Reflections from the Road

There’s a moment, somewhere on the climb from the plains of West Bengal into the Himalayas, when the air shifts. It cools, sharpens, and carries the scent of pine and wet earth. That’s when you know you’ve entered a different world. Sikkim and North Bengal sit side by side, but they feel like two siblings with very different personalities — one contemplative and small, the other sprawling and full of movement. Both are threaded with tea gardens, monasteries and mountains that

There’s a rhythm to Tamil Nadu that gets under your skin — part temple bell, part bus horn, part sizzle of dosa batter on a hot plate. From misty hills to sun-bleached coasts, this is a state that feels both ancient and industrious, deeply spiritual yet constantly in motion. You can trace thousands of years of civilisation here, and still stumble across a woman stirring halva over an open fire by the roadside. Size & Comparison Area:  130,058 km² — about twice the size of Tas

If India has a heartbeat, it’s here — steady, ancient, and impossible to forget. In Varanasi, life and death share the same steps down to the river. The air smells of smoke, marigolds and ghee lamps, and the Ganges glows gold at dawn. It’s confronting and deeply beautiful all at once — a place that humbles you, and somehow, makes you feel more alive. Size & Comparison Area:  Approximately 82 km² Population (2025):  Around 1.8 million Comparable to:  Bigger than Manhattan, sma