Rajasthan demystified

An invitation to a destination wedding gave us the perfect excuse to plan a trip to Rajasthan! And of course, being the meticulous wanderers that we are, we wanted to explore every nook and corner of the largest state in the country. But paucity of leaves meant that we had to prepare an itinerary in such a way as to get a feel of the huge state within a short span, and that too, in the most economical way. Not the ones to back away from challenges, we racked our brains, researched extensively, discussed at length with our dear friend (the groom-to-be), and finalised our itinerary.

Day 1:

Unlike a typical Rajasthan tour, which starts from Udaipur or Jaipur, we took a train from Mumbai to Kota. We left from Mumbai on a Friday evening, and reached Kota on Saturday, around mid-morning. Amongst other things, Rajasthan is known for its lip-smacking food. Hence, our food exploration journey started from Kota itself, with the famous hing (asofoteida) kachoris. We had booked a vehicle, and our driver was familiar with the best kachori shop in Kota (Ratan Sev Bhandar), so that became our first halt after starting our road trip from Kota station. Luckily, when we reached the kachori shop, they were frying a fresh batch, and we got to savour fresh and absolutely delicious kachoris.

Our next halt was Chittorgarh fort, the first tourist spot on our itinerary. We had our lunch at a small restaurant just before entering the fort. This is one of Maharana Pratap’s several forts in the state. We learnt a lot about this great ruler during our trip. While the fort is huge, the maintenance seemed inadequate. Most of the structures were in a dilapidated state, and the gardens needed attention. However, this happens to be the fort where the sunset scene in the movie ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ was shot, and luckily, we also witnessed the sunset from the same spot! 🙂

From Chittorgarh, we proceeded towards Udaipur, where our hotel accommodation awaited us. But before that, shortly away from Chittorgarh, we visited Rani Padmavati Mahal, a palace with some structures built in the middle of a lake! Thereafter, we halted for tea and snacks, and upon insistence by the locals, we got our pictures clicked in Rajasthani attire! They dressed us up in their traditional costume in a matter of minutes and also suggested several poses for the pictures. It was quite an entertaining experience.

Upon reaching Udaipur, we checked into Poonam Haveli (situated at Lal Ghat road), our abode for the next two nights. The hotel is nice, with spacious rooms, courteous staff and restaurant on the terrace, which overlooks the lake. Given our weariness from the long journey, we decided to dine at the terrace restaurant itself. While the view of the lake was good, the food was just about average. Nevertheless, we remained hopeful of delicious Rajasthani cuisine for the rest of our trip and called it a day.

Cost for day 1 (excluding train tickets, and tea and snacks expenses):

Lunch near Chittorgarh fort: Rs. 300

Chittorgarh entry ticket: Rs. 50 (Rs. 15 per person + Rs. 20 for vehicle)

Day 2:

We had reserved this day for local sightseeing in Udaipur, partly to give ourselves some rest. As we were about to embark on our tour, we got a pleasant surprise – our package included a local tour guide for Udaipur! Right after breakfast, we were met by our driver and Mr. Devi Singh, our guide for the day. Mr. Singh was not only knowledgable, but also friendly, and open to suggestions in case we wished to modify the sequence of our sightseeing. He suggested we start our day with boating on Fateh Sagar Lake, but neither of us was keen on boating. So we skipped that and instead, started with visiting Maharana Pratap Smarak (Maharana Pratap memorial). While taking us round the memorial, our guide narrated the entire life history of the great king, which was very inspiring.

Of course, part of me was focused on sampling every recommended dish in Rajasthan. So right after the memorial, I asked our guide where we could get ‘kullad’ wali coffee (coffee served in earthen cups). He promptly took us to a small coffee shop opposite Fateh Sagar Lake. And the coffee was to die-for! Sadly, I could neither bring that coffee back to Mumbai, nor replicate it at home. But on second thought, some things are best savoured in their original surroundings.

The next spot on our list was Saheliyon ki Badi, a beautiful place with an interesting history. It is said that during olden times, females were not allowed to step out of the house. Even within the house, they had to have a veil when in the presence of men. The queen wanted a place where she could freely enjoy with her friends. Therefore, the king built a large garden only for the queen, her friends, and maid-servants. This garden was called Saheliyon ki Badi (friends’ garden). Based on the queen’s liking, this garden has several fountains and a rain forest. And the engineering of that era works flawlessly even today! This place is a must-visit in Udaipur.

Mr. Singh then took us to National Handloom House, where we bought few souvenirs and then proceeded for lunch at a restaurant called Rajwada Bite. The ambience was nice, but the food seemed slightly overpriced. Next we visited City Palace, yet another abode of one of Rajasthan’s erstwhile kings. The sheer grandeur with which the kings lived dwarfs us. But maintaining such huge homes costs a lot, which is why the kings’ descendants rent out these palaces, either for specific functions or as a hotel altogether. After City Palace, we thanked Mr. Singh for the informative tour and returned to Lal Ghat road.

Our hotel manager had recommended going for the folk show at Baghor ki haveli, not far from Poonam Haveli. We asked some locals for directions and reached Baghor ki haveli about half an hour before the show time, and were surprised to find a long queue already waiting at the ticket counter. And the show was definitely worth the long queue. It consisted of several types of Rajasthani dances and a play. The performers were extremely talented and also included a very graceful and energetic dancer in her late sixties! (look at her balancing pots on the head and dancing in the pic below) Another must-visit in Udaipur. We then had dinner at a nearby restaurant and retired to our hotel.

Cost for day 2 (excluding tips):

Maharana Pratap Smarak entry: Rs. 200 (Rs. 60 per person + Rs. 80 for vehicle)

Kullad wali coffee: Rs 100 (Rs. 25 each)

Saheliyon ki badi entry: Rs. 20 (Rs. 10 each)

Lunch at Rajwada Bite: Rs. 840

Evening show at Baghor ki haveli: Rs. 180 (Rs. 90 each)

Dinner at Cool Cafe Restaurant: Rs. 360

Day 3:

Next morning we checked out from Poonam Haveli after breakfast, and started our day with a visit to Jagdish temple nearby. From there we proceeded to Nathdwara, about an hour’s drive from Udaipur. Nathdwara houses the famous Shrinathji temple (a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna). This temple has specific timings for darshan (details available on https://www.nathdwaratemple.org/DarshanTiming). We were late in reaching there by just a few minutes and had to wait almost 2 hours before the temple doors reopened. Frankly, we were in two minds about waiting so long, since it could mean jeopardising our itinerary for rest of the day. Nevertheless, we decided to wait for the darshan. After offering our prayers, we left for Maharana Pratap Museum at Haldi Ghat, which was about 40 minutes away.

Haldi Ghat gets its name from its yellow-tinged soil. In addition to the famous battle of Haldi Ghat, the area is also known for its rose plantations. Shortly before reaching the museum, we came across several shops selling various products, such as gulkand, rose water, syrups of rose, khus khus, variali, etc. They also explained the process of making these products from rose petals. We purchased a few items and proceeded towards the museum.

Maharana Pratap Museum is designed and operated in a unique way. The visit is arranged in a structured format, starting with an introductory video, followed by an animated 3D show, highlighting the important aspects of Maharana Pratap’s life. The entire museum tour takes about 45 minutes. They also have a souvenir shop in their premises, which sells interesting and reasonably priced artefacts. Yet another must-visit place.

We still had two more places to cover that day, so we skipped lunch and just grabbed a quick bite from the stalls outside the museum. Next we went to Ranakpur, which has a famous Jain temple. It took us about 2 hours to reach the Jain temple, but thankfully we reached within the visitor hours. The temple is well known as an architectural marvel. Built in the 15th century, it has over 1,444 marble pillars. The pillars are carved and no two pillars have the same carving. Also, all the statues in the temple face one or the other statue. While the temple is admirable, the staff is not very friendly and we left with a bitter taste.

Next on our list was Kumbhalgarh, about an hour’s drive from Ranakpur. Kumbhalgarh is a World Heritage Site. Built in the 15th century, it is Maharana Pratap’s birthplace. The wall surrounding the fort is over 36 km long (pic below), and is said to be the second largest continuous wall in the world after the Great Wall of China. The biggest attraction of the fort is the sound and light show conducted every evening, where Maharana Pratap’s story is narrated from the fort’s perspective, and after the show, the fort is lit up brightly for a few minutes. We made it just in time for the sound and light show! 🙂

We then proceeded to Hotel Rajgarh, our accommodation for the night, recounting the happenings of our long day.

Cost for day 3 (excluding offerings in temples and purchase of rose products):

Poonam Haveli checkout and dinner for day 1: Rs. 717

Haldi Ghat museum entry: Rs. 160 (Rs. 80 each)

Kumbhalgarh sound and light show ticket: Rs 200 (Rs. 100 each)

Day 4:

We checked out from Hotel Rajgarh after breakfast and headed towards Jodhpur, our next destination. On the way, we halted near Om Banna temple. This temple has an interesting history. It is dedicated to a man called Om Banna, who lost his life in a bike accident at this very spot, about 25 years ago. After his death, his bike kept coming back to this spot on its own, be it from his house or from the police station. Thereafter, a temple was built at this place and the bike is kept there even today and is worshipped by the locals, and Om Banna is fondly called ‘Bullet Baba’.

Upon reaching Jodhpur, our first halt was Umaid Bhavan Palace. It mainly serves as the residence of the erstwhile royal family of Jodhpur, with part of the palace functioning as a museum and another operating as a hotel. The hotel wing is run by the Taj Group of Hotels. After Umaid Bhavan, we halted for lunch at a restaurant called Spice Route and then proceeded to Mehrangarh Fort.

By far, I liked Mehrangarh Fort the best amongst all that we visited. It is huge, beautiful and provides a panaromic view of Jodhpur (pics below). Unlike other forts, it is not just a museum. Given its height, there is an elevator in the fort for tourists (and visitors need to buy tickets for using the elevator!). We decided to explore it on foot, and found it quite pleasant. There are also few artists scattered around the fort playing folk music. Even after roaming the fort for a couple of hours, we were not sure if we had covered it all 😛

After Mehrangarh, we headed to our hotel, Kothi Heritage. It is a palace converted into a hotel, with interiors decorated in royal style. However, the room allocated to us was a bit cramped. After checking in, we stepped out again to explore the city by ourselves. We made our enquiries at the reception regarding the places nearby and took an auto rickshaw to Nayi Sarak (new street) or Clock tower market, the main market of the city. Our craving for mouth-watering Rajasthani snacks took us to Janta Sweets, a famous sweets and farsan shop in Jodhpur. At Janta Sweets, we had pyaaz kachori (kachori with onion filling), mirchi wada (deep fried balls made using big chillies and potato stuffing), and delicious mawa kachori (kachori with sweet filling). This shop is definitely a must-visit in Jodhpur.

Thereafter, we roamed the street, scouting for souvenirs and knick-knacks. We ended up shopping at National Handloom Corporation, which offered a huge variety at reasonable prices. We then called it a day and took a rickshaw back to our hotel.

