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By the universal law, humans and nature are absolutely inseparable. It is about time we start accepting this fact and start understanding the connection between human and nature. For years, the mysterious and adorable creation has allured us to travel. We have been braving extensive climates and cross-border travels to catch a glimpse of the dramatic skies with northern lights to see the cute penguins jump into the glacial waters in Antarctica to get lucky with a sight of the big fives completing the food chain in the wild to get a 30 second view of the world from the top of Mt. Everest to dive into the deep blue oceans to see the sharks shy away from humans or to catch a beautiful sunset below the horizon  There have been times that we have neglected human impact on making these experiences with nature so beautiful. It is always the “behind the scenes” efforts that play major role in all the beautiful things that we see and experience. There is so much of hard work, pain, compassion behind every beautiful thing which we forget to look through.  Over the years of extensive traveling to different corners of the world, I have realised that apart from the breathtaking natural vistas of the planet, I’ve rated my travel experiences based majorly on the experiences I’ve had with the people I’ve met there. Each time I came back home from a trip, I would keep recollecting the moments of cheerful interactions with the people I met on the travels. While other travellers did make up to my lively experiences, my fondest memories are attached to the locals of the destination who invited me to be a part of their life and helped me live their traditional ways in their land.  I strongly support Kerala Tourism’s initiative of spreading the message “Human by Nature” as an ode to people of Kerala whose everyday lives represents diverse ideologies, faiths and cultures that have co-existed from the historic ages. I’ve personally come across some remarkable experiences with people in Kerala which made my belief in humanity stronger and my love for travel everlasting.
 And conversely, the nature is also not to be ignored. Humans exist and survive because of nature. They are inter dependent and none should be taken for granted. If humans respect nature, the nature has abundance to give back. When people move out of their cities for travels, their sole purpose is to breath fresher air, calm the senses, see something new that tier own land doesn’t hold. Preserving the natural way of living, the age old traditions, cultural habitat, food is always the best way to host travellers from across the globe. Humans need to walk around in open fields, smell the wild flowers, listen to the birdsongs, watch the butterflies and the bees, just notice natural phenomenon like sunrise and sunset, spend time outdoors.  Connection with nature is linked to higher wellbeing.
P.S. This post is sponsored by Kerala Tourism
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Maachli boutique stay near Bhogwe beach on Konkan coast is an exotic idea for a weekend getaway from Mumbai and Pune, for a unique travel experience in Maharashtra. While the entire coast offers serene beach views, the beaches towards the southern Konkan region are more secluded. Bhogwe beach in Vengurla is amongst the most pristine and prettiest beaches on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra. A stay in the eco-cottages of Maachli homestay in Parule village near Bhogwe beach offers one of the best experiences of living in a traditional Konkan village. I instantly fell in love with the beautifully designed exotic huts amidst the lush green plantations at Maachli farmstay. My trip to Maachli has been the best travel experience in Maharashtra as I could soak into the local culture of Konkani people and connect with nature in the tropical paradise on the shores of untouched beaches.
Maachli: farmstay at konkan village, Maharashtra
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12. Parties in Goa
Who wouldn’t want to party when in Goa? It offers variety of options like beach parties, club parties, casino parties, cruise parties, private parties, music festivals and some secret parties in the hidden areas. I managed to get an invite to some secret parties, where I danced barefoot on the cold sand for the entire night on trance. I must confess those were the best parties I’ve experienced in Goa.
13. My Favourite Beaches
Lastly, let me talk about the beaches. On my every visit to Goa, I’ve stayed at different beaches. After I found my favourite ones in Goa, I stopped wandering around to pick one. Ashvem beach in North Goa and Patnem beach in South Goa are undoubtedly my favourite beaches. Go there to find out why I say this.
