Crown Brings Discipline

It was one of these days when everything turned out to be the way they were meant to be.

Screw it, Let’s Keep Fit… Even if it’s Wanderlust Who Calls

Without sparing our sweat drops, hours of (sort of) suffering, overcoming our sluggishness even the most lazy looking day, all year round we are striving to keep up with the good work we do when it comes to staying fit, building up our muscles, stretching our body or finally losing that little excess belly fat. But all our efforts seem to be down the drain when we take a break from the fit-race while traveling.

Wander to Live, Live to Wander. Intricate?

While eagerly trying to leave some crazy footprints all over the globe stop sometimes to learn how to…

 

8 Things. 8 Lessons. 8 Weeks – Graduating from the ‘School of India’

Living abroad or spending longer time far away from the home-comfort-zone can do some good to your personality. After I had spent eight weeks in India I returned home as a different person and it really is a challenge now to be normal part of the Western society again. Probably I don’t even want to be part of the classic Western consumer society anymore. I might risk to be excluded, how knows. For now let me share the most important things I learned in the ‘School of India’:

And there I went off the map…

And after a 2-hour train delay before the sun could come up we went off the Indian map to find ourselves in Karwar. It looked like I was the only non-Indian which gave me even more intense stares than I ever experienced before.

Weekly Photo Challenge: (Life) Afloat

Kovalam, Kerala, India

A Secret Beach Behind the Scenes

I’ve always dreamed of an undiscovered beach. Ok, I would have agreed with a lonely seashore even if it had been discovered by someone else before me. They say if you dream of something long enough and hard enough, one day you will get it. So I just did that until a remote coastline revealed out of nowhere.

A Touch from the Sky

One insane short-video of paragliding! Jean-Baptiste Chandelier is giving you a high-five and touching the surface of a private pool just out of the sky.

 

Urban. Lifestyle. Goa.

If you thought there is nothing beyond the sandy shores in Goa then think again. Whitewashed churches, narrow streets, traditional and new-wave restaurants, hidden bars and old-school shops are scattered over the small area.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Fresh (produce)

Sunday market – Karwar, India

 

A Coast for Each! Best Beaches of North Goa

Goa is the laziest place on the globe I’ve ever been. Absolutely. The whole state has an extremely laid-back vibe that you tend to forget everything about your life before Goa.

Probably it’s the sunny days and chilled nights, the energising yoga sessions on the beach, the freedom seeker cosmopolitan crowd on the roads with their rented bikes or the cheap alcohol. Whatever. There is certainly something in the air that makes the place utterly different from other coastal areas I had been earlier.

Beyond Trance and Feni Shots. Is it North Goa?

I arrived to North Goa just a week before the ‘harvest’ season Goan businesses so much look forward to year after year. It was 18^th December and tourists had already started to flock to hippie’s paradise on Earth.

Let’s GOa (On a Sleeper Bus)

Peak-season travel is not my philosophy. So the idea of riding to Goa just a week before Christmas sounded irrational and incompatible with my journey.

Your Career Is Something and Your Blog Is Nothing. How Is It?

I’m a hobby blogger. I’ve started writing a bit more than a year ago out of a simple desire to leave my footprints on Earth. Since my travel blog is pure passion and not my career people in my surrounding tend to ignore or at least undervalue it. Do people around us understand the real meaning of blogging?

Culture meets adrenaline in Hampi

Dawn to dusk in Hampi is not enough to quench your cultural thirst? Whether you are up for a few more stops along historic roads or would rather be on top of the rocks with your climbing gear, the ancient empire has a lot more on offer than it seems like.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Orange (can you look into it long enough?)

Goa, India

Dawn to dusk in Hampi

By looking at nomad farmers along rice fields in the morning sun the world of materialism falls thousand miles away. After a chilling walk in the neighborhood all you need is a hearty breakfast and a friendly talk to kick-off with the day around a town called champion. Hop on your vehicle and let your driver take you to wonderland.

Weekly Photo Challenge: (a photo snapped is always a…) Reward

Rickshaw driver’s portrait and soul – Hampi, India

Hampi, hippies, hipsters

South India’s – what South India’s, the world’s – awe, a place that speaks hundreds years, where columns are musical and carvings are ‘God-made’. Hampi should be cheek by jowl with the Taj Mahal on any traveler’s list to India.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Scale (to human to sun)

Adrenaline sunset…Goa…India

Bangalore high speed

To be honest, Bangalore is a destination for high stake businesses or simply a point of transfer on most travelers’ list. The city however is not at all short of fascinating sights and bright cultural life. Whether you are there for business or just on a short stopover try to squeeze a day in your schedule, book a driver and explore the less traveled parts of this seemingly crazy place.

