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ABOUT NATNZIN

Hello, we are Nathan and Zinara. In 2015, we met in a quirky backpack hostel in Colombo, fell in love, and started travelling together. Through NatnZin, we document our real, honest travel experiences coupled with captivating photography. Read more about us here.

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Snapshots from Kolkata ✨ My friend @sahidulislam

Snapshots from Kolkata ✨ My friend @sahidulislaml took some beautiful photos which capture the sociocultural landscape of the bustling metropolis. Vivid, vibrant and full of life ♥️ #natnzin
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#Kolkata #India #indiaphotography #india_gram #incredibleindia #india_everyday #indiapictures #westbengaltourism #westbengal #india_lens #indiaphotos #kolkatadiaries #kolkatadiaries #kolkata_lanes #kolkataphotography

I've been in India for over six weeks now. It's be

I've been in India for over six weeks now. It's been wonderful hopping trains, climbing mountain hamlets, taking ferry rides, chasing sunsets and waking up to the cold winter sun. Here's a photo of the sinking sun over the mighty Brahmaputra, the lifeline of Assam.

#natnzin

We've been very quiet here, but we are all good an

We've been very quiet here, but we are all good and traveling around as usual. Happy New Year to all of you! Love, warmth and many travels ♥️✨🌻 #natnzin

Hello hello everyone! We've been so silent here. I

Hello hello everyone! We've been so silent here. I don't actually feel like posting Instagram posts much :(( I still love doing stories though. However, I'm going to make sure to post at least once a week from now on, keeping this space alive.

I'm writing a piece for a digital publication about Sikkim today and it made me go through these pics I took last September/October 🌿🌻✨ Hope you all are having a great time!
xx

#natnzin .
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#sikkim #sikkimtourism #sikkimadventures #sikkimdiaries #northsikkim #northeastindia #thisisnortheast #theculturetrip #theglobewanderer #dzonguvalley #dzongu #india_gram #incredibleindia #india #indiaphotography #india_everyday #india_lens #indiapictures

NEW BLOG POST! I wrote another conversations over

NEW BLOG POST! I wrote another conversations over breakfast post. This time, it's from somewhere in #Meghalaya.

An excerpt: I’m halfway to thirty and my sunburnt skin still yearns for the soft rays of the morning sun. I watch clouds pass by as if they were candy floss or castles where fairies live. Last night, as we lay next to each other, Sahid told me that sometimes, only sometimes, clouds resemble wild animals, like roaring lions or dinosaurs who found the world too harsh for them that they decided to bid adieu. And sometimes, clouds are like the innocent face of a toddler or the playful smile of a four-year-old you never had.

Link in bio.

#natnzin
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#nongkhnumisland #nongkhnum #nongstoin #meghalayadiaries #meghalayatourism #whereisnortheast #discovernortheast #incredibleindia #india_gram #indiaphotography #india_everyday #india #lonelyplanet #natgeo #natgeotravel #travelawesome #traveljournal #travelwriter #traveljournalism #travelphotography

Thanks everyone for all your love for my Northeast

Thanks everyone for all your love for my Northeast stories. I got so many messages and sorry for being late to reply (sometimes). So many of you want to visit this beautiful region of #India and I thought I'd tell you about some responsible travel organizations run by locals if you don't want to plan independent travel.

1. @chalohoppo: I've only heard amazing things about @nishant__s (who hails from the Northeastern state of Assam) and his crew at Chalo Hoppo! They organize group trips to many Northeastern states such as Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.

2. @holidayscout: I haven't quite met the founder Sange but literally all of my Indian friends on my Facebook friend list praise him. Holiday Scout organizes private, customized tours to almost everywhere in the Northeast but mainly specialize in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Sange is from Arunachal Pradesh, too.

3. @ourguestdiary: these guys from Sikkim organize some of the most affordable, offbeat tours in Sikkim. Think of far corners of North Sikkim and regional flavours.

4. @greenerpastures: the founders are from Assam and they organize customized tours to everywhere in the Northeast. I was able to work with them last year and they are fabulous.

5. And at last, this isn't a tour org but if you want to rent shared/private taxis in Sikkim (or from Siliguri/Bagdogra -Sikkimese towns), use @wizzride. They are fabulous and easy to communicate with.

Photos: from Meghalaya, where I'm my happiest self. This isn't sponsored or anything. I'm just spreading some love for local orgs.

#natnzin
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#meghalayadiaries #meghalaya #sikkim #arunachal #arunachalpradesh #northsikkim #southwestkhasihills #westkhasihills #nongstoin #meghalayatourism #whereisnortheast #discovernortheast #lonelyplanet #travelwriter #traveltheglobe #india #instatravel #india_gram #india_everyday #incredibleindia

In Bakhim, a village near Ravangla, I stayed with

In Bakhim, a village near Ravangla, I stayed with Choden. She's a lawyer and Airbnbs one of the rooms at her parents' so they get to share stories with travelers from around the world.

They have a huge garden. A garden full of vegetables. And a farm. Every morning, they'd serve me fresh farm milk. And then there's a fried egg, a sweet potato dish or a vegetable fry. Everything comes from the farm. With zero chemicals.

