Experience in Bangladesh

I went to Dhaka for 5 days in the last week of August. It was an official trip, and I did not have an option but to agree to go. This was to be my first international trip and I must admit that I was little excited too. But then, I never wanted my first international experience to be in Bangladesh!

Anyways, I had to fly from the international airport and I was to spend in foreign currency, so I was somewhat contend. I had a Jet Airways flight and the service was good.

The feeling changed quite a lot when I landed in Dhaka. The international airport was OK. The hotel cab was there, so I was happy. Finally, I was on foreign soil!

The first thing I noticed was the number of Toyotas on the road... so many Corollas. There were other models also, Yari, Noah, Ace, RAV4 apart from Camry and Prado. Nissan was also present in a big way. It was a Saturday and weekend there. So the traffic was not much.

As were were driving down, what seemed to be the main road of the city, I could see many familiar brands' hoardings. I even crossed the Radisson. Globalization has definitely led to familiarization.

I was happy when we crossed a KFC. I could definitely do with a Zinger. It was the holy month of Ramadan starting the next day, and people were gearing up for that. The hotel room was comfortable, and I did not venture out. I am a vegetarian, by choice and not compulsion, when I travel. And this was a challenge for me. Well, I thought of playing safe and ordered the plain dal-roti.

The next foor days were going to be hectic in office. I had meetings lined up from morning till evening.

Next day while coming back from office, it was iftar time. The markets were buzzing with vendors selling sweets and pakoras and other delicacies. It was a very different experience. I was advised by friends back home to venture out alone. And, since it was Ramadan, all colleagues were busy with family gatherings.

Four days spent in office, hotel room and in the cab transiting between the two.

Finally, on the day of return, I reached Airport early morning. I had an 8.30am flight for Kolkata. The sight at the International Airport was very different from our IGI in Delhi. It was more like the domestic airport in a Tier-II city in India. Un-hygienic environment, dingy place. I was waiting for my flight after checking in, and it was about 7.45am and there was no announcement for boarding or moving to boarding gate area. After another half an hour I came to know that the flight has been delayed, till when no idea! The airlines staff were all communicating in Bengali and I was feeling so helpless. I had to ask the co-passengers for the update. After another 1 hour, we came to know that the flight has been delayed till 6.30pm as there was some 'technical snag' in the aircraft. They could not make any other aircraft available for the international flight though they had aircraft for the domestic flight. They were unable to transfer us to another carrier. Another 1 hour of arguement with the staff. The airline manager and the airport manager were unavailable. The airlines staff plainly refused to help. They said that we will have to buy tickets for another flight on our own and they will issue a credit note from their airline as the flight has been delayed. We had just 30 minutes left for the flight to depart for India as the next flight was at 4pm. I just ran to the ticketing counter and to my horror they were not accepting International Credit Cards and Indian Currency. They only wanted USD or Takas. I ran to the bank counter, but they refused to exchange INR. Finally a Scottish lady, Barbara, who was also travelling on the same flight, offered me USD to buy the ticket. I was so grateful to her and finally managed to board the flight. I was so gald to land back in India.

I was so amazed at the casual attitude of the people at the airport. There was a critically ill person who had to be admitted to a hospital in India. The mother was begging the airline staff for help as every moment was precious for them. But her pleas were falling on deaf ears. Till then I had thought that Indian sarkari babus were the worst one could find. But after that encounter, they also seem far superior.

Travelogue: Sarahan & Sangla- V

Day 5: 19th June

We were all set to bid adieu the beautiful Sangla Valley. Our bus left at 6.30am. We bought tickets till Narkanda, as we planned to stay overnight at Thanedhar.

We reached Narkanda at around 2pm and after lunch at the New Himalayan Dhaba, we caught a bus for Thanedhar. Thanedhar is a small town around 18kms from Narkanda. It is the apple country with apple orchards and cherry trees spread as far as the eye can see.

At Thanedhar, we stayed at Hotel Sunset View. It is small guest house run by a local family. Complete homely environment. We paid couple of hundreds extra for a room with a view, and it was absolutely worth it. The sunset was beautiful. The placed lived up to its name.


There is another property of Banjara Camps in Thanedhar, but the rates were steep for us.

