Empty Ruck Sack

Empty Rucksack travelers is an attempt to bring together many wonderful stories of career breaks, long term vacations and great travel destinations together at one place. The posts authored by Empty Rucksack Travelers are put together by Vikram and Ishwinder, an Indian couple out on a long term travel to find that perfect place in the world where they may want to stay forever.

The ultimate food guide to LEH!!!

We may not have electricity tomorrow, hence. Is it the high-altitude and the weather that makes everything taste good in Ladakh!!! We gave you 9 reasons to head to Ladakh this summer, if you are still not convinced, here are some great places to eat that will convince of all the great stuff you are missing. #1 Pumpernickel German Bakery Owned by a Sardarji, it has the freshest bakes. So much so that anything leftover is thrown into trash (saw with my own eyes). The most delicious apple crumble We’ve ever had, sink into apple heaven! #2 Tibetan Kitchen Perhaps the best Tibetan food in the city called ‘Little Lhasa’. Try their momos & exotic sounding nutrition filled Ladakhi dishes. The ambience of the mountains is an added charm and so is the sha-bakleb. #3 La Pizzeria This place with a chilled out feel seems to have perfected the art of making sumptuous Italian fare.Their speciality are the thin-crust wood fired pizzas. The funghi pizza is a delight. If you are lucky you might be treated to an impromptu guitar performance by fellow diners.   #4 Desert Rain Real coffee. Enough Said   #5 Lala’s Art Cafe Situated in the dilapidated old part of Leh, getting here is walking through centuries of history. The walk up to the stairs will be fully rewarded when you are having the bake of the day and freshly brewed coffee. #6 Chopsticks The most chic restaurant in Leh, beautifully lit and with indoor seating. It does a good job with noodles and stir fried veggies. But their Pad Thai is the clear winner. #7 Dreamland Restaurant A trusted traveller favourite for delectable Indian food and curries. You can try the mouth-watering butter chicken or the vegetarian dishes on offer. #8 Mentokling Apple Garden Restaurant Always …

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A short Food guide to Madrid, Toledo and Seville

Every time I think of Spain, the first picture that comes to my mind is a group of cheerful, vivacious people having a good time and enjoying some delicious food & Sangria. Unless you try what the locals eat, the experience of the place is incomplete.Tapas, I feel are synonymous to Spanish cuisine.They are referred to as pintxos  in the northern region. They maybe small portions but they are big on taste. You can call them appetizers, starters or snacks, but for somebody who likes variety, a combination of different tapas can form a perfect meal. They can be cold or hot, cooked or uncooked, vegan or vegetarian. The list is long. #1 MADRID – #TAPAS Puerta de Sol Located in the heart of the city, this famous square is lined with restaurants, bars, cafes, ham & cheese shops. Bustling with tourists, its charming and alive. The most fascinating are the cave bars each famous for a particular tapas and some also serve a variety. TIP: Cave Hopping – Visit different caves and try their specialty with Sangria   Pimientos de Padròn (Spicy peppers) – Another superstar from the caves   Jamòn Ibèrico (Ham from Acorn fed pigs) #TIP: Vacuum packed ham is an ideal thing to take back from Spain.   #MARKETS : Mercado de San Miguel The oldest and the most beautiful food markets in Madrid. Even if you don’t want to buy anything, its a market which should be experienced, just for its lovely sights and smells. This market is serious competition to London’s Borough Market. A must visit in Madrid. #Paella – The showstopper in Madrid This stunning dish is a concoction of  vegetables, chicken and seafood. It can be customized as per one’s choice.It is eaten with aioli (garlic mayonnaise). It can be eaten as whole meal or as a …

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Meet Rachel of Hippie in Heels

