This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Atul Maharaj as he takes us down the memory lane to the dreamy town of Panchgani!Today's destination: Panchgani, MaharashtraNearest Airport: Pune International Airport, PNQNearest Railway Station: Pune Junction, PUNEPrerequisites - n/aPacking - pack according to the weatherTime of the year - June to January can be a good time to travelLength of the itinerary - Weekend itinerary is optimalItinerary Highlights:- Atul shares his experience of growing up in Panchgani and his experience of life in a boarding school. He also touches up on the different residential schools in Panchgani and the history behind some of them.- Atul also talks at the different experiences at New Era High Sch

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Vishwas Raj, founder of the adventure travel company - Adventure Sindbad (www.adventuresindbad.com). Adventure Sindbad specializes in a variety of adventure activities across the Himalayas, right from hiking, cycling, whitewater rafting to family adventure tours. Sit back and enjoy as Vishwas takes us to Changthang, the land of the Pashmina! Today's destination: Changthang, Jammu & Kashmir Nearest Airport: Leh Airport Nearest Railway Station: Udhampur Railway station Prerequisites - Inner line permits may be required for a few areas. This is taken care of by Adventure Sindbad if you travel with them. Packing - Warm clothes, sunscreen, sunglasses, good walking boots Time of the year - August Length of the itinerary: 10 days Itinerary

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to journalist and host of Madraswallah podcast, Arjun Narayanan!Today's destination: Thrissur, Kerala!Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport, COK Nearest Railway Station: Thrissur Railway station, TCRPrerequisites - n/aPacking - Pack according to the weather if you are traveling in the summer.Time of the year - April-May Length of the itinerary: 3-5 daysItinerary Highlights:- Arjun talks about the rich history of Thrissur and the important rulers over the years, calling out Raja Rama Varma or Sakthan Thanpuran - the ruler of the Kingdom of Kochi.- Thrissur is referred to as the cultural capital of Kerala for the rich heritage, religious places, art forms as well as festivals.- The most important

Last Call - Limited time offer!!One month of free access to The Great Courses Plus: http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/musafirThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Chandreyi and Joy from the blog www.themoonchasers.comToday's destination: Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh!Nearest Airport: Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur, MP (NAG)Nearest Railway Station: Nagpur Railway Station, NGPPrerequisites - Make sure to get permits and lodging sorted ahead of time (https://forest.mponline.gov.in)Packing - Pack light, do not pack bring colored clothes, car

Limited time offer!!One month of free access to The Great Courses Plus:http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/musafir This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to slow traveler, mountain lover and YouTuber, Chandan Prakash! Today's destination: Gomukh and Tapovan Trek, Uttarakhand! Nearest Airport: Jolly Grant Airport, DED Nearest Railway Station: Dehradoon Railway Station, DDN Prerequisites - Permit will be required for the trekhttps://uttarkashi.nic.in/service/online-single-window-system/ Packing - Warm clothes, medication, good shoes and trekking gear Time of the year - Octob

Celebrating 100 episodes! Thank you! Limited time offer!!One month of free access to The Great Courses Plus:http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/musafirThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Pavan Srinath, a policy researcher and host of Pragati podcast, Thale Harate podcast and BIC Talks podcast, as he takes us around our home state of Karnataka, exploring the temples of the Hoysala kingdom!Today's destination: Hoysala temples of Karnataka!Nearest Airport: Kempegowda Airport, Bengaluru (BLR)Nearest Railway Station: Bangalore railway station (SBC)Prerequisites - Dress according to the weather

Limited time offer!! One month of free access to The Great Courses Plus:http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/musafirLecture: How to Speak Effectively in an setting: (Start your free trial before hitting this link)https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/how-to-speak-effectively-in-any-settingThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Vaibhav Dewan, host of the pregnant papa podcast, Baapbeeti! Today's destination: Andaman Islands!Nearest Airport: Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair (IXZ)Nearest Railway Station: NAPrerequisites - NAPacking - Pack your beachwear! Time of the year - Oc

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Checkout the Great Courses Plus!! Start your free trial - http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/musafir -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Raksha Rao from the blog The Roving Heart!Today's destination: Auli, Uttarakhand!Nearest Airport: Jolly Grant Airport (DED)Nearest Railway Station: Rishikesh Railway Station (RKSH)Prerequisites - Make sure to have reservations where necessary, specially if you are planning on taking skiing lessons!Packing - Pack warm clothes and winter wear. Time of the year - Round the year!Length of the itine

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Access a world of knowledge free for a month! Great Courses Plus : https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/musafir------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Shruti Pandey, as she takes us to the land with connections to the Ramayan, Chitrakoot!Today's destination: Chitrakoot, MPNearest Airport: Allahabad/Prayagraj Airport, IXDNearest Railway Station: Karwi railway stationPrerequisites:Packing - Pack according to the weatherTime of the year - Nov-Dec, Feb-AprL

Winners of last episode's giveaway of "Into the heart of the Himalayas" by Jono Lineen:- Praneet- Anushika Litoria- Shiv Khilwani--------------------------------------------------------------------------This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Kaushal Karkhanis aka The Exotic Gringo. Sit back and listen to where this pro traveller and polyglot takes us to today! Today's destination: Riverside Goa! Nearest Airport: Dabolim Airport (GOI), Goa Nearest Railway Station: Multiple options depending on your destination. Prerequisites - NA, but make sure to plan and book your stay ahead of time if traveling during the holiday season Packing - Nothing specific, but make sure to carry appropriate clothes depending on the weather Time of the year - November to March is ideal, but is also going to be busy! Length

GIVEAWAY ALERT:We're giving away a copy of Jono's book - "Into the heart of the Himalayas". Listen to the episode and answer 3 simple questions in the google form below to stand a chance to win a copy of the book.https://forms.gle/7hEuZEC1aK35NVBY6---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Winners of last episodes giveaway of "Superhuman River - Stories of the Ganga"- Jashim Jamaludheen- Lushma RathoreThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Dr. Jono Lineen, author of the book "Into the heart of the Himalayas" as he traverses the western Himalayas from Pakistan to India, ON FOOT!Today's destination: Himalayas!Nearest Airport: n/aNearest Railway Station: n/aPrerequisites : visa/permitsPacking : n/aTime of the year : n/aLength of the itiner

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Book Giveaway!!! Answer three simple question to win Bidisha's Book!!https://forms.gle/PzciznCMfQZGcTUZ9 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Bidisha Banerjee, author of "Superhuman River - Stories of the Ganga"!Today's destination- The path of the river Ganga!Nearest Airport- n/aNearest Railway Station- n/aPrerequisites - might require permits if you plan to visit Gaumukh.Packing - Pack according to the season and region you are visiting!Time of the year - n/aLength of the itinerary: n/aItinerary Highlights:- We follow the 2525 km long path of the rive

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Pune, with Shraddha Maheshwari - the Shepherd Traveller!Today's destination: Pune, Maharashtra!Nearest Airport: Pune International Airport, PNQNearest Railway Station: Pune Junction (PUNE)Prerequisites : NAPacking : Make sure to carry your hiking shoes!Time of the year : Monsoons are the best time to visit, June-AugLength of the itinerary:  3-5 daysItinerary Highlights:- Shraddha starts off the itinerary by taking us to the iconic Shaniwar Wada, the seat of power of the Peshwas!- Built during the reign of Peshwa Baji Rao I, the Wada or Estate, served as the palace of the Peshwas, the Prime Ministers of the Chattrapatis or Kings of Pune.- The Palace has some beautiful fountains and gardens in the premises and has been witness to some important events, good and bad. Guide services are available if you are interest

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to the Tanned Travel Girl, Nishu Barolia!Today's destination: Varkala, Kerala!Nearest Airport: Trivandrum International Airport (TRV)Nearest Railway Station: Trivandrum Central (TVC)Prerequisites - NAPacking -  Pack appropriately for some warm weather and sun!Time of the year - Winters are the best, Nov-FebLength of the itinerary: 3-5 daysItinerary Highlights:- Nishu sets off by exploring the beaches of Varkala, the most important being the Varkala cliff beaches.- Apart from the North cliff and the South cliff, other important beaches include black beach, Odayam beach, Edava beach, Kapil beach.- The Kapil beach is unique in the sense that there is Kapil lake across the road where one can take a boat ride or kayak.- The enti

