All posts filed under: PLACES

Faces | Paan Shops in Nagaland are Like Local Meeting Hubs

“One of the most interesting places you can visit here in Nagaland is the colony paan shop. The shop in this photo is a small paan shop (with the owner) in Jakhama village, Kohima. These colony paan shops are like the local meeting hubs, where informal catch ups take place and titbits are exchanged. You’d probably end up collecting the latest news from all the nooks and corners of the world! This is a great leveller too; the old and the young, the wealthy and the not-so-wealthy, the school kid and the businessman, all rely on these shops to meet their daily needs.” ~ Shanthungo

“My Trekking Experience to Dzükou Valley, Nagaland” by Wati Pongener

Published by Roots & Leisure

One fine Saturday, we bumped into an old friend from college days and as we got talking about how our life has progressed, we (obviously) had to mention Roots and Leisure. She was pleasantly surprised to know that her seniors from college in Ahmedabad (us! :)) are the ones behind the growing community; she has been following us for a while now. She got really excited, and immediately offered to share her own travel story with the R&L readers. Wati Pongener had made a recent trek to one of the most beautiful local attractions in Nagaland – the Dzükou Valley* “The air in Dzükou was so fresh that I could not help but think if I have been breathing wrong my whole life – before that moment! Every time I inhaled lungful of air, I imagined myself being cured of all the diseases from years of breathing polluted air.” (*Dzükou valley is situated at the border of Nagaland and Manipur just behind the Japhu peak. Its ecosystem could be classified as one of the last spots …

Rootsandleisure_Chiang Mai_Thailand Travel

Faces | Traveling Like a Local In The City of Chiang Mai, Thailand

Published by Imtee Jamir

“On a hot afternoon in Chiang Mai, my friend and I were wandering about and exploring the old city area of Chiang Mai. All we needed after walking around in the sun for a while was definitely a cold and fresh coconut drink. On our way, we spotted an alley with lots of graffiti wall art and a phone kiosk along the lane. To the locals, this phone kiosk might look vandalised, but to me, it was this super cool spot with an amazing aesthetic appeal to take a nice photograph in! Plus, my coconut drink seemed like the perfect prop to use in this picture to blend in with the city and get a real sense of the life out here. Why not travel like a local but take pictures like a tourist, right?” ~ Manki Lai, @ohmanki

A Quick Tour Through the Food and Craft Stalls At The Hornbill Festival 2017, Nagaland

Published by Imtee Jamir

The food, art and crafts stalls are a big part of Hornbill Festival; locals and tourists flock in to indulge themselves in some local food and drinks every year, experiencing the rich culture and traditions of different Naga tribes. The food stalls offer some delicious food items prepared by chefs who are ardent food enthusiasts themselves! For the arts and crafts junkies, the Bamboo Pavilion displays a variety of handicrafts, decor products, handmade necklaces, books by Naga writers, etc. for sale. Here are few of the MANY interesting stalls we came across this year at the festival. Chefs Asin Shurhozelie (Left) and Asen Jamir (Right) of ‘The Bowl’ welcoming visitors to their food stall at Kisama Heritage Village, Nagaland Volunteers Paudwa Elunglung (Left) and his friends from the ‘Benreu Students Union’ preparing some mouth-watering barbecued food at the Kohima Night Bazaar food stall. Macramé (patterned lacelike webbing made of hand-knotted cord,yarn) curtains by Lem on display inside the Bamboo Pavilion stall at Kisama. The ‘LEM’ stall offers a range of beautiful macrame wedding backdrop products, home decor supplies like macrame wall hangings, hanging chairs …

Creating a Space to Promote Kalimpong’s Culture – Meet the Founders of Cafe Kalimpong

Published by Shweta Rao

“Welcome to the home you never knew you had,” says a writing on a wall of Cafe Kalimpong, the newest addition to a growing number of hipster hangout spots in the tiny tourist town of Kalimpong. Earlier known for its temperate climate, Buddhist temples and traditional handicrafts, Kalimpong is undergoing a silent cafe revolution. A revolution that has set afoot thanks to local entrepreneurs like Praveen Chettri, Navin Chettri and Yawan Rai, young and ambitious owners of Cafe Kalimpong. Tell us a bit about Cafe Kalimpong and its founders. When was it launched? Cafe Kalimpong was launched by the three of us – Praveen Chettri, Navin Chettri and Yawan Rai (me) – on 19th March 2017. “Café Kalimpong” was an obvious choice to name the cafe as our main motive is to promote Kalimpong. Our core idea behind launching this cafe was not just to serve good food but also to create a space to promote Kalimpong by telling stories about our rich history, unique culture and sharing life stories about our beautiful people. What inspired you to launch a cafe? As …