Thanedhar is a sleepy town with complete silence post 8pm. Not a soul on the road. There is not much to do here, except for strolling around.

Samuel Stokes had introduced apple plantations in this region, and it gave the town's economy a boost. It is still the major source of income for the locals.


Day 6: 20th June

After a heavy breakfast of Aloo Paranthas we caught a bust to Simla, from right outside our doorstep! The luxury of a small town. Another interesting thing that we observed... any courier, of any size, to be sent to the nearby village is done through the local bus without any escort. Just tell the driver/ conductor the receipents name and village, and delivery is guaranteed. Social networking at its best!

We also witnessed a procession carrying the local diety. Himachal is after all the Devbhumi- Land of Gods, with every village having its own presiding diety.


We reached Shimla at 2.30 pm and caught a bus for Chandigarh. We were already feeling the heat. From Snow covered mountains to burning plains, it was quite a transition.

Finally, we reached Chandigarh at 7.00pm and one week of holiday in 'Wonderland' came to an end. Our first leg of chutti was over. And we were headed for our hometown, Patiala the next day.

Travelogue: Sarahan & Sangla-IV

Day 3: 17th June

After a goodnight sleep tucked in quilts, we got up all charged up. After breakfast, we went around exploring the small town. It was a bright sunny morning.

We decided to trek up 2 kms to the village of Kamru. We could see our destination up on the hill, with the local temple being the highest point. The trek was through a narrow path amidst apple and walnut orchards. The last 500m was too steep and I was out of breath! But the view from temple was worth all the breaths lost. The temple, like all others in the area, had a Buddhist monastery and the Hindu temple in the same complex. Also, through the complex there is the route to the old palace of Bushahr dynasty. It is a seven storey wooden structure, and only the temple committee can enter it. general public is forbidden. In this complex also, leather goods are forbidden and you have to cover your head and remove your shoes. The temple caretaker patiently explained the history and the local customs. He also happily posed for us !

The caretaker told us that in a certain month in the summers, the locals go for a pilgrimage of Kinner Kailash. They do a parikrama on foot, and the entire trek lasts for seven days. I was impressed.


After spending half an hour there, we trekked down and enquired about the bus to Chhitkul. Chhitkul is about 26kms from Sangla, and it is the last Indian village on the old Hindustan Tibet Road. The bus from Reckong Peo to Chhitkul leaves Sangla at around 12pm. It is a 2 hour journey through Batseri and Rakcham villages. The view of the valley is heavenly. It can not be expressed in words and you have to experience it.


The bus stays in Chhitkul for 10 minutes and returns back. There is a dhaba there, that proudly calls itself as 'Hindustan ka aakhri dhaba'. There are old houses of wood and stones, and you can experience the Kinnauri culture to its core. The Indo- Chinese border is 60 kms from there.

Another bus for to Chhitkul leaves Sangla at 4pm and stays overnight at Chhitkul to return next morning at 6am.

We reached back Sangla at 3.30pm and after lunch at "Tast of Tibet", a Tibetan eatery serving Veg thalis as well, we headed for our siesta. The momos at this place were yummy. We returned in the evening for a cup of coffee and were rewarded with creamy home-style coffee with loads of milk. The Punjabi in me just loved it. You can enjoy the hustle-bustle of the town sitting in the balcony of the restaurant, sipping coffee, feasting on momos and thukpa and reading a book.

The dinners were at Baspa Guest House. Home cooked food for us. We were loving this place, and dreaming of settling to a peaceful life here.


Day 4: 18th June

We planned to trek to Batseri village, which was 5 kms from Sangla. We trekked down to the riverside. There is Sangla Nag temple in the village downside. After crossing the Baspa river, there is a small hydel power project. You reach a small village named Azaad Kashmir, after crossing the hydel project. There is river on one side, and pine forests on the towering mountains on the other side. It was definitely an adventure.



The locals kept guiding us and we crossed the Government Trout Fish Farm. Suddenly, we encountered a stretch full of stones and rocks. Actually, there had been a landslide a couple of weeks earlier and the normal path was blocked. Our hotel person was not aware and he had encouraged us to go for the trek. The original path is supposed to be a straight one along the river side. We crossed this stretch and were exhausted. There was some relief in terms of a stretch of green grass. But another 100 metres and we encountered another rocky stretch. Fearing that we would be lost in the wild, we took a u-turn. We came across some locals who asked us to follow them to Batseri, but we regretfully declined. We still needed some energy to trek back up to Sangla.