Cost for day 4 (excluding souvenir purchases and snacks):

Hotel Rajgarh checkout and breakfast payment: Rs. 2,300

Umaid Bhavan entry fee: Rs. 60 (Rs. 30 each)

Lunch (Spice Route Restaurant): Rs. 370

Mehrangarh fort entry fee: Rs. 200 (Rs. 100 each)

Day 5:

After breakfast, we checked out of our hotel and started our journey towards Jaisalmer, the place we were looking forward to ever since we planned the trip. It is rightly said that Jaisalmer is the real Rajasthan. However, it is at the Westernmost corner of the state, and hence some people tend to skip it. It takes about 5 hours to drive from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, but thanks to our over-cautious driver, we covered the distance in 7.5 hours. We halted for lunch at Pokhran.

In Jaisalmer city, the tourist spots are Gadisar Lake (where one can also go boating), Jaisalmer Fort, and Bada Bagh. However, the real beauty is about an hour’s drive from the city, where the majestic Sam Sand Dunes lie and the desert festival is held. We spent few minutes at Gadisar Lake, almost skipped Jaisalmer Fort, and thought of visiting Bada Bagh. However, there seemed to be some self-proclaimed sentries at Bada Bagh, who refused to let our vehicle proceed unless we paid them few hundreds (negotiable, of course). Bada Bagh is famous for huge cenotaphs but it didn’t look very impressive from afar, so we headed for the desert instead.

The sand dunes house several resorts, and most have accommodation in the form of tents. We had our tent booked in Joggan Jaisalmer Camp and reached there in the evening. We were given a royal welcome, with garlands and music, and were asked to get ready for our camel ride (which to our surprise, was already a part of the package!). We were taken to the sunset point in the sand dunes on the camel. The sunset, as always, was a beautiful sight, and riding the camel made us forget the weariness of our long journey.

We returned to our camp and rested for some time. Later in the evening, there was a folk show performed by the locals. And the performance was absolutely fantastic, with brilliant music and mesmerising dances. I’m always amazed at the amount of hidden talent our country has! Luckily, there were just a handful of guests at the camp that evening. Towards the end of the folk show, the graceful dancer pulled us into the arena and made us dance as well 🙂

Jaisalmer also happened to be the end of our road trip in Rajasthan. We had booked train tickets from Jaisalmer for the same night. Therefore, after dinner, we checked out from the camp and headed towards the railway station. That is when we were once again touched by the hospitality of this beautiful state. The manager of Joggan Jaisalmer Camp enquired about our onward journey and after thinking for a minute, offered to pack sandwiches for us since our train would not have breakfast options! 🙂 We thanked him for the wonderful service and hurried for our train.

Cost for day 5 (excluding tips):

Lunch at Pokhran: Rs. 240

Dinner at Joggan Jaisalmer Camp: Rs. 730

Day 6:

We had taken an overnight train from Jaisalmer to Jaipur, which reached Jaipur at around 1 pm. So effectively half our day was spent in the train itself, chitchatting with co-passengers (most of whom were army men), reminiscing our trip so far, and impatiently waiting to explore yet another city before returning home.

As our train neared Jaipur station, we called our hotel – Hotel Gandharva – to ask for directions. The manager gave us the number of a cab driver and informed us that there is a complimentary service from the station to the hotel (another surprise!). We coordinated with the cab driver and reached our hotel in no time. We had originally planned to visit Chokhi Dhani (a theme restaurant in Jaipur) that evening but decided to skip it due to exhaustion. Instead, we had a leisurely lunch at the hotel and settled for a siesta.

In the evening, we gathered information from the hotel staff and set out to explore the famous Jaipur markets. We took an auto rickshaw to Johari market (market of jewellers), and on the way, saw all pink buildings around us, which gives Jaipur the moniker ‘Pink City’. Walking down Johari market, we reached Bapu Bazaar, another famous market in Jaipur. It is rightly said that you can find almost anything in Bapu Bazaar. The market is littered with shops as well as street stalls selling everything, from clothes to jewellery to footwear to accessories. The huge variety offered in these markets is enough to have anyone confused! 🙂

Since it was getting a bit late in the evening (most shops close by 8.30 pm), we purchased some clothes for our folks back home, halted for some refreshments at LMB (a famous restaurant and sweet shop in the area), and returned to our hotel. We skipped dinner and retired for the night.

Cost for day 6 only consisted of auto rickshaw fare and clothes purchases.

Day 7:

This day was reserved for local sightseeing, and we had prepared a list of places to visit – Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, City Palace, Jal Mahal, and Amer Fort. We had enquired at the hotel for a cab for our day tour and they quoted Rs. 1,000-1,200. But backpackers don’t spend so much! We realised that most of these places are on Jaipur-Agra road and easily accessible by auto rickshaw. Moreover, City Palace is at walking distance from Hawa Mahal (if you know the short-cut), and Jantar Mantar is right next to City Palace! So we promptly took a rick to Hawa Mahal and started our tour.

Hawa Mahal is so named because of its numerous windows and a structure which allows maximum air circulation. We spent some time there, and proceeded to City Palace. Amongst all the cities in Rajasthan, we found Jaipur to be the most commercialised. City Palace itself has various types of entry tickets, depending on the time you want to visit it, and whether you are an Indian national or not. In addition, the area around these structures is swamped with tour guides and knick-knack vendors.

We next took a rick to Jal Mahal, and were sort of disappointed at what we saw. It is a small palace-like structure in the middle of a lake and that’s about it. After having seen the huge forts and palaces in Udaipur and Jodhpur, we didn’t find the forts in Jaipur to be very impressive. Giving Amer Fort a miss, our day tour got over in just half a day, and we returned to our hotel for another siesta. In the evening, we again went to Bapu Bazaar and shopped some more, since the city seemed best for shopping only.

Cost for day 7 (excluding auto rickshaw fare and shopping):

Haha Mahal entry: Rs. 100 (Rs. 50 each)

Day 8:

This was the last day of our Rajasthan sightseeing. We took a train from Jaipur to Ajmer, wanting to cover the famous Ajmer mosque and Pushkar. However, on seeing the crowd in the train, we realised Ajmer mosque would be equally crowded. Therefore, we directly booked a cab from Ajmer station to Pushkar. Pushkar is famous for Pushkar festival (held in November every year), and Bramha temple, which is the only temple in the world dedicated to Lord Bramha. The temple was beautiful and serene, and thankfully not overcrowded. After offering our prayers, we walked down to Pushkar Lake nearby and spent some time there. We had our lunch at a small restaurant near the temple. The food was simple but delicious. Thereafter, we took a cab back to Ajmer station and returned to Jaipur, as our Rajasthan tour came to an end.

Cost for day 8 (excluding offerings at the temple):

Train ticket to and from Ajmer: Rs. 240 (Rs. 120 each)

Cab from Ajmer station to Pushkar temple: Rs. 313

Cab from Pushkar to Ajmer station: Rs. 200

Day 9-11:

On day 9, we checked out from Hotel Gandharva and went to Heiwa Heaven resort, about 25 km from the main city. This is where we were to attend our friend’s wedding, which was our primary reason for coming to Rajasthan!

We spent the next two days enjoying what is popularly (and rightly) known as the big fat Indian wedding. It seemed to be straight out of a Bollywood movie, with lavish sets, people decked up in all their finery, multitude of cuisines, live music, tireless dancing, etc.

On day 11, we checked out, took a cab to Jaipur airport, and returned home, having tasted almost all the experiences that Rajasthan could offer.

Acknowledgement:

We give credit where it is due. And for such a memorable trip, we are extremely grateful to our friend Manish Golchha, and his travel company, Blissful Holidays.

Total cost:

Including the above mentioned expenses, airfare, train tickets, shopping, tips, etc., our total trip cost was Rs. 70,259 (approx. Rs. 35,000 per person).

Tips and tricks:

• Itinerary: Rajasthan has many faces – historical, religious, and gastronomical – and it would help if you can decide which facet you would like to focus on, before embarking on your journey. This is important because after a while, historical places seem repetitive, and religious places can be maddening in their own way thanks to overzealous crowds of devotees and in some cases, touts.
• Timing: The historical places have specific timings, usually closing by 6 pm. Similarly, religious places have their own darshan hours, and long queues as well. So it would be helpful to check the timings of the places you wish to visit and account for some buffer in your itinerary.
• Packing: Do check weather reports online for the time frame that you wish to visit Rajasthan and pack accordingly. We ended up lugging around a lot of warm clothes and never felt the need to use them.
• Cost: Rajasthan can be as expensive as you will allow it to be. Almost everywhere we went, we found good deals simply because we hunted for them. Even for transportation, you can find cheaper alternatives than package deals, only if you ask.

{Disclaimer: We had undertaken this trip a while ago (pre Covid era), so the costs, rules, timings might have changed a bit.}

Himachal: Beautiful, majestic and child-friendly!

We have now reached the stage where all our trips are planned keeping our little wanderer’s school vacations in mind! Our itinerary too, was designed considering her interests.

Day 0: We set off on a hot (c.40°) afternoon from Mumbai and landed in Chandigarh. From Chandigarh airport, we took a cab to a hotel (Lotus Grand AKM) in Kalka. After checking in, we went to visit a Kali Mata temple, after which this place is named. It is a big and lovely temple, having idols of many deities. Having offered our prayers, we went to try a much-recommended kulfi (ice-cream)! There are two shops in Kalka with the same name – Ishar sweets – and they have the best kulfi ever 😋

Day 1: The next morning we woke up very early with a lot of excitement! We had booked tickets for the toy train that runs between Kalka and Shimla. The station was at a walking distance from the hotel and soon we were seated in the cutest train!!

(Pro tip: Bookings for the toy trains open a month in advance, so make sure to book as early as possible, as these trains have limited seats.)
It takes about 5 hours to reach Shimla and the train goes at a leisurely pace, allowing the passengers to enjoy the beauty along the route. As the train moves alongside the mountain and through the tunnels, one can view colourful trees and flowers. The stations along the route are colourful and charming.
The train we took has only one halt between Kalka and Shimla and that is at Barog. You get yummy cutlets and coffee at Barog station, but the halt is only for 10 minutes, and you’ll be confused whether to click pictures or eat 😁

Barog tunnel

Apart from this scheduled halt, our train stopped for signal at Khandaghat and Solan, giving us an opportunity to take pictures.
We reached Shimla station around 12.30 and proceeded to our hotel – Hotel Treebo Varuna. It was about a 15-20 minute walk but almost entirely uphill. We had a lazy lunch at a restaurant near our hotel and then set off for Mall Road – the most popular spot in Shimla city. Vehicles are not allowed on the way to Mall Road and Mall Road itself and it is a boon. We could walk carefree with our little wanderer running ahead of us!

Day 2: We reserved this day for local sightseeing and set off after a leisurely breakfast. Mall Road is surrounded by some more tourist spots such as Scandal Point, The Ridge, Christ Church, Rani Jhansi Park, Kali Bari temple, etc. All these places have to be covered by foot.  One can view mountains from these places and they provide excellent backdrop for pictures. Rani Jhansi Park has a nice playground. For shopping, one can visit Lower Bazaar and for food, there are many restaurants around to cater to all tastes.

View of Mall Road and the mountains beyond, from the Ridge

(Pro tip: Beware of monkeys!! Do not have any eatables in hand while roaming around.)

