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Wish Called Wander

@wishcalledwander

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A flourish of food, music, travel and cultural quips! Make some route revisions, add a few unhurried experiences 🤗 @karuna_amarnath @niren.saldanha
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One of the biggest impulses for us to leave the city and move to Goa, was to live in an environment where our dogs could live largely unleashed. Having always lived in cities, the stresses on both the dogs and us had been a constant worry. Here in our little vaddo in South Goa, where not every square foot of land is described as real estate, our dogs live as dogs should – free to explore the countryside, free to get into scuffles with other dogs in the neighbourhood, and eventually fit into an ecosystem that is healthy and alive. Nine of them now. Every one of them has walked into our lives unsolicited – usually the last surviving pup of a litter born nearby – showing up at our door somehow. Living with our dogs in a community means a larger responsibility too. We have begun an initiative to neuter and vaccinate any dogs that inhabit our neighbourhood, which has made a difference to the number of uncared-for pups in the vicinity. Our pack has claimed one corner of the vaddo as their own, with an ideal vantage on the balcao, from where they survey their territory - largely concerned with herding the roving bands of stray cattle and buffaloes. That they have banded together so seamlessly as a pack has been nothing short of a miracle. Beginning with Podimas (our 'first born'), all of them have learnt to fit into the family and (somewhat reluctantly) learn the rules of the house. Each with a personality of their own, they largely follow Podimas' lead, especially on their once weekly outing to Cavelossim beach. The younger ones prefer the garden during the day, where birds, squirrels, insects, and even the wandering langurs threaten their peace. Hopeless at catching anything, but always on the prowl, they are a constant source of entertainment, and we wouldn't wish it any other way! #adoptdontshop🐾 taken in South Goa by @wishcalledwander
32
5 months ago
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Hidden away somewhat fortunately, in the hustle on Panjim's own sunset strip, @cipa_goa (Centre for Indo-Portuguese Arts) is a rather discreet destination on a Saturday evening in Goa. Situated at the edge of #fontainhas (Panjim's storied Latin Quarter) at the point where Avenida Dom Joao de Castro morphs into Dayanand Bandodkar Marg, there is a palpable sense of poignancy as you enter this space. Saudade, that uniquely Portuguese word, describes just this sentiment, and as you climb the stone stairs past the entrance. The walls here are adorned with carefully selected memorabilia that set the mood superbly for an evening of timeless tunes. Orlando de Noronha is the guardian of @madragoa.goa the performance space within CIPA, and now the only home for Portuguese-influenced music and dance forms like fado and mando in Goa. On our first visit, Orlando, accompanied by his niece and nephew @ingrid_de_noronha and @iandenoronha as well as accomplished fadista @sherwyncorreia led a wonderfully executed session of seranata (traditional romancing with song). In this 200-year-old heritage structure that the de Noronha family also call home, one wing showcases the best of Indo-Portuguese arts and Goan culture. Wander through and the space reveals itself gradually: Casa de Azulejos with its unique hand-painted ceramic tiles and mementos, and just outside on a vintage wooden balcony, @chafebraz where the family serves their own home-cooked petiscos (snacks). It was another Braz we were here for on our second visit, the legendary Goan saxophone maestro Braz Gonzales, in a special jazz arrangement. Ably led by his gorgeous wife Yvonnne, and a trio of talented musicians, the inimitable nonagenarian put on a performance that was simply unforgettable. Splendid even at 92, the legend didn't miss a trick, keeping us enraptured with his soothing, mellow sound. Just across from where casinos and cruise-liners compete for space along the Mandovi riverfront, CIPA is a little treasure trove of culture still holding out against all that has changed around it. Follow them for their upcoming shows. Some things in #goa are still worth slowing down for. taken in Panjim, Goa by @wishcalledwander
15
5 months ago
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Traveling to Goa together for the first time in 2010, we were smitten by something we couldn’t quite name. Over the years, we discovered that the Portuguese had a word for it: saudade. A profound, lingering nostalgia that stays with you long after you leave. Beyond the beaches and parties, Goa moves slowly. In the greens of the Western Ghats, in simple fish thalis, in the hum of taverns… it reveals itself in layers, softly, over time. This is where our travel story began. Now, 15 years later, we’re back – full of stories, yet seeing it differently. Not just as travellers, but learning to experience places like locals. That feeling of passion and longing – saudade – has come to shape how we travel the world: seeking the connections, the local flavours, and those precious in-between moments. As we begin sharing our journeys, this is what you’ll find here: authentic stories, lived-in places, and the kind of travel that stays with you. 🌿 And if you’ve experienced a place that’s stayed with you in the same way, we’d love to hear about it. DM us your recommendations, hidden gems, and meaningful detours. Let’s exchange stories, wish lists, and the experiences that linger – we’d love to feature them here. 😍 #travelstories #globaltravel #slowtravel #authentictravel #wanderlust #traveldeeper #exploremore #culturaltravel #localexperiences #meaningfultravel #travelcommunity #discoverearth #roamtheplanet #journeythroughlife #storytelling #travelgram #worldtraveler taken in Goa, India by @wishcalledwander
