Rakhee Ghelani

Author: Rakhee Ghelani

  • Adventures in the Desert Part 2: Pabu ki Dhani

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    This was my home for 24 hours when I visited this small, isolated village in the Thar desert. To call it a village is probably too big a word, it is a simple home which has 4 small huts for visitors, this is Pabu ki Dhani.  Pabu welcomed us into his home so we could…

  • Adventures in the Desert: Jaisalmer

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    I  visited Jaisalmer over 10 years ago with my father and remember it fondly as my favourite place on our 4 week trip together, so I couldn’t wait to return here.  This filled me with apprehension as our train neared Jaisalmer, so rarely is a place as wonderful as your memory of it. Thankfully I…

  • Pictorial Post: Taj Mahal

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    The Taj Mahal requires no words, it’s beauty speaks for itself.

  • Holi Varanasi!

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    I am not a big fan of Varanasi as I have mentioned in my post the last time I visited. I didn’t really want to go back but it is one of the holiest and unique cities in India and my dear friend wanted to visit, and I think it does need to be seen…

  • Delhi as a Tourist

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    Delhi has been a like a base for me over the past 8 months, I have passed in and out several times and been lucky enough to see a lot of it with locals, experiencing the things they enjoy and discovering my own new ones as well. However its been over 10 years since I…

  • Following the Ramayana: Adam’s Bridge

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    Rameswaram is a town in the south east of Tamil Nadu with a spectacular temple and an important place in the ancient epic story the Ramayana. It is at the end of this island where it is written that a bridge was built by the ape army so that Lord Rama could go to Sri…

  • My European Mini-Break: Pondicherry and Auroville

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    Pondicherry (now correctly known as Puducherry) is what I would describe as the perfect little European mini-break within India.  Don’t get me wrong its not the same as being in Paris, but after 8 months of thalis, crowds and narrow streets,  Puducherry was just enough for me to imagine I had changed continents for a…

  • The Temples of Tamil Nadu: Kanchipuram, Mahabalipuram, Thanjavur, Madurai, Rameswaram

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    Tamil Nadu is famous for its many temples and architecture.  I was fortunate to see several of them in various towns, namely Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram, Thanjavur, Madurai and Rameswaram.  Whilst the architecture is similar, each temple had its own unique features.  Here are some photos of my favourites of each. Kanchipuram A quiet town with not…

  • The Joy and Curse of Solo-Travel

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    I love traveling on my own, I have been a solo-traveler for about 14 years now and thrive on the freedom and exhilaration of it.  I guess you could say I have a strong independent streak and am comfortable in my own company, after all I have lived alone for 13 years. I have now…

  • Is the real India Invisible? – Andhra Pradesh

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    As I made my way down the east coast of the country, I decided to stop in a few places in Andhra Pradesh along the way, which gave me quite a “real” Indian experience.  First stop was Visakhapatnam, otherwise known as Vizag.  This is a beachside city that is touted as the best beach on…

  • Beauty, Nature and Solitude – Chilika Lake

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    I chose to travel down the East coast of India, on my way to Chennai, to experience the road less traveled.  Odisha is certainly a place I loved, but I discovered quite quickly that the less worn path also comes with its challenges, especially for someone with limited linguistic skills.  Whilst my rudimentary Hindi was…

  • Puri, Konark and 64 Yoginis

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    Puri is a small seaside town in Odisha that is a popular holiday retreat for local Indian tourists.  A stroll along the beach on a Sunday afternoon had a great carnival feel lots of bathing in the sea (fully clothed of course) and camel rides.  Everyone seemed relaxed and they were certainly enjoying themselves. I…

  • Inspiration: Travel and Parkinson’s Disease

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    Travelling around India, I have come across all types of people; hippies, spiritual seekers, cultural aficionados and just those who are interested in seeing India. In Puri, I was lucky to meet the most inspirational couple I have met in my travels., a Canadian couple who have spent a lot of time in India over…

  • In the Path of Buddha (Part 2) – Rajgir and Nalanda

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    Rajgir is a small town in Bihar about 2 hours by bus from Bodhgaya.  I was a little apprehensive about going there as Bihar has quite a bad reputation; it is known for being unsafe, particularly for women, lawless with bandits being common place (so I was told), so I was on my closest guard.…

  • In the Path of Buddha – Bodhgaya

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    I left Delhi feeling the need for a bit of calm and zen; not two words that readily come to mind when thinking about India.  Visiting some of the famous Buddhist sites seemed like a good place to start. I still have such beautiful memories of trekking in the Nepalese Himalayas and the calming effect…

  • Cultural Misfits: Where do I fit in?

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    I am learning Hindi and have found the experience particularly challenging given the rather diverse cultural history I come from ( something I have discussed a bit previously here). My grandparents were born in India, my parents in East Africa and myself in Australia. Growing up, a mixture of four languages were spoken in my…

  • Life in the Indian village

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    I was fortunate enough to spend my Christmas and New Year break with friends in a small village in the Punjab.  Getting to experience the true village life is not something an outsider gets to do usually. In some places I have traveled to village experiences have been offered, but I find these usually to…

  • Cheesy Post: Some things I learnt in 2011

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    Its the last day of the year, so I thought I fitting to do something a lot of people do… reflect on the year.  So not dissimilar to many other bloggers, here are a few things I learnt in 2011 in no particular order: Money is irrelevant if you’re not happy Yes it is nice…

  • To Give or Not To Give

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    Its coming up to Christmas, and whilst I am not Christian, it does make me think about some fundamental things like kindness, generosity and most importantly respect.  I like to believe that I practise these principles in my everyday life, however traveling through India recently, I have certainly found myself challenged and internally conflicted in…

  • The Beauty and Challenges of the Untouched Tourist Trail: Wayanad

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    Wayanad is a region in the north east corner of Kerala.  It is nestled in the hills, bordered by both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Its location makes it a stunning place to visit, but an absolute pain to get to. Wayanad is not serviced by the fantastic Indian railway network, so it really can only…