It is difficult to imagine that a little black corn could turn the course of history, but pepper, native to Malabar, was so potent a spice that it prompted Vasco da Gama to find a trade route to India.
In History
Pepper was such a pricey commodity in Europe that it was...
My saga with CGH Earth started when I got a call asking if I was interested in a career with the resort group. I always heard good things about CGH within the industry and also I had tried my hand not very successfully at a food business, so my answer was a definite ye...
We stayed at Casino, Marari Beach, Coconut Lagoon, Spice Village, Spice Cruise and Brunton Boatyard, the very gracious Visalam and the absolutely charming Maison Perumal. It was the most fabulous holiday we have ever had in India, and even surpassed our past visits in...
What a catchphrase! It would be hard to for a traveller to hear the pithy slogan “God’s Own Country” and not imagine a heavenly land. Kerala certainly has varied, ethereal destinations and experiences squeezed into a small region; from stre...
I once read that a Storyteller is influenced primarily by his or her travels and readings. Hundreds of journeys and a lifetime of reading sometimes help tell one story. As a documentary filmmaker, stories matter, experiences matter, the surroundings matter, change matt...
After an overnight flight to Mumbai and then a short hop across to Goa (as my friend and I flew in a season when direct Goa flights were unavailable), we were pretty tired by the time we arrived at Goa Airport, so seeing...
Fort Cochin and Vypin Island straddle the harbour mouth of Cochin Port, through which a tide brings strong currents and an ever ending too and fro of vessels; cruise liners, oil tankers, cargo motherships and surprisingly, enchantingly, a variety of 'vanchi valloms', d...
Annie Mendez started at housekeeping with no professional training or experience in the field, but she knew one thing: this was a job that definitely called for teamwork. So, the first thing that she needed to do was make the staff feel that she was one among them. “I...
Tourism has received adverse criticism due to its perceived threat to the environment as it makes inroads into ecologically sensitive regions and biodiversity hotspots.This derives mainly from the perception that tourism, be it high-end luxury hotels or low-end mass to...