Learning: People: India Love

India Love

In addition to the big name hotels, restaurants and shops, many of today’s high-end travelers, crave the secret, authentic spots only a true insider can reveal. Fiona Caulfield—author of the Love India travel guide series and self-described travel junkie—is well-aware of this fact. In Love Delhi, the series’ third book to date (others include Love Bangalore and Love Mumbai), there are write-ups on Karim’s, a classic and well-known Old Delhi eatery, and the famous Imperial Hotel. But readers can also learn about: Aap Ki Pasand, an Old Delhi tea gallery run by chai masters; Suparn Trikha’s Spalon, an off-the-beaten-path basement spa frequented by Dilliwallah power players and the best places for buying bespoke shoes, Indian miniature painting or, even, Bollywood bling (if that’s your passion).

The title operates on multiple levels. For one, the books, which make wonderful gifts for anyone traveling to the subcontinent, are clearly a labor of love. Each one comes in a silk pouch, crafted by the Bangalore designer Sonali Sattar, and is handprinted and handbound in India on recyclable, non-bleached paper. In addition, the beautiful covers—all made fromTibetan raw silk—were developed by Sonam Dubal, currently one of the biggest names in Indian fashion. On another level, the title refers to the project’s philanthropic component. A percentage of all sales goes to the Love Travel Foundation, a non-profit that donates to charities throughout India; each book also lists reputable city-specific charities, and, throughout, organizations that contribute to either environmental or social sustainability—like the country’s government-run craft centers—are indicated with the Love guide’s hand logo.

The third and main meaning of the title, though, pertains to the author’s own personal mission. Caulfield, an Australian who quit her high-profile marketing job in New York and moved to India in 2004, started the series after experiencing her own frustration with traditional guides—once, in Kolkata, when she was seeking great Bengali food a concierge directed her to a high-end Thai restaurant. The Love guides though, as detailed in each book’s preface, only showcase those places authentic enough to make one fall in love with a city. Caulfield describes the process as such: “I believe falling in love with a city is just as exciting as falling in love with a person. Your senses become engaged and you simply feel more alive. . .”

Love Guides are available online at Amazon.