merchandise, and other luxury goods with China and the Arab world.

We climbed the steps up to the museum’s third storey, tingling with excitement. We had been told about the museum’s highlight, an 18th-century wooden ceiling, weighing 64 tonnes, with no support down the middle. Our necks swivelled upwards to gaze at the gorgeous expanse of carved wood, its weight supported by the lintels surrounding the hall. This third floor is built like a dancing hall (or koothambalam in the local Malayalam language), a signature feature in the temples and palaces of yore. The museum’s koothambalam is enhanced by 253 modern murals and its foot-high stage thrums with the footwork of Bharatanatyam and Kathakali dancers when

cultural performances are held. As was the case when Charles, Prince of Wales and heir apparent to the British throne, and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, stopped by in November 2013 to release a coffee-table book on the museum called Face.

At the end of the half-day tour, we were thoroughly bedazzled by the sheer scale of the exhibits and what they had revealed—the unbridled passion of one man for art and history. We returned to our boutique resort by the Kochi backwaters, Baymaas Lakehouse, to find our bearings in the present—cameos of a local casting a line in the pea-soup-green waters for some fish; the musical peal of church bells from the opposite bank; the sight of a red kayak cleaving the waters as we sat in a gazebo and sipped chilled coconut water and nibbled on crisp banana fritters. Gently, the backwaters flowed, with the certitude of centuries, carrying in their depths ancient stories waiting to be unravelled.


“IN GOA, IF YOU ASK a woman where her husband is, she will often tell you that he’s ‘gone to the parliament’,” says Raul da Costa, a native of Curtorim town in South Goa district. The ‘parliament’ he refers to is an unlikely one. It refers to a tavern, mostly a nondescript little shelter

by the side of the road or on the way to a paddy fi eld. It is the locals’ destination of choice at the end of a hectic day. It holds the promise of delicious fi sh cutlets and a few rounds of the ever popular feni, shared alongside their troubles with friends and familiar faces.

A PIT STOP AT THE TAVERNLooking to drive down to Goa for a quick seaside getaway? Make it high on local insight with a feni tour and learn all about Goans’ favourite drink. NEETOLE MITRA gets down to brass tacks.

Goa is famous for its beaches dotted with shacks, many of which serve feni.

Today, cashew feni is consumed more widely than its traditional coconut counterpart. FR

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This tavern culture took a hit near the end of the 1980s, when the state encouraged these Portuguese-era establishments to be converted into modern bars to lure travellers. By 2016, only a handful were left. Raul, along with his partner Mackinley Barreto, has been trying to revive this iconic Goan tradition with a trail called Chol Kopp-ak (literally, let’s go grab a shot). Before you head to a Goan tavern, though, you should know the legendary drink you will encounter there.

Goans were most likely drinking feni before the Portuguese introduced the cashew tree in the area in the 1560s. The locals fused its fruit with a native technique of brewing strong liquor—a tradition monopolised by coconut until then. Today, despite its late entry, cashew feni is consumed more widely than its coconut counterpart, which is a staple in the villages of South Goa.

The sap collected from coconut trees is fermented and then distilled to get the first distillate called mollop (15 per cent alcohol). This is then redistilled with fermented palm toddy to create the real deal, called maad (‘coconut feni’ in Konkani)—an intense hit of 42.5 per cent alcohol. The same process is applied to the cashew fruit for the more popular version of feni.

Each year, kazkars (the community involved in cashew feni industry) bid for land in government auctions so they can gather the red, yellow, and orange-hued cashew fruits that ripen during February-March. They carry a basket and pick the fruits using a double thorn stick of the babul tree—two fruits at a time. The nut is twisted off the fruit, and the decapitated fruits are flung onto a stone basin called the colmbi and stomped. The juice, called neero, trickles down the colmbi and is collected in a kodem or a mathi’yeche bhaan, a fine

clay pot that is then buried underground and left to ferment for three days. This fermented cashew juice is distilled to produce the summer drink urrak, a limited stock lasting barely a month and offering the most pleasant buzz to first-timers.

“The first time I had urrak was at my wife’s cousin’s birthday in Anjuna. It was light, aromatic, and just mildly intoxicating, fooling me into believing it was more like a sharbat, till it hit me smack in the middle of my head. I languished till the effects wore off,” photographer David D’Souza recalls. But feni is even more extreme. If the urrak hits you so hard at 15 per cent alcohol, imagine the potential of a shot with 45 per cent alcohol. The urrak is redistilled with neero to create a second batch called the cazulo (40 per cent),

Clockwise: Goan feni goes well with traditional rice and curry; the red, yellow, and orange-hued fruits ripen during February-March; decapitated cashew fruits are stomped in a stone basin called the colmbi.

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A traditional feni distiller in a spice plantation in Goa. Above: Coconut feni is made by fermenting and distilling sap collected from coconut trees.

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which is again distilled with the urrak to create a local drinking tradition with a devoted following.

Cecil Pinto, a true-blue connoisseur of feni, says a real enthusiast drinks it neat, or with soda or water, or on ice; a dash of lime at most. “Cocktails are good for those trying the drink for the first time but not the sign of a veteran,” Pinto declares. The man lives up to the tag of a feni lover by refusing to touch almost all other kinds of liquor (with the exception of the occasional urrak). “I carry my feni for weddings, parties, and any social events. Besides, I only frequent restaurants that stock good caju feni.”

Pinto has no patience for amateurs who don’t respect the drink. He observes, “Each person finds his favourite feni and tavern by experimentation. There are no shortcuts. One person’s poison is another person’s broth. If you see a lot of non-locals hanging around a place, you can bet they don’t know what they are drinking.”

If you push past the old favourites, like Cashyo, Reals, and Big Boss, you get to Hansel Vaz of Cazulo

Feni. His family spent the 1980s fighting against feni’s ‘country liquor’ label, pushing for it to be recognised as a spirit. Two decades later, that dream was realised. Today, feni wears the GI (Geographic Indication) Tag and is Goa’s heritage spirit. In layman’s terms, this means that a bottle of feni isn’t far, no matter where you are in the world, and that it is feni only if a native has brewed it on the red soil of the state.

Hansel Vaz personifies the laid-back vibe of the drink (and the state) and is as much a people’s person as the spirit he champions. “We always source feni from the locals. Cazulo has its guidelines but is dependent on the kazkars to brew us our batch of quality feni. And that’s the best part. Feni can never be monopolised.”

That is indeed true, because, in Goa, feni is everywhere. The state houses roughly 30,000 small distillers, and a large portion of what they produce is sold in unlabelled bottles, serving those cosy taverns or resting in glass garrafãoes in kitchen cabinets waiting to add flavour to a curry or cure indigestion.

GETTING THERE Dabolim International Airport is accessible for both domestic and international travellers. If you’re travelling from Mumbai, you could take a train to Madgaon. The most picturesque option, however, is a road trip along the west coast.

STAYStay at the 350-year-old Siolim House (doubles from `5,500; siolimhouse.com) or at Fort Tiracol Heritage

Hotel (doubles from ̀ 6,000; forttiracol.in) to savour the cultural heritage of the state.

TOURExplore the taverns of Goa with The Local Beat’s Chol Kopp-ak Trail. +91-9049976761; thelocalbeat.business.siteSpend an evening with Hansel Vaz appreciating feni at Beco das Garrafas—the first feni cellar of the world. [email protected]


A TALE OF TWO HOUSES

Penang’s capital, George Town, is dotted with reminders of its multicultural past and present. REEM KHOKHAR finds the most befitting symbols of this character

in the city’s architecture, specifically in two gloriously restored mansions.

The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is popularly

called the Blue Mansion.

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HE MULTICULTURAL FABRIC of Penang’s capital, George Town, is visible at every turn.Quirky street art displays the area’s history, with steel caricatures of everything from designer Jimmy Choo’s origins in Penang as an apprentice, to the British explorer FrancisLight, who established George Town as a

trading hub in 1786. Biryani drummed out of bamboo cylinders and crispy samosas share culinary pride alongside hawker stalls doling out the popular char

kway teow (stir-fried flat noodles), and tangy asam laksa (fish-based rice noodle soup). The streets are sprinkled with grand colonial buildings, glitzy skyscrapers, ornate temples, domed mosques, and quaint Chinese shophouses—this varied architecture is arguably George Town’s most striking feature.

As I walk around, two buildings draw my attention in the speckled cityscape. One C

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worked his way up the Hai San, a Chinese secret society that controlled mining manpower in the state of Perak. He built the house and adjoining family temple when he was appointed Kapitan Cina, the superintendent of the Chinese in Penang. Even though he was not a Peranakan, he built the house in the style of the wealthy Peranakans, calling it ‘Hai Kee Chan’ or Sea Remembrance Store.

Similarly, the Blue Mansion was designed as an office and residence for Cheong Fatt Tze. His achievements as a businessman, diplomat, politician, and philanthropist earned him several nicknames like ‘Rockefeller of the East’, ‘J P Morgan of China’, and ‘Last Mandarin and First Capitalist of China’. Rising from his humble Hakka origins, he went to Southeast Asia for better opportunities, developing an acumen for business and building a sprawling empire. Like Chung, he gave back generously to his country of origin, helping with the establishment of banks and funds for railroads and educational institutions, his efforts earning him the title of Mandarin of the Highest Order. His death in 1916 was marked by an extraordinary gesture by the British and Dutch authorities, flags being lowered to half-mast, symbolising the deep respect he commanded beyond the Asian community.

is mint green, the other a vibrant indigo. Both are erstwhile homes of wealthy and influential Chinese men. Both fell into neglect. Both are now restored to their former glory, open to the public as museums and a hotel. The Pinang Peranakan Mansion is a green manor built in the style of Chinese courtyard houses, the main quad framed by a decadent spread of public and private rooms. Representing the Peranakan (a distinct Chinese community who came to the Straits Settlements—Singapore, Malacca, and Penang) culture and lifestyle, specifically a wealthy baba (Peranakan man) home from a century ago, the mansion is packed to the gills with antiques and collectibles. It incorporates feng shui with an eclectic mix of materials and decor, like Chinese wood panels, English floor tiles, and Scottish ironwork. The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, popularly called the Blue Mansion, is a gorgeous indigo blue structure, part of which is a boutique hotel. Here too is a blend of styles and material—Scottish ironwork, Cantonese latticework, English stained glass, Hokkien porcelain, and Chinese calligraphy.

THE KAPITAN AND THE LAST MANDARINThe men who built these houses were ambitious and influential in their time. The Pinang Peranakan Mansion was commissioned in the 1890s as an office-cum-residence by Chinese tycoon Chung Keng Quee, one of the richest men in Penang at the time. Born in China and having migrated to Penang, Chung

The Blue Mansion sports Scottish ironwork, Cantonese latticework, and English stained glass.

Armenian Street in the old colonial district of George Town.

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of the wealthy Peranakans during the Kapitan’s time. The Blue Mansion was also neglected after Cheong Fatt Tze’s death in 1916, rented out for some time at cheap rates to Chinese families. In 1989, a group of local conservationists bought the property, their UNESCO award-winning restoration project bringing it back to life as a heritage hotel and museum.

WHAT LIES INSIDEThe Pinang Peranakan Mansion can be visually overwhelming in its proud display. Furniture polished to a gleaming finish, sharp gilding shining from every corner, dazzling collections of glassware, jewellery, ceramics—each room is packed with treasures. The Blue Mansion’s restoration is more subtle. Its vivid exterior is vibrant, though many of its interior features like the railings and the floor have a faded grandeur, a more delicate allusion to the building’s wealthy history.

Reflecting the residential and official purpose of both buildings, the rooms were designed accordingly. The grand dining room of the Peranakan Mansion has a long dining table, elaborately set with bone china crockery and crystal glassware, flanked by tall mirrors on either side to have allowed Chung to observe people entering the house using the inner stairs. Rooms on either side of the dining hall are

THE FALL AND RISE OF MANSIONSThe Pinang Peranakan Mansion was inherited by Chung Keng Quee’s family when he died in 1901, but fell into disrepair over time. The mansion acquired its distinctive green hue after it was bought in the 1990s by Penang architect Peter Soon. A native Peranakan, Soon restored the mansion, repainting it and converting it into a museum, filled with his personal collection of over 1,000 antiques to showcase the lifestyle

The Yantai Han Suite in The Blue Mansion.

The exhibition on the second floor of The Blue Mansion.

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GETTING THERESeveral airlines including Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com) and Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific.com) fly from Indian metro cities to Penang.

