India

Finnish Flight Attendants Take Off to Bollywood

Finn Air ©Joi To celebration of India’s Republic Day, flight crew on the January 17th Finnair flight AY201 from Helsinki to Dehli donned Indian attire and danced down the airplane aisles to “Deewangi Deewangi” from the Bollywood blockbuster “Om Shanti Om.” The idea for the tribute came from Helena Kaartinen, who has worked for Finnair [...]

The World’s Strangest Natural Optical Illusions

Magnetic Hill ©Kartikeya Kaul Do you have do see something to believe it? Maybe not, with these 10 extraordinary natural mirages, compiled by the BBC, you might just be left disbelieving your own eyes. Making an appearance on the list is the magnetic hill in Ladakh, India where vehicles left out of gear appear roll [...]

Dancing Flashmob Takes Over Indian Train Station

Chhatrapati Shivaji (Victoria) Terminus ©BabyDinosaur If you thought Indian public transport was already incredibly crowded and overstimulating, add a flashmob of 200 dancers into the mix and even the most seasoned commuter will have problems catching their train. Last month, dancers came together for a flashmob event at Chhatrapati Shivaji (Victoria) Terminus–Indian’s busiest train station. [...]

Photo of the Moment: A New Day in Bangalore, India

Photo of the Moment: The Rain Man, India

Crumbling Foundations Could Cause Taj Mahal to Collapse

Taj Mahal © laszlo-photo The Taj Mahal’s foundations are crumbling and experts estimate that unless urgent action is taken to shore them up the monument will collapse in the next five years. The Daily Mail reports, Professor Ram Nath, a historian who is one of the world’s leading authorities on the Taj, said: ‘The Taj [...]

8 Foreign Fast Food Chains You Should Know

Albaik ©toyohara When most people think of fast food the American chain McDonald’s is the first thing that comes to mind. And while McDonald’s chains seem to be popping up everywhere, there is a growing number of local homegrown fast food resturants that are challenging McDonald’s around the world. These local chains present travelers with [...]

Six Best Cities to Get Lost In

Venice, Italy © Accidental Hedonist For the directionally challenged, Lonely Planet compiles a list of the six best cities to toss out your pathetic map and just get lost. The cities all have one thing in common–an easy way to find your bearings and get un-lost when the need arises. Who knows what you might [...]

Bangladesh’s Taj Mahal Knockoff

The real Taj Mahal © Christian Haugen On a plot of farmland outside Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, there stands a reproduction of India’s Taj Mahal. The replica is the work of Ahsanullah Moni, a Bangladeshi filmmaker and hotelier. Moni was inspired by a visit to the real Taj Mahal in 1980 and since beginning construction he [...]

Creepiest Jewelry Ever: Pupil Diamonds

Pupil © Monkey Boson For the discriminating jewelry lover who just hasn’t been able to find that certain je ne sais qoui to truly look like a psychopath. From The Telegraph: Want to make your eyes really sparkle? A company is offering contact lenses fitted with real diamonds and gold. Dubbed ‘eye jewellery’, the bling [...]

Photo of the Moment: Bundi Street Scene, India

Photo of the Moment: Gurdomangar Lake at 17,000 Feet, India

10 Must-See Places in India

© Claude Renault The huge continent of India offers everything a wily traveller could want, from huge booming cities to sprawling rural communities, beautiful palm fringed beaches and snow capped mountain peaks. Pack your travel insurance and travel money – here are ten must see places in India.

Our Final Bedkit Distribution in Yellapur, India

Our eighth and final distribution was located approximately two hours south of Hubli in a town called Yellapur. It is known for its two beautiful and natural waterfalls – Magod falls and Satoddi falls. The distribution took place inside of an Ashram. It was beautiful. The grounds were filled with rings of rich purple flowers, [...]

The SCAW Distribution in India Continues: Sitting Down with the Parents

As I mentioned in a previous blog, as a SCAW volunteer, there are many different roles you can play at a distribution – the photographer, the label puller, the counter, the organizer of the kids. One of my favourite roles of all would be the interviewer. Throughout the trip, we were responsible for interviewing a [...]

Photo of the Moment: Just Beat It, India

The Ladies of Belgaum, India

Our largest distribution took place in the city of Belgaum, population of approximately one million people. We handed out 1,000 bedkits that day and believe me, it wasn’t easy organizing 1,000 children and their parents, but it was done and done smoothly, thanks to the local Rotarians and their families.

The Young Humanitarian of Harugari

Our third distribution was in a town called Harugari, approximately three hours from Belgaum, where we distributed 150 bedkits. We had such a great time at that site. At one point, we had the kids running from the moment they checked in, through to the area where they were supposed to get changed, high-fiving them [...]

A 360 Degree Moment in Rural India

Our two days of touring are officially over. We took a flight from Mumbai to Hubli and then drove to Belgaum, our home base for the next five days as we drive in and out of some of the most rural parts of India.

Little Moments in Mumbai

Our second day with our tour guide Amin was even more special than the first. As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, before I left Toronto I sent an email to friends, family and co-workers asking them for donations to an orphanage in Mumbai. As a result I received an entire hockey equipment bag [...]

Touring the Contrast City of Mumbai, India

I’ve been to many countries around the world, but nothing could prepare me for the contrast that I was about to see in Mumbai. I say contrast because of the two extremes – tall modern sky scrapers, BMWs and businessmen you see roaming around the streets, to the extremely poor people, hanging out by the [...]

Lessons from a Volunteer in India: Be Careful What You Pack

Twenty-four hours and two plane rides later, we arrived at our hotel in Mumbai. We are staying at a YMCA International House, which, by the way, if you are ever looking for an economical, clean and modest place to stay while traveling to certain places overseas, I definitely recommend. My friend and co-worker Tom stayed [...]

I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane … to India … with 6 Strangers

Tamara Kaftalovich is working with Maverick PR to assist ‘Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW)’ in providing bedkits to needy children in India.

Music Video of the Moment: Cornershop’s ‘United Provinces Of India’

A great new track and beautifully shot video to boot. Love it. More via Cornershop.com.

Photo of the Moment: Leaving the Market in Sikkim, India

Photo of the Moment: An Original Vagabond, Ravangla

The Indian Bank That Lends Goats

You’ll Pay When I Say You Pay! © John Haslam In the remote Indian town of Korawan, there’s a bank that deals exclusively in the lending of goats. NDTV.com reveals how it works: In [the] tough terrains of Mirzapur district, most of the people are engaged in crushing stone to earn a living. “Wives of [...]

Indian Women Withholding Marriage, Sex For Toilets

© Doris Antony, Berlin A little perspective for the next time your Significant Other complains that the air conditioning is turned up too high. Or that they can’t see the TV from the couch. Or that the light in the patio isn’t just right. Things, as we never tire of reminding you around here, could [...]

Bizarre Culture: Spoiled Milk with Rat Feces: Disgusting Or Spiritual Delicacy? [Video]

In this clip from Travel Channel’s Culture Shock, Shenaz visits a temple in India where rats are not only tolerated, they are worshipped. Watch as one of the locals dines with the “holy rats” on spoiled milk and feces! Whatever happened to this show anyway? I think it was canceled twenty minutes into the premiere [...]