Finally after 3 hours, with water and cereal bars devoured for energy, we were back in the main street of Sangla. We were tired and we were hungry. And we barged into Tast of Tibet. All we could think of was FOOD.

After a short nap, we were back for our coffee and momos. I also tried the pan cakes at the neighbouring Sonu Cafe, a favourite of foreign tourists, but was disappointed. We decided to retire early as we planned to catch an early morning bus next day. We were on our journey back.


Bus fare to Chhitkul: Rs 15 per person
Meal for two at Tast of Tibet: Rs 100- Rs 150
Stay at Baspa Guest House: Rs 550 - Rs 850 per night
A hospitable host and great customer service: Free

Travelogue: Sarahan & Sangla- III

Day 2: 16th June

We got up early in the morning to the view of rising sun from our room's window. It was time to explore the small hill town of Sarahan. We trekked to the Pheasantry only to discover that it was closed for the season. We trekked further 2 kms and realised we need to trek back also!

While trekking down, we met some locals who guided us the shortcuts. We landed in the compound of the palace of Bushahr dynasty, the current king being Virbhadra Singh (the political biggie). One of the locals explained to us the legend of Bhimakali Temple and tales about the royals.


We reached Hotel Shri Khand and headed straight for thr breakfast. After shower, we decided to pay obeisance at Bhimakali Temple. It has magnificent architecture. The wooden carvings are just beautiful. The main temple building does not allow you to carry any leather product. After the darshan, we bid adieu to Sarahan and boarded bust to Jeori. We had planned to take bus to Sangla from Jeori.

We reached Jeori at around 11.30am. We were told that the bus to Sangla will come at 12.30pm. We waited on the road itself. Eventually one bus came at 1.00pm, but for Reckong Peo. We boarded it nonetheless, as we decided to carry on till Karcham and from there take any bus or taxi to Sangla. We were short of patience to wait any more.

It was a cliffhanger ride up and down the mountains and valleys. We crossed many hydro-electric projects being constructed by Jaypee group. At a couple of points the traffic was stopped as there was blasting going on. We observed that the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sarak Yojna was on full swing here, connecting remote villages.

There is a small temple of Taranda Maa on the roadside. Every vehicle stops there and our bus also stopped. We went to the temple and paid our respects.



We de-boarded at Karcham and fortunately for us, just then another bus for Sangla came. We were on our way to our final destination. At Karcham we had crossed the hill, and were now in the valley of Baspa river. Earlier we were travelling with the Satluj river. In fact, Baspa is a tributary of Satluj. Another 45 minutes and we were in Sangla. It was 6.00pm and it had started to rain.

Our place of stay, Baspa Guest House (recommended by Lonely Planet) was near Bus Stand and we rushed to the safety of a cosy room. It was chilly and we needed our woollens. Finally, we lay down to starighten our backs, and it was time for some pet pooja.


Places to see at Sarahan:
- Bhimakali Temple
- Pheasantry
- View point
- Rangori village (4kms from Sarahan): has some old houses


One night stay at Hotel Shrikhand: Rs 1100 to Rs 1500 for double room

Route taken: Sarahan-Jeori-Wangtoo- Karcham- Sangla

Travelogue: Sarahan & Sangla-II

Here is the first in the series of our trip to Sangla and Sarahan.

Day 1: 15th June
Chandigarh- Sarahan

Route taken: Chandigarh- Dharampur- Shimla- Narkanda- Rampur- Jeori- Sarahan

We left Chandigarh at 6.20 am by HRTC Deluxe bus- Chandigarh to Rekong Peo. It was early morning and we were sleepy, but too excited to sleep. I was enjoying the ride uphill and Adesh dozed off.

We stopped for breakfast at Dharampur. It was a dirty non-descript dhaba, and we decided to skip the breakfast being offered. Dharampur has the famous Giani ka Dhaba, which serves awesome paranthas, and we were very disappointed that the bus had not stopped there. We were already missing our car.

