yatripandit

Part#2 – Unleashing Northeast India – Land of Lamas, Rains, Rhinos and Momos!! By Abhimanyu

Part#2 – Tip toeing – Tawang and reaching Dirang!

We slept over with the Soldier’s stories of peace and altitude and how they live in extreme climate conditions at various posts across length and width of this beautiful Country called India.

@Tawang, the night temperature dipped to sub-zero and 3 layers of cloths, 2 blankets and a heater could brave us through that night.

Hold on, if you have landed to this page directly, please click Part#1 to read the prequel. Do come back here.

Day#3 –

Bumla Pass and Madhuri lake
Travel time – 8 hours tour
Road Condition – Good (Mostly)
Stay – Hotel Mon-Paradise

Woke up fresh and got ready at 8 am after eating some ready to eat poha and upma prepared by Akshata (Chotu). Reached downstairs to find our Chauffer for the day Mr. Tashi.

No, don’t think that Simanta got bored of our poha-jalebi talks and decided to part ways. In Tawang you are required to book a local taxi to visit Bumla Pass and Madhuri lake. Cost is approx. 5000/- all-inclusive and tour duration is about 7~8 hours. I think this arrangement is made to provide earning opportunities to the locals. That’s Good specially for Simanta as he got a rest day to spend with his favourite mawa and probably talk to his family over phone.

Tashi drove a Tata Sumo and could speak Hindi fluently. He had a footballer’s physique, spikes hairstyle and donned Ray-Ban aviators. He played some good music from the 90’s era which we really enjoyed.

Before moving ahead with trip, an important information is that all tourists (including Indians) need an Inner Land Permit(ILP) to enter Arunachal Pradesh border. The fess is about 250/- per person and it can be applied online. Our tour agent got this arranged for us before the commencement of trip.

Tawang to Bumla pass is about 35 Kms and takes about 1.5 hours to reach. The path is so beautiful that you would never want it to end. We visited in February and it was the perfect time as the mountains was covered with magical white fresh snow.

Tashi had to tie a metal chain on the tyres of Sumo to escape skidding on the snow.

Reaching Bumla Pass we were thrilled to the core, only Dev had seen such heavy snow before this day during his visit to Swiss Alps. It was difficult to even walk as the snow was soft, fresh and about 3~4 ft deep or even more.

All tourists were taken to a Army shed and served free hot tea and water for FREE. You are expected to wash your glasses and keep them clean for the next lot of tourist. Before we move further in the day, let me brief you about Bumlapass, histroy and its geographic importance.

Bumla Pass, situated at an altitude of over 15,200 ft is snowbound for almost the entire year due to its steep elevation and presents a beautiful view of the Tibetan plateau. The road to the pass takes visitors through many sleepy hamlets and scenic lakes, making the drive memorable. Elegantly maintained by the Indian Army, Bumla Pass is a must for those who want to see how Indian soldiers protect the borders in the harshest of climes. The road to Bum La is also a historical route, the People’s Liberation Army of China invaded India during the 1962 Sino-Indian War. Here in Bum La Pass one of the fiercest battles took place in the 1962 Sino-Indian War. It is the pass from where Dalai Lama entered India escaping from Tibet.

After some tea and talks, one of the army officers took all tourists for a walk towards the border, and while all of us were breathing heavily the siren hooted and we were ordered to march back towards the army shed. It was scary as we thought there is some activity from China’s side but after another free tea and talks later, the officer told us that it was a routine round from the China side and there was nothing to worry about. Let’s go again, he said.

Officer explained us about the meetings that take place every quarter between the two army’s, talks of peace and co-existence, exchange of culture and some gifts from each side. Chinese are tough nuts, he said and guided us back to the Shed. Some pictures, snow fights, another round of tea and bowing down to our soldiers for their courage and bravery later we were all set to visit Madhuri Lake(Sangestar Tso) with our Tashi.

Indian actress namely Madhuri, danced besides Sangestar Tso in koyla movie and since then locals fondly call it as Madhuri lake. Now that’s real swag!

While waiting at Bumla pass, Tashi removed the metal chains thinking they aren’t needed any more. He was wrong, as our cab got stuck in snow as on the way to Madhuri lake.

All of us got down and tried to help but little did we know that our soldier would arrive all of a sudden in a truck and get us moving in minutes. Salute them, smiling and feeling useless at the same time we got inside the cab. Trisha(my wife) started to feel heavy head. Tashi told us it normal to experience this for people from the plains like us. Altitude and extreme sun rays to be blamed.

Right on the turn towards lake, an army officer told us that the road is blocked due to heavy snow. We could not see the lake where Madhuri Dixit danced in 1997. I was 9 years back then and other three even younger. No worries guys, this kinda stuff keeps on happening on roadtrips and hill terrains told our very own Akshata Dixit. 😛

A few minutes later curvy roads, an army officer in uniform asked us for lift and we happily stopped to invite him inside. I think all soldiers have a lot of stories and they are great story tellers as well. He narrated a few to us and then Soldier and Tashi started to talk about current Prime Minister – Shri Narendra Modi. Tashi told us that, he likes Modi very much and trust that only Modi can uplift Arunachal Pradesh. There was no college in Tawang and everyone either dropped out after high-school or had to enrol in other states for studies, but now Tawang has a basic college, told Tashi.

The soldier got us some hot water to drink, which is the best way to beat the altitude sickness. Trisha felt a little better and after some time tashi dropped us to Hotel.

After lunch Dev and Akshata went on to see Tawang War Memorial with Simanta. Me and Trisha decided to rest for a while. Some chai, talks and lying around was what we needed.

After an early dinner in the ground floor restaurant and thanking Raju- the chef for the lovely food we dozed off again. Yes, like how the pigs would do after spending some playfull times in the mud.