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to  Madhurima Chakraborty from the blog www.orangewayfarer.com!!!Today's destination: North Kolkata!Nearest Airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU)Nearest Railway Station: KOLKATA (KOAA) Railway StationPrerequisites :n/aPacking : Packing according to the weather, summers can be hot and humid!Time of the year: October/During Durga PujaLength of the itinerary: A weekend to a week!Itinerary Highlights:- Madhurima talks about the history and significance of Kolkata, right from its origins to the time Job Charnok set up the first trading post of the East India Company.- We start off the i

Thank you New Indian Express & EdexLive for '40 Under 40 Award for Socially Responsible Social Media Superstars' to The Musafir Stories!!https://www.edexlive.com/40-under-40/2020/sep/23/saif-omar-faiza-khan-14711.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Utsav Mamoria, host of the travel podcast "Postcards from nowhere"!Today's destination: North Sikkim!Nearest Airport: Bagdogra airport, IXB or Pakyong AirportNearest Railway Station: Jalpaiguri or Siliguri railway stationPrerequisites: permits might be required for some regions, make su

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Satyarup Siddhanta - a Bengaluru-based Bengali mountaineer.[1] On December 15, 2017 he became the first Bengali civilian from India to complete the seven highest summits in the 7 continents. He is the President and founder of ABETO – "A better tomorrow" foundation, and works as a consultant at Brady Corporation, India.[5] Today's destination: Mt. Everest, Nepal Nearest Airport: Lukla airport Nearest Railway Station: n/a Prerequisities - Required visas, training and certification, practice and acclimatization Packing - n/a Time of the year - May Length of the itinerary: 55 days from the base camp to the Everest summit and back Itinerary Highlights: Satya shares the story of his early struggles from asthma as a kid and how he

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to host of the hit podcast "Echoes of India" - Anirudh Kanisetti!Today's destination: Hampi!Nearest Airport: Hubli Airport (HBX)Nearest Railway Station: Hospet Junction (HPT)Prerequisites - NAPacking - Pack according to the weather - summers can be HOT!Time of the year - Nov to Jan is a good time to visit!Length of the itinerary- 5 daysItinerary Highlights:- Anirudh speaks about the origins of history, rise of the Vijayanagara empire and the dramatic fall.- Hampi is located in the state of Karanataka, close to the Andhra Pradesh border- Vijayanagara empire rose to fame after the fall of the Kalyana Chalukyas, and the capital was established in the city of Pampa - who was married to Virupaksha, a form of Shiva an

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Edwina D'Souza from the blog wannabemaven.com!Today's destination: Bastar, ChattisgarhNearest Airport: Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur (RPR)Nearest Railway Station: Jagdalpur Railway Station (JDB)Prerequisites: Local tour guide/agency, reservations for all stays. Unexplored Bastar does a great job with travel in the state.Packing: Pack according to the weatherTime of the year: AprilLength of the itinerary: 5 daysItinerary Highlights:- We start off the conversation with the geography and history of the Bastar region as well as the connection with epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata- We also discuss the misconceptions and realities about safety of a solo traveler, as

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Sampath Menon as he takes us around the coastal town of Mangaluru!Today's destination: Mangaluru, KarnatakaNearest Airport: Mangalore International airport (IXE)Nearest Railway Station: Mangalore Junction (MAJN)Prerequisites : n/aPacking : pack according to the weather, summers can be hot!Time of the year : Winter months from November to January is a good timeLength of the itinerary: 3-10 daysItinerary Highlights:- Sampath starts off by speaking about the rich history of Mangaluru and the various names it has been known as over time - Mangalore, Manjaran, Kudla, Kodial, Maikala- Sampath calls out the various temples in the city, starting from Mangala Devi temple, after which Mangaluru is nam

In this episode#Kartarpur #Sikh #Gurunanak #pakistan #sikhism #pilgrimage #border #holy #gurudwara #love #peace #brotherhood ==================================== Winners of the book giveaway contest on the Pondicherry episode: Mohan and Shruti! We will reach out to you shortly!====================================This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Abhishek Vaid, founder of the Untravel Show as he takes us across the Indo-Pak border to the holy gurudwara of Kartarpur Sahib, the place where Guru Nanak spent the last years of his life! Today's destin

In this episode:#beaches #cafes #French #colonial #folklore #aurobindo #ashram #photography #auroville #art #streetphotography #villas #quaint #finedining #unionterritory #UTGIVE-AWAY ALERT!!!------------------------------Listen to the episode, answer 3 simple questions in the form below and stand a chance to win a copy of Aditi's book! Open for two weeks!https://forms.gle/Mmb5jgx5mzsTXT7K7Alternately, you can buy the book here!https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07PS1SLXP/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1=======================================The Musafir Stories mentioned in an <a href="https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/5-travel-podcasts-to-cu

In this episode:#spirituality #religion #temples #pilgrimage #history #ganges #uttarpradesh #aarti #food #alleys #streets #hinduism #jainism #sikhism #art #music #literature #streetfood #hippie #sadhuThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Arjun Narayanan, a journalist and host of Madraswallah Podcast!Today's destination- Varanasi, UPNearest Airport- Lal Bahadur Shastri AirportNearest Railway Station- Varanasi Junction railway stationPrerequisites - preparation and researchPacking - Dress appropriately as some of the temples might require modest attireTime of the year - November to FebruaryLength of the itinerary- 4 daysItinerary Highlights:- Arjun plans and reads ahead of time before visiting historically significant places like Varanasi.- We talk abo

In this episode: #mountains #valleys #trekking #flowers #nature #hiking #roadtrip #author #Uttarakhand #book #botany #mountaineer #Hemkund #pilgrimage #sikhThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Susan Jagannath, a best selling author and traveler as she takes us to the Valley of Flowers, with her new book titled 'The Valley of Flowers - The Ultimate guide to an adventure trek in the upper Himalaya' Today's destination: Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand!  Nearest Airport: Jolly Grant, Dehradun  Nearest Railway Station: Rishikesh Prerequisites: Physical fitness, carry a form of ID (passport for foreigners) Packing: Pack layers of clothes (warm, rain) along with hiking gear Time of the yea

In this episode: #Bhubaneswar #Odisha #East #culture #temples #art #architecture #dance #odissi #tribal #history #art #Ashoka #Kalinga #Jagannath #rathyatra #rasgulla #buddhism #hertiage #walkingtour This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Ayush Kumar as he takes us to another hidden gem in India!Today's destination: Bhubaneswar, Odisha!Nearest Airport: Biju Patnaik Airport, BBINearest Railway Station: Bhubaneswar Railway Station, BBSPrerequisites -  NAPacking - Pack according to the weatherTime of the year - Winter months from November to Jan is the best time to visit!Length of the itinerary: 3-4 days to a week!Itinerary Highlights:- Ayush starts off by sharing important historical anecdotes about the city, the city that has been witness to some significant histo

In this episode:#energy #clean #renewable #wind #solar #India #sustainable #technology #cleantech #kanyakumari #Kochi #Shivanasamudra #tumkur #bangalore #mumbai #mahabaleshwar #delhi #kutch #cuttack #This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Girish Shivakumar, a clean-tech evangelist who takes us on a trail of power plants in India! Today's destination: Around the power plants of India! Nearest Airport: n/a Nearest Railway Station: n/a Prerequisites -  Some plants might require permission before visiting, please reach out to the authorities as applicable.  Packing - Pack according to the weather and time of the year. Time of the year -  n/aLength of the itinerary: n/aItinera

In this episode:#Meghalaya #NorthEast #adventure #caves #lost #stalactite #stalagmite #nature #KremLymput #underground #caving #suspense #ecology #geologyThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Khaliq Parkar, a researcher and social scientist as he shares his adventures in the caves of Meghalaya!Today's destination: Krem Lymput caves, Meghalaya Nearest Airport: Shillong airport, SHLNearest Railway Station: Guwahati Railway station, GHYPrerequisites - Inner line permit for some states in the North East (https://services.india.gov.in/service/detail/e-ilp-inner-line-permit)Packing - Make sure to carry a pair of hiking shoes for good grip, powerful torch and backup, energy food for the trip.Time of the year -  Avoid the mo