Anyways, we continued and the next stop was Shimla at 11am. We could see the "Toy Train" from Kalka to Shimla chugging away. It was starting to get hot. As we started uphill from Shimla, the weather became cooler. We crossed Kufri, Shogi, Theog to reach Narkanda at 1.00pm. It was lunch time.

Once you cross Shimla, the apple orchards start. There are also cherry orchards. It was so beautiful. A completely different world.

After lunch, we started off again. Our next stop was Rampur, and we got down there. It was 3.00pm. We were told to take the bus to Sarahan which was to be at 3.30pm. We waited till 4.30pm and there was no sign of bus. So we decided to take a taxi to Sarahan, though a little costlier.

We crossed Jhakri power project, Jeori and reached Sarahan at 5.30pm. Finally, our journey for the first day ended.

We had booked Himachal Tourism's Hotel Shrikhand, and were glad to see the neat and clean room. It was drizzling and we were eager to explore. A stroll around the hotel, and we decided to call it a day. We decided to have an early dinner and headed for the restaurant. The steward assigned to us, Neetu, took our order and recommended a local delicacy, 'Kheroo'. It was tadke wala curd. Also, the desert kheer and a Shrikhand special. They were yummmmm!!


After another stroll, we retired to our room. It was cold there and our woollens were on. We planned to go for an early morning trek and tired as we were from the journey, we just hit the bed.



Bus fare- Chandigarh to Rampur: Rs 450/- for two
Taxi fare- Rampur to Sarahan: Rs 700/-
Lunch at New Himalaya Dhaba, Narkanda: Two veg thalis, two fresh lime sodas, one water bottled: Rs 100/-
This dhaba has decent food and more important, clean washrooms.

Trvelogue: Sarahan & Sangla -I

We had been planning for a fortnight vacation for over six months. It was to be in the end of May or beginning of June. Eventually we planned it for the second half of June. Since the economic downturn, we were contemplating whether to go ahead with the planned vacation or not. But what the hell! Approved leaves of 15 days are hard to come by, for me as well as Adesh. So we thought of 'budget holiday'.

One week of budget travel and one week at home in Punjab.

We decided to go to Sangla Valley in Himachal Pradesh. And, we planned to travel by Himachal Roadways bus.

The itinerary was:

14th June: Gurgaon- Chandigarh
15th June: Chandigarh- Sarahan
16th June: Sarahan- Sangla
17th June: Sangla
18th June: Sangla
19th June: Sangla- Thanedhar
20th June: Thanedhar- Chandigarh

Lonely Planet and K Srinivasan's blog helped a lot in planning the trip.

The stay was in budget guest houses and Himachal Tourism hotel. We booked the Himachal Tourism hotel in Sarahan beforehand through their website. The bus schedule at HRTC website also helped, and my brother got the bus ticket booked in advance from Chandigarh.

The bags were packed. The excitement was high. And, we were raring to say- "Let's Go!!!"

Travelogue- Goa: 4th to 6th May- II

After an evening of drinks and dance with the divas of the organization, I just fell on the bed and slept like a log. Only, to be woken up after 4 hrs with a wake up call from front desk.

We were to leave for the nearby Colva beach, for water sports- Jet Ski and Para-sailing.

Sleepy eyed, I reached the lobby, waiting for the team to come, and watching the other teams heading for the bus in herds. Being in HR, it was compulsory for me to go. The previous night I was so eager to go, but in the morning, all I could think of was sleep, sleep and more sleep... and sleep was evading me!

Well, another 15 minutes drive, and we were at the beach. It was 6.30 in the morning, and the only human beings visible were our colleagues, a couple of shack operators, a lifeguard team, and the adventure activities operators.

This beach was not very clean, as I had heard about Goa beaches. Probably, we were in the wrong part of Goa. Anyways, after a quick chai at a shack, we queued up for Jet Ski. Now I was excited. When the turn came, it was all over in ten minutes!!!. It was total fun. Adrenaline pumping and all. And, there was saline water all over me... clothes, hair, eyes, mouth, nose...errgh. But it was FUN. I wanted to do all over again. Though we were not driving on our own, there was a guy who was steering and I was sitting in front. All the waves just hit me in the face, I just loved it.

Now, it was time to try the other activity- Para Sailing. Another queue and finally our turn came. This was even better. It make me feel like a bird. Just flying in the air for 10 minutes, literally a bird's eye view of the land and sea and the beings inhabiting them. Well well well... it came to end with a thud... our falling on the sand!!!