Day#4 –

Tawang local and drive to Dirang
Travel time – 9+ Hours
Road Condition – Good (Mostly)
Stay – Gonpalok Homestay

Next morning, it was time for us to bid adieus to Tawang but not so quick. Simanta had some plans for sight seeing and we also have “never say never” attitude. 1^st place was Tawang Monastery. Monasteries are usually serene this was more that just serene. It was surreal. We were welcomed by harmless monkeys and after spending some time in the Monastery, waved goodbyes from young kids wearing Buddhist robes and having books in hands.

Next up was a Giant Buddha Statue, located at an elevated place. We found a small and pretty café behind the statue to spend some good time and have tea and Maggie.

Last up was the Tawang local market, almost all shops sell similar stuff which are woollens, souvenirs, incense sticks, cups/ mugs and footwears. We also got some to get back home with us. I love my dragon printed cup and still have my tea in it while writing this for you.

Our time in Tawang was up and Simanta was ready with his mawa filled mouth and engine thumping. Next destination was Dirang.

Dirang was not in the original plan but last night we decided to alter the plan to ditch Shillong and include Kaziranga National Park. The decision was taken as the travel time to Shillong was too much for a day and we had to celebrate Dev and Chotu’s Anniversary. So, reaching to the next place was very important.

While driving back down-hill, we all admired the innocence and embracing nature of people of the beautiful state called, Arunachal Pradesh.

We stopped at Jang for a sightseeing, you will have to stair down about 200 steps to reach a river valley. Source Wikipedia : Nuranang Falls (also known as Bong Bong Falls), some 100 metres high, is located in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India. It is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in this part of the country, yet is unknown to many travelers. It lies some 2 kilometres away from the town of Jang on the road connecting Tawang and Bomdila, so it is also known as the Jang Falls. There is a small hydel plant located near the base that generates electricity for local use. The Nuranang river originates from the Northern slopes of the Sela Pass. Just below the waterfall it falls into the Tawang river.

We were hungry and Simanta stopped at Jaswant garh war memorial again. Remember in the 1^st part I told you about the free tea and hot water. This is the same place that serves them. We got some idlis, dosas, muffins and tea. The taste, view and soldier’s passion deserve respect and admiration.

About 4 hours drive and crossing Sela pass again we finally reached Dirang. Do not miss to buy fresh fruits from the shops on the highway side. Dirang is known to produce variety of fruits.

We faced some difficulty in reaching the home stay but when we entered Gonpalok Homestay. We thought, “stay ho toh aisa.” No words can describe the taste of hot pakodas that were freshly cooked for us by the caretaker lady along with hot tea. Later in the evening we celebrated the much awaited anniversary at hotel Norphel Retreat. It was very well planned and organised by our freelancer travel agent. I leave you with some pictures to ponder on and be jealous of us that we did this the trip only a month before the country wide lock down was imposed to tackle Covid-19 spread.

Pet-full aur dil housefull, reaching back we slept like pigs would do after spending some playfull times in the mud. Sure of waking up to sunrise, cool breeze and blue sky – What else does a metro lad need!!

Hope you liked our journey till now! Write some encouraging words in the comments section and share the link with your friends, also ask them to share and comment…

Part#3 coming soon… where we move towards plains from the mountains and see the mighty Brahmaputra river, tea gardens and 1 horned rhino.

Much Love 🙂

Abhimanyu@Yatripandit

Part#1 Unleashing Northeast India – Land of Lamas, Rains, Rhinos and Momos!! By Abhimanyu

Part#1 – Reaching Tawang from Assam via Bomdila !

It was the occasion of our 2^nd anniversary when four Sharmas’ planned to explore North-east, India.

We had a fantastic company of Dev and Akshata who got married a day earlier than me and Trisha in the same month of Feb and year of 2018.

Me and Dev shared room during my 1^st job in Mumbai and we jelled up pretty well for obvious reasons like being Sharmas’ from MP/CG and loving beer. Since we got married almost on the same day, we could not attend each other’s weddings, and this was the chance to cut it by celebrating the anniversaries together.

Tickets were booked in August’19 and we then finalized our itenary during December’19.

We read a few posts and then finally decided to book ourselves with a Freelance travel consultant from Assam.

7^th Feb 2020, finally the day had come when me and Trisha embarked the road in our new Honda Amaze from Pune to Mumbai. Akshata arrange for a safe car parking over a week’s time in Mumbai. It was an early morning flight from Mumbai to Assam, we had our masks on as there was a buzz of Covid19 around the world already. Landed in Assam to find our driver, Simanta and pre-booked Innova Crysta.

None of us had slept last night but there was no sense of deprivation. It was the time to make memories, none of us had been to this side of Incredible India.

I decided to narrate this trip in multiple stories in sequence as it was a beautiful long ROAD trip.

Day#1 – Trip start, 0 Kms

Guwahati Airport to Bomdila
Travel time – 9+ Hours
Road Condition – Good (Mostly)
Stay – Norgay Guest House Homestay

Journey starts from plains and takes you to the mountains. Located on the Foothills of Himalayas, Bomdila could be considered as an entry point of Arunachal Pradesh. Simanta played some asamese music while driving and halted at a random café so that we can have some Momos, maggie and tea. After 1^st stop Hindi music took over Assamese and we were friends with Simanta. He was a character, loved his dose of Indian tobacco(jarda or mawa) while driving and always smiling. Never said no to our demands and was a true host in all senses.

We also got a chance to Enter Bhutan Border, smart Simanta got his diesel tank full as it is cheaper in Bhutan than in India.

As we were driving up-hill the air was getting colder and heavier. We drove alongside a river stream (Kameng river), Simanta told us that it comes all the way from China to meet the mighty Bhramaputra before merging in Bay of Bengal. We will meet Kameng river multiple times during our journey through Arunachal. Just before reaching our homestay in Bomdila we purchased some liquor as it will be helpful in keeping ourselves warm during the course of journey and its cheaper than Goa in Arunachal. 🙂

Homestay was clean and economical, we had to pay extra Rs. 300/- for a room heater. That’s Ok we were happy and rich (as it was just the first day).