Patnem Beach, South Goa
Mandrem Beach, Goa
Best Time to Visit Goa
Winter months (October - February) are the most pleasant. Summers (March-May) are extremely humid in Goa. Water activities and shacks are closed in the monsoons (June-September), but it is still a pleasant time to visit Goa as the entire state becomes lush green. I have made numerous trips to Goa in all seasons.
Where to stay in Goa
There’s no dearth of hotels in Goa. Tourism being the largest occupation of the state, the facilities for tourists are taken care of really well. For the budget-range, there are a lot of local hotels and guest houses at every beach. For the economy hotel chains like IBIS Styles Goa have their presence in Goa. The heritage Portuguese houses turned into guest houses in Fontainhas is also a great option. For the luxury category, all the luxury hotel chains like Marriot, Hyatt, Taj, have grand properties with private beaches. Apart from these, there are boutique hotels, hostels and beach huts for different accommodation experiences.
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Ladakh, the land of high passes, is the topmost road trip destination in India. But, for me, Ladakh was only about trekking when I’d ever thought of traveling to the outlandish Trans-Himalayan range. I first visited Ladakh in 2014 winters for 2 weeks for the Chadar Trek and experienced extreme temperatures ranging from -5 degrees in the day to -30 degrees in the night. The glamorous frozen rivers, waterfalls and snow-covered mountains had stolen the entire show. This gave me a reason to visit Ladakh once more in 2014 summers to see the flamboyant Trans-Himalayas in brown, green, orange, purple, teal, pink under the rich blue sky. This time I spent 3 weeks in Ladakh and went on a solo trek to Markha Valley and Stok Kangri with a guide. I’d experienced living in authentic Ladakhi home stay on Markha Valley trek. I learnt about the culture, traditions and people of Ladakh. I’d even visited few monasteries, Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley, KhardungLa. I knew there was more to Ladakh than just this. I was trying to control my temptation to visit Ladakh again, but i’d heard about the breathtaking roads that lead to Ladakh and I knew I would someday come back for that (I’d flown in previously due to limited leaves I had then).
While I was living in Tirthan Valley, a thought had crossed my mind about driving to Ladakh in 2017 when it rains in Tirthan. And I must say that wishes do come true. Come mid-June and I got invited by Scout My Trip for a road trip to Ladakh for Highest Blogger Meet.
While I was living in Tirthan Valley, a thought had crossed my mind about driving to Ladakh in 2017 when it rains in Tirthan. And I must say that wishes do come true. Come mid-June and I got invited by Scout My Trip for a road trip to Ladakh for Highest Blogger Meet.
A convoy of 5 SUVs, each one taken over by an expert scout, a squad of 15 bloggers and the trip leaders - the 2 co-founders of Scout My Trip, were flagged off from OYORooms Gurgaon. I didn't set expectations from the trip as I knew I had to just let my hair down and enjoy the journey. The entire trip was planned by the master minds of the DIY road trips platform ScoutMyTrip. But what came along the trip was an experience of a lifetime for me. The solo traveler was traveling in a group after years, and for the first time with such a huge group. It was a kind of travel that I’d never experienced before.
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Swapping cars everyday:
Every morning we changed our cars and raided the roads of Ladakh on a different engine. My technical knowledge about cars was enriched by learning a lot more about different cars’ behaviour on the roads of Ladakh. While we swapped cars, we also swapped car partners. It was an exciting to travel with new people everyday. The rugged terrains of Ladakh would break down the cars at various levels and our official rescue car - Thar would attend the call of duty.
Pratik (on the driving seat), Deepak and me
Experiencing curfew and road block in Kashmir:
We started our journey from Delhi towards the Srinagar route. The day we reached Jammu, there was a road blocks due to the Anantnag incident, so the next day when we left for Sonamarg, we weren't allowed to go ahead of Ramban. We had to spend the night at the only available property at Ramban. Scout My Trip team had smoothly arranged this impromptu night halt for the 20 of us.