I would want to do these two activities, along with rafting, again and again.

Well after satisfying the adventurous soul, it was time to satisfy the palate. We headed for the breakfast laid out for us at a shack. We just stuffed ourselves, and headed back for the hotel in small groups. It was just 8.30am, but it was so HOT already. I was gain dreaming of the bed.

Distance from Park Hyatt: 15-20 minutes

Auto fare: Rs 150/-

(that's what the going rate was, though we then waited for our bus)

At around 12pm we checked out, and headed for the lunch at Martin's Corner. The experience I have already shared here.

Our flight was at 7pm. So we had at least 3.5 hrs with us to kill. We headed for the local market at Margao. A small town in South Goa, and most of the trains from Mumbai end here.

The first liquor shop was literally attacked by all of us. The sight of females managing a liquor shop was quite a surprise, for a North Indian like me.

Well, I explored the local port wine and fanny brands. I also bought few miniatures of IMFLs. Another thing left to buy was local cashew, one with the skin on. And then I was done.

Distance from Colva: 6km/ 15 mins

Nearest rail head: 0km (Margao has a railway station!)

It is difficult to take away a bunch of females from a shopping place, how so ever small it may be. And that was the case with us. Finally, we started for the airport and our rendezvous in Goa came to end. Delhi here we come!!

Travelogue: Goa- 4th to 6th May

In my previous post, I wrote about my experience at Martin's Comfort and Martin's Corner. That was the day we had landed, Day 1.

Distance from Airport: 30-45 minutes

Here is what we did on Day 2

We had a conference scheduled in Park Hyatt and the further stay was also arranged there. So we moved over early morning to Park Hyatt Resort and Spa.

Distance from Martin's: 15-20 minutes
Distance from Airport: 20-30 minutes

The drive between the two hotels is a winding road with fields and villas and coconut trees on both sides. The bright and vibrant colored villas just pep you up. And when the drive ended, the sight that awaited was a treat!

The resort is a sprawling property spread over more that 20 acres of land by the sea. As we checked in, the front desk efficiently guided the porters to our rooms. Considering that we were joined by other colleagues from across the country, making a total of around 120, they were fast.

We quickly had our breakfast and rushed into our conference. The lunch was also there. Finally, in the evening we moved into our luxurious rooms. And, it was time to explore the hotel.

Some of us went to explore the private beach that the resort has. It was neat and clean and we watched the sun go down. After sometime, we were ready for an evening of fun, organized in the resort's 'Magical Forest'. It is a lovely piece of sand surrounded by tall coconut trees.

The resort has a fantastic coffee shop, The Village. The pastas served there are just amazing. Also try the tiramisu and walnut tart.

My room overlooked a pond and it was pretty picturesque. The entire resort is so green, it just makes you forget the metro life. You are transferred into an entirely different world.

I could notice some guest lazing by the pool, and it was quite a temptation to join them. The ride in the battery operated buggies was fun. Alas, we had our meet!

The resort was more than what I had expected, considering this was my first experience at such luxury. And I was smitten, completely.

Musings: Goa- 4th to 6th May

This week I was on a business trip to Goa for a couple days. Though this is not the best season to visit the beautiful coastal state, nonetheless I was excited. I will post a detailed travelogue over the weekend, in few parts. Here is the first in the series- this one not exactly a travelogue, more of musings.

We reached on 4th evening at 7pm through SpiceJet flight. The very first night we were to stay at Martin's Comfort, a small hotel in South Goa's Betalbatlim village. This is about 30 minutes away from Airport.


It has an adjacent restaurant, Martin's Corner, which seemed to be a local favourite, going by the number of cars with Goa number plates, parked outside. Another interesting thing is that there is a private villa on a stretch of land separating the hotel and the restaurant.The hotel manager informed us that a sumptuous buffet awaited us at 9pm at Martin's Comfort.




We stepped in and were amazed to see the crowd, phirang as well as desi. Live band. Lively crowd. Dancing couples. Wow! I was impressed.

