11:11 Weekend | Hidden Himalayan villages, royal mango stories and the wellness science behind India’s fermented foods

Good morning! ☕️ Grab your coffee and settle in. In this Sunday’s 11:11, we travel from quiet Himalayan villages and serene lakeside towns to Arctic destinations where the sun barely sets. We’re heading beyond Shimla and Manali into lesser-known mountain villages tucked across Uttarakhand, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, exploring India’s scenic lake towns, and revisiting the remarkable engineering behind ancient stepwells like Chand Baori and Rani ki Vav. If you’ve ever wanted to witness the surreal phenomenon of the midnight sun, we’ve also rounded up destinations where daylight stretches almost endlessly through summer. Closer home, Rajasthan’s Sariska Tiger Reserve is preparing a more immersive digital wildlife experience with multi-language audio guides and interactive exhibits, while Goa is transforming beach shacks into collaborative workspaces as it pushes to position itself as India’s next major workation hub. And since it’s mango season, we’re revisiting Murshidabad’s extraordinary royal mango legacy — from the prized Kohitur to forgotten Nawab-era varieties tied to dowries, court disputes and disappearing orchards. We’re also diving into YouTube’s new AI-powered recommendation controls, the meticulous craft behind Japanese whisky blending with Suntory Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo, and why fermented foods sitting in Indian kitchens may be doing more for gut health than expensive probiotic supplements ever could. Finally, we break down the WHO’s Ebola emergency alert, what exactly the virus is, and why countries around the world are stepping up precautions. Let’s get into it! Best lakeside cities in India for boating, hill views and scenic escapes From the Himalayan charm of Nainital and the misty hills of Kodaikanal to the floating landscapes of Moirang and Kerala’s backwaters in Alappuzha, India’s lakeside destinations offer everything from boating and mountain views to cultural landmarks and peaceful escapes. Here are some of the country’s most scenic lake towns worth adding to your travel bucket list. Chand Baori, Rani Ki Vav and more: Stepwells showcasing India’s ancient water engineering From the geometric depths of Chand Baori to the intricately carved grandeur of Rani ki Vav, India’s historic stepwells stand as remarkable examples of ancient water conservation and engineering. These baolis and vavs, spread across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Karnataka, combine architectural beauty, cultural history and ingenious rainwater harvesting systems that continue to fascinate travellers centuries later. Beyond Shimla and Manali: 5 hidden Himalayan villages worth exploring From the remote valleys of Malari Village and the rugged landscapes of Kanji Village to the tea-covered hills of Rangaroon, these lesser-known Himalayan villages offer travellers a quieter alternative to crowded hill stations. With mountain treks, Buddhist heritage, local cultures and untouched scenery, they reveal a slower and more authentic side of life in the Himalayas. Midnight sun destinations: 8 places where daylight barely ends From the Arctic landscapes of Tromsø and Svalbard to the glowing summer skies of Iceland and Alaska, these destinations experience the remarkable phenomenon of the midnight sun, where daylight stretches late into the night for weeks or even months. Here are eight places where travellers can witness one of nature’s most surreal spectacles. Sariska to roll out multi-language audio guides, digital wildlife centre for tourists Rajasthan’s Sariska Tiger Reserve is set to introduce multi-language audio guides and a new digital nature interpretation centre aimed at making wildlife tourism more immersive and accessible. The upcoming facility, backed by TACO under a CSR initiative, will use holograms, LED exhibits and interactive displays to showcase Sariska’s tigers, leopards, birds and biodiversity while helping visitors navigate language barriers during safaris. Beach shacks become offices as Goa bets big on the workation economy From AI workshops and startup networking sessions to work calls overlooking the Arabian Sea, Goa Shackathon transformed Goa’s beach shacks into collaborative workspaces as the state pushes to position itself as India’s next major workation hub. The initiative reflects a growing shift toward remote work, digital nomad culture and lifestyle-driven entrepreneurship beyond traditional metro cities. It’s mango season! Talking of mangoes, do you know Murshidabad’s royal mangoes carry stories of Nawabs, dowries and lost varieties? From the legendary Kohitur mango once handled like a jewel to the vanished Tota variety tied to a royal court dispute, Murshidabad’s mango heritage is filled with forgotten Nawab-era stories. But while rare varieties like Mirza Pasand and Ranipasand still survive in memory and limited orchards, experts warn that many of Bengal’s historic mangoes now face extinction without urgent preservation efforts. YouTube’s new AI feature lets users customise recommendations with prompts YouTube has rolled out a new AI-powered feature that allows users to personalise their video feed using custom prompts instead of relying entirely on algorithm-driven recommendations. The update also introduces more visible labels for AI-generated content as the platform responds to growing concerns over realistic AI-created videos online. How Shinji Fukuyo perfected the art of blending Japanese whisky For over four decades, Shinji Fukuyo has spent his days tasting and balancing hundreds of whiskies to create harmonious blends like Hibiki. Rooted in the Japanese philosophy of Monozukuri, his craft combines patience, sensory precision and deep technical understanding — offering a look inside the meticulous world of whisky blending. Ebola outbreak explained: What exactly is Ebola and why has WHO issued a global emergency alert? The WHO has declared the Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a global health emergency, prompting countries including India to step up precautions. Here’s what Ebola is, how it spreads, why the current outbreak is raising concern, and what travellers should know right now. Fermented food is 2026’s biggest wellness trend, but India has always had it on the table From curd and chaas to idli batter and beetroot kanji, Indian kitchens have relied on fermented foods for generations — long before probiotics became a global wellness obsession. Now, new gut-health research is validating what traditional diets already seemed to understand: fermented foods may do far more for the body than expensive supplements ever could.