STAY The Eastern & Oriental Hotel is a five-star, luxurious colonial property established in 1884. Doubles from `9,625; eohotels.com

Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion is a boutique luxury property showcasing Penang’s glorious history with rooms furnished with heirlooms and authentic furniture of the 19th century Doubles from ̀ 8,638; cheongfatttzemansion.com

TOURSPinang Peranakan Mansion: Visitors allowed all week from 9.30 am to 5 pm. Complimentary tours are available with prior arrangements for a group of five persons and above. ̀ 352; pinangperanakan mansion.com.my

Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion: Two tours a day at 11 am and 2 pm. Pre-bookings are encouraged as each tour takes a maximum of 12 people, to minimise contact and adhere to social distancing rules. `440; cheongfatttzemansion.com

symbolising wealth, into the house, storing it beneath before releasing it outside. Preferred family members supposedly got the central and upper floor rooms, while the less favoured were relegated to the wings! A wander upstairs through an exhibition provides insight into the fashion of the time; Cheong’s love of wine, which resulted in the establishment of the Chang Yu Winery in China, now one of the 10 largest in the world; and his seventh and favourite wife. The tour includes the reception, the main courtyard, and the exhibition, but for those who want to get the full experience, a stay in the hotel rooms filled with antiques and 19th-century furniture provides a taste of the mansion’s glorious past. The interiors are beautiful but the rich indigo exterior—a colour chosen for its exclusivity, signifying Cheong’s status—is what attracts most of the shutterbugs. It is no surprise that these two mansions are often used as filming locations, the Blue Mansion featuring in movies like Indochine and Crazy Rich Asians, while the Peranakan Mansion being used in The Amazing Race and popular Singaporean drama, The Little Nyonya.

There are several similarities between the two mansions and their owners. But each has a unique spirit and sensibility, leaving visitors with distinct experiences of George Town’s fascinating heritage.

done in different styles, reflecting Chung’s varied business contacts. One is European in decor with white porcelain sculptures, floral upholstered chairs, and Victorian cabinets. The more traditional Chinese-style meeting room is filled with blue vases and mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture. Each nook demands attention, an antique typewriter catching my eye in one—a magnificent array of ceramics and Murano glass in another, and ornate traditional tiffin carriers popping up all over. The family rooms upstairs are luxurious spaces filled with antique mirrors, beds, traditional costumes, an old television, and even a vintage set of golf clubs. A glittering display of jewellery and a traditional Chinese family temple complete the sprawling Peranakan Mansion.

The Blue Mansion elegantly blends British and Chinese styles. Feng shui design features include open-air courtyards with a network of pipes bringing water,

The Pinang Peranakan Mansion has been converted into a museum.

Cast iron spiral staircase in the corridor of the Cheong Fatt Tze-The Blue Mansion. FR

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It may not enjoy the popularity of Bali but Canggu has the perfectwaves for the novice surfer. TARINI PAL signed up for a lesson in its

waters and found her bohemian self on its sands.

Catching Wavesin Canggu

A surfer rides a wave at a beach in Canggu, Indonesia.

“A RE YOU READY, KIRANA?,” boomed Abtu, my 23-year-old Balinese surf instructor, as he held my longboard, ready to help me catch the wave that was looming behind us. I nodded impatiently, positioned myself on the board, and before I knew it, was belting towards the shore. I foolishly believed that I would fi nally

be able to stand up on my board this time if I went through all the movements that Abtu had taught me. Once again, however, I shot off the board and into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean for the 10th time in a row. When my head bobbed out of the water, I turned back to see Abtu chuckling to himself. “What’s going on, Kirana?” he shouted in his endearing Jamaican accent that sang all the vowels. I scrambled back up on my board, just as a seven-year-old local smugly whizzed past me on his shortboard, and began the arduous journey back to Abtu, laughing and shouting back,“TA-RI-NI! NOT KIRANA!” I was momentarily tempted to tell Abtu that kirana is the Hindi word for a corner shop, but then let it go. Why spoil the fun of hearing another version of my name said so charmingly in his lilting foreign tongue?

Bali is the most famous tourist destination in Indonesia, with Kuta and Seminyak being the best-known beach hotspots. However, I had decided to travel to the offbeat Canggu. Like its popular cousins, Canggu is known for its surf shacks, yoga studios, and hipster cafes and bars, but is less frequented by tourists. A quick search on Airbnb revealed some beautiful villas in the area, perfect for couples, families, and groups of friends. But I was fl ying solo, so I decided to book a room at The Bali Dream Villa & Resort (thebalidreamvillaresort.com), where one can get quite a lot of bang for one’s buck.

Since I was going to spend just three days in Canggu, I wasted no time in hitting the beach. Berawa, Batu Bolong, and Echo are the three main beaches, and they are essentially different sections of the same stretch of sand. Of these three, Batu Bolong is the place to go for novice surfers, as the waves here are long and relatively slow. The only disadvantage, of course, is that it can tend to be a bit crowded. A few ‘surf schools’ located close to the centre of Canggu offer lessons at high prices from certifi ed surf instructors. Batu Bolong, however, is teeming with more informal surf shacks, and I was quite happy with my instructor at The Sand, a small but neat looking shack, where I was charged ̀ 1,700 for a two-hour lesson with Abtu, rash guard and board rental included.

After following instructions to generously slather surf zinc across my nose and cheeks, I followed Abtu to the shore, feeling like a tiny tribal warrior, suitably smeared with warpaint and ready for action. He chose a spot right in front of the slightly forbidding Hindu temple on the beach and made me practise my posture on the board a few times before we set off into the blue. I could have taken this opportunity to pray for success in the sea, but hardly qualifying as a believer, I had no idea which one of the 330 million Hindu deities the temple was dedicated to.

One thing that took me by surprise was how tiring it is to paddle one’s way into the water over and over again. It took me about 30 minutes on the fi rst day before I could even stand up on my board,

Echo Beach in Canggu is slowly rising in popularity among tourists.

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COMO UmaCanggu is a luxehotel complexon the ocean,providing surfgear and classes.Below: The BaliDream Villa &Resort combinesmodern andtraditionalBalinesearchitecture.

and even though I managed to get the hang of it eventually, I was pretty much spent after an hour and a half in the water. Feeling quite proud of myself after our first lesson, I decided to end my day with a drink at the chic beach lounge beside The Sand, correspondingly named The Lawn, which also happens to be one of Canggu’s most popular hangouts, complete with day beds and a swanky infinity pool overlooking the sea.

I couldn’t wait to get back into the water the next day, even though my frail arms were terribly sore from the previous day’s workout. Based on the surf forecast, Abtu told me that the best time for us to go out on the water would be either in the morning or in the late afternoon. I opted for the latter and ate a leisurely lunch at Dian Café (dian-cafe-restaurant.business.site), a modest open-air warung (family-owned restaurant/cafe) on Echo Beach. The nasi goreng didn’t disappoint, nor did the advanced surfers who rode spectacular waves in the distance. The swell was slightly strong that

afternoon, so it took Abtu and me a little longer to find the ideal spot. Once we did, however, I felt a lot more confident than I had the previous day, even managing to ride my board all the way to the shore a couple of times. I was making progress.

Keen to check out Canggu’s lesser-known bars that evening, I visited Pretty Poison (prettypoisonbar.com), a grungy skate bar where one can sit back and watch tattooed skaters rip the outdoor skating bowl to the accompaniment of heavy metal music blaring in the background.

Canggu is also dotted with a number of boutique stores that sell reasonably priced beach wear. Blood + Bone (bloodnbone.com), a company that works with local suppliers and manufacturers, has a few stores around Bali and a couple of them in Canggu as well. I picked up a cute sundress at one of their outlets the next day, before parking myself for lunch at The Shady Shack (the-shady-shack.business.site), which has become somewhat of an institution since it opened in 2016. Overlooking verdant rice paddies, the cafe serves vegetarian and vegan fare, and offers seating both in its charming wooden interiors with large open windows as well as its garden—under dense tropical foliage. I ordered the ‘naked falafel’, accompanied by fresh citrus tabbouleh and harissa tahini, making for a wholesome, light, and delicious meal.

The weather took a turn for the worse after lunch, with dark nimbus clouds blanketing the afternoon sky. Abtu looked concerned as we walked on to the beach, surveying the threatening heavens like a hawk. It began to drizzle when we were out in the water, but I was happy to continue perfecting my technique. I fancied myself

A surfboard doubles as an advertising post.

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From left: The Slow is a hotel that features locally crafted wood and bamboo furniture; enjoy live music at the Old Man’s beer garden.

GETTING THEREFly into the gateway city of Denpasar from New Delhi, Mumbai, or Bengaluru. The most direct route is via Singapore on Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com). From Denpasar, take a cab to Canggu (13 km).

STAYThe Slow (theslow.com), a boho chic hotel, comprises 12 retro-modernist suites, some with their own plunge pools. If you like to stay on the beachfront, go for COMO Uma Canggu (from ̀ 15,925; comohotels.com),where you can choose from 52 rooms and suites.

an expert after just two days of basic lessons, of course. About 30 minutes into our lesson, a flash of lightning pierced the grey sky in the distance. Most of the other surfing instructors began taking their protégés back to shore. A look of worry crossed Abtu’s usually cheerful visage. “Kirana,” he said. “We gonna do one last wave, okay?” I nodded obediently, not wanting to cause any more distress. “I just don’t wanna take the risk,” he explained.

A couple of more lightning bolts flashed through the sky as we were pulling out of the water, accompanied by portentous growls of thunder. Abtu apologised for having had to cut short our lesson and insisted on treating me to beer, to make amends. I accepted his offer when I found out that he had a daily quota of five free beers at The Sand. Most surfers had come out of the water by now, save for a few rogue ones. Abtu observed them while sipping on his beer, muttering disapprovingly. He then revealed that back in November 2017, in a freak accident, a 34-year-old Belgian tourist was struck dead by lightning during a surf lesson. I suddenly felt a wave of gratitude for my instructor’s keen sense of judgement.

Fortunately, nobody was struck by lightning that particular evening, and the mood was lightened by a long chat with Abtu, where we discussed life, love, and longboards. Abtu confessed that although surfing was his first love, he didn’t see a financially sustainable future for himself as a freelance instructor and hoped to run his own bed-and-breakfast some day. On learning that I used to work in Bollywood, he coyly admitted that he was a huge fan of Hindi cinema and promptly broke into an animated rendition of Tujhe Dekha Toh, leaving me in splits.

I ended my last day in Canggu with a drink at the Old Man’s (oldmans.net), a gargantuan beer garden overlooking the beach, named after the surf break at Batu Bolong. Friday nights feature live rock ‘n’ roll gigs, and I was thoroughly entertained by some oldies who were breaking up the dance floor to classic tunes. One thing that struck me, not just about Old Man’s but about Canggu in general, was that there were plenty of other solo travellers around. Although Canggu has slowly begun to gain popularity over the years, the town manages to retain its laid-back vibe and remains the perfect place to spend some quality time with yourself and discover your inner bohemian. My night ended on a bittersweet note, with a message from Abtu, “You are my best friend. Best client ever. Thank for you to choose me as your teacher. I remember always.” I boarded my flight with a heavy heart the next day, making a promise to myself that it wouldn’t be long before my return to this slice of paradise and a reunion with my Balinese bezzie.

