Star Clipper is a 115m Tall Ship, carrying just 170 guests in pampered comfort. She cruises out of Phuket during the southern summer, relocating to the Med in March to cruise the Med during the northern summer.

Onboard for an Indian Ocean crossing, Fiona Harper will join Star Clipper in March 2010 on her repositioning cruise. Contact Fiona (fiona@fionaharper.com.au) to confirm in principle support in commissioning an article based on this voyage.

Images will be available from Fiona Harper and Star Clipper.

              India dances to a different beat throughout the scenically diverse, historically varied and culturally rich Malabar region of northern Kerala.  Maharajas built grand summer palaces at the edge of forested hinterlands while mighty forts of laterite were constructed along the coastline to protect the resource rich area from conquests.

Vast tea plantations stretch for as far as the eye can see while privileged guests staying at unique properties like Pranavam Home Stays can watch skilled dancers attired in colourful costumes perform age-old folk dances.

The region also boasts of the Edakkal Caves which date to the Neolithic Period.  Farther afield are wildlife reserves where dark forests may yet reveal more exotic plant species.

An illustrated feature on the diverse Malabar region of northern Kerala can be written on assignment from 1000 to 2000 words, depending upon editorial requirements. 

A separate feature or a sidebar can also be written about the unique cultural attractions of southern Kerala including Trivandrum and Cochin as well as houseboat holidays along peaceful backwaters in this lovely state. 

by Thomas E King

Tree-lined streets named after French governors, police officers wearing red caps like their continental counterparts, stained glass churches where hymns are sung on Sundays and villas which appear as if they were transported directly from Paris are only a few of the many reminders of the nearly three centuries of French rule  over four small territories in India.

Fronting the Bay of Bengal in southeast India, Pondicherry is the best known and most tourist-ready of these.  However, Yanam, Karaikal and tiny Mahe – also in southern India – also welcome visitors interested in seeing yet another aspect of multicultural India.

An illustrated feature on French India can be written on assignment from 1000 to 2000 words, depending upon editorial requirements.   

Diu Island in Gujarat, India has a history going back even further. It is said that in the era of Satyuga (between two and three million years ago, a time when “the gods walked the earth”), a certain King Jalandhar ruled over the island. According to legend, he was a real bad dude, and accordingly was disposed of by the aforesaid gods.

In Estonia, the ancient culture of Hiiumaa Island was home to the “Mad Baron” von Ungern-Sternberg.  He is said to have led troops in Mongolia, treating the Mongols with “unparalleled savagery”. Eventually, in 1921, Ungern-Sternberg was handed over to the Bolsheviks for execution. Even today teachers at Suuremõisa College (the baron's former manor) and electricians working on the manor house claim to have seen or heard his ghost.

What, if anything, do these three widely separated islands have in common?                                                           

The Classic Golf Resort, an exciting country club project set against the stark Aravali Range outside city high rise, set the benchmark when it opened in mid 1997.   That was only a few years after a rugged expanse crisscrossed by nallahs, or small irrigation canals, creeks, ravines and rocky outcrops” had been presented to legendary designer and gazetted “Golfer of the Century”, Jack Nicklaus to craft into the first international standard golf course in India. 

At the nearby Karma Lakelands you can also breathe in the fresh air while savouring sumptuous surroundings.  More than 40,000 trees have been planted at this environmentally friendly 9 hole signature 2514 metre course designed by Melbourne-based Pacific Golf Course Design.  Multiple tee positions ensure a challenging game for all players.  Meanwhile a network of walking, cycling and horse riding trails interconnects the 200 acre golf haven. 

Situated almost in the heart of the Indian capital, the Delhi Golf Club has been a sporting oasis for more than 80 years.  The 27 hole course is comprised of the 18 hole Lodhi Course and the shorter 9 hole Peacock Course that gets its name from the many colourful birds that make their home along the perimeter of this famed social institution.    

An illustrated feature on the great golf opportunities in New Delhi can be written on assignment from 1000 to 2000 words depending upon editorial requirements.  A short ‘sidebar’ or a dedicated feature can also be written on the many things to see and do in the Indian capital. 

While majestic Bengal Tigers are at the top of every nature lover’s list, India has more than 450 national parks and sanctuaries where a menagerie of magnificent mammals can be seen.

Some 500 different species of mammals inhabit the protected forests of India.  The Asian lion of Gir, the white tiger of Rewa, the wild ass of Kutch, the golden langur of Assam, the barasingha of Kanha, the Indian elephant and the gaur and the sambar are all trophy animals that eager visitors often see amid the cover of juniper and thicket.

An illustrated feature on the wildlife of India can be written on assignment from 1000 to 2000 words, depending upon editorial requirements. 

Few ever left the dreaded "Kala Pani" (Black Waters), a harsh penal colony set up by the British in 1858.  The acute isolation of the islands – its capital of Port Blair is 1380 km northwest of Kuala Lumpur and about the same distance east of Chennai, India - made them an ideal location for a prison.

Though still off the beaten tourist track, this Union Territory of India is gaining notice from many directions.  The reason for all the attention is due to the island’s historic significance, strategic importance, anthropological treasures, ecological wonders, commercial capabilities and tourism potential.  Indeed there is much that the Andamans can offer.

An illustrated feature on the Andamans can be written on assignment from 1000 to 2000 words, depending upon editorial requirements.