A New Zealand for vegetarians

Not eating meat or dairy is zero problem in New Zealand. Vegetarian and vegan dining is both easy and delicious throughout the country. There’s a plethora of places offering wholly plant-based menus and plenty more who let seasonal produce be the hero. 

Here’s a list of a bunch of places that can whet appetite of vegetarians:

Kokako 

Cafe culture is king in New Zealand – their standards for coffee are set high, with uncomplicated, fresh food following suit. Coffee roaster Kokako not only serves the best ethically traded, organic coffee in town, they also offer a completely vegetarian menu (much of it also vegan), showcasing the best of seasonal, organic produce in unfussy, delicious dishes. Try their blends and single origins in espresso or batch brews. Plus there’s kombucha and popular nitro cold brew coffee on tap.

Kokako occupies a beautifully renovated former post office in Auckland’s fringe suburb of Grey Lynn, a five-minute car or 10-minute bus ride from the CBD.

537 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland; +64 9 376 6086; weekdays, 7am to 3.30pm, weekends, 7.30am to 4pm.

Gatherings 

Gatherings is a “living wine bar and restaurant” by talented young chef Alex Davies, whose wholly plant-based cuisine is inspired by the bounty of the Canterbury region’s distinct seasons. Walking the talk, Davies spent a year working on an organic vegetable farm in north Canterbury in order to learn more about sustainable food systems. The five-course dinner set menu costs a very reasonable $60, or you can opt for snacks at the bar. There’s an “organic and living wine list” to accompany the cuisine and the space often hosts live performances organised.

Gatherings is located close to the city centre in Christchurch.

Unit 5/2 Papanui Rd, Christchurch; Wednesday-Saturday, lunch from noon to 2pm, happy hour 4pm-6pm and dinner 6pm-11pm. 

Ten Twenty Four 

It’s a recipe for success: a seasoned fine-dining chef, a Spanish Mission-style stucco building at the end of a palm-lined driveway, and the stunning countryside of New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay “food bowl”. Then there’s the food. At Ten Twenty Four, his kitchen counter cluttered by bottles of locally grown garnishes – edible flowers, fronds, shoots and leaves – chef Kent Baddeley transforms left-field ideas into remarkably delicious dishes. Ten Twenty Four isn’t an exclusively vegetarian kitchen, but seasonal, hyper-local produce is the star and those with dietary requirements are well catered for. 

Ten Twenty Four is a short drive out of Hastings in Hawkes Bay. This is wine country, but also where most of New Zealand’s stone fruit is grown. The road to Ten Twenty Four is dotted with orchard stalls, some with honesty boxes.

1024 Pakowhai Rd, Hastings; +64 6 870 6440; Tuesday to Sunday for lunch; Friday and Saturday for dinner.

Boquita

Vibrant Mexican flavours abound at Boquita. This bijou central Wellington spot features a concise organic plant-based menu of tacos, salads and sides made with fresh local produce and top-quality ingredients that the proprietors import directly from Mexico (browse the selection for sale). You can park up at the bench to dine, but if it’s a fine day, grab your goodies and have a picnic at nearby Oriental Bay or up on Mount Victoria, also close, gazing down on the city.

In central Wellington, pretty much everywhere is within walking distance.

23 Kent Tce, Wellington; Tuesday to Saturday, lunch 11.30am-2.30pm, dinner 5pm-9pm. No bookings.

Little Bird Unbakery

The raw cuisine Little Bird Unbakery in Auckland’s Ponsonby certainly won’t leave you feeling cold. In this warm, bright space, you’ll feel the love and attention of the kitchen in everything on the menu, which is predominantly raw, with a few cooked items. Fresh coconuts are cracked open for smoothies, kimchi and kefir are made onsite, as are sprouted breads, nut milks and cheeses. As well as great coffee and an arm-long list of juices and smoothies, there’s a wide range of teas.

Little Bird Unbakery in Ponsonby is just five minutes’ drive from the CBD or a 10-minute ride on the Link bus. Another Little Bird is at Britomart by the train station. Cnr Summer St and Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland; +64 9 555 3278; open daily 7am-4pm. 

Visa procedure

One may forward their application to the TT office in Mumbai or Delhi, which will then be directed to Immigration New Zealand. A visitor visa for New Zealand is processed within 15 working days. www.immigration.govt.nz

Airline connections

Connecting flights to New Zealand are available on Singapore Airlines/Air New Zealand, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines with stop-overs in their respective hubs.  New Zealand’s international gateways are Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.

