Marvellous Manali

For corporate professionals, a three day holiday calls for a vacation, and there is nothing better than hill station to rejuvenate yourself! Hubby and I chose Manali in Himachal Pradesh for a short trip.  The beautiful hill station is more than five hundred kilometers from Delhi, which takes 12 hours+ to reach. Book your Volvo tickets from Himachal Pradesh Tourism Desk in Himachal Bhawan, Mandi House (Delhi) or Chandra Lok Building in Janpath, (Delhi).  The latter also books hotels for Himachal. Bookings can be made online as well from http://hptdc.nic.in/bus.htm

Rohtang Manalsu

Carry food with you for the long 12 hour journey. Volvo leaves from Kashmiri Gate/Himachal Bhawan at 10:30 &10 pm respectively and reaches Manali next day around 11 am.

Instead of hiring a taxi, we chose to walk with our bag packs from the bus stop to our hotel. Vibrant flowers, warm sunshine and fresh breeze (the perks of walking) welcomed us as we checked into Rohtang Manalsu  located on Circuit House road, a little away from Mall road.

Itinerary Day 1

1-Himdimba Devi Temple

Hidimba Devi temple

Post lunch, we left for the famous Hidimba Devi Temple, just 1.5 km from our hotel. 

I love road signs 

The Mahabharat History says, Bheema (the strongest Pandava) married Hidimba during the Pandava exile in forest. Hidimba stayed back in Manali and continued to meditate as Bheema left. The temple dedicated to Devi Hidimba, is believed to be centuries old, carved on stones and deodar wood. Make this place a must visit during Manali trip.

2. Great Himalayan Forest

Few meters away from the temple is the open worship place of Ghatotkach (Bheema’s son). The tranquil place is surrounded by Dungri Forest, also named as the Great Himalayan Forest, entry for which is 5 rupees person.

Dungri Forest

Walk through the forest trail, let fresh air wrap you while you soak the refreshing greenery. The sun shines through the thick tall trees, offering a marvelous natural view. Managed to get some amazing pictures as we spent quality time there.

Beware of hawkers selling saffron and shilajit to every couple they spot. Also, politely refuse the ladies loaning mountain rabbits at 20 Rupees to pose for a picture with you. F.Y.I. it is against Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. I did not raise a hue and cry over it because law & order is not strict in H.P, and the ladies were earning a living for themselves. Thirdly, I did not want to spoil my vacation. Seeing a white lady renting a python for picture, did not surprise me.

3. Mall Road

Mall road bustles with life all day long. Dotted with restaurants and travel agent shops, the entire stretch of road offers you everything from grocery to fancy clothes. There is also a flee market on the left where you can go shopping without burning a hole in your pocket. 

Do buy Fruit Burfi there, which is a specialty made of fruit extract, very low on artificial sweets. You’d love the guava burfi for sure! Looks like aam-papad, but it is a pure fruit pulp extract.

Guava Barfi

Bought this delightful box of sweets from Nature's Hut, Mall Road. 

4. Tibetan Monastery

Take a right turn on Mall Road for Tibetan Monastery.   The small neat temple houses a large Buddha statue and is decorated by Tibetan artefacts. (Photography restricted inside the temple) 

The rolling bells or prayer wheel surrounding the temple is said to bring good luck when rotated in the right direction, coupled with the chanting “Om Mani Padme Hum.” A true delight to your senses.

                            

And not to forget my furry four legged friends who shook hands, err paws with me. This one made my day. They photo-bombed us as well.

Late in the evening, we approached the Hiamchal Taxi Operators Office, Govt authorized place for tourist transport. The board on display clearly mentions the rates of transport to Rohtang and Solang. However, here is a fresh update. National Green Tribunal has recently banned all snow activities in Rohtang (skiing, snow mobile, horse riding) to curb pollution. Also, there is a limit to the number of taxis entering Rohtang. Against the fixed rate of 2400 (on display board), the taxi driver asked for 1500 INR to ferry us to Rohtang as well as Solang Valley. You need not book a taxi for early morning and leave at 4am for Rohtang. Though the ban may be lifted in near future.

