Would you like to experience an adventurous trek which has the best rolling green hills you’ll ever see, get engulfed in clouds and mist and walk through an evergreen forest full of water streams? Then you must try the Kudremukh trek. Known as the mini ‘Scotland of India‘, the Kudremukh trek is one of the best treks in Karnataka that exposes you to diverse natural sceneries and landscapes within the Kudremukh National Park.  It is also home to the third-highest peak in Karnataka and the best part is that you can…

The Grand Canyon in the USA is one of the top attractions in the world that attracts thousands of tourists every year. But did you know India has its Grand Canyon with an intriguing history and geography? Known as the Grand Canyon of India, the Gandikota Canyon is a gorge carved by the Penna River in Andhra Pradesh. A gorge is a valley formed by the erosion of rocks due to the river flowing through the rocks over centuries, eventually cutting it and creating a path of its own. This…

After travelling continuously for close to a day, I took a shower to freshen up and re-energise myself. As I came out, all I could see were tea plantations covering every inch of the earth surrounding me. I tried to see the farthest I could to spot something different, but the scenery was monotonous. I was in the middle of a gigantic tea plantation spread across hundreds of acres of land and surrounded by tall, intimidating mountains. It is one of the many experiences you will have while staying in…

After visiting Malpe beach in Udupi in the evening, it was time to take a bus to Mangalore. It was the final leg of my one-week solo trip across coastal Karnataka. Being a spontaneous trip, I didn’t make any hotel bookings in advance. And so, while I was on the bus, I decided to try my luck and found a host in Mangalore. He was renting his apartment for free on Couchsurfing. After spending two days with my host, it was time to leave Mangalore. I got emotional because my…

The show turned out to be excellent. All the circus entertainers shone through with their acrobatic and fire-handling skills. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The European circus show was a sweet reward for our efforts to ensure it went as planned. Together with my fellow volunteers, we were instrumental in cleaning the area, setting up the stage and organising the circus show. We worked daily for close to a month to make the circus show a reality. My time in Goa had also come to a…

After taking some time off for a week, I returned to my office. However, this time, something felt weird. I was not able to focus on work. For the first time, I had an existential crisis at my workplace and kept asking myself questions like these: “Where am I? “What am I doing here? “Was I in a dream last week?” It took me almost a week to familiarise myself with my workplace surrounding. As my first-ever Himalayan expedition, the Brahmatal trek profoundly impacted me, unlike any other trip that…

We woke up at 3 am. It was pitch dark and cold. We got ready as we had black tea and layered ourselves for the trek’s highest point. With nightlamps across our foreheads, we started walking towards our destination in a line. A trek leader led us at the front and another at the back. It wasn’t easy as cold winds were blowing against our faces. But we kept going because all of us signed up for this trek to witness this mesmerising sight that lay ahead in front of…

Would you like to challenge yourself as a trekker in the Himalayas but without actually going to the Himalayas? If so, Kumara Parvatha is a trek in South India that you shouldn’t miss out. In fact, if you plan to trek in the Himalayas, do this trek before to prepare yourself physically and mentally. Standing at 5,617 ft, Kumara Parvatha (also known as Pushpagiri) is the fourth highest peak in Karnataka and probably the most challenging trek I’ve undertaken as a trekker in the Western Ghats. Thick forests, open grasslands…

“Have you seen snowfall in Meesapulimala?” Charlie asks Kani who is about to commit suicide. It is a dialogue from the famous Malayalam movie ‘Charlie’ released in 2015. Ever since the release of this movie, Meesapulimala became an overnight sensation, and there was one more reason to visit Munnar now. The Meesapulimala peak is the second highest peak in Kerala, located in Munnar along the borders of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is named so as one of the peaks in Meesapulimala resembles the whiskers of a tiger. The Meesapulimala…

I covered a total of 48 km by foot in two days under challenging terrains and weather conditions. It was a personal record, and by the end of the trek, my legs had become jellylike. The struggle was real, but it was completely worth it because the experience I had in those two days was adventurous, to say the least. The Agasthyakoodam trek is arguably one of the most challenging treks to undertake in Kerala. Standing at the height of 1,868 metres, the Agasthyakoodam peak (or the Agasthyarkoodam peak) is…