Shivya Nath's Blog: The Shooting Star, page 12

How Farmers in Haryana Are Using Technology in the Face of Climate Change.

I embarked on a special mission this July. To spend time with farmers in small villages across Haryana, who like many in India, are bearing the brunt of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

I expected to hear about the devastating impact of erratic rainfall and extremes weather patterns on crops, but much to my surprise, learnt how they are leveraging technology to adapt their agricultural practices, harvesting calendars and even the crops they choose to grow. Driving from Chandigarh...

How Technology is Sowing Seeds of Change in Haryana.

I embarked on a special mission this July. To spend time with farmers in small villages across Haryana, who like many in India, are bearing the brunt of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

I expected to hear about the devastating impact of erratic rainfall and extremes weather patterns on crops, but much to my surprise, learnt how they are leveraging technology to adapt their agricultural practices, harvesting calendars and even the crops they choose to grow. Driving from Chandigarh...

8 Secrets I Haven’t Told Anyone About My Travel Blogging Journey.

A few days ago, I sat in the balcony of our abode in Bhutan, watching the mist roll into the mountains. Below, in the neighbour’s house, stood two trees laden with juicy red apples. On a nearby hill stood an ancient monastery, its meditative chants wafting through the air. Purple and blue butterflies flittered about. Sipping hypericum tea, made from a local flower, I wondered how this came to be my life.

How did I end up becoming a digital nomad, financially sustaining myself through travel b...

Is it Possible to Fly Responsibly? What I Learnt on my KLM Flight.

Travel writer Henry Wismayer, recently wrote an an eye-opening piece in The Atlantic, on the need to rethink our profession as travel writers. The very thing we love and want others to experience – the stupendous beauty of our planet – is under imminent threat, partly as a consequence of our flying emissions.

“That’s a hard thing for a travel writer to admit. After family and friends, travel is pretty much my favorite thing—not only my source of income, but an inexhaustible wellspring of curi...

Tajikistan: A Country That’s Not on Your Travel Radar but Should Be.

On a lazy afternoon, I lay on a tapchan, drifting in and out of a blissful slumber as the soothing sound of the gushing river below rushed into my ears. When I finally awoke, I saw that my host family was gathered under their apricot tree, collecting ripe apricots, munching on some, separating others to make fresh apricot jam in the morning. I picked up a small bucket and joined them, treating myself to the delightfully juicy fruits too.

Later that afternoon, I headed out, past the mud and wo...

Why I Switched to a Menstrual Cup – and How You Can Too.

Until last year, the idea of using a menstrual cup during my periods made me shudder. Having never used tampons, I cringed at the thought of inserting an alien object into my private parts. To be honest, I couldn’t even fathom how it would work. Would it be painful, safe, hygienic, comfortable or messy? Would I be able to use it on the road, in public washrooms, on long journeys?

Then something happened. While volunteering on a remote island in Cuba, I was shocked to see the seabed littered w...

Travelling to Iran? Things to Know Before You Go.

I harboured a dream of travelling to Iran for a long time, but when it came down to finally planning a month-long trip in the country earlier this year, I had no clue where to begin. Iran recently started offering e-visa for Indian passport holders – but ours got rejected. I typically look at websites like Expedia, Skyscanner, Kayak and Goibibo to book flights – but none of these aggregate flights to/from Iran. I use Airbnb and Booking.com to find experiential accommodations around the world...

The Ultimate Vegan (and Vegetarian) Survival Guide for Japan.

Mission frickin impossible. That’s how a fellow traveller described my quest to spend a month in Japan, exploring the country beyond Tokyo, Kyoto and the regular tourist trail – as a vegan.

I took that warning seriously and got to work: A Japanese cafe owner in Bangkok helped me write in the Kanji script how to politely ask for vegan food, a friend whipped up homemade energy bars, I packed a ton of healthy vegan snacks and spent days researching the local cuisine. I was determined to make my...

How Travelling Changed My Perspective on Getting Married and Having Kids.

In India, our personal choice to get married and have kids is everyone’s business. I’ve been inundated by these questions hundreds of times, but rarely has anyone asked me if I’m happy, content and excited about the way my life is shaping up. For the record, I am, on most days.

While many of my peers have chosen the well-trodden path of “settling down”, I prefer my seemingly unsettled ways. In 2019 alone, I’ve spent a month losing myself amid the awe-inspiring wonders of Iran and another, dig...

A Guide to Exploring the High Tatras of Slovakia.

On a cool spring day, under the warm blue sky, I set out hiking along jagged peaks, through forests of tall spruce and Scots pine trees. Along gushing rivers I walked, past waterfalls so intense that I couldn’t hear my own jumbled thoughts. A wild fox ran past me on the trail, stopped just a few feet away and turned to face me before darting off; my heart skipped a few beats as I thought: damn, I’m hiking alone in the High Tatras of Slovakia!

I’ve been lucky enough to hike through some incred...