travel

Cuba- Havana’s Essence told through Photography

June 5, 2025 By Asha Shivakumar Leave a Comment

Cuba, Between the Lines

A reflection on beauty, scarcity, and the quiet truths behind the lens

“We floated in a gentle buzz for weeks after returning from Cuba. It’s rare for a place to leave such an imprint. Surely, it wasn’t just the rum and cigars—it was something deeper, something that lingered in the soul.”

I’ve been unraveling the threads of our time in Cuba—an experience at once stirring and elusive, beautiful and bewildering. I’ve been sifting through our time in Cuba—revisiting photographs, replaying moments, and searching for language that could do justice to an experience both luminous and difficult to name.

Cuba was—undeniably—beautiful. Arrestingly so. A country awash in saturated color and brimming with artistic soul, where every street corner feels like a stage, every wall a canvas. The textures, the music, the light—everything pulses with a kind of unfiltered vitality. It’s a place that seizes the senses and doesn’t let go.

The island holds a rare, magnetic charm: a place where history hums through crumbling facades and music spills from open doorways like an eternal heartbeat. It is no exaggeration to say that my camera was overwhelmed—capturing breathtaking murals, aged colonial architecture draped in Caribbean light, street performances charged with soul, and spontaneous symphonies erupting from alleyways. The artistry of Cuba is omnipresent, stitched into the fabric of its daily life with unmistakable passion and grit. As you scroll through these images, I hope they offer a glimpse of the magic I witnessed: Cuba, in all its fierce color and character—so iconic, so passionate, so real.

And yet, even as I share these moments, I carry with me a certain guilt. A hesitation. Because what I’ve captured is the red-carpet version of Cuba—It’s the tourist’s lens, polished and privileged, not the unfiltered truth of the everyday Cuban. It is not the full story.

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3 days in Budapest

April 15, 2023 By Asha Shivakumar

3 days in Budapest, a vibrant city like a fairytale, with a rich history known as the ‘Paris of the East’ , beautiful parks and buildings, bustling food halls, cool underground bars, and centuries-old thermal baths. A city brimming with beautiful architecture, history, and unique cuisine, Budapest (pronounced Boo-Da-Pesht, not Boo-Da-Pest) might seem intimidating to those who have never visited before.

Budapest( Buddah – PESHT), the capital of Hungary, is considered by many to be the “Paris of the East.” Not only is this beautiful city one of the most culturally important metropolises in Eastern Europe, it’s also home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

It’s got everything, old world charm but in a modern city, the architecture is amazing and exactly what you think of when you think European city, it’s very safe, people are friendly, the food is amazing and it’s soooo affordable compared to comparable cities.…

3 Days in Hampi – A forgotten Empire

July 23, 2022 By Nikhil Shivakumar

Once a colorful Vijayanagara Kingdom, Hampi is now in ruins, beautiful ruins, a forgotten Empire. An empire that has stories to tell. Hampi, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that was once the richest city in India, will be all you need for an educational and beautiful getaway. Imagining the splendor in the once thriving kingdom as you walk through the ruins is an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Read on to learn more about one of the gems of Karnataka.

Once the capital of the ancient Vijayanagara Dynasty, Hampi is a hidden gem in India. It was once, after Beijing, the second largest medieval city in the world, with its ruins currently spreading over 4,100 hectares. It was even in the Ramayana! Hampi was probably the site described where the heroes Ram and Lakshman met Hanuman the monkey god, and Sugriva. With its rich history, it feels magical to know that you are stepping on the same ground that kings and queens did, and that there were once lively marketplaces where there are now ruins. It’s truly a mind-blowing experience. And, as a cherry on top, there are dozens of Gray langur monkeys in many of the locations :). …

5 days in Mexico City – The Ultimate Guide

September 5, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

5 days in Mexico City. Mexico City is simply amazing! I found it bubbling with art, culture, history, and charm. Between the art galleries, boutiques, and snazzy coffee bars, Mexico City offers as much culture and charm as any large European city.

