The reDiscovery Podcast

U • Society & Culture

Political analyst Ambika Vishwanath and corporate executive Hoshner Reporter quit their day jobs in 2015 and set out on a journey to explore India. Now that has grown into a lifestyle of travel of our vast, and diverse country. In their show ‘The ReDiscovery Podcast’ from February 28th 2017, every episode features them looking back on the highlights of their travel of over 15000 kilometres, 13 states, and everything in between.

S01E00 Introducing the reDiscovery Podcast

1 min 41 sec

Join Ambika Vishwanath and Hoshner Reporter as they take you on a journey through the little knows gems of India. Plus, travel tips and hacks and more
S01E01: Pamban Beach

15 min 59 sec

Tucked away off the coast of Tamil Nadu is our favourite beach in the country, Pamban Island. Surrounded by clear blue waters and lush greenery, Pamban is the perfect beach getaway, with a ghost town and mythological stories thrown in for the curious....
S01E02: Holi in Barsana (U.P)

17 min 40 sec

Get into the spirit of Holi in UP and play the way they have for generations, where for a week villages come together and celebrate, drenched in colour, bhang and song. Dont miss the traditional lathmar, where enacting an age old tradition, the...
S01E03: Kohima

23 min 31 sec

All the way in Nagaland is the hill city of Kohima. Get a taste of Naga culture in this unique hill station with all the yummy food, stunning vistas and the lively markets that have everything from vegetables to snakes and bee larvae. You can follow...
S01E04: Puri

20 min 7 sec

With the ancient Sun Temple, art villages, a beautiful coastline and famous Puri style cheesecake, Puri is a must visit for those looking for an alternative holiday spot. You can follow The reDiscovery podcast on iTunes: https://goo.gl/CWBVto...
S01E05: Amritsar

20 min 7 sec

Famous for the Golden Temple and Wagah Border, Amritsar is also home to a couple of excellent museums and some of the best Punjabi food we ate in the whole state. With a rich history and gregarious people, Amritsar embodies Punjab and should be on all...
S01E06: Cherrapunji

20 min 48 sec

An amazing feat of man working with nature, the living root bridges in Meghalaya are a sight to behold. Climb down deep into the Khasi Hills, in the wettest place on earth and step into a surreal land. You can follow The reDiscovery podcast on iTunes:...
S01E07: Lonar Crater

19 min 28 sec

Sometimes we forget whats in our own backyard and the 50,000, year old Lonar crater tends to get left for the inevitable later. Pack your bags we say, and go check out the only hypervelocity crater in the world in basalt rock right in the...
S01E08: Mandvi

15 min 52 sec

Tucked away on the Gulf of Kutch, the old town of Mandvi is not as famous as the rest of the region. But once the biggest port in the country, Mandvi has a lot to offer the intrepid traveller, including the four hundred year old still operational ship...
S01E09: Tawang and the Road To Bumla

21 min

High in the Eastern Himalayas, with thick forests and stunning vistas, the road to the IndoChina border is breathtaking. Take a trip into Northern Arunachal, have tea with the soldiers and get a taste of life in high altitude. You can follow The...
S01E10: Fireflies in Bhandardara

15 min 45 sec

We all hate the premonsoon heat and humidity. This year why not do something a little different and head into the forests of Bhandardara in the Western Ghats and check out the millions of dancing fireflies that light up the night. We guarantee it...

