The 65 km drive from Sunset Beach Resort where we are vacationing is scenic.

Bizarre, awe-inspiring, spectacular — we fall short of adjectives to describe these “grotesque” pinnacles in a myriad shapes shooting heavenwards from terra firma. We stand spellbound in the midst of nature’s handiwork in Shilin China’s Stone Forest, 80 km from Kunming.

We are at the tail end of our stay in Washington. And strongly recommended to us as a must-visit is The Great Falls Park, one of Washington D.C.’s most spectacular landmarks. A mildly bruised sky holds up tufts of cotton smudged

Bonhomie and mirth prevail and there is colour everywhere. Music and laughter rent asunder the Sri Lankan air.

We are in Bangkok and are bored of treading upon the beaten track. We wish to do a less visited circuit.

The early morning June air in Darjeeling is redolent with the fragrance of the surrounding greenery. It is indeed a welcome and refreshing change from the scorching heat and humidity.

It is a steep, hairpin descent from Ghoom, where we are holidaying, to the main road that takes us anywhere out of Darjeeling. Our chauffeur deftly navigates through the narrow alleyways that are choked with creatures of all sizes and shapes, including the human species. Add to this chaotic street scene is the mist that borders on fog,

The day is dressed in fog. We are on a short holiday at Sterling Resorts, Yelagiri. On sudden impulse, we decide on a day trip to Hogenakkal Falls, located about 750 feet above sea level.

A jaunty ride through mud roads, an offshoot from the national highway between Raipur and Jagdalpur, about 50 km away from the capital, brings us to this quaint village and temple town of Rajim on the confluence of the rivers Mahanadi, Pairi and Sondhul, thus earning it the sobriquet of the Prayag of Chhattisgarh.

The air is intoxicatingly fresh as we move out of Coimbatore and begin the hilly sojourn through winding and picturesque roads to Munnar, roughly 165 km from the Tamil Nadu city of Kovai.