My top 5 travel destinations

Travelling thrills me and I admit being bitten by the ‘traveler bug’. I have travelled to quite a few places and dream to travel to many more, because I just don’t get enough of the “bug”. Sharing few top destinations of my choice-

Dalhousie- Visiting Dalhousie was on my wish list since a long time till the dream came true in April of 2014. An all-girls trip to this pretty hill station was fun and mesmerizing. Known for its beautiful landscapes, serene splendor of nature and amazing weather, Dalhousie charts as one of the most romantic places in hill stations. At a distance of 558km from Delhi, there is no direct connectivity of the places. We boarded an overnight bus from Delhi to Pathankot covering around 480 km and hired a taxi from Pathankot covering around 83km. The tiresome journey and patience finally paid us when we entered Dalhousie. The place is breathtaking. Before checking into our hotel, we detoured for Chamera Lake, a major boating point and hydroelectricity project for the district. The entire alley was scented with beautiful pink roses. The foggy hills, the lavish greenery, the sparkling waters, the cloudy sky, made us speechless. As the taxi ferried us to our hotel, I was absolutely stunned by the location of the hotel Silverton estate.Post a refreshing welcome drink and tour of the marvelous property built during British time, we headed for sightseeing. We covered Subhash Chowk, the little Gandhi market and Panchpula waterfalls on day 1. Every place is a must see for all.

Khajjiar

Diankund

Day 2 was trip to Khajjiar,DiankundandKalatop. Mind you, it was the 3rd week of April and was surprising chilly. Against our expectations, we experienced snowfall in Diankund. Ah it was a place to die for. Khajjiar, called the mini Switzerland of India was the cherry on the cake. A huge pastureland surrounded by coniferous trees and a little pond in middle, sheep grazing by, cold winds from the hills and an array of colorful flowers were remarkably astounding. One would be awed by the natural beauty of Dalhousie. A must see destination for nature lovers and a superb place for honeymoon

Agra- Every Indian must visit Agra, because it is has one of the Seven Wonders of the World and was declared UNESCO world heritage site. One does feel proud to see the great Taj Mahal that was built in 22 years (1631-

Taj Mahal

1653) with the orders of Shah Jahan, dedicated to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The white marble structure stands as the symbol of love and clever architecture of an era without technology. Easily approachable from Delhi via Noida expressway, Agra is at a distance of 232 km only, which can be covered via bus, own vehicle, train or flight. As you spend around 3 hours in Taj Mahal appreciating the beauty and the grandeur of the bygone time, you would also feel sad for the depreciating structure and the physical harm done to the Taj. If only the authorities were not looking after the monument, it would have been in ruins today. Besides Taj Mahal, one must see Old Fort just 2.5 km apart. I was speechless the moment I entered it. The huge monument still stands tall with pride and sets a remarkable example of perfect ancient architecture. Be it the Deewan-e-khaas , Deewan-e- Aam , Jahangiri Mahal,Sheesh Mahal or the entry gates for the Army, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the fort comprising a blend of white marbles & red sand stones. The ancient engineering has no equals and nobody can reproduce the magic with the same grace and perfection. Some portions of the fort are not accessible to the public, of course for security reasons .The portions which are open for all, are masterpiece of creations.  Once you are in Agra, don’t miss trying various sorts of petha (angoori, pan, saada) and moth-kachori, a staple snack.It is out of the world! Avoid Agra during April to June due to peak summers.

Jaipur- Named as the pink city, Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, is a seamless blend of History and modern lifestyle. Formed by Raja Man Singh, Jaipur offers some of the finest forts and palaces that attracts tourists from the globe. One of them is the Jaigarh Fort. Located at 400 meters above the Amer Fort,  the fort offered a bird’s view of the city to the army of Jai Singh. The main attraction of this fort is the giant canon, referred as Jai Vaana in Hindi.

