Wake up on a Sunday morning just to see your photograph on the front cover of a newspaper with a readership of 6 million people. Lucky? very! I am thankful to my dear friend Rajlaxmi Arora for making me part of her Plus 8 article in Sakal Times, Pune. 

Sakal Times did a cover story, explaining the fact how Instagram is changing the way people are traveling and how smoothly people connect with stories of other travellers. The article features a spectrum of great Instagrammers including; @namansaraiya, @siddharthajoshi,
@anushree_fadnavis and of course, you're very own @traveller.chris. The cover photo features my latest click of Westminster, London.Here is a preview of my take on the story.

We all have that bucket list in the back of our heads or at the last page of our notes. You might be unsure when, where and how you can mark "check" that list but these destinations are a must to be added for all the travel fanatics out there. Time to update that list:

Get ready to absorb the mosques, bazaars, and Turkish baths of Istanbul. Experience the breathtaking architecture and delicious Türk mutfağı (Turkish cuisine). Kick off at the visually stunning Sultan Ahmet Camii (Blue Mosque), visible from various points in the city. Take a relaxing walk at the Galata Bridge and stop by the Miniaturk Park to admire the tiny artifacts. Shuffle through Grand Bazaar while bathing in the fragrant orchestra at the Egyptian Bazaar of spices and fruits. 

Why I want to visit Istanbul

Having an Indian Passport, I can get a visa on arrival for this beautiful country (more info on Visa on arrival). This makes my travel file less of visa red tape and more of city maps and reservations. Being a photographer the Muslim architecture of this city is a paradise for my lens. After seeing this city in movies including 007 and having a visa on arrival option, there is no way I would miss this travellers paradise in this life.

Think abracadabra and I say Venice. Get ready to have your travel expectations reach a new high. This compilation of almost 115 islands, 400 Venetian bridges, 150 canals and hundreds of Gondolas is a place like no other. Over 15 million travellers flock to Venice every year, making it another popular destination and traveller friendly location in  the World.

The Queen, Buckingham Palace, Camden Market, Harrods, The Shard, Big Ben and the London Eye. The list can go on and on when it comes to spending time seeing these world famous places. A week is an absolute unjust to London. 
One of the world's most visited cities, London has something for everyone: from history and culture to fine food and good times - Lonely Planet
An incorporation of leafy escapes and densely crowded explorations, Central London is a place of museums, galleries, expensive high streets, fast supercars and buzzing English pubs. 

Why I visited London
Technically, London was my second home for 3 long years. I did my bachelor's in science degree in Business and Management and spent the entire course living in Zone 6. That's 45 mins from Piccadilly Circus you visited last summer when you were in London. So yeah, not the best but a sweet spot to live I would say. 

London is a lot more than simply a destination for me. The times I spent growing up in this city is something so remarkable, words can never do the justice. I was just 17 when I came here and now almost an adult few years down the road, this city and culture has shaped me in so many better ways I never imagined I would experience. More about my life in London can be read here.

But if you are not planning to live in this expensive Kingdom keep reading. The cultural cuisine is Fish and Chips, everything else is an add-on. But you must give it a try in a traditional English bar with a pint of beer. The best season to travel is mid-summer during the months of June until late August. The skies are clear and the wind is warm. Have a view of this historic city from the London Eye or the famous Shard, it's a visual treat from every high point. My 3 years passed by in a flash, but I will visit this place again if I get a chance.
​

London-Paris-New York, we all have heard these words more as a phrase. Sometimes it feels incomplete not to say all 3 places in a go. Let's not forget, I have lived in London, been in Paris and now all that is left to finish my rhyme is NYC. We know NYC from film, TV and music and is one of the most visited places in the world after London. 
This is a restless, energetic city with culture, sports, history, restaurants and shopping in abundance. After visiting the landmarks: Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you can step off  in thousands of directions: the medieval Cloisters museum in upper Manhattan, Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, a tour of pizzerias in Brooklyn... just to name a few. 
The night is born again when the sun sinks into the far concrete jungle. 
This is a city of experimental theater, improv comedy, indie cinema, ballet, poetry readings, burlesque, world music, jazz and so much more. If you can dream it up, it's probably happening in NYC.

What are some of your favourite destinations you visited or want to visit in the future.I would love to hear your travel adventures and wishes. Please leave an email or comment in the section below.

Till then never stop travelling.