Backpacking

Caves of Ajanta & Ellora, Bombay Floods

On a Friday night, I arrived to Aurangabad after a 4-hour bus ride from Pune. I felt like…

Rajasthan — aka “Fortlandia”

Rajasthan is on the “golden triangle” loop, meaning it is a part of India people frequently tour, especially…

Rishikesh — The Yoga Capital of the World

Before I arrived at the yoga capital of the world, I had images of yoga schools…

Hampi: Come for the Temples, Stay for the Sunsets

So Sore in Mysore — What’s Ashtanga Yoga?

Before coming to India, I set a goal for deepening my yoga practice (after all, this is…

Madurai & Kodaikanal

After briefly exploring Pondicherry, I took an overnight train to the city of Madurai.

Madurai, Tamil Nadu

I love exploring ancient structures, so I came to Madurai to visit the Meenakshi Amman temple. This temple is dedicated…

Kerala — “God’s Own Country”

I’ve been to India several times in my life with my family, but since we have roots in Punjab, we always end up spending our 2-week vacation visiting numerous relatives and friends. This leaves little time to explore India.

The Return

The moment has come. It’s time to fly back home to California. Feeling fulfilled from the past five months of travel, I’m excited to return home and see my family and friends again.

I have one last adventure on the way in Japan, thanks to a nine-hour layover at Narita airport…

Jakarta, Indonesia

I take a scenic eight-hour train ride from Yogyakarta to Jakarta. In Jakarta my friend Karthik will be picking me up from the train station. It’s a fortunate coincidence to meet up with Karthik, a friend from back home in San Francisco, who is here on vacation to visit his folks in Jakarta. I…

Deserted on Gili Air

After spending a week in Ubud, I feel inclined to stay on an island, which I haven’t done yet during my trip. There are three islands to choose from: Gili Taranwagan (the party island), Gili Air (the relaxed island), and Gili Meno (the deserted island). I take a speedboat to a small island…