Mexico City is an amazing assault on the senses. Bustling, beautiful and bold, the Mexican capital is well endowed with sights to see and things to do. Boasting everything from Aztec ruins and opulent 19th-century palaces to a whole galaxy of tasty street food to try out! The city center of the Mexican capital is an amazing UNESCO World Heritage Site, complete with a cathedral, palace and the largest square in the Americas – the Zocalo….

3 days in New Orleans

June 5, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

New Orleans. NOLA. NAWLINS. All you need is 3 days in New Orleans to get the feel of the most colorful city. Many names but everything leads to jazz, food, fun and music. It is true : “You can live in any city in America, but New Orleans is the only city that lives in you.” – Chris Rose

3 days in New Orleans #neworleans #neworleanstrip

New Orleans is world-renowned for its distinct music. The birthplace of Jazz and the home of Mardi Gras makes New Orleans one of the most fun cities to visit in the USA. Creole cuisine, unique dialects, and its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras. The historic heart of the city is the French Quarter, known for its French and Spanish Creole architecture and vibrant nightlife along Bourbon Street.

Essentially an island between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans is a city defined and shaped by waterways. Nicknamed the Crescent City because of its quarter-moon shape, New Orleans was isolated from the mainland for close to 250 years.

Many adjectives for Nola: shabby and charming, swift and popular, young and cool, important and powerful, outside, large and small, your, shabby, dank, swift, old, young, large, important. You need 3 days in New Orleans to get the feel of the place and see everything that’s important.…

3 days in London- Food and Places to visit

October 12, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

London is one of the world’s largest and most exciting cities, offering visitors thousands of things to do, including museums, royal palaces, beautiful parks, historical sites, and world-class theater. With all these options, planning a trip to London can be a bit overwhelming, especially for first time visitors. Here’s a 3 days in London itinerary that will help you see the city’s highlights if you have at least 3 days in London.

Bustling, busy and ever humming with the constant buzz of city life, London is a city which is ever changing and always worth a visit. Here’s your ultimate guide and complete itinerary for spending three days in London. I love London for its newness and oldness squashed together, the tall glass buildings surrounded by old cathedrals and tiny Victorian houses next to towering council blocks. I love Christmas in London when the markets and pubs are full, the lights go up, the church bells sing and a centimetre of sleet can bring the transport system to a standstill. I love the summer time when everyone flocks to the parks and you can sit on the Southbank with a beer, gazing across the Thames. Right now especially, I love autumn in London, the frosty dark mornings and fireworks in the park….

3 Days in SanFrancisco – Food and Travel Guide

August 2, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

“San Francisco has only one drawback. T’is hard to leave.” – Rudyard Kipling. 3 days in San Francisco is all you need to see everything and you’ll never leave.

The coldest winter I saw is summer in San Francisco, is a popular quote and it is right. San Francisco can get very cold and windy. So plan on wearing layers and comfortable shoes to walk in. The streets are all zig zag, just vertically:-). I am proud to call this my city and I’ve traveled quite a lot, and San Francisco remains one of my favorite cities in the world. For a place that has less than one million people, San Francisco has definitely pushed above its weight in terms of contributions to the world….

The Ultimate 3 days in LA- Food and Travel Diary

July 24, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

3 days in LA. Los Angeles isn’t the celebrity and paparazzi-filled La-la-land it’s made out to be in the movies and TV. It is, however, a beautiful, diverse and sometimes confounding city. If you’re visiting for the first time, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the gridlock and sprawl and lose sight of what makes Los Angeles such a unique destination.

If you plan on going to Los Angeles, three days is a good time to see all the fun places and experience all the good food LA has to offer. And if exploring is what you are doing, then you definitely need a car to get around. I do not recommend taxis or Ubers unless you are staying within one area, because they can get pricey. LA traffic can be a little bit crazy, so give yourself a good cushion if you have to get to a particular place. Here’s 3 days in LA plan that we did and it’s fun….