Sundowner: Spring/Summer 2019
Lone ranging: solo travel is on the rise but there's no need to always go it alone. Botswana nirvana: a paradise for animal lovers. Places to go: 2019's eight hottest travel destinations.
Lone ranging: solo travel is on the rise but there's no need to always go it alone.
Botswana nirvana: a paradise for animal lovers.
Places to go: 2019's eight hottest travel destinations.
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Graeme Bull PRODUCT MANAGER<br />
Where did you go?<br />
Kolkata, Bawali, Delhi, Amritsar, Dharamshala,<br />
and Chandigarh.<br />
Why there?<br />
To discover more about West Bengal and its fascinating<br />
history, especially in reference to the UK. The stretch<br />
of countryside from Amritsar has always been an area of<br />
wonder for me and it didn’t disappoint.<br />
Did you read anything (fiction or non-fiction) about your<br />
destination(s) before you went?<br />
No, but I have recently read The Silk Roads: A New History<br />
of the World by Peter Frankopan. It’s a great read for anyone<br />
wanting to travel east.<br />
What was in your suitcase?<br />
A suit for my meetings, but also a pair of flip flops for when I<br />
could go out and explore.<br />
Did you stay anywhere outstanding? If so, what made<br />
it so?<br />
The Rajbari Bawali in Bawali, which is an hour and a half<br />
from Kolkata. This heritage hotel delivers something unique<br />
in India. Its history, location, and service made for quite<br />
an experience.<br />
Of all the places you visited – where was your favourite<br />
place and why?<br />
The Langar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. This<br />
volunteer-run, free kitchen serves up to 100,000 people each<br />
day. It was a humbling and amazing operation to witness.<br />
What was the best thing you ate on holiday, and where<br />
did you eat it?<br />
The food served at The Rajbari Bawali was amazing, but, out<br />
and about, I’m always happy with a good kati roll.<br />
What was the best experience you had?<br />
At St Paul’s Cathedral in Kolkata, I went through the archives<br />
and was able to see my great-grandmother’s baptism forms<br />
from 1885. This was signed by my great-great-grandparents,<br />
I had never seen their writing before and it was a real Who<br />
Do You Think You Are? moment. My guide then showed me<br />
round the cathedral, so I could see where she actually would<br />
have been baptised.<br />
Did you bring anything back?<br />
Some jewellery. My partner is a jewellery designer and so I<br />
had to hit the bazaars.<br />
Did you learn anything?<br />
A lot about colonial history, Sikhism, Buddhism, and the<br />
Tibetan people.<br />
How did the destination make its mark on you?<br />
This is hard to define, but I think anyone who travels to India<br />
is indelibly changed by the experience.<br />
74 | SPRING/SUMMER <strong>2019</strong>
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