Amarnath yatra base camp - Baltal
Checking into comfortable OYORooms each night:
We spent around 10-12 hours on roads each day and every night we checked into a new OYORoom. The cosy beds and the warm rooms welcomed us for comfortable stays. I was surprised to see the presence of OYORooms in the remote parts.
OYORooms
Eating local food on highways in each state:
As we crossed 5 different states on our 12 day road trip, Neeraj Sinha (the head scout and CTO of Scout My Trip) and Anuradha Goyal (veteran blogger) wouldn't miss out on recollecting the local delicacies of those regions and we slurped on the parathas at Murthal, farm fresh corn in Punjab, punjabi food at local dhaba, Rogan josh in Sonmarg, Thukpa in Ladakh, Wai wai in Changthang, Mutton curry and rice in Koksar and a lot of tit-bits on the way.
Chhali (corn) and punjabi food
Listening to various genres of playlists:
As we shared cars with different travellers each day, we grooved to various genres of music ranging from Qawalis from Anuradha, coke studio from Shubham, Kishore Kumar from Ami and Ajay, punjabi songs from Neha, SP Balasubramaniam from Deepak, live Gujarati translated songs from Samarth, EDM and DJ Snake from me.
Calming our souls at tranquil monasteries:
Visiting the oldest and most beautiful monasteries of Ladakh (Mulbekh monastery, Lamayuru monastery, Diskit Monastery and Thiksey monastery) on our road trip was soothing to the soul.
Mulbekh monastery near Kargil
Waking up to the beautiful lakes:
Ladakh is highlighted on the world map for the most beautiful lakes it holds. We spent our nights and early mornings at Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri. We lived in luxury tents which gave us the best views of the lakes. Driving by the side of the Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Tso Kar and Tso Kiagar was the most fascinating part of the journey.
Luxury camping at Pangong Tso
Knowing other interesting travellers:
I was revisiting most of the places, but this time it was in the company of other travellers and destinations seemed to matter less than the journey.
It was such a wonderful feeling to meet Anuradha Goyal, Mridula Dwivedi, Ragini Puri - the faces that I’d only seen and interacted with on social media.
My first hand interactions with Neha Kapoor, Johann Kuruvilla and Raza Rahil were so great that I would love to meet them again on some other travels.
I had some of the best times knowing the interesting team of scouts - Neeraj Sinha, Prateek Jain, Samarth Sankhla and Amit Nikam and I would be roadtripping with them often!
The co-founders of ScoutMyTrip, Deepak Ananth and Vineet Rajan, blew me away by their craziness and ability to pull off one of its kind of event on the highest and toughest roads of the world. Kudos to you!
With Karan, Ajay and Ragini
Confluence of multiple talents:
Each one was passionate about things beyond travel which we wouldn’t have known had we not travelled together. Ajay Sood’s knowledge about photography and his attitude of selflessly sharing photography tips with everyone, Neha’s talent into singing and theatre, Deepak’s art of cracking us up with all his not-so-intelligent jokes, Samarth’s creativity with live singing performances, my moves on the dance floor, Neeraj’s and Khursheed’s chilled out and calm attitude, Anuradha’s and Lakshmi’s level-headedness - each had so much to contribute to make this trip a memorable one.
Grooving with Swati and Ami
Recording Highest Blogger Meet with India Book of Records:
On our journey, we crossed the Highest motorable pass of the world and recorded the “Highest Blogger Meet” with India Book of Records. 20 bloggers with ScoutMyTrip and OYORooms team made this record at 18380 ft at Khardungla pass. We opened the meet and OYO launched OYONauts - a platform for bloggers to share their travel experiences and win all-expense paid trips in India, Nepal and Malaysia.
We continued the meet at the Tsolding Buddha Park (the most picturesque location for any meet) for 2 more hours where we discussed various facets of travel blogging. We celebrated our feat at Hunder that night and had official adjudication event with India Book of Records in Gurgaon on our return.