In this episode:#Manali #HimachalPradesh #Himachal #offbeat #oldmanali #oldcity #walking #trail #trekking #hiking #temples #hotsprings #architecture #himachali #naggar #vashisht #kathkuni #zorbing #river #rafting #beas #yoga #nature #mountains #himalayasThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Priyanka Gupta from the blog onmycanvas.com as she takes us offbeat in Manali! Today's destination: Manali, Himachal Pradesh    Nearest Airport: Bhuntar airport (50kms) Nearest Railway Station: Joginder Nagar, Himachal Pradesh (50kms) Nearest Bus Station: Kullu (40kms) Prerequisites:  n/a Packing: pack some light layers of wool as mornings and evenings can be chilly. Warmer clothes are re

In this episode:#Munnar #Kerala #tea #plantations #mountains #nature #treks #kathakali #art #dance #martialarts #roadtrip #family #waterfalls #ponds #sunrise #spices #nilgiri #tahr #neelakuruji #boating #elephants This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Sangeetha as we explore the Kashmir of the South, Munnar! Today's destination: Munnar, Kerala Nearest Airport: Kochi International airport (110kms) Nearest Railway Station: Aluva, Kerala (110kms) Prerequisites - n/a Packing - pack some light layers of wool as mornings and evenings can be chilly Time of the year - September to Feb is a good time to visit Length of the itinerary: 5 days Itinerary Highlights: - Sangeetha travels with her family by flying from Bangalore to Kochi and driving down to Munnar, this way one can enjoy the beautiful drive leading up to Munnar. - The first day is spent seeing around the resort and visiting the Blossom Hydel Park, a

In this episode:#Spiti #Himachal #HimachalPradesh #valley #offbeat #desert #kaza #market #buddhist #monastery #prayerflags #lakes #chandrataal #himalayas #roadtrip #clouds #dhankar #ki #meditation #ecotourismThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Prasad NP, also known as the 'desi Traveler'. Prasad shares his story about the time he spent traveling the Spiti Valley, Dhankar lake, Chandratal Lake and the beautiful Monasteries around. So sit back and enjoy listening! Today's destination: Spiti -- Kaza, Chandratal Lake, Ki Monastery, Dhankar Lake in Himachal Pradesh Nearest airport: Manali or via Shimla; Nearest Railway Station: Shimla railway station; Joginder Nagar railway station Direct buses are available from Chandigarh, Shimla, Kullu, Manali etc Packing - Sunglasses, sunscreen, hats/umbrella, warm clothes, a good pair of shoes, medicines for AMS Time of the year - June to September

In this episode: #Khajuraho #MadhyaPradesh #temples #architecture #erotic #sculptures #architecture #history #folklore #religion #UNESCO #heritage #cycling #walking #tour #museum #spirituality #sex #taboo #archaeologyThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Tarun and Pournima, two of our dear listeners and two budding doctors about their trip to Khajuraho!Today's destination: Khajuraho, MPNearest Airport: Khajuraho airportNearest Railway Station: Khajuraho or Mahoba stationPrerequisites - n/aPacking -  Make sure to pack according to the weather as summers can be hot.Time of the year -  NovemberLength of the itinerary: 3 daysItinerary Highlights:- Tarun and Pournima set off on a 3 day itinerary to explore the myths and truths around the UNESCO world heritage site - Khajuraho- The duo talk about the motivation and inspiration for their travel to Khajuraho and the background of the famed templ

In this episode:#Bandhavgarh #safari #nationalpark #jungle #forest #tiger #documentary #filmmaker #conservation #stories #solo #rajbheraThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Suyash Keshari - a young wildlife filmmaker and presenter as he takes us on a safari to Bandhavgarh, the tiger capital of India!Today's destination: Bandhavgarh, Madhya PradeshNearest Airport: Jabalpur airport, JLRNearest Railway Station: UmariaPrerequisites -  Make reservations ahead of timePacking - Pack clothes according to weather, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug repellant, poncho, cameraTime of the year - October to MarchLength of the itinerary: 2-3 daysItinerary Highlights:- Suyash talks about his interest in wildlife and how he took the bold decision to take the plunge and follow his passion- He also discusses how the series 'Safari with Suyash' came about after a partnership with WWF (World Wildlife Fund)<

In this episode:#Bangalore #Bengaluru #city #walking #siliconvalley #southindia #museums #restaurants #parks #fort #palace #citytour #history #cultureContest Alert!Celebrating the festive season and new year by giving away a copy of 'Globetrotting for Love and other stories from Sakhalin island' by Ajay Kamalakaran. Just answer the question in the form and stand a chance to win Ajay's book!This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Malavika and Vitasta from Travel.Earth as we explore Namma Bengaluru!Today's destination: Bengaluru! Nearest Airport: Kempe Gowda International AirportNearest Railway Station: Bangalore City Railway StationPrerequisites -  N/APacking - 

In this episode:#russia #sakhlin #island #novella #nature #lifestyle #fareast #book #korea #japan #history #food #leisure Contest Alert!Celebrating the festive season and new year by giving away a copy of 'Globetrotting for Love and other stories from Sakhalin island' by Ajay Kamalakaran. Just answer the question in the form and stand a chance to win Ajay's book!This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Ajay Kamalakaran, an independent journalist and novelist as he takes us to the Far East corner of the world, Sakhalin island!!Today's destination: Sakhalin island Nearest Airport: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk AirportNearest Railway Station: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk StationPrerequisites -  Please check travel documents requiredPacking - Pack for the cold!Time of the year -  Summer is ideal

In this episode:#Landour #Uttarakhand #hillstation #mountains #cafes #nature #walks #viewpoints #sunset #woods #heritage #british #colonial #architecture #ruskinbond #books #quaint #northindia This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Aakash Mehrotra from Delhi who talks to us about his childhood connection to the land of Landour, Uttarakhand!Today's destination: Landour, UttarakhandNearest Airport: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun (DED)Nearest Railway Station: DehradunPrerequisites -  NAPacking -  Lots of books! Carry warm clothes as the hill stations are quite chill.Time of the year -  AprilLength of the itinerary:  3 daysItinerary Highlights:- Aakash talks about his childhood connection to Landour and the charm of this Raj era cantonment sharing some quick tips as to when one can travel.- He also shares titbits about his lodging, Rokeby Manor, a heritage property built in 1840 and one of

In this episode:#manipur #northeast #offbeat #solotravel #markets #food #history #war #bordertowns #nature #lakes #nationalparks #warmemorial #ina #moreh #loktak #imakeithel Contest Alert!!!----------------We're giving away a copy of Rajat Ubhaykar's book - Truck De India, a hitchhiker's guide to Hindustan, to one lucky listener!All you have to do is listen to Rajat's episode - Around India on trucks (https://audioboom.com/posts/7258364-tms-specials-around-india-on-trucks-and-highways-with-rajat-ubhaykar) and answer two simple questions and send them to our email - [email protected] before Nov 10, 2019.1. From which city did Rajat start his first leg of travel on trucks?2. Name any one driver with whom Rajat hitches a ride, who finds mention in t

In this episode:#Jaipur #Rajasthan #city #walkingtour #markets #bazaars #streets #forts #gates #palace #jewellery #foods #handicrafts #shoes #temples #hawamahal #joharibazaar #citypalace#GetFeatured on the Musafir Stories! Capping off International Podcast Day by inviting all listeners to our annual contest <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/getfeatured?source=feed_text&amp;epa=HASHTAG&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAuyskK8T5eZMKcS3csKzg6BCwshiRNHBrKOao2hQaTewkilaUEzEtHx2dMuf7enxsGxA7IHYmG_IM97

In this episode:#Dhanushkodi #Tamilnadu #southindia #ghost #town #tragedy #deluge #cyclone #stories #ruins #novel #fishermen #history #srilanka #talaimannar #rameshwaram International Podcast Day Convention 2019 in Bangalore: Join us!!! Register now: https://podcasts.hubhopper.com/o2podcollective-international-podcast-day*************************************************************************This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Sudharsan SN, a polyglot and a linguist who runs a youtube channel called Indic Living (https://www.youtube.com/user/sudharsansn)Today's destination: Dhanushkodi - the story of a ghost town!Nearest Airport: Madurai, TNNearest Railway Station: Rameshwaram, TNPrerequisites -  n/aPacking - light clothes, hat, sun screen and lots of wa