For dinner we walked down the stairs and found a restaurant (name forgotten), but please find it right opposite Dragon restaurant. The momos and noodles which they served were the best that we had during the trip. Please let me know the name of this restaurant in comment section. I can eat those momos all my life and die happily.

Pet-full aur dil housefull, reaching back we slept like pigs would do after spending some playfull times in the mud. Woke up to sunrise, cool breeze and blue sky – What else does a metro lad need!!

We were sporting jackets and woolens now. Simanta was ready to drive us to Tawang, the dreamland that I wanted to visit since the time I saw it in TV a decade ago.

Day#2

Bomdila To Tawang
200 Kms (approx.)
Travel time – 8+ Hours
Road Condition – Hilly and average
Stay – Hotel Mon Paradise

Visited the mesmerising and peaceful Bomdila monastery, saw the little monks chanting and praying in sync. The whole atmosphere was so serene, that trying to narrate it here would be loud and might kill the serenity of the place. Check out our youtube video link below.

IMG_20200211_081526 — Nam yo ho !! – Buddham Sharnam Gachhami 🙂

After, seeing the monastery we commenced our journey to the land of Lama. The car was cruising slowing with 2 constants, Simanta’s Mawa and Kameng river running alongside.

The drive from Bomdila to Tawang will always be extremely close to my heart because I was about to experience my 1^st snow sighting.

Sela pass – You beauty!! I had heard that there is silent a kid within every adult, I was unaware of mine till I saw the 1^st snow of my life. I could not stop myself and ran down the stairs, which led to a frozen lake called Sela lake.

IMG_20200211_110713 — Stairway to Heaven

The whole area was covered with snow we were playing, while clicking some pictures on our phones and many many more in our hearts. While we were down near a frozen lake, those stairs which we walked down seemed like a stairway to heaven. God was generous and suddenly it started to snow, we had such awesome experience before we had to run back to the car as it was a hailstorm. My 1^st snow was a helluva experience. Remember the liquor that we bought last night; finally we could do justice to it using fresh snow from the sky..

I even ate some snow. 🙂

WhatsApp Image 2020-04-18 at 10.50.37 PM

Hailstorm turned violent & we had to leave or rather escape from Sela to reach our next pit stop aka Jaswant Garh war memorial. It’s about 22 Kms from Sela and 21 Kms before Tawang.

You must see this video to live Sela Pass a lil more –

A bit insight about the memorial – Jaswant Garh is a famous tourist attraction in Arunachal Pradesh and it is widely visited all year round. It is dedicated to the warrior, Jaswant Singh Rawat who was killed during the Indo-China War in 1962. He was an Indian rifleman of 4 Garhwal Rifles, Uttarakhand and for his bravery; Jaswant Rawat was honoured by a memorial at the post where he fought the Chinese army. This magnificent memorial is well kept at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. A small canteen is run by army personnel offering free tea / coffee and hot water to all visitors to keep them warm in cold weather. It is unbelievable in today’s world of worshiping money as God, where almost everyone is running behind money and becoming rich leaving behind empathy towards fellow humans. We relished dosa and idli in Arunachal at such height, it still have the taste in my head while I write about it. My wife, Trisha loved the patty and muffins.

Last but not the least; there is a small shop from where you can buy jackets, socks, gloves, caps, etc to withstand the negative temperatures of Tawang.

The memorial is surrounded by beautiful valley perfect to gaze on while sipping your unlimited free tea.

PANO_20200211_133335 — Panorama from Jaswant Garh

WhatsApp Image 2020-04-18 at 10.55.39 PM

Hopped back in the innova with happier Simanta, he already had starting chewing mawa.

We reached Tawang in another 1½ hours, the sun sets early and it was almost dark by 5pm when we reached. While, Dev was co-ordinating with the pre-booked homestay owner we had some difficulties in locating the stay. Finally, have found the homestay just to realise that staying there was not a good idea. It was located far away from town in a dark and abandoned area. Girls felt some safety concerns, and we had to honour this being responsible companions. Simanta’s “never say never” attitude and always smiling face helped us find a hotel in the market area. Name of the hotel is Mon Paradise. It was freezing cold, we quickly changed and reached the lobby area with our packed food and theplas. The hotel guys were happy to heat those for us and serve it with dal, egg bhurji and rice which we ordered from them. Sharing our food with a soldier from Indian Army with a lot of border stories was the best thing that we could have thought of in this trip.

Hope you liked our journey till now! Write some encouraging words in the comments section and share the link with your friends, also ask them to share and comment…

Read the part#2 of the story to see Tawang and Dirang from our eyes.

Much Love 🙂

Abhimanyu@Yatripandit

Guest Post || A short trip to Kailasagiri by Lakshmi

Where there is a hill, there is a temple! Very much true about the hills in India, right? So, this time let’s travel to a cave temple built on top of a hill, known as Kailasagiri. Not only temple but also there are other surprises on the go. Of course, a great place for photography! Come on guys… rock rock rock! I mean this place is full of rocks ahh 😉

As usual, this is also a ‘not so crowded’ weekend getaway from Bangalore. Apt for a short day trip. My brother and his wife came for a weekend and it was their 2nd wedding anniversary. So we thought of taking them to a place nearby where they can have a photo shoot as well. This time we did not have kids with us. It was a couple’s day out.

Let’s jump in to the route and other details.

Situated at : Chikkaballapura District, Karnataka

Distance : 70 km

Known for : Trekking, Cave temple, Reservoir

Best time to visit : Mostly during winters. Preferably in the mornings and evenings as it will be too sunny during the mid day. We went on Feb 2nd 2020.

Estimated travel time : 2 hrs. We started at 6.45 am and reached by 8.45 am.

IMG_20200202_080347 — We had a stop by on the way to have our breakfast.

Route : Varthur, Balagere Road(Our place) – Whitefield – Hoskote – straight through Kadappa Bengaluru Highway – take left where you will see the big board ‘Kailasagiri’ – one more left from the next ‘Y’ intersection.

