Shikha Shah

My love for sketching took me to the Prague Pleinair festival, where I experienced the city more intimately as an observer, not a tourist

Far removed from mass tourism, the interiors of West Bengal offer depth, beauty, and authenticity that many overlook. You may not find polished perfection here, but you will find a soul

t one of India’s most iconic dive sites, I rediscovered presence, patience, and the power of breathing deeply beneath the waves.

Often celebrated as the “Pearl of the Andaman”, Phuket was never on my radar. Thailand’s largest island had always conjured images of big tour groups, overdeveloped beaches and lavish resorts. But when an urban sketching event drew me to Phuket Old Town, I arrived with an open mind.

Welcome to the era of the quietcation — or what the hospitality world now calls hush hospitality or hushpitality — where silence, slow living, and intentional disconnection are the biggest luxuries money can buy.

On January 4, the art of Urban Sketching brought together a group of art and architecture enthusiasts from Surat, who set out on a half-day journey to Navsari to explore and
sketch the town’s rich, overlooked Parsi heritage.

Don’t be fooled by the nightlife hype — Mykonos has a soulful side shaped by history, tradition, and the unhurried cadence of daily life

To understand Malvani cuisine is to taste the geography of India’s western shore

Here's what to expect

Dear Reader,
We hope this note finds you thriving, dreaming, and perhaps planning your next escape. There’s something endlessly charming about receiving postcards from those who roam the world. Folded corners, glossy textures, vibrant images, the the lingering scent of a far-flung destination, smudged pen marks, all carry a whole lot of warmth, love and a sense of nostalgia. Recently, we received hand-drawn musings from Jaipur, water-coloured blues from Bodrum, and a sun-drenched postcard fro...

Streets lit with fairy lights, steaming mugs of spiced beverages, choirs echoing through historic squares, and markets overflowing with craftwork — don’t these seem like scenes straight from a fairy tale? During Christmas, these are everyday scenes across Europe, where cities transform into open-air celebrations of winter charm. For Indian travellers
wanting to experience a White Christmas, European Christmas markets offer the perfect blend of culture, cuisine, and celebratory warmth.

Havelock pulses with life, but Chidiyatapu offers the Andamans’ quiet soul, granting the rare privilege of diving beneath the surface without another soul in sight. Here, luxury isn’t a room, it’s an ocean.

A visual diary captures the Indian city's color, character and poetry

Beneath its glamorous façade, the Aegean Island of Mykonos unveils a sacred identity rooted in time-honoured recipes, farm-to-table feasts, family-run gems, and traditional tavernas that proudly celebrate the island’s rich heritage, authentic gastronomy.

From ancient ossuaries to Cold War bunkers, Brno’s mysterious underground world is packed with history, architecture, and stories you won’t find in Prague