Yes, its been more than 6 months since the world is fighting against a virus called Corona Virus. Some say it’s a man-made virus for the quest of becoming world power while some say it’s a natural virus found in bats. Well; whatever is the origin of this virus, it for sure is lethal. Claimed 2 million human lives till today when we are fortunately alive to write this piece. Date – 4th Nov 2020.
Virus out-break has changed the way humans have been living on earth for years together.
While our prayers remain with the lost lives and patients, two doctors and an engineer have come together to compile a counter perspective about this Pandemic.
Mother earth is rejuvenating – Nature for sure, has got some time out of the increasing human activities which was hampering its original self.
Reduced air travel has decreased carbon footprint
Many countries had to impose lockdown to control spread of virus this also led to reduced air and sound pollution caused by the vehicles
Consumption of fossil fuels reduced to great extend
Wild animals were seen on roads and human residential areas in many places across the world. Seemed as if animals wanted to promote co-existence with humans
Urban birds were heard chirping after ages may be..
Work-life Balance – Corporate houses including IT and Non-IT promoted “work from home” or “remote working” option – This option would not have been possible about a decade back because of slow internet speeds but in 2020 it was not the same as before
No pain of travelling long distance to reach office and back home. Reduced pollution and time saving
Increased productivity because of less distractions and un-necessary breaks
Increased family time – Remote working has provided increased time spend with family
Hometown could also be your “permanent address” – The small towners which was living away from their families to pursue their career in a metropolitan, got a chance to go back and work remotely from their pretty hometowns. All they need is an internet connection, home office set-up & zeal to perform well.
Migration back to small towns help the metros to get some breathing space, made parents happy to see their children live with them and families started look like the one show in “dekh bhai dekh” TV serial again.
This could also be the 1st step towards Mr. Modi’s dream of de-centralization of economy.
Reduction in expenses – I am sure all of you must have felt a decline in expenses during this pandemic era.
No un-necessary travel
No BIG FAT INDIAN Weddings
No going to malls and ends up buying stuff which would remain in your closet for years to come
No pocket burning dinners every weekend
Money saved is money earned, many like me have started investing money wisely for a balanced future
Health is Wealth – All of us have learnt this in school but a handful of us practice. Work schedules and commitments could be blamed easily.
Yoga se hoga – Many of us started to learn yoga via online classes
I learn it from Dr. Richa, who could be reached on +91-9769792022 via whatsapp or call.
Old is gold – Ancient Indian medicine, Ayurveda re-entered our lives with a bang. Started with Kadha, chavanprasha, amla, giloy, steam and so on.
Revisit hobbies – The ones which were mentioned in our CVs and never practiced because of frantic work schedules got inducted in our lives again. Reading, painting, crafts, writing to name a few.
Working together could be fun – All members including males participated in cooking and other households like washing cloths and doing utensils.
Hygiene – Washing hands using soap for 20 secs or taking a bath right after you enter home from outside. Such practices took important places in our daily lives.
While we continue to fight against the spread of Covid-19 across the globe. We hope to have shown you some positives in the ocean full of negatives by our “Counter Perspective” on the pandemic.
Moving ahead we must continue with the good practices learnt during pandemic & we are sure the world will become a pretty place to thrive again.
Please excuse me for writing the final part of this journey after a gap of more than a month. Was caught up in adjusting with the “new normal” way of life and remote working.
There were struggles to get the groceries and seamless internet connectivity initially but now it’s all sorted. Meanwhile, I drove down to Raipur from Pune. 1000 kms in 20 hours with a co-driver. It was good fun.
Reading part#4 directly might not be good idea so please click on the below links to read prequels
After spending 2 days in Assam, relishing local delicacies and meeting Rhinos it was time to hit the road again. Simanta was at hotel lobby with his innova, all neat and clean.
This time for a change, we started late. After lunch around 1:00 pm.
Day#7 –
Kaziranga national park to Cherrapunji
Travel time – 8.5 hours
Road Condition – Smooth and well consructed
Stay – Saimika Resort, Cherrapunji
Lunch served to us @Bonhabi was full of taste and spices. Exactly the way we wanted.
The drive was pretty smooth, and we enjoyed the journey through the small villages, finally reaching the mountains from the plains. We stopped at Jiva Pure Veg to refill our tummies and this place is one of a kind. Very hygienic and full of taste. We ordered momos, noodles and some biryani. Reached at Saimika, resort by 10 pm. It seemed to be a deserted place wherein there was a security guard who led us to our twin-cottages (joined from inside).