A lot was happening everyday and we didn’t realise that we crossed few of the highest passes of the world and ended our trip at the same place we had started from. A huge family who was just a group of strangers 12 days back, dispersed to their respective destinations the next day. I had taken back so many memories from the trip that the hangover of the trip lasted for at least a couple of weeks after it had actually ended.
After this trip, I know that on all my road trips the cars would be loaded with interesting travellers and I'm already planning my next road trip with a few from this very gang!
The poses from Pratik Nano that we never understood
My third visit to Ladakh was all about enjoying company of travellers on the roads. I indulged into a lot of crazy things (took pics in weird poses, clicked boomerangs, got drunk, sang songs, hogged on food, laughed crazily, just relaxed in the car while someone else drove for me) which I wouldn't generally do on my solo travels. I hate to say this would be my last visit to Ladakh, as I know that Ladakh would beckon me very soon, for climbing higher summits.
P.S. I was invited by Scout My Trip and OYORooms to be a part of this roadtrip to record the Highest Blogger Meet with India Book of Records
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Solo backpacking trip to Indonesia was the first thought on my mind when I decided to start globe-trotting. It was almost an impromptu plan. I booked my return flights from Pune to Bali just 6 days before my travel. My project at IBM was keeping me completely occupied with difficult routines. I had only 10 days of leave which I wanted to use in the most optimal way in Indonesia. My priority list included Open Water Scuba Diver Certification and trek to an active volcano. I did a few hours research on these and came up with the most efficient plan I could. I chose Lombok for 3 days trek to Mount Rinjani and Gili Islands for 4 days of diving. I was left with 3 more days that I chose to spend in Bali. 2 days before I start to Gili Islands and the last day before I depart.
No bookings and just a plan in my mind, I flew out of Pune. I just had enough time to collect dollars at a high exchange rate from my privileged bank. The processing is on the spot. I was even working from the airports on my layovers at Chennai and Kuala Lumpur.
No bookings and just a plan in my mind, I flew out of Pune. I just had enough time to collect dollars at a high exchange rate from my privileged bank. The processing is on the spot. I was even working from the airports on my layovers at Chennai and Kuala Lumpur.
Day1: Landing in Bali
The spectacular bird’s eye view of the Indonesian landscape from my flight built up my excitement. It was my first experience with immigration and foreign currency. I stepped out of the airport and there were bunch of taxi operators and sim card operators. With some efforts, I managed to fix up a taxi to take me to Lovina beach and show me Tanah Lot on the way. I tried to reach Lovina before the sunset so that I could choose a good and cheap place to sleep close to the beach.
Tanah Lot, Bali, Indonesia
Day 2-3: Backpacking in Bali
Next 2 days were the craziest days I spent in Bali. After dolphin-spotting and snorkelling in Lovina, I hired a 2-wheeler with a chauffeur, yes, you heard it right, a chauffeur-driven scooter (I had so much fun telling these stories to my friends back home). I wanted to ride and explore the northern and central part of Bali in 2 days and had to leave for Gili Islands. I didn’t have enough time to go back to Lovina to handover the rented vehicle. I backpacked through the country without knowing where I would spend my night. The chauffeur even took care of my bags when I went exploring the destinations on foot. He also took me to some local food joints called Warungs and to a village fair where I tasted some local Indonesian food.
Backpacking in Bali on a 2 wheeler
I visited local spice gardens and coffee plantations, tasted the costliest coffee of the world - Kopi Luwak, drove through the beautiful twin lakes - Danau Tamblingan and Danau Buyan, visited the traditional temples - Pura Ulun Danu Bratan and Pura Besakih, rode through the heritage villages of north Bali, dipped into the Tabanan hot springs, walked through the rice terraces of Tegalalang and Jatiluwih, spent the evening in the chic town of Ubud, sighted the first ever active volcano of my life - Mt. Batur and the highest point on Bali - Mt. Agung. We then rode through the beautiful coastline of Padang beach and he dropped me at the Padang Bay to take a speed boat to Gili Islands.
