A colleague’s email name read “Maryanto Maryanto”. I was puzzled by the identical first and last names until I learned that many Javanese people in Indonesia use mononyms—that is, they go by only one name. Corporate email systems simply duplicate it to fill the last name field. Indonesia defies the postcard. It’s not a country… Read more: Why am I captivated by Indonesia?

Snowy Japanese Alps and Illuminated Tokyo Since our first time living and travelling in Japan in 2007 / 2008, we have grabbed every opportunity to visit Japan. After our last trip to Hokkaido & Osaka in the autumn of 2023, this time it was the Japanese Alps and Tokyo in the winter. Same theme as… Read more: Japan in White: Trip Summary

During our frequent flights between Bangalore and Singapore, we’d fly over Indonesia’s massive Sumatra island. This triggered my destination curiosity. Upon researching, I found Lake Toba, world’s largest volcano lake! Then Leuser National Park came on the radar. The stars aligned when an Indonesian friend from Jakarta joined, and we took this laid-back trip together.… Read more: Laid-back Trip: Leuser National Park and Toba Caldera in North Sumatra, Indonesia

French Riviera, Cote d’Azur (Coast of Azure) in French, is known for its glamour & geography. Besides hosting the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Gran Prix, the playground of the super-rich hosts half of all superyachts in the world every year and 90% at least once in their lifetime! For me, the geography is more… Read more: A short glimpse of the French Riviera

I did not know much about South Korea besides the Korean auto brands in India and the tensions with their northern brethren. This changed in 2015. Work took me to South Korea. I was fascinated by the rise of this nation from the 1950s. The per capita income in the early 1960s was lower than… Read more: Ski & Spice in the Korean Winter

I love watching Hockey. Growing up, Cricket was dominating but Hockey stayed within the circle of interest. In the past few years, Hockey has edged out Cricket. Why? The finesse required in stick handling is stunning. The tactical complexity is fascinating. India’s history in Olympics in nostalgic. Most appearances in men’s (22 times), leads the… Read more: Live Hockey at the Wagener Stadium, Amsterdam

First hike of the trip. 25mins drive from Salzburg to this wild and beautiful Almbach Gorge in the Berchtesgaden National Park

First family trip to Europe in a decade. Our daughter’s first. The plan took shape over months. We prioritized the outdoors and made some tough decisions to drop Vienna & Prague. Vacation planning perfection lies in striking a delicate balance of activity and tranquility. Getting to that sweet spot is the holy grail. Every moment… Read more: Autumn in the Alps: Vacation Planning

Sand dunes in the middle of nowhere, welcome to nature’s creations. This is the specialty of Maasduinen National Park, one of the 20 national parks in Netherlands. Duinen means dunes. I hiked 10 kilometers starting from the parking lot Parkeerplaats De Maasduinen, walking on the bridge, crossing the lake on a unusual hand-operated cable ferry,… Read more: Hiking in Maasduinen National Park, Netherlands

Why Lisbon? Someone asked me. A decade or so back when I was in Paris, I decided to plan a trip to Lisbon on the whim. That plan did not see the light of the day. The light showed up in July 2024. Cycling 20kms I enjoy casual cycling. Instead of finding my own way… Read more: Weekend in Lisbon, Portugal

10 / 11 Feb 2024: A weekend of drunk people in costumes, they said. One person even made, what is in my books, a culturally insensitive comment! The expressions did not sound something to look forward as a foreigner. After a busy work week, the weekend was meant for plenty of sleep and long walks… Read more: Carnaval in Netherlands

21-Jun-2024: Imagine the feeling when seated in a plane, ready to take off to Yogyakarta and the pilot comes on line to say “Welcome to this service to Jakarta”. The wife & me look at each other visibly puzzled! “We didn’t hear it well” was the first reaction and waited for the following announcement in… Read more: Yogyakarta, Indonesia: Trip Summary

2024 is here! A new year’s day is just another day in the life. Yet it is special because it is a new start. Another way to think about 1-January, one of the ~80 days assuming a life span of 80 years! It is matter of perspective. What’s in the adventure store for 2024? Few… Read more: IndiaHikes & Aquaterra Adventure Calendar for 2024

No paid links or sponsored references in this post I am in Mumbai for a few days. So I looked up whitewater rafting adventures in Maharashtra, India. I can find 2 options: Kundalika River 12 kms / Grade 2 & 3 / ~12 rapids / 2 hours / Easy Situated in the Sahyadri mountain ranges,… Read more: Whitewater Rafting Rivers in Maharashtra from Mumbai & Pune