Entering the cottages, our excitement reached next level. We had a fireplace inside the cottage. I have stayed in many resorts across India, but this was the first time I had this pretty thing inside the room. We asked the security to lit it up for us. Glasses clanged again with malt on the rocks. It was good fun and very relaxing. Woke up fresh next morning and opened the door of our cottage to be mesmerized by the beauty of this resort which seemed deserted yesterday. Resort is built on a cliff in acres of land, all construction is done using rocks which gives an ancient Roman feel to this place. Looked inspired by Harry Porter movie to a fair extend.
We had some quick sandwiches at the restaurant and left the resort to reach the entry-point of trek to famous “living Root Bridges.”
Day#8
living Root Bridges
Travel time – Full day trek
Trek level – Moderate to difficult
Stay – Saimika Resort, Cherrapunji
At the entry point of the trek, you will meet local boys renting Bamboos and claiming to be guides.
My suggestion – Take Bamboos and not the guide. Because our guide named, Risk DID NOT guide us at all. He just kept walking ahead of us creating un-necessary pressure on us to trek down faster. Guide could be useful for getting some pictures clicked for sure.
Single root bridge
Started off the hike and reached the,” single decker root bridge” after 1500 steps down hill.
It was tiring but we had some juice left in us so after some rest we moved ahead to the prime attraction of today’s hike – the double decker living root bridge. Another 2000 steps down hill, crossing a river, a few villages, lots of sweating and knee breaking efforts we reached the architectural brilliance, man-made, double decker living root bridge.
There is a stream flowing underneath it and thousands of fishes are waiting to welcome you from a small pond of fresh, crystal clear water.
Fishes waiting to give you a natural pedicure
We spend time relaxing by the pond side and eating the packed food that we carried from Saimika. Pranthas that were packed had lost the taste completely and I suggest to better order Maggie from small shops around the root bridge.
Some wiki gyan for you – A living root bridge is a type of simple suspension bridge formed of living plant roots by tree shaping. They are common in the southern part of the Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya. They are handmade from the aerial roots of rubber fig trees (Ficus elastica[1][2]) by the Khasi and Jaintia[3] peoples of the mountainous terrain along the southern part of the Shillong Plateau. Most of the bridges grow on steep slopes of subtropical moist broadleaf forest between 50m and 1150m above sea level.[4] As long as the tree from which it is formed remains healthy, the roots in the bridge can naturally grow thick and strengthen. New roots can grow throughout the tree’s life and must be pruned or manipulated to strengthen the bridge. Without active care, many bridges have decayed or grown wild, becoming unusable. *
*Source – Wikipedia
We had to trek upstairs again. Although none of us wanted to but we did as we had to.
Knees, thighs and back hurted bad but we kept walking and motivating each other.
I will write another post on does and don’t while you take this tiring trek of Living Root Bridges. Finally reached the car parking after 7~8 hours to meet ever smiling Simanta.
Had maggie and tea and ditched all plans to see some waterfalls to reach Saimika resort so that we can enjoy this beautiful stay a little more.
Evening was set with a lovely bon fire outside our cottages where we enjoyed endless chats under the sky full of stars, zillions of them twinkling all night long.
Next morning was a lazy one, got up late and enjoyed our pre-ordered breakfast at the gothic Sai-mika. After quick check-out Simanta took us for some sightseeing around Cherrapunji and Dawki river. The water has no colour and odour is true in the transparent river which flows from India to Bangladesh and merges in Bay of Bengal via Sundarbans. Boating is a must here and if you are enthusiastic like us the do take a dip in the freeazing crystal clear water. Left Cherrapunji by 4 pm for our next destination which was just a night halt for us.
Day#9
Cherrapunji to Umsning, Meghalaya
Travel time – 4 hours
Road condition – Very good and scenic
Stay – The Sanctuary Song Resort, Umsning, Meghalaya
All is well when it ends well. Reaching this serene resort, we thought to ourselves, what a showstopper trip end planned by the curator. Nested in nature’s lap within a forest, small stream flowing besides the resort and NO MOBILE NETWORK available. What else does a metro lad need!!