Domestic services

You can fly between all New Zealand cities and most major towns using domestic air services. Air New Zealand and Jetstar are the main providers. Their services are complemented by regional airlines, charter companies and scenic flight operators.

For more information, check: newzealand.com/in or hashtag #NZmustdo    

How being fit gave me confidence to trek again

When people new to trekking ask me for suggestions on what they would need for a trek or how they should go about choosing a trek, I always - without an exception - bring up fitness. Do they have a regime? How regular are they? 

I feel that every conversation about trekking expeditions, even with yourself, should start with fitness. I learnt this the hard way though. 

In 2011, i did my first high-altitude trek - the Chadar. I was a newbie and had no idea what I was taking up. No amount of reading or talking to people can really give you a clear picture of what high-altitude trekking involves. And so, i went on the trek with a decent level of fitness. Not exceptional, but just about bordering on satisfactory.     

I realised this while on the trek. I completed it, but i witnessed that the others were having way more fun doing it than I was and i couldn't understand why. Until i returned and retrospected. It turned out that had i been fitter, Chadar would have been less of a struggle. No amount of fancy gear can help you in that situation. A good pair of trekking shoes can mask a flaw or a good sack can prevent a shoulder pain, but beyond that you are on your own.

The Chadar incident dented my confidence so much so that I did not have the courage to even think about trekking again for a full six years! That's a lot of time wasted not trekking. These were my prime years - so to speak - and I was idling sitting in office in front of my laptop and buying things i didn't really need. 

In 2016, i decided that i had done enough moping around and that i should face my fears. The only way i could do that was by getting fit. At least, that was the first step. I started doing a mix of activities - cycling, yoga, running. In 2017, i decided to do a trek - an easy one - to see how i fared. 

I did well and i was satisfied with myself. Then I decided to take it up a notch and do an easy to moderate trek. This time it was Sandakphu. I did that well too. Nay - i was having fun. Finally. 

Cut to the present, I have just returned from the Kashmir Great Lakes trek, which is categorised as moderate to difficult trek. Apart from a slight hiccup (i had to offload my sack from day two because i had packed unwisely), i did well. At least i think i did well. That doesn't mean my fitness levels are superlative. But i know that i am finally a work in progress and not in limbo anymore.

So my request to people who are first-timers or even second-timers is: take fitness seriously. It can make or break not just your trek but also your confidence in yourself as a trekker. 


Tip: You need to do a mix of exercises that will not just strengthen your core and your leg muscles but also some cardio that will help you control your breathing.   

    

Sandakphu has the views

At the outset, I'd like to clarify that Sandakphu isn't what one might call a 'major' trek. Schools from Darjeeling and nearby places take their students on this trail. It ranges from an easy to moderate trek, depending upon one's capability, and is sort of commercialised now because of its popularity. 

But don't knock it off. It has the views, and the most amazing of them is the up-close sight of the Sleeping Buddha. It is simply awe-inspiring. It is majestic because of its proximity, so much so that even the outline of the far-off Mount Everest did not arouse as much bedazzlement in me as much as the Sleeping Buddha did. 

And we were so lucky to get a window of clear skies that evening and the following morning while we were camped in Sagargram. 

What's interesting about Sandakphu is that four out of the five highest peaks of the world - Mount Everest, Kanchandzonga, Makalu and Lhotse - can be seen from here. Putting this incredible fact aside though, it is also true that every trail and every trek brings with its own set of joys. And hardships.

We got rains on 2.5 of the six days we were trekking. Leaches were upon us and the cold and wetness made us miserable. Still, our miscellaneous group that consisted of first-timers as well as veterans overcame their own little hurdles and saw meaning in it. 

I have heard regular (and not so regular) trekkers dismiss treks that are common, or popular, or easy as insubstantial or lacking character. But nothing can be further from the truth, and it's not in keeping with the ethos of mountaineering. Every mountain is sacred and special, right?

If my narrative has piqued your interest in the Sandakphu trek, and want to read more about the route, best times to go and places to stay, you might like this blog: Conflating Visions. To sign up with an organised group, i would recommend IndiaHikes.   

A glimpse of Arunachal

My introduction to the mysterious region of India’s North East was through a short (relatively-speaking) trek into the wilderness of Arunachal Pradesh. The most northeast I had been within India was to Gangtok and I signed up for this trip without too many expectations.

 

Our train from Guwahati to Naharlagun

Arriving at Arunachal

Reaching Arunachal itself was time-consuming. First, take a flight to Guwahati in Assam which in itself was a task because regional connectivity in India still sucks. Direct flights from a lot of cities are few and far between, specially from Mumbai, and are therefore expensive. From Guwahati, I took an overnight train to Arunachal’s capital city of Itanagar. The station is however called Naharlagun. From there, you need to call for taxis (Sumo) or look for state transport bus that will take you to your destination.  

