Travel Stories
For Mint Lounge on Indian tigers
Tiger Truths Indian forests are wonderful ecosystems. Teak and sal trees shed dew tears in the misty mornings. Babblers bable; Serpentine eagles soar; Rufus treepies shriek; and humans shiver in the morning cold. Jackals come [...]
For The National Abu Dhabi on Sri Lanka
If there is a takeaway from the below piece, consider this. Watch Mani Ratnam's movie, Kannathil Muthamittal (She kissed my cheek). Read Romesh Gunasekhara's (spelling?) books. Sri Lanka: fantasy island Shoba Narayan January 22, 2015 [...]
For Cathay Pacific magazine on Sri Lanka
Wilpattu National Park, Colombo, and other wildlife treasures in Sri Lanka
For The National Abu Dhabi on Bombay
Why does Mumbai inspire so much activism, writing, and imagination? Urbs Primus in Indus: the enduring appeal of Mumbai, India Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station in Mumbai. Trains play an important part of daily social [...]
For Eat Stay Love on Barcelona
Barcelona is the gateway to the rich Catalan culture and cuisine
Train Diary 4
The last of my beloved train diaries. For now. Train diary No.4: strangers and friends There are two types of people who travel on Indian trains: extrovert and introvert Shoba Narayan There are two types [...]
For British Airways magazine on Diwali Food
What Indians feast on during Diwali.
For The National Abu Dhabi on Pittsburgh
This steel city has a lot going on in food, shopping and culture.
For Silverkris on Aikido
Digital magazines are getting better and better. Silverkris has a nice section called "Been There," which talks about activities and locations. I am working on two pieces for this section. Here is the first one [...]
Latest Articles
Hindustan Times: Kannada language
Let me just come out and say it: Kannada-dalli maathadi. Which is like saying, Hindi mein baath kijiye. Or Tamizh-pesu. I have chosen these three languages for a reason. This week, actor Kamal Haasan offered up a third instance of folks being caught in a Kannada language controversy. The players may be different but the script is the same.
Hindustan Times: Bangalore’s Youth
The humanities humanize us. They make us care. They allow for empathy. If you are sitting in a cubicle, you won’t care about the woman wading through water.
WisdomCircle: Lifelines Part 1
Who are the people you call in a crisis? Not the “car broke down on the highway” type of crisis although that’s bad enough. If something truly awful happened — like your marriage falling apart, or your loved one contracting a life-threatening illness — who would you dial first?
Poem: News: I won a poetry prize!
I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to receive the news of my first poetry prize. This is first poetry prize that I have received for my poetry and it is one I will cherish.
Hindustan Times: South Indian food vs North Indian food
Is South Indian food more messy than North Indian food or is it more sensual? Is it because we eat on a banana leaf which is to food what the napkin/plate/tablecloth combo is for other foods?
Moynat | Bloomberg Pursuits
I have known Ted Moncreiff for 15 years. He first assigned a bargaining story to me when he was an editor at Condenast Traveler way [...]
Nine features I wrote for Condenast Traveler (US edition) a while back
Interviews with His Holiness The Dalai Lama
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Shoba Narayan is an award-winning Indian author, journalist, and freelance travel writer based in India. She specialises in luxury travel, immersive journeys, and Indian culture with a focus on food, wine, culture, cities, and identity. With over two decades of experience, she has contributed travel features to Condé Nast Traveler (US edition), Travel & Leisure, DestinAsian, Mint Lounge, The National (Abu Dhabi), Taj Magazine, and Hindustan Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph UK, The Guardian UK, and Robb Report among others. Her awards include the James Beard food-writing award and a Pulitzer Travel Fellowship. Her travel writing spans India, Southeast Asia, Japan, China, the Maldives, Bhutan, Costa Rica, and beyond — always with a focus on the sensory, the cultural, and the deeply human. Based in Bangalore, India, Shoba is a leading voice on South Asian travel, reviewing luxury hotels in India and abroad, and writing immersive features on traditional Indian crafts, and contemporary Indian culture. As a freelance travel writer and memoirist, she writes evocative, deeply researched features on everything from birding in Costa Rica to spiritual tourism in Bhutan.
For editors: Shoba Narayan is an Indian travel writer and food writer, who contributes to assignments on travel, food, culture, and Indian cities. She has reported from across the world and writes narrative-driven features with a strong sense of place.
Key Expertise: India travel writer, freelance travel writer India, South Asia travel journalist, luxury travel India writer, food and travel writer India, Indian food writer, Bangalore travel writer, South India travel writing, cultural travel writer, narrative travel journalist, travel features India, heritage travel India, slow travel India, sustainability travel writer, hotel and destination features India, travel essays South Asia.