From Cruises To Craft Gin Tours: Ideas For An Indian Summer Holiday

This year, skip the long flights for these dream vacations that will bring the world home says Arundhati Ail

- Arundhati Ail

OUT THERE: Sunset at White Desert National Park, Egypt

RIGHT HERE: Moonlit camel ride, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat

As the sun sets over the sprawling Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, the landscape slowly changes under the soft moonlight. The sky shifts into a pale pink and settles into a deep purple-blue, as the white of the sand and salt begin to shimmer. The best way to take in the beauty of these unique salt marshes is on a slow and moody camel ride across the land at night. Of course, you could travel to Egypt to camp among the chalk-white rock formations in the Farafra depression. But since travel is tricky at the current moment, this pristine salt desert closer home, will provide you with an equally spellbinding night under the stars.

OUT THERE: Parmesan farm visit, Parma, Italy

RIGHT HERE: Kalari cheese-makers, Pahalgam, Kashmir

Nestled under the shade of towering pine trees in the Pahalgam Valley in Kashmir is the Himalayan Cheese Factory. This cheese factory run by the Gujjar community of Kashmir specialises in fresh kalari—a traditional Himalayan cheese. While Italy may have established its reputation as an old-world cheese-maker and visits to its idyllic countryside cheese farms are must-do, the Pahalgam cheese factory has its own charm and local context. Apart from a spectacular setting, this little factory is keeping a lesser-known Kashmiri food tradition alive, all while economically empowering local communities. The lovely WelcomHotel Pine n Peak in Pahalgam organises a tour to the factory and there is a selection of local cheese available on their restaurant menu. himalayancheese.com