Day 3: We checked out from our hotel in Shimla and set off towards our next destination – Mashobra. But before that, we visited Jakhu temple. It is a beautiful temple and has a whopping 108 feet idol of Lord Hanuman, which is visible from most of Shimla city. The temple is situated on top of a mountain. You can take your vehicle up to a certain point after which there is a ~200 metre walk and several steps to reach the temple.

Hanuman temple at Jakhu as seen from Shimla city

En route to Mashobra, we halted at a place called Talai for lunch. Our only choices were a homestay and a small eatery – we chose the homestay and didn’t regret it! It is called Sharma Homestay and is run by a couple of elderly people who served us lip-smacking Maggi and samosa chat with imli (tamarind) chutney 😋
Right next to the homestay is a small pond and a meadow, which was a nice place to spend some quality time. Thereafter, we visited the Kali temple nearby and carried on with our journey.

Talai meadow and the pond, with Sharma Homestay and the temple visible in the distance

Our next halt was Carignano Nature Park. It is a lovely little place, with lots of trees, flowers, play area for kids, a tree house, etc.

Couple of glimpses of Carignano Nature Park

We then proceeded to our hotel – Divine Hills Homestay, which was to be our abode for the next 2 nights. When we reached there, we were pleasantly surprised with their personalised welcome for us 😍. Our room was large and spacious, with a couch and dining area outside, along with a balcony. The view from our room and balcony was simply stunning!!  We loved watching the sunset from there, surrounded by the mountains and the pine trees.

Stunning view from our room at Divine Hills

View from the balcony

The owners were friendly and courteous and the staff was very helpful. During our stay, we had breakfast and dinner at the hotel and the food was really good.

Day 4: After a lazy breakfast, we proceeded towards Naldehra, a small picturesque hill station. The tourist points in Naldehra are at a high altitude and can only be visited via horses. We rode through narrow pathways on the mountainside, which was an amazing experience. Our first halt was a scenic spot where numerous Bollywood movies have been shot. We then rode to a Nag (snake) temple, adjacent to which is the oldest golf course in the country. On our ride back, in the distance, we could view Shaily peak, a popular hiking spot.

Nag Temple

Oldest golf course in India

After the exciting horse ride through the mountainside, we visited Horticultural Research centre. It is a home to numerous types of trees, shrubs, plants and flowers. The staff is very knowledgeable. One can buy saplings from the nursery.
On our way back to the hotel, we halted for lunch at a small homestay. Since it was a bit late in the afternoon, we were the only customers and they prepared our meal afresh!
The rest of our evening was spent at the hotel. The staff at Divine Hills had offered to prepare a bonfire for us, but the rain gods did not favour it.
(Pro tip: Horse riding costs ₹500 per person and the ride is for c.45 mins, depending on how long you spend at a particular spot to click pictures/ enjoy scenery)

Day 5: With a feeling that our trip could not get any better, we checked out of the hotel, and how wrong we were!! The next place on our itinerary was Kufri, where the temperature is usually lower than the surrounding areas. On top of that, there had been a hailstorm that morning, making it even chillier 🥶
On our way, we paused at a place called Green Valley and the name is self-explanatory! It is a nice place to click memorable pictures with mountains and luscious greenery in the background. We then halted for some piping hot chhole kulcha and tea, which felt like a godsend!! A little way ahead, we got to see some Yaks. One can click pictures sitting on a yak for a nominal amount.

We passed by Kufri Adventure Park and Kufri Fun World, both of which offer adventure activities.
Our next destination was Himalayan Nature Park, which is a must-visit zoo. It is green, spacious and houses a variety of birds and animals, such as Brown Bear, Leopards, Goral, Sambar, Griffin, Macaws, etc.

Entrance to the Zoo

Indira Tourist Park is at a walking distance from the zoo. No entrance fees. It has a couple of restaurants, a garden and a small play area for kids. After a yummy lunch at HPTDC restaurant, and some shopping from the shops outside the Park, we headed to our abode for the night.
We had booked our stay at a place called Cheog Valley Homestay. It is located in a hamlet called Cheog in the Theog district of Himachal Pradesh.
The homestay is run by a family of 4, who are perhaps the sweetest people we have ever met!! The lady of the house is a delight to talk to and makes delicious food, reminding us of our moms. The family invites their guests to dine with them, giving the tourists a glimpse of the Himachal lifestyle. And needless to say, our cute little wanderer became an instant favourite with them 😀
The day we checked in, aunty had prepared Siddu for us and it was mouthwatering!!! Siddu is a bread, stuffed with sweet or savoury filling and is a traditional pahadi dish, eaten with ghee.
Although this was a homestay, our room was no less than a decent hotel’s – clean, spacious, and with an absolutely breathtaking view from the window!!

Our room in Cheog

Mesmerizing view from our window

During nighttime, temperature had fallen to single digits, and our hosts kindly provided us portable heater for the night 😇

Day 6: The next morning we were served Lotte, a pancake-like pahadi dish, to be eaten with ghee. After the yummy breakfast and the heartwarming hospitality, we thanked aunty profusely and checked out. Had we known we would have such a good time here, we would have booked our stay for much longer. In terms of sightseeing, there are a couple of temples nearby and a beautiful hiking trail.

From Cheog, we proceeded towards Chail Palace (of 3 idiots fame). The palace is open to tourists for visiting and also offers rooms to stay. Although we were not staying there, we did check out the Maharaja suite and it spelt royalty! We had lunch in the garden restaurant, spent some time roaming the grounds, then set off for Kali ka Tibba.

Chail Palace

Kali ka Tibba is the highest temple in Himachal Pradesh, situated on the peak of a mountain and offers a magnificent 360° view. After a lovely afternoon, clicking loads of pictures in the temple premises, we left for our next abode.

Kali ka Tibba and the surrounding view

One of the thoughts while planning this trip was to let our little one experience different types of accommodation. Hence, after two hotels and two varied homestays, our next check-in was a camp in the middle of a forest!!
The Jungle Stays Camp in Kandaghat-Chail road consisted of Swiss cottages, which have some basic amenities. Meals can either be ordered to the tent or can be had at the common area. There are some hiking trails and adventure activities around the campsite. One can also spot several birds here early morning.

Jungle Stays Camp

Day 7: After a comfortable night’s sleep and a good breakfast, we checked out from the camp and started off on the last leg of our trip.

On the way, we took a halt at Sadhupul, a dainty little village between Chail and Solan. The main tourist attraction here is a small but picturesque bridge over a river stream, which has become a popular picnic spot.

View from Sadhupul

As we drove towards Kasauli, we could feel the stark difference between clean air and tranquility of the mountains to the hotchpotch of the city. In Kasauli, we left our car in the paid parking lot, and explored Mall Road by foot. Mall Road here was thronged by weekenders. While the shops sold decent stuff – clothes, toys, souvenirs, etc. – they did not entertain bargaining much. We had lunch at a small outlet, shopped some more and then proceeded to the final hotel of our trip.
In Kasauli too, we had booked a homestay (Mahal Farms), which was built along a mountainside and provided gorgeous views. Their service was more professional than personal though – the staff was quite particular about adherence to meal timings. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful property and provided us ample backdrops for our pics! 😁

Mahal Farms and the view below

Day 8: We checked out post breakfast and headed for Chandigarh airport. With fond memories of the mountains and the lovely people, we returned home, back to the grind.

Karnataka: Discovering hidden gems

This trip was different from any of our previous trips in several aspects. Firstly, it was planned at a short notice for a short duration. Secondly, it was our babymoon (yay!) and therefore, unlike our previous trips, we did not focus on it being a backpacking one. And lastly, despite everything, we had to ensure it is unique and worthwhile, because, well, that’s how all our trips are!

Karnataka has numerous beaches. We decided to bunch a few of them in our itinerary. This was done easily with the help of Google Maps and knowing the distance between all the places we wanted to cover. Next part was choosing the accommodation. And this is where my co-wanderer’s brilliant researching skills came into play. He found the most beautiful, peaceful and exotic location we could hope for in this part of the country. So we quickly finalized the dates, booked our tickets and accommodation, and set off on yet another memorable trip on a pleasant December evening.

Day 0: Mumbai – Udupi

We took a late night train from Mumbai to Udupi, which was unfortunately delayed from the origin itself. Add to that, the seats that we got were not the best. Nevertheless, the excitement of the trip kept us in high spirits.

Day 1: Udupi – Paradise Lagoon

Our train reached Udupi 2 hours later than scheduled. After that, we had to travel another ~15 km to reach our resort. Haggling with cab drivers outside Udupi station did not help much, and we finally took a prepaid auto rickshaw (Cab drivers were demanding not less than Rs. 600, and the prepaid auto rickshaw cost us Rs. 280). It took us about 20-25 minutes to reach our destination, and we finally reached Paradise Lagoon, our abode for the next 2 nights, 3 days. This resort is located on the edge of Thonse village, right next to the backwaters of Karnataka.

Backwaters surrounding the resort

It is a charming little resort, with just about 20 rooms currently operational (they were constructing 5 additional rooms while we were there). They have different types of rooms, ranging from standard to deluxe to cottages, and even a couple of houseboats). Needless to say, we had booked the best room possible – the waterfront cottage! We checked in to our room, and were greeted with the most amazing view from our balcony!! Our balcony overlooked the infinity pool, which further stretched into the backwaters. 🙂

Majestic view from our balcony

We quickly placed our order for lunch and freshened up. When we went downstairs for having lunch, we had 2 options for seating – normal restaurant and floating restaurant (yes, that’s right!). We proceeded to the floating restaurant and had a wonderful experience of eating there. The restaurant overlooked the backwaters, which provided much-needed serenity. After lunch, we headed back to our room for a well-deserved siesta, after the long journey.

Floating Restaurant

In the evening, we strolled around the resort, exploring the lovely place. Apart from the infinity pool (their main attraction), Paradise Lagoon also has a fishing deck, paddle boat, swings, kids’ play area, a library, and indoor games such as table tennis, snooker, carrom, etc. Furthermore, there are benches placed strategically around the resort, providing beautiful views of the backwaters. After playing some games, we returned to our room and enjoyed the view from our balcony, while sipping tea.

Houseboat Accomodation

At night, we had dinner in the normal restaurant, which wasn’t half bad. Being explorers, we spent some time chatting with the staff, getting to know the place a bit better. Dinner was followed by another stroll, before we retired to our room for the night.

Day 2: Hoode beach, Delta point

Paradise Lagoon has few attractions nearby, such as Hoode beach, Delta point, Malpe beach, and St. Mary’s island. Of these, Hoode beach is about 1 km away and can be accessed on foot. We decided to go for a morning walk to Hoode beach. Although we did not wake up as early as planned, we went for our walk. The walk took us through Thonse village, where we saw the village folks rushing about for their daily chores. We spent few minutes on the beach and headed back to the resort, planning to come back later. The walk to the beach made us hungry, and we quickly proceeded towards the restaurant for breakfast.