 

There are a couple of check posts once you enter Arunachal. But tourists have no trouble. We weren't even asked to show our permit even once except at the station

Get a permit

To exit the station, you will need to show a permit to enter the state, even for Indian nationals. This, you can get from the Arunachal Pradesh Tourism office in your own city in advance which will cost anything between Rs 60 to Rs 90 depending on the city. But if you can’t, then you pay approximately Rs 450 for a single permit at the airport within 15-20 minutes. Beware though – do not apply for it online. Your application may never get approved!

 

A typical fence of a local home made of bamboo

Trek through a forest

I had signed up for a short 4-day trek that would take us through a forest in the Talley Valley that resides in the Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. The Talley Valley trail winds up and down mountains, valleys and across rivers. On this trek, you cross the Pangey Valley, Talley Valley and Ziro Valley.

The trek is the easy if you’ve trekked before and a good stepping stone for those who haven’t done overnight treks. That said, it is perfect for those who love nature and enjoy just being surrounded by trees. If you want to experience and get to know the culture of Arunachal Pradesh, its best to skip the trek and just focus on visiting villages and towns like Ziro (famous for its annual music festival) and Hong.

Other spots to see

Of course, other spots are known to be much more beautiful like Tawang and Tuting but getting from one place to another takes a lot of time since the roads are in really bad condition. When we there, there was a sudden strike called on by the transporters to protest against bad roads. Unfortunately, by sheer misfortune of being the farthest state of India, Arunachal largely remains out of our government’s mind.    

 

We passed through huge rice paddy fields on the last day of our trek 

Arunachal actually has 12 different tourist circuits which makes it easy for you to choose your route. Check the details here. The state’s tourism ministry website has a lot of information on not just stay and places but also on ministry-approved tour operators who can help with ground arrangements.

Whatever you choose to do though, you will not regret it. Keep an open mind and you will realize that even a seemingly casual experience can have an impact and move you in ways that you may not have expected. Whether it is the people (we discussed state politics with an auto driver who seemed frustrated with the situation), the food (vegetarians have fewer choices though), or the culture (we were invited to share food at a local family’s house party held to celebrate the birth of a boy just because we were passing by).

 

Tall pine trees marked the end of our 4-day trek 

GOOD TO KNOW

Getting a permit

There are different permits needed to access different districts. So choose the spots you want to visit and apply for those permits accordingly.

  

Ziro Music Festival

This year, the festival will be held from September 21st to 24^th, 2017. It is billed as India's most fun outdoor music festival. So you can plan your trip accordingly.

Getting to Ziro

Ziro town is about 3-4 hours away by road from Naharlagun station. Once there, you may look up a homestay. We stayed at the state-owned Paradise Guest House, which was pretty decent.

A pop-up hotel in Tel Aviv

On Tuesday March 14, the first pop-up hotel of its kind in the world opened in a lifeguard tower on Tel Aviv beach. The lifeguard tower is located on Frishman Beach.

Over the past month, the lifeguard tower was transformed into a one-one-of-its-kind oceanfront hotel suite, complete with luxurious space and amenities, including a pampering shower, personal butler, breakfast, and room service.

Five destinations that are perfect for last-minute travel

One essential step when travelling abroad is securing a visa, and the process can be quite long and strenuous. However, there are a few countries that provide visa-on-arrival for Indian passport holders. These countries also happen to be the most beautiful and exciting places on earth.

Sri Lanka
Our neighbour, Sri Lanka, is an enchanting destination with scenic locations scattered across the island nation. Explore charismatic Colombo on a city tour or explore its charming past at the colonial city of Galle and ancient capital, Anuradhapura. Wildlife enthusiasts shouldn’t miss a visit to the Yala national park and the Pinnawala elephant orphanage.

Thailand
Already one of the most popular holiday spots in the world, visa on arrival in Thailand just gives another strong reason to make it your next holiday destination. Shop and bargain to your heart’s content in Bangkok. Experience the spiritual tranquility of Buddhist temples. If trekking’s on your plan, elephants would love to keep you company at the Chiang Dao elephant camp. And it would be criminal to not mention the island paradises of Phuket and Krabi. These picture-perfect locations attract tourists like magnets.


Indonesia
There’s something for everyone here. While the temples in Bali will introduce you to the Far East’s fascinating vision of the epic Ramayana, your hankering for adventure can be satisfied by sports like scuba diving, surfing and snorkeling. 

