Voluntourism in Himachal Pradesh, India

It was a hot summer morning when I mailed Ishita Khanna, the co-founder of Ecosphere, a social enterprise in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. At that point, I was a desperate traveller at my workstation in Mumbai. After an exchange of 42 emails across months of planning, my first solo trip to Spiti was finalised. It was…

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Photos from Spiti

As I near the first anniversary of my debut solo trip, for reasons unknown I still struggle to articulate my experiences from Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. Faraway in the mountains, the silent solitude has taught me more than I expected and made me believe in the good even more. If there was only one thing I…

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6 things travelling solo taught me

Travelling solo is never easy. Firstly, meticulous planning is key. I like to pre-plan my travels so that I can leave enough room for spontaneity and pitfalls.  Secondly, since I am intrepid traveller, I would like to add some form of adventure to it. Thanks to the three solo trips I completed in the last 7…

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Perfect Strangers

This life is truly underrated. I have said this to myself so many times now, that I reckon it has become an enlightenment of sorts. Months ago, when I was volunteering with Ecosphere in Spiti I met my co-volunteer, Sonali in Manali. We were just about to start our journey from Manali to Kaza and…

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The serene statue of Buddha in Langza.

This was taken in the evening when I was returning from my unsuccessful attempt at herding the cattle! Amrita DasI have been a travel and culture independent journalist. My bylines have appeared in many publications worldwide including National Geographic Traveller India, Lonely Planet Magazine India, The Indian Express and World Travel Magazine. A fellow of…

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