My travels

Will India ever be a "real" super-power?

When you live in India, it is almost impossible to go a single day without reading something about corruption. Bribes, kick-backs and ‘gratuities’ are a daily part of living here. My first official experience of this was when I was travelling in an auto-rickshaw, and the driver accidentally went the wrong way down a one-way…
Foodie Post: My Favourite Locals

I love food. That is certainly not a revelation to anyone who has read some of my posts, seen my tweets or followed me on Instagram. Good food to me isn’t just about eating gourmet though, its about just enjoying some of my favourite things and being able to go back to those that are…
Trekking in the Sham Valley: Ladakh

I was only able to take a short trip to Ladakh, but I really wanted to fit in a trek of some description. Luckily I managed to find a 5 day trek that would let me explore some villages without having to go to high in altitude. Whilst I have trekked in high altitude before…
Decoding the Indian Man Part 2: Infidelity and Apologies

Is infidelity a part of Indian culture? Is it one that is accepted? Is it something that women just turn a blind eye to because of economic dependence, desperation and / or lack of self-esteem? Are Indian men capable of apologising when they are wrong? These are the questions that have been occupying my mind…
Visiting Heaven: Leh

Driving from the airport to my homestay, I couldn’t hear a horn honking and the streets looked clean from plastic rubbish, I definitely wasn’t in Mumbai anymore. I had however gone from sea level to 3,500 metres in altitude in 4 hours, which very quickly turned into mild altitude sickness: a thumping headache and lethargy…
Foodie Post: Changing the Palate

I love wine. For the better part of the last 20 years, it has been one of my favourite things in the world. A crisp, chilled glass of bubbly on Sunday afternoon with a girlfriend, a dry white with a nice meal or a full-bodied red with cheese… I have always enjoyed a glass of…
The Doors of Ladakh

Soma Gompa Temisgang Monastery
Pictorial Post: Ajanta and Ellora Caves

I first visited Aurangabad, a city about 400km east of Mumbai, several years ago when I worked for Foster’s Group, who owned a brewery there. As I was there for work I didn’t have enough time to visit the nearby Ajanta and Ellora Caves, and they have always been a site I have wanted to…
India: My Favourites

I have been in India for almost a year now, and in that time I have seen and experienced so much that this amazing country has to offer. I am asked often about what are my most memorable experiences, so I thought I would share some of them. My list is by no means complete,…
Medicine at what cost?

After 11 months in India, it finally managed to make me sick…. really sick. Over the course of four weeks I have managed to spend three weeks debilitated by various stomach bugs. It hasn’t been fun, and now that we are in the thick of monsoon, I am not entirely sure that it’s over yet.…
A Verdant Escape: Sikkim

When I was invited to a conference in Sikkim I jumped at the chance. Whilst I was excited and interested in the topic to be discussed, travel, I just wanted to experience this place for myself. I had heard so many things about Sikkim, most people who had described it to me looked longingly as…
Waiting for the Monsoon

The weather here in Mumbai is now diabolical. Between 9am and 6pm its too hot to consider venturing outside for any length of time. Even just standing outside my front door for a few minutes renders me covered in sweat. The air is steamy. The humidity weighs so heavily you almost feel like you are…
Finding Home

I recently went through the rather stressful experience of trying to find somewhere to live in Mumbai. The options are overwhelming and also very varied in their quality and price. Coming from a country where you look up some places on the internet, view them and sign up… I discovered its all a very different…
Class or crass: India’s Middle Class

One of the biggest culture shocks I am now experiencing relates to what is considered to be “class” or behaviour that represents economic and social status. It isn’t something I saw much of when I was backpacking, but now that I am settled into a rather middle class life in Mumbai, I am really struggling…
Is it time for the Girl in India?: Satya Mev Jayate

A few weeks ago I wrote about how India had turned me into a feminist after seeing and learning about the treatment of women here. Many people have spoken to me about this post since in person, via Twitter and on Facebook. One comment that came up a few times was that my tone was…
Morning Walks in Bandra: Pictorial Post

I have settled into the bayside suburb of Bandra, otherwise known as the Queen of Suburbs. It is home to Shah Rukh Khan and other lesser known but glamorous people and lots of fabulous restaurants and cafes. It is also home to poor fishing communities, some beautiful churches and lots of street side stalls. Whilst…
Enter Maximum City: Mumbai

I landed in Mumbai late at night, but even through the darkness and steamed up windows of my taxi, it felt like a world away from the rest of India. Cramped high rise buildings, bright lights and glamorous billboards lined the expressway, I could have been in one of many large cities of the world.…
Pictorial Post: Udaipur

Udaipur is one of the few places I have visited twice in my past 9 months of travel. It was my first port of call after leaving my family in Gujarat at the start of my backpacking journey, and was also the last place I visited before moving to my new home in Mumbai. I…
A Slice of Luxury: Jaipur

In my nine months backpacking across India I have lived on a relatively small budget of between Rs 1,000 – 1,500 per day ($20-$30). Its not insanely cheap for India, but coming from my very comfortable middle class existence in Australia, it certainly got me out and into the real India. I have loved discovering…
How India Turned Me Into a Feminist

I have a confession to make, I am a feminist. Nine months travelling through India has turned me into a feminist and this is me coming out of the closet. I have always considered myself to be egalitarian, striving for equality rather than subjugation of one gender over another. Then I spent 9 months backpacking…