SURFING SCHOOLSIf you want to enrol in a surf school with licensed instructors, you have a couple of options to choose from:

Bali Local Surf School at The Chillhouse offers lessons with a 1:2 ratio (one coach for two guests). From `3,000 per lesson; thechillhouse.comWave House Surf School offers a post-lesson photo/video analysis as a bonus. Price available on request; wavehousebali.comFR

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The post-pandemic travel season callsfor customised experiences, paired

with unique properties that specialise in tailoring their of ferings to your needs. India, fortunately, has plenty of both. BY SUSHMITA SRIVASTAV, RASHIMA NAGPAL,

& SHRIMAYEE THAKUR

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MEGHNA PATWAL

BESPOKE

INDIAMADE IN

Experiences

Thanks to start-ups such as Collar Folk, holidaying with your pet is no longer a complex proposition. Among a range of outdoor experiences, they offer a four-day trek to Chopta, a picturesque valley in Uttarakhand famous for its meadows and evergreen forests and easy access to trekking trails. Think end-to-end services with adequate safety gear and enviable Himalayan views throughout the experience. Besides the trek, the experience also includes overnight camping by the Lake Devariyatal. collarfolk.com

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TAKE A PRIVATE HELICOPTER TOUR OF AMRITSARFancy a private chopper ride over the Golden City of India? The Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa Resort, New Chandigarh offers just that. A full-day flight for five would mean

shelling out `6,95,000 but the breathtaking aerial tour is worth every penny. A deluxe chauffeured car takes you to the Chandigarh Airport, where you step into a private chopper that takes you on a flight over Amritsar. As you soar high amid clouds, the Golden Temple appears to float in the Amrit Sarovar, the crowded lanes of the city look like a delightful maze, and prominent sites like the Wagah-Attari Border are

explored with the help of an expert guide. oberoihotels.com

Among the many regal heritage properties of Bikaner, Narendra Bhawan is the crown jewel. The boutique hotel serves up extraordinary experiences that give you a taste of the bygone era—but with a modern twist. Take, for example, the blindfolded dinner at P&C, a timeless and elegant dining room in the hotel. At a private dining table, you are blindfolded and served an indulgent fi ve-course meal, which must be relished with all your senses but one. The concept takes mindful eating to a whole new level. narendrabhawan.com

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This culinary experience at The Grand Dragon Ladakh has been named ‘The Momo Story’ as it goes beyond the rudiments of the routine cooking class. It involveslearning the history of thelocal recipe, procuring theingredients, learning the art,and making the dish fromscratch. Your experiencestarts with a trip to the localmarket with the chefs,handpicking the best home-grown ingredients. Later, yougo back to the hotel’s kitchenwhere culinary secrets arespilt and you don the apronand hat. Once it’s all done,you get to have a taste of yourown dish, served piping hot.thegranddragonladakh.com

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SPEND A GREEN WEEKEND IN MAHARASHTRAA 50-kilometre drive from Mumbai, Nirvana Organic Farmhouse in Khadavli is a 2.5-acre riverside property with a three-bedroom villa nestled within it. Featuring a huge verandah, organic farms, a lawn dedicated to outdoor sports, and horse-riding facilities, it makes for the perfect weekend getaway from India’s Maximum City, especially if you’re travelling with your family. There’s also a private wooden jetty by the River Bhatsa for serene views. nirvanaorganicfarmhouse.com

TOUR PUDUCHERRY ON AN E-BIKELined with colonial-style town houses and cute little cafes, the streets of Puducherry are best explored without leaving behind a big carbon footprint. The boutique property Maison Perumal offers the E-Bike Tour that lets you navigate the colourful French Quarter, past charming yellow buildings, and bougainvillaea-lined streets, on a smart and eco-friendly bike. Visit heritage sites, get souvenirs from local antique shops, and drop by a cafe for some fresh bakes on the fun-filled and guilt-free ride. What’s more, your stay at the 130-year-old Chettiar mansion, a CGH Earth experience, will be a heritage exploration in itself. cghearth.com

SLEEP UNDER THE STARS IN THARWhile a trip to the expansive Thar Desert is an adventure in itself, here’s an idea to make it even more exciting. Begin your evening with a sunset safari, tuck into a delectable Rajasthani meal, and spend the night in the middle of the dunes with a tour operator such as Mystic Jaisalmer. When dusk falls and you’re surrounded by nothing but the vastness of the desert, the starry night makes for a surreal rooftop. mysticjaisalmer.com

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WITNESS RIVER HOOGHLY IN ALL ITS GLORYWinding steps, intricate columns, rooms replete with sophisticated luxury, and the

old-world charm of a former zamindar’s home, the 300-year-old Rajbari Bawali looks straight out of a Satyajit Ray movie. While living in this two-floored Bengali mansion is an experience in itself, a sunset boat ride on River Hooghly offered by the property adds a different dimension to your Kolkata trip. Later, attend the famous Sandhya Aarti on the banks, with Sanskrit chants, incense smoke, and ritualistic beating of

drums creating a transcendental experience. therajbari.com

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If you’re fascinated by Buddhism and those who practise it, spend your vacation tracing the origins of the religion on a trail that links all the signifi cant sites in Bihar. Begin with the temple complex at Bodh Gaya where Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment to become Buddha under the sacred fi g tree called the Bodhi. Drive to the scenic hill town of Rajgir where monasteries built by Japanese devotees still stand, and continue towards the ruins of Nalanda, once the largest site of Buddhist teachings. Before winding up in Patna, visit the stupa at Vaishali, built in honour of Buddha’s last sermon delivered here. Base yourself at the luxurious Hotel Maurya Patna. maurya.com

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INDULGE IN TRADITIONAL KHASI THERAPIESSet against the backdrop of the Khasi Hills and locked in by the pristine Lake Umiam, Ri Kynjai near Shillong in Meghalaya gets its inspiration from the surrounds and the indigenous community. Even its Khem Janai Spa, equipped with state-of-the-art amenities, specialises in traditional herbal cures and Khasi hydrotherapies. Pick their Khasi bath, a water massage for ultimate rejuvenation, or opt for the Khem Tynrai treatment to improve blood circulation and relieve knots. rikynjai.com

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If you want to go beyond beachside hedonism in Goa, visit Divar Island to live in an antique Indo-Portuguese house far away from rave parties and family picnics. Island House offers respite in a colonial structure and inspires you to live like Goan aristocracy. Explore Old Goa, catch your dinner with local fi shermen in River Mandovi, go birding in the nearby mangroves, and spend your evenings appreciating Bob Dylan’s works with the owners, Jay and Susan, and other guests, over a dram of Scotch. islandhousegoa.com

EXPLORE THE FLIP SIDE OF HAVELOCKThe tropical paradise of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is known for pristine white beaches and incredible dive spots. But there’s more to this famous archipelago. Jalakara Private Villa Hotel encourages its guests to discover the rustic hinterlands of Havelock Island. Hop on a bike and visit the colourful local market just 15 minutes away, join a ranger on a nature trek into Havelock’s rainforests, dive deep into the turquoise water, try your luck in angling, or navigate mangrove channels on a kayak. jalakara.info

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Situated next to an eponymous lake, Lakshman Sagar is an enchanting 12-cottage boutique hotel located two hours from Jodhpur. While its remote location is its most attractive feature, the way of life here makes it ideal for a slow vacation. Inspired by village houses, the cottages are built of mud and stone, and are minimally done up with colourful knick-knacks that exhibit local infl uences. While each accommodation comes with a private splash pool that looks out to the lake, the hotel’s single-rock-cut infi nity pool is a marvel. Custom activities such as local liquor tasting, goat herding, nature walks, horse trailing, kite fl ying, etc. can fi ll up your days here. sewara.com

STAY IN A VINEYARD NEAR NASHIKWith its stunning location between Igatpuri and Nashik and scenic views of the Mukhne Dam, Vallonne Vineyards is the perfect place for a weekend of lazing around. But the boutique resort is more than just a pretty stay. Sign up for its ‘Grape to Glass’ wine appreciation session and go on a tour of the winery, visit the underground barrel cellar, and taste five premium wines of your choice. Later, sit back at its restaurant, Malaka Spice, and let the in-house sommelier pair delicious wines with each course of your indulgent meal. vallonnevineyards.com

The camping experience offered by RAAS Chhatrasagar is the epitome of offbeat luxury in Rajasthan. Midway between the princely cities of Jaipur and Udaipur, the camp —reminiscent of the royal Rajput lifestyle—is set over a 100-year-old dam on the edge of a lake. It is surrounded by a nature reserve where over 200 species of birds are found. The site features a swimming pool, spa facilities, and an ornate dining venue. Activities include strolling by the lake and drives through the grasslands, and visiting nearby farms, villages, and temples. raashotels.com

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HERD FLOCKS WITH RABARIS IN JAWAINothing familiarises you with a land like exploring it with the locals. The Rabari Walk experience, offered by SUJÁN Jawai, gives you just that. A guided walking safari with the Rabari locals and their animal herds takes you through the wilderness of Jawai in Rajasthan. Track shy leopards and spot flamingoes with nomadic tribesmen who know this dramatic landscape better than anyone else. They also take you to nearby temples and villages if you’re up for a longer walk. thesujanlife.com FR

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EXPLORE THAR ON HORSEBACKBeautifully raised and carefully schooled in one of the finest stables in the country, the Marwari horses at Mihir Garh make their Equestrian Program

a delightful expedition for any discerning traveller looking for a unique vacation. Experience the Thar wilderness astride one of these legendary stallions as you tread the semi-arid Rohet region, spotting antelopes and chinkaras, riding through small villages, and familiarising yourself with the

warmth and hospitality of the locals. houseofrohet.com

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If a getaway to the 18th-century Ahilya Fort Hotel, which sits in the quietude of Maheshwar, isn’t enough to uplift your spirits, you can also book the Moonlight River Promenade offered by the heritage property. Imagine fl oating in a calm Narmada under millions of stars, on a traditional hand-poled boat, slowly making your way through hundreds of fl ickering lamps. Get serenaded by local musicians and enjoy hors d’oeuvres as you let the river lull you into blissful silence. ahilyafort.comFR

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STAY IN A TREEHOUSE AMIDCOFFEE & SPICE IN KERALAFor anyone who has ever dreamed of living in atreehouse, Pepper Trail’s heritage plantation retreatin Kerala's Wayanad is the place to go. Elevatedwalkways through coffee trees lead to treehousesthat are set 12 metres above the ground in jackfruittrees, with a breathtaking view of the spice andcoffee plantations. The Pavilion restaurant, also sethigh up in the trees, offers an equally unique diningexperience with an unparalleled view. Make yourway over to the spa for a relaxing Ayurvedamassage, or learn traditional methods of cultivatingcoffee, tea, and pepper. peppertrail.in

TASTE THE DANISH LIFEIN TAMIL NADUEven when the Danes changed its name toTranquebar four centuries ago, Tharangambadisuited the then prosperous trading port of TamilNadu better. For the name (which is again in usetoday) translates to ‘the land of singing waves’.Visit the tiny coastal town for simple indulgenceslike curling up on a hammock under a swayingpalm on a beach, visiting the peach-hued 17th-century Dansborg Fort, meandering through laneslined with Danish ruins, colourful homes, andbougainvillaea-sprouting gardens, and staying inone of the quaint villas of The Bungalow on theBeach. neemranahotels.com

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Bordered on three sides by Bangladesh, the hilly state of Tripura lies at the crossroads of cultures. Base yourself in Agartala and take a tour to uncover its rich history and royal heritage with Rustik Travel’s Tripura Sojourn experience. From the huge ancient rock carvings in Unakoti and Debatamura to the preserved opulence of the Indo-Saracenic-style Ujjayanta Palace, which holds an impressive collection of royal artefacts, to the fairy-tale mansion of Neermahal built in the middle of the Lake Rudrasagar, the 500-year-old Sundari Temple, and the ruins of the forlorn Govinda Manikya Palace, there’s a lot to be explored in this northeastern state. rustiktravel.com

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One of the lesser-known aspects of Srinagar is the city’s Sufi heritage, which lives on in its old quarters.The mohallas along the River Jhelum house plenty of heritage sites. From Zero Bridge right up to SafaKadal, the neighbourhood is dotted with shrines. On your next trip to Srinagar, stay at Nadis Hotel, aRARE India property that curates a mesmerising Sufi trail. The experience takes you through thekhanqah (spiritual retreat) of Shah-e-Hamadan at Zaina Kadal, the shrine of Naqshband Sahib at Khanyar,the Jamia Masjid at Nowhatta, and the hilltop shrine of Makhdoom Sahib on Hari Parbat. rareindia.com

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TOUR SAMBHAR'S SALT LAKE IN A VINTAGE BUGGY

Come winter, India’s largest inland salt lake in Sambhar, Rajasthan, turns into a cluster of

wetlands that are flocked by thousands of Siberian flamingoes. If you wish to see how the region’s famous pink salt is produced, visit the Sambhar

Heritage Resort when the lake is baked into a huge pink dust bowl under the summer sun and hitch a ride in the resort's vintage flamingo-coloured

train carrier to the production site. Get a first-hand experience of salt harvesting, meet the villagers working on the grounds, and enjoy a wine-and-cheese session in the middle of the moonscape on your way back! The 18th-century circuit house turned resort makes for a stay ripe with historical

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GO ON AN ARTISTIC SOJOURN IN KUMAONThe sleepy little town of Dhanachuli in Uttarakhand, perched at an altitude of 2,300 metres, is home to a unique museum of rare vintage graphics from India, from the 19th and 20th centuries. The vast but intimate collection of artist Sumant Batra takes you on an intriguing journey into Indian mainstream pop culture at Chitrashala, a museum-like section of his dreamy boutique hotel called Te Aroha, which retains its original colonial-era summer-house vibe. The filmy portal to the past is surrounded by mountains that can be trekked or explored on a bike, or simply stared at from the comfortable environs of a tea lounge at the property. tearoha.in