Hippie in Heels is the go-to website for all things India related ever since Rachel started living there nearly two years ago. She left nursing to follow her dreams of living abroad after falling in love in Goa, and has since become a Thai masseuse. Rachel gives advice on the other 24 countries she’s been to as well as all the secret trendy places in India. Hippie in Heels is all about staying glamorous without spending a fortune to do so: she knows where to get the best massages, great salons and spas, and of course the hottest clubs from Europe to Asia and Africa. You can read about her travels at http://www.hippie-inheels.com Follow her on Facebook , Twitter, Instagram and Google Plus We asked her what are the 3 places every traveler must visit in India? Here is what she said. #1 GOA My favorite place not just in India, but anywhere in the world, is Goa. It’s not only my home for the last year and half, but it’s the place I met my boyfriend and got the most adorable dog. When you’re in Goa you feel like you’re on an island. Everyone is happy, life moves slow, and there is always something fun to do- even if it’s just relaxing at the beach. #2  Hampi  It is a really neat place- it reminds me of the Flintstones. This UNESCO site is a mixture of giant mysterious boulders and hindu temples. It’s best not to go the hottest months. Rent a scooter and drive out to the lake to cliff jump and spin around in a traditional Karnatakan boat. #3 Varanasi The most intriguing city in India must be Varanasi. At the time I was there, I maybe wouldn’t have put it in my top 3 cities list, …

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Weekend Getaway from Delhi

About 18kms northeast of Narkanda is the little village of Kotgarh. Situated just off the old Hindustan-Tibet road, it is where the apple-farming revolution of Himachal originated. Mostly the entire villagers are Orchardist. The Fruiting season starts may onwards and the commonly sighted fruits are Plums / Apricots / Prunes / Strawberries / Peaches / Pears but the main crop on which the livelihood of the orchardist is the Apple crop. The Season for Apple Blossom in this valley is from August till middle of September. The entire valley is laden with these jewels making it no less than the “GARDEN OF EDEN”. We recommend visiting Kotgarh either enroute to Spiti Valley, infact its better on the way back since you will be super tired. And it is a perfect weekend getaway from Delhi, actually try and spare at least 3 days. Driving Time from Shimla is approximately 2hrs. There aren’t too many options for staying at Kotgarh, and you don’t want to keep running around asking villages if you can stay with them. We highly recommend staying at Apple Tree Cottage  They run a nice tour called ‘Apple Blossom Tour’ which is a guided one where an expert Agriculturist walks along with the group and educates them about the various varieties of apples the participants will also are taught how grafting of trees happens to produce this magnificent fruit, followed by how plucking is undertaken in the orchards along with Apple Grading and packing. There are seperate areas which are earmarked for the guests to engage in plucking of the fruit in guidance of expert pluckers. If your idea of a vacation is too spend some relaxing time and the only noise you hear is of birds chirping and your breathing than visiting this valley is a perfect vacation choice. The …

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5 places every traveller must certainly visit

London : It has the pace of a metro but the heart of a pretty hamlet. The crowds in the old town may disenchant a few but it’s very difficult to not get charmed by London. Bruges : certainly the most pretty town not just in Belgium but all of Europe. One weekend trip is enough to convince you of its charms. It is impossible to not fall in love with the canals, awesome Belgium waffles, the hundreds of beers and the thousands of chocolates. Vientiane : Undoubtedly the most laid back capital city in the world. With a tiny population of 3,00,000, a wide variety of world cuisines, 2-3 traffic lights, no traffic jams, the most friendly people. All in all a place not to be missed when you visit Laos. Istanbul : It is considered to be an ideal mix of Europe and Asia, a proper cusp between cultures of two such varied continents, trust us the Asian side is more pretty, charming,  packed with lots of feel,  awesome food, great markets, and an unending list of sights to see. New Delhi : A delectable multi layered pudding of history with a icing  of century old settlements  and a garnish of unique architectural gems is the city that has been the capital of the largest democracy of the world. There is a contest being sponsored by ” Booked.net – Top Destinations to Go There” To win an iPhone that was nominated by a fellow blogger to participate in. To complete the contest rules, I have nominated 5 bloggers: Tales of a Nomad ,   Renuka,  Navdeep and Sona,  Prasad Np,  Saurav Arya  