Jatiluwih rice terraces, Bali, Indonesia
Day 4-7: SCUBA Diving in Gili Trawangan
I spent my next 4 days in Gili Trawangan and fell in love with these tiny triplet islands. The days were spent studying the physics of diving. I successfully completed my Open Water Diver Certification in Gili Islands, Indonesia and got AQUADDICTED for the rest of my life. I lavishly spent my evenings at the beach-side spas and the nights at the bars. Gili Trawangan has fantastic nightlife.
Scuba Diving in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia
Day 8-10: Trekking to Mount Rinjani
Early morning I bid adieu to Gili Trawangan and took a local boat to Lombok where I met my co-trekkers for Mount Rinjani - the second highest active volcano in Indonesia. We took a 3 day trek from Sembalun to Sembalun Crater Rim, the summit of Mt. Rinjani, the Crater Lake, Senaru Crater Rim and ended at Senaru at noon on the 3rd day. I was supposed to head back to Bali and spend my last evening in the touristy south Bali.
Trekking to Mount Rinjani, Lombok - second highest active volcano of Indonesia
Day 11: Departing from Gili Air
But I had fallen in love with the Gili Islands so much that I didn’t return to spend the last day at Bali, I instead took a boat to Gili Air and enjoyed my last night at this island. I met some interesting people there in the evening, spent morning at a secluded beach with the backdrop of mountains of Lombok, and then book a speed boat to Bali. I shared a taxi to head to the airport directly from PadangBai. I had enough time to buy wines from the DFS (Duty Free Shopping) Bali.
Mornings at Gili Air, Indonesia
This trip is very special to my heart as I’ve never been as content with any other trip of mine as this one. It was a completely immersive travel experience for me.
Best Time to travel to Indonesia: May to October
I planned and executed the entire trip on the go, by constantly collecting information from the locals. It is a great way to connect with the locals and discover new places.
I will write separate blogs on each of the 3 islands I visited in Indonesia.
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Palachan Valley in Himachal Pradesh is named after the Palachan River that flows along it. Locally called Flachan Valley, it is adjacent to Tirthan Valley. Palachan River and Tirthan River both originate from the Tirath Glacier in the Great Himalayan National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Palachan River flows through the valley with hamlets like Galingcha, Mashiyar, Batahad, Barnagi, Sheel, etc. and finally merges into Tirthan River at Gushaini.
Palachan Valley happened to be one of my local explorations since I'm living in Tirthan Valley.
Palachan Valley happened to be one of my local explorations since I'm living in Tirthan Valley.
Having tea at Palachan / Flachan River
The roads of Palachan Valley lead to infinite views of the mountains that are densely covered with pine and cedar trees. They make Palachan Valley look lush green almost throughout the year.
Walking down the roads of Palachan / Flachan Valley
Palachan Valley is very sparely populated and not yet popular with the tourists, which gave me adequate opportunities to visit villages, meet the locals and learn their traditions. My RavenousLegs couldn't resist walking along the pristine river and the heavenly bridges that lead me to some secret places.
Walking down the bridges of Palachan / Flachan Valley
The bridge lead me to a trail up a mountain and I kept hiking on it, as a part of my daily workout routine. I got some breath taking views of small hamlets perched on lush green mountains. The villages were flourishing with apple orchards, grean peas and barley cultivation. The mountain tops were covered with deodhar and pine trees against the vast blue sky.
Hiking up to the villages of Palachan / Flachan Valley
I met some interesting villagers who lived in 2 houses on the way to village Sheel. After a chat with them, I had to head back as the weather started getting bad. The snow clad mountains of the Great Himalayan National Park had started peeking out from this spot. I heard of more beautiful views from the topmost village, which I'll explore someday again.
Meeting locals at the villages of Palachan / Flachan Valley
I stayed back in Palachan valley for a couple of days with my blogger friends who had come here for a weekend getaway. I woke up to these pleasing views of the valley in the rain when the hazy mountains layered up in the clouds.
