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“For the sort of bus we were on, I was just glad that it didn’t flip into the ocean...”
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Know before you go! MONSOON ISSUE 2016
PRESENT PERFECT
Handpicked gifts from around the world
INDONESIA: Seven Days. Seven Delights
From Cubicle to Coast: Meet the trio who took the trip you fantasize about
Potholes in the Air: A pilot explains turbulence
Fields of Dreams: A train ride through Tamil Nadu PLUS:
CANADA
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KASHMIR
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TAIWAN
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PUNJAB
ts Know before you go!
Our Website travelsecretsmag.com
Lots more secrets there! 7 Movies That Inspire You to Travel
Lost in Paradise: Mauritius
Goa: A Timelapse Journey
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gift from foreign shores is always special. We have all known—and loved—the joy in a friend’s eyes as they open a packet of hand-picked Assam tea, sandalwood incense sticks or a lovely bell-metal Ganesha. When our friends come visiting, they too spend time and care picking up souvenirs for us. Wine, perfume or wall hanging; they know where exactly to go shopping for those special souvenirs from their land. We asked them to tell us those secret spots, and the result is a delectable collection of gift ideas from all over the world. Your personal resource directory, put together by locals from across the continent! Ever been to Indonesia? And no, I’m not just talking about the beaches of Bali, though those are beautiful, too. The land holds immense allure for those who love a combination of rich heritage and superb shopping. Siddharth Birla’s picks from his recent trip will tell you more. We have a great idea for your next Europe holiday. It’s tucked among the mountains, virtually tourist-free, and incredibly affordable. Rohnish Sabharwal shows you Georgia, and i for one am blown away! Meet travel bloggers Savi and Vid. And a man who is named after a Rajasthan fort! Catch a snowflake in Gulmarg. Safe travels, and happy times
Shubhra Krishan, Publisher & Editor
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Lust list
Kluane National Park, Yukon, Canada About 160 kilometre away from Yukon’s capital Whitehorse is the Haines Junction, gateway to the beautiful Kluane National Park. Home to Canada’s tallest peak Mount Logan, this huge national park sprawls over 22,000 square kilometres of land with its blue glaciers and lush valleys.You can choose to explore it from the sky, aboard a helicopter or on an airplane equipped with skis (which allow high-altitude snow landings). But the best way to take in Kluane’s beauty is it to go hiking using the Park’s vast network of trails. You could literally walk for days through the beautiful, sombre landscapes without spotting another person. Bliss! Getting here is pretty easy—just hire a rental car from Whitehorse and drive down to Kluane for a nice road trip, like most visitors do. Photo: www.boomsbeat.com
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Q&A
A tale of two travellers He is the coffee expert, she is the fashionista. He’s the photographer, she, his muse. Together, they paint a pretty picture, one destination at a time. A common love for travel made Savi and Vid leave their decade old corporate jobs and become full time travellers. Their blog www.bruisedpassports.com is a reflection of their personal style and journeys taken. Sixty-five countries and counting, this fearless couple give chasing your dreams a whole new meaning. 18 Travel Secrets monsoon issue 2016
Eureka moment that made you transition from corporate professionals to full time travellers The transition wasn’t a spur-of-themoment decision. In fact it was a conscious decision on our parts. We’d always talked about taking a roundthe-world trip when we turned 30. Over the past couple of years we’ve seen everyone around us become more and more involved with corporate jobs they don’t like, to buying things they don’t need. We wanted to break free from this cycle and pursue something we truly love. We also wanted to take a step back and enjoy the little things in life: wild flowers, twinkling stars, and flitting butterflies. It took a huge leap of faith to quit our jobs but it was completely worth it.
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Just Back From...
GEORGIA Virgin landscapes. Ancient riverside cities. And the world’s best wine...for the price of a coffee! Rohnish Sabharwal’s recent trip to Georgia now tops our wish list 22 Travel 22 Travel Secrets Secrets JANUARY-FEBRUARY monsoon issue 2016 2016
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COVER STORY
Gifts from my city Till a few decades ago, a gift from aborad was an eagerly awaited pleasure. Visiting uncles and friends would pull out colourful crayons, exotic perfume bottles and liqueur-burst chocolate, lifting our hearts and leaving us fascinated with their faraway lands. Today, most of those goodies are a button-click away, but the pleasure of receiving a handpicked gift from abroad still abides. We asked our international correspondents to tell us what they would pick for us from their own cities. And what a delightful goodie-bag we gathered!
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COVER STORY Name: Paola Peruzzo City: Padova, Italy 3 gifts I would pick: Cheese (Grana Padano and Polenta), Ceramic souvenirs and items from the factory outlets
Grana Padano Typical of the Po River Valley, Grana Padano is a DOP product made from semi skimmed cow milk. As it ages, the flavours become pronounced, savoury and texture more appreciated, perfect if accompanied by polenta, a dish of boiled corn meal that may be consumed baked, fried or grilled, that has its roots in the peasant cuisine of northern Italy. My secret: You’ll find many typical little cheese shops in the city centre, between Piazza della Frutta and Piazza delle Erbe, where Grana is sold for a good price (about € 7, 5 /kg) and where you can taste it before buying!
Items from the Factory Outlets Outlets are great places to find a wide selection of luxury shoes and the latest styles, and bags. My secret: Come to visit the many factory outlets of Padova especially the area of “Vigodarzere” and the Outlet village of “Noventa di Piave.” You could return home with exclusive products, spending about half the price!
Ceramic souvenirs If you want to find a unique product with a century-old tradition, handmade ceramic souvenirs are perfect for a special gift…plates, fridge magnets, keychains, artistic vase—suitable for all tastes! My secret: Every third week of the month, in Prato della Valle, the largest square in Italy, there’s a local market where you can find for € 5-10 many beautiful artisanal creations. With the help of our craftsmen you can choose among current models or create new ones—as you like!
Meet Paola
Paola Peruzzo lives in the beautiful town of Padova, Italy, 40 km west of Venice. She is a clinical pedagogist and correspondent for a Swiss periodical of art, culture and society. Always curious and enthusiastic, Paola is passionate about classical & world music and photography. She is our magazine’s Italy Correspondent.
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SNOWMAN’S LAND Devika Dev watches her first snowfall in Gulmarg. 58  Travel Secrets monsoon issue 2016
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KASHMIR
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Manamadurai Junction
Kaapi seller
be a highly uncomfortable position. One hand dangling above his shoulder, the other wedged between the grills of the window; his legs curled in a peculiar shape resembling the letter ‘S’. Yet, he shows no signs of discomfort, his lips curled into a satisfactory smile as he enjoys his siesta. In no time we arrive at the Manamadurai Junction. I see a line of coffee sellers standing at the platform eagerly waiting for the train to come to a halt. They raid each bogie of the passenger train with cries of ‘Kaapi, Kaapi, Kaapi,’ propping their coffee bins against the horizontal window bars with a smartly designed lever. They try to sell as many cups of coffee as they possibly can, constantly checking on the distant railway traffic signal. Somehow, the sales pitch of the coffee sellers manages Murukku
Paramakuddi station
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