Shivya Nath's Blog: The Shooting Star, page 3

Cycling Across Morocco, From the High Atlas to the Sahara Desert.

On an early winter morning, I geared up to pedal 64 km from Ifrane – Morocco’s only Alpine ski town – to Midelt, at the edge of the Sahara Desert. Despite wearing several layers, I could barely feel my fingers under my gloves. It was 4 degrees Celcius, and the wind numbed my cheeks. We cycled through a forest filled with giant cedar trees, and within a few kilometers, the landscape turned into large rolling meadows resembling the Mongolian Steppes, filled with thousands of grazing sheep and the...

Why Taiwan Should be on Your Travel Radar in 2025.

I had pretty low expectations when I first travelled to Taiwan a few years ago.

But I was surprised to find myself constantly surrounded by magnificent mountains, forests and beaches. Over a month in the country, my partner and I lived on a family-run tea estate in the mountains of Fengchihu, cycled down the breathtaking Taroko Gorge, spotted fireflies by night and a sea of clouds on an early morning, learnt about local traditions from an Indigenous Truku family, cycled along the mist-engulfe...

Why Taiwan Should be on Your Travel Radar in 2024.

I had pretty low expectations when I first travelled to Taiwan a few years ago.

But I was surprised to find myself constantly surrounded by magnificent mountains, forests and beaches. Over a month in the country, my partner and I lived on a family-run tea estate in the mountains of Fengchihu, cycled down the breathtaking Taroko Gorge, spotted fireflies by night and a sea of clouds on an early morning, learnt about local traditions from an Indigenous Truku family, cycled along the mist-engulfe...

Why Taiwan Should be on Your Travel Radar in 2024!

I had pretty low expectations when I first travelled to Taiwan a few years ago.

But I was surprised to find myself constantly surrounded by magnificent mountains, forests and beaches. Over a month in the country, my partner and I lived on a family-run tea estate in the mountains of Fengchihu, cycled down the breathtaking Taroko Gorge, spotted fireflies by night and a sea of clouds on an early morning, learnt about local traditions from an Indigenous Truku family, cycled along the mist-engulfe...

The Perfect 3-Day Goa Itinerary for Slow Travel.

On my first trip to Goa as an adult, my partner and I stayed at an “offbeat” beach that had already been invaded by overtourism. That experience, filled with characterless beach shacks, multicuisine food and hordes of tourists, turned me off Goa.

Much later, I returned to experience slow travel for the first time.

I’m grateful that the universe conspired to have us stay at Cancio’s House, a 500-year-old traditional Goan homestay in Aldona, with its own well for drinking water, jackfruit t...

The Perfect 3-Day Goa Itinerary for a Slow, Susegad Experience.

On my first trip to Goa as an adult, my partner and I stayed at an “offbeat” beach that had already been invaded by overtourism. That experience, filled with characterless beach shacks, multicuisine food and hordes of tourists, turned me off Goa.

Much later, I returned to experience slow travel for the first time.

I’m grateful that the universe conspired to have us stay at Cancio’s House, a 500-year-old traditional Goan homestay in Aldona, with its own well for drinking water, jackfruit t...

Seeking Mindful Hustling, Flow and Joy at 36.

Ecstatic dance? Me? No way.

Over the cumulative time I’ve spent in Goa, Guatemala and other ‘hippie’ spots, the idea of trying out ecstatic dance has never crossed my mind. I have two left feet, and tend to tread lightly around the edges of alternative therapies.

But while passing through Goa and catching up with a friend a couple of weeks ago, that resistance unexpectedly gave way to curiosity. The next thing I knew, I was on an outdoor dance floor, under a canopy of trees and some faintl...

Insider Tips: How to Get Paid to Travel the World in 2024!

The world of travel storytelling seems to be going through a weird flux. On the one hand, my explore tab on Instagram is full of wannabe-viral videos on how creators are getting paid to travel. But on the other, I’m constantly meeting or interacting with travel ‘influencers’ with thousands and sometimes millions of followers, who still work on barter collaborations – getting hosted but not paid to travel.

I recently discussed this with a travel blogger friend, and we both felt sorry that good...

How Guacimo Eco-lodge in Nicaragua is Changing the Way We Travel.

On a late afternoon, after sailing down the Rio San Juan for nearly 4 hours, the public ferry finally deposited us in El Castillo. I felt weary from the weeks we’d spent travelling on packed chicken buses across Nicaragua. But as we deboarded and wandered in search of food, it seemed like it wasn’t just the landscape that had changed. The sky shone a little brighter, people were chilling at street corners, and upbeat music followed us everywhere we went. We had arrived in the Nicaraguan Caribbea...

7 Sustainable Home Decor Brands to Furnish Your House or Bnb Creatively.

Since we left Goa for Himachal earlier this year, life has been a rollercoaster.

After three blissful months at our dream homestay in the mountains, we unexpectedly got kicked out. A dreamy piece of land we *almost* took a long lease on didn’t pan out. Our search for a longer term abode left us with two choices: Pay through our nose to stay at a creatively furnished Bnb, or find an affordable longer term rental and furnish it ourselves.

You’ve read in my last post that I have very mixed ...