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Ever wondered where they come from, the dreadlocked, tattooed, shirtless beardies who occupy the bottom echelon of backpacking in India, absorbing half-baked philosophy from any willing sadhu to have caught the scent of some rupees, roaring about on Enfield motorbikes from one trance party to the next? Ever wondered what becomes of them? If you’re … Continue reading
“I felt so fortunate that this story fell into my lap. As a writer, how often does that happen?” says Thomas K. Shor. In Sikkim, Shor was introduced to an elderly Bhutanese woman whose story would, he was told, make him question his sense of reality. In 1962 she had left her land and everything … Continue reading
Rahul Bhattacharya, Pundits from Pakistan: On Tour with India The Indian subcontinent thrives on cricket. You can tell that the cricketing season in India has started by the ubiquitous clusters of people outside shops where a television set is tuned to a live cricket match. For days every fan becomes a coach – an expert on winning strategies. But … Continue reading
Miranda Kennedy spent five years in Delhi as a reporter. Her book, Sideways on a Scooter: Life and Love in India, tells the stories of women she befriended and their struggles with love and marriage. It is also an intriguing memoir about the challenges of being a female foreign correspondent. She spoke to Angus McDonald about the … Continue reading
Anand Giridharadas, India Calling What does it feel like to be both inside and outside a culture? When Anand Giridharadas moved to Bombay after being raised in the US, he found that he had to reassess his understanding of a country he had always viewed from afar and through the eyes of an Indian American. … Continue reading
In the epilogue to Culture on the Edge, Phil Borges turns his lens inward. ‘I didn’t want to point an accusing finger. After a year and a half traveling across the Tibetan plateau and seeing the issues the Tibetans face, my finger ultimately came around to point at me.’ He is talking about climate change, … Continue reading
These twenty stories are about people displaced: Australians wandering Asia in search of something. It might all be fiction, but it has the ring of truth. ‘She gave up writing straightforward accounts of her journeys years ago. She has surrendered herself to her love of fiction.’ This is Maria, an ageing backpacker washed up amongst … Continue reading
This collection is the exact opposite of Theroux’s other travel writing. Usually he goes abroad and writes about novels. This time he stays at home and writes about travel books. It works. Whether you’re a fan of Theroux or not – and this reviewer is not – read on. The beauty of this book is … Continue reading
THE HEART OF THE MATTER This is an unusual book from Colin Thubron, regarded by many as the world’s greatest travel writer. It’s short – just 218 pages – and less dense than his other books, which often involve rambling journeys through the world’s forgotten places. Think Russia, Siberia, Central Asia or 1980s China, their … Continue reading
Moonpeak is offering its online customers a special discount on the classic birdwatchers’ guide Birds of Kangra. The paperback lists over 550 species found in the Kangra region, one of the richest birding destinations in the world. Hundreds of colour photographs and a detailed description for each species help with identification. The book was compiled over … Continue reading
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