Hoode Beach

Post breakfast, my fellow wanderer tried his hand at fishing, while I just sat on one of the benches and admired the view. The weather seemed a bit hot for paddle boating, so we played some more indoor games, and I read some books from the library. Thereafter, we went back to our room and lazed around until lunchtime. After lunch, we lazed around some more! 😛

In the evening, we requested the staff to arrange an auto rickshaw for us to visit Delta point. There was a cyclone warning in the area, hence we had to drop Malpe beach and St. Mary’s island from our itinerary. Delta point is about 15 minutes away from Paradise Lagoon, and on our way, we halted at another stretch of Hoode beach. This part of Hoode beach was much cleaner and a lot more beautiful than the one we visited in the morning. After spending some time on the beach, we continued towards Delta point.

Sunset at Hoode Beach

Delta point is where the sea water meets the backwaters. It is a popular evening spot amongst the locals. And yet, it is not commercialised. It is a clean virgin beach, where families come to play in the sand or walk along the seashore. We also spotted some fishermen trying to catch the last fish for the day before sunset. Overall, it was a lovely experience, before we returned to the resort.

Delta Point – backwaters meeting hoode beach

Our day’s activities were not over yet. We still had to experience the resort’s best attraction – the infinity pool! We quickly changed into our swimwear and plunged into the pool. The water was just the right temperature, and we spent over an hour, feeling rejuvenated in the lovely pool beneath the stars. This was followed by a simple dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Day 3: Paradise Lagoon – Udupi

Bird photography is another of my fellow wanderer’s hobby. And through his intensive research, he knew that Paradise Lagoon and the backwaters housed some beautiful birds. So, the next morning we woke up early, and armed with our camera, started roaming around the length and the breadth of the resort. By breakfast time, he managed to capture some amazing clicks, including a kingfisher! 🙂 . After breakfast, we spent some time sunbathing near the pool.

Common Kingfisher

Around noon, it was time to check out, and bid goodbye to this wonderful secluded place, which the staff fondly called ‘God’s new country’.

We had booked return tickets to Mumbai for the next day, as we wanted to spend some time in Udupi too. We sought accomodation in a simple but clean hotel in Udupi, had our lunch, and settled down for another siesta.

Udupi is where we could savour the real taste of Karnataka cuisine. We had goli bhaji and coffee (pronounced kaapi in Southern India) for evening snacks. Then we walked down to the main Udupi market, and bought some local delicacies for our folks back home. We had dinner at a restaurant nearby, and then returned to our hotel.

Day 4: Udupi – Mumbai

In the morning, we had buns (another Kannada delicacy) and kaapi for breakfast and headed for Sri Krishna Math (the famous Lord Krishna temple in Udupi). We offered our prayers and spent an hour or so visiting the numerous smaller temples situated within the premises of the Math. Then we headed for the langar (food served to the devotees), and had our lunch there.

Post lunch, we returned to our hotel, packed our bags, and checked out in time for our afternoon train. Thankfully, the return journey was a lot more comfortable, and we were back home the next morning, feeling relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated.

Tips and Tricks:

• Getting there: It is advisable to have Google Maps turned on when going towards Paradise Lagoon. However, even Google Maps does not know the accurate location. Therefore, once you reach Thonse village, follow the sign boards for Paradise Lagoon. In case you need to ask a localite for directions, you can either ask for Paradise Lagoon or Thonse Medical Centre (a popular landmark, right next to Paradise Lagoon).
• Food: Being situated next a village, there aren’t any good restaurants near the resort. Hence, you will have to rely on the resort itself for all your meals. We recommend carrying some dry snacks along for the odd hunger pangs between meals. Also, the resort’s restaurant, while serving vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian dishes, mainly offers North Indian and Chinese cuisine, with very few South Indian delicacies available. Thus, if you are looking to try the authentic taste of Karnataka, this resort is not the best place for it.
• Sanctity of the place: For us, the best feature of Paradise Lagoon was the peace and quiet it offered. Even the manager mentioned to us that they are quite particular about the guests they accommodate. They would not let out rooms for party purposes, or anything that would disturb the tranquility of the place. This resort is perfect for a honeymoon, babymoon, or a serene family outing, and we would urge our readers to respect this fact and help maintain the peace if visiting Paradise Lagoon.

Pondicherry: Eat, sleep, enjoy!

The key ingredients of a fantastic vacation are usually, a beautiful place to explore, pleasant weather to enjoy the place, comfortable accommodation, and delicious food. Well, Pondicherry offers all this and more! It is a small idyllic town, providing an easy lifestyle and a glimpse into two completely different cultures.

While looking for places to welcome the New Year, my fellow wanderer hit upon the idea of visiting Pondicherry. We were a bit skeptical about the flight and hotel rates, New Year’s Eve being part of the peak season, but enquired all the same, and realized it was well within our budget. We lost no time in preparing our itinerary and booking our flights and accommodation.

For us, the fastest way to reach Pondicherry was to fly to Chennai airport and then travel by road to our destination, as Pondicherry is a three and a half hours drive from Chennai.

Day 1:

We took a morning flight and landed in Chennai in the afternoon. From the airport, we proceeded towards Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), the largest bus terminal in Asia, which is approximately 40 mins from the airport. It has AC, non-AC, state run as well as private run buses plying to Pondicherry several times a day, with varying levels of comfort. The frequency of Volvo buses is less especially during afternoon, and when we reached CMBT, there was an ST bus about to leave for Pondicherry. Not wanting to waste any time, we boarded the same. It took the scenic East Coast Road (ECR) and reached Pondicherry in three and a half hours. There are two routes to Pondicherry – ECR and via ByPass. Comparatively, ECR is more scenic and also the shorter route.

After alighting at Pondicherry bus stand, we took an auto rickshaw to La Maison Radha (http://www.lamaisonradha.com), our abode for the next 3 days. La Maison Radha is a home-stay, wherein the owner, Mr. Ravi, has converted a major portion of his house into a hotel, while he resides in the remaining portion along with his family. Although modest in amenities, La Maison Radha absolutely shines in hospitality. Mr. Ravi gave us a map of Pondicherry created by him, which highlights all places worth visiting in Pondicherry, and also provides additional information about the city and its attractions. When we explained how we wished to celebrate New Year’s Eve, Mr. Ravi guided us in detail.

We then checked into our room, and got ready to ring in the New Year in the beautiful town. We took an auto rickshaw to Rock Beach (also known as Promenade Beach or City Beach).

Rock Beach

The entire promenade, along with the buildings nearby, seemed to be well-lit, with everyone in a festive mood. The big hotels and clubs had all arranged 31^st December special parties. However, we were keen on enjoying the local festivities, and started exploring the area around the beach. Opposite to Gandhi statue (a popular landmark in Pondicherry), there were cultural performances organized by the government. A few blocks ahead, outside Chief Secretariat building, people were dancing to a DJ playing popular numbers. We too shook a leg to some Bollywood numbers, and then proceeded for dinner.

After dinner, overcome by weariness, we headed back to La Maison Radha. The hotel has a lovely terrace, where we perched ourselves and witnessed the fireworks at midnight welcoming 2017!

Day 2:

The next day is when we started exploring real Pondicherry. Our day started with breakfast at Indian Delights (recommended by Mr. Ravi), which serves amazing South Indian breakfast items. We had to wait for about 10-15 minutes before getting a table, which we had to share with another family. Nevertheless, the place was clean and hygienic, and the food – medu wada, pongal, and filter coffee – was definitely worth the wait.

The first place on our sightseeing list was Manakula Vinayagar Temple, however, when we neared the temple, we saw a huge serpentine queue of devotees waiting to enter the temple, as it was the first day of the new year. Every morning, until noon, the temple is visited by an elephant ‘Lakshmi’, who blesses the devotees with its trunk, when offered coins or bananas. Although we decided to visit the temple later, given the long queue, we got to meet ‘Lakshmi’ and sought blessings. The temple is usually open from 5 am to 12 noon and then from 5:30 pm to 9 pm.

Another popular spot in Pondicherry is Aurobindo Ashram, the popular spiritual community of Pondicherry. However, the Ashram is closed between 12 noon and 2 pm, so that was also postponed to later.

Our next stop was ‘Auroshikha’, a shop that sells incense sticks, soaps, fragrant oils, etc. Auroshikha was again recommended by Mr. Ravi, who informed us that this shops sells products similar to Kalki, but at almost 1/8^th of the price.

By the time we left Auroshikha, we were famished, and headed towards Biryani Veedu (a.k.a. Hotel Kamaatchi). This restaurant is very popular in the town and rightly so. It serves mouth-watering non-vegetarian South Indian meals, and its vegetarian dishes are not half bad. An absolute must-have here is the kuzhi omelet.

Delicious Food- Ghee Roast Dosa, Pongal, Mr.Veg Pizza and Brazilian Choclate Treat

After the sumptuous meal, we set off towards exploring the shopping options in Pondicherry. The famous handbags brand ‘Hi-Design’ is manufactured in Pondicherry. However, contrary to articles available on-line, Hi-Design does not offer any significant discounts in its home market. There is a three-storey exclusive Hi-Design shop, with a café on top, and all it offers is a 10% discount. There is also a Hi-Design factory outlet, which offered up to 70% discount, but the products there seemed like seconds and rejects. The other shopping alternatives in Pondicherry are Titanic Factory outlet (decent stuff, decent discounts), Casablanca (a typical departmental store), and street shops (where you’ll have to dig for the good stuff and bargain for the right price).

Diagonally opposite to Casablanca, there is a nice kulfi shop called Lallu, a must visit. For dinner, we headed to Café Xtasi, another highly recommended place. It is famous for its wood fired pizzas and it did not disappoint us. We tried their Mr. Veg pizza and chicken salami pizza; both were delicious. The ambience is nice, although the service can be better.

Day 3:

After exploring the heart of the city, it was time to explore the peripheral region. While the city can be toured on foot (as we did the previous day), bike is the best option for visiting the nearby attractions. So we rented a bike from Mr. Ravi and set off to check out the remaining places on our Pondicherry itinerary. Per day rent of the bike would be around Rs. 250 to 300.

We started with a continental breakfast at Hot Breads, and it seemed to be a popular choice for breakfast amongst many. We then proceeded to Aurobindo Ashram. It is a calm and peaceful place and patrons usually spend time in meditation and reading spiritual books.

Our next halt was Auroville, a township located about 12 km north from the main city. Auroville was founded by Mirra Alfassa, the spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, and popularly known as ‘The Mother’. It is meant to be a universal town, built to uphold human unity over everything else.

A shaded 10-12 min walk to Matrimandir Viewing Point

In the middle of the town is the Matrimandir, a golden metallic sphere for meditation, which was conceived by The Mother as ‘a symbol of the Divine’s answer to man’s aspiration for perfection’. Silence is maintained inside the Matrimandir to ensure the tranquility of the space and entire area surrounding the Matrimandir is called Peace area.

Golden Globe @ Matrimandir Viewing Point

The details for visiting Matrimandir are available at http://www.auroville.org/contents/252. The entire township of Auroville is dotted with greenery, and has a tranquil feel to it. The entrance/ exit area houses a café and a souvenir shop, Kalki, which offers perfumes, incense, fragrant oils, bags, jewelry, etc.

For lunch, we halted at a small eatery called Punjabi dhaba, which served mouth-watering paneer dishes, piping hot rotis, and soothing buttermilk.