“The Tea Story”Guwahati Combines the Essence of a Tea Bistro and Patisserie in an Easy Style

Published by Shweta Rao

With its menu brimming with fresh and creative varieties of tea, “The Tea Story” is a space that might tempt you if you are looking for a breather from the everyday stresses of life. In a cozily-designed space nestled in Guwahati, it promises to provide a quiet time of relaxation amidst their selection of the finest teas, and a spread of pastries and sweets. We speak with the bistro’s young and enthusiastic 27-year-old owner, Deba Pratim Das on how to open a viable tea business in the land of tea estates, and more about the offerings of his tea haven and patisserie. Why did you decide to launch a tea bistro? I’m Deba Pratim Das and owner of a tea bistro called The Tea Story in Guwahati. I completed my graduation in Hospitality Management from Edinburgh Napier University. I then joined the Marriott Groups of Hotels and Resorts in USA as a F&B Supervisor and worked with them for two years. Coming from the land of tea estates, I have always wanted to learn more and explore …

Faces | A Refreshing Route Across the Green Village of Nagaland: Khonoma

Published by Imtee Jamir

“I took this picture in Khonoma Village, Nagaland. It is known for its rich history and culture, its lush greenery and never-ending terraced paddy fields. These kids took me through the village, telling stories, showing me interesting areas and the life around the place.” ~Kumar Mayank (@chasme_baddoor) Khonoma is an Angami Naga village located about 20 km west from the state capital, Kohima, Nagaland. Find out more about Khonoma Village here.

Discovering a New Love for Bird Watching | Ramthansiama Chawngthu, Aizawl, Mizoram

Published by Shweta Rao

Bird personalities vary from species to species and are always fascinating to observe. After years of work in the domain, hobby photographer Ramthansiama Chawngthu who is a banker by the day, took to Instagram to chronicle the rekindling of his appreciation and passion for birds. Bird watching is a rare hobby and one that requires boundless patience. There is also the intellectual challenge of trying to figure out what their orders or families are and recognizing them. “It’s not just passively sitting there and having a beautiful image thrown at you. You have to work at it,” said Chawngthu in a brief chat with the Roots & Leisure team. Tell us a bit about your work. I’m Ramthansiama Chawngthu from Aizawl, Mizoram. I work as a banker by the day and pursue nature photography as a hobbyist. I have a deep passion for bird watching and travel intensively across the northeastern India to shoot birds. Most of my photos, however, are shot on the outskirts of the city of Aizawl. I have found some really rare birds in …

Sipping Hot Coffee with a View at the Art Cafe | Kalimpong

Published by Shweta Rao

Dropping into traditional restaurants for a restorative slice of the only aged cheese made in India is indeed a culinary must-do when in Kalimpong. Well, why not? It’s delicious: the texture of a hard European cheese with an almost parmesan-ish flavor. But it would behoove young coffee aficionados to head to more modern cafés like the Art Cafe at Thana Dara, for their coffee breaks instead. Especially as the old city of Kalimpong witnesses a rise in new cafes ushering in a “third-wave” that is contemporary and delightfully pretty. Who are the founders of Kalimpong’s Art Cafe? Art Cafe was started by Pravesh Chhetri and me (Yachna Rizal). We’re both currently based in Kalimpong. I graduated as an engineer and worked in Bangalore for some time but I realized my flair for fashion and so took a degree in it. I now own a clothing line and also feature some of my work in a small boutique section at our café. I’m a foodie by nature and I love experimenting and re-jigging our menu frequently to offer …

Faces | Though We’re Poles Apart, We Bring Out The Best in Each Other

Published by Imtee Jamir

“On a hazy November afternoon, Archeological Park, Mehrauli, offered us the perfect backdrop for a photograph to represent our friendship. The murky water of the pond and flowers surrounding us reminded me of how seemingly unrelated and completely different things can come together so beautifully. The two of us couldn’t be more different yet, I am so grateful we became friends last year.” ~ Payia Grace, Student