Jaivana

Hawa Mahal

Its 20 feet long barrel that weights about 50, and has a diameter of 11 inches. With a range of 22 miles, the cannon is said was fired only once. The specialty of this cannon was its free rotation in any direction. Imagine mounting such a heavy piece on wheels and rolling up the hills during those that time! Beautifully carved at the mouth scroll and body, the cannon stands protected as a masterpiece made by the skilled craftsmen then.  Indulge in the royal Rajput architecture of the massive Amer Fort that takes more than 3 hours to stroll around. The fort houses artifacts of Rani Jodha’s paalki, the king’s lifestyle, handcrafted trunks, beds, entertainment rooms and many more. One can enjoy live puppet shows, an art that is slowly fading. Among the other must see things in Jaipur are Hawa Mahal, Rani Padmawati Mahal, Nahargarh Quila, Rajmandir (a movie theater built in British style) and Choki Dhani ( A modern reconstruction of old Rajasthan with culture, food and games on display). In 400 INR entry fees, Choki Dani offers you a lot more than what meets the eye. Because of connectivity to adjoining cities like Ajmer, Pushkar, Neemrana and Alwar, Jaipur contributes a lot to Indian tourism. Avoid visiting Jaipur during April to July when temperature soars higher than 50 degrees.

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia- Apart from serious sports, Australia has great places too. The Great Barrier Reef is an absolute must visit for every human on this Earth. This water body on the planet is the largest structure visible from outer space! Need any more reason to be there?  This 2,300 km-long ecosystem encompasses countless reefs and islands made of over 600 types of hard and soft coral. The reef structure was built by tiny organisms coral polyps thousands of years ago. Sedimentation of rocky deposits, volcanic eruptions and other geological shifts formed the barrier reef which eventually became a popular tourist destination.

The barrier reef is home to a wide diversity of life. Among the seven natural wonders of the world, Barrier reef’s crystal blue offers breathtaking view of islands and marine life. The Great Barrier Reef is a breeding area for humpback whales, migrating from the Antarctic and is also the habitat of a few endangered species including the Dugong (Sea Cow) and large Green Sea Turtle. In recognition of its significance, UNESCO listed the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site in 1981. With activities like scuba diving, sky diving, sailing and many more, the natural wonders are experienced. Personally I feel awed by how much the creator has blessed us with so much to see and appreciate! This place has been on my travel list since childhood!

(Image source: www.great-barrier-reef.com and www.australiangeographic.com)

Amritsar- My workplace demanded me to travel a lot during the initial stage of my career. One of the destinations was Amritsar, Punjab.

Golden Temple

I have been lucky to visit the place twice and soaked in all that I could. Connected via Volvo and train, Amritsar sees a mahor footfall each day towards the majestic Golden Temple and Wagah Border. At a distance of about 450 km from Delhi, Amritsar boasts of a closely knitted culture along with hospitality and warmth in people. A memorial in Jallianwala Bagh speaks of the tragedy meted out to thousands of people by General Dyer which holds a very important place in History. These three places in Amritsar are major crowd pullers. As you start your day with a dip in holy water in Harmandir Sahab’s pond, the serenity of the Gurudwara instantly fills you with devotion. A long queue at the Gurudwara entrance is managed by the management very efficiently. It is believed that an ardaas (prayer) is always answered by the almighty if done with pure heart. The Gurudwara is home to several homeless and poor and thousands volunteer to participate in Gurudwara maintenance, as it is believed that sevaa to mankind is sevaa to God. Half a day at the Gurudwara spending peaceful moments followed by langar, again managed so efficiently, makes you come back here each time.

The retreat ceremony at Wagah Border every evening is something to watch for. Wagah border between India and Pakistan where high tension prevails, is guarded by Border Security Force (BSF). The borders are barred by gates where the flags of both the countries are retreated in the evening and thousands gather to watch the cultural ceremony that takes place with great enthusiasm. Mind you, one needs special permission or pass to sit in the VIP block and watch the function from a short distance. I have witnessed the entire saga that comprised an opening march by lady officers, dance on patriotic numbers, BSF soldiers’ aggressive salute, face off with Pakistan Rangers and roar of slogans from both the countries. The ceremony is a treat to eyes and certainly gives you goosebumps! The energy, the colorful life, great food and beauty of Amritsar keeps seeing me visit frequently.

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Nostalgic summer vacation....