But the story was pretty different when we asked about our seats and 'the buffet'. The stewards had no clue. We were a group of 30 persons, and they seemed to be unequipped for handling such a large group. After arguing with the restaurant manager, we were given a corner in the restaurant, tables were laid, but no sign of food. It was already 9.30pm and we were informed that we will not be served any buffet. The menu for us was pre-decided and would be served on the tables, but only when all the 30 members were present. I some how convinced the manager that already 20 of us were there, and people will keep coming and going, and he should start serving.

Even then the food took another 30 minutes to be served. The stewards were not proactively serving. They did not keep an eye, if any item needed to be replenished. We had to remind them continuously, and the entire group was hugely dissatisfied. When the remaining 10 members came, they had to wait another 30 minutes to be served, and that too with the condition that all be seated on only one table, together.

Well, first night, at a well-reviewed restaurant, did not go down well with most of us. All of us being from service industry, and from the organization which lays immense emphasis on customer service, this was a huge disappointment.

We were scheduled for lunch at the same place day after the next day. This time we were a 120 strong group. The promised buffet was there, but only one set. It seemed that they did take the learning, but did not have the farsightedness. Only one set of serving bowls for buffet for such big group was not adequate. The queue stretched till the entrance of restaurant. And by the time our turn came, the first set was ready to replenish. The stewards were again unable to manage the drinks orders.

Though the ambience was good, the food must be good (if served hot), going by the waiting crowd, but the place sure needs lessons in customer service.

My recommendation: Visit the place if you are a small group. Variety of drinks and sea food. For vegetarians, less options and not good on the taste buds.

Travelogue: The Kikar Lodge

Last week, we planned a trip with office people to this place called The Kikar Lodge. I stumbled on this place through a travel website, as the area listed happened to be my Grandparent's place- Ropar in Punjab.

The website showcased a lovely resort with picturesque surroundings and some adventure sports, and we were game for it. As it turned out, this is a Welcome Heritage property.

The route we took was:
Delhi- Panipat- Ambala- Chandigarh- Ropar- Nurpur Bedi- The Kikar Lodge
Delhi to Ambala was through NH1, then on to Chandigarh through NH22 and to Ropar through NH 21. Just after Ropar barrage, turn right to Nurpur Bedi. Kikar lodge is about 27 kms from that turn. The best thing is that there is signage all through.


We started on 4th March morning at 5am from Delhi, and we were a group of 13 young (!!) ladies. As expected, we were fast asleep till about 8am, and the first pangs of hunger started hitting the stomach. By then we had already crossed all decent dhabas enroute, but we stopped near Kurukshetra at Sheetal Complex for tea. The road till Ropar is all good. Only when you enter the village area after Nurpur Bedi that it gets bumpy but its only a matter of 3 kms.




We reached The Kikar Lodge at 11.30am and the first reaction was shock!!! We entered the gate but we could only see trees and a kuchcha road. Another 2 minutes drive and we could see the resort emerging from behind the trees. Well it was like an oasis in desert! The decor was traditional Punjabi... Ah! my homeland. We were given cottages, and we could see the swimming pool. After a quick breakfast of sandwiches, some of the eager ones hit the pool while we soaked in the beautiful surroundings. Soon it was time for lunch and then a nap to freshen up.

The resort has a Spa and games like Billiards, Carrom, Table Tennis and Volley Ball. But the most exciting part was the Quad Biking and I was so much looking forward to it. At about 4pm some of my colleagues went into Spa for relaxing while I chose to hit the dirt and try my limbs at Quad Biking. At the first sight it looked so easy. After all I do know how to ride both a two wheeler and a four wheeler. But I didn't realise that a cross between the two could be so challenging. About 5 minutes of trying to get a hang of it and I was riding pretty good. Another 25 minutes and I was a pro!

Later we went for night safari in the jungle in a tractor trolley. I must say it was fun though a little spooky.

After a round of drinks around the bonfire and dinner we hit the bed. An early day and a late night had discharged our batteries.

Next morning, we left after breakfast and reached Delhi in the evening,.

Now, some description of the cottages. It was definitely good. The bed was comfy, loo was also clean and the decor was to my liking- Punjabi to the core, with traditional bedspread and a file folder with Phulkari cover. There was an LCD TV with Tata Sky connection in each room, plus AC.

Food at the resort was very good. We had opted for the buffet and were not disappointed. The service was also good and the stewards were very prompt. The bar (named Watering Hole) has a very cool decor. Two couches and walls adorned with old Hollywood movie posters.