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Imagine yourself on an infl atable raft getting hammered by rapids of Class IV and above. Abor Country Travels organises the annual Siang Rush adventure, which also includes a stay in their luxury eco-lodge, Abor Country River Camp. Wild rapids like Big Drops, Pulsating Palsi, and Toothfairy lie in wait to ambush your boat, but the expedition in Arunachal Pradesh also comes with sweeping views of the olive-hued river fl anked by thick murky woods, which are said to be home to ferocious tribes. Kayakers and rafters tell and retell tales of battling the mighty Siang for years once they have conquered this challenge. aborcountrytravels.com

CAVE NETWORK IN DIUThe coastal town of Diu was a Portuguese colonyuntil 1961. Apart from their intended architecturalcontributions dotting the city, the Portuguesecreated a network of underground caves whiledigging for rocks. Today, the Naida Caves make fora beautiful secluded attraction on the outskirtsof town. With numerous openings in the roof,sunbeams find their way into these caverns duringthe day, creating an ethereal glow. What’s more, youdon’t need any special skill to navigate the caves onfoot. Just the basic level of fitness is enough. Stayat the Azzaro Resort & Spa for a memorable time onthis isle of serenity. azzarodiu.com

VISIT THE LAKES AROUND BHAPIn a country as vast as India, many experiencesdon’t come with the label of a big city. Theseare the kinds of places we tend to drive past. Inan unassuming location between Jaisalmer andBikaner, the village of Bhap is one such place.Stay at the Hotel Barsingha Villa, which organisesa tour of the waterbodies in the region. Theswamps and lakes here host a variety of birds.Nearby, Khichan (35 km) is a natural sanctuaryto the demoiselle crane, a migratory bird fromSouthwestern Europe, Black Sea, Poland,Ukraine, Kazakhstan, North and South Africa, andMongolia. hotelbarsinghavilla.com

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MEET THE ROYAL BENGAL TIGER IN MADHYA PRADESHRun by a passionate bunch of wildlife and hospitality professionals and supported by a networkof over 300 naturalists, nature guides, mahouts, boatmen, and forest rangers, Pugdundee Safarisgoes all out to offer incredible wildlife experiences across India. So, when it comes to navigatingthe deep woods and tracking the big cats in a sturdy 4x4, trusting them with the job is a wisechoice at Bandhavgarh National Park. Pick one of the five snug treehouses at their forest lodge,Tree House Hideaways, as your base. The property has its own 21 acres of wilderness, which ishome to a variety of reptiles and rare birds. treehousehideaway.com

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GO OVERLAND CAMPING IN THE NORTHEAST

Camping Co. offers the road trip of a lifetime through Northeast India and Bhutan, in off-road vehicles equipped

with a rooftop tent that allows you to set up camp anywhere you please. For instance, the Meghalaya circuit starts from Shillong and includes camping by the tea and strawberry farms of a kayak park. Camping Co. has also partnered

with local properties that allow you to use their amenities, such as restaurants and bathrooms, or even offer activities

before you get back on the road. camping-co.com

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From the 130-year-old Dabbawala lunch delivery network to over 50,000 vada pav stalls spread across the city, there are enough testaments to Mumbai’s passion for food. Turn your love for Maharashtrian cuisine into a delicious trail by signing up for ITC Maratha’s Food Sherpa Trail. Visit the Maximum City’s most famous street food stalls, drop by age-old restaurants for authentic Marathi and coastal recipes, drive to the quaint hamlet of Khotachiwadi in Girgaum for East Indian cuisine, and get a taste of Parsi and Bohri food cultures in South Mumbai. To round up your epic culinary journey, try some local favourites at the hotel’s restaurant, Peshwa Pavilion. itchotels.in

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Get an authentic Ladakh village experience with Shakti Himalaya’s village walks, where local porters and guides help you traverse remote villages in hilly terrain. You can immerse yourself in the local culture with visits to schools, monasteries, and markets, while staying in traditional village houses that have been renovated to be comfortable without losing their authenticity. For the more outdoorsy souls, the village walk can be combined with treks to altitudes over 4,200 metres. The itinerary for each journey can be customised according to individual requirements. shaktihimalaya.com

GO ON A CULINARYJOURNEY IN PALAMPURStep into the open kitchen at Rakkh Resortin Palampur for an unforgettable culinaryexperience, where local women preparethe famous Himachali dham, a no-onionand no-garlic, slow-cooked feast. Youcan also participate in the preparationof the food, and once night falls, enjoy atraditional Himachali feast with your family,sitting around the hearth, while old tunescrackle on the radio. Or dance along withthe Pahari Nati—folk dancers and singers—to Kangra music. rakkh.com

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DISCONNECT FROM THE WORLD IN COIMBATORE If the current crisis has made you yearn for a simpler time, you might want to look at Sinna Dorai’s bungalow in Valparai. Located amid acres of organic tea fields and bereft of Wi-Fi, television, and other technological crutches, the bungalow allows you to disconnect from the world. The property is situated in the Anaimalai Hills (literally, Elephant Hills), a mountain range that spans the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Go for a walk in the serene tea plantations, savour authentic plantation fare, meet conservation experts from the Nature Conservation Foundation and visit their expansive information centre nearby to understand the natural diversity in the Elephant Hills, and check out nearby attractions such as Monkey Falls, Sholayar Dam, and Grass Hills. sinnadorai.com

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HONE YOUR SPIDEY SENSEIN KARNATAKAIf you are done chasing big cats and if beingsurrounded by arachnids in the woods sounds likeyour kind of adventure, go on a tailor-made nighttrail while staying at Evolve Back, Kabini. With theonset of monsoon, arachnids thrive in forests thatgrow along the River Kabini. Trained naturalists ofthe resort help you discover a whole new world ofnocturnal life and explore the nests of giant woodspider, crab spider, scorpion spider, two-tailedspider, and other eight-legged wonders that lurk inthese woods. When you’re done brushing cobwebsoff your elbows, take a coracle ride in the riverfor a dreamy finish to an unusual expedition.evolveback.com

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Delve into the history of Kanchipuram saris, made of the fi nest mulberry silk, for a unique immersive experience in Tamil Nadu. Famous for their high quality and intricate embroidery, these saris have a history spanning four centuries. The Kanchipuram Silk & Temple Tour, offered by 5 Senses Tours, is a day trip starting in Chennai that lets you meet the weavers and witness their craft. The tour also takes you to two ancient Pallava temples built in 600 AD, Ekambareswarar and Kailasanathar, which are renowned for their exquisite architecture. 5sensestours.com

ARABIAN SEA IN GOKARNALocated on the famous Om Beach in Gokarna, SwaSwara by CGH Earth prides itself on being neither a spa nor an ashram, but a sanctuary for prakruti, the innermost nature of an individual. With a vast array of programmes designed to pamper and rejuvenate you—from Ayurvedic healing, which is its specialisation, to yoga, to healing through art forms like pottery, origami, and painting—SwaSwara offers an experience that is unique and profound and is meant to help you find your inner voice. To fully appreciate its beautiful surroundings, take the guided birdwatching walks that are on offer every Wednesday, or take a boat to see the historic Mirjan Fort. cghearth.com

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GO ON A SPIRITUAL SOJOURN IN VARANASIMany come here to wash off their sins in the River Ganga, others to find the meaning of life. One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Varanasi holds a different allure to everyone. Tree of Life Resort & Spa, Varanasi, can arrange a four-hour spiritual sojourn (named Temples, Ghats and Mystic) through the city’s old lanes, starting at the ancient silk and ceremonial-item market of Dal Mandi, weaving its way through the ghats where rituals of life and death are performed, exploring hidden alleys where mosques and temples co-exist, visiting the world’s biggest crematorium and the city’s oldest silk market. The tour concludes at the Dashashwamedh Ghat with the famous Ganga aarti. treeofliferesorts.com

Situated on the banks of a river, the Lost Escape Homestay, by NotOnMap, is a traditional four-room Himachali mud cottage in Jibhi. Accessible only on foot, it offers guests a tranquil atmosphere miles away from any other settlements—apt for those who want to get away from city lights. The cottage is near Banjar, popularly known as the ‘Valley of God’. The picturesque Shoja village with ruins of the Raghupur Fort also lies here. Soak in stunning views of snow-capped Himalayan peaks, sample food made from fresh local produce, or witness local wildlife at the Great Himalayan National Park. notonmap.com

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The Living and Learning DesignCentre by the Shrujan Trust inAjrakhpur is an ode to the cultureand craftspeople of Kutch. Not onlydoes it house a museum dedicatedto traditional crafts, with threegalleries and a library along with anart studio for artisans, it is also aresource centre that trains people,helping them earn a living whilekeeping their crafts alive. Visitorscan try their hand at embroidery,weaving, lacquering, working withmud and leather, or creating theirvery own block printed textile. Stayat The Bhuj House, a traditionalParsi heritage homestay built in the1800s, to experience the life of alocal. shrujanlldc.org

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GET A CRASH COURSE IN GOAN CUISINE Learn to cook some of Goa’s most delicious recipes with Rita’s Gourmet Goa. Started by acclaimed chef Rita Shinde in the charming village of Dabolim, the culinary venture offers crash courses in not only Goan classics, but also Italian, Portuguese, Mediterranean, and Oriental cuisines. Transform yourself into a bona fide chef with these classes, which were featured on Fox Life in an episode of Twist of Taste, hosted by Chef Vikas Khanna. While in Goa, stay in Panjim Inn, the state’s first heritage hotel set in a 19th-century mansion. ritasgourmetgoa.com

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A flute lesson in the Bodhi Tree meditation room at Vana, a retreat outside Rishikesh.

FEW MINUTES into my pizhichil Ayurvedic treatment at Ananda in the Himalayas, I opened my eyes to get my bearings. Above me, a spa attendant was filling up a brass pot and handing it to a colleague, who then doused my body in a stream of warm oil. Specifically, dhanwantharam oil, which is infused with 28

aromatic herbs—all indigenous to the Himalayas—and is thought to reduce inflammation and stress. “Be relaxed,” the

second attendant said, directing the contents of the pitcher over my calves. There was nothing to do but lie still and marinate. I was in India, after all, and wellness is different here. You could even say it began here.

Ananda sits on a hill overlooking the city of Rishikesh and the turquoise waters of the River Ganga. For centuries, pilgrims have travelled to the area to bathe in the river, visit religious sites in the nearby Himalayan foothills, and meditate on its

BACK TO ROOTS Spiritual seekers have been drawn to the hills around Rishikesh for thousands of years. MARCIA DE SANCTIS visits a trio of high-end retreats that are channelling the region’s singular energy in newly sophisticated ways.

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Taj Rishikesh Resort & Spa opened in late 2019.Bottom: It sits in thefoothills of the Himalayas.

Early-morning sun salutations at Ananda in the Himalayas.

banks. It was in Rishikesh that the fame-weary Beatles sought enlightenment at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram, inspiring generations of seekers and backpackers to follow in their wake. The city bills itself as the yoga capital of the world; each year, the largest yoga festival on the planet is held at one of its hundreds of registered ashrams.

When Ananda opened 20 years ago, it was the first property to interpret the region’s ancient wellness culture for an upscale, international audience. Today, it’s one of a clutch of retreats in the area pitched at travellers who like their shavasana served with a cashmere blanket.

The newest addition is Taj Rishikesh Resort & Spa, which opened last year. The retreat is perched high on a hillside above the Ganga, which here—close to its Himalayan glacier source—flows fresh and eye-wateringly blue-green. Across the river rise peaks criss-crossed with 400-year-old pilgrim’s paths. It’s a location that lends itself perfectly to purification and well-being, says Indian-Canadian businessman Arjun Mehra, who developed the property with his father, Ravi. “It calms the spirit which calms the mind which calms the body,” Arjun told me. As might a glass of wine on the stone terrace. “We are not strict like an ashram, where you sleep on a concrete slab,” he added with a laugh.

At Taj, the wellness programme can be formal or loose. The hotel can design an intense multi-week detox or yoga package with a dedicated guru to guide meditation or pranayama (yogic breathing

exercises), but its wellness programmes can also include something as simple as hiking a mountain trail or enjoying a spell of silence in the woods. One free afternoon, I was lulled into contemplation on the hotel’s own white sandy beach, just watching the river rush by. “People connect with the Ganga, no matter what their religion,” general manager Devraj Singh said. “It’s incredibly healing.”