May 15^th to July 15^th was the time I used to wait for when I was in school. That was the summer vacation of my school.2 months freedom and holidays! My young siblings too used to be equally excited about the most awaited freedom of two months! Though the summer temperature in my hometown Dehradun never crossed 35 degrees, we often used to chill out at nearby places around Dehradun.

Sahastradhara, Lachhiwala, Rishikesh, Haridwar are few beautiful popular picnic spots at a few hours distance from Doon. We kids used to plan for the outings excitedly and pack our fancy sunshades, caps, camera, ball, Frisbee and what not. Mom used to make our favourite Rajma or Choley for Lunch, and Dad, on our popular demand used to bring cold drinks crates. The summer heat, the rising temperature, the fatigue, all used to vanish in seconds when we had the rivers in sight! And my happy family used to take a dip in the cool rivers together. Splashing water at each other, trying to learn swimming from my parents, teasing, shouting, trekking in the green valleys, refusing to come out of the waterfalls, capturing the scenic beauty of the valleys in our cameras, longing to stay there for some more time, Parents and Kids behaving alike  …Ah! I wish I could bring back the past. These are the special moments which summer vacations have given me .I can never forget the charm of those places which we used to visit each year and return home with the promise of visiting next year again during summers.

My dad is a businessman. People often think that only businessmen can spare time for their families while servicemen can’t. However I don’t think so. We used to freak out only during weekends and so is the similarity for servicemen..Times have changed, workloads have increased (so has the temperature). I am a working professional myself and I am constrained by time. My brother who is a college going boy now, cribs on his short summer vacations. Dad is also bogged by the increasing workload of his business. Yet, summers are special for us. We still eagerly look forward for an outing in Mussorie or Dhanaulti.

Once in 2007, we missed our train on the day of departure and had to wait on Nizamuddin platform for 6 more hours for the next train. The train journey of 22 long hours from Delhi to Nagpur was extremely tiring, I swear. But my happy family tried to cheer up the environment with songs and jokes while my gadget freak brother made us play  games. I enjoyed the view from the train window. The train leaving behind the farms, rivers, forests, pastures, villages were just mesmerizing. Maasi’s sweet home, my wonderful cousins, the spicy dishes of Nagpur, the lovely picnic places made it a rocking summer vacation.  It was the best summer vacation we had- a lovely reunion with my Maasi’s family after 10 years. My newly wed Bhabhi and I gelled like house on fire. Who can forget the sevpoori and sengdaana chutney. I fell in love with the  Maharashtran dishes. The temples and forts of Nagpur are a never forgetting experience for me. My cousins, maasi, mausaji, mom dad, bro and I celebrated our togetherness with an in-house dance party. Surprisingly I saw my bro dancing for the first time! Pastries, ice-creams, soft drinks(that too neat) chilled the warm night. My cousins used to chit chat with me till late night and showed me the wonderful city of oranges NAGPUR during the day time.

Nagpur remains warm throughout the year, but such a vacation dosen’t happen every day. Anything for such a wonderful reunion and a memorable summer vacation. My first visit to Nagpur will always be close to my heart. Yes, summers still have the charm and I plan to go to Manali very soon. Workload has nothing to do with the much awaited summer vacation and let go all the worries for some time.

Feeling nostalgic now!!

Scanning the distance

My friends and relatives who stay across the country and in various other parts of the world, stay in touch with me through the virtual world, i.e internet. Be it my uncle who is a well settled doctor in London, or my colleague from my previous office in Chennai (who recently had a baby) have asked me many times to pay them a visit. While internet keeps us connected undoubtedly, we cannot ignore the importance of meeting people face to face, especially when they are close to you. One may be willing to go and visit them, yet there is something which we don't share with them. It's you who bears the cost of travelling, damn it! So once when I had planned to go to London to meet my uncle's family, I did a dry run on the internet for tickets/flights. The ticket prices were sky high and I immediately dropped the idea of a vacation. How can you even plan a vacation when the travelling cost is that high! I called them to India instead :-) That was a smart move, though the disappointment remained in my heart for not being able to execute the most awaited trip to abroad.

To add to the woes is the time one takes to travel to the preferred destinations. You cant save money if you save time and vice versa.