Final Night Celebration
Some local strawberry wine was bought from the reception, bon fire was lit and the night went on and on till 1 am. Crashed in our cosy beds and woke up with chirps of birds, Trisha was the 1st one to wake up and got outside to greet the birds singing in a foggy cold morning.
Day#10 was finally here when we had to board our flight back to Mumbai from Guwahati airport, which is around 3.5 hours smooth drive from the heavenly stay on earth called The Sanctuary Song Resort. I leave you with some pictures here as we end this epic journey of a lifetime with a promise to come back again soon.
Reach out to us for any queries about this trip and for planning and booking yours.
#travel-click-eat-repeat
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Meet the star – Simanta – The ever smiling Mawa Man
Arriving in Assam – land of tea, tradition & one horned Rhino!
After the lovely dinner and cosy night stay at luxurious Gonpalok home stay at Dirang it was the time to bid goodbyes to Mountains and hit the plains.
As always, we left early morning and Simanta was waiting for us with the engine on of innova. He seemed happier, may be because we were going to be in his state of Assam.
Our personalised travel consultant took special efforts to accommodate our modified plan of going to Assam. Waving hands and exchanging smiles with the sweet caretaker, we left for the state of Assam. Assam is famous for Tea, rice, history and wildlife.
Hold on, if you have landed to this page directly, please click Part#1 and Part#2 to read the prequels. Do come back here.
Day#5 –
Dirang to Kaziranga national park
Travel time – 9 hours
Road Condition – Worst (mostly under construction) that I have ever seen
Stay – Bonhabi Resort, Kaziranga
It was not the best days of the journey. Yes, we left early but the route that Simanta took was the worst road that I have ever seen in my lifetime. About 100 Kms was totally under construction and full of bumps. It seemed we are driving on a bullock cart both by speed and jerks. Dust clouds prevailed almost on the full stretch of 100kms of that road.
We were stopped on the mid-way of those 100kms because some blasting was going on for road construction. Here we were in the middle of nowhere, waiting on a check post. There were a few more vehicles waiting behind us. We tried to kill time by clicking some infact many pictures, taking a walk around the area.
Middle of Nowhere
We could find a small café which served Maggie and eggs. Yes, throughout our journey Maggie, mawa, sleeping like pigs and leaving early morning have been constants. Finally, after slowest 5 hours of my life, the post officer let us move past the barrier. Simanta, loaded his Mawa and we were back to life. Before crossing Arunachal’s border and entering Assam, we stopped to buy some more liquor stock to be brought back with us to Maharashtra.
The roads in Assam were smooth and scenic, I am sure driving would have been a pleasure on them. All off a sudden I noticed, Simanta opened his door and peeped outside the door bending downwards for a second and was back again on the wheel. We understood, he did that to spit the mawa stuff. We realised he was in his own state and his confidence was touching sky.
Usually, we visit 1 national park every year because being in the jungle brings you closest to mother earth. The birds, wilderness and flora are the real kings and we humans are just a small part of this majestic nature.I will share the link to National part stories at the end of this post. Do read ‘em all. This time we got a chance to meet 1 horn Rhino and its friends in one of the most famous national parks of India – Kaziranga National Park.
While entering the buffer area of Kaziranga, we were lucky to see hundreds of 1 horn rhinos grazing and swaying carefree on the grasslands on both sides on the road.
Image Courtesy : Outlook India
We finally reached our resort, Bonhabi around 5pm and we were tired for sure because of pointless waiting and bumpy road. The car was full of dust and dirt, from the inside and outside.
We went to our rooms; took shower and relaxed for an hour before we meet again to clink glasses, bawaa! it was mine and Trisha’s anniversary day. Cheers to two amazing and enthralling years of married life, we had no complaints by far. We reached the dining area to find probably the best food that we had during the journey. Full credit to our talented trip curator who ensured that we were served authentic assamese vegetarian food along with a cake specially ordered for our anniversary. She also tried to arrange local rice brew but maybe it was not our day. If you have tasted, let us know how it tastes in comment section. Seeing all the food we were damn excited, and it seemed that we were never tired of today’s journey. There was a wide variety of delicacies and we could not decide from what to start and where to end. Trying to list a few below: –
1) Local white or red rice (depending on season and region)
2) Bhoot Jhukoliya (Ghost Chillis – the hottest chilli in the world) – handle with extreme care
3) Aloo and Baingan Pitika (Steamed and salted Potato and Eggplant)
4) Dhekiya or Lye saag depending on season
5) Aloo, Aloo Potol, Cabbage, Beetroot or any other vegetable in season Bhaaji (Assorted Vegetables)
6) Yellow or Black Masoor Dal (Thick Lentil Soup)
7) Khoreo (Highly pungent and delicious ground mustard served with onion, garlic and other spices)
8) Pudina, Coconut, Sesame Chutney (Mint, Coconut or Sesame paste prepared with herbs and spices)
9) Salad made from young bamboo shoots
10) Paste made from raw mangoes or ground jackfruit seeds, etc
It was indeed a beautiful evening full of chats, variety of food and lots of love.
