Venture Traveller … Connecting to your Wanderlust
Ramaa Reddy
I am a writer, photographer, and food and travel enthusiast. As a world traveler, my digital magazine offers destination and travel advice and my musings about this spectacular world. Reading it will inspire you to pack your bags and experience the wonder that’s waiting to be savored!
Featured Travel Stories
My travel digital magazine features information on destinations I have visited. It’s a roadmap for interesting sights and adventurous activities. The majority of my food stories delve into the variety of ethnic cuisines present in New York City.
America’s Most Accomplished Minority Moves Into the Spotlight
Jackson Heights is home to many Indians who visit to enjoy home-cooked foods. But this minority is now in the spotlight for another reason.
Kashmir On My Mind
Sights, culture, cuisine, and skiing on the slopes! There is no end to the charms of beautiful Kashmir, which has been attracting throngs of visitors in recent years.
After a slow start to the season, Asia’s highest ski resort is covered in snow. Here’s what awaits visitors
As snow returns to the Himalayas, joyful visitors ride up the gondola to Mt. Apharwat to enjoy scenic vistas and try out skiing.
Summer in Sun Valley, Idaho
The mountain landscapes of Sun Valley, Idaho, are picturesque and inviting during summer heat!
Spain’s Colonial Heart Beats Seductively in Mexico’s San Miguel De Allende
In November each year, San Miguel de Allende comes alive to celebrate the festival of the Day of the Dead. Learn all about the festival and this beautiful retirement colony in Mexico in this fascinating piece.
Civilizations Ebb and Flow but Petra Stands Eternal
There are few places in the world that inspire ‘awe,’ an emotion experienced when we encounter something so vast that our sense of self recedes. Petra is such a place, a desert entrepôt dating back more than three millennia that leaves visitors filled with amazement, wonder and humility.
Finding a Soulmate in Venice
On a trip to Venice, I made a friend who introduced me to the technique of Murano glass blowing and I discovered the beauty of its glass sculptures.
World Cup Game Day Foods
World Cup fever takes over this November. Enjoy the event with these game-day foods picked by team supporters all over the world. Published in Nuestra Saźon.
Making Merry in Mexico City
Spending Christmas in Mexico is a unique experience as it is traditional and plain fun. Listed here are some not-to-miss festivities happening around the city. Published in Nuestra Saźon.
Bites from Brazil
Visitors to the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro experience traditional Brazilian foods like Pao de Queijo and drink Caipirinha. Here are the recipes to make at home. Published in Nuestra Saźon.
A Mediterranean Dosa In Hawaii
Malasadas, poke, shaved ice and pork-laulau are some of the delicacies bought into Hawaii by the Portuguese, Japanese and Polynesians who settled in this tropical island paradise. In this piece, I describe all these foods including a Mediterranean Dosa that’s found there.
10 Best Food Finds in Little Havana, Miami
Little Havana’s Calle Ocho in Miami is bursting with food, drink, and music happenings. Here is a listing of 10 of its best experiences.
Observing the Milky Way and Beyond at Cherry Springs State Park
Cherry Springs State Park is one of the best places in the Eastern seaboard for observing the dark sky as it restricts artificial light and entertains a clear view of the night sky.
The Best of Yellowstone National Park in 5 Days
Yellowstone is one of the most magnificent and colorful parks in the U.S., an unusual landscape filled with geysers, hot springs and an artist inspired patchwork of colors created by billions of microorganisms which live and prosper among gases.
A Christmas Ski Vacation in Les 3 Vallées – the Largest Ski Area in the World
Skiing in Les 3 Vallées, in the French Alps, is a unique experience – especially for its Folie Douce entertainment and exquisite chalet food.
Chihuahua: On the Trail of Pancho Villa, the Burrito and Sand Dunes
Chihuahua, Mexico, borders El Paso, Texas, and has so much to offer in terms of its food, indigenous culture, history and natural beauty. In this piece I take readers on a cultural, road-trip that features mouth-watering tacos, scenic vistas and sand-dune adventures.
Last Flight Out of India
I had been in Bangalore, India, taking care of my mother when, on March 19, 2020 India decided to go into lockdown because of Covid-19. This is my experience of how I got out before the lockdown.
The Three Best Museums to Visit in Amsterdam
A review of some of the best museums to visit in Amsterdam.
Optimal Health Through A Plant-Based Diet
Marco Borges, an exercise physiologist and New York Times bestselling author, shares his insights on the salient features and benefits of a plant-based diet.
Argentina in 10 Days
In December 2018, my family decided to visit Argentina. The going exchange rate was definitely an incentive as a dollar converted to around 37 Argentine Pesos – a steal!
Making Cheese for Peace
A twinning event in New Jersey brings together Muslims and Jews to build relationships and dispel misconceptions between two faiths.
The FireBoat House in Brooklyn
The Fireboat house was built after the Fulton Ferry terminal shuttered in the early 20th Century. Now it houses the Brooklyn Ice Cream shop.
Somalia Has Just Become a Recognized Country. So What Does That Now Mean for Somaliland?
An interview with a Claremont McKenna graduate who spent six months teaching English and Economics at Hargeisa University in Somaliland.
Two Barges Find Creative Reuse on the Brooklyn Waterfront
Barges in Brooklyn find their creative reuse as venues for theater, maritime history, and chamber music.
Nobletree Coffee Bar and Roastery Opens in Red Hook
At Nobletree in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the barista serves me my first cortado, a perfect mid-morning drink, that necessitates pause and reflection.
Spring at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
Last year, in spring, I visited the Magnolia Plaza, the cherry esplanade, and Japanese Garden to see what was in bloom.
A Roadtrip from Scottsdale to the Grand Canyon |HuffPost
This adventurous road trip began in the Sonoran Desert with a tour and visit to Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home.
One Week in Prague and Budapest |HuffPost
During one sweltering summer we visited Prague and Budapest when neither country was prepared for such weather.
At Houses of Worship, Women Serve Food for a Higher Purpose
A behind the scenes look at three houses of worship where women prepare and serve food for their congregation.
Cooking the Faith: An Indian Feast of Equality
Every Sunday at the Nanak Nam Jahaj Gurudwara in New Jersey, food is cooked and enjoyed by the Sikhs, a community from North India. This practice known as langar is an important tenet of the Sikhs and involves the preparation and distribution of food for the homeless and needy.
Cooking the Faith: The Linchpin of Being Jewish
Shabbat dinner is a quintessential tradition for the Jewish community. On a Friday evening at Barbara Meltz’s home in Stanhope, New Jersey, a Shabbat dinner is being prepared.
Cooking the Faith: A Buddhist Feast of Nonviolence
Weekly, the Grace Gratitude Buddhist Temple in Manhattan’s Chinatown opens its doors to serve guests a nutritious food that includes appetizing dishes like stir fry bok choy.
Cooking the Faith: Breaking a Fast and Building Community
Food is an important conduit for bringing people together especially in places of worship. During Ramadan, the Jerrahi Order of America – a Turkish Sufi Muslim Tariqah (order) – gather to break fast.
Photo Essays
My photos are a collection of favorite photographs, some with a short essays, on destinations visited.
Comments:
I enjoyed reading your blog for Scottsdale, Arizona. I am retiring soon after working 35 years within Ontario Canada’s correctional facilities. I want to have a special and exciting trip planned to celebrate my first year of retirement. The Grand Canyon would be very unique! Thank you for writing about your Canyon adventures.
October 7, 2019 @ 5:47 pm
I love your website. The images are picturesque, vivid, expressive and engaging. The written content is amazing, covering a wide range of topics written professionally touching readers on a personal level. Phenomenal work, Heather!!!