A gouache painting of saguaro cacti in the desert under an orange sun and a peach sky

Stories, drawings and patterns from India, the GCC, Mexico and the US.

I’m a journalist, illustrator and pattern designer writing about food, travel, health and wellness, science and culture. Born and raised in Dubai, shaped by years in the US and south India, now based in CDMX. Since 2015, I’ve written for National Geographic, TIME, Lonely Planet, and more. I’m also Yahoo Health’s yoga expert, thanks to my 200-hour RYT Hatha yoga teacher training from Samyak Yoga in Mysore.

Work with me

Bylines in

  • National Geographic
  • TIME
  • Lonely Planet
  • Fodor’s
  • Nikkei Asian Review
  • Business Insider
  • OpenTable
  • Viator
  • Yahoo Health
  • Southern Living
  • EATEN

Antique Floral Vine Trellis

Food, travel, wellness & culture journalism Selected writing

All writing
  1. Mayurbhanj, India Travel / TIME World’s Greatest Places 2023
  2. Dogon, Washington, D.C. Food / TIME World’s Greatest Places 2025
  3. The blackout that nearly broke New York—and the logo that saved it History / National Geographic
  4. Pearls, Petrol & Progress Culture / Lonely Planet
  5. The Canvas of a Nation Culture / Lonely Planet

Travel guidebooks

I’ve co-written the guidebooks people pack.

Co-author of Lonely Planet’s India, South India & Kerala, Dubai & Abu Dhabi and Journey: Pacific Coast Highway, and Fodor’s Essential India. New editions of India and Dubai & Abu Dhabi are out in 2026–27.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Illustration

See all my illustrations

Doorways in Jaipur, tiles in Puebla, snacks in Dubai. If it catches my eye, I paint it.

  • Illustration of a robed figure with a golden halo inside a Talavera-style floral border
    South Asian tikat
  • Gouache illustration of a red tiger prowling through blue and yellow foliage
    The Forest Keeper
  • A poster of wild mushrooms, from fly agarics to morels, on black
    Wild mushrooms
  • Gouache watermelon slice on a blue hamsa hand
    Watermelon hamsa
  • An orange cocktail with a lime wheel, a twist of peel and a leaf on pale aqua
    Citrus cocktail
  • A shawarma spit under the green Sea Shell Cafeteria sign in Dubai
    Sea Shell Cafeteria · Dubai
  • Gouache illustration of a palace courtyard in Jaipur with scalloped arches and a black-and-white chequered floor
    Jaipur doorway · Rajasthan
  • Cut-out Mughal-style flowering plant in coral, pink and sage
    Mughal floral motif
  • Repeat pattern of red Oman Chips packets on lilac
    Oman Chips · pattern
  • A spotted lanternfly with black-dotted wings and red underwings on sage green
    Spotted lanternfly
  • Gouache still life of a breakfast table with bread, strawberries and a blue tablecloth
    Still here · still-life series
  • Cut-out blue tile motif filled with pink and coral flowers, inspired by South India
    South Indian tile motif
  • Black ink drawing of tacos on a plate for Taqueria El Torito
    Taqueria El Torito · commission
  • The grey facade of Casa Luis Barragán in Mexico City with its yellow wooden doors
    Casa Luis Barragán · Mexico City
  • A gouache pineapple on a red ground
    Pineapple
  • Red scalloped palace pattern with blue and pink flowers
    Palace pattern · South India
  • A blue and cream New Orleans cottage with green shutters and a porch among tropical leaves
    Creole cottage · New Orleans
  • Dotwork landscape of the mountains above Crestone, Colorado
    Crestone, Colorado
  • Four New Orleans shotgun houses painted in different colourways
    Shotgun houses · New Orleans

Shop my patterns

My patterns live on fabric, wallpaper and the odd tea towel. Buy them by the yard or license them for your brand.

Ask about licensing

Nazar · The GCC

Content, illustration, writing & web design Work with me

I work with a handful of clients at a time. It’s how I do my best work.

  1. For brands

    Content & newsletter retainers

    Newsletters your readers will actually open.

  2. For art directors

    Illustration & pattern

    Gouache brushes, hand-painted textures.

  3. For editors

    Writing & reporting

    Food, travel and wellness stories, reported on the ground.

  4. For small businesses

    Web design

    Like this one. I built it.

Rates, process and questions

Talavera · Puebla, Mexico