Introducing Season 2

Were back with a whole new season of travel stories, hacks and more
S02E01: How to Travel on Rs 2500 a Day

26 min 46 sec

Traveling around India on a small budget only through public transport is not only really cost effective, but also opens up a whole new side to the country with all its madness and adventure. Join us on this episode as we talk about why we do this and...
S02E02: Planning the Perfect Ladakh Trip

29 min 11 sec

Featuring on everyones bucket list, planning a trip to Ladakh, is a little daunting. Its far and seems quite expensive, with options aplenty. In this episode, we help you plan your perfect Ladakh trip, covering not only the usual must dos,...
S02E03: Proposed UNESCO Sites to Visit

28 min

UNESCO World Heritage sites present some of the best places a country has to offer and waiting in line to receive this badge of honor are countless other fabulous monuments, places of natural beauty and cultural spaces. We present 4 such places which...
S02E04: Agra Beyond the Taj

24 min 56 sec

The iconic Taj Mahal is a must see on every tourists list and gets thousands of visitors every day from all over the world. However, hidden in the shadow of this famous monument, Agra has plenty more to offer and we take you on a journey to discover...
S02E05: Some of our favourite home-stays

22 min 4 sec

There is no better way to experience a place than by staying with a local family, be it in a small village or a big town or in the middle of the jungle. We love homestays and here we bring to you some of our favorites, where weve had great...
S02E06: Your Guide to Ziro

37 min 26 sec

One of our favourite places, the Ziro Valley, plays host every year to the wonderful Ziro Festival of Music, which we love and have been to twice. With the festival coming up in September, we are here to help you plan an ideal trip to this beautiful...
S02E07: Cool shopping ideas across the country

24 min 45 sec

India is full of amazing things to buy, from art and artifacts to antiques and textiles, and its always nice to pick up a little something and take home a little piece of art and culture. In the episode, we talk about some off beat shopping ideas...
S02E08: Exploring Bombay

24 min 36 sec

Very often we tend not to explore our own backyards, with the idea that it will get done some day. So for all you Bombay folk and for those visiting the city, here is a list of funky things to do in the city that show you a completely different side...
S02E09: Amazing (and easy) trips across the North East

23 min 59 sec

Exploring to the North East of the country is something that every traveler dreams of, but it seems a little difficult and it always feels like there is not enough time to do it. Here we present 3 fun and exciting trips across 3 states in the region...
S02E10: Your Travel Questions Answered

30 min 31 sec

On the final episode of the second season, we answer questions from our readers and listeners on travel tips, recommendations, best routes, our favourite state to visit and more. For more information, you can visit our...

The Journey Continues (Preview to Season 3)

On Season 3 of The ReDiscoveryPodcast, Ambika and Hoshner introduce you to people and organisations who are working towards preserving old art forms and heritage, giving back to local communities and making travel more than just ticking sights off a...
S03E01: Chatting about Responsible Tourism with NGT India Editor

42 min 11 sec

Ambika and Hoshner chat with Shreevatsa Nevatia about favorite travel spots, India, responsible tourism and using travel as a means to go beyond. For more information, you can visit our website:https://rediscoveryproject.com/ This is an IVM...
S03E02: Homestays as a means of dignified livelihood

22 min 32 sec

In the heart of Madhya Pradesh, a small NGO is using travel as a means to provide livelihoods and help lower caste communities find a dignified place in society. For more information, you can visit our website:https://rediscoveryproject.com/...
S03 E03: Give Back Give Away - Using Travel to support communities

26 min 11 sec

This unique travel company brings travelers closer to the places they visit through social projects designed to improve lives of local communities. For more information, you can visit our website:https://rediscoveryproject.com/ This is an IVM...
S03 E04: Documenting vanishing cultures for the next generation

33 min 53 sec

In conversation with Phejin Konyak, who has traveled around her region to document her tribes dying tattoo culture in a recently released book. For more information, you can visit our website: https://rediscoveryproject.com/ This is an IVM...
S03 E05: Preserving the heritage of Living Homes

28 min 32 sec

One of the last living homes of the Namboodari community with four inner courtyards and a unique system of cultural preservation that we experienced during a recent trip to Kerala. For more information, you can visit our...
S03 E06: Umoja – Making travel accessible for the disabled

31 min 57 sec

Travel is not just the purview of a few and with this adage Yeshwant Holkar talks about the challenges faced by people with physical disabilities and the work they are doing to make travel more accessible. For more information, you can visit our...
S03 E07: Devrai Art Village – Livelihood through

