CATEGORIES

Surrender in Spain

FOUR YEARS AGO, IN MADRID, AN ELDERLY SPANISH aristocrat invited me to her house in the countryside to spend a weekend—we were social acquaintances. On the way up, she drove on the wrong side of the freeway.

Inner Rumblings

IN MY LIFE, I HAVE BEEN TO MANY MUSEUMS and art galleries and gardens all over the world. But none of them compare to one particular art installation, deep in the Brazilian interior. It’s called Inhotim, and it’s a Brazilian Taj Mahal, created by a local mining emperor as a monument for his fifth wife.

Cuba Libre

MY FATHER, A CHILD OF THE 1960S, FRAMED A RED POSTER OF Che Guevara, the revolutionary’s face shaded in sweeping lines of black, blue and yellow.

FIRST WORD

“I asked Mr PRS Oberoi if he would lend us his entire hotel—rooms, restaurants, lobby, even the private club— for the launch party. ‘What do I get in return?’ he asked. ‘Mr Oberoi, you get to launch Condé Nast Traveller’”

Driven By Ambition

Thirty-nine-year-old UAE-based entrepreneur Adeeb Ahamed is a force to reckon with.

Getting On Bhopal Standard Time

A decade-long friendship made a big-city girl realise the joys of a quieter life.

Keeping The Faith In The Mountains

A pilgrimage up Mount Girnar is silent though not solitary, finds Hashim Badani

Travel Starts At Home

A personal note from Rupinder Brar (IRS), Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, GoI

STARS of TRAVEL

Travel isn't just about places; it's as much about people. There are those who dream of building hotels, those who open up their own homes to others; those who are so passionate about their hometowns that they can't wait to share their favourites with everyone; those whose passions and skills draw visitors galore; those who just love travelling so much that they inspire the rest of us to as well. This issue pays special tribute to all those in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. May we all make great memories together!

The Real Happiness Index Of Travel

Janhavi Acharekar pays tribute to all the people who made her journeys worthwhile and meaningful

A Snapshot Of Innocence

A grandparents’ home remains a treasured place in the mind.

THE JAPANESE WAY

It’s when you live as the locals do in their country that you return home a little freer and lighter, says Saumya Ancheri

THE DANCING GODS

Arjun Menon writes a letter to his grandfather, who instilled in him a love for Kerala’s traditional arts

IN DOG WE TRUST

Chance encounters with friends in high places in Uttarakhand.

AN ODE TO OMO VALLEY

Appreciating the fiercely independent tribes of ancient Ethiopia.

A BOMBAY BOY

Coming of age in the megacity in the nineties.

Some Kind Of Paradise

Goa can turn life sunny side up again, writes Saumya Ancheri

Finding Lost Love

My father wanted to find the woman he loved 30 years ago. So we made a road trip out of it—and took my mom along.

MONSOON IN MUMBAI

Through his photographs, Sunhil Sippy showcases how the city embraces the madness of the rains year after year with grace and joy

A TASTE OF SINDH

My grandmother’s recipes, tales of her short-lived yet idyllic days in Sindh and survival stories of Partition tether me to my homeland.

NEW FANTASIES

Some may dream of travel post lockdown, but Samanth Subramanian’s longings are closer home

THE LONG WAY HOME

For restaurateur and chef Prateek Sadhu, food is a way back to the Kashmir he left as a child, a remembrance of things past and a possible way forward.

SPACE ODDITY

The greatest wilderness of all, Antarctica is a stark and pristine land whose preservation has never been so crucial

LIFE IN TRANSIT

Shunali Khullar Shroff recollects a childhood spent constantly on the move as an army kid

MY FAVOURITE Souvenir

Collecting mementos on trips is second nature to travellers. Photographers from across the globe shot their most cherished ones while home, dreaming of travelling again

AN INHERITANCE OF HOME

How three generations of women navigated the ever-changing idea of home and belonging across time and borders.

72 Hours In Taipei

Mile-high shaved ice. Crispy golden crullers. Steaming vats of rich noodle soup. Here’s what a long weekend in Asia’s most underrated food city looks (and tastes) like

20 Places To Go In 2020

Conscious luxury, landmark anniversaries and the hottest emerging destinations— here’s our holiday list to tick off this year.

SCALE UP

The islands of French Polynesia are endlessly appealing, but fresh elements have added new intrigue to the setting.

THE TASTE OF HOME

In food, one may just find a home with no fixed address. Vidya Balachander explores how shared culinary customs transcend geographical borders