Expenses : Hoskote-Chinthamani toll plaza – Rs 55(double side, no Fastag here), Hoskote Highway Toll -Rs 20 (one side), Parking at Kailasagiri – Rs 10, Kaivara Reserve Forest(Kaivara Thapovana) – Rs 10 and other expenses for food.

Commute : Apt for bikers. We anyways, went in our own car. The village roads are best for countryside cycling (Carry one if you are a cycling enthusiast. Would give you a wonderful experience)

Temple timings : 9.30 am to 8 pm, Pujas and rituals are performed here.

We reached the foothills around 9 am and the temple was not open. So, here comes the surprise as I said. There is a reservoir just nearby known as Ambaji Durga Reservoir. It’s such a beautiful place with the lake and rocks.

It was perfect place for a photo shoot. Anyone planning for one, note this place. We took a cam full of photos, enjoyed the view and tranquility of nature. There are few rocks where you can climb on it. Ended up as an adventurous photo session 🙂 Plus point is, not at all crowded so enjoyed our sweet time.

We had parked our car near the entrance of temple where the stone paved path begins. As expected, here as well we encountered the monkey army. The beautiful stone paved path will take you to the top where the cave temple is. Though I saw few old age people, I felt it would be difficult for aged people. This spot is best for youngsters and kids. I heard trekking is also an attraction here. We did not go for it anyways.

Once you reach the top it’s such an amazing view. The breeze makes you feel ease.

The twin rocks sits together like someone had glued them many moons ago! It is believed that the Pandavas lived here for sometime during their exile.

Just below these huge rocks there are blue metal gates(doors) which are the entrance of cave temple. This cave is a recent man made construction and still going on.

The deities are Sri Jagadambe, Sri Vallabha Ganapathy and Sri Chathurmukhalingeshwara (Shiv linga with faces carved on 4 sides).
I must say how cool it feels inside. It’s so refreshing. We took a walk inside and saw the main part of cave. A stage and hall where people can meditate peacefully. Photography is prohibited inside. Still managed to click few pics.
Post this, as usual we went to explore nearby places.

Found Kaiwara Thapovana which was a complete time waste. The place would have been a good spot if they had maintained well. Don’t know for what purpose are they collecting Rs.10 per person as entrance fee! We saw two young couples inside and few swans caged inside a small pond. Took few photos here as well. Nothing much to explore.

Though we did not go, I will hint you few nearby places here you can visit.

– Vaikunda Betta ( This temple is just opposite to Kaiwara Thapovana)
– Ambaji Durga Betta with a Fort (Not suitable for families, apt for trekking)
– Bhima Bakasura Betta / Chamundi Betta (climb is around 500 steps, Lakshman Thirtha is here)
– Bheemeshwara Temple
– Sri Amaranarayana Swamy Temple
– Sri Yogi Narayana Mutt (Dedicated to Kaiwara Tatayya)

Tips :

– There are few small shops nearby. Still advisory to carry water bottles.
– cap/hat, sunscreen (those who really worry about tanning 😉 )
– Wearing your sport shoes will do good.

Story By

Sreelakshmi

About the Author

Sreelakshmi

Ten years of journey in HR/Quality field and 5 years in teaching came to an end few months back. Now as a homemaker I enjoy the quality time with my family. I also loved doing part-time jobs with All India Radio as a RJ and few other private radios in Kerala. Writing and travelling are my passions. Do visit my story blog as well.

www.storywall.in

Below is my travel blog. Please take a look.

www.electrip.in

Guest Post || A trip to a unexplored paradise – Shillong by Misha

Shillong is a beautiful, clean and picturesque capital city of the state of Meghalaya, which means abode of clouds.

A lot of natural beauty has been bestowed upon this place and is called the Scotland of East. But I am pretty sure if you happen to visit Scotland sometime, you would not mind calling it Shillong of the West.

No amount of words I write here will ever be able to describe the real beauty and the surreal experience you have when you visit this place. Nature has shown all its love to this place through the beautiful mountains, rivers, forests, waterfalls, lakes and a lot of greenery to witness which is a treat to the eyes.

WHERE, HOW AND WHEN– This capital city is surrounded by the Assam hills which comprise of Jayantia hills, Garo hills and Khasi hills on the three sides and Bangladesh border on the fourth side. The best route to get there is through an awesome road trip from Guwahati to Shillong. It is a four hour drive through and the scenic beauty along the whole trip is definitely worth the drive. The weather is cool and pleasant and the best time to visit this place from October to April.

ACCOMODATION– Being a tourist place, there are a variety of options are available for accommodation but homestays are the most preferred options. Hotels and resorts are also available but homestays provide you the local feel and touch. Although I stayed at the Army Holiday Home, but it is not available to people without reference from an army personnel.

SEEING AROUND– There are a lot of places to visit in and around Shillong. If you love trekking and are a nature’s person, this is just the right place for you. You atleast need five whole days to go around and visit all the places. Savour each moment you spend looking at the magnificence of nature which you will frequently witness when you go around. Every place is worth capturing. I am mentioning few of the places which you should definitely visit.