Halfway down the hill towards the river stands an indoor/outdoor yoga studio and an outpost of Jiva Spa, Taj’s standard-setting wellness brand. At


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semolina gnocchi were highlights, and I made secret stockpiles of the fantastic amaranth-and-raw-cocoa brownies.

Wearing the resort uniform of a fresh white kurta with white pants and a prayer necklace, I headed to my daily activities: surprisingly entertaining lectures by a scholar of Hindu philosophy, treatments in the 2,230-square-metre spa, laps in the lushly landscaped pool. And to yoga class, which was a revelatory series of classical hatha basics. As Ananda’s yoga director, Sandeep Agarwalla, explained, “Though we have postures and different levels of practice, we treat yoga as it was originally

the spa, I was met with a warm brew made with jaggery, lime, and tulsi before settling in for a purifying scrub with Himalayan salt and coconut. The hotel’s Rock Flour restaurant—named after the tiny particles of glacial stone that give this part of the Ganga its extraordinary colour—has an Ayurvedic menu made with ingredients grown locally, in the region’s rich soil. Big on Himalayan staples like lentils, millet, and root vegetables, it’s heaven for the wheat-averse.

Forty-five kilometres east, Ananda draws its wellness philosophy directly from the Vedas. Owner Ashok Khanna, a veteran hotelier and grandson of Mohan Singh Oberoi, founder of the Oberoi hotel group, built the retreat when the tech boom hit India, causing stress levels to spike. After visiting spas all over the world, he turned his attention homeward. “Why not offer what comes from right here?” he said.

A former maharajah’s palace is Ananda’s opulent focal point, and the grounds are peppered with palm trees and the royal family’s marble pavillions. Most guests arrive and hunker down for intense yoga, meditation, or weight-management retreats, all of which incorporate diet recommendations from one of the spa’s Ayurvedic doctors. “It’s not about juicing here,” said Divya Babbar, Ananda’s marketing manager. A doctor determined my dosha—the ruling energy that defines my constitution—and prescribed a menu to keep me in balance. The bottle-gourd soup and

A diya is part of the welcome ceremony at Vana.

Serene views from the Junior Suite at Taj Rishikesh Resort & Spa.

Ananda in the Himalayas is located on a hill overlooking the ancient spiritual city of Rishikesh.


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stews and curries, fish kormas, and porridges in my regimen also helped my equilibrium. Not on my meal plan: lattes or any other form of caffeine, which I tried to do without. It is best, I learnt, to submit to Vana’s rhythms and let the experts take over. “Those who want to control their experience are not happy here,” Singh said.

Five nights is the minimum stay at Vana, but many spend weeks in pursuit of their personal objectives: weight loss, detox, or stress reduction. “I want Vana to be the catalyst for a journey. To improve health, maybe, or to begin a totally new and provocative life exploration,” Singh explained. For me, the concept of ‘retreat’ became clear at Vana, as I swam in the sanctuary-like indoor pool and succumbed to an hour of meditation staring at a candle flame. This place is not about marching in and demanding a facial, but rather taking a profound pause, and connecting first with ancient wisdom and then with yourself.

Inner and outer well-being, the balance of body, mind, and soul. Opulence and restraint. It is the search for harmony that this mountainous part of India has been perfecting for centuries—and the wellness industry in the West tries so hard to imitate. Ananda’s Ashok Khanna summed it up simply, “We never called it wellness. It was just our way of life.”

intended.” In other words, not as a physical exercise but as a spiritual one.

An hour north of Ananda, on 21 acres of ancient hardwood forest, a retreat named Vana offers a singular mixture of spirituality, wellness, and luxury that has made it one of the world’s most sought-after retreats since its launch in 2014. Proximity to Rishikesh, the Ganga, and the seat of an exiled school of Tibetan Buddhism renders the location, in owner Veer Singh’s words, “a spiritually potent place.”

When I first entered the lobby—which Vana calls Kila, meaning ‘fortress’ in Sanskrit—all the chaos and colour of India dissolved. The sunlit common area opened before me like a massive Zen ballroom, where chandeliers made from silkworm cocoons and a flock of white ceramic birds floated from the eight-metre ceiling. “You feel guarded, you feel protected,” director of operations Prasoon Pandey said. “The calm begins almost instantly.”

Vana is nearly obsessive in its approach to each guest’s individual needs. Reflexology and Swedish massage integrate with Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and the Tibetan healing practice of Sowa Rigpa. A doctor identifies what each guest’s inner and outer selves require, and then prescribes from a mind-boggling array of treatments. My first stop: a hor gyi metsa massage, where my therapist recited a Tibetan prayer and dotted my body’s nerve channels with warm, healing herbal poultices.

The doctor also left ample free time on my schedule, so I took yoga classes and peaceful walks through lychee orchards. The vegetable

The temperature-regulated outdoor pool is one of four pools at Vana.

GETTING THEREFrom New Delhi, it is convenient to drive to Dehradun—the journey takes about five hours. You can also fly an hour north on Indigo (goindigo.in) to the airport in Dehradun.

STAYVana (doubles from `45,752, five-night minimum; vana.co.in) is a 75-min drive, Taj Rishikesh Resort & Spa (doubles from `16,000; taj hotels.com) is a 90-min drive, and Ananda in the Himalayas (doubles from `59,000, five-night minimum; ananda spa.com) is a 40-min drive from the airport.


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Wellness & Spas

BE YOUR OWN BODY THERAPISTGlobally renowned healer and teacher of body sustainability, Yamuna Zake talks about her self-developed technique of ‘body rolling’ and how it helps one treat injuries on their own.BY BINDU GOPAL RAO

I MAKE MY WAY TO ATTEND a Yamuna Body Rolling session at RESET Bengaluru. It’s a rare opportunity since Yamuna Zake, the founder of ‘body rolling’, rarely conducts public masterclasses. A master of body sustainability, Zake developed her technique

40 years ago to minimise people’s dependency on therapists. Now, she has over 450 certified Yamuna practitioners across the world and a client list that includes top athletes. Here are some excerpts from my conversation with the master:

Tell us about your philosophy. I named my work ‘body sustainability’ because it’s not just about fitness but includes keeping your body moving every day. It’s about asking the right questions before you do anything with your body and knowing how it can keep making you feel good for the rest of your life. Body sustainability guides you to keep your body moving in a healthy and non-injurious way.


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of teaching people how to take care of their bodies instead of relying on therapists. I translated all the principles of therapy to a ball, and the ball became my hands as well as my therapist’s hands. That’s when we began teaching people.

What’s the outcome of these techniques? Well, first and foremost, the body gets aligned and you build muscle tone. The range of motions of joints increases, and the bones are stimulated. It’s only after this that the muscles begin to work effectively. How do you use the ball in your workout? The ball helps you align your structure, as everyone has some misalignment. How different is this from foam-rolling techniques? We bring the order back to the body. We don’t just randomly roll—we take the body to its natural order in which it moves, so the muscle becomes toned and regains its intelligence. We work with the anatomy, which most other rolling systems don’t. How can one learn your techniques? All our work is online (yamunausa.com), and we have kits that include a ball, a pump, and a booklet to educate you on the process. We are currently operational in 38 countries and have over 2,000 certified practitioners around the world. We are also looking at certifying practitioners in India. Tell us about your therapies for the feet. The feet are the foundation of the body, and if you have issues in the feet, it will eventually cause problems in other body parts as well. A lot of people who seek our help have collapsed feet, dropped arches, plantar fasciitis, and weak ankles. We train the feet and focus on the part from where that problem could be affecting another part of the body. I am currently working on a book called The Foot Fix, which will empower you to get your feet functioning as they should—without any medical intervention. It will be out in January 2021. What are your future plans? I want to write more, give more lectures, and educate as many people as possible. I’m 65, and I still learn something new about the human body every day.

What does ‘body rolling’ mean? I coined the term ‘body rolling’ many years ago. One uses a ball to directly stimulate bones, muscles, and other tissues in the body. I have hands-on therapy experience of over 40 years, where I have been treating injuries. At my studio in New York City, we used to help people with injuries when nobody else could. One day, I realised that there must be a way

Yamuna Zake (left) is a Chicago-born

fitness pioneer.

T H E L I S T

Wellness& Spas

SET ON THE alluring coast of Kovalam,Somatheeram Ayurveda Village offers an effortlessly revitalising atmosphere. Here, wellness transcends physical well-being and encompasses mental healing as well. The key to

building immunity, in this retreat, lies in slowing the ageing process and aiding the regeneration of body cells—a result achieved through their Longevity Treatment. Spread over 28 days, the healing journey

involves snehapanam (eating a medically advised amount of ghee for eight to 12 days), virechanam (cleansing of body toxins), nasyam (treatment of the nasal tract using medicated herbs), pizhichil (herbal oil massage), njavarakizhi (herbal poultice massage), tharpanam (strengthening of the optic nerves), and a medicated steam bath, among other rituals. Tying all these treatments together is the use of Rasayana, an Ayurvedic medicine integral to these therapies. somatheeram.in

TIMELESS HEALING Ease back into normalcy with India’s ancient Ayurveda practices at these wellness retreats and spas. BY BAYAR JAIN

Somatheeram Ayurveda Village KOVALAM


The Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa Resort NEW CHANDIGARH

E MPHASISING THE FEELING of sukh or happiness, this retreat is home to The Oberoi Spa, a tranquil wellness abode dotted with water bodies and located next to a forest. Those who wish to

identify the root cause of their physical ailments and correct bodily imbalances can opt for the 90-minute-long Dinacharya therapy. A set of six treatments work in tandem to help one achieve long-term wellness. Starting with anjana, a liniment used for cleansing eyes, the treatment is followed by nasya and dhumapana—two treatments that work to clear the sinuses. Gandusha (holding of medicated fl uids in the mouth for oral health), karnapoorana (oil droplets in the ears to prevent earwax build-up), and abhyanga (a full-body medicated oil massage to ease pain and enhance good sleep) follow. To accelerate immunity-building, the resort serves up a special menu so you can feast without any guilt. oberoihotels.com


AT SHREYAS RETREAT,

emphasis is laid onstrengthening ojas, the vitalenergy of a person. The journeyhere begins with a detailed

consultation and an eight-foldexamination. The doctors aim tounderstand the composition of one’sbody and doshas, post which therapiesare customised. Consider theshirodhara for peace and calm,followed by a session of traditionalabhyanga (a full-body herbal oilmassage). The shirodhara treatment

involves pouring of a stream of therapeutic oil—or milk, or buttermilk, depending on one’s body type and season—on the forehead to bring relief. A similar use of therapeutic oils fi nds place in the choorna pinda swedam treatment as well, in the form of a soothing massage. To elevate relaxation, this treatment is followed by a herbal powder massage and a round of externally-induced sweating to relax muscles. One can also try the nasyam treatment for more targeted relief in the chest area. shreyasretreat.com

Shreyas Retreat BENGALURU

EVOLVE BACKCOORGSTEP INTO THIS 300-acre coconut plantation and be enthralled by the wide range of wellness offerings paired with the subtly intoxicating aroma of coffee and spices. At Evolve Back’s Vaidyasala, the Ayurveda Village, ancient secrets of the world’s oldest healing system are harnessed to rejuvenate, regenerate, and revitalise. Whether one is looking to ease insomnia with the 45-minute long shirodhara, reduce weight with an hour-long udvartana therapy, or indulge in a pampering session with the padashubhakari treatment (an hour-long herbal feet massage), wellness seekers are bound to feel fulfilled. Those looking to heal fractures, increase circulation, and curb fatigue can opt for an hour-and-a-half-long sarvangadhara session. This ritual involves pouring of medicated oil or medicated milk in streams, after a relaxing body massage. A similar process takes place in the 30-minute-long kati basti therapy, which targets the lower back. evolveback.com

T H E L I S T

Wellness& Spas



TAJ BEKAL RESORT & SPABEKALTUCKED AWAY IN the verdant landscape of Kerala, near Bekal’s serene backwaters, the Jiva Spa at Taj Bekal Resort & Spa celebrates the energy, harmony, and balance of mind and body. Guests can engage in a range of signature Ayurveda experiences. Be it vishuddi, a detoxification treatment that cleanses the body by eliminating toxins to bring forth complete purification, or abhyanga, a therapy where medicated herbal oils are applied generously in gentle strokes by skilled therapists, the resort makes sure you feel energised. One can also opt for choorna swedam, a special Ayurveda therapy in which choorna, or a coarse powder of medicinal herbs, in a swedam (or poultice) is run all over the body in sturdy movements to ease blood circulation and muscle aches. tajhotels.com