Silicon Valley of India – THE place to be

South India’s business hub, a once upon a time green and chilled hill station has become pure synonym for tech hub in the past few years. But only a few know, that the city of Bangalore has much more on offer than shared service centers and fearlessly slaloming rickshaw drivers. Traveling around four South Indian states Bangalore was my base, the one and only place to kick-start my journeys from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu to Kerala to Goa. My initial web search and first blink on the place did not buzz me up much but when I dug a bit deeper walking its streets (or rather trying to walk the streets without falling into a suddenly arising deep hole) I found quite a bunch of things it was eventually worth to be crammed in extreme traffic jams day after day for.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Express Yourself (through rainbow and rain)

Quilon, Kerala, India

Kovalam – an almost forgotten place by the sea

A place that not too many heard about. A crescent-shaped seaside that is often overlooked by winter beachgoers. A little oasis where tourism forms a perfect blend with age-old traditions. An exotic escape alive and laid back at the same time. Somewhere by the Arabian sea, towards the Southern tip of India, Kerala’s little beach town is something called love at first sight I guess.

Art lies in logistics

We want to carry joy, health, love, energy – and fill in the blank – into the new year and try to avoid bringing sorrow, sickness, hate and negativity through from the past year. We are pushing and pulling and taking and dropping at a mental level and hoping it won’t have a physical effect on us. Because we don’t like to physically carry things.

But it’s way not the case when you come across some of the master transporters in India. They are literally doing all kinds of circus when it comes to moving something (or someone) from A to B. Let’s kick-off the year with a short recap on how things are carried through at this part of the world where seemingly everything is possible.

1.

“But how are we going to carry this home? Don’t worry dude, I already have an idea!”

The Niagara of India

Tiny monkey learning the rules of nature

With nature’s scenic backdrop this natural phenomenon is worthy of its nickname. 70 km from Cochin, Athirapally has two remarkable waterfalls, the lush green Vazhachal forest and the wildlife infused Vachumaram lake on offer.

Munnar reflects fifty shades of green

Passing by steep valleys, robust waterfalls, colorful roadside shacks and the greenest tea plantations the drive from Thekkady to Munnar is mind-blowing. In Munnar everything is pretty much about tea, the city itself is not so impressive but the surrounding area is something you don’t come across with everywhere.

Do not miss the junction – tea estate junction sign, Munnar

Spice kick and high tea in Thekkady

Touristic and off-the-beaten-track at the same time, Thekkady is a green delight you wouldn’t want to skip if you are down in the southwestern county of India. From wildlife to lush green vegetation from spices and herbs to Ayurvedic treatments there is simply an abundant list of activities you can immerse yourself in during your stay out there.

Where the mysterious backwaters join the open sea

From crowded Trivandrum we headed onto quiet Varkala in the evening. The peak season hasn’t come in yet, so there was enough and more personal space to finally experience some serenity far away from mad drivers and the freaking toots and honks.

Ayurveda meets movie Life of Pi in Trivandrum

After the off-beaten trip in Quilon it was time to venture into Kerala’s polluted capital, Trivandrum. The city itself did not look like any attention puller and I would have easily skipped it if I didn’t have an appointment in Kottakkal Ayurveda hospital. It was a morning session. The hospital itself is not the typical 3 to 5 star Ayurveda resort but more like a modest looking facility. Very simple building with no fountains, no incense sticks, no rose petals, no music and shoes to be strictly removed before crossing the threshold.

Quilon – Kerala’s hidden gem

Visited by far less crowd, untouristy Quilon (or Kollam) is an authentic experience if you are craving for the real taste of the local lifestyle. During my Kerala visit I guess one of the most relaxing days of my entire stay goes for this old coastal place. If you already have some time scheduled in trendy Varkala at a 35 km distance just pop over to Kollam for a quiet day. Sure you won’t leave disappointed. Here’s how you can make the most out of your journey:

Racing against time in Kerala

God’s own country taught me some lessons from the moment I landed on its territories. The lush green scenery, endless coconut palms, quiet backwaters and seemingly laid-back life made me believe I am only here to unwind and relax so I would have never thought I will be experiencing the unexpected.

Struggle forms routines in India

Being in India after a few days made me come up with different new survival routines. I’m staying in a residential area in Bangalore to get a glimpse into the locals’ everydays. One thing is sure. Life is not at all easy out here. What we take for granted in our western comfort society is not always unequivocal this part of the world, to say the least. Being a temporary visitor I’m facing issues from a different angle, which might be pity problems in the eyes of the locals but coming from the ‘everything is a click away’ side of the world some things for me are quite challenging to cope with.

When India kicks in

Bangalore street life

Can you prepare for India? Can you train your mind in advance? Do you think reading through all those books and articles, browsing Pinterest images day and night will show you the real thing?

