Rolling hills, coffee plantations, waterfalls and vivid green landscape–the district of Coorg is the perfect little tropical paradise that offers a welcome break from the craziness that is now Bangalore. The best way to get here is by a car/taxi or multiple bus services on offer by travel operators and the state transport services from Bangalore. Here is our list of 7 things to do when you get there : 1. Lodging at a homestay Being…
Vipula

Vipula
Vipula is a culture and travel blogger from Los Angeles, California. She completed her MBA and currently works full time in a Fortune 10 company. She is a avid reader and loves traveling around the Globe. You will find her tips and reviews on best travel destinations, books and movie/tv shows on Shades of Words.
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Celebrating Independent Bookstores: Brattle Book Shop, Boston
by VipulaNo trip is complete without trying to hit a local bookstore, especially now that they are a dying breed. This also gives me a good excuse to buy books by local writers! When you are in Boston, the one bookstore that you have to check out is the Brattle Book Shop. Brattle Book Shop is an American treasure and a must-see for any book lover. It’s located at 9 West Street, Boston MA 02111. Established in…
Santiago and the Drinking Party is an odd little book. It doesn’t have a plot or a theme. Stuff happens. Why or to what end doesn’t seem to matter. The story starts at an unusual place, deep in the Amazon, where Daniel, our narrator, is backpacking as a student. During a dangerous, almost fatal river crossing he meets Santiago. Santiago is the resident philosopher, who earns his living feeding off the superstition of the tribes. His…
Bhutan in Photos7 days in the Himalayan Kingdom#FlashbackFriday Day 1 – Flying into Bhutan @ Paro and driving to Thimpu View of the Himalayas on the flight to Bhutan Downtown Thimpu View from the hotel Day 2 – National Memorial Chorten, Sangey Point and Royal Palace National Memorial Chorten Women Praying at Changankha monastary View of the Royal Palace View of Thimpu City from Sangey Point Day 3 – Handicraft market and exploring the town…
The Things they Carried is an astounding book that leaves no doubt in your mind on the true nature of war. There is no glory and it’s horror has endless depths. It can’t be an easy thing to write personal war stories – especially painful, gut-wrenching, embarrassing, shameful ones. But that’s what Tim O’Brien does in this semi-autobiographical collection of snippets from Vietnam War. He digs into his war wounds and slices them open and…
England is blessed with such a vast and large literary heritage that their movie-makers don’t have to look very far for a good story. On the downside, there are several versions of the same classic, putting pressure on the creative team to bring their own interpretation to the story without insulting the memory of the writer. The Plot Now I have never read Bleak House, but the casting was enough reason to watch this BBC …
There is a lot one can do in Boston. One of the oldest cities in the USA, it’s an important landmark in the freedom movement and a dream destination for history buffs. It also happens to be one of the biggest college towns in the country with Harvard and MIT campuses – so there is always a young crowd here keeping things fresh. I happened to be in Boston in the summer of 2008 for…
Reposting on #throwbackthursday about our trip to Shimla when we were much younger :)! Guest post by Kapil Sood For 9 to 5ers like us, the travel bug bites us ever so often and then one has to get away. One such time was the summer of 2009 when we decided to head to the hill station of Shimla – an extremely popular, populated, and touristy travel destination in northern India. So what’s so great…