Mercure Goa Devaaya RetreatGOA

B RINGING AGE-OLD FACETS

of Ayurveda, yoga, and naturopathy practices under one roof, Mercure Goa Devaaya Retreat

considers itself an ‘Island of Divinity’. Situated on the serene Divar Island, 10 kilometres off Panaji, this fi ve-acre centre is surrounded by the soothing blues of the River Mandovi. This feeling of serenity permeates the various wellness offerings here as well, including nasyam. Believed to be one of the most powerful panchakarma therapies, the ritual involves passing essential oils through the nasal cavities. In doing so, the medicated oils help counter migraine and sinusitis, and cleanse the nasal tract. For a more rounded impact, one can opt for the complete Panchakarma Package—available in options of 15, 22, or 30 days—which includes various therapies customisable for a targeted approach. all.accor.com

T H E L I S T

Wellness& Spas

SwaSwara GOKARNA

T RANSLATING TO ‘your inner voice’, SwaSwara doubles as a place to refocus and recalibrate oneself. Aligned to this ideology are the various wellness offerings. The Ayurvedic healing at the resort is meant to carve out a path towards sustained well-being and healthy living, instead of offering

a one-time fi x for ailments—starting with the dinacharya, where doctors chalk out a wellness regimen to be followed, to the seasonal ritucharya. Detoxifying panchakarma, vamana, virechana, and nasya, are some of the other procedures, which complete the cleansing treatment. cghearth.com

NIRAAMAYA RETREATS SURYA SAMUDRAKOVALAMTHE KEY TO BUILDING IMMUNITY, according to Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra, is in enhancing one’s overall natural resistance, rather than a targeted approach towards neutralising the causative agent. Catering to this philosophy is the Niraamaya Immunity Booster Package. The package includes 90 minutes of customised treatments, special medical decoctions, immunity-boosting medicines, and an hour-long yoga and meditation session every day. Moreover, the Immunity Rejuvenation Programme is ideal for guests who are looking for a multi-pronged healing process that targets various bodily functions. Spread over seven, 14, or 21 days, this all-encompassing treatment employs science-backed natural therapies. Thrown into this mix is the fusion of psychology and mindful practices to boost one’s immune system. Whether a guest is looking to revive gut health through detoxification, or indulge in mindfulness sessions, this programme is the first step towards holistic improvement of mind, body, and soul. niraamaya.com


SOUKYA INTERNATIONAL HOLISTIC HEALTH CENTREBENGALURUADVOCATING HEALTHY living with an emphasis on immunity-building techniques, SOUKYA International Holistic Health Centre has crafted regimens—dinacharya (daily regimen) and ritucharya (seasonal regimen)—to help guests embark on their wellness journeys. One can experience medicated oil massages coupled with single-herb-based supplements. Accentuating this love for Ayurveda are the abhyanga and navarakizhi treatments. In the abhyanga treatment, medicated oils such as mahanarayana and mahamasha—depending on one’s problem areas—are slathered generously on the body to help regulate blood flow and ease lymphatic drainage. By doing so, muscles get instilled with renewed life while the mind is freed of hyperactivity and stress, enabling sound sleep. On the other hand, the navarakizhi treatment involves the application of hot, herbal poultices to reduce bodily stiffness, cure insomnia, increase bone density, and leave one feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Pair these with the centre’s Premium Chyavanaprasam, an immunity-building herbal concoction of gooseberries, pure honey, cow ghee, and 45 other nutritional herbs, to sustain good health for a long time. soukya.com

THE AYURMANA, the heritageretreat of Ayurvedic healing atKumarakom Lake Resort,pulsates with the knowledge ofancient sciences. Catering to all

aspects of well-being, their Ayurvedicrituals are designed to bring physicaland mental fulfilment, while alsoenhancing beauty. The 45-minute-long mukha lepam treatment is onesuch form of indulgence. During thiswrinkle-reducing ritual, nimbadichoornam or eladi choornam—bothherbal Ayurvedic medicines—aremixed with milk or natural honey andmassaged onto the face. Once gently

rubbed along the contours and ridges of the face, a nalpalmaradi thailam oil massage follows, ending with a face pack to give one a radiant glow. A combination of brown rice with milk used during the procedure further helps in rehydrating the skin, improving facial muscles and retaining the vitality of facial tissues. To help you maintain your mane, Kumarakom offers a scalp massage with a special herbal oil, chemparuthyadi kera thailam, which helps in reversing the damaging effects of chemicals. kumarakomlakeresort.in

Kumarakom Lake Resort KUMARAKOM


I N F O C U S

Wellness& Spas

MAKE YOUR HOME A SANCTUARYThese are testing times, and it is important to de-stress and rejuvenate. Experts at the award-winning Bintan Resorts in Indonesia tell you how to build a holistic wellness routine at home.

THE ISLAND LIFE in Indonesia is incomplete without pristine tropical beaches and holistic wellness experiences, and Bintan Resorts offers both in abundance. Covering

the northern coast of the Bintan Island, the multiple award-winning integrated beach resort destination is host to 19 independent beach resorts, four designer golf courses, as well as an ever-expanding range of recreational attractions. Since travelling is unlikely for many for now, experts from Bintan Resorts are offering tips to bring holistic wellness to your home.

Anindya Spa, which is present at many of Bintan’s prestigious resorts, like Nirwana Resort Hotel, Mayang Sari Beach Resort, Holiday Villa Pantai Indah, Lagoi Bay Villas, and Doulos Phos The Ship Hotel, offers a wide range of treatments. Fhoni Sandradewi, manager, Anindya Spa, believes that one can fi nd a balance of mind, body, and soul, without leaving home. “We recommend trying Anindya’s home spa recipe. Make your very own body scrub salt by blending candlenut with coconut powder. Soak your feet in warm salt water. After a thorough scrub, freshen yourself with a cup of warm ginger tea,” suggests Sandradewi.

Anindya Spa offers a variety of traditional

Indonesian beauty treatments.

Banyan Tree Spa uses local ingredients in all its skincare routines.Left: The treatment room at Anindya Spa.

Banyan Tree Spa became the pioneer of the tropical garden spa concept with the launch of Banyan Tree Phuket in Thailand in 1994. Banyan Tree Spa Bintan harnesses local ingredients and features excellently appointed treatment rooms.

Lee Woon Hoe, senior assistant vice president and executive director of wellbeing at Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, says taking deep breaths is one of the easiest and most effective remedies to de-stress. “Step away from work for a while, and indulge in some mindful breathing.”

He further asserts that it is vital to remain physically active. “Simple stretching exercises could be done at home. Or pick an online session of your interest and indulge in some physical exercises daily. Or do what I love to do—get enough sleep and watch a comedy. Laughter relaxes the body, boosts immunity, lowers stress hormones, and burns calories. But most importantly, keep a positive mindset while we navigate through this COVID situation. Remember, this too shall pass, and things will recover soon,” says Woon. bintan-resorts.com

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The cathedral-like marble rock formations on Lake General Carrera in Chilean Patagonia are a near-religious experience for many kayakers.

T r a v e l + L e i s u r eI n d i a & S o u t h As i a

AUGUST 2020

S I N G A P O R E FACE VALUE P. 104C H I L E A N P ATA G O N I A WILD UPON WILD P. 110

Nowhere is Singapore’s multilayered past more visible than in the facades of its shop-houses. Today, as SIMON WILLIS reports, these long-neglected architectural jewels are being celebrated and restored to their former splendour. PHOTOGRAPHS BY DARREN SOH

F A C E

Colourful shop-houses line the streets of

Singapore’s Joo Chiat neighbourhood.

W H E N M Y W I F E and I moved to Singapore last year for her new job, I expected to be

travelling into the future. On my previous visits, Singapore’s famously efficient airport, Changi, had seemed like the principal node of a gleaming network of expressways, subway lines, and skyscrapers, all designed to maximise the flow of people and capital. It is a place where your car automatically pays for parking, where the traffic lights are controlled by artificial intelligence, and where the cityscape is gilded with ever more fantastical architectural forms. Marina Bay Sands (marinabaysands.com), a triple-towered hotel and casino, is capped by a horizontal sky garden resembling a marooned spaceship. Gardens by the Bay (gardensbythebay.

com.sg), the park next door that had a starring role in Crazy Rich Asians, is dominated by a cluster of towering metal trees that look like they were designed by a robot with a taste for horticulture.

So when I arrived, I was surprised to find myself immersed in history. We moved into an apartment in Joo Chiat, a neighbourhood on the city-state’s eastern coast that was developed in the 1920s. Our apartment is in a shop-house, a style of building imported by



Chinese settlers in the early 19th century that formed the warp and weft of the city’s architectural fabric for more than 100 years. The template was simple. Shop-houses were built two or three stories high, and were designed to contain businesses on the ground floor and living spaces upstairs. Out front were covered verandas called ‘five foot ways’, open-ended to create shaded colonnades. Inside, light wells with a clear view of the sky formed miniature courtyards brightened by the sun and cooled by the rain.

Ours was built between the two World Wars, and with its simple white facade, has an elegant austerity. The same cannot be said for others around the corner. On my way to get my morning coffee I walk down Joo Chiat Road, the district’s main thoroughfare, which is lined with shop-houses decorated with Corinthian pilasters, stucco leaves, and grids of coloured tiles depicting pomegranates, peaches, pineapples, peacocks, and hummingbirds. On weekends, we often get breakfast at Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s, a stall that sells Singapore’s finest roti prata, a fried Indian flatbread. Diagonally opposite the stall, a one-block stretch of Koon Seng Road has grand old shop-houses painted in Instagram-friendly shades of pink, pistachio, emerald, and primrose. Beneath the upstairs windows, herons flap their wings and tigers hunt their prey, forever frozen in plaster relief.

Shop-houses are records of Singapore’s multicultural history. After its founding in 1819 by British politician and empire builder Stamford Raffles, the city grew into a


Clockwise from top: Shop-houses along Singapore’s Petain Road; an aerial view of Chinatown; a ‘five foot way’ veranda on Petain Road.

date. It is true that more than 50 per cent of Singapore’s old city was demolished by the march of modernity between the 1970s and 90s. It is also true that much of the urban sprawl has the flavourless internationalism of an airport terminal. But in the past decade, Singapore has entered a more preservationist phase, with shop-houses being restored and renovated all over town—and snapped up at eye-watering prices. Simon Monteiro, a local realtor who specialises in old buildings, likens this boom to an art-market bubble. “People are buying them like Picassos,” he says. If Singapore once seemed like a city intent on replacing the past with the future, it is now taking a backward glance.

O ne morning, I went to meet Jimmy Seah, a vivacious man in his mid 50s who owns a shop-house on Spottiswoode Park Road, just north of Chinatown.

The street is part of Blair Plain, a district developed in the 19th and early 20th centuries by local merchants, or towkays. To show off the sophistication of their tastes and to outdo their European counterparts, these merchants constructed some of the grandest shop-houses in Singapore. They incorporated all manner of international flourishes; several even have loggias on their top floors, the kind you see in a Venetian palazzo.

Seah bought his house in 2009, and at first glance, it struck him as unprepossessing. Low and plain, it had broken shutters, a mouldering white facade, and a collapsed roof. But then he began to chip away at the plaster covering the front of the building and started to see layers of colour underneath—first blue, then flecks of red and green. Slowly, over the course of two months of careful chiselling, these traces coalesced into an image of birds perched on branches, and above them, faded reddish-brown shapes that Seah thinks originally depicted a cloud of bats in flight.

The fresco dated from the 1860s. This makes it not only the oldest painted shop-house facade in Singapore but the sole survivor of a time when, according to one French visitor who came to Singapore in 1831, all the shop-houses were “covered with brightly coloured frescoes.” The dull-looking building Seah had bought suddenly became a unique piece of architectural history and a window onto Singapore’s beginnings.

In the 1960s, when Seah was growing up in a shop-house, Singapore had only just gained independence from Malaysia and was a poor island in a state of disrepair. To keep housing affordable, the government instituted strict rent controls, the downside of which was that landlords had neither the money nor the incentive to keep their properties in good order. Seah’s family was crammed into a warren of tiny rooms. The roof leaked constantly, and he sometimes

powerful entrepôt, attracting merchants and traders from all over the world. They brought their architectural tastes with them, and left their mark on the shop-houses they inhabited. The dwellings in Joo Chiat were built by Peranakans, people of mixed Chinese and Malay descent who settled in Singapore and whose culture was a rich blend of Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, and European influences. Elsewhere in the city, you can see shop-houses with Islamic latticework, rococo curlicues, Dutch gables, and French shutters.

