Flamingos in Singara Chennai

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 5/20/2013 10:02:00 AM

'  I made a quick trip to Chennai aka Madras last month on the inaugural run of the double decker train between Chennai and Bangalore and here is what I found. On a dull morning, we saw several flamingos in the marshes of Pallikarnai. This is a first for me as I have not seen flamingos before in Madras.'

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Skywatch this Friday..a dawn in Srinagar, Kashmir

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 5/10/2013 12:19:00 PM

'Rains and thunderstorm the greeted us the afternoon we reached Srinagar, Kashmir. And this is what the morning after looked like on Nagin Lake – but there is a beauty in the mist, the gloom, the darkness and the sun fading away in the waters   To see more gorgeous skies around the world , do visit Skywatch'

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Avila–a fortified town in Spain

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 5/9/2013 4:36:00 AM

'It is the early afternoon. I am standing in front of a little shrine called Los Cuatro Postes or The Four Posts where four pillars encloses a cross. I climb up a short flight of steps and look out into the vast open space from the shrine. In the immediate distance lies an entire town enclosed by massive granite walls. Towering and formidable, these walls rise above the ground to touch the dark gloomy sky pregnant with droplets of rain. Tinged with a shade of brown ochre, the walls (...)'

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Trekking through India's Golden Triangle

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 4/22/2013 5:16:00 PM

';;;; Plan an Unforgettable Trek Through India’s Golden TriangleThere's nothing like the Golden Triangle. Comprised of several Indian destinations, this must-try trek is one of the best ways to experience the country's most iconic sights. Though a variety of travel agents and tour providers offer packages, it’s completely possible to plan your own tour with a little bit of know-how and a lot of adventurous spirit. Plus, if you have an AmEx credit card, you’ll get benefits for cardmem(...)'

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Birding Diaries–Carambolim Lake, Goa

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 4/20/2013 6:44:00 AM

'  Lesser whistling ducks It’s a very hot morning in Goa. They say spring is in the air, but I can feel the bright sun burning through the skin as early as 630 am. However, I am an early bird and that in Goa is rather unusual. As I head out, all I see in my fifteen minute journey are two pups cuddled up in the middle of the road. The vada pav stalls are not yet open and I do not see a single local tea shop on the road. Soon civilisation gives way to large tracts of fields and(...)'

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Skywatch this Friday – Pelicans in flight

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 4/12/2013 7:56:00 AM

'A spot billed pelican in flight at Kokkre Belur, a village near Bangalore, India where the birds have forged a relationship with the community that protects them every year. Another close up of the wings Visit Skywatch this Friday for beautiful birds and skies.'

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Summer is here..

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 4/6/2013 10:57:00 AM

'The days are getting hotter in Bangalore and the promised rain clouds have slowly wandered away after showering for a few days. I cannot believe that summer is already upon us. I have two months to go before I get on to some personal work and I am wondering where to go. I am not so much a summer traveler. The hills will no longer offer me the solitude as it will be crowded with tourists and it is hot any where and every where else.I do not want to do short trips anymore. And I canno(...)'

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A morning in Kutta- Coorg

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 4/5/2013 2:55:00 AM

'Kutta is a border town between Karnataka and Kerala and is a part of Coorg. I woke up to a blazing morning when the sun created drama . To wake up to more beautiful skies around the world, visit Skywatch this Friday..'

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Shigmo Festival–Goa

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 4/1/2013 4:56:00 AM

'Over the weekend, I saw a different Goa – Cultural, mythical and colourful.  It was the Shigmo Festival.  It was the first time I had heard of Shigmo, a festival that originated in the villages of Goa as it celebrates the arrival of spring. Dances, floats filled the air as I was told that the pageantry moved from village to village. Each village performs during the festival, based on a certain theme .While a detailed post is coming up soon, I am leaving you with a video fr(...)'

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Castles of Poland –a photo feature

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 3/23/2013 7:44:00 AM

'Poland is a country steeped in medieval castles and folk lore, of royal palaces and parks where legends and pagan myths vie with war time stories. We go on a tour of castles and palaces, visiting Wawel Hill in Krakow, the ancient capital and follow it to Warsaw the current capital where we will stop by Wilanow palace. And then we end our trail in the largest castle built in the world – the Malbork Castle. We were cruising on the Vestula when I saw the beautiful Wawel Castle that s(...)'