Dauki– Dauki is a four hour drive from Shillong. You should dedicate one whole day to this place as there are many places on its way which are worth visiting. The drive itself is an experience and you will definitely remember the road trips from the movies Dil Chahta hai and Zindagi na milegi dobara. When in Dauki, make sure to visit Mawlynnong, which is the cleanest village in Asia. This village is immaculately clean and is well maintained by its people. There are various souvenir stores in this village if you wish to purchase something. Apart from this few other places worth going are The Living Root Bridge, which as the name suggests is a bridge made by the people through the roots of a huge old tree on a river. This is bridge definitely worth going to. While on your way to Dawki, comes the Dawki river which has such clean water that you can literally see the bottom of the river while boating on it. But make sure you visit this place before the monsoons hit Shillong, as once the rains start the water becomes muddy and you will miss this once in a lifetime experience. Another place you would like is the India Bangladesh International border. It’s a few kilometers ahead of Dawki.
Cherrapunjee– or as the locals call it Sohra is known to be the place with the heaviest rainfall on the earth. I personally enjoyed Cherrapujnee more than I liked going to Dawki. The main reason being waterfalls. This place has a plethora of such huge and gorgeous, waterfalls that you are awestruck each time you see any waterfall. Every waterfall has a history or a story behind it which make it all the more interesting when you visit these. Starting with the Elephant falls which is in Shillong on the way to Cherrapunji. The rest waterfalls I am mentioning are in Cheerapunjee. Among which the most famous ones are, Wakaba falls, Seven Sister falls, Nohkalikai Falls, Wei Saw Dong and Dain Thlen Falls. Except for the Wei saw Dong falls, rest all the other waterfalls can be easily seen from the top of the mountains. Wei saw Dong Falls is the most beautiful of all the falls I visited and the most difficult to reach too. To reach the deepest level of the waterfall, it is a difficult trek down the mountain. It is not completely visible from the top. But after you reach the lowest level, the beauty you witness is worth the trouble you go through during the trek.

After all the waterfalls, come the Mawsmai caves. Visiting these caves is a thrilling experience. These are long and narrow caves and the more we go inside these, the narrower the passage becomes. And it is just impossible to walk straight in these caves. You have to bend, kneel and at some point even crawl in these caves. If you are claustrophobic, I would suggest you to not go into these.

Shillong- The beautiful city of Shillong is well established on the mountains and the people there are really nice and cordial. There are many places in the city and also nearby which are huge tourist attractions and should be on your list too if you plan to visit Shillong. We started with the Mawphlang sacred Forest which is a wonderful place to visit. This forest is on the outer of Shillong and is spread over a huge area of land filled with beautiful and exotic trees. It is taken care by the the local tribal people, the Khasi tribe. As the name suggests the forest is considered to be a sacred place by the Khasi people, as according to their beliefs, is the place where the kings, in the ancient times would go to perform their scared rituals. Among the many beliefs is one that you are not supposed to bring out anything from the forest. Anything you find there has to be left there. Even the fruits you find in the forest are supposed to be eaten in the forest itself. If you bring out anything intentionally, then it may be inauspicious and may cause you some trouble. This is what the people strongly believe in. Any outsider can easily get lost in the forest and it may become very difficult for them to come out on their own. Hence it is recommended that you take a guide with you when you go to the sacred forest. The local people are the guides and will guide you properly in and out of the forest. The visit to this forest is an unforgettable one and should not be missed at any cost.

On our way back from the forest we went to Shillong peak. This is the highest peak in Shillong and the whole city can be seen from this point. It is splendid experience to witness this. There are small shops on the peak where they serve eatables and also there are shops where the traditional khasi attire is made available for the tourists to dress up and click pictures to make the whole trip more memorable. I would suggest you to experience this. The local Police Bazar was the next place we went to. It is the the main market of Shillong and everything is available here for shopping and entertainment. It is a must visit. If you wish to buy anything then this is the place to visit. Anything you need, you will get here. We ended our day at the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians. Visiting this lovely church was a divine experience. You have to go there to feel it. Photography inside the church is not allowed so unless you see it for yourself; you will not be able to understand how enticing the whole experience is.

My trip ended in the most awesome way. I visited the Umiam lake. Although this lake will be mentioned in a local place to visit in Shillong but it was more convenient to go to Umiam lake on our way back to Guwahati as it is just on the way. This man made lake is an impeccable piece of work. Your trip will never be complete without seeing this lake. Make sure you go boating on this lake. It’s too much fun.

Apart from all these places I am mentioning a few other places which are worth seeing.

Jayantia hills
Double root bridge
Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures
Air force museum
Village of Smit in Laitlum
ML 05 café

These places I have mentioned are only a few of the famous places to visit in and around Shillong. But these are worth mentioning. When you plan a trip to Shillong, these places are must visit places.

Author

Misha Dsouza

Gemini ♊.. Realist.. Feminist.. Dentist 🦷..!!
@misha_aashna my instagram account for the amateur writer in me.
Show your love in comments if you like what I write.

Story

Misha

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Utkarsh

How to Travel Effectively during #Coronaoutbreak

Stay Home and DO NOT travel. Period !

Guest Post || What I learnt from my travels by Naina

27 years old, 15 countries, 8000+ miles, 11 times circled the globe, 700+ hours, 23 mountains hiked, 9 different time zones..and the list goes on!!

Jet lag — That’s the 2nd most common word in my life.

Over the years I have been traveling to different countries on business or tourist/pleasure while sometimes just to escape the reality and find my focus.

While some people think travel is to : pack all the essentials, just hop on the plane, put your phone in the airplane mode, take that cozy blanket, put on your favorite movie and enjoy glass of fine vintage Château Côte de Baleau Grand Cru.

For me, travel= magic. So quick summary of the things I learnt from my travels :

1.You meet interesting and unforgettable people :

Once I was flying from Munich to New York, and met a very interesting student. She was quite intrigued by the book (Murder on the Orient Express) I was reading. I asked her name and then she introduced herself. As we continued to talk for the next few hours, she told me about her life, how she left everyone to pursue her dreams and how she is working as a part time bartender to make sure she pays her bills and completes her education. While I could see some hesitation in her voice, I was also impressed by her determination to be better in the life.

Life is not “bed of roses”, but how many do you think are determined to make it better every day?

Just 2 months back, I was flying from Shanghai to New York ( business class) and met an investor, must be in her 50’s. While she was happily enjoying her wine, after 50 minutes into the flight, we started talking and that’s when she shared her “grand perspective” towards life and startups. While she had few hiccups as an investor previously and on the personal front due to her marriage yet she never bogged down. I shared few start up ideas, why I thought it can be next the “big thing” and to what level it can succeed or fail. She asked me to send her a business plan. Just few days back I sent her the plan with an empty feeling that she must have forgotten me. I have always been a person who cared about time and details, she replied to me after 3 days and I was completely amazed by her detailed feedback. I thanked her later!