In this episode:#Parvati #valley #Himachal #northindia #river #parvati #beas #mountains #nature #hillstations #roadtrip #familytravel #kidstravel #hiking #trekking #camping #cafes #markets #hippie #kasol #tosh #jari #malana #manikaran #kheerganga #pinparvati #himachali #villageThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Deenaz Raisinghani, a backpacking mom who has been traveling around the world with her little kiddo! Today's destination: Parvati Valley, Himachal Pradesh Nearest Airport: Bhuntar Airport or Chandigarh AirportNearest Railway Station: Pathankot Railway stationPrerequisites -  NAPacking -  Your usual winter gear along with other essentials for travelling with a kid. &gt;Also make sure to take care of the baby's eating, sleeping and pooping schedules!! &gt;Travel as light as possible. <div

In this episode:#Kashmir #lakes #greatlakes #trek #mountains #nature #valleys #friends #northindia #camping #bonfire #freshwater #glacier #snow #nundkul #gangbal #krishnasar #vishansar #sonmarg #srinagar #satsar #gadsar #zajbalThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Karan and Parul, the couple on a break from work traveling around India and the world!Today's destination: Kashmir Great Lakes trek!PS: Please be sure to check on the travel advisory before traveling to the region. Nearest Airport: Srinagar airport Nearest Railway Station: Udhampur railway station Prerequisites - Some level of fitness!Packing - Pack trekking shoes, sticks, ponchos, warm clothes and a day pack with necessary first aid, medication and snack! Please note that the there is a support team to take care of transportation of luggage while trekking. Time of the year -  July to September is a good time to visit. Length of the it

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to the trio from F5 Escapes.F5 Escapes is redefining how women travel in India, encouraging them to get out of their comfort zone and explore the world. They plan and organize travel tours for women to travel in groups and solo as well! Hand crafted itineraries to suit their needs. To know more about F5 Escapes checkout their social media pages:Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/F5Escapes/Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/f5escapes/Twitter : https://twitter.com/F5EscapesYoutube : htt

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Dhiraj from the blog, Team G Square as he discusses his journey to some of the hidden gems of India. Today's destination: Orchha, Madhya Pradesh!!Nearest Airport: Gwalior Airport or Khajuraho Airport (HJR)Nearest Railway Station: Jhansi Railway station (about 18kms away)Prerequisites -  NAPacking -  Depending on the time of the year you visit, make sure to carry hats, eyewear and sunscreen. Best time to visit is between November and February as the plains get very hot after that. Time of the year -  JanuaryLength of the itinerary: 3 daysItinerary Highlights: - Dhiraj and his 'team' cover Orchha as a part of a bigger MP road trip that lasted about 10 days. - The Orchha itinerary can be broken down into 3 areas - the palaces, the temples and the Chattris with the Vulture sanctuary. - Orchha is the home of the Bundela Rajas in the 16th century, who were ori

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Charles Worringham, an Australian academic and clean energy evangelist, who shares his experience of traveling with a purpose. Listen on!Today's destination: Around India, exploring some of her energy challenges and innovative solutions!Nearest Airport: Indira Gandhi International airportNearest Railway Station: NAPrerequisites - Be open to travel, be open to learning!Packing - NATime of the year - NovemberLength of the itinerary: 1 monthItinerary Highlights: - Charles tells us about the objective of the trip and how one can look for a purpose in travel, be it history, culture, adventure or just learning about something you love!- More about the planning and preparations, the books Charles read up before the big trip: India calling - Anand Giridhardas (<a href="https://www

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Divyam Goenka, a young trekking enthusiast and founder of Kyuriosity, a Bangalore based trekking community. Today's destination: Savanadurga Trek!!Nearest Airport: Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore (BLR)Nearest Railway Station: Bangalore Railway station Prerequisites - Some trekking experience doesn't hurt! Packing - Make sure to carry enough water to stay hydrated and some energy bars for when the going gets tough!Time of the year - November to February is a good time to do this trekLength of the itinerary: 1 dayItinerary Highlights: - Divyam and his friend hit the road after an impromptu plan to do the trek. The hill is situated about 70 kms from Bangalore and is well connected by roads. - The Savanadurga peak is over 1200 m high and is Asia's biggest monolith rock! - The best option would be to start early in the day so that you can hit the

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Rajat Ubhaykar, a journalist from Mumbai who talks about his journey around India on trucks and highways! Today&#39;s destination: India! Nearest Airport: n/a Nearest Railway Station: n/a Prerequisites - n/a Packing - n/a Time of the year - April Length of the itinerary: n/a Itinerary Highlights: Rajat talks about his roller coaster of a journey traversing India on trucks as he set out to document the lives of truckers and the highway economy of India. Rajat&#39;s journey was covered in 2 legs, first leg was Mumbai-Srinagar-NE, the second leg covered the eastern and western coastlines of India. Rajat talks at length about the lives of the truckers, the kind of stereotyping they are subject to, the reality of life on a highway, and how things evolved over the 2 years of his journey. Rajat&#39;s

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Subhadip Mukherjee from the blog Indian Vagabond Today&#39;s destination: Mysore or Mysuru! Nearest Airport: Mysore Airport (MYQ)   Nearest Railway Station: Mysore Junction (MYS) Prerequisites - Book early if you plan on traveling during the festive season of Dussehra (usually around Oct) Packing - Pack light, make sure to carry appropriate clothing as it tends to get hot during summers Time of the year - NA Length of the itinerary: 2 days Itinerary Highlights: Subhadip takes us on a speed date with the royal city of Mysore or Mysuru, the home of the Wodeyars! We start the day by making an early sprint to the Mysore Zoo, one of the older zoos of India and is home to a variety of animals. Plastic bags are not allowed inside the premises, so plan accordingly. The Mysore Zoo used to be home

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to  Medhavi Gandhi, the founder of Heritage Lab (heritagelab.in), a unique media platform for citizens to interact with museums!   Today&#39;s destination: The Indian Himalayas in paintings by Nicholas Roerich!  Nearest Airport: NA  Nearest Railway Station: NA  Length of the itinerary: 5-8 years, 25,000 kms  Itinerary Highlights:   -  Medhavi takes us on the Himalayan expedition covered by Nicholas Roerich and his family in the early 20th century (1923) in search of the mythical kingdom of Shambala, that is believed to be home to the King who will bring peace and harmony to humanity.   Roerich&#39;s expedition started from Sikkim through Punjab, Kashmir, Ladakh, the Karakoram Mountains, Khotan, Kashgar, Qara Shar, Urumchi, Irtysh, the Altai Mountains, the Oyrot region of Mongolia, the Central Gobi, Kansu, Tsaidam, and Tibet&quot; with a detour through Siberia to Mosc

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to MSN Karthik - a traveller, a film maker and a youtuber!   Today's destination: Bodhgaya, Bihar!  Nearest Airport: Gaya Airport or Patna Airport  Nearest Railway Station: Gaya Junction  Prerequisites - Just leave your worries home!  Packing - Nothing unusual!  Time of the year - Best to travel when the festive season is upon us, important festivals being Buddha Poornima (May) or Kalchakra puja (Oct-Nov) or other world healing pujas (watch for them in the calendar)  Length of the itinerary: 3-4 days   Itinerary Highlights:   Karthik begins the journey by explaining the significance of Bodhgaya, the home of Buddhism. Here is where Prince Siddhartha found enlightenment after traveling all the way from Lumbini, present day Nepal.   Karthik enlightens us about the Bodhi vriksha or Bodhi tree, it's history and importance. We talk more

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Meenakshi Param from the blog polkajunction.com. Sit back and enjoy as we speak to the multi-talented Meenakshi as she speaks about her tryst with travel!  Today's destination: Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh  Nearest Airport: Dharamshala, HP  Nearest Railway Station: Pathankot, Punjab  Prerequisites - N/A  Packing - Warm clothes depending on the season of travel  Time of the year - All year round!  Length of the itinerary: 3-4 days  Itinerary Highlights:   Meenakshi begins the conversation by setting up the orientation of Dalhousie, the necessity of acclimatization given Dalhousie is between 6-9K ft above sea level and the history of the colonial influence on Dalhousie!  Dalhousie is named after Lord Dalhousie, the Governor general of Bengal during the British Rule and was set up as a sanitor