Sikkim isn't entirely organic despite the tag. I believe it's almost impossible to be — because not all veggies or fruits grow in all climates. However, the tiny landlocked state is so promising. When I call my mother, she tells me it reminds her of '70s and early '80s growing up with her parents, my grandparents, in #SriLanka. There's almost nothing they bought from the market and they were quite self-sufficient.
#natnzin
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#Sikkim #sikkimtourism
#sikkimadventures
#sikkimdiaries #northeastindia #northsikkim #southsikkim #ravangla #organic #organicagriculture #organicfood #lonelyplanet #traveljournal #traveljournalism #travelwriter #traveljournalist #instatravel #india_gram #india_everyday #incredibleindia #india_lens #indiaphotography

It was World Tourism Day yesterday. @orangewayfare

It was World Tourism Day yesterday. @orangewayfarer writes a post about why India's tourism is only limited to a handful of destinations — think of Rajasthan, Taj and the beaches of Goa.

This is a photo from East Sikkim. Yesterday, I came to a beautiful homestay in the South. Frankly, India's Northeast is my fave place/s to travel — I also don't have to think twice here before traveling solo, in a country which is grossly presented as 'unsafe' for solo female travelers by the mainstream media.

But India's Northeast is also one of the severely misunderstood regions.

I talk to my host yesterday. She tells me how mainland India discriminates the Northeast — something I've noticed a lot.

She talks to me about her brief encounters in Delhi. "It will never change, because we will never look like them," she says. "They think we are backward, but aren't we more open minded?" My host tells me.

She also tells me that Sikkim is more connected to the mainland India, so many people in Sikkim speak Hindi and they feel Indian. However, when you head to other parts such as Meghalaya, Hindi is rarely spoken.

A week ago, I met a Sikkimese whose mother hails from Nagaland. "When I tell people that I have roots in Nagaland, they give me a strange look and asks me if I eat dogs," she told me, concerned, and how she never felt safe venturing out on her own in mainland India.

The discrimination is real that Delhi police now has a special unit for Northeastern people. Many of my Indian friends are sort of scared to visit Northeast — tribes, headhunters, dogeaters — these are their words. But travel here once and you will realize how badly misunderstood the region is.

Do you also know such misunderstood places? Places people tell you not to go, but you went and fell in love with?
#natnzin .
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#worldtourismday #sikkimtourism #sikkimadventures #sikkimdiaries #sikkim #gangtok #ravangla #instatravel #india_gram #india_everyday #incredibleindia #india_lens #indiaphotography #travelawesome #travelwriter #traveljournalism #travelphotography #landscapephotography #thisisnortheast #discovernortheast

It's been ten days in #Sikkim so far, and I love i

It's been ten days in #Sikkim so far, and I love it here. I'm travelling solo. It's my 4th trip as a solo traveler and I'm getting used to being alone, being with strangers and meeting new friends. However, I've never fully loved solo travel and I guess I never will. Curious to know how you all feel about solo traveling?
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#natnzin #northsikkim #sikkimtourism
#sikkimdiaries
#sikkimadventures #northsikkim #sikkimtrip #dzonguvalley #incredibleindia #india_gram #india_everyday #landscapephotography #india_lens #indiapictures #indiaphotography #india #northeastindia #discoverglobe #discovernortheast #thisisnortheast #landscapephotography #traveljournalism #travelwriter

Train journeys through the countryside ✨🌻 So

Train journeys through the countryside ✨🌻 So so pretty!
#Rambukkana #SriLanka #natnzin
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#srilankatrip #traveljournal #srilankatravel #srilankatourism #travelsrilanka #livethelittlethings #beautifulexplorers #beautifuldestinations #lonelyplanet #natgeotravel #traveljournalism #travelphotography #landscapephotography #trainjourneys #colombo #kandy #srilanka2019 #srilankadiaries #travelandleisure

Spent a few days in the mountains. Had the best fo

Spent a few days in the mountains. Had the best food. Pictured here is chicken rice & curry, and parotta with chicken curry, lentils curry and a red chili chutney.
#natnzin
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#srilanka #srilankan
#srilankalife #srilankanfood #riceandcurry #chickencurry #traveljournal #travelsrilanka #srilankatrip #wanderlust #wanderlustsrilanka #lonelyplanet #thefeedfeed #foodstagram #foodphotography #foodbloggers #travelblogger #travelwriter #traveljournal #traveljournalism #srilankatourism #travelphotography #foodonfeed

Lately, we've been very very very quiet here. We a

Lately, we've been very very very quiet here. We are fine, and happy and working on our assignments. Happy in life, but extremely sad and angered about the world events happening around us.

Recently, my friend @fareesness told me about how this year has been good to her personally but one of the most frustrating years in terms of the chaos happening in the world.

