Travel Planner - ROMANCING A DESTINATION (Source: Feb 14 2016 : Times life, The Times of India )
There are some places that have a magnetic hold over people. It doesn't matter how many times they've been there before...
There are travellers who never quite move on from a place. People who fall truly, madly, deeply in love with that one destination, and keep going back to it several times throughout their lives. This happens when people are awestruck by nature's serenity or a particular culture, which resonates with the deepest part of their souls in other words, places they develop a soul connection with... It could be the purity of the mountains, the sheer tumult of emotions attached to a place or nostalgia... This Valentine's Day, we asked four spirited travellers about their incessant love affair with a particular destination.“LONDON ENSNARED ME...“
It was love at first sight. Having grown up on a hefty dose of English literature -from childhood all the way to college -I had a mental image of London. But the reality far exceeded my expec tations. There's history, modernity, humour and an intangible attribute that evokes a sense of belonging when I'm there. The ceremony of Buckingham Palace, the references to Hyde Park and Baker Street, the funkiness of Camden Town, the charm of Mayfair and London Bridge, the luxurious chic of Bond Street and Saville Row... I can go on and on. Lon don ensnared me in its magic, the moment I set foot on her, and my strong feelings haven't dis sipated with time. I have gone back to the city over and over again... many more times than I've been to any other city in the world.
And with every visit, I have found an endear ing new facet. The initial infatuation has ma tured with time into a deep-seated love. There are pangs of sadness when I leave this city, and likewise, I'm engulfed with child-like excitement when I return. I love my city of f abode, Bangalore, to bits. But if there is any other place that I'd gladly move to without even half a thought, it has to be London.
Anita Rao Kashi, travel writer and blogger
“BANARAS HAS BEEN MY RAINBOW...“
Every place that I have travelled to has left an indelible mark on me, but we all have that one little piece of land we keep going back to again and again; a place where we have felt our calling a calling so strong that it's impossible to let go of it. For me, that place is Banaras (today's Varanasi). It's my land of sensory stimulation, beneath whose surface is immense peacefulness and spiritual wisdom. In the words of Mark Twain, “Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together“. This `Athens of India' has been the cul tural centre for several thousand years. After my sixth visit to this city, the centuries-old, dark by lanes and alleys almost feel like my backyard I see myself as a part of these streets that have been there since ages and wit nessed history making its course.
I have always found myself in the best of spirits while wander ing around the ghats, In fact, it is in these ghats that I've found my sense of belonging to Banaras.
Spending hours watching the melange of cultures, people coming for their salvation, makes you realise there is much more to life than trivial things we entangle ourselves with. Banaras has always been my rainbow when I needed it the most. My fondest memory of this city would be traversing the untamed, unknown waters on a full moon night, lying on a boat, while watching the stars in the sky a time when I was all with myself, and I was my best company.
Ayandrali Dutta traveller, blogger, food fanatic
“IT IS LIKE BEING AT ONE WITH THE HIMALAYAS, WITH NO DISTRACTION“
It all began when I got the first glimpse of the Nanda Devi Peak way back in '94. I had avidly read the book The Nanda Devi Affair before my trip, and the idea was to go close to it. In 2000, I was trekking to the Pindari Glacier in the upper reaches of Kumaon Himalayas, when I discovered a babaji's cave. I shared with him my love for the mountains, trekking and fascination for the peak, and he suggested the NOLS course a 40-day course in mountaineering. As I spent days deep in snow, pitching tents, building kitchens and carving out seats to relax... the raw, severe terrain of Pindari started becoming friendlier with each day. The location offered me the chance to be at one with the Indian Himalayas, with no sign of urbanisation or civilisation to distract or dissuade me from my path. The Nanda Devi Peak was still magnificent, but it was Pindari and Babaji's sanctuary I went back to again and again almost every two years for over a decade. I visit ed it in different seasons to ex perience its diversity. Being up there is more spiritual than romantic for me. With pristine snow around, one is close to na ture at its purest. The experience is undi luted. I have taken my wife and kids there too because I wanted them to see and sense that one place that's so close to my heart.
Gurinder Osan, seasoned trekker, photographer
“VENICE SIMPLY TOOK MY BREATH AWAY“
As clichéd as it may sound, when I think of romance, I think of Venice. Sure it's touristy and jampacked even in `off-season'; but there's a reason behind its allure. The first view of the city is guaranteed to take your breath away, especially if you cruise into Venice onboard an airport waterbus. I have been to Venice a couple of times -both in summer and in autumn -and despite the cold, grey days, I infinitely prefer the latter. Take an early morning stroll to Piazza San Marco, before the day-trippers and touts arrive, and you will literally have the square to yourself. Even at the height of the summer tourist sea son, I'd often wander off the main streets, into an alternate Venice of quiet side alleys, pretty, little bridges crisscrossing a maze of canals, tiny `squares' surrounded by pink-walled houses, where you can hear snatches of conversations as you walk past open windows (and get a whiff of seafood risotto being cooked), or stumble upon a hidden bacaro (bar) where you can savour Prosecco (Italian wine) and cicchetti (small snacks) with the locals.Venice will always have a special place in my heart, and I cannot wait to see her again!
