Charukesi
@charukesi.bsky.social
Journalist. Photographer. Traveller.
64 countries, 6 continents.
64 countries, 6 continents.
On my loooooong flight(s) back home from Reykjavík to Kuala Lumpur, I fretted and fumed, and told myself, “I’m tired of this. I’m too old for this. I can’t do this any longer.” It’s 36 hours since I’ve got home, I’ve rested well and now I can’t stop making plans for future trips! Anyone relate?
May 5, 2025 at 6:35 PM
On my loooooong flight(s) back home from Reykjavík to Kuala Lumpur, I fretted and fumed, and told myself, “I’m tired of this. I’m too old for this. I can’t do this any longer.” It’s 36 hours since I’ve got home, I’ve rested well and now I can’t stop making plans for future trips! Anyone relate?
This legend turns 99 today, and this is such a lovely tribute to the man and the ways in which he has enriched our lives ❤️
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Happy birthday, David Attenborough! 99 ways he has inspired us, by Barack Obama, Billie Eilish, Morgan Freeman – and many more
This week the presenter turns 99. To celebrate, we asked 99 nature lovers – including Margaret Atwood, Jane Fonda, Bono, Kate Winslet and Michael Palin – how he has helped us see the world with fresh ...
www.theguardian.com
May 3, 2025 at 4:23 PM
This legend turns 99 today, and this is such a lovely tribute to the man and the ways in which he has enriched our lives ❤️
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Next up in my #icelandalbum, the stunning waterfalls dotted across the country - it is said there are over 10000 (I can believe that, given how so many along the roads don’t even get star billing). I stopped to see only a handful, but each was so unique and aweinspiring.
May 3, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Next up in my #icelandalbum, the stunning waterfalls dotted across the country - it is said there are over 10000 (I can believe that, given how so many along the roads don’t even get star billing). I stopped to see only a handful, but each was so unique and aweinspiring.
I knew Iceland was going to be beautiful, but it truly took my breath away. Starting a photo series today of my #icelandalbum
May 2, 2025 at 7:34 AM
I knew Iceland was going to be beautiful, but it truly took my breath away. Starting a photo series today of my #icelandalbum
For a travel piece on Sri Lanka, I’m looking for new, exciting hotel openings across the country. Please hit me up with your recos #journorequest
April 16, 2025 at 2:28 PM
For a travel piece on Sri Lanka, I’m looking for new, exciting hotel openings across the country. Please hit me up with your recos #journorequest
You need expert eyes to spot these camouflaged cats in their natural habits. I wrote about the snow leopard trackers of Ladakh’s Lungmar Remote Camp work towards responsible wildlife tourism and conservation in the barren lands of Hemis National Park.
adventure.com/snow-leopard...
adventure.com/snow-leopard...
Want to find a snow leopard? These snow leopard trackers have a perfect record
How do you find a snow leopard in Ladakh? You find a snow leopard tracker to help you. Charukesi Ramadurai pays the conservationists a visit.
adventure.com
April 12, 2025 at 1:27 AM
You need expert eyes to spot these camouflaged cats in their natural habits. I wrote about the snow leopard trackers of Ladakh’s Lungmar Remote Camp work towards responsible wildlife tourism and conservation in the barren lands of Hemis National Park.
adventure.com/snow-leopard...
adventure.com/snow-leopard...
My Uganda trip late last year lives rent free in my mind - and my latest two stories published this month are from those memorable days. Here’s a six-pager on trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to see mountain gorillas.
www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg/lifestyle/ug...
www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg/lifestyle/ug...
April 8, 2025 at 11:55 PM
My Uganda trip late last year lives rent free in my mind - and my latest two stories published this month are from those memorable days. Here’s a six-pager on trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to see mountain gorillas.
www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg/lifestyle/ug...
www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg/lifestyle/ug...
Re. this old NYT piece: Whichever side of the debate you fall, just remember - writing always demands focus, dedication and professionalism. Don't treat it like a hobby, don't miss deadlines, don't be afraid to ask for more money.
www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/b...
www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/b...
Is Being a Writer a Job or a Calling? (Published 2015)
Benjamin Moser and Dana Stevens discuss whether being a writer is just a job or a loftier ambition.
www.nytimes.com
April 3, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Re. this old NYT piece: Whichever side of the debate you fall, just remember - writing always demands focus, dedication and professionalism. Don't treat it like a hobby, don't miss deadlines, don't be afraid to ask for more money.
www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/b...
www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/b...
Here's a question for writer folks: when struggling with writer's block, do you ever go back to a story you wrote ages ago and read it again, just to say - "Ok, so I CAN write. I can do this. Deep breath." No? Only me? Ok then.
#freelancejournalist
#freelancejournalist
April 1, 2025 at 3:44 AM
Here's a question for writer folks: when struggling with writer's block, do you ever go back to a story you wrote ages ago and read it again, just to say - "Ok, so I CAN write. I can do this. Deep breath." No? Only me? Ok then.
#freelancejournalist
#freelancejournalist
Want to see cherry blossoms, but daunted by Japan's costs and crowds in peak season. Try South Korea instead. For Nikkei Asia, I wrote about gorgeous Gyeongju, known as the museum without walls.
asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Li...
asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Li...