CONTEST ALERT!!!  Listen to the episode and answer these 3 simple questions and stand a chance to win a copy of Shivya&#39;s best seller - The Shooting Star  1. Which Indian town did Shivya spend her childhood in?  2. In which country did Shivya go to university?  3. What is the title of Shivya&#39;s best selling book?   Email your responses to [email protected] before March 7th 2019! The winners will be announced on the next episode of the podcast!  This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to none other than the Shooting Star - Shivya Nath, top travel blogger and now author with her national best seller, The Shooting Star!  Interview Highlights:   Shivya talks about her time growing up in India, where she spent her childhood in and what were her erstwhile ambitions  We talk to Shivya about her journey away from home for university, how that shaped her choices as a perso

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Srikanth from the blog traveldiaries.vacations and the capter lead of RTC Hyderabad! Today's destination: Gandikota gorge and Belum caves, Andhra Pradesh! Nearest Airport: Tirupati Airport at Renigunta Nearest Railway Station: Kondapuram Prerequisites - Camping equipment if you're planning to camp Packing - Gandikota can get hot during the day, plan to carry sufficient water and also extra layers for the night. Time of the year - September Length of the itinerary: 2 days Itinerary Highlights: Srikanth and team set out from Hyderabad towards Gandikota - a natural gorge formed by the Pennar river in Andhra Pradesh. A couple of stops enroute the destination and a navigation error on google maps led Srikanth to the foot of some magnificent wind mills in the vicinity of Gandikota! After s

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Pradnya Kulkarni, a smart traveler who believes in traveling without quitting your job! Let&#39;s find out more! Prerequisites - A job! Just kidding! Highlights: Pradnya talks about the importance of travel in life and how one should approach travel. Her own trials and errors with travel Hacks to make use of to plan your travel How to save for sustainable travel How her job has helped her travel the world! Parting advice! Pradnya&#39;s social media: Twitter Instagram Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: www.themusafirstories

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Priyanka Dalal from the blog MapRoute Travel Blog. Priyanka is a digital entrepreneur and traveler and on this episode she shares her experience of falling in love with the Kumbh Mela! Today's destination: The Kumbh Mela! Nearest Airport: Allahabad Airport, IXD Nearest Railway Station: Allahabad Junction Prerequisites - Be prepared to be a part of large crowds and lose your personal space! It is better to book accommodation beforehand, specially if you are going to be here on the days of the Shahi Snan! Packing - Pack light, and be ready to rough it out! Time of the year - Jan 15 - Mar 4, 2019 Length of the itinerary: NA Itinerary Highlights: Priyanka talks at length about her experiences from the previous Kumbh Mela at Trimabakeshwar, Nashik and Ujjain. History and legends of the Kumbh Mela<

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Meenakshi Arvind, an avid traveler, business woman and mom! Buckle up as Meenakshi takes us on this mother of all road trips, from Coimbatore, India to London, England! Today&#39;s destination: London! Nearest Airport: NA Nearest Railway Station: NA Prerequisites - permits, visas, carnet and loads of patience! Time of the year - March 2017 Length of the itinerary: 70 days, 24K kms!! Itinerary Highlights: Meenakshi starts off the preparation by mapping out the route and preparing the permits and visas well in advance. The plan is to drive through 24 countries, across continents, over 70 days and 24K kms to end in London as a mark of celebrating 70 years of Indian independence. Meenakshi shares her approach, preparation, planning and the run up to the big day. Stories of some mishaps, some surprises and lo

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to a very dear guest - Ajitha Yasmin, a long time listener and winner of the &quot;Get Featured on the Musafir Stories&quot; contest we ran on International Podcast Day earlier this year. Today&#39;s destination: Chadar Trek on the frozen Zanskar river, Jammu &amp; Kashmir Nearest Airport: Leh Airport, IXL Nearest Railway Station: NA Prerequisites - Some experience in trekking is preferred, although not mandatory Packing - Make sure to either pack winter clothes or buy them in Leh. Decathalon is a good option in your city as well. Equipment is usually taken care of by the trek company. Time of the year - January Length of the itinerary: 6 day trek, 2 day acclimatization Itinerary Highlights: The 12 people strong team, set off after a day of acclimatization in Leh with a stopover at Magnetic hill. The trek kicks off at Chiling fr

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Vishwas Raj, founder of the adventure travel company - Adventure Sindbad (www.adventuresindbad.com). Adventure Sindbad specializes in a variety of adventure activities across the Himalayas, right from hiking, cycling, whitewater rafting to family adventure tours. Sit back and enjoy as Vishwas takes us to Changthang, the land of the Pashmina! Today's destination: Changthang, Jammu &amp; Kashmir Nearest Airport: Leh Airport Nearest Railway Station: Udhampur Railway station Prerequisites - Inner line permits may be required for a few areas. This is taken care of by Adventure Sindbad if you travel with them. Packing - Warm clothes, sunscreen, sunglasses, good walking boots Time of the year - August Length of the itinerary: 10 days Itinerary Highlights: This experience is a part of a photography trip led

This week on The Musafir Stories we talk to novelist and media professional Tony V. Francis about his epic coming-of-age romantic novel &#39;The Autograph Seeker&#39; which brings to life the whispering landmarks of Calcutta in the 1980 and 1990s. During the course of the interview Tony talks to us about the bestselling novel and different landmarks of Calcutta (now Kolkata) which play a significant role in this story. From the famous Park Street to Eden gardens, to the theatre play to all the autographs! this book has it all! The Autograph Seeker : During the colonial rule in India, fate throws together a diverse cast onto the San Souci Theatre stage – Esther Leech, the Kohinoor of Bengal theatre; James Barry, the theatre manager facing bankruptcy; Alice Anderson, the enchanting English woman estranged from her husband Thomas Anderson; and Baboo Bustomchurn Addy, the dark Bengali actor infatuated with Alice and ready to kill for her. Yet, his

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Anuradha Goyal from www.Inditales.com. Anuradha is an accomplished travel blogger and a book reviewer with her blog "AnuReviews" as well as the author of the book "The Mouse Charmers - Pioneers of Digital India" Today's destination: Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh! PS - Happy Diwali wishes in advance! Nearest Airport: Gorakhpur Airport (GOP), Gorakhpur OR Amausi Airport (LKO), Lucknow Nearest Railway Station: Ayodhya Junction, AY Prerequisites - Better to carry your ID proof if you are planning to visit the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. It is not mandatory though. Packing - Pack light and according to the season you are travelling in. Make sure to carry a good pair of walking shoes! Time of the year - October Length of the itinerary: 6 days Itinerary Highlights: Anuradha starts off the conversation by giving a

This week at The Musafir Stories we have historian, teacher and artist Sujatha Balakrishnan walking us through Bengaluru Pete area. The founder of Bengaluru, Kempe Gowda-I established the city in 1537, he started this city at the Pete Area. We explore and talk about different historical points from Hazrath Tawakkal Mastan Dargah to Dharmaraya Swamy Temple in the Pete. Sujatha tells us about how the Tawakkal Mastan Dargah was built and the festivals celebrated there. We then walk ahead to find the bygone Vijayalakshmi Theater and Mohan Building where once a Maratha King had his palace. Then we come across the Doddapete area where Kempe Gowda once established different temples, markets and towers and fortified Bengaluru considering the Doddapete as the center point of Bengaluru. Sujatha also discusses the different localities in the Pete area and how they got their names based on the commodity that was sold there and also bas

Happy International Podcast Day! International Podcast Day is September 30th and it&#39;s an international celebration of the power of podcasts! #InternationalPodcastDay We are so glad to all the support and love that we have got from all our listeners so far, we have a very special episode for you guys where we discuss the journey of The Musafir Stories with our buddy Pod-casters Naga from the Passion People Podcast and Shankar &amp; Vishnu from the Writer &amp; Geek Podcast. You can lay your hands on &#39;The Autograph Seeker&#39; here. Also the winner of the &#39;Get Featured on The Musafir Stories&#39; contest is Ajitha Yasmin!!! Lastly but most importantly you can listen to some deep conversations with brilliant &amp; pas

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Preethika and Narayanan, the couple behind the wonderful blog "Passing Ports". Listen in to the conversation as we talk Cholas, temples, history, architecture and more! Today's destination: Thanjavur or Tanjore, Tamil Nadu! Nearest Airport: Tiruchirapalli International Airport Nearest Railway Station: Thanjavur Junction Prerequisites - n/a Packing - Stay hydrated, comfortable clothing, some of the temples might require 'modest' clothing too! Time of the year - November Length of the itinerary: 4 days Itinerary Highlights: Preethika and Narayanan start off their journey with the Tanjore Royal Palace or Thanjavur Palace, a fort/palace complex with other monuments like the Bell tower, Art Gallery, Maratha Darbar, Arsenal tower, Library and more. Learn about the art of Veena making (Veena or Veenai is an ancient chordphone instrume