How do you feel about the world? Do you think being educated about the world is necessary? Or do you think ignorance is a bliss? I used to wonder why people are ignorant about the world events, or why they simply neglect the chaos happening around them, but I'm also beginning to understand that we cannot always cope up with too much information, and maybe, maybe, it's okay to not know.
#natnzin .
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#srilanka #travelsrilanka #exploresrilanka #srilankatravel #traveljournal #wanderlust #wonderfuldestinations #NuwaraEliya #colombo #kandy #srilankatrip #traveljournalism #travelwriter #passionpassport #passportready #lonelyplanet #natgeotravel

"It’s now drier, the sun shines happily and slow

"It’s now drier, the sun shines happily and slowly peaks over the distant hills. He shows us paddy terraces far away, Buddhist stupas painted in white and small houses on hilltops which often appears in our dreams." — an excerpt from the new blog post.

Finally published a new blog post! Click the link in bio if you want to read about Bomburu Falls in #SriLanka. Not many people go here, but it's very easy to visit these gorgeous falls if you travel to #NuwaraEliya.

#natnzin
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#srilankan #srilankalife #srilanka #srilanka2019 #srilankatourism #srilankatravel #traveljournal #traveltheglobe #travelsrilanka #lonelyplanet #passionpassport #passportready #livethelittlethings #ellasrilanka #welimada #bomburuella #beautifuldestinations #girlswhotravel #gltlove

Streets of #Malacca ❤️ Which one is your fave?

Streets of #Malacca ❤️ Which one is your fave?
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#natnzin #Melaka

Can't resist a good plate of rice & curry ❤️ .

Can't resist a good plate of rice & curry ❤️
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#natnzin #foodstagram #foodphotography #foodbloggers #srilanka #srilankalife #visitsrilanka🇱🇰 #visitsrilanka #exploresrilanka #riceandcurry #localfood #eatlocal #localeats #farmtotable #lonelyplanet #colombo #travelsrilanka #srilankatrip #srilankatravel #srilankatourism #passionpassport #eeeeeats #foodonfeed

Not our teams! 🙈 Just trying to take a decent p

Not our teams! 🙈 Just trying to take a decent photo in two cricket jerseys and massively failing at it in our fave little cabana in the whole of #SriLanka. Go see @elementsresort if you visit #kalpitiya.
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#natnzin #srilanka #travelsrilanka #visitsrilanka🇱🇰 #visitsrilanka #exploresrilanka #lonelyplanet #natgeotravel #srilankatourism #livethelittlethings #travelcouple #responsibletravel #communitybasedtourism #sustainabletravel #sustainableliving #kappalady #kitesurfing #colombo #passionpassport

An excerpt from my article for @tenderlymag: The A

An excerpt from my article for @tenderlymag: The American eggplant is meatier inside. They grow in farmlands in Sri Lanka’s hill country, particularly in the tea town Nuwara Eliya. The sight of small makeshift stalls piled up with stacks of glorious, dark-purple eggplant fills my heart with joy. It was only during school holidays that we’d road-trip in a small minibus to the up country. We’d come back home with several kilos of eggplants and a potted, mountain-grown gerbera plant. A week later, the gerbera plant was usually dead, but our stomachs (full with delicious eggplants) are happy. Our hearts were even happier.

Who else loves eggplants? Not only the purple ones but their small sisters? Link in bio if you want to read it.
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#natnzin #vegetablemarket #vegetables #srilanka #srilankalife #travelsrilanka #lonelyplanet #srilankatravel #srilankatourism #visitsrilanka🇱🇰 #exploresrilanka #NuwaraEliya #kandy #colombo #sustainabletravel #sustainableliving #natgeotravel #responsibletravel #communitybasedtourism #passionpassport

Markets are some of our fave places ever! There's

Markets are some of our fave places ever! There's so much life in them. Vibrancy. Little things. Exciting things. Morning rush. Anecdotes. Fish. Vegetables. Fruits. Sweets your mother made you when you were a child. Old uncles. Aunties. Young men. Young women. A tangled, chaotic, beautiful mess.
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#natnzin #srilanka #srilankalife #srilanka2019 #travelsrilanka #visitsrilanka🇱🇰 #visitsrilanka #exploresrilanka #NuwaraEliya #colombo #lonelyplanet #matadornetwork #natgeotravel #passionpassport #passportready #theculturetrip #theglobewanderer #srilankatravel #srilankatrip #srilankatourism

Beautiful Bomburu Falls ❤️ going to write a bl

Beautiful Bomburu Falls ❤️ going to write a blog post about this place soon. Hope you all are having a wonderful day 🌸
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#natnzin #srilanka #travelsrilanka #visitsrilanka #wonderfuldestinations #wonderful_places #visitsrilanka🇱🇰 #srilankalife #srilanka2019 #natgeotravel #lonelyplanet #outdoors #waterfalls #NuwaraEliya #bomburuella #matadornetwork #colombo #mountains

Sri Lankan pancakes. A popular breakfast food in #

Sri Lankan pancakes. A popular breakfast food in #SriLanka. They are actually not pancakes, but crepes stuffed with caramelize coconut, slightly spiced with cloves, cardamom and cinnamon ❤️
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#natnzin #srilanka #srilankalife #srilankanfood #travelsrilanka #srilankatravel #srilankatrip #lonelyplanet #natgeotravel #seetheworld #passionpassport #matadornetwork #eatlocal #localeats #localfood #colombo #NuwaraEliya #foodphotography #traveljournal

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