31 min 32 sec

Ambika and Hoshner chat with Mrs Mandakini Mathur whose passion has brought an age old art form to the forefront with modern design and thinking whilst helping artisans from Naxal affected areas. For more information, you can visit our...
S03 E08: One Naga’s quest to bring back the animals

28 min 2 sec

An NGO in central Nagaland that is working against old customs to change mindsets and introduce wildlife and forest conservation methods. For more information, you can visit our website:https://rediscoveryproject.com/ This is an IVM Production...
S03 E09: A centuries old family style Ganpati celebration in Goa

28 min 34 sec

We chat with Zinnia Mandrekar about her quest to document 16 generations of her family, their heritage home and unique family style Ganpathi in Goa. For more information, you can visit our website:https://rediscoveryproject.com/ This is an IVM...
S03 E10: Blue Yonder – Tourism that benefits communities

29 min 6 sec

Here is a travel company that engages with communities, artisans and storytellers to take you on indepth journeys with local communities as major stakeholders in these endeavors. For more information, you can visit our...

S04 E01: Quitting Your Job To Travel - Is It For You?

26 min 40 sec

Yes We are back with an all new season. We start the season by answering some of the most frequently asked questions about our freelance travel lifestyle, how we embarked on this journey, is it everything its cracked up to be and mostimportantly ...
S04 E02: Y(Our) Winter Wish List

26 min 14 sec

Ambika and Hoshner talk about going back to some of their favourite places at a different time, and during a better season. Winter is a great time to travel in India, from diving in the Andamans to skiing in Auli to enjoy the sunset in Landour and...
S04 E03: Offbeat Road Trips to Discover India

40 min 9 sec

India has some fantastic but over done road trip options including the Manali to Leh highway or the Konkan coast. In this episode Ambika and Hoshner detail a couple of offbeat options for you, complete with where to stay and what to eat. Bonus trip at...
S04 E04: It's Safari Time!

24 min 27 sec

With over 100 national parks, India has an amazing array of wildlife Planning a safari vacation can be daunting. Listen to this episode as Ambika and Hoshner talk about some of their favourite parks and let you in on all the little details on...
S04 E05: Best Himalayan Treks For Beginners

27 min 43 sec

At 36, Hoshner embarked on his first proper Himalayan trek in beautiful Uttarakhand, on his birthday If you are an amateur or a beginner in trekking, tune in to hear their novice trekking stories and some great options for treks for beginners that...
S04 E06: Re-Discovering Mumbai Part II

26 min 33 sec

We travel the country and the world and often tend to forget whats around us. Join Ambika and Hoshner as they explore more of this metropolitan from the stunning Bhau Daji Lad Museum to touring the worlds most famous slum Dharavi. Listen to this...
S04 E07: Kutch Beyond The Rann

29 min 10 sec

A lot has been said about the surrealistic beauty of the Rann of Kutch. In this episode, Ambika and Hoshner talk about Kutch beyond just the Rann. They talk Hodka village, embroidery workshops, pottery and the many different art forms you can see in...
S04 E08: Why Bihar Should Be On Your Travel List

30 min 14 sec

Wait, Bihar you wonder. Yes, but the fact is that the ancient cradle of Buddhism, Bihar has a lot to offer Buddhist temples, heritage art cultural sites and some of the yummiest Asian food in the country. Tune in to find out why you should...
S04 E09: Our Favourite Homestays Part II

28 min 15 sec

Ambika and Hoshner answer one of the most frequently asked question What are their favourite homestays On this episode, they talk about their wonderful experiences at different homestays across the country. Stay tuned for the travel tip Listen...
S04 E10: Love Food, Will Travel feat. Pankil Shah and Sumit Gambhir

40 min 4 sec

In the season finale episode we have special guests Pankil Shah and Sumit Gambhir, who along with Abhishek Honawar run the Bombay based Woodside Inn and other restaurants, talking about opening our minds and palettes. Ambika and Hoshner talk to the...