Shivya Nath's Blog: The Shooting Star, page 8
March 17, 2021
Can Luxury Travel be Sustainable? What I Learnt Staying at Spice Village, Thekkady.
Sustainable luxury travel sounds like an oxymoron, but it doesn’t have to be. One sustainable luxury hotel in Kerala is showing the way.
As a travel writer, I’ve had the chance to sample many high-end accommodations and luxury wildlife lodges. Despite the comfort and pampering, I’ve often left feeling conflicted about their enormous environmental footprint.
Those cards floating about in the rooms, saying they care about the environment and wouldn’t want to wash sheets and towels everyday,...
March 3, 2021
Meet the Indian Solo Traveller Who Quit His Job, Set Out for His Dream Trip in 2020 and Got Locked Down in Colombia!
While browsing through my Instagram DMs a few months ago, there was one that really jumped out at me. The world had been catapulted into a global pandemic and borders were shut, and Saurabh Gupta aka @anindiantraveler – a solo backpacker from Mumbai – found himself stuck on the other side of the globe, in Colombia!
In February 2020, after working, saving up and quitting his job of many years, he finally embarked on his dream solo trip to South America. But just a month into his travels, he f...
February 22, 2021
Moonlit Cycling, Poetry and Other Meaningful Things to do in Fort Kochi.
There are plenty of generic lists of things to do in Fort Kochi out there. But you could look beyond popular places to visit in Fort Kochi and instead, connect with locals over music, poetry and cleaning up Fort Kochi beach, spot humpback dolphins, try yoga, discover traditional food and unique cafes in Fort Kochi, and more!
This post is part of my series to discover India and the world more mindfully in the new “normal”. Please see my detailed safety tips while travelling and recommendatio...
February 6, 2021
Try These Cafes and Restaurants in Auroville for Divine Food!
A collection of organic farms, silent meals, and unique cafes and restaurants in Auroville – including the best restaurants in Pondicherry nearby – to indulge your tastebuds.
Guest post by Vinita Contractor
I first travelled to Auroville on a quick day trip from Chennai some 20 years ago, and was surprised to discover this land of possibilities. With my ecological and spiritual bent of mind, it felt like a place so within reach, yet rare to find.
Over the years, I’ve been back in Au...
January 24, 2021
The Good, Bad and Not-So-Ugly of 2020.
I have no doubt that a few years from now, we’ll look back at 2020 as a bad dream or something out of a sci-fi movie. It’s been labelled the darkest year in recent times – but as with all bleak years, this one came to an end too.
Our ancestors braved famines, world wars and pandemics, and their travails make ours seem relatively mild in comparison. They couldn’t fall back on Netflix, food deliveries or Zoom calls for support or distraction!
I’m sure we all have our stories of survival thou...
December 12, 2020
How I Lost My Way as a Travel Writer…
Ever since I emerged from my writing cave after working on my first book, Ive felt a deep void within. The publishing journey was challenging, fulfilling and joyful in equal measures and consumed so much of me. After the initial excitement of the book launch, my soul started to feel inexplicably restless.
I suppose I did try to satiate it with some epic adventures in Myanmar, Iran, Bhutan and South Africa last year. Then the pandemic hit, and left me no choice but to hang up my travel boots....
October 3, 2020
7 Years of Travelling Without a Home – and Then a Pandemic.
What’s it like to chain myself to one place after 7 years on the road?
It feels like yesterday when I was hiking up the moonscapes of Qeshm Island in Iran at sunset. Or falling off the map on a motorcycle adventure in the remote tribal Chin state of Myanmar. Or feeling awe-inspired at the electric ‘ghetto sessions’ in Khayelitsha, one of South Africa‘s largest townships.
When I look back at my life of long term travel, there is one thing in common. It all feels surreal.
And in a ver...
Nearly 7 Years of Travelling Without a Home – and Then Life in Lockdown.
Whats it like to chain myself to one place after 7 years of long term travel?
It feels like yesterday when I was hiking up the moonscapes of Qeshm Island in Iran at sunset. Or falling off the map on a motorcycle adventure in the remote tribal Chin state of Myanmar. Or feeling awe-inspired at the electric ghetto sessions in Khayelitsha, one of South Africas largest townships.
When I look back at my life of long term travel, there is one thing in common. It all feels surreal.
And in a very...
Nearly 7 Years of Travelling Without a Home – and Then a Pandemic.
What’s it like to chain myself to one place after 7 years of long term travel?
It feels like yesterday when I was hiking up the moonscapes of Qeshm Island in Iran at sunset. Or falling off the map on a motorcycle adventure in the remote tribal Chin state of Myanmar. Or feeling awe-inspired at the electric ‘ghetto sessions’ in Khayelitsha, one of South Africa‘s largest townships.
When I look back at my life of long term travel, there is one thing in common. It all feels surreal.
And ...
August 26, 2020
The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Fashion in India.
Sustainable fashion in India is on the rise with homegrown, upcycled, fair-trade, organic, ethical and eco-friendly brands. Now that’s a real fashion statement.
Guest post by Parita Bhansali
“Never buy anything that’s less than fabulous. Then you’ll wear it over and over again!”
I often remember the words of Carrie Bradshaw’s character in Sex and the City before I buy something. She might not have meant it that way, but for me, it represents everything sustainable fashion is about....