So while I was growing up in a small town, it gave me wings to dream. Having stayed all my life in a small town of Uttaranchal, I many a times wondered how would life be outside my country. The thought of going out of country always fascinated me and my excitement grew with leaps and bounds with age. I traversed to Delhi for job and kept dreaming for a vacation abroad.

Now talking about the destination, I really wanna go to Bangkok. Do you really need to know the reasons? Well, there are many! One- The place is not expensive! That leaves a lot of room for shopping. Yay! A girl's instinct you see (wink wink) You save a lot of money on low cost flight for good shopping and great food on vacation. That's actually quite smart. Yeah?

Secondly- The travel time isn't long. Who wants to spend a long travel time in flight? A short trip gives you enough time for other exciting stuff like sight seeing. Needless to mention about the grand Budhhist temple, Siam Ocean World aquarium, exotic wine bars and floating markets of Bangkok.

To add to the advantage is- no jet lags!!! And the working professionals would also agree that with the scanty leave balance they have, time factor becomes rather important. Mathematically, lesser the time in travelling, more is the leisure and pleasure. Obviously we can't time travel!

All those who watched the movie SWADES (Starring Shahrukh Khan) must have seen the modes of travelling he used to reach that small village. Flight, train, bus, boat, rickshaw and what not. Yes that was economical for him, but put yourself in his shoes. Would this be feasible for you? Would you want to keep travelling in order to reach your favorite destination? It may be exciting for those who have all the time in the world and are travelers, but not the common people like us. (There again, don't underestimate the power of common man, says SRK) I might consider those travel options once I reach the destination And not TO the destination. Then only would that be travelling smart. Though I wish I had a magic wand to reach Bangkok invisible. hehe!

My gym trainer visited Bangkok last year and that increased my desire to visit Bangkok by many folds. Then I came across a wonderful website Skyscanner. Check out the website http://www.skyscanner.co.in My excitement knew no bounds when the website showed a whole list of flights available on the site. It eliminated the need to do a random search on net for flights. The site gives you the entire list of flights and hotels available and the time taken to travel. My heart pumped faster and I zeroed in Bangkok for my vacation!!

Scan the sky with skyscanner and travel smart to your dream destination. Save time, save money, enjoy to the fullest and return with a load of cherish-able memories!

This contest is a part of indiblogger contest http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=100

Bangkok Bash

Growing up in a small town gives you wings to your dreams often. Having stayed all my life in a small town of Uttaranchal, I many a times wondered how would life be outside my country. Agreed there are many intriguing places in India itself, but the thought of going out of country always fascinated me, like others.  I had been planning a tour outside India but was confused which destination to choose. When I started exploring options through TV, reality shows,  friends, websites and social networks of course, I zeroed on to Bangkok as my travel destination. You gotta see the place once! Life gives you many reasons to celebrate and Bangkok is one of them! It gave me immense pleasure to know that Bangkok was ranked one of  the 10 topmost tourist destinations of the year 2013!! Now that makes me feel so connected again :-)

Popularly known for the Buddhist temples, Bangkok, the capital of Thailand,  displays the deep rooted Hindu influence embedded in their culture. I so want to see the Grand Palace which is a complex of buildings in the heart of the city. The Palace with The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand's most sacred site.The palace was the official residence of the Kings of Thailand since 1782, located on a river bank covering more than 2 lakh square km of area. Wow, now that accounts for a royal history. I certainly want to indulge in the grandeur of the palace, which is open for public on official events. It's like a NRI coming to India to visit the Taj Mahal. Ah! I can feel goosebumps on my skin. The pictures of t he royal palace will do all the talking of why I want to be there..

Grand Palace

Emerald Budhha

The next thing which anybody wants to do is shop from the new place. One, to collect the memories of the place, two, to flaunt it in your country, three to use it as a motivation to visit the place again. Al-rite, many don't flaunt it. It was my personal thought. No offence meant!  We hop around in the market place on foot, bargain with the sellers for economic deals and try to buy the best. How about the markets coming to you? Doesn't that sound amazing? Bangkok has floating markets where the sellers sell items to customers in their boats! The customers may be seated at the banks of the river or hire a boat to shop from the floating market. This is just Incredible!! I could not imagine a floating market in my dreams. Take a look at the floating market of Bangkok on various rivers.

