All posts tagged: traveller

#FACES | The Beautiful Locals of Spiti Valley and Key Monastery, Himachal Pradesh

I visited this beautiful monastery for the first time in June during my Spiti trip. I always wanted to witness this spectacular monastery as it is located in a pocket space surrounded by breathtaking mountains. Kye Gompa or Key Monastery is 4,166 metres above sea level and is the biggest monastery of Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.  On an amazing yet slightly chilly day, while enjoying the view, I saw these two gorgeous ladies and asked them if I could take a picture of them. They were excited to let me, take their photos!  I talked to them about how they live in Spiti in the winters, how their life is and if they have ever been out of Himachal. They both told me how they love when so many people from all over India come to visit (June-Oct is the peak time) when it’s usually quite silent. They mentioned how they have never been out of Himachal but the lady on the right has a granddaughter studying in Bangalore. These two friends own a homestay where …

Passionate Travel Enthusiast, Riddhi Debh, Talks About Her Love and Purpose Of Exploring The World

“Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering.” – Charles Dickens Travelling is not just about exploring new places or meeting new people but it is also about finding yourself. After globetrotting across a number of countries across the world, travelling has become a big part of Riddhi’s life. Being a wanderlust and also a solivagant at times, Riddhi takes her time and challenges herself by pushing out of her comfort zone. She considers it a great opportunity to meet new people and learn different cultures from different walks of life in new and unknown cities. We chat with Riddhi Debh, a globetrotter born in Kolkatta who is currently residing in Bangalore. She believes to belong not just in one place but finds herself at home wherever she goes. Read on to know more about her travel stories. Hello Riddhi! Tell our readers a little about yourself. My name is Riddhi Debh and I was born in Kolkata. I have stayed in many cities in India …

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

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 …

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Architecture Student and Full Time Traveller | Callan Green from Australia, Shares His Travel Story.

  “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller” – Ibn Battuta. And a story teller we find in this young Australian traveler who embodies every millennial’s dream to travel the world.  Meet Callan Green from Melbourne –  studying at Deakin University and currently living in Ahmedabad, and travelling across India. Callan is an architecture student at Deakin University and a full-time traveler. Years of traveling have also nurtured in him a passion for photography. Interacting with communities as a volunteer across the world has taught him various facets of global education. He attributes his deeper understanding of architecture and sustainable living also to his extensive travels.We spoke with Green to understand what drives travelers like him to keep the travel bug alive. “I am a student at Deakin University. I work as a barista at a small café in Melbourne, Australia. Slowly, my studies and travel became so intertwined with each other that over the past four years, I’ve spent nearly three of them overseas. I started this chapter of my life by …

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ML 05 Cafe Shillong | A Biker’s Retreat Nestled in the Lap of Nature

Dear readers, are you ready to discover your next favorite hangout spot in Shillong? Well, we just discovered this cafe called ‘ML 05’ on 5th Mile, Upper Shillong. With its custom-themed decor and ambiance reflecting the owner’s love of sports, bikes, and travel, it is indeed the perfect retreat/haven for bikers and travelers alike. We spent a cozy evening at ML 05 Cafe on an evening stroll around Upper Shillong, and had some yummy comfort food like wai wai thukpa, onion bhajia – with our favorite cup of hot chai. Located right beside a pine forest, the outdoor view was just as pleasant as the ambiance inside. This new cafe has only begun operations in May last year (2016), but it comes as no surprise that it is already one of the favorite spots for locals and tourists around the region. We had a tete-a-tete with Vatsala Tibrewalla, who manages the cafe along with her brother Deval Tibrewalla, who also co-owns the Dylan’s Cafe with her. How did you come up with the idea for ML 05 …