Samoa
A paradise that is safe, sweet and accessible for its visitors, there’s a lot to choose from when in Samoa. You can check out the beaches and nightlife in Apia. Or head to Manono Island to try your hand at adventure sports. 

St. Lucia
Home to volcanic beaches, coral reefs, fishing villages and untouched rainforests, St. Lucia gives numerous reasons that can make it your ideal Caribbean vacation destination. While the northern part of the island offers modern comforts amid a beautiful bay, the south is a gorgeous region of old plantations, hidden beaches and the impossibly photogenic Pitons Mountains. 

And last but not the least - Ecuador! Travellers holding Indian passports don't need a visa to enter the country. And the currency is USD. So convenient. 

A guide to diving in the Egyptian Red Sea

The Red Sea is one of the world’s best known diving destinations and considered to be one of the seven wonders of the underwater world. One of the earliest divers of the Egyptian Red Sea was Jacques Costeau in 1951 who’s early adventures are recounted in his book, The Silent World. 

Costeau was an explorer, photographer, filmmaker and researcher who studied the sea and marine life. He dived The Brothers Island which feature rare black coral, two wrecks and very often sightings of hammerhead sharks. Today, there are hundreds of dive sites in the Egyptian Red Sea that tourists travel to from all over the world because of its exceptional visibility, warm water and an incredible diversity of sea life. 

Take a look at the top ten must-see dive sites of Egypt:  

Ras Mohamed National Park : Shark reef
The park is situated approximately 12km from the famous tourist resort of Sharm el Sheikh.  The most prized spots in this fantastic location include Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef which offer divers the chance to see every single species of fish in the Red Sea in one location.  

Straits of Tiran: Jackson Reef (Sharm elsheikh)
Thanks to its strong currents and abundance of nutrients, the coral here is magnificent and attracts a wide range of larger fish including hammerhead, gray and guitar sharks.  

Thistlegorm (Sharm el Sheikh)
Many consider this to be the most popular wreck dive in the world.  SS Thistlegorm sank in 1941 after being attacked on its way from Glasgow to Alexandria.  The ships contents which included motorbikes, trucks and armored cars sit on the bottom of the ocean alongside the wreck itself, complete with the hole from German bomb.  Divers can use torches to look inside the wreck and may even be lucky enough to spot a rare crocodile fish.  

Brother Island  (only safari boats) Quseir
Divers will need to join a live-aboard to experience these spectacular islands and follow in the footsteps of Jacques Costeau. Both Big Brother and Little Brother have a truly splendid display of coral and the crystal clear waters make these islands a paradise for underwater photography enthusiasts.  The highlight are two shipwrecks, the Aida and the Numidia which are truly a sight to behold and one you’ll never forget.  

Elphinstone (Marsa Alam)
One of the best known diving sites in Egypt, this drift dive offers divers the chance to swim together with hammerhead and oceanic white tip reef sharks whilst admiring the vast array of corals.  For the lucky ones, sometimes tiger sharks and dolphins can also be spotted here making for a once in a lifetime experience.

Abu Dabbab (Marsa Alam)
For sea turtle enthusiasts this is the place for you.  At Abu Dabbab you are more likely to see a Sea Turtle and the lesser known, Dugong than at any of the other dive sites. There are two Dugongs living in Abu Dabbab who receive special protection as they are in danger of extinction.  


Deadalus (only safari boats) Marsa Alam
With its series more than four distinct dive sites, find this site by looking for the lighthouse that live aboard guests can visit. This is a deep dive which attracts hammerhead and thresher sharks and a unique pinnacle covered in pristine coral. 

Dolphins house Marsa Alam
Just off the coast of Marsa Alam, a pod of spinner dolphin live on this offshore reef.  Visitors can dive or even snorkel with these incredibly inquisitive creatives.  Whilst there are no guarantees of seeing them, those lucky enough will want to return again and again.  

Carnatic Wreck
One of the oldest wrecks in the Red Sea which is known by many as the ‘wreck of wine’ as it carried hundreds of crates of wine. Some of the wine bottles are still intact at the bottom of the ocean.  

Gifun Isl. Hurghada
With its steep drop offs and chance to see sea life including barracuda and tuna this collection of dive sites is a sight to behold.  Look closely in the caverns to spot the huge array of species and make sure to have the camera ready.  

Blue Hole (Dahab)
One of the most famous diving locations on the shores of the red sea, also known as a hot spot for free diving due to the sea depth in the area and the lack of current. It’s also known for its mesmerizing underwater marine life and coral reef, making it a diver’s paradise.