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6 months ago
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For monsoon babies like us, getting friends together for some rain-soaked revelry has always been a cinch. Astrological advantages aside, one of the greatest boons of being Cancerians in a country like ours — you get to celebrate your birthday once the rains have arrived. With quite a few milestones to raise a toast to, and having finally moved base from Bangkok to South Goa, this one called for something extra. As consummate food fetishists, and fans of Chef @chefavinashmartins evolving culinary landscape, @tableinthehills C'est L'Avi, had been eluding us for a couple of years — closed for the season, or only open for special occasions. This time, the astrological subscriptions tipped the scales in our favour. Chef Avinash and his lovely wife @tizlynmart agreed to host us and our friends for an afternoon at their stunning hillside setting in Velim. Orchards and wilderness in equal measure, the rain-soaked countryside accost you from every angle here. Buffaloes in the distance. Kingfishers cutting blue darts through the grey. @therubberbandgoa playing a 'recheio' of rustic Goan tunes. A buffet with Goa in its soul — every dish bearing Avinash's flair for balance and presentation, rooted in the same vernacular instincts that define Cavatina. Tizz's desserts, just as spectacular. For family, friends, and musicians alike — this exceeded any magic we'd hoped for. Now, with Janot having just launched in Bangalore, the anticipation for what Avinash does next is very much alive. by @wishcalledwander
5
3 months ago
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Not all honey is created equal. Most of what you find in stores is processed — pasteurised, filtered, stripped of the enzymes, antioxidants, and living nutrients that make raw honey what it actually is. In the Western Ghats, wild honey was traditionally foraged from tall trees, caves, and crevasses by forest-dwelling tribes like the Jenu Kuruba and the Irula, long before modern apiculture reached these forests. Pioneering efforts by individuals such as Reverend Newton in the Travancore and Mysore regions — introduced largely as a byproduct of the plantation industry — only began in the 1910s. As large tracts of native forest gave way to coffee, tea, and rubber, natural habitats for wild honey-bees became increasingly scarce. Modern bee-keeping has changed that. In places like Coorg, where native forests and plantations co-exist rather precariously, Newton hive-box apiculture has helped restore native bee populations, and with them, the regeneration of 'shola' forests that define this landscape. We visited one of Coorg's leading apiculturists, @harshith_medappa and while the magic of what happens inside a hive had us transfixed, the honey itself superseded it quite spectacularly. With such a wealth of flora, tropical trees, and medicinal plants — from jamun honey and forest honey, to wildflower honey and everything in-between — the vats at Coorg Honey Industry are filled with raw honey — diverse, layered, and alive with natural flavours. Coorg Honey is the gold standard in India, and if you're visiting Coorg, it's not something you walk past. taken in Madikeri, Coorg by @wishcalledwander
3
4 months ago
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In the 15th Century, pineapples were worth their weight in gold. The 'then exotic fruit' had travelled with the Portuguese from Brazil to the Konkan coast, to feature as a symbol of prosperity in a land fabled for its diamonds. Prominently displayed in many Qutb Shahi constructions, as an emblem on doorways and balustrades, this was a curiosity we were definitely tickled by.  In a wonderfully-researched and well-orchestrated walk through the expansive mausoleum complex, our talented guide, @abisivagnanam took us through the dynastic successions, the many court intrigues, and the evolution of architectural styles during their 169-year rule — an amalgamation of Persian, Turkic, Deccani, and Carnatic designs, with that pineapple motif curiously threading through it all. One of five successor states to emerge from the fractured Bahmani Sultanate, the Qutb Shahi Dynasty held their own for 169 years (1518–1687 AD) — under constant threat from the Mughals, the Portuguese, the Marathas, and the other Deccan powers. Celebrated today as the founders of the City of Hyderabad, and builders of the Charminar, the Qutb Shahi kings also left their mark through an extensive royal necropolis. With heritage walks to various sites in the city, including the impressive Golconda Fort and the Charminar with its Laad Bazaar, Abhinaya @shenbagapoo has a fabulous knack for building narratives and nostalgia for an era that is often bypassed. For us, this was a chance to connect the present with the past, in the modern hustle that is Hyderabad — through the eyes of a real history enthusiast. by @wishcalledwander