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Kaushal Karkhanis aka The Exotic Gringo. Sit back and listen to where this pro traveller and polyglot takes us to today! Today&#39;s destination: Riverside Goa! Nearest Airport: Dabolim Airport (GOI), Goa Nearest Railway Station: Multiple options depending on your destination. Prerequisites - NA, but make sure to plan and book your stay ahead of time if traveling during the holiday season Packing - Nothing specific, but make sure to carry appropriate clothes depending on the weather Time of the year - November to March is ideal, but is also going to be busy! Length of the itinerary: Can be anything from 1 weekend to long term for slow travel Itinerary Highlights: Kaushal starts off by taking us to the river side of North Goa - starting at the Tirakhol river. Tirakhol river divides Maharashtra and Goa and is one of the lesser explored regions. T

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Shubhangi Jeswal, a traveler and adventure seeker as she takes us with her to one of her most memorable journeys to the mountains! Today&#39;s destination: Completing the Basic Mountaineering course (BMC) at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling Nearest Airport: Bagdogra, Airport, West Bengal Nearest Railway Station: Siliguri Junction railway station, West Bengal Prerequisites - One needs to apply online and via mail to be accepted to the HMI. The pre-requisites also include a full body check up that an individual needs to pass in order to sign up for the BMC. Also, please note that there can be a waiting period of up to 1 year for admission, so please plan accordingly. Packing - One can pack the necessary winter wear while travelling to the HMI institute in Darjeeling. However, equipment and other gear required for mountaineering will be provided by the HMI. The fee (7-8K INR)

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Johann Binny Kuruvilla, the face behind the blog https://kochiheritageproject.in. So sit back and enjoy as Johann takes us to his hometown!! Today's destination: Kochi, Kerala! Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport Nearest Railway Station: Ernakulam Town Station or Ernakulam Junction Station Packing - Make sure to carry some rain gear if you are there during the monsoons/rainy season Time of the year - September to February is a good time to go! Length of the itinerary: 3 days Itinerary Highlights: Johann begins by sharing his story about the journey from the corporate world to being a blogger and how one movie - Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna bhoomi inspired him to travel to the North East! Johann begins the conversation by sharing some insights into the rich history of Kochi and how it was

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to a pro traveler and blogger, Sharanya Iyer who blogs under the handle "TrulyNomadly". So sit back and enjoy as Sharanya takes us places! Today's destination: Mechuka, Arunachal Pradesh (29km from the Indo-China border) Nearest Airport: Lilabari (North Lakhimpur) and Guwahati (Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport)and Mohanbari (Dibrugarh) both in Assam Nearest Railway Station: Silapathar (Assam) and Naharlagun (Arunachal Pradesh) Prerequisites - Inner line permit or ILP, can be obtained online (http://arunachalilp.com/onlineApp.do) or at the Guwahati airport. Packing - Warm clothes and rain jackets/rain coats are advisable. Time of the year - April Length of the itinerary: 4 days Itinerary Highlights: Sharanya starts off her journey from Guwahati, from where she takes the Lachit express to the

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Chandroma Ray, who blogs at oneearthtooless.com and loves to travel and blog when she&#39;s not wearing her corporate hat! Today&#39;s destination: Offbeat Ladakh! Nearest Airport: Leh Airport (IXL) Nearest Railway Station: Jammu Tawi (700 km from Ladakh) Prerequisites - Permits might be needed for some of the locations (Turtuk); checkposts will be encountered at the border villages like Turtuk. Make sure you acclimatize atleast for a couple of days before you set out to explore the region. Make sure to pre-book a vehicle if you plan on not using public transport! Packing - Warm clothes, shoes with good grip, first aid kit, Diamox for AMS (when needed), make sure you pack light! Time of the year - End of August - Early September Length of the itinerary: 16 days for the full Ladakh itinerary, but only the offbeat destinations like the villages of Alchi, Lamayaru, Dha and Tur

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Suyash Dixit, the Indian businessman who traveled to an unclaimed piece of land between Egypt and Sudan, called Bir Tawil and lay claim to the territory! And no, we&#39;re not kidding! Today&#39;s destination: Kingdom of Dixit aka Bir Tawil Nearest Airport: Abu Simbal Nearest Railway Station: N/A Time of the year - November, 2017 Length of the itinerary: 1 day Itinerary Highlights: &quot;I, Suyash Dixit, first of my name and the protector of the realm, declare myself as the king of “Kingdom of Dixit”. I call myself, King Suyash First from today. I declare this unclaimed land of Bir Tawil as my country from now to the eternity of time. I pledge to continue to work for the prosperity of my people of the country and this motherland.&quot; This is no joke, an Indian guy from Indore, Suyash Dixit, put a lot at stake to travel to this unclaimed piece of

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Saurabh from Mumbai, who authors the blog A season of Mountains under the handle www.nomadosauras.wordpress.com. Sit back and enjoy as we find out where Saurabh is taking us to today! Today's destination: Harihar Fort Nearest Airport: Ozar airport, Nashik or Mumbai Airport Nearest Railway Station: Kasara railway station or Nashik railway station Prerequisites - Medium level of fitness, make sure you're not acrophobic! Packing - Trekking shoes and gear, water for hydration, caps and energy bars. It's advisable to carry ones own food, but food is available at shacks outside the fort. Time of the year - December Length of the itinerary: 1 day Itinerary Highlights: You can start early from a nearby station (Mumbai/Pune/Nasik) to reach the Kasara railway station. Once at Kasara, you can take a shared

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Vineet and Deepak, the duo behind the sparkling new initiative called Road Trippers Club - A road travel club for road trip enthusiasts, beginners and those who love hitting the roads on four wheels - Camaraderie on four wheels! #KeepTheRhythmAlive Prerequisites - 4 wheels! Just sign up on www.roadtrippersclub.com and you are good to go! Packing - Specifics vary depending upon the trip. Once you have signed up and join a micro-group, the Team captain will breif everyone about the preparation and packing list. Time of the year - N/A Length of the itinerary: Depending on the drive, the trips vary from one day trips, to weekend drives to longer drives! The Mumbai chapter of RTC has done brunch runs, city drives, drives to Dapoli, Indore, Anjarle beach for the olive ridley turtle festival and many more shapes and sizes! Episode Highlights:

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Siddharth Keswani, an up and coming Youtuber who makes lifestyle, travel and food vlogs. Sit back and enjoy as Siddharth takes us on a speed date with Lucknow - the land of Nawabs and Kababs! Today&#39;s destination: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh! Nearest Airport: Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, LKO Nearest Railway Station: Lucknow Charbagh railway station Prerequisites - An empty stomach! Packing - N/A, just warm clothes if you visit in winter Length of the itinerary: One day! Itinerary Highlights: Kick start the day early with a visit to Sharmaji&#39;s tea stall to savour some bun makkhan with Sharmaji&#39;s Kullad vali Chai! If you are up for it, grab a bite of the samosas as well! If that didn&#39;t kick start your day, you can freshen things up by a visit to the Janeshwar Mishra park in Gomti Nagar - a vast expanse of 376 acr

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Reshma Narasing from the blog thesologlobetrotter.com. Reshma is an avid traveler and backpacker who has traversed the country solo and enjoys traveling to offbeat destinations. So sit back as Reshma takes us backbacking to Bir, Himachal Pradesh! Today&#39;s destination: Bir, Himachal Pradesh Nearest Airport: Kangra Airport Nearest Railway Station: Pathankot Railway station (and rest of the journey by bus) Prerequisities - N/A Packing - Warm clothes, hiking gear, hiking shoes, camping gear Time of the year - March Length of the itinerary: 6-7 weeks Itinerary Highlights: Reshma starts the trip to Bir after completing her Nepal leg of the journey where she was on a press trip. In Bir, she was volunteering for about 6-7 weeks with Zostel, a pan India hostel chain Reshma volunteered at Zostel in terms of helping wi

