Life on the Majuli island
Or, how the people of Majuli island in Assam are using technology to overcome natural adversities. “The biggest river island
- rtw@sandeepachetan.com
Sandeepa and Chetan's Travel Blog
Life and travel adventures of a married Indian couple.
We are Sandeepa and Chetan living the life of our dreams
From travelling in a truck to seeing places we still don’t believe exist. From having tea in a tribal’s hut to talking about what we have learnt living this life in TEDx talks and TV interviews. We hope that through our travel stories we inspire you to make your dream into a reality.
In January 2013 we quit our jobs, sold our house and decided to travel the world. We thought we would do a year-long RTW (Round The World) trip. But an unexpected thing happened. We fell in love with the road. Long-term and slow travel became our way of life. Since then we have developed a lifestyle based on around travel.
Some of our Media features
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People, Places, Photos
Welcome to our online home.
How travel became the tool of our transformation?
A time came in our lives when we knew we needed a change and needed it now. We knew we wanted to break the cycle of “get a new job–>earn more money–>try to live a BETTER life”. But by continuing to live the life that we lived, we weren’t going to find any answers. We needed a tool that could help us look at our lives from the outside. Our love for travel was what had helped us get together in the first place. We decided to use this love for travel as a tool to help us transform our lives.
This website is obviously about travel stories and experiences. But it is more, a story of our journey through life as we adapt to change and challenge ourselves to live out of our comfort zones – and hope to become better, responsible citizens of our planet.
A word on "Responsible Tourism" and what it means to us
Responsible travel has become the guiding principle of our travels. Not just being ecologically sensitive and trying to minimise our footprint but also being culturally and socially sensitive. We know we can not “understand” a place and its people unless we visit.
A clean slate and an open mind (as much as we can) is what we carry to a place.
As we travel, we seek answers to -
1. How do the locals of a place live?
2. Why?
3. How are their food habits, their work, even their culture defined by their geographical location?
4. What relevance does the history of the place have on their present-day lives?
Stories about responsible travel
When less is more or a Simple life of Sani in Zanskar
Sani was our introduction to the Zanskar valley. It was studded with many firsts: the first face-off with “remote location”
A slice of heaven at The Goat Village, an introduction
“Look forward to having you with us in the lost land of the Himalayas. Let’s leave the itinerary unplanned and
It is ALL about the connections we make
After a while, the novelty of travel can cease to amaze. Mountains, beaches, forests can all start to feel the same. A travel experience is more about the people you meet than the places you see or things you do. The connections you make with the people become the lasting memories of the place.
Places of beauty and inspiration in Uttarakhand – Part 1
View of the sunrise to the right, sunset to the left. Unrestricted views of the valleys in all directions, dotted
People of New Zealand we met in our travels
There may be just a few of them, but they’re one kind, helpful and a friendly lot. We have always
7 Himalayan families which stunned us with their hospitality
An unanswered question still haunts us. If they were visitors in our city, guests in our homes, would we have treated
Our travel style
We haven’t stereotyped ourselves in any travel category. Nor do we have a favourite travel style. Road trips to trekking, city travel to rural tourism – we like it all!
Roadtrips
Travel guide for the Srinagar Leh highway
In this travel guide for the Srinagar Leh highway, we will tell you everything you need to know for your road trip on this route to reach Ladakh. This travel guide is based entirely on our first-hand experience of our road trip from Srinagar to Leh.
Highways across India: 5 Heavenly Locations for Road Trip Fanatics
The best way to explore the unknown within us is to travel as much as one can. Road trips make
Cycling the Konkan coast from Mumbai
A bicycle had been my trusted childhood companion but as time went on I let go of that habit. Cycling became a sport I only observed from the outside. It came back into my life when we took short cycling trips in our travels. The spark to cycle long distance was reignited.
Trekking
Trek to Phuktal Monastery in Zanskar, India.
