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Celebrating 11 Years!!

Kaushal Karkhanis aka Exotic Gringo - travel blogger from India

Kaushal Karkhanis

Hello, fellow explorer!

I'm Kaushal, a solo, slow traveller and digital nomad who started adventuring in 2007 while choosing to shuttle between Goa and Mumbai.

One year later, an epic life-changing 6-month long trip to South America gave birth to this blog, Exotic Gringo.

More info about me!

Currently in: Mumbai
Going next: Hyderabad

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Solo, slow #travelblogger from India 🇮🇳
Left my heart in South America 🇧🇷🇨🇴, soul in Bhutan 🇧🇹 & mind in Goa (@GoaTrippers) 🏖

5 years since the epic trip to Jordan 🇯🇴 ...

5 years since the epic trip to Jordan 🇯🇴 ... my introduction to the Arab world couldn't have been any better than this fascinating country of contrasts and natural, religious as well as architectural importance!

The people, the (amazing) food, the culture, the superb mix of tradition and modernism - I was truly in awe of it all. Can't wait to see you again once again the pandemic is behind us, Jordan!

#travel #Jordan #MusafirDilJordan #livelovejordan #myjordanjourney #Amman #Jarash #travelblogger #indiantravelblogger #ExoticGringoInJordan

Colombia 🇨🇴 holds a very special place in my

Colombia 🇨🇴 holds a very special place in my heart.

I first backpacked all across this charming country from South to North and back, in 2008 for an entire month.

5 years later, I won a contest on Twitter (!!) that allowed me to re-visit this amazing country and spend another three months there 😊

Adding to the magic was a chance encounter with Aaron - a Couchsurfing buddy who I befriended on my earlier trip, and who recognized me 5 years later in the midst of a crowd at the UN World Urban Forum #WUF7 in Medellín, circa 2014.

While there are some people who wanna see the whole world in one lifetime, I'd rather explore and experience the same places again and again - especially places like Colombia, which you need to savor, not gulp... like a cup of good Colombian coffee!

Have you ever Couchsurfed?

I've been hosting and surfing (staying with) folks from all over the world for over 15 years now, and they've all been enriching experiences where I've made great friends for life... Like Aaron here, who's dressed more desi than me!

#travel #Colombia #travelblogger #indiantravelblogger #ExoticGringoInColombia #Medellin #worldurbanforum #couchsurfing #csmedellín

Wanderlust is too generic a term. There should be

Wanderlust is too generic a term.
There should be a specific term for when you miss Italy 🇮🇹

OK, at least one for Europe.

While I'm definitely planning to be in France next year, with a bunch of my high school buddies... Also wishing and praying that the pandemic comes to an end earliest this year so we can all partake in some wanderlu... Nah, #Eurolust!! 😁

📸 My favorite part of Rome - the Roman Forum opposite the Colosseum. Something I feel tourists overlook, while trying to cover the Colosseum.

#travel #Italy #travelblogger #indiantravelblogger #ExoticGringoInItaly #RomanForum #Rome #Roma #Italia #tbt #throwback

Happy birthday / parabéns to my Brazilian brother

Happy birthday / parabéns to my Brazilian brother from another mother, Bebeto! 😊🤗

Back in 2008 when I first visited Brazil, I befriended Bebeto on Couchsurfing and we decided to meet over lunch. Never did I imagine then, that he'd become a lifelong friend and completely change my travel plans from a month across South America to a month JUST in his home town, São Paulo - ensuring I fell in love with the Paulista life.

Before I returned home from what eventually turned out to be a 6 month long trip of a lifetime, he even launched his own chain of hostels which went on to be someone the most amazing hostels in Brazil.

I've been fortunate enough to get to catch up with him twice after that epic trip, once in 2014 and most recently in 2019.

On both those trips, Bebeto continued to extend his legendary hospitality where I stayed at @limetimehostels in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro!

Thank you for being an amazing friend and wish you many more ótimo birthdays, irmão! 🎂🎉

📸 Hanging out over unlimited sushi and sashimi in São Paulo. August 2008.

#amigoscomoirmãos #saopaulo #Brazil #Brasil #ExoticGringoInBrazil #travel #travelblogger #indiantravelblogger #parabéns

The last time I truly travelled anywhere was an ex

Happy 456th birthday, Rio De Janeiro! 🥳 Did yo

Happy 456th birthday, Rio De Janeiro! 🥳

Did you know that locals call it "cidade maravilhosa" (The marvellous city)?!

It only takes a few days in this intense, vibrant, naturally stunning and diverse city to understand why:

The uniquely spectacular backdrop of curvy hills that meet the grand ocean...

The heady whiff of a barbeque combined with the freshness of the seaside surf...