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Saakshi, from the blog My Travel Recitals. Sit back and enjoy as Saakshi takes us to an offbeat island that is a unique marvel of nature! Today's destination: Majuli River island, Assam - the biggest river island in the world, it is a tranquil piece of land located in the Brahmaputra river in the south and the Kherkutia Xuti is joined by the Subansiri River in the north! Nearest Airport: Jorhat Nearest Railway Station: Jorhat Prerequisities - n/a Packing - Nothing special! Time of the year - January Length of the itinerary: 2 days Itinerary Highlights: Saakshi headed off to Majuli as a part of a blogger group that toured the island with Koyeli travels. One needs to head to Jorhat, the biggest city from where one can head off to Majuli on a boat or ferry! Enjoy the expansive views of the Brahmaputra river as y

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Prasanjit Kumar from the blog Behhind the Handlebar! So strap up and sit back as Prasanjit takes us on a ride to remember! Today&#39;s destination: Meghalaya! Nearest Airport: N/A Nearest Railway Station: N/A Prerequisities - The inner-line permit may be required if you are riding through some of the other NE states, however Meghalaya doesn&#39;t need one. Packing - Essentials list in the links below Time of the year - February Length of the itinerary: 29 days Itinerary Highlights: Prasanjit did the trip as a part of his North East sojourn The starting point for the trip was Mumbai from where Prasanjit, with his partner in crime, Muthu, headed off to the the North east. The first phase of the journey includes Arunachal, Nagaland and Assam. Once the duo saw through the tough route through Silchar and made their

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Satyarup Siddhanta - a Bengaluru-based Bengali mountaineer.[1] On December 15, 2017 he became the first Bengali civilian from India to complete the seven highest summits in the 7 continents. He is the President and founder of ABETO – &quot;A better tomorrow&quot; foundation, and works as a consultant at Brady Corporation, India.[5] Today&#39;s destination: Mt. Everest, Nepal Nearest Airport: Lukla airport Nearest Railway Station: n/a Prerequisities - Required visas, training and certification, practice and acclimatization Packing - n/a Time of the year - May Length of the itinerary: 55 days from the base camp to the Everest summit and back Itinerary Highlights: Satya shares the story of his early struggles from asthma as a kid and how he overcame this to start climbing. Satya&#39;s speaks of his expedition to Mt. Killimanjaro,

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Renuka Walter from the blog Voyager for Life! Renuka is one of the top solo women travelers from India and has worked with a number of brands and campaigns. Sit back and enjoy as Renuka takes us on her solo trip to Srinagar, Kashmir! Today's destination: Srinagar, J&amp;K Nearest Airport: Srinagar International airport Nearest Railway Station: Srinagar Railway station Prerequisities - n/a for Indian citizens, but make sure to carry ID proof to show at checkposts Packing - Carry warm layers as the weather tends to be unpredictable. Time of the year - June, summers are quite enjoyable but winters offers different highlights. Length of the itinerary: 13 days of slow travel! Itinerary Highlights: Renuka kicks off her journey with a visit to the iconic Dal lake and enjoying shikara rides. Dal lake is a vast lake spread over 15kms in the vicinity of

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Divyakshi Gupta, the Quirky wanderer!  Today's destination: Roadtrip to Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Kinnaur is one of twelve administrative districts in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The district is divided into three administrative areas – Pooh, Kalpa, and Nichar(Bhabanagar)– and has five tehsils (counties). The administrative headquarters of Kinnaur district is at Reckong Peo.   Nearest Airport: Jubbar Hatti, 244km  Nearest Railway Station: Shimla railway station Prerequisities - N/A Packing - Pack warm clothes as the winters tend to be colder in the mountains! Also recommended to carry medicines for altitude related illness.  Time of the year - September! The apple picking season! Length of the itinerary: 2 weeks Itinerary Highlights:  - This trip was headed by Doreen, who is a seasoned traveler and expert tour leader. <p

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Neeharika Satyavada who is a digital strategist turned blogger from Hyderabad! Sit back and enjoy as Neeharika takes us on a roadtrip through Karimnagar! Today's destination: Karimnagar, TS Nearest Airport: Rajiv Gandhi Intl airport, Hyderabad Nearest Railway Station: Karimnagar railway station Prerequisities - n/a Packing - comfortable clothes and shoes as there might be some climbing to do at the forts! Time of the year - Monsoons is the best season to go see the forts and ruins surrounded by shades of green. Length of the itinerary: 2 days Itinerary Highlights: Day 1 Molangur Fort Built during the reign of Kakatiya dynasty/ Prathapa Rudra: 1163 - 1195 (12th centry) This is also a transit point between Warangal and Elgandal The fort is located on a granite hill and has unfo

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Sarmistha Ghosh, from the blog Footloosein.me. Sarmistha is based in Pune and has extensively covered the state of Maharashtra as well as other Indian destiantions. In Sarmistha&#39;s own words - “You can always make money, but you can’t always make memories”. She wants to make the world her home and does not want to be confined to one place.  Today&#39;s destination: Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra    Nearest Airport: Ratnagiri airport Nearest Railway Station: Ratnagiri Prerequisities - n/a Packing - Pack light for a roadtrip. Make sure to carry enough sunscreen and shades. And save plenty of rooom in your car for MANGOES! Time of the year - Summer time for the mangoes, winters for the views! Length of the itinerary: One week Itinerary Highlights:  - Sarmistha starts off on her roadtrip from Pune, the first stop being Harihareshwar for the beach views! Below are the trip highlights: Harihareshwar (part of Raigad district) - Beautiful views o

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Chittra from the Masala Box, a blog where she shares her travels and adventures along with other musings of life! Today's destination: Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh Nearest Airport: Jabalpur Nearest Railway Station: Umaria Prerequisities - make sure to book your tickets for the safari as well as lodging well before time as it tends to fill up fast. Packing - Dont forget to carry your camera! Bug repellants are also a good idea along with sunscreen and shades. Length of the itinerary: 2 days Lodging at: Tiger's den resort Itinerary Highlights: Chittra gives us a run down of her experience about getting to Bandhavgarh national park and her tryst with the big cat. Chittra did two safaris during her visit to Bandhavgarh, an evening safari and a morning safari. They booked a jeep for both safaris. Blesse

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Sachin Bhandary from Eccentrips. Sachin is building a startup that focuses on long term purposeful travel. Listen to Sachin talk more about his flip on the executive MBA - The 12 project and how he traversed India in 25 days and 25 trains, touching the 4 farthest railway stations - Kanyakumari (S), Ledo (E), Baramulla (N) and Okha (W)! Today&#39;s destination: India! Nearest Railway Station: Is not far away! Prerequisities - confirmed railway tickets! Packing - Pack light, make sure you carry locks for your bags! Length of the itinerary: 25 days! Itinerary Highlights: Sachin starts off on the journey from CST railway terminal, Mumbai Sachin heads towards the first milestone of the trip to the southern most tip of India - Kanyakumari, with stops at Sachin&#39;s native town, Udupi. Dont miss out savoring some delicious food on the Mandovi Express. <

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Saumy Nagayach, a Pune based blogger, photographer and full time software engineer who loves writing poetry as much as he loves writing code. So sit back and enjoy as Saumy takes us to explore some of the hidden gems of Madhya Pradesh Today's destination: Dhar, Madhya Pradesh Nearest Airport: Indore, MP Nearest Railway Station: Mhow, MP Prerequisities - N/A Packing - Pack light, weather can be hot in summers. Time of the year - December Length of the itinerary: One can do a day trip to Dhar, or spread it over two days to cover the place at a slow pace. Overall 5 day itinerary covering Dhar, Mandu, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar and Ujjain Itinerary Highlights: Start off with the majestic Dhar fort, built by Mohammed bin Tughluq, in the 14th century. The fort is built of red stone and is located on a small hill. The walls of the fort can easily be seen from

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Swati Sinha from the blog Recipe for Travel! Swati is a working professional based in Bangalore, who blogs about her travel and experiences, with the aim of sharing and enjoying these experiences with more people. Today&#39;s destination: Shimla aboard the Kalka-Shimla toy train Nearest Airport: Chandigarh Nearest Railway Station: Kalka Prerequisities - The booking of the Kalka Shimla trains opens only a month in advance, so it maybe useful to work with a travel agent to book tickets. Packing - Warm clothes for the higher altitudes, pills for motion sickness may be useful. Time of the year - April Length of the itinerary: 5 days Itinerary Highlights: The journey is kickstarted by flying in to Chandigarh, where Swati spends a day with her family exploring the famous Rock garden and Sukhna lake. Pal&#39;s Dhaba is a must stop eatery! Leav

