It feels like yesterday when I was waltzing down the quiet beaches of Diu on India’s west coast, and sipping tea at a blacksmith’s workshop in Turkey. 2012 has been the kind of year I dreamed about everyday, before I bade goodbye to my life in the cubicle. I feel as though I’ve come of age as a travel writer this year, having written for publications like Lonely Planet and The Times of India, and having found gratification in press invites from the likes of Spain Tourism Board and Turkish Airlines. My wanderlust has continued to lead me to people, places, experiences and adventures that I can longer imagine my life without; here’s where I’ve been this year:
INDIA
Hope. The desert boys of Sevda village, Rajasthan.
At a Rajasthani farm near Jaipur.
A fisherman in Diu, the only soul on the beach at sunset. Sheer bliss.
Lounging at a private island in North Kerala.
Lamenting at the state of the Ganga in Rishikesh.
An introspective birthday in the western ghats, turning 24.
Chitkul, the last village of India in Kinnaur, before Tibet. And a village I absolutely fell in love with.
Sheer beauty, at Rakchham village in Kinnaur.
In Kinnaur, on the hike from Rakcham to Batseri village.
Considering an alternate career!
Paragliding in the skies of Bir, in Himachal Pradesh.
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MAURITIUS / RODRIGUES
The wilderness of Mauritius, at Mon Choix.
At Long Mountain in Mauritius.
First glimpse of Rodrigues.
Sunset at Rodrigues Island.
Ziplining across the Indian Ocean, in Rodrigues.
A heart in Rodrigues.
Walking into the Indian Ocean, on the east coast of Mauritius.
The colors of Rodrigues!
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TURKEY
In the cave cities of Guzelyurt.
The Ottoman town of Safranbolu.
By the Bosphorus in Istanbul.
The sunflower fields in bloom along the Black Sea Coast.
Istanbul at dusk.
At a blacksmith’s workshop in Safranbolu.
Dinner for one, by the Black Sea in Cide.
The stunning countryside of northern Turkey.
With newfound friends in Ordu.
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SPAIN
At El Rocio.
At a Flamenco performance in a cave in Cordoba.
Mars-like landscapes at Tabernas, Europe’s only desert.
The old city of Ibiza.
Watching a Barca-Celtic game at Camp Nou.
With our Spanish guide in Ibiza.
At a cosy cave hideout in Granada.
After a rainy day in Granada.
At the most bizarre village in Spain, El Rocio, where people still get around on horses!
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A big thank you for joining me virtually on my adventures in 2012; See you in 2013!
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Welcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, instagrammer, social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes in the transformative power of travel.
Ahh you have been busy 🙂
Lovely pics. And I Hope 2013 brings even more adventure for you !
Thanks Ruchira! Looking back, yes! 2012 seems to have been a awesome, and busy year 🙂 More adventures to you too, in 2013.
Inshallah may you have a thousand & one more stories for you to explore in 2013….each one more lovelier than these ones….
Thanks Ramit! It’ll seriously be hard to compete with these ones, but who knows what lies ahead 🙂
Wishing you a very happy new year! I hope to see more worlds through your eyes in the coming year.
To you too, Amit! Looking forward to your virtual company in 2013 🙂
Lovely pics Shivya!!
I hope the new year brings in loads of exciting and inspiring travel experiences to you.
Thanks Vishal, I hope so too, and for both of us 🙂
What a beautiful collection ! I wish that u will be able to capture more such lovely photographic moments this year too.
Thanks Manish, I hope so too. And hope to catch you on the road sometime!
good work shivya, keep it up. wish u all de best for 2013.
Thanks Harsh 🙂 And same to you!
good work shivya, keep it up. wish u all de best for 2013.
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