After Auroville, we headed towards Auro beach, a pristine beach with white sand and blue waters. We spent some time relaxing on the virgin beach and then headed towards Chunnambar Boat House to reach Paradise Beach.

Pristine Auro Beach

We literally rode from one end of Pondicherry to the other and reached Chunnambar Boat House just in time for the last ferry! At the boat house, we bought our tickets and boarded the last boat (4:30 pm) for Paradise Beach.

Paradise Beach as seen from the boat

While the beach is beautiful, it is quite crowded and commercialized. We spent time walking along the sea shore and then took the boat back to the boat house. On our return journey to the pier, we saw the sun setting over the ECR.

Sunset @ Paradise Beach

It was then time to return to the city. On our way, we halted at Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, one of the oldest churches in Pondicherry. And then our hunger pangs took us to Café Ole, which serves an amazing dessert called Brazilian chocolate treat. Right next door is another famous outlet called Zuca chocolates, from where we bought a delicious pastry called Masterchef cake. We then went back to Manakula Vinayagar Temple. This time, the queue was negligible and we were able to explore the huge temple and pray in peace. The temple is beautiful, with paintings and carvings all over, depicting various forms of Lord Ganesha.

After offering our prayers, we spent some time in street shopping before heading for dinner. For dinner we went to Surguru, a pure vegetarian South Indian restaurant. The restaurant was very much in demand as we were kept waiting for about 15 minutes before being given a table. One drawback about the restaurant is that they don’t serve all dishes at all times; we had to choose from dinner-specific dishes. Nevertheless, the food was delectable (especially ghee roast!), and the service was quick and efficient. (Tip: Check out their menu beforehand and decide what time you would like to visit this place). After the yummy dinner, we called it a day and proceeded towards our homestay.

Day 4:

This was our ‘check-out from Pondicherry’ day. But we still had a few eating joints to visit on our list. So we woke up early, went for a walk on Rock beach, followed by breakfast at Le Café. Le Café is a 24-hour open, sea-side café. However, it has limited variety available before 8 am.

Morning walk @ Promenade

After breakfast, we walked towards our homestay, and on our way, we clicked pictures of the colorful French quarters, and had a quick halt at Baker Street, a famous bakery in Pondicherry. It has a good collection of chocolates and other desserts, and serves continental breakfast as well. From there, we returned to La Maison Radha, packed our bags, and checked out.

French Quarter

We took a rick back to the bus station, and boarded a bus for Mahabalipuram (also called ‘Mammallapuram’). The journey was supposed to take about 1.5 hours, but took 2.5 hours, thanks to the driver’s speed. Nevertheless, we reached Mahabalipuram in the afternoon, and started exploring the place. This city has ancient ruins of beautifully carved stone temples and megalithic burial urns, and has been classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO.

Arjuna’s Penance

Some of the famous attractions in this town are Shore Temple, which is one of the oldest structures dating back to 700 AD, and Five Rathas or the Pancha Pandava Rathas, which are chariots dating from the 7th century. The Five Rathas are complemented by some enormous stone animals including a large elephant.

Stone Animals @ Five Rathas

In the central hillside area of Mahabalipuram, there are some magnificent sculptures carved straight out of rock, including Arjuna’s Penance (also known as the Descent of the Ganges), and Krishna’s Butterball, which is a giant natural rock perched on a hillside that defies all laws of physics.

Krishna’s Butterball

Other notable sites are Mahishamardini Cave, which has the central carving of Shiva, Parvati and Murugan, and Varaha Cave, which has four impressive carvings of Vishnu, Gakalakshmi, Trivikama and Durga.

Shore Temple @ Mahabalipuram

We started our sightseeing from Arjuna’s Penance, had lunch in between at a small restaurant, and ended at Shore Temple. This town also has a beach, called Shore Beach, right behind Shore Temple, but it was very crowded. After completing our sightseeing, we took a rick back to the main road, and boarded a bus for Chennai.

Shore Beach behind Shore Temple

In Chennai, we alighted at a place called ‘Guindy’, and took a cab to the airport (about 6-7 km from Guindy). Alternatively, one can also take the metro from Guindy to the airport. We then took a flight back to Mumbai, with our hearts full of beautiful sights, and our taste buds full of delicious memories.

Tips and tricks:

1. Food: Pondicherry is a foodie’s delight! Have a list of restaurants ready before you reach Pondicherry, and be open to different tastes and cuisines (people usually either like South Indian or continental, not both; but I’d suggest to try whatever the city has to offer). Also, as mentioned above, some places have time-specific menus; so keep that in mind while planning your meals.

2. Haggle: Right from autorickshaw drivers to street shop owners, you will have to negotiate with many, if you don’t want to spend more than necessary.

3. Pack light: If you are following the same itinerary as us, you will be carrying your luggage around while sightseeing in Mahabalipuram. Therefore, ensure that you pack light so that your bags don’t bog you down.

Visit to the shimmering Rann of Kutch

India is truly a land of breathtaking landscapes. Every state has some unique locations to enchant us. Rann of Kutch is one such picturesque destination. Located on the far Western side of Gujarat, it is a magnificent place of dazzling white salt encrusted desert plains. This vast landscape, which is one of the world’s largest seasonal wetlands during monsoons, turns into a salt-impregnated flat land during winter. And winter (November – March) is the best time to visit Rann of Kutch. More specifically, on a full moon night, when the white desert appears to be shimmering! The state’s government even organizes an annual festival, called Rann Utsav (or ‘Rannotsav’). This year it is being held from 01st Nov 2016 until 20th Feb 2017.

Coming to our experience of visiting this beautiful off-beat destination. And the way our journey began added to our joy and excitement!

Five of us were to take a train – Kutch Express – from Borivali (Mumbai) to Bhuj (Gujarat). The train arrived at Borivali and only two of my fellow wanderers were present at the platform, while the remaining three (including yours truly) were still on the way, scurrying from different directions with our respective luggage. We managed to board the train in the nick of time (a la Jab we Met). And incidentally, the last wanderer to board had the ticket printouts for everybody! 🙂 And thus, we were off to exploring one more unique place.

Day 1:

It was an overnight journey, following which, we reached Bhuj around 9 a.m. We had booked a vehicle in advance and it awaited us as we reached the station. Our accommodation was about an hour’s drive from Bhuj, so we decided to have breakfast somewhere nearby before proceeding. We visited a small eatery not far from the station, and had fresh, mouth-watering fafda and jalebi, with yummy papaya chutney! 🙂 This typical Gujarati breakfast provided us a glimpse of the delicacies awaiting us!

We then resumed our journey, and reached Dhordo. We had booked a couple of cottages, which turned out to be prettier than we had envisioned. Oh, and did I mention that it was the festival of Holi the day we reached?! So, obviously, we played with colors, and our driver was kind enough to play songs on the car stereo, while we danced! And then it was time for a refreshing shower, followed by sumptuous lunch (especially bajra roti, garlic chutney and white jaggery).

Our lovely huts at Dhordo

We started our sightseeing with Kala Dungar (or Kalo Dungar), the highest point in Kutch. Kala Dungar literally means Black Hills. En route to Kala Dungar, we visited India Bridge (about 70 km from Indo-Pak border). However, civilians are not allowed beyond a point, so we proceeded towards Kala Dungar. The drive to Kala Dungar winds up to a hill, from where one can get a panoramic view of the vast expanse of the Great Rann of Kutch. Kala Dungar is also famous for a 400-year-old Dattatreya temple, situated atop the hill. While returning from Kala Dungar, we experienced a strange phenomenon – our vehicle seemed to be moving downhill entirely on its own, even with the ignition switched off! This is similar to ‘magnetic hill’ in Ladakh, but much stronger. We were so intrigued that we requested our driver to let us experience it several times, before proceeding ahead.

View from Kala Dungar

After that, we started for our much-awaited visit to the Great Rann of Kutch. Vehicles are allowed only up to a certain point, after which, we started exploring the area on foot. It was a vast white salt marsh, and walking on it made us realize the magnitude of our surroundings and how insignificant we are compared to all of it (yeah, the serene environment made us introspective). As we inched towards dusk, we saw the beautiful sunset over the dazzling white desert. And right after sunset, on the other side, we saw the moon rise, and bathe the entire landscape in mesmerizing moonlight 🙂 We played some music and danced while enjoying the beautiful view, before heading back towards our huts.

The beautiful white desert

Sunset at Rann of Kutch

Day 2:

The following morning, we had an early breakfast and headed towards Dholavira, the next spot on our itinerary. Dholavira is about 5 hours’ drive from Dhordo, hence it is advisable to start early. We reached Dholavira around noon, and a guide joined us there. He showed us the ruins of Harappa civilization, and entertained us with several interesting facts about the lifestyle of the forgotten era. Thereafter, we visited the Archaeological Museum situated near the excavation site, which houses the antiquarian remains recovered from the ancient sites.

Excavation site at Dholavira

Our lunch was arranged at the local guide’s house, after which he suggested we visit the Fossil Park, which was about 15 minutes’ drive from there. The Fossil Park contains a massive fossilized tree discovered in 2007, and is believed to be about 176 million years old, roughly of the Jurassic age. Given the proximity to Indo-Pak border, there is a BSF outpost near the Fossil Park. We met few Army personnel at the Park, and chatted with them about life at the border. They were also kind enough to share their water supply with us, as the weather was very hot and dry, and we were not carrying any water bottles. We then headed back towards Dhordo, bracing ourselves for the 5 hour long return journey. We had our dinner en route, at a restaurant recommended by our driver. Upon reaching our huts, we fell fast asleep due to exhaustion.

Fossil Park

Day 3:

The last day of our trip was relatively relaxed. After breakfast, we checked out from the huts, and drove to Bhujodi. On our way, we halted at Rudramata dam, the biggest dam in Kutch.

View from Rudramata dam

Bhujodi is more for shopping than sightseeing. It has some local shops as well as a dedicated handicrafts park, called Hiralaxmi Memorial Craft Park. It is spread over 10 acres of land and provides an exhibition and display opportunity to all art forms and artisans, ranging from textiles (bandhinis, block print, batiq print, etc.) to pottery, leather items, wood carvings, etc. We spent quite some time here checking out the various locally made goods and buying souvenirs. We then ate lunch at a restaurant nearby and proceeded towards Mandvi beach, the last destination on our itinerary. In my opinion, Mandvi beach was fairly ordinary (akin to Juhu beach in Mumbai).

Mandvi beach

From Mandvi beach, we proceeded to Bhuj station, to take a train back to Mumbai. We reached Mumbai the next morning, with memories of yet another marvel of nature. 🙂

Cost:

Accommodation: Rs. 12,000 (2 nights/3 days, 5 people); Vehicle: Rs. 13,000.

The above cost excludes train fare and meal expenses.

Tips and tricks:

1. Plan your trip in such a way that you visit the white desert on a full moon night. It is totally worth it!
2. You can choose to stay at Rannotsav to get the full flavor of the festival, however, it is quite expensive. The alternative is to stay at Dhordo, like we did (and I don’t think we missed much).
3. When we traveled, there was a swine flu scare in Bhuj, so it is best to be cautious. Maintain good hygiene, use hand sanitizer frequently, and drink only bottled water.