2. You find your “why”

There was a point in my life when traveling wasn’t just a hobby but a therapy. I called it my “inflection” point and it helped me in finding my why. I found myself and it made all the difference in my life.

3. Started writing a book

I have always been an avid reader (completed reading my 457th book recently). Having met so many people in my life and been through so many experiences, I started writing a book ( which I’ll publish soon). Experiences ranged from going on date with an absolute stranger — discovering different “kind of personalities” — an emergency landing — hitchhiking in a new country at 3am — — hiking with different group of people — camping with strangers— drinking wine with guys I never met in my whole life — diving 10 m deep in the sea — — ending up getting hitched for fun in a chapel in the Vegas and many more…

4. You feel “unstoppable”

Someone said it right that if you are feeling over confident, hike a mountain because mountains have a way of dealing with overconfidence. Till now I have hiked 23 mountains and that created all the difference in my personality. One such place where I exhausted myself was “Pinnacles in Borneo”. Sharp blade like rocks ( pic below) tested everything I had in me. I cried with happiness when I completed the hike after 9 hours of climb and descend. It made me feel “unstoppable”.

5. Humbleness and Grateful

More than 8 billion people on this planet from different countries, religion and cultures. Different cuisines, celebrations and colors, I have experienced it all and I cant be more grateful. I became more open to people’s opinion, appreciate the fact that different people react to the same situation in a different way. In short I became more acceptable to the fact that I can be wrong in someone’s opinion and can be idolized in someone else’s mind. Having met so many people I learnt how to be grounded and be a better listener even when I’m talking. Everyone has a story, perception of reality, opinion, experiences and thoughts. There is no right or wrong opinion.

6. Get out of your comfort zone and try new things

Travel allows you to experience living in conditions that you never thought you could survive. But you will. Only when you step out of your comfort zone, then can you really push yourself to your limits and discover what you can achieve. Now whenever I feel I cannot do something, I replay those moments when a task/situation seemed utterly difficult and the way I accomplished it.

“Your strength lies in all those things you completed which once deemed impossible”

7. Finding the way on your own after getting lost.

Ever got lost? No phone, no maps, language barrier, no one to help? Take a deep breath and look around. What do you feel? I felt like wandering on my own.

There is nothing like being lost in Rome where every street corner has another spectacular sculpture; or being lost in Brussels where every neighborhood has a cluster of bistros or bakeries.

By the end of the day, I explored more than I planned. Some one said it right :

“Not All Who Wander Are Lost”

8. Knowledge and fearless mindset

I faced language barrier many times especially when I was in China and Korea. So I learnt Mandarin and Korean. Life is full of adversities and I’m not new to such situations. Bus broke down? Train delayed? Road block? Severe food poisoning? Lost your way? It’s okay, slow down and find an alternative way out.

Many times I asked myself “What’s the worst that could happen?” and that’show I developed a “fearless mindset”.

9. Living the moments

This one is my favourite. I was just out of my cocoon and in Singapore. Like any amateur traveler I was clicking the beauty Singapore has to offer. A European guy was watching me. He came to me and said something I’ll always remember. He said “ Sometimes we are so engrossed in capturing/clicking things that we forget to live the moments and beauty the place has to offer”. He was right! From that time on, I started living in the moments and in my perspective it’s beautiful!

“An amateur traveller tries to capture everything amazing in his/her camera whereas a mature traveller live those amazing things and moments”

Oh did I forget to tell you about the spectacular vast and infinite “ Sky views”?

( Pics I clicked)

Why I wrote this post? Some day I’ll be 80 years old and still be traveling. When I’ll look back, I will read this post again and say to myself “The journey is more beautiful than the destination” and I lived every moment of it.

**** This is my first post, apologies if you find any error/mistake. And, if you like it and want me to write more posts, please don’t forget to “like & comment” because your appreciation would motivate me***** 🙂

Keep traveling !!!

Love Naina 🙂

Disclaimer: *Contents of this story is Authors personal views and presentation.

**Photos from google

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Guest Post || Things you should Know before Booking your Resort in Wayanad by Krishnendu

Nestled in the unparalleled beauty of the Western Ghats, lies a scintillating place teeming with natural splendours – Wayanad. Offering some of the most exquisite gems in the form of natural sights, water bodies, flora and fauna, Wayanad is one of those places that will never let you forget it! From mystical and deep forests that are full of millions of different forms of life to streams and rivulets that have been nourishing them; from wonderful remnants of the past to the ancient caves that have once housed people – the list of tourist attractions in Wayanad is impressive and unique.

wayanad 2 — Image Courtesy – Youtube(google)

Well, Wayanad is a place that offers a totally new side of the coastal State of Kerala. So, if you are looking for travel destination inspirations, stop doing that and visit Wayanad. And, to make your stay in Wayanad a truly exotic experience, read the following post. It comprises the things that you should know before booking a resort in Wayanad.

So, here we go!

Nature Resorts in Wayanad – Why not hotels?

Whenever we travel we opt for hotels for accommodation which is a satisfactory choice. However, Wayanad is a place that offers many boutique nature resorts that offer much more than a standard hotel. Further, a hotel will not be able to give you the feeling of staying the lap of luxury and nature. The nature resorts are surrounded by forests and trees on all sides. There are plantations and farms to enjoy long walks and fresh organic produce.

wayanad - Pic Courtesy Kerala tourism — Image Courtesy – Kerala Tourism

Most of the reputed nature resorts offer the in-house spas where you can enjoy traditional Kerala Ayurvedic Massages and therapies. There are many resorts that offer complimentary packages as well. There are dedicated areas for playing, recreation and swimming pools etc. So, all in all, a resort is much better than a typical hotel.

Now, let us move on to know more about booking a resort in Wayanad.

Services and Features to look for:

Before booking the nature resorts in Wayanad you must check the service portfolios. The service portfolios will offer you a better overview of the property and you will be able to make a better decision. Instead of settling for some average accommodation that offers generic services; plan your stay at the resorts that offer commendable services. Laundry, Safety Deposit Boxes, Airport Pickup, Non-Smoking Rooms, Tours and Concierge etc are some services that you should look for.