Next morning, we again woke up early to see our pre-booked jungle safari waiting at the resort parking area. Open Maruti gypsy it was! Hopped in to start the jungle safari with a hope to sight rhinos, tigers, elephants, wild water buffalo, swamp deer, birds and many more.
Day#6 –
Kaziranga national park
Safari time – 6 hours
Road Condition – as in jungle
Stay – Bonhabi Resort, Kaziranga
Wikipedia: Situated on the banks of mighty Bhramaputra river, Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. The sanctuary, which hosts two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage Site. The park is home to large breeding populations of tigers, elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer. Kaziranga is recognized as an important Bird Area by BirdLife International for conservation of avifaunal species. When compared with other protected areas in India, Kaziranga has achieved notable success in wildlife conservation.
We left our resort at 8 am in the safari which was pre-booked by our trip curator. Agaratoli range was about 1-hour drive from our resort but we enjoyed the drive while we crossed tea plantations on both sides of the road and felt the wind pass through our hairs.
Over the last few years of travelling, I have realised the neither sea nor the mountains, but Jungle is my real calling. I love being in nature surrounded by greenery, blooms, birds, butterflies and animals other than humans. Oxygen loaded air unlike polluted one in cities. Blue skies, cool breeze rustling leaves and ant-hills of varied sizes.
We sighted no tigers, few elephants, some wild buffaloes, many birds, numerous dears and hell lot of ONE HORNED RHINOS. River Bramhaputra crosses the national park and the span of the river is massive. People in this region are used to floods every year.
It was a 6 hours safari for 4 of us which costed about INR. 3500/-.
Our driver was our guide as well, and this was probably a mistake. I suggest hiring a trained forest guide who understands to calls (voices made by animals) precisely.
Back to Bonhabi resort by late afternoon we decided to take some rest and enjoyed the stay.
Next morning, we were greeted by ever smiling Simanta again with a clean car, he got some time to relax and get the car cleaned yesterday. He took us to Kaziranga National Orchid and Biodiversity Park which was in close vicinity to our resort. This park houses about 500+ variety of orchids from all-over north-east India and you are briefed by learned guides about the variety, identification and importance of orchids.
Additionally this place also has a Bamboo garden, cactus garden, photo gallery and handloom display and weaving centre. One can witness the dying art of weaving the cloths by hand and also buy some shawls, stoles or gamchas to carry back home.
Next up was a stage which showcases Assamese folk dances like bamboo dance and other forms and every evening they depict special show of 1 hour. Try to catch that and let us know how was it, in comment section below. We had a good time cheering and applauding local folk artists but its sad that only 4 of us were doing so in an audience of about 25 people. All an artist need is applause and cheers, and we must do it.
The entry fee is only 120 Rs per person and this place has a lot to offer.
Reached our resort and packed our luggage for our last leg of trip where in we were about to experience the rains, dense forests, transparent rivers and living root bridges.
Also, as a bonus you will get to see Mr. Simanta. So, stay tuned for the last part of this journey of life time.
While leaving kaziranga chai lovers like us purchased kilos of Tea for ourselves, friends and family.
Here are the links which will take you to our earlier travelogues about jungle trips. Enjoy reading and do share if you like them.
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. 1st 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 1st 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.
It was the occasion of our 2nd 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 1st 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.
7th 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.
Mumbai Airport
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 1st 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.
Lipsmacking Taste
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. 🙂
Bhutan Border
River Kameng
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.
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 1st 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 1st snow of my life. I could not stop myself and ran down the stairs, which led to a frozen lake called Sela lake.
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 1st 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. 🙂
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 / coffeeand 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.
Panorama from Jaswant Garh
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
A small stream on the way
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.