The richness of these buildings did not comport with my preconceptions, which I quickly realised were out of


repaired the damage by fashioning makeshift guttering out of shuttlecock canisters. “My sisters and I used to complain,” he said. “Why do we have to live in this crappy old house?”

So they were only too pleased when, in the 1970s and 80s, the government began to knock them down to make way for new condo towers and public-housing blocks. “Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of modern Singapore, had a great vision,” Seah said. “You have to give people a roof over their heads before you can think of other things.”

But some felt that the focus on growth and efficiency stripped away soul, and Singapore developed a reputation for corporate blandness. Visiting in the 1990s, the sci-fi novelist William Gibson wrote that “the physical past, here, has almost entirely vanished.” The contemporary confection that had grown in its place felt to him like Disneyland. A few historically minded officials at Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the government body responsible for city planning, began to worry that the destruction was going too far—that Singapore was in danger of demolishing its identity. So, they began slowly to acquire shop-houses all over the city to protect them from developers, and then to sell them to owners interested in preservation.

Around the corner from Seah’s place is one of the most spectacular beneficiaries of this preservationist trend. The Baba House is a restored shop-house that now operates as a museum. It was built in the 1880s by the Wee family, who had made a fortune in shipping. The house was protected by the URA in the 1980s, but by the early 2000s, unoccupied and unrestored, it was weathering badly.

In 2006, it was sold to the National University of Singapore, whose architects and historians embarked on a renovation. They found traces of the original paint beneath more recent layers and gave the building back its original bright-blue coat. They re-created the ceramic appliqué cockerel that once strutted above the door and renovated the plaster panels that depict phoenixes and peonies, representing happy lovers. For the inside, they sourced authentic furniture, much of it from the Wee family, who had kept heirlooms like the wooden wedding bed, with its elaborate carving and gilding. The Baba House became a showcase for careful restoration, and was a prelude to the popularity this kind of building has since enjoyed.

T here are few places in Singapore that exemplify the shop-house boom better than Keong Saik Road. Until the late 1990s, this neighbourhood was a red-light

district. Its streets are lined almost entirely with shop-houses, but because nobody wanted to live or work in them, their owners were forced to rent them out to the only tenants they could find: brothels and massage parlours.

Today, Keong Saik Road is thoroughly gentrified and is known for a different kind of hospitality: a string of fashionable bars, restaurants, and hotels. KēSa House is a boutique hotel owned by Ashish Manchharam, a developer who owns four other shop-house hotels in the city, with

How to See Singapore’s Shop-HousesGetting ThereSingapore Airlines (singaporeair.com)operates direct flights from major Indian metros to Singapore.

Stay KēSa House (doubles from ̀ 7,482; 8mcollective.com/kesahouse), in Chinatown, occupies a row of shop-houses from the 1920s. Its 60 compact rooms have bright, contemporary interiors; some have private roof terraces.

Eat The Michelin-starred Zén (tasting menu `23,943; restaurant zen.com), in a shop-house in the Bukit Pasoh area, is the most exclusive restaurant in Singapore. With space for

about 15 guests, it serves an eight-course tasting menu that mixes Scandinavian and Asian flavours. For something more casual, try Potato Head (entrées ̀ 748–`1,870; potato head.co), an elevated burger joint with a rooftop bar in a corner shop-house that resembles the prow of a ship.

Learn Part of the National University of Singapore, Baba House (baba house.nus.edu.sg) is a restored shop-house with exhibits dedicated to the city’s Peranakan culture. Jane’s Tours (janes tours.sg) runs guided architectural tours of Singapore. Shop-houses are included in several of its itineraries, including Emerald Hill, Chinatown, and Joo Chiat. Tours generally last half a day and cost `4,115 per person.

another planned for 2021. Manchharam spent his childhood in a shop-house in Kampong Glam, where his grandfather, originally from the Indian state of Gujarat, had set up a successful textile firm. By the late 2000s, Manchharam, now in the property business, had already converted shop-houses into ateliers for several young fashion designers in need of studio space. But tourism was growing dramatically—between 2005 and 2018, the number of visitors to Singapore doubled—and he saw a market among people who wanted a taste of the old world instead of the city’s glitzy novelties.

KēSa House, like Manchharam’s other hotels, is an exercise in dramatic reinvention. The exterior has been faithfully maintained, the pilasters and swags picked out in bright white against the turquoise walls. But the interior


has been transformed into a minimal, contemporary space—all pale wood and polished concrete. This kind of ‘facadism’, where the exterior acts as a historical gloss on an otherwise 21st-century experience, has plenty of detractors, who feel it robs the buildings of their original spirit. But the basic template of the shop-house has proved to be endlessly adaptable: KēSa House sits opposite Potato Head, a three-story restaurant and club that opened in 2014. Located on an acutely angled corner, it’s housed in a majestic Art Deco shop-house that resembles a white cruise liner from the 1930s. Bauhaus and Brutalist examples can be found elsewhere in the area. Shop-houses have always changed with the times and reflected architectural fashion.

A few days after meeting Jimmy Seah, I headed back to Blair Plain to talk to Fang Low, a 32-year-old entrepreneur who runs a company called Figment

(figment.live). Low’s family has been collecting shop-houses for more than two decades, and under the Figment brand he now commissions Singaporean architects and designers to repurpose them into upscale ‘co-living spaces’, where people on extended stays in the city can rent rooms and live together. “It’s like shop-houses used to be,” he told me, “with multiple families living in the same building.”

I met him at 28 Blair Road, once his childhood home and now his company’s latest project. Above an ornate pair of traditional, saloon-type shop-house doors, or pintu pagar, is a panel bearing the Chinese characters for ‘Low Family Residence’. That is where the old world ends. Inside, the house is completely white —white walls and floor, white furniture, white-painted porcelain on a white shelf, white ceiling lamps made by a local artist from upcycled plastic wrap. But as you explore the house, you see small areas of wall where the bare brick shows through, or tiny circles on a porcelain pot where the original decoration has been left unpainted—fleeting glimpses of the history that lies beneath the new gloss. A little like Singapore itself.

28 Blair Road, a shop-house turned into a co-living space.

Jimmy Seah’s residence (centre) on Spottiswoode Park Road has Singapore’s oldest frescoed shop-house facade.

Chilean Patagonia is well known as one of the world’s natural wonders. But within it l ies a

territory so remote and untrodden, international visitors are only now waking up to its charms.

SIMON W ILL IS explores the towering mountains, unsullied lakes, and sublime glaciers of Aysén.

Photographs by STEFAN RUI Z

Winding for 1,300 kilometres through the Aysén region,

the Carretera Austral showcases some of Chile’s most spectacular scenery.

The 2,675-metre summit of Cerro Castillo, named for its resemblance to a castle, with Lake Cerro

Castillo in the foreground.


HERE WERE SIX OF THEM: two adults and four kids, cycling up an unpaved mountain road on three tandem bicycles. As my girlfriend, Charlie, and I careered past, we looked at the family and wondered momentarily whether our choice of transport was the wimp’s way to get around. In our sturdy, air-conditioned 4x4, we felt insulated from the rigours of the road, from the extreme geography and the sun reflecting off the glaciers above us. But the higher we climbed, the more confident we became about our decision. The gravel became big boulders, and as we navigated the switchbacks, gunning the engine up the steep slopes and bouncing over the rocks, we knew that this was going to be an adventure, whether we were on two wheels or four.

It was the first morning of a two-week road trip along the Carretera Austral, the highway that threads its way for almost 1,300 kilometres through southern Chile. Running between the towns of Puerto Montt and Villa O’Higgins, the Carretera takes you through Aysén, a little-visited region of Patagonia sandwiched between two popular ones—the Lake District and Torres del Paine National Park. When the poet Pablo Neruda wrote that “at the end of Chile the planet breaks,” he must have had in mind the fractured landscapes of Aysén—more than 1,06,180 square kilometres of mountains, lakes, glaciers, fjords, and archipelagoes.

Until the 1970s, there was no road that led here. The only way in or out was by boat, navigating inland from the Pacific through a tangle of rivers. That began

A footbridge en route to the Hanging Glacier at Queulat National Park.

mountain pass, the land became lush and exuberant—banks of fuchsia, whose elaborately flared flowers looked like tiny pink dresses clinging to the branches; giant leaves of nalca, also known as Chilean rhubarb, shading the roadsides like umbrellas. Aysén has many microclimates, and we had crossed into the temperate rainforest of Queulat National Park.

As beautiful as the park was, we couldn’t stop to admire it. A boat was waiting at a pier on the Puyuhuapi fjord to take us to Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa, a hotel on the far shore that is accessible only by water. The property is owned by Christine Kossmann Perl, whose father fled communist East Germany in 1962 and came to Chile, where he started a shipbuilding business in Valdivia, just north of the Lake District. Every summer, the family would sail their yacht down to Aysén. They came to Puyuhuapi for the first time in 1986, to visit a pocket of natural hot springs warmed by a trio of small volcanoes. The Kossmanns loved it so much that they eventually bought the land on which the springs sit and built a set of cabins. Over the past 30 years, the cabins have evolved into an elaborate complex of wooden chalets arranged around a bay, and it’s one of the best hotels in southern Chile.

The lodge has the feeling of a grown-up summer camp—complete with a blackboard that lists the day’s

to change when General Augusto Pinochet decided to build the Carretera, out of fear that neighbouring Argentina would lay claim to a region so isolated that it was only loosely incorporated into Chile. The highway was completed in 2003 and remains the only route through the region; most of it is still unpaved. All this helps to explain why today, Aysén is the least populated part of Chile. There is only one person per square kilometre here—about the same population density as Mongolia.

It also explains why relatively few people come here. But recently, the things that make life so difficult in Aysén—the geography, the impossibility of finding a phone signal—have started attracting visitors. Chileans with disposable cash are building summer houses, and international travellers are coming, too. This is thanks in large part to Douglas Tompkins, the American founder of the North Face, and his wife, Kristine, former CEO of Patagonia. Before Douglas’s death in 2015, they purchased more than seven million acres of wilderness in Aysén, then donated it to Chile to create a series of national parks. Most visitors have tended to be determined adventurers like the cyclists we saw on the road, juddering up and down the mountains with tents on their backs. But, as we discovered, Aysén also caters to those of us who prefer the comforts of handsomely appointed hotels.

ONE MORNING IN March, Charlie and I flew from Santiago to the village of Balmaceda, which has a small airport in the middle of a dusty grass steppe studded with squat, wind-harassed trees. After picking up our car, we headed north. Around Coyhaique, the regional capital, the road is smooth blacktop and the driving easy. As we crested a

A wooden church in the village of Villa Amengual, near the park. Below: A gaucho near Patagonia National Park.


activities. The family yacht still sits at anchor out front. There’s a natural aesthetic about the place, from the elegant arrangements of moss, stone, and fern to the waist-high wooden penguin sculptures dotted around the sofas in the lounge.

Charlie and I had been on the road for four bone-shaking hours, and our bodies needed soothing. So we headed to the hot springs, a short walk up a forest path. As we sat in one of the steaming pools, Charlie scanned the fjord for the dolphins that live here. Sadly, she didn’t spot any, but we later heard that they had been seen that day in front of the hotel.

The following morning, we got up early and headed into the park. Aside from the isolation, its biggest draw is the Hanging Glacier, which droops precipitously from a mountaintop nearly 610 metres high. After crossing a wooden footbridge strung over the River Ventisquero, we followed a path through the forest. The vegetation grew in an extraordinary profusion of tufts and fronds, and something in the jungle was emitting a sharp minty scent. “It’s just like Vicks VapoRub!” Charlie shouted back at me. Apart from the squelching mud under our feet, the only sound was the call of the chucao tapaculo, a red-breasted bird like a steroidal robin, several of which could be seen hopping about in the undergrowth.

Eventually, we faced the glacier, a strangely wintry sight against a backdrop of almost tropical fecundity.

Meltwater tumbled down the cliff face and fed a lagoon the mineral-green colour of surgical scrubs. We heard the occasional crack and boom, like a violent storm, followed by the sight of a car-size piece of glacier breaking off and falling down the cliff. It was our first close encounter with the ice that had shaped this remarkable landscape.