This week The Musafir Stories talk to Mary Ann Thomas and Daniel Baylis, two bicyclists from North America who have been bicycle touring across India. Follow Mary Ann&#39;s journey on Instagram on : https://instagram.com/postcardsfrommat Follow her blog at http://postcardsfrommat.com/ Follow Daniel&#39;s work on http://www.danielbaylis.ca/ Follow the journey on www.strava.com/danielbaylis www.warmshowers.org #India #Cycling #Touring #MaryAnnThomas #America #DanielBaylis #Canada #PostcardsFromMAT #Culture #People #Explore #Leh #Kolkata #Kanyakumari #Road #Trip #warmshowers.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Neelendra Nath, a London based Management Consultant, Startup Evangelist and a blogger who writes at http://travelwithneel.com/ Neel has some very interesting post about travel, work and the world around! Join us as Neel takes us with him to explore the ruins of Mandu! Today's destination: Mandu / Mandavgad, Madhya Pradesh Nearest Airport: Indore, Madhya Pradesh Nearest Railway Station : Indore, Madhya Pradesh Packing - Pack light weighted cool clothes, sun screen and a camera! Time of the year - November to February Time of the year Neal travelled: March Length of the itinerary: Checkout Neel's photos of Mandu: https://www.facebook.com/neelendra.nath/mediaset?set=a.10153927164244852.1073741878.803299851&amp;type=1&amp;l=0e55c71b6d <a href="http

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Vibha Ravi, a Mumbai-based independent writer, journalist and a travel professional. She has written travel articles for Lonely Planet Magazine (India), Moneycontrol and Thomas Cook (India). Vibha has an amazing travel blog called PixelVoyages that has very interesting posts about various Indian and International destinations. Join us as Vibha takes us with her to explore Shekhawati! Today's destination: Shekhawati, Rajasthan Nearest Airport: Jaipur, Rajasthan Nearest Railway Station : Jaipur, Rajasthan Packing - Pack light weighted cool clothes, sun screen and a camera! Time of the year - November-Feburary Length of the itinerary: 4 Days Checkout Vibha's interesting post about Shekhawati: https://pixelvoyages.com/2015/12/17/shekhawatis-havelis

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to the founder of Travelling Camera Vijay Sharma, a technology professional based in Noida who also has a keen interest in photography. With more than 9 million page views till date, TravellingCamera and VJ Sharma are well known in the Indian Blogging space. Join us as Vijay takes us with him to one of his most epic treks till date - The Shrikhand Mahadev trek!. Today&#39;s destination: Shrikhand Mahadev Trek, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh Nearest Airport: Bhuntar Airport, Kullu Nearest Railway Station : Shimla Nearest Town : Nirmand Village Prerequisities - trekking stick, water bottle, trekking gear, rain suit and not to forget a cap/hat and sunscreen to save you from sun burns! Packing - Light weighted warm clothes, energy bars, Energy drinks, Oral Rehydration Salts, dry fruits and a camera! Time of the year - July to August Length of the itinerary: 7 Days

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to up and coming instagrammer, Shikhar Lohia, who posts under the handle @upandmeandering. Shikhar is a recent graduate of Delhi university who works for an international property consultant and is based out of Delhi. Today&#39;s destination: McLeod Gunj Nearest Airport: Gaggal airport Nearest Railway Station: Pathankot railway station is located at a distance of 90 km from Mcleodganj and is the nearest broad gauge rail head to the city. The nearest meter gauge railway stations to the city are Kangra and Nagrota Prerequisities - n/a Packing - Some warm clothes and a camera! Time of the year - Summer is the best time to visit the hills! Length of the itinerary: 1 week Itinerary Highlights: Shikhar sets out on this week long trip from Delhi by boarding a bus at the Kashmere gate Shikhar explores the city center and local cuisine on the first coupl

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Sandy &amp; Vyjay from the blog Voyager. VOYAGER was born out of a burning desire to share our travel experiences and stories with others. The more they traveled, the more they felt the need to record and share our experiences and this finally led to the crystallization of VOYAGER, a one-stop place for information and stories about travel destinations, food and culture as well as travel tips. Today's destination: Sikkim Nearest airport: Bagdogra Airport Nearest Railway Station: New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri Prerequisities - permit required for Nathula pass Packing - warm clothes, pills for AMS Time of the year - November Length of the itinerary: 7 days Itinerary Highlights: Pristine views of Pelling, the great Kanchenjunga mountains the sacred khecheopalri lake Kanchenjunga waterfalls; Singshore hanging bridge <li

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to  Sai Kumar as we continue disucssing his ascent towards Leh-Ladakh after having successfully covered the terrains of the Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Punjab. So sit back and enjoy part 2 of the Great Indian Road trip! Time of the year - July Length of the itinerary: 77 days, 11,124kms!!! Itinerary Highlights:  Sai continues his journey from Amritsar towards Ladakh, albeit with a slight change of plan due to the unrest in Srinagar. He finds a travel companion in Peter, a British explorer who has been riding his bike across the world, and the two set off towards Kashmir via the challenging Sach Pass, the mother of all passes! This was one of the most challenging stretches of the road trip, yet completely pristine and serene. There were a couple of landslides to deal with as well as streams to cross! Finally a stop at Killar for the night, after al

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Sai Kumar, the man behind the handlebar of our most epic road trip so far. Sai grew up in the UAE before moving to India for his graduation. Sai later went on to do his masters in the UK before moving back to the UAE. Find out how Sai quit his job to follow his passion to travel India! Today&#39;s destination: INDIA! Sai&#39;s Ride - Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500cc Prerequisities - preparation for the trip in terms of funding, crowdfunded, roughly cost about 1.3lakhs for the entire trip Packing - Medicines, spares, travel accessories, tent, sleeping bag, rucksack (clothes, documents, camera, laptop, dry fruits), tripod, tent, saddle bags (bike spares, winter clothes, camera accessories, personal toiletteries), jerry can for spare fuel Time of the year - July-October 2016 Length of the itinerary: 77 days and 11,124kms!!! Itinerary Highlights: The journey

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Kartik Kannan from the blog Katchu Travels. Kartik is a product manager by profession advising early phase start ups. He also loves shooting weddings in his free time while also pursuing his love for travel through travel documentaries, like the #BeachTrail2017! Today&#39;s destination: The Beach Trail - based on the movie &#39;The Beach&#39;, this is set in Thailand and tries to recreate the magic from the DiCaprio starrer, The Beach, based on the novel by Alex Garland.   Nearest Airport: Koh Samui/Don Mueang air port Prerequisities - check the Visa fee waiver for Indians, it will save you about INR 2000 as well as an hour at the immigration! Packing - make sure you pack a few extra pair of clothes, specially if you are going there during Songkaran - the equivalent of Holi, minus the colors! Time of the year - April Length of the itinerary: 9 days Itinerary Highlights:  <ul

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Rajat Chakraborty from Trawellblogging.com. We speak at length about Rajat's latest ebook - "How to earn airline loyalty points for your next holiday".  Book Highlights: This one of a kind ebook explores into the unchartered territory (atleast in India) of airline loyalty points and miles programs. Rajat demystifies the concept of miles and breaks down the myths, facts and some common misconceptions. Highlights below Introduction to the Airline Loyalty Programs How to Join Up with the Various Airline Loyalty Programs How to Earn Miles How to Use Miles How to Make the Most out of Your Miles For practical examples and more details download Rajat's ebook " How to earn airline loyalty points for your next holiday" from Scribd for free!!!  Links: Rajat's blog: <a hre

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Venkat Ganesh from the blog Indiabackpackmotorbike. Venkat talks to us at length about how everyone can travel if they really want to. About things he learnt after quitting his cushy job and travelling in India and about moving to Vietnam and teaching English. Venkat speaks about his stint as a teacher in Vietnam where he spent close to 3 years teaching. His pupils varied from a group of trained Vietnamese teachers to a group of rebellious teenagers to a group of cute 4-10 year old kids. So sit back and enjoy his stories from Hanoi. Today&#39;s destination: Vietnam Itinerary Highlights: Short stint in Thailand False start at Ho Chi minh city. In love with Hanoi, teaching and more Dealing with the language problems and the funny side to it Living in Vietnam and tryst with the Viatnamese cuisine Teachings gigs in Hanoi - teaching everyone from teachers to