Ready to play with dolphins
Starfish
Paragliding
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.
Beachfront
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.
Evening we decided to experience a parachute ride on the beach and it was a superb experice have an aerial view of Arabian sea while the sun was setting on the horizon.
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.
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Back in Aug 2017, a fantastic Monsoon Saturday. It had been almost a year since I started my professional stint after completing my Chartered Accountancy studies and for obvious reasons I wanted to go somewhere. Did not know where but I wanted to spend some quality time with myself. Three days back I came to know about a travel company called “Unexplored Bastar” who plan trips to Bastar, a tribal district in state of Chhattisgarh. Since, then I could not think anything else but to go and explore my state. The biggest hurdle for me was to convince my mother that I will be safe in the wild trek and can take care of myself. Yeah, I was 25 but my mom thought I was still a kid who still needs her to be around him.
It was 4:30 PM on 12.08.2017 and suddenly from nowhere I decided that I wanted to go. I informed my boss that I need a day off and handed over my work. Bought a new pair of shoes from a nearby shop and reached home at round 7:30 PM. Phew !! my mother was all set to spoil my this plan like every other plan, but this time I was rigid and convinced her with all emotional blackmail and all possible tricks which I learnt during my entire life. Finally, my friend and myself boarded the bus at 10:00 pm to Jagdalpur. My friend felt asleep as soon as he hit that “sticky ragzine’s seat” and I started to enjoy my first solo trip.
We reached Jagdalpur at 5:00 in the morning and immediately went to the office of Unexplored Bastar. At the office Dheeraj introduced me to Mr. Jeet Singh Arya, Founder of “Unexplored Bastar” and some other team members. After this formal meet and greet all guests/travellers along with team of unexplored bastar departed for Farspal village, a small village in Dantewada District.
We pitched our tents in beautiful valley of Dholkal and greeted by hand made bouquets and some local delicacies.
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Once done with the food we all geared up for experiencing this thrilling trek. We were a team of around 25 travellers accompanied by around 15 members from Unexplored Bastar. These members were from farspal village only and they had thorough knowledge about the trek and terrain. They told us that there are 10K varieties of butterflies in this forest. We had to trek 8 kms uphill to reach “DholKal Ganesha” . Initially it seems like a cakewalk but at the end trek becomes a bit tricky.
The Terrain to the Temple
There were many small problems while trekking including sudden rainfall and within seconds’ sun was at its full throttle but in the end, we made it to the peak. After trekking for around for another 45-50 mins we finally reached the Ganesha Idol and believe me people this was one of the best moment of my life. It took me some time to breath the fresh air and realise that I was there, completing the trek.
The Ganesha Idol was around 3ft in height, 3000 ft. above ground level and it is said that it was built around 11th century during the period of Nagvanshi Dynasty. Idol has many serpents covering the body of Ganesha.
We spend some time at the hilltop, worshipped Lord Ganesha , decorated him with flowers and offered prasadi, lived that moment completely and then went ahead for our next destination i.e. Surya Temple. Surya Temple consist of a flat rock and it is said that first light of after dawn falls on this rock. We were told by our tour guide that when light falls on this flat rock , it is reflected on the idol of Lord Ganesha and a magnified view of shadow can be seen on the mountain behind. Due to bad weather, we were unable to experience this unique natural phenomenon.
We came back to the base camp at around 4pm and were served with evening snacks, which were very good and tasty. At around 6:30 we all gathered around for campfire and enjoyed local folk song.
That’s how happy I get when I am on a trek !!
During a casual chat Jeet Bhai, told us that there is immense potential in CG to develop as a tourist state but due to negligence of Govt. and also we as a people of CG never ever thought to travel our own state. He (Jeet) and his team not only developing a fan base for state of CG but also providing employment and training opportunities to local tribal people. Generally, it is assumed that CG is a state of tribes and is dominated by Naxalites but it definitely a lot more than that. After this trip, I promised to myself that I would take measures to travel often and explore CG and India more and more. Unknowingly Dheeraj and Jeet bhai created a difference in my life, thanks to them.
Love !!
Akash Sharma
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What can be a better escape on a rainy weekend from Mumbai or Pune than Matheran?
Matheran is the only hill station, where vehicles are banned and you can clearly listen the sound of breeze rustling leaves and the sound of the horse shoes. It is the one hill station that is so close by that one can visit it at the drop of a hat. One can commute and explore the hills either on foot or on horseback. This is a perfect place for Digital detoxification as one can call it, to enjoy in the lap of mother nature.
