15 in ’15

It’s been a busy and fun year at Itchy Feet, with new places, new people and new experiences scattered throughout. The highlight was right at the beginning of my year, with an invitation to a TEDx event in Bangalore – see my talk on Why I Travel for some inspiration, if you’ve not already. I also finally succumbed to the pressure and set up a Facebook page for Itchy Feet – once again, please go here and like it if you have not already…

The first few months were also when I made the best use of Delhi winter and took off almost every other weekend for a break. I moved back to Bangalore from Gurgaon in the middle of the year, after a short stint of exactly a year.

And then some more travels inside and outside the country, ending just a couple of days ago with a short trip to Kutch.

Here then, my top 15 travel experiences of 2015…

Snowy days in Gulmarg , a gondola ride, fragrant kahwa, stunning mountain views, vegetarian wazwan, chilling out at The Khyber

Food trail in Amritsar, kulcha and chhole, lassi and jalebi, misty mornings at Harmandir Sahib, the earthiness of Punjab

Close encounters in Corbett, freezing jeep rides, Imran’s lovely home stay, eye to eye with a tiger cub, introduction to bird watching, hide and seek with an angry tusker

Carnival time in Cologne, costumes and colours, street processions, the cathedral, the scent of cologne

Fogged out in Agra, the Padhaaro walk, the Taj from Mehtab Bagh, sadar bazaar chaat dinner, the Yamuna Expressway

Bird watching in Bharatpur, rickshaw rides, binoculars and patient stalking, Saras cranes and Siberian Rubythroats, veering towards addiction

Unwinding in New Zealand, self drive holiday, Milford Sound, Fox and Franz Glacier, zorbing and jet boating, Kiwi accents and lilting rhythms

Turning 40 in France, chocolates and champagne, wine tasting in Bordeaux, Toulouse and Nantes, cinema walk, rainy spring in Paris, Montmartre, Lido show

First time in Bandipur, back in Bangalore, weekend getaway, an hour with a tiger, Jungle Lodges

Cycling in Copenhagen, Nyhavn, Vikings and learning to row, street food market, Hans Christian Andersen, hygge

Discovering Portugal in Macau, Senado Square and stunning colours, tip of the Hong Kong iceberg

No tigers in Tadoba, a silent forest, stay at Svasara, promises of going back

Road tripping in Tamil Nadu, temples, Thanjavur, a bit of France in Pondicherry and Denmark in Tranquebar, boating among the mangroves

Finding peace in Borobudur, selfies with the Buddha, Ramayana ballet at Prambanan, Bali and Lombok

Rann Utsav in Kutch, bhungas and tents, hand embroidery, beautiful women, golden sunsets, shimmering salt pans

So, how was your 2015? Do share your favourite travel moments here.

And here is wishing you a wonderful, wanderful 2016!