WE EXPLORED Aysén’s geological history when we swung back south to Coyhaique, where we visited the new Museo Regional de Aysén. This museum occupies a beautiful clapboard building with a zigzag roof modelled on a traditional rural warehouse. Andrea Muller, a friend of mine who lives in Santiago, runs the exhibition programme for Chile’s network of national museums, of which the Museo Regional de Aysén is a part. As Aysén has become better known over the past few years, she explained, the locals, who have until now lived on the margins, want their story told.

The exhibition begins with an installation about the ice cap that covered this area in the last ice age and sculpted the landscape. It then displays the paraphernalia of frontier life—boats, boots, knives, radios, and a reconstructed puesto, or hut. In 1937, the state decided to colonise Aysén. The government offered free land to anyone who would cultivate it. This seemed like a good deal, and people came not

A llama-like mammal called guanaco takes a breather in Patagonia National Park.

The lounge at Entre Hielos Lodge, a boutique hotel in the hills surrounding the town of Tortel.


The cathedral-like marble rock formations on Lake General Carrera are a near-religious experience for many kayakers.


only from Chile but also Germany, Belgium, Britain, and even the Middle East (today, in the little town of Chile Chico, you can eat wonderful hummus and baba ghanoush). But in order to cultivate the land, the settlers had to burn the trees that covered it. The fires they lit destroyed more than seven million acres of native forest. As we looked out of the museum windows, we saw the result: vast empty plains.

They were not, of course, the first people to live in the area. Two hours south of Coyhaique, in the shadow of Cerro Castillo, a soaring mountain with a jagged edge like some peculiarly cruel instrument of war, we walked to a low overhang at the foot of a cliff. Here, the rock is covered with the prints of human hands, belonging to both children and adults, in green and orange pigment. Charlie and I were the only people there that morning, and we couldn’t resist measuring our own hands against one of these ancient imprints, careful not to touch the marking, made perhaps by another young couple passing this way millennia ago. Later, I called Francisco Mena, an archaeologist in Coyhaique whose grandfather founded Santiago’s superb museum of pre-Columbian art. The markings, he said, were as much as 6,000 years old. Not much is known about the people who left them, why they did so, or why they eventually disappeared from the area. Mena said that, in the hands highest on the cliff face, he sees the signs of youthful competition. Perhaps this was a place to play.

NO VISITOR TO Aysén can avoid Lake General Carrera. At more than 1,810 square kilometres, it blocks the journey south, forcing you on a detour around its shores. This is a beautiful inconvenience: the lake’s glacial water is the unbelievable blue of a child’s crayon drawing, and the scene is ringed by towering mountains. The night before we got to the lake, the first snow of the season had fallen on their summits.

We were staying at Mallín Colorado Ecolodge, which sits on a hillside high above the water. It is run by Paula Christensen, whose family, like the Kossmanns in Puyuhuapi, vacationed here when she was growing up in Santiago and eventually decided to build a hotel in the area. Today, there are several cabins with floor-to-ceiling picture windows overlooking the lake, and a stylish new lodge with six rooms and a long veranda. The rooms are decorated with woven wall hangings by Christensen’s sister and wooden furniture made by her brother.

One afternoon, Charlie and I drove to Puerto Río Tranquilo, a town on the shore of General Carrera, and joined a kayaking trip organised by one of several adventure companies that operate from huts along the water. In a tandem kayak—Charlie up front and me in the back—we headed toward the area’s most extraordinary natural phenomenon—a cluster of small marble islands left behind after giant glaciers carved the lake out during the last ice age. Over

Puyuhuapi Lodge, a hot-springs hotel on the shores of the Puyuhuapi fjord.


the millennia, rain and waves have hollowed out chambers and tunnels, so that these islands resemble Gothic constructions. We circled the caves before heading inside. Drifting through these apertures, with their vaulted ceilings and sinuous pillars, we realised why they are nicknamed the chapel and the cathedral. According to our guide, Emilio Poblete, the chapel has been officially consecrated by the Catholic church.

The next day, we came face to face with the last remnants of the ancient ice cap. A 50-minute drive from Puerto Río Tranquilo is the Exploradores Glacier, which lies on the fringe of one of two ice fields in Aysén that have persisted since the ice age. Led by Poblete, we trekked through the forest to the moraine left at the head of the glacier—a chaos of rocks, some the size of fists, others the size of houses, that have been chewed up and spat out by the glacier’s progress across the landscape.

Gradually, the rocks became finer and the ice whiter, until we strapped on crampons and hiked right onto the glacier, its surface undulating like a frozen sea. As we walked, we passed pools of electric blue and crevasses that plunge more than 90 metres to the bottom of the glacier. We squeezed ourselves into tunnels and hollows formed by years of flowing meltwater and put our ears to the surface to listen for the ‘devil’s whip,’ the loud crack that results whenever a piece of it breaks. Peering into the ice, we could see tiny bubbles of prehistoric air trapped inside.

BY NOW, WE were approaching the southern reaches of Aysén, where the road tracks the course of the River Baker. The mountains here are dry and scrubby, the river a ribbon of shocking cobalt running through them. This is gaucho country, and as we drove, we sped past men on horseback, their traditional berets shading their tanned, leathery faces. We saw the occasional cow or horse snacking on rose hips from roadside bushes.

Eventually, the land became flatter, greener, softer. The river, now a deep emerald, had slowed to a broad meander, and everything around us felt languid and sleepy. We were on our way to Tortel, a village on the River Baker delta. The road got here only in 2003—before that you had to take a boat.

Tortel’s relationship to the water has created a unique way of life. The first settlers to inhabit the delta tried to farm cattle, but the sodden ground couldn’t support the animals. Instead they cultivated cypress trees, transforming their wood into pylons and fence posts, which would be collected by a naval boat and taken to Punta Arenas, on Chile’s southern tip, to be sold. The village developed around this informal port, and the villagers, whose houses were widely spread out, constructed wooden pathways to reach one another without having to row across the bay. Today, the village is an elaborate cat’s cradle of boardwalks on stilts that run up and down its slopes.

At the top of a steep flight of mossy steps is the Entre Hielos Lodge, a chic little place run by María Paz Hargreaves. She was an architecture student in

Staffers María Jesús Guzman and María Cristina Diaz in the kitchen of Mallín Colorado Ecolodge, a hotel overlooking Lake General Carrera.

A Chilean myrtle tree near Lake General Carrera.


ARGENTINA

Cerro CastilloNational Reserve

CarreteraAustral

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Queulat National Park

Tortel

Coyhaique

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PACIFIC OCEAN

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Scaling the Exploradores Glacier.

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Santiago when she first came to Tortel as a tourist, and had never seen anything like it. Before she graduated, she wrote a thesis on the village’s unique system of boardwalks and then, drawn by the romance of this out-of-the-way spot, she came to live here. “I felt this was my place,” she told me. In 2008, she bought a building high on a hill, up in the tree canopy, then gutted it and remodelled it into a boutique hotel. The interior takes its inspiration from Tortel’s logging culture: the long communal dining table is like a stretch of boardwalk, and the whole place has the feel of a tree house, only with Eames rocking chairs in every room.

One day we took a boat trip with a taciturn man named Rubén Flores, whose wife, Valeria Landeros, owns a hostel in the village and makes delicious calzones rotos, a kind of Chilean doughnut. We puttered up a green channel lined with overhanging trees, skirting islands of marsh grass where wading birds nosed around for snacks. We were headed for Isla

de los Muertos—the island of the dead. Several decades ago, a group of graves marked by lichen-covered wooden crosses was discovered on this forested dot of land. Their origins were mysterious, so the mayor of Tortel called in Mena, the archaeologist, to excavate the site. Mena found 33 wooden coffins and began to investigate who was buried in them. The cemetery, it turned out, dated back to 1906, before Aysén had been permanently settled. The graves belonged to a group of loggers who were brought here from the island of Chiloé to harvest wood. Their only connection to the outside world was a boat that would visit twice a year with food. It’s likely that during one passage to Tortel, the boat sank. It is likely the workers starved to death.

From those difficult beginnings, Tortel has grown into a place that seems to have been taken from the pages of a fairy tale. Early the next morning, Charlie and I took a walk around the bay. Mist was hanging over the water and woodsmoke was drifting from the chimneys. A dog trotted alongside us, patrolling the boardwalks, and a couple of early risers unloaded bundles of wood from boats roped to the jetties. We stopped and leaned against the railing and looked at the village crawling up the hills. The arrival of the Carretera Austral may yet change Tortel, but that morning, as the sun began to burn through the haze, it was still, silent, and timeless.


How to Explore Chile’s Aysén Region

Getting There From Delhi, one has to first fly to London and then to Santiago on British Airways (britishairways.com). There are connections available from Santiago to Balmaceda, Aysén’s regional airport, with

LATAM (latam.com), Sky (skyairline.com) and Jetsmart (jetsmart.com). We rented a 4x4 at the airport—essential for tackling Aysén’s roads. Cell phone reception is almost non-existent along the Carretera Austral, so download a navigation app, like MAPS.ME, that works offline.

Coyhaique The regional capital is a 45-minute drive from the airport, and every visitor to Aysén will pass through it. It is worth stopping at the Museo Regional de Aysén (museo regionalaysen.gob.cl), which tells you all you need to know about the region’s fascinating history and ecology. The best hotels in town are the Nomades Boutique Hotel (doubles from `9,374; hotelnomades.com) and El Reloj (doubles from ̀ 7,874; elrelojhotel.cl), which are infused with gaucho charm. In the centre of town, Mamma Gaucha (entrées ̀ 525–`825; mammagaucha.cl) serves excellent Italian food.

Queulat National Park As well as hikes to the Hanging Glacier, there are kayaks for rent on the lagoon, and you can take boat trips to get close to the glacier. Don’t miss the Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa (doubles from ̀ 20,998; puyuhuapilodge.com), a secluded hot-springs resort on the far shore of the Puyuhuapi fjord.

Cerro Castillo The rugged landscape around the mountain, an easy 90-minute drive south of Coyhaique, is arguably the most dramatic in the region. Refugio Cerro Castillo (doubles from ̀ 6,749; refugiocerrocastillo.cl) offers simple, comfortable accommodation, and the staff can help organise hikes and horseback rides into the mountains. Near the old school in Villa Castillo, you will find handprints thought to be as much as 6,000 years old.

Lake General Carrera The Carretera Austral follows the shores of the vivid blue Lake General Carrera, so as you drive south, you will have plenty of time to take in the scenery. Mallín Colorado Ecolodge (doubles from ̀ 11,624; mallin colorado.com) has beautiful wooden cabins on a hillside overlooking the lake and its own secluded stretch of shoreline for anyone brave enough to take a dip in the glacial water. The Hacienda Tres Lagos (doubles from ̀ 15,748; haciendatreslagos.com) has rooms on Lago Negro and a private pebble beach with a sauna and hot tub. You can book excursions on and around Lake General Carerra with one of several activity companies in Puerto Río Tranquilo. We went kayaking to the Marble Caves and hiking on the Exploradores Glacier with 99% Aventura (99aventura.cl).

Tortel This enchanting village, constructed from wooden boardwalks winding their way around the bay at the mouth of the River Baker, was our southernmost stop along the Carretera Austral. It is a long climb up the moss-covered steps to the Entre Hielos Lodge (doubles from ̀ 10,349; entrehielos.cl), but it’s worth it for its stylish tranquillity. Dinner is served at a communal table, and the owner, Maria Paz Hargreaves, will organise a boat to take you to La Isla de los Muertos, where you can see the graves of the area’s first settlers.

The Hanging Glacier in Queulat National Park.

YOUR BEST SHOT

THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN at the Pangong Tso Lake, in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The fi ve-hour drive from Leh to the lake made us experience rough, dramatic, and mostly barren mountain roads. Witnessing Pangong Tso, which is known for its scenic beauty—a backdrop of mountains, and clear water that changes hues with the sky—in the winter was a surreal experience. A fun fact: even though it is a saline lake, it completely freezes over in winters and many people do somersaults on its thick sheet of ice. ―RAJVEER SINGH ON HIS PHOTOGRAPH, SHOT WITH A NIKON D7100 IN FEBRUARY 2017

Rajveer Singh was an entrant in our ongoing ‘Your Best Shot’

contest with this month’s theme being #TnLRoadTrips. Submit your

best shots at [email protected], or hashtag #telltnlindia and tag

@travelandleisureindia on Instagram, to stand a chance

to get featured on this page.


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