You must check the customer reviews for the resort. Almost all the major resorts are listed on the travel information websites and you can find genuine customer feedbacks there. So, you must read them before making the final bookings.

Checking the photos uploaded by the previous visitors is also a must. These pictures will be the actual representation of the property and will show you how the property actually looks. You will be able to check whether the property suits your requirements and expectations or not. Hospitality Services offered at the Resorts vary greatly from one place to another. So, check them in order to avoid any troubles later.

Wayanad is a premium holiday destination for honeymooners as well. So, if you are looking for the honeymoon resorts in Wayanad, then you must pay attention to safety and security as well.

If you are travelling for business or you are going to Wayanad on a Corporate Tour, you need to book a resort that offers MICE or equivalent services. Finally, if you are travelling with your family, then you must book the best resorts in Wayanad for family. You cannot take risks with family at your side. Having covered the things that should be considered while booking the Resorts in Wayanad, let us move ahead.

Resorts in Wayanad – The Best Options:

You can find a good number of resorts in Wayanad that offers a perfect mix of luxury and nature, this is one place that you can trust when it comes to quality. While choosing the resort, make sure that it offers a pleasant stay, tours, satellite TV, Swimming Pool and amazing balconies to enjoy the surrounding nature in the best manner.

Abad Brookside is a perfect destination for honeymooners and families. Apart from the very many facilities, this resort has a large hanging pool that overlooks the nearby forest and is a mesmerizing sight. Corporate travellers, business people and travellers that are seeking refuge in nature with all luxuries available at their disposal – Abad Brookside is a place that you can book without thinking twice.

There are many tourist attractions nearby that you can explore. Pookode Lake, Kuruva Dweep, Lakkidi View Point, Edakkal Caves, Soochipara Waterfalls and Banasura Sagar Dam – all of them can be explored while staying here.

Wayanad is an excellent place to enjoy nature at its best. If you are planning to explore Wayanad and its nearby place, you just need to hire any car rental service in Kerala and experience this amazing land of beauty.

Disclaimer: *Contents of this story is Authors personal views and presentation.

**Photos from google

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My Own Honeymoon Package || Bali & Gili Travangan

ITINERARY

Day 1. Bali – Arrival

Arrival in the Denpasar Airport, meets with our representative, and will directly proceed to Hotel. Rest of the day free at leisure by own arrangement.

Day 2. WATER SPORT + 60 MINUTES MASSAGE (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning at 09:00am pick up to Tanjung Benoa is a very suitable place for Water sport activities or water sports. Water sports can be enjoyed here include a Jet Sky, Fly fish, and Banana boat.

Afternoon enjoy 60 Minutes massage for relax your body and mind.

Day 3. TRANSFER TO GILI TRAWANGAN (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning at 07.00am will pick up for transfer to Padangbai/ Serangan Harbor for transfer to Gili Trawangan.

Arrive at Gili, take Cidomo transfer ( arrange on clients own) and transfer to hotel at Gili Trawangan.

Day 4. FREE AT LEISURE (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning Free at leisure by own arrangement

Day 5. TRANSFER GILI TRAWANGAN TO BALI (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning around at 08.00am take Cidomo transfer to Gili Harbor ( arrange by clients on own)

Arrive at Gili Harbor check in at boat counter and transfer by boat to Bali. Arrive at Serangan/Padangbai harbor will transfer to hotel at Bali.

Rest of the days free leisure at own arrangement.

Day 6. HD ULUWATU KECAK TOUR (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning free leisure at own arrangement.

Afternoon at 15.00pm will pick up for trip to the most southern tip of the island: Uluwatu temple hanging on a cliff over a 100 meters sheer drop to the ocean. Within this area, we also have a chance to see the map view of Bali. As the evening approaches, enjoy the Kecak and Fire Dance to enrich your afternoon.

Day 7. BOUNTY SUNSET DINNER CRUISE (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning free leisure at own arrangement.

Afternoon there’s no better way to spend a balmy tropical evening than on Bounty evening Dinner Cruise. As the sun goes down we set off on a relaxing cruise around the harbour.

Cruise Include

· Return hotel transfer (Nusa Dua, Kuta, Sanur, Seminyak, Denpasar hotel area only)

· Welcome drink

· International Buffet Dinner

· Traditional Balinesse Dance

· Live Music

· DJ on board

· Comedy Cabaret Show

· On Board Entertainment

· Duration : 17:30 pm – 20:30 pm

· Boarding commences : 17:30 pm

Day 8. Bali – Out (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning Free at leisure by own arrangement until departure time to be proceed to the Airport.

Package cost – INR 1,20,000/-* Approx. (Ex-Delhi/ Mumba) for a Couple.

If you like the package, please email us or call/whatsapp us on 9975712713, we would be happy to book it for you.

Of-course we would be glad to tweak and modify this to suit your desired trip.

Story by : Abhimanyu@yatripandit

Image Source : Google images

YP Original || Gokarna – What TO and what NOT TO Expect! By- Abhimanyu

Gokarna is a small town in Karnataka, well known for two reasons – its beaches and temples. With its pristine beaches and portrait like landscapes, It is a newly found hub for beach lovers and hippies.

The main beaches (Om and Kudle) were clean and serene, we had a fabulous time playing in the waves and relaxing in the shacks. The landscape at Om beach especially during dawn and dusk hours is a sight to watch. The beaches here are meant for a slow, relaxed holiday and everything on the beach goes at the same relaxed pace. Full of coconut and palm trees, the ocean and clean sands, Gokarna is a ‘one of its kind place’ in the country.

Here we go!!

We were three couples who started their roadtrip to Gokarna with great but wrong hopes. We hired a self drive #MahindraXUV500 and started from Pune at 7 am during the month of August.