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World Sparrow Market–A little birdie in a flower market in Thovalai

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 3/20/2013 9:07:00 AM

'  Thovalai is one of the largest flower markets located between Nagercoil and Kanyakumari.  A little sparrow chirps merrily on a mound of marigolds on the ground.'

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On St Patrick’s Day revisiting Northern Ireland

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 3/17/2013 4:02:00 PM

'The vibrant beats drive the blues away even after the sixteen hours and more spent in flying and in transit. I finally land in Belfast and the music comes waltzing in , setting the feet in motion and lifting the spirits up. Even the smallest sign of jet lag disappears with the Irish rhythm . “She is the belle of Belfast city,” choruses the singer as I look out of the window from the coach and lose myself in the land of charms and elves. There are legends everywhere - from little m(...)'

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Skywatch Friday–The Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 3/15/2013 6:09:00 AM

'The very symbol of Bijapur, the Gol Gumbaz towers over all the monuments in the town. The monument is a mausoleum built in the 17th century for the Sultan of Bijapur, Mohammad Adil Shah and it is proudly referred to as the “structural triumph of Deccan architecture.” The dome , one of the largest in the world was supposed to be like a budding rose, emerging from the petals of the flower that stood at its base and hence it was called the “rose dome”. For more skies of the world vis(...)'

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A little update on women's day

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 3/8/2013 4:39:00 AM

'So its women's day today. Maybe another day dedicated to tokenism , but any day is good as long as one feels special. So I thought I would use this day to do a wee bit of bragging. I have been featured in three different places this year . Last month I got a mail from Hotel Depot and they mentioned that I am in their list of Top 30 travel bloggers from India. I am honored. IXIGO.com has featured me in their list of travel writers and bloggers as a part of the Women's Day Special . A(...)'

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India through my eyes–A vendor outside Azhagar Temple, Madurai

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 3/7/2013 6:21:00 AM

'Look around any temple in India and you would find vendors selling anything from balloons to masks. This was photographed outside the Azhagar temple, dedicated to Vishnu located near Madurai.'

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Markets of the world– Jamuns and Jalebis of Mussoorie

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 3/6/2013 2:02:00 AM

'We were walking along the streets of Mussoorie when the food blogger amongst us, Nandita aka Saffron Trail spotted the man and his jamuns and jalebis. So off we went clicking away. This was part of the Conclay event organised by Club Mahindra at nearby Kanatal.'

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Fly far away, dissolve and quite forget…

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 2/27/2013 6:55:00 AM

'These words from John Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale means more to me now than it did when I was studying literature in college. As summer approaches, its time to plan my holidays yet again. I am wondering if I should go to the forests or the hills . Maybe its a good time to plan another trip to Europe. Last year, I was happy to have toured quite a few cities but I had to leave Prague out unfortunately. I would love to go back to the UK again. As for India, the Himalayas beckons. I l(...)'

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Travel Tuesday–Padmanabhapuram palace

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 2/26/2013 3:30:00 PM

'  I am off down South India to Tirunelveli again this week for personal reasons ; so here is a post on Padmanabhapuram palace that is located near Kanyakumari. This story was published recently on Yahoo in the series on lesser known palaces of South India On a hot sultry afternoon, we have our little tryst with history in a small wooden palace. There are no red carpets that are rolled out as we enter or bells that announce our presence. No brightly lit chandeliers greet us at t(...)'

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The skies have just become affordable again

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 2/21/2013 9:39:00 AM

'I have just got off the internet. I am off next week on a quick trip down South Tamil Nadu for some personal reasons and I was quite worried about my last minute bookings. But I was in for a surprise. My flight ticket to Bangalore from Trivandrum costed me almost the same I would pay for a 2AC tatkal train ticket . Yes, it was about Rs 2000/- one way. In case you have missed the news yesterday , Jet Airways along with Jet Konnect, Jet Lite led the pack by announcing cheap air tick(...)'

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Celebrate Nicolas Copernicus’ 540th birthday in Torun

Author : Lakshmi      Blog : A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker      Date : 2/19/2013 6:56:00 AM

'In a small little fairy tale town, I am reminded of a legendary fairy tale . I get a whiff of the freshly baked gingerbread and am transported into the tale of the gingerbread man who comes alive from his mould, only to be devoured by a fox. Torun in Poland is a World UNESCO site with loads of history but it is its legendary gingerbread that makes it irresistible. We follow the scent and walk into a quaint where we join a group of excited children, waiting to get their hands dirty (...)'

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