Accent on India

20/01/2026

Ellora Caves and one temple to beat them all

Also in the Aurangabad area is the Ellora Caves. It’s OK, its not a not another cave tour. Not when they are created liked this!

These massive rock-cut complexes were creating for, and by, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jains. This in itself makes it special, the harmony of belief together.

Temples and monasteries carved into basalt cliffs between the 6th and 10th centuries CE.

I am no engineer, but this is remarkable. The skill and knowledge to cut into a hill. They only got one shot at it. The highlight being the monolithic Kailasa Temple. I really did have to close my mouth on several occasions. I was gasping out loud. A temple; 50m long, 32m high, 33m wide. And so much carving. I have to stop here.

Hopefully, the photos create some sort of awe in you also.

15/01/2026

MUMBAI – a city of contrast

Apparently, Mumbai is called the City of dreams.

Some of those dreams may come true, but for many, they may not. This huge city sits on the Arabian Sea and is big in every way. 100-storey apartment buildings. Temples, mosques, and churches side by side. People living everywhere, in every nook and cranny. Cars, scooters and tuk tuks filling the roads. Many many Markets; fish, flower, fruit.

At dawn, I did a tour to see all this; markets, newspaper sorting, the dabbawalla tiffin delivery station. Life before dawn is a busy place.

Mumbai then has wonderful strolling areas with amazing shops. Great local designer fashion and homeware stores. There is even a Galleries Lafayette!

Again, my senses were wowed with wonder!

13/01/2026

I am here in Aurangabad, a 6-hour drive inland from Mumbai, or an easy flight from many cities.

My days excursion is to the Ajanta Caves. A deep ravine, with caves carved into the rock. Sliced and cut and carved to be exact, by Buddhist monks in 2BCE. And more caves created until 650CE. 30 in total. They were for monasteries and prayer halls. These are vast caves - no crouching required; 75m high. Intricate carvings, incredible paintings on the wall; they dug into the rock on the walls to then add the plaster and colours. The paintings still there in places. The colours strong.

This was all lost to the forest for centuries. Then found in 1819 by Captain John Smith whilst tiger hunting,

It is truly miraculous how these were built and how they have survived.

12/01/2026

It’s a great experience. And an opportunity to stay at the amazing Glenburn Estate. I was there in May

Ghum Railway Station is the iconic hub of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Ride the famous Toy Train and explore the DHR Museum amidst stunning hill views. History, heritage and charm all in one place.

Nearest Railhead: New Jalpaiguri Junction (NJP)
Nearest Airport: Bagdogra Airport (IXB)

08/01/2026

Madhya Pradesh, for me, is all about the small towns — Khajuraho and Orchha especially.

We flew into Khajuraho, and after a run of hectic days, the simple luxury of a lazy afternoon by the pool felt like its own festival. Later, we visited the famous temples — about 25 still standing, dating back to roughly 1050 AD. The detail is astonishing, and yes, many are of the ahem intimate variety. The sculptors had no shortage of imagination.

The next day we drove to Orchha. Real rural driving — where you never quite know what will appear on the road. We decided to tick off the traffic “Big Five”: camel, elephant, pilgrimage, an overloaded truck, and five people on a scooter. Success.

Because it was Diwali, entire villages were outside painting their doorsteps in bright colour. We stopped at one home to wish them a Happy Diwali, and then at another village where, before we knew it, we were helping decorate cow-dung floors that had been smoothed into perfect canvases. My attempt at finger-painting became the entertainment of the day. The laughter was warm and very real.

When it was time to leave, it felt like half the village had gathered to wave us off — like long-lost relatives seeing us on our way.

06/01/2026

Why Madhya Pradesh Is the Heart of India

They call Madhya Pradesh the “Heart of India”, and it’s not just because of geography. Everything about the state feels like India distilled — ancient temples, dense forests, tigers, tribal cultures, and villages where life spills gently out onto the streets.

Khajuraho is home to some of the most intricate temple carvings in the world — expressive, surprising and a thousand years old. Sanchi and Bhimbetka have stories that go even further back, with cave paintings that predate recorded history.

And then there’s the wildlife. Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench are some of the best places in India to see tigers in the wild — forests alive with sound and silence.

The food shifts as you travel — wheat in one region, rice in another, corn and milk dishes in the Malwa belt, Mughal flavours in Bhopal, tribal dishes in the rural stretches. It’s a state of quiet surprises, each one different from the last.

04/01/2026

Where History Still Breathes: Delhi & Agra

Delhi and Agra are the kind of places that make you feel small — in the best way.

Delhi has been the capital of seven empires. Every stone, every arch, every narrow lane has seen stories rise and fall. The Red Fort was once white (the British painted it red to protect the sandstone), and Qutub Minar — the world’s tallest brick minaret — still stands proud as it has for centuries.

Agra, meanwhile, is quieter but no less powerful. Everyone comes for the Taj Mahal, and rightly so — but if you walk through the Great Gate at sunrise, pause. Take a breath before you look up. The first glimpse never loses its magic.

There’s history here, but also humanity — the kind that lingers in the air, somewhere between devotion and daily life.

02/01/2026

The Taj, the Wait, and the Whisper to Stop

Agra can test your patience — the traffic, the touts, the endless queues — but then there’s that moment when it all falls away.

It’s dawn. You’ve queued, shuffled through security, listened to a hundred different languages hum around you. You walk through the Darwaza-i-Rauza, the Great Gate, the air already thick with anticipation.

Then your guide says quietly, “Stop now.”

You pause. Forget the crowd. And there it is — the Taj Mahal, suspended in the morning light. Perfect symmetry, soft mist rising from the Yamuna River, the marble glowing like it’s lit from within.

I’ve seen it more than ten times, and that moment still gives me goosebumps. Every visit feels like the first.

And yet, what stays with me most isn’t the grandeur — it’s the stillness that falls over everyone who sees it. For a second, thousands of people share the same silence.

That’s rare.

30/12/2025

✍️ Flying Lessons in Old Delhi

Delhi is a city that doesn’t slow down for anyone. It’s loud, layered, full of history and contradiction — and somehow, it all works.

One evening , I learnt to fly a kite on a rooftop in Old Delhi. My instructor? The hotel waiter from breakfast, who also happened to be a local kite champion.

He handed me a bright orange kite, and we joined a skyline alive with colour — kites swooping and darting, lines crossing, shouts of victory echoing between rooftops.

“Let it out! Pull it in!” he called. I tried, failed, laughed, and tried again.
When my string finally snapped, I watched the kite drift away — maybe caught by a kid on another roof, maybe gone for good. Either way, it felt right. Delhi teaches you that control is overrated. Sometimes, you just have to let the wind have its way.

24/12/2025

As 2025 comes to a close, I’m looking back with thanks and I truly appreciate your support. Wishing you time well spent with family and friends this holiday season, and a bright New Year ahead; 2026 can be filled with great plans, even better travels, and many more memories waiting to be made.

I am in London experiencing my first winter Christmas. It won't be a white one, but I am happy with almost blue skies and a warm coat. You certainly know it's Christmas !!