The sounds of samba, capoeira, baile funk, bossa nova as the city's official background score...

The unmatchable taste of freshly baked pão de queijo...

The unbridled joy of the sand beneath your feet.

Rio is a delight for all senses, and one of the few places in the world I love going back to again and again.

Então, parabéns e até pronto, Cidade Maravilhosa! ❤️🎉

#travel #Brazil #RioDeJaneiro #parabénsRio #travelblogger #indiantravelblogger #ExoticGringoInBrazil #Brasil

Republic Day this year was spent in this charming

Republic Day this year was spent in this charming sea facing hotel with mom, for which I paid Rs.0!

All thanks to my points & rewards gurus @livefromalounge & @shipraatalounge who taught me how credit cards aren't a bad thing if you pay your fees on time and use them wisely to accumulate points.

This was the first time mom stepped out of home since the lockdown, so I wanted her to experience a part of Mumbai we all love (watch the sunrise by the sea from own verandah: Check!).

Harbour View and its rooftop bistro Bayview Café were both amazing and this marks the third fantastic hotel I've stayed in my own city and continue the #backyardtourism trail.

#travel #India #travelblogger #indiantravelblogger #Mumbai #Colaba #MumbaiHotels #seaview #sunrise #Maharashtra

Every year, I've spent at least a month or two in

Every year, I've spent at least a month or two in Goa over the past 10-15 years. Back in 2010, I even moved there to learn boxing and work remotely - something that's become the norm and acceptable in 2020 - back then, people thought I was either a crazy vagabond or a genius trailblazer.

The truth is - it's Goa's vibe. It's Goa's thriving and connected community that keeps calling me back to it. Maharashtra and Karnataka probably have way more cleaner and nicer beaches today, but what makes Goa unique is that it's a melting pot of cultures and a global village in its true form.

So this year feels odd, not because of the house arrest from the pandemic, but because I couldn't visit my beloved Goa and connect with my tribe.

On the plus side, I've discovered a lot of places even I didn't know about, just following the travels of others who took on the trailblazer mantle and showed me so many wonderful places I now want to visit (can't thank YouTube enough!)

As 2020 comes to a close, I'm looking forward to revisiting eternal favorites Goa and Thailand next year... and maybe a new destination too! 😊🤞🏼

What are YOUR travel plans for 2021? 🎉

#travel #Goa #slowtravel #travelblogger #indiantravelblogger #ExoticGringoInIndia #ExoticGringoInGoa #Chapora #Goa #Palolem #Vagator #Patnem #Arambol

Life is like a card game. It's not about winning o

Life is like a card game. It's not about winning or losing, but enjoying the game with the cards we are dealt.

So despite this year's challenges and zero travel, I decided to do a staycation weekend in my own city - Mumbai, at some charming places I have discovered through @alishasadikot's heritage walks (Grand Hotel Ballard Estate) and Google Maps (Hotel Kemps Corner) and thoroughly loved both stays.

The best part? To rekindle the hospitality industry, these came at steal prices (3K and 2K!)

Doing a detailed vlog in a new staycation / indie Mumbai stays series at YouTube.com/ExoticGringo, so keep your eyes peeled on the channel 😊

Disclaimer: the photo of @hotel_kemps_corner is not taken by me, but @saeebhurkephotography. Took it from the hotel's Google listing.

Absolutely loved the fabulous refurbishing and kitschy decor architecture design studio @studiorap_india has done to the Hotel Kemps Corner.

#Mumbai #indiehotels #travel #travelblogger #indiantravelblogger #ExoticGringoInIndia #staycation

Forever grateful for the fond memories of this day

Forever grateful for the fond memories of this day in 2007 🙂 it's amazing how powerful a photograph can be, isn't it?!

Nursing an injured back and yet I'm smiling because this showed up as a memory.

#Talpona #Goa #travel #travelblogger #indiantravelblogger #throwback #exoticgringoingoa #goatrippers

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Recent Tweets

“Travel Talk: South America from India“ with @Kaushal. Tomorrow at 7:00 PM IST on @clubhouse! https://t.co/ImHoD6ipvTyesterday
RT @AlexOuthwaite: I'm very nearly at a MILLION VIEWS on my video about street food in Pakistan. If you haven't watched already click the l…5 days ago
Fantastic storytelling by @SuitcaseMonkey :) Travel is not about perfect vacations and the perfect Insta-feed, bu… https://t.co/QEE9y8CEvP5 days ago

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Currently: Mumbai, India
E-Mail: kaushal [@] ExoticGringo.com
Skype / Gmail / Outlook: ‘kaushal’

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© 2020 Kaushal Karkhanis - Inspiring you to travel exotic & live simple, since 2009!