It was a beautiful drive all till our destination specially the last 100 kms where we had to drive through a forest area in rural Karnataka. Reached Gokarna at around 7 pm just to find out that the accommodation (forgot the name) which I had pre-booked was not a place for not apt for couples. Phew! we were tired, climate was humid and we were stranded. We pulled our socks and asked many places but being a #longweekend, every place was full. Finally, we found a place, which was ONLY a little better to stay but the owner, was a manner less, arrogant lad. We had no option but to pay a premium for a average stay.

Caution: If you are a Gokarna fan, please do not read further… Here I am going to describe Gokarna from a, “disheartened person’s eyes.”

It’s an overhyped beach Village – Yeah! I find many less crowded/ hyped beach towns in Maharashtra and Karnataka are way better than Gokarna. There are no roads to drive, no place to park and the locals are busy in finding ways to fool tourists and make money.
It is not a Party place – If you have reached Gokarna with an aim to booze and dance till you drop on trance numbers. Please make a U-turn and hit Goa. Although, I do not find anything wrong in this but I read many blogs, which promote Gokarna as a party destination.
Trek to the beach – When in Gokarna, all famous beaches are just a TREK away. Yes, one cannot just WALK to the beach you have to trek downhill. Once you reach the beach, you are surely going to enjoy the waves and some chilled beverages but guess what’s more painful? It is the TREK uphill back to your vehicle parked on the road.
Food !! whats that bro ?? – For me road trips are better when I have my tummy full but it’s very difficult to find variety of good food in Gokarna. May be we were not lucky enough. You ask anyone for good food and you will get a unanimous answer – Namastey Café. Yes, it’s good but what if everyone end up going there! The service goes for a toss. We literally had to wait for 40 mins to get Omelets and Chai.
Nau(9) Baj gaye kya? (is it 9 pm already) – Gokarna shuts down latest by 9 pm. Every shop shuts down at 9 pm. It’s extremely difficult for find even a general or a medical store. Carry your necessities with you always.
Murudeshwar – This is another town about 80 KMs from Gokarna. It is famous for Magnificent lord Shiva Idol on the beach. You must have seen various pictures of this holy place but what you would have not seen is the Crowd on the beach, beneath the temple, on the approach road and until everywhere, your eyes can see on the land. Trust me there must be around 5 lakh people in this place when we visited.

Crowd Crowd !!

Honestly, I personally did not find Gokarna worth the long drive and money. Probably, I was expecting something else than what it had to offer.

Advice: Visit Gokarna with only with pre-booked accommodation, carry some food and set your expectations right before making plan towards Gokarna.

Please please Do not plan on a long weekend.

Hope this original story would help you plan your trip better!!

Please do share your experience of Gokarna in the comment section below.

Cheers!

Abhimanyu @yatripandit

YP Original || Thousands stars on the sand – Diveagar – By Abhimanyu

I wrote this story about 4 years back and decided to post it without modifying because reading it again brought back so many memories.

My younger brother is a ‘CA in making’ and trust me guys he deserves a break after every exam he attempts. So, it was the month on November 2014 when we planned a family trip to rejuvenate and relax. My Mom, dad and bro flew down to Mumbai from Raipur, where I dwell, work and earn just to present myself a few Roadtrips every year.

Photo of Thousands stars on the sand - Diveagar 2/2 by Abhimanyu - @yatripandit

Diveagar Beach

We started off quite late as my mother was in no mood to hurry-up, keeping it lazy is her idea of a perfect holiday. The destination we embarked on was, Diveagar. It is a small Konkani coastal town in Raigad district of Maharashtra state. It is about 170 km from my place and it takes about 4 hours to reach.

The roads are well maintained except for a few rough patches. We halted at one of many restaurants on the highway to taste local maharastrian food like zunka bhakar, peethla, bhakri and matki and we were not disappointed by any of the dishes.

We reached Diveagar and had to struggle quite a bit to find a good stay as it was a long weekend when many Punekars and Mumbaikars had the same idea to unwind as ours. MTDC’s Exotica resort is right on the beach but it was a little out of budget so we took a U-turn and booked “naughty waves resort” which is located exactly 20 steps from exotica and is 1/4th the price.

After our evening tea and Konkani poha, we decided to hit the beach straight away.

Photo of Thousands stars on the sand - Diveagar by Abhimanyu - @yatripandit — *Ready to play with dolphins*

All 4 of us were full of zeal to be embraced by nature. While playing on the clean white sand beach, my father observed a white star shaped impression on the sand. Taking a closer look we found out to be a starfish. Yes, it was a starfish in my father’s hand. We were astonished to see a real starfish for the 1st time ever in our lives. It was dead though. There are not many exotic restaurants in the village but we enjoyed home-cooked egg-curry, roti and dal-chawal at a local mess called Patil Khanawal.

There were zillions of stars visible in the sky as there was no pollution like in metros.

Next morning we went on the beach at 8:00 am as we were told by a local that dolphins come close to the beach. Boasting our life jackets, in 15 minutes we were on a boat in the middle of Arabia sea expecting dolphins to jump out of water. And what that local said, happened so be true. Dolphins emerged; we were numb and awestruck by the naughty dolphins. They were playing, shouting and jumping out of water in regular intervals. The scene was mesmerizing and it felt as they came exclusively for us just to make our trip even more memorable.

Next moring we were on the beach again to bid adieu to the calm, clean and relaxing town of diveagar. While walking on the beach we observed hundreds white tiny star fishes which were pushed out of the water by the mighty waves. Many of them were alive and were trying to meet the water so that they can return back to there colourfull and altruistic world and of ocean.

Total Cost is about Rs 12000/- for 4 person, 2 nights and 3 days including lodging, fooding and travel.

Cheers !! 🙂

Abhimanyu Yatripandit

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Part#1 – Reaching Tawang from Assam via Bomdila !

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Nature Resorts in Wayanad – Why not hotels?

Services and Features to look for:

Resorts in Wayanad – The Best Options:

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Diveagar Beach

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