DIY: 10-day trip to Ladakh in under Rs. 20k – A comprehensive guide

This must be the most budget-friendly trip to Ladakh ever! It all started with booking air tickets in a Spice Jet offer almost a year back. (In hindsight though, such offers were repeated every few months and by other airlines too, so we could’ve waited a bit.) Nevertheless, 10 days of our calendar were blocked for what some people call as the most beautiful place on the planet! (I’m yet to visit rest of the planet to verify this for myself :P) Anyway, here we go with one of our most memorable trips so far… planned entirely on our own!

Day 1: Mumbai – Srinagar

We took off from Mumbai at 6 am, bracing ourselves for a 5-hour flight to Srinagar (including 2 stopovers). But as the plane hovered over Srinagar, all the weariness due to lack of sleep and the long flight was forgotten. The view of the clouds and the greenery below was beautiful.

There was a strike in Srinagar the day we landed and nobody seemed to know the reason (we heard such strikes are frequent). We booked a cab and headed straight towards Dal Lake where our houseboat (booked a week back) awaited us 🙂 As we neared the lake, we realized why it is called the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir”. The view is breathtaking with several houseboats dotting the serene lake.

Dal Lake

We checked into a houseboat named Alaska, owned by Shahbaaz Group of Houseboats. The houseboat was well designed and well furnished with beautiful wooden artifacts almost everywhere. The owner himself welcomed us, and helped plan rest of our day.

Houseboat Alaska where we stayed

After a veg lunch at Delhi Da Dhaba, we set off for a visit to some of the famous Kashmir gardens. The owner of the houseboat, Mr. Farshid himself drove us around Srinagar, talking about houseboats, Srinagar, Kashmir, etc. In the meantime, our eyes were glued to the pleasant view of the Dal Lake on one side as we moved on the road parallel to it. We visited Nishat Mughal garden (entry fee: Rs. 20 each), Shalimar Bagh (entry fee: Rs. 20 each), and Pari Mahal (entry fee: Rs. 20 each). The gardens are beautiful and well maintained with various species of colorful flowers; worth a visit.

Shalimar Bagh

Late evening we took a shikara ride on Dal Lake to Meena Bazaar, the famous floating market, where one can buy Kashmiri handicrafts,  winter clothes, dry fruits, kahwa (Kashmiri green tea), etc. You would also come across floating vendors selling their wares in shikaras. It is a unique experience. Post the visit to the market, we had dinner in our houseboat; the food was simple and delicious. After dinner, we sat on the veranda of the houseboat, watching lightning playing over Dal Lake and enjoying the chilling night.

Cost for Day 1 (for 5 people):

Cab from Srinagar airport to Dal Lake: Rs. 600

Accommodation (with dinner and breakfast): Rs. 5,000 for houseboat with two bedrooms. (Contact: Mr. Masood Goroo  http://www.kashmirtoursonline.com/contact.php )

Lunch (Delhi da Dhaba, Srinagar): Rs. 800

Local sightseeing: Rs. 1,200 (drive to various gardens), Rs. 300 (garden entry fees), Rs. 500 (shikara ride to floating market)

Day 2: Srinagar – Sonamarg

We woke up to a splendid view of sun rays falling over Dal Lake, reminding us once again of the beauty of Kashmir. But our destination was Ladakh. So we had our breakfast in the houseboat, packed our bags and started our journey from Srinagar. Our intention was to cover Srinagar – Sonamarg – Zoji La – Drass – Kargil on day 2. However, on reaching Srinagar-Sonamarg check post, we were informed that there has been a landslide near Baltal (which lies between Sonamarg and Zoji La), hence, we were asked to return to Srinagar. But thanks to our driver’s ingenuity, we convinced the officers at the check post to let us proceed to Sonamarg.

Splendid view of Sonamarg

We had lunch in one of the several small restaurants at Sonamarg and spent a couple of hours roaming around, watching the green meadows with towering glaciers in the background. The landslide was not expected to clear until the next morning, hence we had to spend the night in Sonamarg. We were lucky to find accommodation nearby, in cute little Swiss cottage tents along the banks of Sindh river. Though unplanned, this became one of the highlights of our trip.

Our accommodation at Sonamarg – Paradise Camping Resort

The colorful camps known as Paradise Camping Resort, were situated at a picturesque location, nested between the Himalayan mountains with breathtaking view of the Sindh River and Thajwas Glacier.

Beautiful Swiss Cottage Tents

There were benches lined along the river side, and the night sky was clear enough for star photography. The tent staff arranged a bonfire for us and we were joined by 4 businessmen from Mumbai who were stranded like us on their way to Leh. Then it became an evening of sharing food, swapping stories, giving suggestions and basically making the most of the situation.

Cost for Day 2 (for 5 people):

Lunch: Rs. 700

Accommodation:  Rs. 4,000 (for 2 tents)( Contact:  Mr. Sameer Ahmmad  http://www.paradisecampingresorts.com/ )

Day 3: Sonamarg – Zoji La – Drass – Kargil – Mulbek – Lamayuru

Next morning, the landslide had been cleared to some extent and gradually the vehicles were allowed to proceed. We had our breakfast, arranged by the tent staff by the riverside, and set off towards Kargil. On the way, we saw about 400-500 trucks and innumerable passenger vehicles, which had been stranded due to the landslide and were slowly making their way towards their destination. After crossing Baaltal, we were on one of the most treacherous mountain pass in the world, Zoji La, the first pass of our journey. Looking at the snow-capped mountain peaks and the beautiful valley below, we soon forgot the uncertainty of the previous day. Negotiating precarious road through this pass was an adventure in itself. We moved ahead and soon noticed the sign board of BRO which welcomes travellers to Ladakh. That’s when our real journey started, with lots more to come 🙂

Kargil Check Post

After Zoji La, the road seemed to be safe. We were then approaching the second coldest inhabited place in the world, Drass valley, a green beautiful valley by the side of river Drass. Also known as “The Gateway to Ladakh” this valley starts from the base of the mountain pass Zoji La. With the river Drass on our right, we continue to move forward. After a while we saw the Tololing Range, the recapture of which by Indian Army changed the course of Kargil War in India’s favour.

Our next halt was the Kargil war memorial at Drass, built by the Indian Army. The memorial was established to pay homage to war Martyrs who laid their lives during the 1999 Kargil War between India and Pakistan. The memorial has a huge epitaph with names of all the officers and soldiers who died in war. In the backdrop, one can see Tololing Range where one of the toughest battle was fought.

Huge Epitaph with names of all the Martyrs

At the far right of Tololing, we saw Tiger Hill. An Army Officer narrated to us the history of the Kargil War and Operation Vijay, while highlighting the mountain peaks behind and their significance in the war. Hearing the story and walking through the memorial made us realize the sacrifices made by our soldiers for us, and filled us with pride for the armed forces of the country.

Swapping stories of patriotism, we headed towards Kargil, by the side of Suru River (Indus), where initially we had planned to stay the night. However, we just made a quick stop for tea and continued towards Leh, in order to make up for the lost time. Not being very hungry, we bought some bread and butter at Mulbek and had a light dinner in the car itself. Next on the way were NamkiLa and FotuLa pass which we crossed with ease at dusk.

It was past 10 pm when we reached Lamayuru. We then decided to spend the night at Lamayuru as we all wanted to visit Lamayuru monastery, which would open at 7 am the next morning. We contemplated spending the night in the monastery itself, but females are not allowed to stay the night in the monastery. We then found accommodation in Hotel Niranjana, situated right next to the monastery. The rooms were clean, however, there was a common bathroom between every 4 rooms. Nevertheless, with the remaining rooms on our floor being empty, we agreed to take it.

Cost for Day 3 (for 5 people):

Breakfast at Sonamarg: Rs. 810

Lunch at Drass: Rs. 620

Accommodation at Lamayuru: Rs. 2,100 (for 2 rooms) ( http://www.hotelcontactnumber.in/niranjana-hotel-hotel-10993.html ).

Day 4: Lamayuru – Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Nubra

Next morning, we woke up early considering we had a long day ahead. We had our breakfast in the hotel and started our day with a visit to Lamayuru monastery (entry fee: Rs. 20 each).

Early Morning view from Lamayuru Monastery

As we entered the monastery, we saw the idol of Shakyamuni Buddha in the middle of rear wall, surrounded by many small idols of Buddha. A helpful monk told us a bit about monasteries and Lord Buddha. Personally, I find monasteries very colorful and peaceful places of worship, giving a sense of beauty and calmness.

We then proceeded towards Leh and next tourist spots on our itinerary were Alchi and Likir Monastery. However, these monasteries, were off the highway, thus, for want of time we skipped the visit and continued our journey towards Sangam, located around 40 km, before Leh. The Sangam or Confluence of River Indus with its tributary Zanskar is a glorious place to stopover and we couldn’t miss it. The river Indus, originating from Tibet, flows through Leh and meet with its tributary Zanskar at this point. Water of Indus appeared to be clearer than that of Zanskar.

Then we moved on to experience the much renowned, Magnetic Hill, where it seems vehicles are pulled uphill automatically. We experienced the phenomenon ourselves and requested the driver to repeat it, just for fun! (As an aside, we had experienced the magnetic hill effect in Kutch, albeit much stronger, but more on that in my article on Rann of Kutch visit).

Next we halted at Gurdwara Sri Pathar Sahib, a beautiful Gurdwara of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Sahib, built and maintained by the Indian Army. The legend of the Gurdwara is very interesting, and is oft repeated by the caretakers present there.

After the Gurdwara, we finally reached Leh! It was a short halt of about 15 minutes as we switched vehicles (Srinagar vehicles are not allowed in Ladakh and vice versa, unofficially of course). And then we started off towards Nubra, as we were still trying to cover up for the lost time. Our new driver, Zakir bhai, kept us entertained with stories of Ladakh, and never let us feel the weariness of the long journey.

The road to Nubra goes through Khardung La (18,380 ft), famous as the highest motorable road (although debated by few). At Khardung La, we had our first close glimpse of snow, and the view from the pass is heavenly 🙂 However, being at high altitude might give some Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), hence it is advisable to keep Diamox tablets handy (or people like me, who believe in natural remedies more than allopathy, can sniff camphor when feeling breathless at high altitudes). We started descending and as we moved ahead we saw the river Shyok, one more tributary of river Indus. The river had good rapids though the water seemed muddy. We continued our journey along the bank of river Shyok.

Around 25 km before Nubra, we halted for lunch at a small restaurant. We eagerly ordered thukpa, a famous local dish. It is mainly noodle soup with lots of vegetables (or chicken for the non-vegetarians), and momos. Frankly, we didn’t like the thukpa at all; the soup was bland and the noodles seemed under cooked. On asking for more options, the restaurant owner served us Wai Wai noodles, which brought back the smiles on our faces 🙂

With our energy restored after the yummy noodles, we proceeded towards Nubra, with our next halt being the Diskit monastery (entry fee: Rs. 30 each), where we saw one of the tallest seated Buddha statues, the Maitreya Buddha. It looks magnificent!

