Rakhee Ghelani, Author at Rakhee Ghelani

Returning Home: Melbourne

—

by

The day I landed in Melbourne was only 3 weeks shy of the two year anniversary of me leaving. I was really looking forward to my visit home, it had been a long time. There was a bit of nervous anticipation as I prepared to go back, I felt like so much about me had…

Picking up the Travel Bug: French Polynesia and Vanuatu

—

by

I was fortunate enough to have a private education in Melbourne, which meant that we had access to a range of different activities; one of my favourite ones was school camp. It was an opportunity to explore a new environment and hang out with your friends for days on end. At the beginning of each…

Review: Asia Eater Magazine

—

by

I was recently asked to review a new magazine called Asia Eater that has just been launched. It’s no secret that I love my food, so for me this concept really can’t go wrong; a magazine devoted to the food of Asia, where you should eat it and how to cook it yourself… yes please!…

Eating Out in Melbourne

—

by

I am still hungry after talking about eating in Paris last week, so I thought I would keep with the theme this week. I have just spent 7 weeks in Melbourne (with a couple of days in Sydney), enjoying family, friends and the food! It feels like I ate for the entire 7 weeks (so…

Would You Marry Your Rapist?

—

by

One of the most disturbing things I have read lately in the Indian papers is about this concept of marrying a survivor of sexual assault to her perpetrator. Yes you read that correctly, a man forces himself on a women and she is then forced to marry him. WTF? The rationale for this seems to…

Eating Paris

—

by

Ah Paris! There really is no need to say anything else about what really is the most beautiful city in the world. I have visited Paris several times, at last count I think it was 5 times. Whilst there are a zillion things to do in Paris, for me this city is all about the…

Melbourne: The Things I Have Missed

—

by

I have been visiting Melbourne, which is home, for the past few weeks. I still have a couple of weeks to go before returning to Mumbai, but as I sit here on a cold, rainy day I am thinking of all the things that I have really missed here. Some that I knew I was…

Childhood Memories: Fiji

—

by

I visited Fiji as a child in the late 1970’s (yes I really am that old!) with my family. It was so long ago I can’t recall everything we did, but what I do remember is the stuff that makes for wonderful childhood memories. Long days just swimming in the sea, building sandcastles and late…

The Worst Place in the World: Egypt

—

by

So last week I took myself on a fantastic trip down memory lane back to my favourite travel destination on earth, but next on the list just happens to be the only place in the world I have vowed never to return; Egypt. I had always dreamed of travelling to Egypt, it is after all…

The Most Beautiful Place on Earth: The Galapagos Islands

—

by

It is a big statement to make, but for me the most beautiful place I have ever been is the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. Nowhere else in the world has ever come close. It isn’t just a beautiful place to see though, the Galapagos Islands are also one of the most relaxing places to travel…

Climate Change: From Mumbai to Melbourne

—

by

Through Mumbai’s sweltering, suffocating Summer, I have spent many a day fantasising about rolling around in ice cold snow or being rugged up in layers of winter woolies. I have literally had dreams about it. So I was very excited about the prospect of escaping the sauna that is a Mumbai monsoon and spending some…

How to Blend in With The Locals: The Czech Republic

—

by

Blending in with the locals is something that I strive to achieve when I travel, but I think I generally do a pretty bad job of it. So why do I want to blend in? Well, I can only speak for myself, but I like to think that I experience somewhere differently if I don’t…

15 Minutes in Bollywood: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

—

by

It really had to be only a matter of time before I became a Bollywood star… after all I have been in Mumbai for over a year now. So when I got a phone call a few weeks ago asking me if I wanted my Australian accent to be famous, how could I refuse? To…

Pigeons are Vegetables: Being Vegetarian in China

—

by

When I was working for both Foster’s and ANZ, I was required to travel to China for work a few times. I had heard some horror stories about Chinese food which made me a little apprehensive about eating anything animal there, particularly as I am already quite picky about what non-vegetarian food I will eat.…

The Tackiest Place on Earth: Niagara Falls

—

by

Yes it is true. If I had to pick the tackiest place on earth (at least that I have ever seen) then Niagara Falls would win hands down. I was visiting family in Canada and had always dreamed of seeing this natural wonder, so was really excited when we decided to make a day trip…

Bollywood: Where Heroes Can Be Villains

—

by

There is an interesting thing I have observed in Indian culture, if someone is admired, lauded or dare I say worshipped, for some reason they seem to be above the law. They can do as much wrong as they want, but very few seem to care. Worse still, if you are poor, then your life…

Cambodia: Spending Time in The Beauty of Angkor

—

by

Siem Reap in Cambodia is one my top 5 travel destinations in the world. For anyone who has been there or seen images of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the surrounding region I am sure it is not hard to understand why. The historic sites of Cambodia are simply stunning. I am a temple junkie,…

Potluck Me: Starting a Business in India

—

by

One of things I have always said that I love about India is that anything seems possible. Two years ago when I was leaving my job in a bank, if someone had told me I would be earning a living as a freelance consultant and writer, and setting up a couple of start-up businesses of…

Bolivia: Walking on the Moon and Cycling Through Death

—

by

Bolivia is famous for its cocaine trade and altitude. Whilst this may seem a little daunting for some, I actually found Bolivia quite safe even though I was travelling solo. Mind you this was about 7 years ago, but I never felt scared or threatened. Quite the contrary, I loved Bolivia for its spectacular landscape…

Austria: Christmas In Vienna

—

by

Austria always makes me feel a little wistful, perhaps I inherited that from my father who still describes a summer spent there when he was a university student with a small sigh. I also visited Austria when I was a student, or more accurately on a backpacking sojourn across Europe just after I had completed…

Author: Rakhee Ghelani