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Perfect Europe Trip

TRAVELLING IN EUROPE IS CHEAP – SAID NO ONE And we wonder why! Let us guess – you have worked for a few years now, saved up on some cash (may be just a lac) and browsed through Lonely Planet and Tripadvisor to prepare yourself forthat epic Eurotrip! You totally deserve that sabbatical and the holidays – but not the way the world sells it to you! Let us give you some protips and a sample of what your trip could look like and also the least it could cost. Protip No. 1 – read up on parts of Europe that you do not hear about! Yes, Europe is more than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Red Light district in Amsterdam, Oktoberfest in Munich, Vatican City, Snowy peak experiences in Switzerland! There are parts of Europe which have much more to offer – the underrated, underground and way more beautiful places at half the prices. So what are we talking about? We are talking about – Ruin Bars in Budapest (Hungary), the lake island experience in Bled and Vintgar Gorge (Slovenia), the castles in Bratislava (Slovakia), the Volksfest (Wassen) in Stuttgart (Germany), the river Duoroin Porto (Portugal) and much more! Not convinced? Have a look at the pictures below This was clicked at Kuplung(Budapest, Hungary) during one of our many Eurotrips! There is whole underground vibe to this place and unimaginable colors of drinks at the bar counter! Strike a conversation with the people sitting on the next table – you will be surprised to find how much people travel and how many of them love India! We discovered this place with the help of our very pretty Barparade guide Dory! Barparades are awesome – for about 8 Euros a person you get free shots (Tequila / Jagermeister / the …

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Bhutan is Really Easy to Travel

Are you tied with a day job? Peer or family pressure to exercise avarice. Are you tired of those daily hours being wasted that you couldn’t contribute anything meaningful to the world? Are you tired of sitting 2 hours in the traffic.? To toil till you die.  Do you believe that’s the essence of life? To succeed. What makes you happy? What’s fulfilling to you? What sets you free? Are you the one’s downloading the wallpaper of beautiful places but never able to go and actually see them. Are you the one’s checking the ticket price in Makemytrip and Yatra for years and never actually took a trip? Or Is it because a plane ticket can actually take 2 years of your savings. What if there are places so surreal, that you can visit without creating a hole in your pocket. What about Bhutan? And why not Bhutan. Called as Druk yul “Land of thunder dragon ” the country has a  lot to offer . A country practicing ancient Vajrayana buddhism where Gross National Happiness of the citizens is calculated. Situated in western Himalayas, It’s an unexplored paradise. Is it expensive. Well I have seen people who have hiked Bhutan with 3000 RS/- in their hand. So it’s cheap? Well not exactly, other than Indians , foreigners are expected to spend a whooping 15000 (250 USD) per day. Perks of being an Indian. You can sponsor your entire trip with that money. And also you don’t need a visa to travel there. A passport or Voters Id can give a permit of 7 days to visit Bhutan. Spending more or less is based on how good are you in haggling and negotiating. Traveling is a medicine to narrow mindedness and  bigotry.  Sun kissed farms, snow capped mountains, glacier filled lakes. Everything …

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Amritsar – Ultimate Food Guide

After you visit the Golden Temple, and do eat the Langar served in the Gurudwara premises. Now start wandering in the lanes of Amritsar, you would hardly find any nook and corner of devoid of great food. A heaven for food lovers, Amritsari Cuisine offers a variety of dishes. Here are our top 7 that will leave you craving for more and more. We love the food so much in Amritsar that we dare anyone to find non – tasty food here. Kesar da dhaba (at chowk Passian)-Maah di daal (lentil)+ lachedar parantha +kheer & Phirni sweet dish and other Indian veg meals.One of the oldest food joints and economical too. Amritsari Kulcha–Most of the Amritsari people start their day with this. Originated in Punjab,Kulcha is made with flour dough with stuffing of boiled mashed potato,onion, baked in earthen clay oven.Butter is spread over and served with spicy chole (chickpea curry) and chutney of tamarind, jaggery & onion.served at Kulche wale near Golden temple, Chungi ( maqbool road). Gyan Singh’s Punjabi Lassi (Hathi gate)- has been serving for past 70 years a lip smacking lassi,a tower glass around 500 ml topped with malai (cream) & white butter.  Ahuja Lassi near Hindu College serves ‘Kesar Lassi’ (saffron lassi). It is healthy and a refreshing drink ! Sarson Da Saag & Makki Di Roti- It is Punjab’s trademark food.Nearly every house or village of Punjab, gives a hospitable treatment to their guests by serving this dish. Prepared from mustard & spinach greens while makki roti is rolled out of a dough of makki ka atta (corn flour). Lots of Makhan (butter) adds to the richness and taste. Try this dish at Bharawan da Dhaba (Town Hall) Amritsari fish– The fried fish is one of the popular food items. Prepared by coating fish fillets with …