Maitreya Buddha Statue at Diskit Monastery

Next attraction on our list was the Sand Dunes of Hunder (entry fee: Rs. 30 per vehicle), a high altitude cold desert in India. It was raining when we reached there, and we were amazed to see snowfall, rains and desert in a span of just one day! We could see many dunes of silver sands, surrounded by the barren mountains, with few cultural activities going around.

Sand Dunes of Hunder

We spent some time roaming around, walking and playing on the sand dunes, and clicking pictures with the famous bactrian camels. (You can ride the double humped camels if game for it. The camel safari is open from morning 9 am to 12 pm and evening 3 pm to 6 pm ). One can also visit the Panamik hot water springs nearby, which we somehow forgot 😛

We then checked into Himalayan Eco Resort and Camp for the night. Located in Hunder, it is a nice little resort with 20 private cottages. The rooms were clean, the beds were comfortable and hot water was available. Dinner and breakfast at the resort was simple and nice. The resort also has a small garden, exhibiting numerous flower plants, which adds to the beauty of the resort.

Cost for Day 4 (for 5 people):

Breakfast at Lamayuru: Rs. 110

Lunch: Rs. 730

Local sightseeing: Rs. 100 (Lamayuru monastery), Rs. 150 (Diskit monastery), Rs. 30 (entry to Nubra)

Accommodation: Rs. 1,900 (for two rooms) (http://www.himalayanecoresort.in/index.php)

Day 5: Nubra – Khardung La – Leh

In the morning, we spent some time admiring the resort’s beautiful little garden, before having our breakfast and heading back to Leh. On our way back we passed through a tiny green village called Khardung where the beautiful mustangs were seen grazing in large numbers, We proceeded and halted at Khardung La military cafe, where we had Maggi and military tea (black tea with strong cinnamon and cardamon flavor). The hot refreshments were much needed at that high altitude and with chilly winds blowing. We spent some time there feeling the joy of being on one of the highest altitude pass, clicking some pictures, and chatting with bikers. We then set off again and continued towards Leh.

Having reached Leh by late afternoon, we found accommodation in Horzay Hotel, situated about 10-minutes walking distance from the main market. The hotel was value-for-money, providing comfortable rooms, hot water, towels, and TV. The service was appreciable.

The rest of our day was dedicated to local sightseeing and visiting Leh market (there is not much to be seen in Leh itself, hence half a day is sufficient). We started with Leh Palace (entry fee: Rs. 5 each), a former royal palace, built by King Sengge Namgyal in the 17th century. Although ruined, the palace still provides a glimpse of the royalty, and one can get a 360° view of Leh from the higher floors.

Leh Palace

Another tourist attraction in Leh is the Shanti Stupa, a Buddhist white-domed stupa (chorten) on a hilltop. The Shanti Stupa holds the relics of Lord Buddha at its base, enshrined by the 14th Dalai Lama, and depicts the life cycle of Lord Buddha.

Shanti Stupa from Leh Palace

The stupa is famous not only due to its religious significance but also due to its location which provides panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. At Shanti Stupa, we met a local, who enlightened us about the life of Buddha and some of their religious practices.

We then proceeded to explore what Leh market could offer us in terms of shopping. You can buy good quality woolens at reasonable prices, artifacts as souvenirs, and imitation jewelry. You can also buy items with religious significance, such as prayer wheels, Buddha idols and prayer flags. It is advisable to buy things from Tibetan refugee market, which has a lot of scope for bargaining. However, the Tibetans generally start closing shop by 8-8.30 pm, while the local shops remain open until 9.30 pm.

We had dinner at a restaurant called Yum Yum, where we had our first taste of yak cheese. The sandwiches and fried momos were good, however, the fried rice were bland (perhaps to suit foreigners’ taste).

Cost for Day 5 (for 5 people):

Day 4 dinner and Day 5 breakfast: Rs. 1,645

Lunch at Khardung La cafe: Rs. 260

Local sightseeing: Rs. 25 (Leh Palace entry fee)

Dinner at Yum yum: Rs. 800

Accommodation: Rs. 2,000 (for 2 rooms) ( http://www.horzay.in/home.html )

Day 6: Leh – Pangong Tso

This was the most awaited day of our trip as we were headed to the famous Pangong Lake, which is known to reflect 7 colors at a time (depending on weather conditions). It is advisable to spend at least one night at Pangong Tso unlike many travelers who complete the Leh-Pangong excursion in one day leaving very little time to witness the beauty of the magnificent lake. Post breakfast, we started our journey towards Pangong, through Chang La (17,590 ft), also known as the third highest motorable road in the world.

The journey to Pangong starts on the Leh-Manali Highway until you reach the town of Karu. From Karu, you need to turn left from Shakti village and the real ascent of the Chang La begins a few kms later. The ascent is steep for most part with good road conditions initially but the incline increases, along with deteriorating road conditions as you approach the final patch making the affair more challenging and memorable to reach Chang La- one of the steepest and the toughest. There is no doubt why it is called The Mighty Chang La. We took a small break at Chang La clicking pictures and continued our journey for Pangong Tso. Again the roads were not so good for few kms but after Tangtse it was well laid.

The Himalayan region has so much to offer that there can never be a dull moment on the trip. As we moved ahead, we spotted a flock of Pashmina sheep grazing in a meadow. We played with the lambs, clicked pictures and chatted with the shepherds. Few kilometers away, we saw mustangs prancing about. Further down the road, we came across marmots playing in the grass. On seeing humans, they hid in their holes. When offered food, the marmots came out of their holes, grabbed the food, and scampered back, looking very adorable 🙂

Marmot on the way to Pangong

As we neared our destination, we were mesmerized at the first sight of the lake! 🙂 It is undoubtedly the most beautiful place in Ladakh! At Pangong, we  met many adventurers. E.g., a man who had been riding his bike all the way from Germany since the last 3 months; a guy from Ranchi who had quit his job and had been riding since the last 8 months, starting from Kanyakumari; and a 23-year old Israeli girl, who had been traveling since a year, having covered Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, before exploring India. Meeting them we felt motivated to travel more, at least as much as we can while holding on to our jobs.

Pangong Tso – A beauty

After a quick lunch of Maggi and Momos (which was soon becoming our staple food :P), at Lukung, we started our hunt for a good accommodation. We were advised to check for accommodation at Spangmik for better options, which was another 10 kms away. It is the last village up to which travellers are allowed.

Swiss Cottage Tents on the banks of Pangong Tso

We learnt the hard way that it is better to book Pangong accommodation beforehand (plenty options available online), in order to get the tents with the best view, and nearest to the lake. Nevertheless, we found tents suitable to our budget, at a 5-minute walking distance from the lake.

It started pouring late evening and the weather became quite cold at night, hence we could not spend much time at the lake-side. We decided to retreat to our tent and venture out in the morning, when hopefully the weather would be more pleasant.

Cost for Day 6 (for 5 people):

Breakfast at Hotel Horzay: Rs. 505

Lunch at Pangong: Rs. 670

Accommodation at Redstart camp: Rs. 3,600 (for 2 tents) ( http://www.campredstart.com/#!/page_home )

Day 7: Pangong Tso – Thikse monastery – Druk White Lotus School – Leh

Next morning we got up early and compensated for the missed out time of last evening, taking a nice leisurely walk, observing the beauty of the place, and capturing beautiful innumerable pictures! 🙂 Then it was time to pack our bags and reluctantly head back to Leh.

On our way back to Leh, we visited Thikse monastery (entry fee: Rs. 30 each), the largest monastery in central Ladakh. It is located on top of a hill in Thiksey village, at an altitude of 11,800 ft. It is a twelve-storey complex and houses Main Prayer Hall, Mahakala Temple, Maitreya Temple, Tara Temple and many items of Buddhist art such as stupas, statues, wall paintings and swords. The main attraction is the Maitreya Temple which contains a 15m tall statue of Maitreya Buddha (Buddha of Future). The Monastery itself is a beautiful structure and has been maintained very well (Opening time: 6 am, Closing time: 6 pm).

Thiksey Monastery (Entrance)

Post Thikse monastery, we halted at Druk White Lotus School (which featured in the movie 3 idiots). The school, located in the village Shey, has become a popular tourist spot after the success of the movie. Its building got damaged by the cloudburst that struck Leh in August 2010. Currently, it is undergoing renovation and expansion and being a modern school, it contains residential blocks, laboratory, playground and dining hall. One need to take permission from the visitor’s center after which an escort, deployed by the school management, will give a guided tour of the school. Bothi (local language), English, Hindi along with maths, sciences, arts and sports are some of the subjects taught in the school.

The Druk White Lotus School  (Raancho ka school)

We had our lunch in a newly opened restaurant called Desert View Bistro, and the food was mouth watering! We had parathas, fried momos, rice, chicken gravy, and thukpa (which surprisingly, turned out to be delicious!)

Having covered all the major spots of Ladakh, we headed back to Leh, where we spent some more time hunting for good bargains on souvenirs. We spent the night in Horzay Hotel.

Cost for Day 6 (for 5 people):

Breakfast at Pangong: Rs. 400

Lunch at Desert View Bistro: Rs. 670

Local sightseeing: Rs. 150 (Thikse monastery entry fee)

Dinner at Lamayuru Cafe: Rs. 800

Accommodation: Rs. 2,000 (for 2 rooms) http://www.horzay.in/home.html

Day 8: Leh – Sarchu – Jispa – Keylong

We had to change our vehicle again as Ladakh vehicles are not allowed in Manali, and vice versa. We had been advised to leave as early as possible, as the journey was likely to be a long one, and the road conditions were unpredictable. However, our new driver, Rishi, believed in need for speed 😛 We had intended to visit Shey palace and Sindhu Ghat, which fall en route, but decided to give it a miss to save time.

The Leh-Manali is the preferred route to return from Leh Ladakh. Through the five highest mountain passes road in the world, the route is far more strenuous than Srinagar Leh route however the route has its own charm and the vistas that it offers sufficiently offsets the difficult gradient! The landscape was also quite different from the one on Srinagar-Leh route; the mountains were greener and the roads were better. After couple of hours from Leh we were on Tanglang La, the second highest mountain pass in Ladakh region, with an altitude of 17,480 ft above the sea level. The pass provides for a scenic view with  ample vegetation on both sides. Next we crossed the famous Moore Plains, a stretch of around 40 kms, situated in a plateau at an average altitude of 15,700 ft and flanked by mountain ranges on both sides. At some places it runs along the Sumkhel Lungpa river featuring  stunning sand and rock natural formations. The road is mostly straight for 30-35 kms, and we even touched a speed of 120 km/hr. After enjoying the bumply ride, we halted at Pang for lunch (again Maggi, Wai Wai and thukpa!)

We reached Sarchu by 4 pm, much before our estimated time. The low oxygen level at Sarchu affects the health of those halting overnight at Sarchu, hence we wanted to cross Sarchu as soon as possible.

Enthralling Suraj Tal Lake (lies just below the Baralacha la)

Our next possible halt was Jispa, however, due to some festival, there was no accommodation available. We then proceeded to Keylong, where we checked into New Gyespa hotel for the night. It is a definite value for money hotel, having 3-star like facilities, serving good food, and providing an amazing view of Keylong.

