Thai Fusion food at Wok Pagoda

I am not sure if it’s the love for seafood or the sea-view that lures me to Thailand from Singapore every few months, but it sure is great pigging out on all the mouth-watering Thai food with a view of the gorgeous blue sea, and the beaches are for real! 😉

Riding through the Central Highlands of Vietnam

Before we set out on our road trip through the Central Highlands of Vietnam, I was nervous about riding for the first time in a new country. It took me a while to get comfortable on the motorbike and let my eyes off the road to enjoy the scenic views. But after riding more than 1300 km through half of the country, I am convinced there is no better way to travel in Vietnam than on a motorbike! And the freedom of exploring a place riding on my own adds to the depth of my travel experiences.

Motorcycle Diaries: Offbeat Vietnam

Starting from bustling Ho Chi Minh City in the South to riding through the Vietnamese countryside with gorgeous landscapes of the Central highlands and paddy fields, rivers and emerald lakes, cruising through the misty cloud covered hills at Hai Van pass to the historic UNESCO cities of Hoi An & Hue in Central Vietnam, with excellent roads & amenities, delicious flavorful food, fresh Ca-Phe (coffee) and friendly Vietnamese people, it was an awesome experience to ride through half of Vietnam and experience the local way of life. The thrill of riding a motorbike and the freedom of going anywhere, was a dream realized… leaving me with yet another reverie, of the higher mountains of North Vietnam!

Kumortuli: Where Goddesses are made

On the banks of Hooghly, in North Kolkata is a labyrinth of narrow lanes, older than the city and full of vibrant color and art, Kumortuli – the potter’s colony, where idols of Gods and Goddesses are made from scratch for the Hindu festival of Durga Puja. Various artists work on different stages of sculpting, painting & decorating the idol of Goddess Durga in the workshops here. Deeply engrossed in the making of the Goddess, they look meditative.

Blue Magic: Butterfly Pea flower Kheer

This post is to celebrate a decade of travelling and blogging; a visual treat for your eyes and taste buds, a creation inspired by my love for travel, food and photography – Blue Kheer – a sweet rice pudding from India! The beautiful blue color is from the petals of a Southeast Asian – Butterfly Pea Flower.

Cooking for the soul

Cooking was not one of my favorite things to do, but eating authentic Thai food and watching it get cooked in front of me & plated in a matter of minutes, has changed that. The aroma and freshness of Thai food is both exhilarating and comforting to my senses! So this time in Phuket, while…

Smiling faces of Ladakh

Mountains, monasteries, monks, memories…the magic of Ladakh! It’s difficult to take a bad photograph in a place like Ladakh. The light is so ethereal like in some dreams, and it’s not just the landscapes that are so hauntingly beautiful, but also the people of Ladakh who are always smiling 🙂 The smiles that tell the…

Happy New Year! :)

May you have good health, happiness, peace and prosperity throughout the New Year! Wishing you a joyful holiday season and great travels ahead! Cheers! 🙂

Ladakh – Ride of a lifetime!

Ladakh is ‘the land of high passes’, breath-taking landscapes, pristine lakes and gorgeous monasteries in the Himalayas. Travelling through this idyllic beauty of the mountains, peace & tranquility, warm-hearted people and the hair-raising adventure was the most unique, out of this world experience I’ve had – a dream trip to the roof of the world! 🙂

Kinner Kailash Parikrama Trek

Kinnaur Kailash Parikrama is one of the toughest treks in Himachal, around the holy Mount Kailash, also called Kinner Kailash in Kinnaur. It’s a 60 Km trek, which starts in Thangi through Charang, Lalan Ti, crossing Charang La pass (17,194 ft) and ends in Chitkul village – the last inhabited village accessible by road, near…

Happy Independence Day and a sweet treat from India – Pumpkin Halwa

This is to thank each one of YOU reading this, for your interest, appreciation, support and encouragement for my work here. It’s been a great journey blogging, meeting and connecting with new people and I’d like to thank you all for being a part of it. A little treat for you – recipe of Pumpkin…

Baan Rim Pa – Phuket’s finest in Royal Thai Cuisine

Dining by the sea is one of my favorites. The sound of waves and the rustling leaves from the trees make soothing music and the moist air is so refreshing. All of this with delicious Thai food is almost sinful! Thailand has some amazing restaurants with delicious food and stunning views. The people are warm,…

Coorg: Berry Coffee!

Coorg is a beautiful hilly town in Karnataka, known for coffee plantations, beautiful views of the hills, and awesome Coorgi food – Pandi curry or pork curry with Kadambuttu or rice balls. Other than coffee and spices, honey from Coorg is one of the best. It’s a peaceful weekend destination a few hours away from Bangalore…

Breakfast all day!

I wish I could eat breakfast all day! 🙂 A few of my breakfast favourites… Masala Chai or freshly brewed coffee… And some light dessert 🙂 Talking about breakfast, the Singapore Zoo is the only place in the world where one can have a jungle breakfast with Orang utans! 🙂 More information on Jungle breakfast…

Lahaul & Spiti : A sublime beauty

I’ve been mesmerised by the sublime beauty of the Himalayas since my first trip more than a decade ago! The sheer size of the gigantic mountains, the snake-like winding roads (sometimes just dirt-tracks) and the adventure of living in one of the most sparsely populated regions on earth is thrilling! Perspective gets skewed, as there…

Food Photography: Star Anise

Star anise – Other than yummy food, the aroma of this beautiful star-shaped spice reminds me of drunken nights and hangovers! 😉 I love shots of German Jägermeister and Italian Sambuca, and both the herbal liqueurs have anise as an ingredient. Star anise has a strong flavour with a sweet liquorice-like aroma and is also…

Dolce Vita: It’s a sweet life!

Singapore is a melting pot of cultures and cuisines from all over the world, and it’s exciting as there are new places to eat & drink almost every week! In hot and humid Singapore, there is nothing better than a chilled drink any time of the day, or even better, a cocktail made of fresh…

Flavours of India

We associate food with its particular fragrance and there is a special aroma in a mix of finely chopped fresh mint, coriander, crunchy green chillies, onions & tomatoes, sprinkled with fresh lime juice and black salt, which reminds me of the sweet, tangy, spicy & flavorful Chaats (savoury snack) we devoured on the streets, in India as kids. My trip to…

Food Photography : Chocolate

After shots of coffee and some fruits in my product food photography series, I decided to photograph chocolate, as it’s one of the most popular food types and flavors in the world. So for all you chocolate lovers out there 🙂 The hand-made chocolate bars ( which are heavenly) are from the famous Italian pasticceria Brunetti from…

Fruit Photography

I’ve been working on product food photography and had posted some pictures of roasted coffee beans and brewed coffee in my earlier post Food photography : Coffee. Here are some pictures of fresh fruits.