I strongly recommend this place to all the adventure and nature lovers. Hit the road the next weekend and you will love it!

Travelogue: Lansdowne and Rishikesh-II

After two days of rejuvenation in the calm and serene town of Lansdowne, we started for Rishikesh. We drove downhill to Kotdwar and then through Najibabad and the Rajaji National Park to reach Hardwar. From there we took the road to Badrinath, crossed the Rishikesh city and an uphill drive of 30 kms later, we reached our destination- Camp 5 Elements. It took us around 4 hrs to reach.

It is a camp on the beach of Ganges. From the road it looked so tiny. We had to trek down the hill to reach our camp. There was a suspension bridge over the river, and this swings when the wind blows! Our friends, Priyanka and Raghav were already there. This was my first time in any camp and the idea of living in a tent was very exciting. I must say that the camp staff was very friendly and hospitable. As soon as we reached, we hit the sand. Played volleyball, tried rock climbing and rappelling. Then just sat on the rocks with feet dangling in water. We even had a pebble throwing competition. This was like being back to childhood! There was another group of 5 people there who joined us for bon-fire and we exchanged anecdotes.

The most amusing part of the camp stay was the toilets. Each tent had shower and bathing place inside, but the dry toilets were all separate. They are all sand pits and the idea was quite repulsive. Anyways, next day we were gonna move out for rafting. The most exciting part of the entire trip.

We started next day after breakfast. There was a base camp for rafter around 5 minutes drive from our camp. We all had adrenaline running high. All strapped up in life jackets and after safety instructions we started our journey on the mighty Ganges. This was FUN!!! We crossed three rapids- Three Blind Mice, Black Money and Wall. We did body surfing which was akin to taking a holy dip in the holy Ganges. The professionals with us were encouraging all of us to jump in the water. They gave loads of instructions at all points of time, so that we enjoyed and we were safe. In all, a fun filled adventure, which we already planned to re-do next year.

After a tiring watery session we changed and headed towards Hardwar. The camp people had sent our car through a driver to our finish point. We stopped over at Hardwar for lunch. And then on the Sunday afternoon, we were headed back home via Rishikesh, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Ghaziabad to reach Delhi. The stretch of the road from Meerut to Ghaziabad was very bad and it took us very long to cover the short distance. We dropped Priyanka and Raghav at their home and headed for our abode in Gurgaon.

A fun filled trip of 4 days and 3 nights came to end. A lot of memories etched in our hearts. I recommend rafting in Rishikesh to everyone. It is a MUST-DO in your lifetime. By far, our best vacation. And, here I am already planning for the next one...

Travelogue: Lansdowne and Rishikesh-I

We went for a weekend trip to Lansdowne and Rishikesh. It was a four day trip from 2nd to 5th Oct. Lansdowne is the closest hill station from Delhi (250km approx). So, here is a brief account of our trip- Travelogue on Lansdowne and Rishikesh. This is the first part on Lansdowne.

We started on 2nd Oct morning at around 7.45am from Gurgaon. We crossed Delhi and hit Ghaziabad by 9.00 am. From there we took the road to Hardwar, we were supposed to go via Meerut but somehow took a wrong turn and hit Hapur. So, it was a detour of around 30km to Meerut. It was Id-ul Fitr and we could see a lot of men and young boys in white kurta- pyjama and skull caps going to Idgah and mosques. It was a holiday and we were able to avoid the morning traffic of school and office goers. From Meerut we took the road to Mawana (town famous for sugar). The National Highway 119 was in a pathetic condition, and in saying pathetic I am being very generous. There is a stretch of around 25-30km which is just stones and dirt. even a village road is betterthan this NH. Anyways, from Mawana we reached an upmarket dhaba- Monty Millions. This is the only decent eating place en- route Bijnor from Meerut. We reached there at around 11.30am. After having our Aloo Paranthas and Cold Coffee, we started our drive again. We crossed Bijnor, Najibabad and reached Kotdwar. Kotdwar is the entrance or dwar to the Garhwal region of the Himalayas. The view of the mountains from the city was so refreshing and encouraging. As soon as we hit the mountain area, the weather became so cool and refreshing. We stopped on the way for posing and clicking. There was tea stall in a hutment where the chaiwallah still cooks in coal fed stove.