Cherry blossoms on your mind? Try South Korea
Gyeongju combines marvelous blooms with historic tombs and palaces
asia.nikkei.com
March 29, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Want to see cherry blossoms, but daunted by Japan's costs and crowds in peak season. Try South Korea instead. For Nikkei Asia, I wrote about gorgeous Gyeongju, known as the museum without walls.
asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Li...
asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Li...
For Travel + Leisure, I wrote about the unique, fascinating ecosystem of Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania - a forest Ernest Hemingway described as “the loveliest I have ever seen in Africa.”
March 28, 2025 at 1:42 AM
For Travel + Leisure, I wrote about the unique, fascinating ecosystem of Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania - a forest Ernest Hemingway described as “the loveliest I have ever seen in Africa.”
Ha ha, this would be funny if it weren’t so scary!
And then Jesus turned to his disciples and said:
“One of you will betray me in the group chat”
“Not I my Lord!” they all cried, except for the one journalist that someone had inadvertently invited
“One of you will betray me in the group chat”
“Not I my Lord!” they all cried, except for the one journalist that someone had inadvertently invited
March 25, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Ha ha, this would be funny if it weren’t so scary!
Travelling solo is wayyyyyy better than travelling with someone who’s not in the same wavelength as you. It’s the latter that can make you feel lonely and miserable, even in your dream destination.
#travel #solotravel
#travel #solotravel
March 25, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Travelling solo is wayyyyyy better than travelling with someone who’s not in the same wavelength as you. It’s the latter that can make you feel lonely and miserable, even in your dream destination.
#travel #solotravel
#travel #solotravel
I stood in minus 15 C temp, at an altitude of 3,700 meters, hoping for a glimpse of the elusive snow leopard. While I eventually saw one, the waiting gave me an important lesson in mindfulness. I wrote about this challenging, exhilarating experience for Nikkei Asia:
asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Pic...
asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Pic...
The hunt for the snow leopard
How my quest for a big cat sighting turned into a lesson in mindfulness
asia.nikkei.com
March 24, 2025 at 6:52 AM
I stood in minus 15 C temp, at an altitude of 3,700 meters, hoping for a glimpse of the elusive snow leopard. While I eventually saw one, the waiting gave me an important lesson in mindfulness. I wrote about this challenging, exhilarating experience for Nikkei Asia:
asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Pic...
asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Pic...
Recently came across something Anthony Bourdain (purportedly) said and it resonated so hard - “Travel is not a reward for working, it's an education for living”. Yes, absolutely ✈️
March 22, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Recently came across something Anthony Bourdain (purportedly) said and it resonated so hard - “Travel is not a reward for working, it's an education for living”. Yes, absolutely ✈️
For my latest story for National Geographic, I explored Xian’s magnificent city walls, delving into its history and present day form as an urban park.
www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/artic...
www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/artic...
China’s other great wall is impressive, too—and steeped in history
The 8.5-mile-long wall that surrounds Xi’an, touted as one of the best-preserved walled fortifications in China, could be the next UNESCO World Heritage site.
www.nationalgeographic.com
March 7, 2025 at 2:00 AM
For my latest story for National Geographic, I explored Xian’s magnificent city walls, delving into its history and present day form as an urban park.
www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/artic...
www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/artic...
The colours of Sri Lanka’s tea country 💚
January 31, 2025 at 1:04 PM
The colours of Sri Lanka’s tea country 💚
2024 was also a wild, wild year for me - I saw lions and leopards, cheetahs and servals, giraffe and zebras, hippos and rhinos, chimpanzees and gorillas, elephants and antelopes. I also began the year with tigers at Tadoba and ended it with snow leopards at Ladakh.
January 1, 2025 at 3:09 AM
2024 was also a wild, wild year for me - I saw lions and leopards, cheetahs and servals, giraffe and zebras, hippos and rhinos, chimpanzees and gorillas, elephants and antelopes. I also began the year with tigers at Tadoba and ended it with snow leopards at Ladakh.
Scenes from a small town fair - anyone remember these annual events? It used to so exciting as kids!
December 30, 2024 at 2:56 PM
Scenes from a small town fair - anyone remember these annual events? It used to so exciting as kids!
2024 was a great year in terms of travel - I saw cherry blossoms in South Korea, stayed with an eagle hunter in Mongolia, walked on the Great Wall near Beijing and marvelled at the Terracotta Army of Xian, hiked to see chimpanzees and gorillas in Uganda, and went on safaris in Kenya and Tanzania.
December 30, 2024 at 2:15 PM
2024 was a great year in terms of travel - I saw cherry blossoms in South Korea, stayed with an eagle hunter in Mongolia, walked on the Great Wall near Beijing and marvelled at the Terracotta Army of Xian, hiked to see chimpanzees and gorillas in Uganda, and went on safaris in Kenya and Tanzania.
At 13000 feet altitude and minus 15 temperatures, this was by far the most challenging, exhilarating and frustrating trip of 2024. I went for snow leopards and saw TWO, with each sighting lasting for several hours 1/2
December 21, 2024 at 7:02 AM
At 13000 feet altitude and minus 15 temperatures, this was by far the most challenging, exhilarating and frustrating trip of 2024. I went for snow leopards and saw TWO, with each sighting lasting for several hours 1/2
What I’ve been up to these last few days. Watch this space!
December 17, 2024 at 7:54 AM
What I’ve been up to these last few days. Watch this space!