7
4 months ago
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One of the greatest joys of having moved out of the city has been the little pocket of green we call our backyard garden. An ever-evolving patch of tropical foliage and fruiting trees, tended by many hands — though none more devoted than one. The rewards are manifold: year-round harvests of mango, soursop, guava, coconut, and even breadfruit; springtime flourishes of flowers and butterflies. A genuine Garden of Eden, right at our doorstep. But perhaps more precious than the garden itself is that we have our very own Constant Gardener living here with us. @popluwang has been our rock — the most involved with the garden, just as he is with every living creature that calls this home. Always measured, always cheerful, he has a uniquely gentle way of engaging with the world. What we hadn't suspected, until recently, was that he also carries an incredible eye for detail, and a quiet passion for viewing the natural world through his lens. Over the past couple of years, Pop has managed to identify and capture much of the stunning natural beauty that even a small tropical garden such as ours has to offer — in extraordinary, unhurried close-up. Here is just a small sample. taken in South Goa by @wishcalledwander
0
4 months ago
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The call of the wild has a way of sneaking up on you. We found ourselves ambushed by a fabulous jungle adventure on a recent road trip to escape the summer heat in Goa. Just a short drive out from Bangalore, Coorg is coffee country laid out amidst rolling hills and dense tropical forest. At its southern edge the little town of Kutta sits as an outpost – a link between Coorg district and Wayanad just across the border in Kerala. We were here to visit friends who own a family plantation, at the very fault line where coffee bushes meet the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve rather abruptly. Kutta is far from a tourist hotspot, and for us that's where its charm truly lies. Apart from the occasional rumble of a rusty 4X4 on its rounds, the only sounds you hear are the restless chatter of birds and a building crescendo of cicadas. @coorgwildwalk_cghearthsaha sits literally at the doorstep of the National Park, a short walk from the forest office check-post. Originally conceived as a homestay by @akshay__appaya on his family-owned coffee plantation, this is an intimate space – every room opening out to a wash of green, guests gathering on the verandah at mealtimes with the smell of the plantation drifting in. The son of a reputed planter himself, Akshay now oversees the plantation, while @cghearth manages the homestay. Known for responsible tourism across eco-sensitive destinations, the ethos shows. We were here for two nights – happy just to unwind and lay low. But as Akshay explained, two nights meant two evening safari drives, and given a leopard spotted the previous day guarding its kill up on a tree branch, this was not to be missed. The big cats stayed hidden for the length of our stay, but the jungle kept its promises in other ways. A flash of movement, alarm calls rippling through the trees, the unmistakable tension of something watching from the undergrowth. Gaur moving in the half-light, nervous sambar, families of boar, and one breathtaking grey-headed fish eagle, kill in talon, utterly indifferent to our presence. The wilderness doesn't owe you its best moments – but out here @coorgwildwalk_cghearthsaha even the ones it withholds leave a mark. taken in Nagarhole National Park by @wishcalledwander
12
4 months ago
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Tucked away into the interiors of southern Goa – where hills and rivers tease out a topography of paddy fields and orchard groves, #Quepem lies somewhat outside the tourist template. Few find their way here, and even fewer make their way to the fabulously restored @palaciododeao – we went in search of some majestic Goan Portuguese architecture, and also a home cooked lunch that we had heard was just as fabulous. We certainly needed that walk around the gardens afterwards to help shake it all down. The belvedere lunch that the owners Celia and Ruben Vasco da Gama, serves here is just as fabulous as the palacio itself – petiscos and feni based cocktails to begin, a creamy tomato soup and croutons, followed by whole fish baked in banana leaves, a rich vindaloo, and a more subtle prawn and mango curry served with red rice. Home-made chocolate cake with pineapple preserve and fresh cream finished it off, a little indulgently. The palacio itself was built by Jose Paolo de Almeida, a novitiate from Braga who first came to Goa in 1779, settling along the thickly forested banks of the Kushavati River and completing the house in 1787. He also built the church just across from it, where he served as dean, and helped develop the township itself. Current owners, Ruben and Celia, found the structure in a state of disrepair in 2002 and painstakingly restored it, even travelling to Braga to find original drawings and mentions of the property. Sitting atop elevated ground, the mansion is buttressed against the riverside with a fortified wall, and camouflaged almost completely by a terraced tropical garden that surrounds it on all sides. Period furniture and memorabilia have been carefully selected to recreate the interiors with as much authenticity as possible. An amalgamation of love, legacy, and labour, Palacio do Deao is a testament to the efforts of this wonderful couple and their commitment to the heritage and history of Goa. taken in South Goa by @wishcalledwander