We reached Lansdowne at around 3.00pm. It is atop a hill. The view from the hotel balcony (Blue Pine Resort) was awesome. Clouds floating outside, and then again sunny...

Lansdowne is a small, beautiful, picturesque hill station nestled in the Himalayas. It is in Garhwal region and home to Garhwal Rifles. Lansdowne is mostly Army area and is the regimental HQ for Garhwal Rifles. Everywhere you see jawans going up and down the roads. There are so many tracks in the hills for the ones with an adventurous spirit. We took the off-road path and trekked up for 3.5kms to reach the market place, through the Lansdowne Golf Course. After a tiring trek we had pakoras and tikki at Mayur Hotel. Diet plan gone for a toss!

The places to visit in Lansdowne are Army Museum, Bhulla Lake, Tiffin Top, St Mary's Church, St John's Church and the market place. There is a Shiv Mandir, around 35 kms from Lansdowne on another hill, Tarakeshwar Dham. The drive is very bumpy but its worth it. For the last 5 kms there was no road! But, by far the best place I have ever visited. So calm, serene, in the lap of nature with trees all around. It seemed like a scene out of a picture book. A must visit for everyone. Another interesting fact about Lansdowne is that there is no petrol pump. You have to drive downhill 45km to get petrol. So, we were mostly on foot. There are local taxis available for local sightseeing and they cost around Rs 400/-.

Our hotel, Blue Pine Resort, is supposedly the best out of three decent accommodations available. Though the food was not as we had expected, but still it was reasonable, considering that was our best option. After spending two nights at Lansdowne we started of towards Rishikesh. More of it in the next post.

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Trip to Corbett Tiger Reserve

We had been to Corbett over the Holi weekend. Corbett Tiger Reserve falls in Distt Nainital and is nestled in the hills with rivers criss-crossing the jungle.

We had made reservations a couple of months in advance, with Tiger Camp. We started Friday morning from Gurgaon, at 8.00 am, planning to reach by 3.00pm. But destiny had something else in store!

The road till Hapur, NH 24, is damn good. Post that, till Moradabad, it is OK. Around 15 kms before Garh Mukteshwar, there was an enormous traffic jam. We had started off towards the jungle to get away from the hustle-bustle of the metro, including traffic jams, but it would just not leave us. We managed to cover 13km in 2hrs. I guess, it summarises our situation.

Apparently, it was purnima and near Ganga ghat there was some pooja. This led to congestion on the river bridge. And hence, the jam. By this hour it was already 2.00pm. So much for our planning. On the way, we stopped at A1 Plaza at Reliance Petrol Pump. It was something out of loyalty to my ex-employer and Adesh's present employer. We hit Moradabad in another hour and a half. Discovered the local market in our effort to buy a memory card for the digicam. Last minute shopping... Finally after another 2 hrs, we reached our destination.

En route, we discovered a local village market dealing in cattle. Also, a lot of mango orchards. Weather was cool at Corbett. The moment I stepped into the resort, I was spellbound. It was WOW!!! So green, so cool and so relaxing... And, we had an entire cottage to ourselves! No TV, No Newspaper and Low mobile network. It would be interesting. That very evening we went down to the Kosi river (which flows next to Tiger Camp) and walked along the bank. We also watched a couple of wildlife documentaries.

Next day, early morning we went to discover jungle, riding an elephant. Ours was a female elephant named Padma. It was 6.00am and sun had not risen yet. We carried our cameras, hoping to spot a tiger, which we could not. We did spot some herds of Cheetal and Sambhar. Also lots and lots of langoors. The ride was fun. We saw a lot of different kinds of birds. The elephant would just wander in the forest on its own. She would stray away from the path and enter the bush. It was some adventure, though it left me with bad scratches on hands and arms.

We came back at around 8.30 and savaged the breakfast. It was holi and we played with colours. The reserve was closed, so we just chilled out and relaxed in the resort. The next day, after spending few hours in the reserve and driving around, we started the return journey.

It was a refreshing break from the monotonous schedule that both of us follow. We returned recharged and rejuvenated and full of fond memories. The vacation was awesome and memories are still fresh. A must visit for all nature lovers.