From South India to the World: A Journey Resumes

 It feels surreal to open this space again after so many years.

Between 2010 and 2012, my life revolved around the vibrant landscapes of South India. Those were the days when my camera was my constant companion, and every weekend meant boarding a bus or train to somewhere new. From the misty hills of Ooty to the quiet backwaters of Kerala, those journeys shaped not just my photography, but my perspective on life.

I wasn’t just clicking pictures — I was collecting moments. Early morning sunrises over temple gopurams, fishermen casting nets along the coast, monsoon clouds rolling over tea estates, chaotic yet beautiful street markets — every frame told a story. Looking back now, those photos feel like time capsules from a simpler, more spontaneous version of myself.

Then life moved faster.

Careers evolved. Responsibilities grew. Travel didn’t stop — it expanded.

What began as South Indian explorations slowly turned into international adventures. Wandering through cobbled streets in Europe, standing in awe before architectural marvels, tasting unfamiliar cuisines, navigating new cultures — every trip added a new chapter. Yet, somewhere along the way, I stopped writing. The journeys continued, but the stories stayed in my camera roll and in my memory.

And that changes today.

“South Indian Tourister” is no longer just about the Southern part of India. It’s about every journey since — my Europe travels, spontaneous getaways, carefully planned vacations, and even the short weekend escapes that refreshed the soul. This space will now hold stories from then till now — the lessons, the mishaps, the breathtaking views, and the small human moments that make travel meaningful.

I want to write the way I used to travel — with curiosity, honesty, and heart.

If you’ve been here since the early days, thank you for waiting. If you’re new here, welcome to this evolving journey. The destinations may have expanded beyond South India, but the spirit remains the same: travel deeply, observe quietly, and capture meaningfully.

Here’s to restarting.
Here’s to new stories.
Here’s to many more journeys ahead.

If you'd like, I can also write a slightly more emotional or a more photography-focused version depending on the tone you want for your blog’s comeback post.

I'm back :)

This year has been very exciting for me, filled with loads of traveling and of course returning back to my home town Mumbai after a hiatus of 4 years.

I had finally got my first International trip to Saudi Arabia where I spent 3 months. The experience was amazing. The stark difference in cultures and strict discipline was very visible wherever I went. The scorching heat and lack of movie theatres in the country left you with only two options – laze around in your air conditioned villa or visit the many shopping malls abundant in the country.

There are two noteworthy things that I must mention about this trip. First is the awesome, super comfortable and very huge villa in Riyadh, that I stayed in for the duration of my stay. The villa housed a gym, 4 rooms, a pool, a squash court . The second thing is the fabulous and mouth watering food that I feasted on here. 

The second country that I had a chance to visit was Sri Lanka. I must admit, this was my most enjoyable stay so far. My hotel was located on the shores of the beach . The rickshaws here are called Tuktuks and can be found in every color and so are the local trains (the pink trains are a must-see ;)). The railway tracks run parallel to the coastline and a train ride and the view is simply breathtaking. I think a train ride should definitely be on your Things-to-do-in-Srilanka list.

I was also lucky enough to witness a traditional Sinhalese Wedding on one of my trips to a nearby church. The bride looked radiant dressed in a white sari draped in the traditional Srilankan style which is quite different from the Indian way of draping. I also had a chance to visit a local eatery with a few of my colleagues where a live orchestra was belting out some local folk tunes. Although I didn’t understand the words, the music reminded me of my native Goan folk songs.

So far these are the two countries that I have visited. And I am looking forward to more international trips ;). Until then, the joyful month of December will keep me busy with its many celebrations and festivities.

The Garden City

I always wondered where did Bangalore derive its nickname from. The Garden City....why is Bangalore know as the garden city?? In my initial hostel days, the only garden I knew was Lalbaug Botanical Garden and the green lawn behind my hostel. Had heard from my professors that every lane in Bangalore has a garden...Really I never believed them....No one does actually :P

The only places we hung out as students were malls, gaming alleys, cinemas and pubs, restaurants and more restaurants

That was then and here I am today. I have to agree that my professors were right. 