27
5 months ago
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taken in Nagarhole National Park by @wishcalledwander
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5 months ago
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Warm and moist for most of the year, the tropical weather in Goa doesn't lend itself naturally to the European style of curing meats over long winter months. Yet, Goa gave us one of the most distinctive chorizos in the world.  To counter the climate, Goans managed to re-imagine the traditional Iberian Chorizo in a quite unique, semi-pickled, semi-smoked technique, that gave us the Goan 'choris'. Somewhat inspired by the Pimenton de La Vera, a Spanish tradition of preserving meats and sausages in 'smoking sheds', the Goan choris is cured in an accelerated smoking process. Tiny hand-cut cubes of pork (meat and fat in equal parts) are first salted and then pickled with a variety of typically Indian spices – usually a house mix of dried chillies, pepper, cloves, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric, with a generous dose of vinegar, and roughly ground ginger and garlic. Once rested, this marinated pork is cased into little sausages that shrink into beads as they are smoked. You can't miss these strings of 'rosary sausages', sold at every village market – where each vendor sells their own homemade variant - some more picante, some more tangy, but all incredibly smoky and delicious. At Fernando’s, Duran and Dave, have been following their family recipe which was handed down to their father and then to them by their grandmother, Rosalyn, who was a fixture at Shop #2 in the Margao Market in the 80s. The unmistakable flavour and consistent quality of their sausages are what keeps us coming back, and inspired us to cook with them the way we love most. Choris is typically uncased and sauteed with onions and green chillies, stuffed into a sliced pao or poee, and served as a sandwich in cantinas and bakeries here. Our favourite way to cook choris, though, is in the Goan interpretation of a 'feijoada'. More celebrated as Brazil's national dish, this cassoulet-type stew with beans and sausages has a Goan variant - a fusion between East and West, if you will.  Red kidney beans (rajma), stewed and added to a base of sauteed onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic, and green chillies, all brought together with a generous portion of Goan choris. Best eaten over steaming arroz pulao! taken in Margao (Madgaon), India by @wishcalledwander
6
5 months ago
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For a city constantly probed for its most frequented and trending restaurants, what tends to slip under the radar in Bangkok is the quality of its many little izakayas. Small and cozy, tucked away into back alleys, these akachochin (red lantern) Japanese restaurants are where the city's rather insular Japanese diaspora meet for after-work binges. A fondness for Japanese sake put us on the trail, and over the years we discovered some especially note-worthy spots of our own. At its simple best – smoky skewers of lightly charred chicken, served hot from the grill – yakitori is an outstanding bar snack to enjoy over conversation and a drink. Elevated in the hands of a skilled shokunin (master), it can be quite the culinary spectacle. Precisely prepared portions of every bit of a whole chicken are carefully threaded onto kushi (bamboo skewers) and brushed with the chef’s own iterations of shio (salty) or tare (sweet-salty) sauces. From simple sea salt sprinkled to more complex tare with mirin, sake, and soy, every skewer is expertly grilled over the intense heat of the binchotan (traditional white oak charcoal). These are a few of our favourite spots: 🏮 Aburi Ishida – the wait for a table on Sukhumvit 51 is part of the ritual; the smoky, convivial room makes it worth every minute. 🏮 Jidori Cuisine Ken – free-range chicken only, grilled until the skin blisters just so. 🏮 Kuma no Yakitori – an omakase experience by Chef Yoshinari Takagi; the 12/16 course menu is best saved for a special date night. 🏮 Chikkin Hanare – tucked into Piman 49, the bar counter seats facing the grill are where you want to be. 🏮 Touka – a Silom and Sathon favourite; come sundown the place hums with the energy of people who really needed that first drink. 🏮 Kelly's Another – leads with an outstanding chicken sashimi, pale and clean, served before the skewers even hit the coals. Also worth your time: Jua (Bang Rak, great cocktails), Yebisu Dining (tucked-away Silom staple), Nihon Saiseisakaba (beside Chong Nonsi BTS), Aunglo by Yangrak (Thai fusion yakitori, the chicken with Pattani salt is a standout). Happy to share our custom-designed Yakitori map with you - just ask! taken in Bangkok by @wishcalledwander
3
5 months ago
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