VIZAG matters - Sohan Hatangadi's Blog

  Looking for something to wear for a trip to the hills, I stumbled across a multi pocketed fishing/hiking/photography vest given to Philips agents by Philips Dubai when we had a conference in South Africa in 2004. I was working in Bahrain then. Because I use it regularly, the hat has seen much wear and tear, the edges are frayed and needs repairs (or not if I want the frayed look) but the vest still looks new. It has around 6 generously sized pockets. Some with a zippers. I shudder to think in how many pockets I will have to search if I am looking for something small. This has brought back pleasant memories from a part of my professional corporate career.

 

Gujarat Tourism sponsored around a hundred influencers and bloggers from all over India, between 1st and 7th December 2021. They bloggers and influencers were flown in and out of Gujarat and provided complete hospitality and transportation. This was an incredibly smart move by Gujarat tourism. The bloggers got a glimpse of the amazing Gujarat landscape, its heritage, flora and fauna. The visit to the Kutch, the Tent City at Dhordo and old Ahmedabad were the highlights of this trip. Hats off to Gujarat Tourism, we are truly impressed with the red carpet the unfolded and the meticulous planning they did to make the visit a truly memorable experience. Thank you #GujaratTourism you have a new set of fans. #incredibleindia #gujarattourism #kutch #dhodra #WildAssSanctuary #discovergujarat #ExploreGujarat #dekhogujarat #Roadtoremember #travelgujara #gujarattourism

The Rann of Kutch  is a vast white landscape in Kutch District of Gujarat. Nearby is the Dhordo Tent City which is an extraordinary tourist facility, in which one can easily forget that we are in the midst of a once inhospitable, empty, marshy area. Watching the sun go down on the stark horizon is a near mystic experience.

  JAYSHREE HATANGADI collects catalogues during our travels with great patience and joy. She is today traveling in Varanasi and Sarnath making new memories. I know she will miss these catalogues and maps, but I have her OK to let them go. When we travel we collect a kilogram or two of printed matter. Maps, leaflets, tokens, flyers, mementos and stuff. We keep them carefully for several years as a link of joy to remind us of our holidays. But eventually when they start taking up too much space in our filing cabinet, we must think of removing them.

  Memento, souvenirs, little things that make being a tourist fun.

  This video shows some sample signage from Australia & New Zealand. This is a part of my videos related to the tourism industry.

  Toilets for tourists in Australia & New Zealand

  This video shows some good examples of Information Centers and Kiosks, catalogue stands and displays relating to the tourism industry. Photos are all mine. If you want to get a better look pause the image. Need help? Contact me at sohan.hatangadi@gmail.com

  Jayshree and Sohan Hatangadi's Kashmir Holiday. This state is a green beautiful paradise. People are hospitable and costs are reasonable. Contrary to common belief it is safe.

  Bhutan Trip, 18-26 July 2012. This is an enchanting country. Visa on arrival and not too far for Indians to visit. Highly recommended.

  Hi, here is a short video slide show of our holiday in North India

  On 1st October 2014, Jaya and I stopped for a bit of paragliding on the way to the 13,497 ft high Rohtang Pass. It is much safer than it appears. A "pilot" is perched just behind the glider pulling all the right ropes. Still ... as you can see from my clasped fingers and mortified expression, I was barely able to keep calm. The feeling of running off the Himalayan slopes and gliding through the rare atmosphere is exhilarating. Highly recommended.

  Bondi beach, Australia, fun to hang out

  On the Bay of Bengal coast, to the south of the Bhimunipatnam ridge, is an area comprising deeply gullied red sand dunes. You can look it up in Google Earth at (17 52.078' N, 083 25.845 E). This area is referred in Telugu as "Erra Matti Dibbalu" which translates to Red Sand Hills. They are unique because of the rarity of such gullied red dunes formations of which only three remain in South East Asia. The Erra Matti Dibbalu was formed over thousands of years. Nature, the great artist has gifted us these sublimely beautiful formations and it must be enjoyed with care. The threats to these dunes are from irresponsible tourism. Visitors scramble all over the dunes and erode them at an unnatural rate. The area is filling up with litter left behind by picnickers. Builders eye the empty land with hopes of building on it and government departments want to use it for some official construction or other. If the formations are to be saved, urgent action must be taken to safegu...

  Jayshree Hatangadi Heritage Narrator's theme was "180 degrees six stories"

  Vizag has much to offer for those diving for pleasure and adventure

  VANJANGI - CHOKING ON RUBBISH Vanjangi, near Paderu, was a spot of incredible beauty. Low temperatures and the charm of being among the clouds was a novelty. Now with unrestrained and irresponsible "tourism" it has become choked with rubbish. Hearing of the accummulated rubbish, Satish and his team went there in February 2021 to clean up the place. What they found there was shocking. So much garbage and increasing by the day. It will need an army type operation to clean up. And unless waste management is implimented and incoming visitors are restricted, it will keep getting worse. If you are going to Vanjangi, please carry some garbage bags. Bring back whatever plastics and bottles you carry there and also bring some additional rubbish. Once in the plains either take it back to your home town or drop it in the first large garbage bin you see. This is also an appeal to ITDA, Paderu to restrict footfall in the area and organise a clean-up campaign there. A waste management ...

  Letting go! Jayshree Hatangadi collects catalogues with joy as we travel. She is the one who keeps a record of where we go and what we experience. So when we were doing a clean up operation of our house, I enquired of her if we should continue to hold on to these paper memories. She agreed that it was time to let them go. Coincidentally, today as I get rid of the literature, she is traveling in Varanasi and Sarnath making fresh memories.