Sunset @ Lalbag Bangalore

Capturing the sun among the wood

Capturing the sun among the wood - 2

Mouth watering snack @ the food street VV Puram Bangalore

Every lane in Bangalore does indeed have a garden and not just a piece of green lawn but a full fledged garden. 

Getting out of my room and exploring the city helped me discover that.

The Red Garden - Bangalore

The Red Garden - Bangalore

 The Lalbagh Botanical garden is one of the many popular tourists’ spots in Bangalore. Located in southern Bangalore, this vast expanse of natural beauty is a perfect escape from the noise and traffic of the city.

I’ve been in Bangalore for the last three years now and have visited the botanical gardens almost 5 times since then. Since its one of the must see places in Bangalore, I usually end up taking all visiting friends and family members to this place.

Vividly Bright Colors on Display

Its all about perception

This time however I made it a point to visit Lalbagh specifically to view the 199th Annual Republic Day flower show. 

The Glass House

Chinese flowers

I had never seen anything like this before… I assumed it would be a usual flower show but to my surprise there were 1000 plus colorful flowers for display and for sale. The organizers put up something every unusual - a display of roof plantation made of vegetables not flowers !!! 

The glass house as always was the main attraction. Colorful exhibits were displayed everywhere for people to view. Vegetable statues made out of flowers  - hahaha how unusual, a coconut made of green leafs.., a banana out of yellow flowers…Truly amazing.

The little yellow light

Reminded me of all those Yash Raj Movies

The Nikon D5100 had many other competitors at the flower show but one great feature which the tourister (which is me ;)) tired was the shutter speed aka burst mode. The special performance of the day.

Coconut Man

Mumbai Pune Express Way

As part of the preparations for the wedding of my dear sister, we made a lot of trips from Mumbai to Pune and back. Our last trip to Pune before the wedding had us carting a lot of bags filled with gifts, clothes and other little things. Invariably we had to book a car and thankfully take the Mumbai Pune expressway!

I say thankfully because I saw this as a perfect opportunity for some photography ;)

So equipped with my Nikon DLSR 5100, I sat beside the driver and started clicking the moment we hit the highway.

Divine Intervention Balaji & Ganeshji practice car pooling :)

Highrise building vs Rising sun...JVLR Mumbai

Sunrise JVRL Mumbai

Breaking Free

Vashi Bridge Mumbai

the world thru my eyes - Mumbai Pune expressway tunnel

the peak is where I aim to be

Mounts and greenery on the express way

Weddings continued

 

After the wedding of my dear sister in November - http://southindyantourister.blogspot.in/2014/01/weddings.html  comes December and another wedding of a very close friend. 

Advent started with my friends - Doris and Valentino getting hitched. This time I was in a better position with my lens in hand, all ready to shoot. This time I had done some research and tried experimenting with the focus, the shutter speed and the colour select options.





The wedding, meeting old friends, good photo and lots and lots of pictures made it a perfect weekend. Cheers to the couple - wish you both a happy married life :-)

Weddings

The tourister has been busy, not touring but preparing for a wedding. Yes a wedding. Touring did'nt happen this season... but the one thing constant was the main focus of this blog - Photography.

With the end of the year, a time when celebrations are around the corner and everyone has a wedding to attend. I know it’s unusual for a guy to write about weddings, but an exception can be made in three cases – if you have your own blog to write, if you are a photographer and if you have just attended the wedding of someone close. And since I fulfill all three conditions (wink, wink) I can thereby proceed to share some amazing pictures by yours truly

So the beginning of November was a very special time for me with the wedding of my little sister Susan. Sleepless nights, running around, packing and unpacking and packing, non stop calls and messages, endless shopping list, managing people, arrangements, confusions, pictures, parties, non stop dancing, eating boozing and one big fat wedding.