Zanskar valley, in the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir, is probably the most isolated valley in India and Phuktal is
Amarnath yatra: Trek on a pilgrimage
(Jump to the Amarnath yatra story) [ इसे हिंदी में पढ़ें ] Amarnath yatra 2020 updates Dates:Amarnath yatra 2020 has
Chatpal, an offbeat gem hidden in Kashmir
“Feel free to stay as long as you can manage without electricity” was the memo. Chatpal was slated to be touted
Rural getaways
Morachi Chincholi, Maharashtra, India
Morachi Chincholi, a village of tamarind trees with peacocks A village with more peacocks than people, Morachi Chincholi is actually
Exploring a rural Indian bazaar, a weekly market and a cattle fair
It was the weekly village market, albeit the biggest of the year. But a rural Indian bazaar, with its explosion
A slice of heaven at The Goat Village, an introduction
“Look forward to having you with us in the lost land of the Himalayas. Let’s leave the itinerary unplanned and
City travel
Unique cultural experiences in Pune
Pune is famously known as the cultural capital of Maharashtra. These cultural events in Pune are some of the best times to visit this city.
Exploring Hyderabad: Places to visit and eat at
We had heard a lot about Hyderabad’s culinary heritage but didn’t have a local contact to help us discover the hidden treasures. We took to social media for suggestions on-the-go using our swift Airtel 4G. From unknown monuments of the Nizam’s era and one-of-a-kind ice cream parlours to inspiring stories of overcoming all obstacles, we discovered Hyderabad through the eyes of the “virtual” locals.
Wellington beyond the tourist attractions
An extra day in Wellington meant we could see parts of the city beyond the Wellington waterfront. We started our
Same same but different
You don’t always have to travel to a new place to “feel” something new. Just doing something different in an often visited place can turn out to be a totally new experience.
Offbeat travel in “typical” Mahabaleshwar
Agreed, Mahabaleshwar is as touristy as it gets. But that doesn’t make it any less beautiful. Its forest cover is
Motueka and the pleasures of a small town in New Zealand
We had decided to take the offbeat route to the Golden Bay in the South Island of New Zealand. Accordingly,
Kerala backwaters beyond houseboat tours
You whizzed past it on the long train journeys on family trips during the school holidays. Stared wide-eyed as the
Being a traveller at home
And sometimes, you don’t even need to travel. Looking at “Home” with the eyes and mind of a traveller can reveal things we often miss out.
Being a traveler at home – why and how
“Adventure is accessible to normal people, in normal places, in short segments of time and without having to spend much
Long-term Travel
Long-term travel isn’t a long holiday. If you are planning to take the plunge (or a break) and wondering what long-term travel feels like, have a look at these stories.
Slow travel – why we embraced this responsible (and cheaper) way to travel
“So, where’s the honeymoon?”, guests asked us. Our reply of “Coorg” was invariably followed by “Oh nice, where else?”. “Umm…nowhere,
Longterm Travel snapshot – Part 1
We are starting this series from our first longterm trip. We hope this series throws light into the psyche of long term travel and acts as a guiding tool for future aspirants.
Longterm Travel snapshot – Part 2
When people hear of our long term and slow travel stories, we are often asked questions – how do we
Photography
Photography is now an integral part of our travel
Smartphone – perfect camera for travel photography?
“This June my dream of travelling to Ladakh is finally coming true. Which DSLR camera should I buy?” Before getting
How photography helps us combine travel and work!
We are often asked about how we manage to travel long term and what do we do to earn a
living. We are sharing some ways in which photography has helped us to generate income in our travels.
Travel Blogging
If you are planning to start a travel blog of your own these might be helpful in pointing you in the right direction.
Travel to travel blogging: Our journey from thought to action
How the thought of travel was converted to the action of blogging and how we combine the process of travel
Travel blogging: Why we love sharing our travel stories
Why and how did we get into travel blogging and what motivates us to keep going A while ago, the
Tips for using Instagram when you are a travel blogger
The blogger vs Instagrammer debate is becoming stronger and louder with each side making strong points for their respective sides.
Recent Posts
How to Make Your Own Travel Guide
If you’re thinking about making your own travel guide, there’s no time like the present. If you’re looking for some
Longterm travel snapshot – Part 10
When people hear of our long term and slow travel stories, we are often asked questions – how do we
Longterm travel snapshot – Part 9
When people hear of our long term and slow travel stories, we are often asked questions – how do we
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