Prachi Joshi, food, travel, lifestyle writer
It was love at first sight. Having grown up on a hefty dose of English literature -from childhood all the way to college -I had a mental image of London. But the reality far exceeded my expec tations. There's history, modernity, humour and an intangible attribute that evokes a sense of belonging when I'm there. The ceremony of Buckingham Palace, the references to Hyde Park and Baker Street, the funkiness of Camden Town, the charm of Mayfair and London Bridge, the luxurious chic of Bond Street and Saville Row... I can go on and on. Lon don ensnared me in its magic, the moment I set foot on her, and my strong feelings haven't dis sipated with time. I have gone back to the city over and over again... many more times than I've been to any other city in the world.
And with every visit, I have found an endear ing new facet. The initial infatuation has ma tured with time into a deep-seated love. There are pangs of sadness when I leave this city, and likewise, I'm engulfed with child-like excitement when I return. I love my city of f abode, Bangalore, to bits. But if there is any other place that I'd gladly move to without even half a thought, it has to be London.
Anita Rao Kashi, travel writer and blogger
“BANARAS HAS BEEN MY RAINBOW...“
Every place that I have travelled to has left an indelible mark on me, but we all have that one little piece of land we keep going back to again and again; a place where we have felt our calling a calling so strong that it's impossible to let go of it. For me, that place is Banaras (today's Varanasi). It's my land of sensory stimulation, beneath whose surface is immense peacefulness and spiritual wisdom. In the words of Mark Twain, “Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together“. This `Athens of India' has been the cul tural centre for several thousand years. After my sixth visit to this city, the centuries-old, dark by lanes and alleys almost feel like my backyard I see myself as a part of these streets that have been there since ages and wit nessed history making its course.
I have always found myself in the best of spirits while wander ing around the ghats, In fact, it is in these ghats that I've found my sense of belonging to Banaras.
Spending hours watching the melange of cultures, people coming for their salvation, makes you realise there is much more to life than trivial things we entangle ourselves with. Banaras has always been my rainbow when I needed it the most. My fondest memory of this city would be traversing the untamed, unknown waters on a full moon night, lying on a boat, while watching the stars in the sky a time when I was all with myself, and I was my best company.
Ayandrali Dutta traveller, blogger, food fanatic
“IT IS LIKE BEING AT ONE WITH THE HIMALAYAS, WITH NO DISTRACTION“
It all began when I got the first glimpse of the Nanda Devi Peak way back in '94. I had avidly read the book The Nanda Devi Affair before my trip, and the idea was to go close to it. In 2000, I was trekking to the Pindari Glacier in the upper reaches of Kumaon Himalayas, when I discovered a babaji's cave. I shared with him my love for the mountains, trekking and fascination for the peak, and he suggested the NOLS course a 40-day course in mountaineering. As I spent days deep in snow, pitching tents, building kitchens and carving out seats to relax... the raw, severe terrain of Pindari started becoming friendlier with each day. The location offered me the chance to be at one with the Indian Himalayas, with no sign of urbanisation or civilisation to distract or dissuade me from my path. The Nanda Devi Peak was still magnificent, but it was Pindari and Babaji's sanctuary I went back to again and again almost every two years for over a decade. I visit ed it in different seasons to ex perience its diversity. Being up there is more spiritual than romantic for me. With pristine snow around, one is close to na ture at its purest. The experience is undi luted. I have taken my wife and kids there too because I wanted them to see and sense that one place that's so close to my heart.
Gurinder Osan, seasoned trekker, photographer
“VENICE SIMPLY TOOK MY BREATH AWAY“
As clichéd as it may sound, when I think of romance, I think of Venice. Sure it's touristy and jampacked even in `off-season'; but there's a reason behind its allure. The first view of the city is guaranteed to take your breath away, especially if you cruise into Venice onboard an airport waterbus. I have been to Venice a couple of times -both in summer and in autumn -and despite the cold, grey days, I infinitely prefer the latter. Take an early morning stroll to Piazza San Marco, before the day-trippers and touts arrive, and you will literally have the square to yourself. Even at the height of the summer tourist sea son, I'd often wander off the main streets, into an alternate Venice of quiet side alleys, pretty, little bridges crisscrossing a maze of canals, tiny `squares' surrounded by pink-walled houses, where you can hear snatches of conversations as you walk past open windows (and get a whiff of seafood risotto being cooked), or stumble upon a hidden bacaro (bar) where you can savour Prosecco (Italian wine) and cicchetti (small snacks) with the locals.Venice will always have a special place in my heart, and I cannot wait to see her again!
Prachi Joshi, food, travel, lifestyle writer
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