Letter from the Editor

JANUARY WAS EXCITING. From the launch of our brand-new website (travelandleisureindia.in), which offers an immersive experience and brings the travel community together, to flying overseas for the first time in 11 months, we’re finally easing into normalcy. Even though the vaccine is here, the pandemic isn’t over. And it is crucial to continue to travel responsibly and take all the necessary safety precautions.

Our February issue focusses on the importance of slow travel, taking you around India with 20 destinations that let you put your feet up and soak in the country’s natural and cultural riches (p. 9). Our cover star, Bollywood actor Sobhita Dhulipala, enthrals with her personal journeys and the beauty of staycations, especially in the wake of the pandemic. She talks about how travel can heal and lets us in on her little secrets on how to #livevictoriously (p. 36).

In our beach holidays section, we journey to the surfer’s paradise of Máncora on Peru’s northwest coast (p. 62); go birdwatching along California’s central coast (p. 86); take a road trip to Florida Keys (p. 76); and go swimming in the sea in England (p. 56). In the Indian subcontinent, celebrity Pilates expert and scuba diver Namrata Purohit goes on a liveaboard diving expedition in the Maldives (p. 30).

As a part of our #DiscovertheUndiscovered campaign, we find a new facet of Nepal, where travellers are trading popular adventures for sustainable ways to discover local food, craft, and clothing (p. 46). A cafe-hopping tour of Kochi springs a few surprises, culinary and otherwise (p. 42).

February is the month of love. Stay tuned to travelandleisureindia.in to find out the best #IntimateTravel destinations, as we take you on a whirlwind romance through the month.

Travel safe!

FROM MY TRAVELS Varanasi is a revelation. It is definitely one of the most magical and spiritual cities I have visited recently in India. This picture was captured on the terrace of Brijrama Palace, a boutique property near Dashashwamedh Ghat.