As far as travel to the hill station is concerned, Matheran can be reached by road from Mumbai or Pune via Road or Train with ease.
We stayed at very calm place and fits in budget. It is a heritage building and is about 100 years old. The rooms were very spacious, the washrooms were okay but the food was really good. Even though they do not serve any non vegetarian food or alcohol, still I would say that the quality of food and variety was good.The rent on a weekend for a single night was Rs 3000/- for a double occupancy room, inclusive of all meals.
As for tourist activities, Matheran has about 22 points which are listed below. These were all developed by Britishers.
Important points are Alexander Pt., Rambag Pt, Little Chowk Pt, Big Chowk Pt, One Tree Hill Pt, Belvedere Pt, Olympia Race Course, Lords Pt, Charlotte Lake,Celia Pt (a water fall mouth), Echo Pt., Porcupine Pt (Sun Set Pt), Panorama Point (Sun Rise Pt), Khandala Pt, Madhavji Garden & Point, Matheran Railway Station, Louisa Point, Mayra Point, Pisarnath Temple.
It takes about 3 days to cover all the points and since we had a time constraint we decided to visit only the important places. We decided to visit all the scenic points but if you are an adrenaline junkie, you can try Valley crossing from echo point. High on the hills, when you witness the fog snd feel the cold wind against your face nothing can taste better in that weather than hot maggie and corn. Its advisable to reach back your resort before it gets dark as the hill terrain is not equipped with street lights. So to reach in time, we decided to hire horsebacks with funny names such as hawa hawai. After sound night’s sleep and a delicious morning breakfast we left for Mumbai. Took a Toy train (15 mins journey) from Matheran to Aman Lodge, then shared taxi to Neral and then Local train to Thane and finally back home after experiencing a much needed Digital Detoxification.
It is a calm hill station, with no vehicles at all which makes it peaceful. One only has nature to enjoy and be as adventurous as one wants to be.
Spotting wild animals in the wilderness and sleeping under the sky full of stars, is what every traveler dreams of.
Running behind the colorful butterflies during the day and chasing a group of fireflies during the night hours, is what fascinates the kids when in Jungle.
Shooting (with camera) animals during an act and waiting for that perfect shot of a rare bird for hours is a photographer’s passion.
We all love jungles, don’t we?
That blissful morning with chirping sounds, that peaceful night around the bonfire, that cool breeze and the rough forest trails are the things what we crave for in cities. Don’t we?
But to keep our jungles and its inhabitants the way they are, we must abide by the some jungle rules.
We at yatripandit, have learnt these rules after our various trips to the wild.
Let them cross, you must wait – We must understand the forests belong to animals like the towns belong to humans. While on a jungle safari, if you see any animal crossing the way, kindly stop the vehicle, switch off the engine and just wait till it crosses the way. However, I am sure it won’t mind you clicking some good pictures 😛
No-Honking – The only noise signal valid in the wild is the sound of the birds and animals. Please do not demonstrate poor manners by honking and spoiling the melody of the silence prevailing around.
Do not jump out, stay in your safari – If you spot a tiger or any creature which excites you, please calm down your adrenaline rush and stay inside the safari because neither the animal nor your guide shall be responsible for any fatal accident.
Do not litter – Trash, especially plastic is the biggest enemy of forests and the residents. Always carry a bag to collect trash back with you and never throw any waste in the jungle. It’s our moral responsibility to keep our jungles clean and green.
Be nice to your guide – Being a Jungle guide is a tough and risky job. Jungles are usually closed for tourism during rainy season and guides and jobless. Ask a lot of questions but at the same time be nice and respectful to them. Give them some tip and wishes before bidding adieu, let your guide remember you forever.
Never try to scare animals – Always remember jungle belongs to animals, never try to scare them by any weapon or especially fire. Karma is a bitch and it bites back.
Do not loose heart – If you could not spot a tiger, rhino or an elephant; do not be disheartened because of 2 reasons :- – Their population is not as huge as ours
– They want you to come back soon to their territory
And as they say, “You might have not seen the tiger, but he has surely seen you.” Always leave the jungle with a smile and a promise to come back.
We would love you to read our stories on some of our amazing jungle trips by clicking
Yatripandit 