As you start frequent or international travel, it becomes beneficial to enroll in loyalty programs. While the savings might not be huge, it does cut ~10% of your bills on average and about 50%+ if you utilize accumulated points over years at once. It takes effort, time to enroll, keep track of and optimize loyalty… Read More »How to optimize loyalty programs
The idea of visiting Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan was an adventure to begin with. Kazakhstan got added last minute as I realized distance between Tashkent and Almaty was not long. My colleague who had visited 75+countries had referred to nothing much beyond endless steppes while describing Kazakhstan, unlike raving reviews of Uzbekistan. As I started reading… Read More »Adventures in Almaty
While travel planning is one of my favorite activities, it might feel overwhelming for most of us. I plan my own travel for multiple reasons- saving money, getting familiar with geography/ cities, having the ability to customize basis preference, and coming up with backup options if some places are closed. Travel research for a good… Read More »Travel research for a good itinerary
Visas can be overwhelming when planning travel, with most people handing it over to agents for support. What we realized over multiple trips is that it is best done by yourself. The rejection rates when left to agents can be high in case you don’t go to reliable ones, in addition to inflated costs. We… Read More »Managing visas on travel
The opportunity Travel has always been a family ritual for us, taking opportunities to go around every place my dad was transferred to. We didn’t have the predictability or leaves during school and peak years of my dad’s career to venture outside India, probably even money for that matter. We were awed when our relatives… Read More »A month’s dream stay in Switzerland
Mumbai, the city of dreams, was home for my uncle who had settled in the city since early 1990s. We visited the city only few times in a decade for important events like naming ceremony of my cousin, and his housewarming ceremony Childhood memories of Mumbai My uncle had a love marriage the first time… Read More »Mumbai, the city of dreams
Caring for cows is a blessing not everyone gets. Neelavara Goshale has been key to this effort in Udupi, giving an opportunity to channelize sustainable and ethical efforts I have been an animal lover since childhood. I remember taking a toy dog out for a walk beside an actual one from a neighbor. The love… Read More »The fortune of caring for cows
We firmly believe that travel is not luxury. Planning, avoiding agents, taking local options can help manage travel budget to a significant extent, making travel accessible for all We didn’t come from a family with inherited riches or very high paying jobs, hence managing budgets for travel is a top priority for us. My dad… Read More »How to manage travel budget
Heads up- I am sharing personal stories to give context to the perspective of where I am coming from. Solo travel as a woman in a patriarchal society is still a luxury I am the only child my parents, the case to be most pampered. I give credit to my mom in never pampering me,… Read More »Solo travel as a woman in a patriarchal society
Bangalore, home to my maternal grandparents, has held a very special place in my heart. The charm of old Bangalore is something you cannot explain in words or see at once today. You need to have experienced it over decades to see how it has not transformed but not transformed. It was the go-to place… Read More »The charm of old Bangalore