Rains at Tirthan Anglers Retreat in Palachan / Flachan Valley
Tirthan Anglers Retreat is a cosy little resort in the valley, which is five minutes walk down the road near Barnagi. The resort is a hidden gem in Palachan valley.
Tirthan Anglers Retreat in Palachan / Flachan Valley
The sound of Palachan River that continuously flows next to the resort makes an indluging atmosphere for the ones who want to disconnect from the entire world and get lost into the oblivion of nature.
Palachan / Flachan river near Tirthan Anglers Retreat
Palachan River is home to trouts and Tirthan Angler's Retreat is a great spot for fishing. You can spend your entire day with your fishing rods and some catches, and enjoy the bonfire and barbecued trouts in the chilly evenings.
Pic by Sushmita Sarkar
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The rains made such a pleasant ambiance for us to bond with each other in delighted moods. I got to share my heart out with my dear friend Sushmita Sarkar and Alka Kaushik - the lady I respect for the person she is.
In arms of Alka Kaushik at Tirthan Anglers Retreat in Palachan / Flachan Valley
P.S. I was hosted at Tirthan Angler's Retreat as a part of Travel Correspondents and Bloggers Group meet.
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Author
Namaste! I'm Medhavi Davda.
I travel to Evolve..
In Nature, I confide..
I find my calling in the Himalayas..
In the Oceans, I meditate..
A High-Altitude Trekker & PADI certified SCUBA Diver, I love exploring the heights and depths of the planet with my regular doses of mountains and oceans.
Discovering myself & life through nature, adventures, travels, sports and dance has been an addiction since my existence!
Quite fond of the natural & cultural diversity of India, I've travelled extensively in my own country before exploring international destinations.
I had left my 9+ yrs of career in Software Industry in a quest to make a living out of my passions. I packed my basics in my car (gave away the rest) and lived in different parts of Himachal Pradesh for 16 months. This invaluable time taught me to experience life from a broader perspective.
I'm currently living in Mumbai to work with an Adventure Travel company as a product manager for Scuba Diving. I continue living a minimalistic life.
I travel to Evolve..
In Nature, I confide..
I find my calling in the Himalayas..
In the Oceans, I meditate..
A High-Altitude Trekker & PADI certified SCUBA Diver, I love exploring the heights and depths of the planet with my regular doses of mountains and oceans.
Discovering myself & life through nature, adventures, travels, sports and dance has been an addiction since my existence!
Quite fond of the natural & cultural diversity of India, I've travelled extensively in my own country before exploring international destinations.
I had left my 9+ yrs of career in Software Industry in a quest to make a living out of my passions. I packed my basics in my car (gave away the rest) and lived in different parts of Himachal Pradesh for 16 months. This invaluable time taught me to experience life from a broader perspective.
I'm currently living in Mumbai to work with an Adventure Travel company as a product manager for Scuba Diving. I continue living a minimalistic life.
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Recent Posts
Annapurna Base Camp Trek from Ghandruk Village - the shortest route to ABC Trek
Bandipur - a charming Newari heritage town in Himalayas
Khajuraho Temples: symbolism of sacred union of the divine - feminine energy & masculine consciousness
Walking along the heritage town of Orchha - a hidden gem of Bundelkhand
Sanchi Stupa - the best preserved Buddhist monument of India
Taj-UI-Masajid, Bhopal - the largest mosque in India
Indian Cultural Heritage in Madhya Pradesh - my outdoor history classroom
Bandipur - a charming Newari heritage town in Himalayas
Khajuraho Temples: symbolism of sacred union of the divine - feminine energy & masculine consciousness
Walking along the heritage town of Orchha - a hidden gem of Bundelkhand
Sanchi Stupa - the best preserved Buddhist monument of India
Taj-UI-Masajid, Bhopal - the largest mosque in India
Indian Cultural Heritage in Madhya Pradesh - my outdoor history classroom