Dudes and India and this and that

Less than 2 weeks to go to touch ground in the vibrant tech-city of Bangalore and spend the rest of this year in the land of colors and religions and languages and crowd and… let’s just say diversity. For two months I will be wandering around the incredible cities and states of India and as the date is getting closer the itinerary pretty much seems as diverse as the country itself.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Endurance

Endurance meets courage – Cochin, Kerala, India

Let this story stand as a survival guide to any family vacations – part 2.

Apart from the discomfort caused by the 10 suitcases of (only) the most necessary stuff packed for this extreme long 4-day trip we were able to cover more than 50% of the distance without major headache and noise. We were silent and they were relatively silent.

Let this story stand as a survival guide to any family vacations – part 1.

Family vacation. It’s a hard call. What made me spend a chunk of my summer holidays with my loved ones? I’m still not sure… But I tell ya’ how I survived.

If you are also planning to challenge your destiny here’s my story.

An Alpine village copy pasted by China

Located in Upper Austria, surrounded by mountains and a crystal clear lake, the charming village of Hallstatt has not only attracted thousands and thousands of visitors from all parts of the world but the Chinese also needed one right away so they came, saw, measured and copied the whole damn thing. And the result?

Life IS a journey

When you just know you have to take that next step. When life starts to kick your ass and have to take the challenge knocking harder and harder on your door. When you know you can’t fiddle around in one place anymore and life anyway will sort the rest out.

When the journey ends

Returning home from a journey is always another journey. Here are 5 reasons behind the secretly awaited moment:

Instant Tuscany for ‘take-a-way’

Overdosing pasta and Carpaccio Italian style – part IV.

… and the usual-unusual touring in Tuscany did not end here but rather turned into a desperate gem-hunting spree to avoid the guide-book’s top ten and get lost off-road.

Il Guerrino – a hidden gem in Montefioralle

MadnessUnderTheTuscanSun

OverdosingPastaAndCarpaccioItalianStylePartIII.

TenAm. WeOverSlept. CoffeeQuickly. WhatDayIsIt? ThankGodSaturday. WhatDidWePlan? NothingExtra. AreWeCrazy? InItaly? WhereShouldWeGo? NoIdea. FirstThingFirst. Let’sHaveBreakfast. What’sInTheFridge? JustAYogurt. WellWhatToDo. WhatTimeIsIt? It’sEleven. HalfDayIsGone.

Where the lake reflects Harleys

Overdosing pasta and Carpaccio Italian style– part II.

What’s common in vintage cars, pristine landscape, Harley-Davidson and crystal clear water? I also didn’t know but pretty much seems to be it’s Lake Garda, coz all these can be easily spotted on the way from south to north, from east to west. Driving around the biggest Italian lake is feast for the eyes and food for the soul.

The world as we trek

Traveling the world and hopping from one country to the other is something that certainly everyone would be up to try. Whether trekking the globe is happening bit by bit or in one go you finally get to tick that bucket list jotted down ages ago.

Twelve days ’round Italia

Currently I am on another 12-day trip in Italy to immerse myself in the beauty, culture and cuisine of the country as summer kicks-off. On my list are exploring Milan’s tranquility and side street cafes, marveling the enthralling architecture in Palladio’s Vicenza, driving around Italy’s biggest freshwater, Lake Garda, walking the roads of the ancient university town of Padova, getting lost in the center of Shakespeare’s love story, Verona and hopping from train to train, bus to bus to see anything I can squeeze into my travel schedule developing on the go. So bring on the sunshine, bring on Italia!

Egypt high five

Some of us go to Egypt to fulfill a long-term dream by seeing its monumental symbol, the Pyramids and visiting the remains of the ancient building complex, the Luxor temples on the bank of the Nile. Some others opt for the country for its abundant sunshine and blatantly affordable 5-star luxury to worry about nothing else during the holiday but to avoid overeating at the all-inclusive buffet. But is there anything else you can do beyond the comfort of the hotel walls and the air-co seats of the tour bus? Sure, there is.

Worn down shoes do inspire

How would you discover big cities’ mysterious corners, the countryside beauties and rural island paths? If I’m not wandering around alone, I definitely opt for an original kind of outing, rather than following the red umbrella. So here’s the deal.

When you walk the roads alone

Before not at all I would have considered traveling alone as an option. Ok, that was long time ago. I was thinking (way too wrong!) that you need company, people to talk to, to go out with, to be protected by and so on. But traveling unaccompanied no way means you are a lonely wanderer. There are so many unprecedented things waiting for you out there so are the pros of walking the roads alone.

Malta – adrenaline junkies paradise

Beyond guidebooks around the Maltese islands (part II.)

Did anyone say Malta was relaxing? It’s time to rethink. With a territory 5 times smaller than London, this charming place has a lot to offer the adventurous traveler. Getting above or underwater, hanging from the rock or racing off-road, Malta is slowly getting on the bucket list of adrenaline junkies.