Breathtaking view from our Hotel balcony at Keylong

Cost for Day 8 (for 5 people):

Breakfast at Horzay Hotel: Rs. 500

Lunch at Pang: Rs. 440

Dinner at New Gyespa, Keylong: Rs. 210

Accommodation at New Gyespa: Rs. 2,400 (for 2 rooms-with-balcony) (http://gyespahotels.webs.com/newgyespahotel.htm)

Day 9: Keylong – Manali

After the exhausting 11-hour journey of the previous day, we started our day a bit late. A good night’s sleep, followed by leisurely breakfast, and we started off towards Manali (about 4-5 hours drive from Keylong). The route took us through luscious green mountains, with gushing streams alongside the road.

Rohtang pass, with its snow-covered mountains on one side and beautiful valley on the other, is another scenic route, not to be missed. For a few kms, we had to drive through fog, with near-zero visibility, which was an experience in itself. Also, while crossing Rohtang Pass, we saw many cyclists and were intrigued. Upon inquiring, we were told that there is a cycle race and a cycle tour organized annually from Manali to Leh.

As we neared Manali, we saw apple gardens, with almost-ripe apples hanging from the trees, with the harvest season being just around the corner.

We reached Manali in the afternoon, and headed for lunch. If one wants to stay overnight, there are plenty of hotel options available at reasonable rates near the main market (agents approach you as soon as you enter the main market area). After many days of noodles and thukpa, we were overjoyed on eating familiar North Indian food at Sher-e-Punjab!

Thereafter, we spent couple of hours shopping on Mall road (the main market of Manali). One can buy Kashmiri woolens, Tibetan handicrafts, and small local souvenirs (such as key chains, bells, etc). If you plan to stay overnight, you can also visit Old Manali (Hadimba temple, Museum of Himachal Culture & Folk Art, Siyali Mahadev Temple, and Van Vihar National Park). It takes abot 3-4 hours to cover these spots, so one night halt should be sufficient.

Then the last leg of our road trip started, from Manali to Chandigarh. Buses are operated by HPTDC as well as private operators, generally leaving in the evening and reaching Chandigarh early morning.

Cost for Day 9 (for 5 people):

Breakfast at New Gyespa: Rs. 550

Lunch at Sher-e-Punjab: Rs. 1,900

Bus fare for Manali – Chandigarh: Rs. 3,000 (Rs. 600 each)

Dinner at a small hotel on Manali-Chandigarh route: Rs. 450

Day 10: Chandigarh – Mumbai

We reached Chandigarh in the wee hours of the morning. The bus dropped us at Sector 43. Luckily, we have a friend in Chandigarh who came to pick us up at the bus stop and graciously took us home at such an odd time. The alternative is to take an auto rickshaw to Sector 17, which has several inns, where one can rest for few hours. From Sector 17, you can also arrange for city sightseeing, covering the major attractions of Chandigarh – Rock Garden, Rose Garden and Sukhna Lake.

The airport lies in Sector 31, and falls under Zirakpur district, outside the main city. After breakfast, our kind friend dropped us to the airport and from there we took a flight back home, with fond memories 🙂

Cost for Day 10: Almost nil, thanks to our generous friend!

Total Trip Cost:

Vehicle hire charges (Srinagar to Manali): Rs. 50,000

Accommodation, food and sightseeing: Rs. 42,625

Total: Rs. 92,625, which amounts to Rs. 18,525 per person 

Miscellaneous:

The above post does not include flight costs, tips, and sundry expenses like tea, water bottles, cold drinks, etc.

Tips & Tricks:

1. Driver: A trip to Ladakh is essentially a long road journey, and therefore, having a good driver is most important. Book your vehicle in advance, and speak to the driver several times before your trip. Ladakhi drivers have to undergo a month-long training (including safety and rescue process) before they can can drive commercially, hence, you can rest assured about your safety. Nevertheless, it is helpful to ask for the driver’s total experience if you intend to use his contacts and expertise in finding accommodation and places to eat. (Our Drivers Contact if needed.  Srinagar to Leh:- Hussain# 09419832633;   Leh, Pangong, Nubra:- Zakir Bhai# 09419242966/09622228576;     Leh to Manali:- Rishi# 09459829000).
2. Private Vehicle: The permit rules from Srinagar – Leh – Manali keep changing with time. So do check with Ladakh authorities if any special permits are required for passing through or visiting Inner Line Region. You can then work out all the feasible options. On the 490km Leh to Manali highway, there is only one petrol pump at Tandi around 110 km from Manali. Make sure you have enough fuel before leaving Leh.
3. Accommodation: In Srinagar and Pangong, it is advisable to book accommodation in advance. In Leh, there are many options (right from luxury hotels to guest house and homestays), but you might end up spending a lot of time just checking out and finalizing the hotel. Therefore, you might want to check out the options online and shortlist a few, based on your requirement.
4. ATM: ATM and Banking facilities are available only in Leh and Kargil. So keep sufficient cash handy or plan your withdrawals accordingly.
5. Clothes & accessories: Check weather reports and weather forecasts online, and pack accordingly. You can also check with your driver beforehand. Carry at least one pair of thermals and one warm jacket. It is advisable to wear shoes and socks throughout the journey. Sunglasses are recommended. Gloves, monkey caps, mufflers are optional.
6. Photography: Ladakh is truly a beautiful place, with majestic mountains and picturesque landscapes. So don’t forget to keep spare memory cards and batteries for your camera.
7. Medication: There are few hospitals and chemist shops in Leh. Hence, it is advisable to carry essential medicines. Also, stock up several bottles of drinking water. During the road trips, drink electral to keep yourself hydrated, especially when traveling at high altitudes. Keep Digene and camphor handy. Other optional medicines are Avomine, Diamox, and any other medicines that you normally take for cold/ cough, fever, indigestion, etc.
8. Food: It is best if you can adapt to the local food. If not, you can rely on Dal rice, instant noodles, or sandwiches, which are readily available. Carry emergency food such as dry fruits and dry snacks for your road journey or in case you are held up somewhere for any reason. You can rely on your driver to suggest restaurants.
9. Locals: The local people are simple, peace loving and mild natured. You can befriend to understand their culture better and for more information about the places.
10. Buffer days: Keep at least 1-2 days as buffer in case of any unforeseen halt or delay. You can also use these days to spend more time at any place you like, or to just rest before embarking on your return journey.

Mango Festival – a summer weekend feast!

Mango festival (May 1-3)

Mango festival?! What’s that?! Some of you must be wondering what I’m up to. First I talk about a turtle festival, and now a mango festival. The rest of you, whose mouth started watering on reading the title, this article is for you. Like many of you, I’m a self confessed mango crazy person. Every year, I spend the few months of summer in pure ecstasy, savouring the golden-yellow, delicious, juicy, king of fruits. I’d even go to the extent of saying that Mumbai summer is bearable only because we get to eat this heavenly gift from nature.

Whoa! I can go on and on 😛 Let me focus on the topic at hand. We came across the concept of mango festival while surfing the net for trip ideas. Some mango farms have opened their gates to visitors like us, to promote their produce, as well as to earn some extra income. So, we gathered all the required info, made some calls for the arrangements, packed our bags, and started on yet another unexplored venture.

Day 1: Mumbai – Ratnagiri – Nate village

We started on a balmy night in May towards Ratnagiri. It took us about 7-8 hours to reach our destination, Ganesh Agro Tourism.We reached there around 8 am. Ganesh Agro Tourism is a 40 acre farm with over 2,000 plants of Alphonso mangoes. It is situated in Nate village, in Rajapur taluka in the Ratnagiri district. May being the peak time for mangoes, we were greeted with a sight of a huge mango farm, full of trees laden with mangoes. The mangoes were of export quality, that is, much bigger than the ones we find in the local market. All our fatigue due to the overnight journey vanished! We also saw a makeshift swimming pool near the reception area.

Ganesh Agro Farm

We were then escorted to our room. It was a basic cottage, right in the middle of the farm. Apart from the basic furniture, the room had a swing, which added to our joy! And of course, being surrounded by mango trees was icing on the cake.

Our cottage

We had our breakfast (poha), and proceeded to the makeshift pool. Swimming in the pool was a pleasure, given the sweltering heat. After swimming, we were joined by a local who was our guide for mango plucking. We learnt a lot about growing mangoes, identifying when it can be plucked, and how to pluck. Each of us got to pluck a few mangoes. We were even allowed to climb the trees for plucking!

Delicious mangoes waiting to be plucked!

After resting for a while in our room, we went for lunch, served on the terrace of the one-storey building housing the reception-cum-office. The terrace provided a 360 degree view of the farm and the landscape beyond, and it was amazing! But you know what was better? The lunch that we had. It was delicious Maharashtrian food, and along with it, we could have unlimited mangoes!! The sumptuous meal was followed by a siesta (but of course!).

In the evening, we hiked up to a machaan (a platform, usually erected in a tree, used for keeping watch), situated on the farm itself. It was a peaceful place with cool winds blowing (at night, it is a perfect place for stargazing). After visiting the machaan, we headed to a beach nearby. It was clean and sparsely populated, and we took a leisurely walk, while watching the setting sun.  Later that evening, the farm owners arranged a boat-ride for us in the river near Nate village, which flows out into the sea. Luckily, it was a full moon night; we requested for the boat to be halted in the middle of the river, and just spent some time silently marvelling our serene surrounding. After the boat-ride, we returned to the farm for dinner, which included unlimited mangoes and aamras again.

Machaan and sunset

Day 2: Nate village – Ganpatipule – Mumbai

We woke up early next morning and went for a walk on the farm. The place was so peaceful, we did not have the heart to return home. But every trip must come to an end so that a new one can begin. Reluctantly, we packed our bags, and proceeded for breakfast before checking out. For breakfast, we were served spicy, yet mouth watering misal pav, and of course, some more juicy mangoes!! And that was followed by refreshing aam panna!

As we drove towards Ganpatipule, we passed via Aare Ware beach. It is a beautiful virgin beach, and it would have been a crime to not halt there. So we spent some time admiring the clean beach and the clear water, and proceeded towards our next halt. We reached Ganpatipule around noon. Ganpatipule is a small town near Ratnagiri, famous for Lord Ganesha temple situated on the beach. Legend has it that during monsoon season, the waves reach right up to the feet of the Ganesha idol, as if seeking the Lord’s blessings.

The lovely Aare Waare beach

The temple was unexpectedly crowded, it being a Sunday, and also a day of religious importance for Ganesha devotees. After offering our prayers at the shrine, we did a parikrama of the temple. It was followed by lunch in a restaurant nearby, and then we continued on our return journey with memories of the delightful trip lingering in our minds.

Ganpatipule temple and beach

Trip cost: Rs. 3,800 per person (for a group of 7). This included:

• Travel by SUV, including driver (start and end – Mumbai). You can also travel by train – the farm is about 50 km from Ratnagiri station – but then you’d miss out on the beautiful drive.
• 1 night, 2 days accommodation at the farm
• All meals (at the farm as well as Ganpatipule)

Contact: Ganesh Agro Tourism – 094224 33676 (Ganesh Ranade) (https://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g641715-d6092005-Reviews-Ganesh_Agro_Tourism-Ratnagiri_Maharashtra.html)