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Ananya Iyer

Field writer, South Asia: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives, based in Kochi

Covers India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan

Last field trip Feb 202640 guides published
  • India
  • Sri Lanka
  • Rail

Languages: English, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam

About

Ananya grew up in Chennai and moved to Kochi in 2019. She writes about India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives with a focus on the logistics that decide a trip: e-visa categories, train quotas and waitlists, the two monsoons, and what a fair price for a driver looks like.

Field trips

Months, not dates, for privacy.

  • Feb 2026Sri LankaKandy to Ella by train, Galle, 9 nights
  • Nov 2025Rajasthan and Agra10 nights

Guides by Ananya Iyer

A beach with a blue slide and people on itWhen to goBest time to visit Trincomalee: rainfall by month, dry windowUpdated Oct 6, 2026leopard in water during daytimeHow toHow to visit Yala National Park: permits, jeep, guide, timingUpdated Oct 6, 2026Aerial view of the Sigiriya rock fortress rising above a dense green forestWhere to stayWhere to stay near Sigiriya: village, Dambulla or HabaranaUpdated Oct 6, 2026Aerial view of the Sigiriya rock fortress rising above a dense green forestHow toHow to climb Sigiriya: tickets, hours, steps and timingUpdated Oct 6, 2026Aerial view of the Sigiriya rock fortress rising above a dense green forestHead to headSigiriya or Pidurangala: which rock to climb, or bothUpdated Oct 6, 2026green-leafed plantWhen to goBest time to visit Nuwara Eliya: the April season, monsoons and mistUpdated Oct 6, 2026green-leafed plantThings to doThings to do in Nuwara Eliya: gardens, tea and Horton PlainsUpdated Oct 6, 2026A beach with a blue slide and people on itThings to doThings to do in Trincomalee: reef, fort, whales and beachesUpdated Oct 6, 2026A beach with a blue slide and people on itHow toPigeon Island National Park: boats, reef rules and snorkelingUpdated Oct 6, 2026green-leafed plantHead to headNuwara Eliya or Ella: which hill-country base to chooseUpdated Oct 6, 2026leopard in water during daytimeWhen to goBest time to visit Yala: dry months, rain and safari trade-offsUpdated Oct 6, 2026leopard in water during daytimeHead to headYala or Uda Walawe: which safari park should you choose?Updated Oct 6, 2026a lush green field covered in lots of grassItineraryMunnar in 2 days: tea estates, Eravikulam and viewpointsUpdated Oct 3, 2026brown concrete building during daytimeItineraryHampi in 2 days: temples at dawn, royal sites and a sunset hillUpdated Oct 3, 2026A body of water surrounded by mountains and treesWhere to stayWhere to stay in Rishikesh: four bases comparedUpdated Oct 3, 2026red and white boat on body of water near beige concrete building during daytimeItineraryUdaipur in 2 days: City Palace, lake boat, ghats and a hilltop sunsetUpdated Oct 3, 2026A blue train crossing the Nine Arches Bridge in Ella, Sri LankaField reportKandy to Ella by train: the booked seat, the unbooked carriage and the view you pay forAnanya Iyer · Updated Oct 3, 2026red and white boat on body of water near beige concrete building during daytimeHead to headUdaipur vs Jaipur vs Jodhpur: which Rajasthan city to pickUpdated Oct 3, 2026white and brown concrete house on rocky mountain during daytimeRulesBhutan's Sustainable Development Fee: what it costs in 2026Updated Oct 3, 2026rowing boats near dockHead to headVaranasi vs Rishikesh vs Haridwar: which Ganges stop fits your tripUpdated Oct 3, 2026red and white boat on body of water near beige concrete building during daytimeWhere to stayWhere to stay in Udaipur: Old City, Ambrai Ghat, Fateh Sagar or the stationUpdated Oct 3, 2026a lush green field covered in lots of grassHead to headMunnar or Ooty: which South India hill station to pickUpdated Oct 3, 2026brown concrete building during daytimeHow toHow to get to Hampi from Bengaluru, Goa and HyderabadUpdated Oct 3, 2026white and blue tent on gray sand during daytimeItineraryKochi in 2 days: Fort Kochi, Jew Town and the water routesUpdated Oct 3, 2026white and blue tent on gray sand during daytimeHead to headKochi to Alleppey or Munnar: backwaters or tea hills first?Updated Oct 3, 2026brown concrete building during daytimeWhere to stayWhere to stay in Hampi: five bases, from the bazaar to HosapeteUpdated Oct 3, 2026A body of water surrounded by mountains and treesHead to headRishikesh or Haridwar: which Ganga town to visitUpdated Oct 3, 2026a lush green field covered in lots of grassWhere to stayWhere to stay in Munnar: four bases comparedUpdated Oct 3, 2026brown boat on beach during daytimeWhere to stayWhere to stay in the Andaman Islands: Port Blair, Havelock or NeilUpdated Oct 2, 2026A blue train crossing the Nine Arches Bridge in Ella, Sri LankaRulesSri Lanka ETA: free for 40 countries, still required for allUpdated Oct 2, 2026brown boat on beach during daytimeHead to headHavelock vs Neil Island: which Andaman island gets your nightsUpdated Oct 1, 2026brown boat on beach during daytimeItineraryAndaman itinerary, 5 days: Port Blair, Havelock and Neil IslandUpdated Oct 1, 2026brown concrete building during daytimeHead to headJaipur, Jodhpur or Udaipur: which Rajasthan city to pickUpdated Oct 1, 2026rowing boats near dockWhere to stayWhere to stay in Varanasi: ghats, Assi, the Cantonment or SarnathUpdated Oct 1, 2026rowing boats near dockItineraryVaranasi in 2 days: dawn boat, ghat walk, aarti and SarnathUpdated Oct 1, 2026white and blue tent on gray sand during daytimeWhere to stayWhere to stay in Kochi: Fort Kochi, Mattancherry or ErnakulamUpdated Oct 1, 2026A body of water surrounded by mountains and treesItineraryRishikesh in 3 days: aarti, rafting and a slow morningUpdated Oct 1, 2026brown concrete building during daytimeWhere to stayWhere to stay in Jaipur: Pink City, C-Scheme, Bani Park or AmerUpdated Oct 1, 2026brown concrete building during daytimeItineraryJaipur in 2 or 3 days: Amer Fort, the Pink City and a day tripUpdated Oct 1, 2026brown concrete building during daytimeRulesIndia e-Visa: which one to pick, what it costs, how to applyUpdated Oct 1, 2026
DestinationsWhere to go, when to go and how to get around in 221 countries. Every practical fact shows the date we checked it and who checked it.Where to stayNeighborhoods walked end to end: who each area suits, how far it is from the airport train, and the hotels we would book ourselves.PlanVisas and entry rules, travel insurance, eSIMs and rail passes, explained in plain words and rechecked when the rules change.EventsFestivals, concerts and tours with confirmed dates, rooms near the venue and the fastest way on to the next city.StoriesField reports and data stories from the road. We time the queues, count the costs and say what changed since last year.

Asia

KansaiTokyoBangkokOsakaSiem ReapMt FujiOkinawaKōbeManilaKyotoAll Asia

Caribbean

Fort-de-FranceNassauPort of SpainNegrilSan JuanOcho RiosHavanaEleutheraEl Yunque National ForestSosúaAll Caribbean

Africa

MarrakechRabatToubkal National ParkMaasai MaraCape WinelandsDiani BeachMombasaNairobiAswanSharm El SheikhAll Africa

Events

Sapporo Snow FestivalCherry blossomGion MatsuriDía de MuertosOktoberfestKandy Esala PeraheraEvents calendar

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