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Mcleodganj – Ultimate Food Guide

Imagine 15 different cuisines within a radius of 3km, and all of them equally good and reasonably priced at about 200 per person. You must certainly be in Food Heaven. Look no further, and head to Mcleodganj for your next trip. From Indian to Tibetan to Israeli,  Italian, Japanese, Korean,  it has everything.  Here are the top 15 that you just cannot afford to miss. A trip to mcleodganj is justified even if you come here just to EAT.   THAI FOOD AND BHAGSU CAKES– Missing Thai Food after your last visit to Bangkok, or wondering what is in-store for you on your first visit to Thailand. Head to ‘Tom Yam’ restaurant in Upper Bhagsu, and treat yourself to some find Thai Food, almost at the same prices as what you pay in Thailand. Try their spicy chicken Salad, Pad Thai and pick one of the noodle soups. And they have a huge Dog called Dollar, make sure you get a picture with him. Their ‘BHAGSU CAKES’ are certainly the best in town; we went in for two and ended up eating six. THIN-CRUST PIZZA – This tiny town makes some of India’s best pizzas. If you prefer thin crust with awesome views, then head to ‘Out of the Blue’ in Dharamkot. It is close to the place where the taxi’s or autorickshaws will drop you in Dharamkot.  Try the siciliana pizza, or ask them to make a special one with olives, mushrooms, eggplant and capsicum. THICK-CRUST PIZZA– If you prefer the thicker crust, then you should look for Unity Bistro in Upper Bhagsu. Reach Bhagsu, and then walk up Bhagsu Hill, You should be able to see this place on your left, when you reach the top of Bhagsu Hill. It’s pretty famous, ask around and people will point it …

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Nothing but the offbeat – the 3 must sees of India

We asked Bijoy, the cool bespectacled Travel Editor of Yahoo India, the three places one must see in India. He had nothing but the unseen, untalked of hideouts away from the beaten tourist trail on his list. So, here are his unique three picks of places not to be missed in India. Follow his footsteps to the three musts sees of India.   1) Meghamalai in Tamil Nadu One reason to love this place is that it’s soo off the beaten track (and that track is really, really weather-beaten). Only the most hardened travelers make a road trip there. I did it on assignment and, once up there, it was worth every bit of trouble taken. One of the most pristine wilderness habitats I have seen, this hill station in the High Wavy hills of the southern Western Ghats has nothing up there but a remote and aloof tea garden run by some very lonely managers who will give anything for a conversation over endless cups of locally grown tea. The Wood Briar group runs two plantation stays here and both are beautiful but a little pricey. Things to do: Enjoy a plantation tour, pick oranges (in season), take a nature walk, or just gaze at the clouds doing their little dance on the waters of the reservoirs.   2) Kutch, Gujarat I was lucky to experience Kutch in winter. Being a birder, I was after treasured sightings of the feathered kind. However, Kutch turned out to be so much more. The geology — extinct volcanoes, seasonal river beds and the acres of bare salt marsh — was otherworldly. We visited ancient temples, shopped for textiles, crafts and silver, listened to retired traders from Kenya and Tanzania converse in Swahili, gorged on some scrumptious vegetarian fare, had intimate encounters with …

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