Floating market

Night Market

An amazing nightlife and exquisite cuisine make Bangkok the most enjoyable tourist destination. Who does not want to enjoy world-class wine bars and savor scrumptious sea food? One among them is Ratchada Night Bazaar which is in full swing around midnight, when it bustles with locals and bursts with vintage knickknacks and cute accessories. As I collected from reliable sources, this market offers everything from retro cars to jewelery to furniture, books and to second hand items at dirt cheap prices. Has anybody seen a night market under the open sky in India? Not any that I heard of. What an amazing experience that would be! Shopping and bargaining in the moonlight! I cant stop imagining my trip to Bangkok!!

Being a nature lover, greenery and animals have always attracted me. The place that I long to visit is the Siam Ocean World which is an underground aquarium, one of the largest in Southeast Asia. One can sneak a peek into the open ocean from a glass-bottom boat, or dive in and have a swim among the sharks and rays! This is already sending chills down my spine. Check out the wonder world images below-

Siam Aquarium

The colorful culture and variety of items available to shop from, that too at an economical price, undoubtedly makes Bangkok a must visit place. It has been a popular destination for film shoots of Hollywood, Bollywood and many other industries. Who can forget Hangover-2 :-)

With Air Asia offering economical air fares to my dream destination, I am tempted and all set to go! This is  “ World’s Best Online Travel Fair”

When Bangkok has so much to offer  than what meets the eye, I have no more reasons to tell you why Bangkok is my dream destination.

This contest is a part of   by http://bit.ly/AirAsiaTravelFair.

Riskesh adventure

“Mountain Dew cannot help me overcome my fear ”! I thought, standing atop twenty feet cliff above water. According to the sources, the river bed was eighty feet deep. Rahul, my team mate, who had jumped in before me, screamed from the river asking me to dive in. The thought of scaling hundred feet, scared me to hell and I stood unmoved staring at others who took less than five seconds to jump into the shimmering green water of the river. I wasn’t there to promote Mountain Dew or any adventure movie. I was there on an adventure trip to Rishikesh with a group of twenty. While river rafting was so much fun and thrilling, cliff jumping was equally scary.

Ready for the punge

On the white sand

I had visited Rishikesh many times with my family since childhood.(The perks of birth place Uttarakhand) However, this was the first adventure trip I had dared for. At last, my dream of white water rafting materialized. I have never been scared of water despite not knowing swimming. But trust me, when I boarded the raft wearing a helmet and safety jacket, I started feeling butterflies in my stomach. Our 20-something instructor, Rana, made us learn the commands to follow while rafting. Coordination is the most important thing while rowing and one should not panic even if he falls off the raft or gets caught in a rapid (That’s what the river currents are called). Wall, double trouble, center danger, roller coaster, golf course – These are the names of the rapids which we went through, in the 21 km stretch, with roller coaster& golf course being the riskiest and highest rapids.

Rana asked us to jump and I took less than a second to jump into ice cold water. Swimming with the current along the raft, is an out of the world experience. I was more than happy to enjoy the adventure.

Thankfully, our raft didn’t flip over, unlike our neighbor raft, which threw people in a rapid after losing control & coordination. No casualties reported of course (No body drowns because of the safety jackets you are made to wear). When a rapid hits the raft and inclines it at 45 degree, you either feel scared or excited. I felt something else. The roaring high waves lashing against our raft, reminded me of Samudra Manthan and I felt like a descendant of Bear Grylls. (Though I know I don’t even match to one-tenth of his skills, but imagination has no bounds you see! Hehe!)   The excitement and the thrill concentrated in my stomach somewhere and “Aawesomee!!”, I screamed my lungs out. The view was breathtaking with the waves trying to engulf us. We braved all the rapids and carried home a lifetime memorable experience.

My left thumb and shoulder are now in pain due to aggressive continuous rowing. I looked at my body bruises later at night during bonfire.

Skillful rafting however didn’t give me the courage for cliff jumping. I regret not overcoming that fear though being the only girl to volunteer at the 20 feet cliff. Darr k aagey jeet hai? Well I guess yes.