Category Archives: India

India, Tourism, Travel, Uttarakhand

4 Day-Treks worth adding to your Nainital Trip

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“The best views come after the hardest climb”

Nainital is the most famous tourist destination in Uttrakhand and it offers a lot to its visitors. Every traveler is aware of Naini Lake, Ropeway, Snow point, Tibetan market, Nainital Zoo etc.  But have you heard about the treks from Nainital? Yes, there are few of day treks which are unexplored and unexploited. Treks rush your adrenaline and pump up blood in the body. They let you see what others have not seen. How beautiful nature is? So, here I am listing the 4 adventurous treks which you can add to your Nainital trip.

  1. Trek to China Peak/ Cheena Peak /Naina Peak

The Naina or the China Peak is the highest point of Nainital. It is located at an altitude of 2612 meters above sea level. And one can trek, go by ponies or cabs to this point. The path for trek passes through thick pine, cypresses and deodar forests. On the way, rhododendron strewn path looks fantastic and is a delight to the trekkers. You also get to see waterfalls, water springs, natural beauty, various animals, and birds. The top offers the panoramic view of the Nainital town, the Himalayas, and the Kumaon region.

Naini Peak, China peak - Day Treks in Nainital trip

Difficulty Level: Easy

Distance – 6 km from Mallital

Timings for Visit – 9:00am – 5:00pm

Time to complete trek – 3-4 hrs

Must Carry – Do carry food and water along as there are no restaurants on the way or on the top.

  1. Hike to Land’s End

Land’s end, as the name says itself is the dead end of the land.  It is located at an altitude of 2118 meters above sea level and the point can be reached by trekking or through ponies. The trek path first ascents and then descents. It passes through beautiful shaped cliffs and mountains slopes. The place offers you magnificent views of Khurpatal, nearby villages, and forests. You can also see plantation and fields over terraced fields giving the place its own charm.

Khurpatal View from Lands end - Day treks in nainital trip
Source – nainitalbuzz.com

Difficulty Level: Easy

Distance – 5 km from Nainital Town and 1 km from Barapathar

Timings for Visit – 5:30am – 6:00pm

Time to complete trek – 1-2 hrs 

  1. Trek to Guano Hills

The Guano hills are situated in the Pangot village of scenic Nainital at an altitude of 1985 km. The place is away from the hustle bustle of city and offers a calm, relaxing and serene environment. The Guano hills can be reached by trekking, cab or auto rickshaw. The craggy and rocky hiking trail passes through dense forests of oak, bamboo, and deodar. The place offers you lush green spectacular views and can spot rare birds like gray woodpeckers.

Guano hills - Day treks in Nainital trip
Source -groupouting.com

Difficulty Level: Easy

Distance – Pangot Village lies at a distance of 17-18 km from Nainital

Timings for Visit – 8:00 am – 6:00pm

Time to complete trek –2 – 3 hrs

Must Carry – Water and camera

  1. Trek to Tiffins Top (Dorothy’s Seat)

Tiffin Top also known as Dorothy’s seat is a stone bench built in the memory of English artist Dorothy Kellet on the hill top. The passage to the Tiffins top is a bit tricky and make sure to climb up and down with some local guy instead of getting lost in the jungle. The roads are cobbled so the trek is a bit tough than the others mentioned. The other option to reach can be through horses. The hilltop gives you the breathtaking spectacular views of Nainital town and Naini Lake. You will be counting the buildings and spending hours viewing the nature’s beauty. So it is worth adding to the Nainital trip.

Tiffin Top - Day treks in Naiinital trip
Source -holidfy.com

Difficulty Level: Moderate (as compared to others in Nainital)

Distance –4 km from Nainital Town

Timings for Visit – 9:00 am – 5:00pm

Time to complete trek –2 – 3 hrs

Must Carry – Water, camera, sunscreen and good walking shoes

The beauty of Uttarakhand state is unimaginable. The Himalayan ecology is well conserved and these treks offer a great retreat for nature lovers and bird watchers. So, add these treks too, when you plan your next Nainital trip.

Leave a comment to let us know which one you added to your Nainital Trip.

India, Tourism, Travel, Uttarakhand

5 places in Uttarakhand to experience snowfall near Delhi

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Winters are around. Imagine yourself walking on the white carpet of snowfall, in the fog with dew drops on your clothes; chilly fresh wind passing through you and touching your nose and soul. This sounds heavenly. Isn’t it? It is definitely giving me chills and pushing me to plan my next winter trip soon. How about you? I am sure even you want to experience it this winters at the destinations having snowfall near Delhi- what else you need. So here for everyone’s answer, we have shortlisted 5 hill stations in Uttrakhand to experience  snowfall near Delhi.

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  1. Auli Laga Joshimath, Uttarakhand

Distance from Delhi – 492 km

Route – Delhi – Meerut – Muzaffarnagar – Roorkee – Haridwar – Srinagar – Gopeshwar – Chamoli – Auli laga Joshimath

Best Months to experience snowfall – January – February

Expected Temperature – Min: -5degree Celsius; Max: 10 degree Celsius

Auli, Uttrakhand - Snowfall near Delhi
Source – www.uttarakhandtourpackages.com

In and Around – Gurso Bugyal, Chatrakund, Chenab Lake, Kwani Bugyal, Joshimath Temples

Not to miss– Skiing slopes (where winter games and national championships are organized); Auli Ropeway (Asia’s Highest Cable car of 4 km connecting Joshimath and Auli), Chair Lift and Ski- lift; Auli Lake (Highest man-made lake), Highest peaks of Nanda Devi, Mana, and Kamet.

  1. Munsyari/ Munsiari (Place of snow), Uttarakhand (Known as Mini Kashmir)

Distance from Delhi – 548 km

Route – Delhi – Moradabad – Rampur – Haldwani – Nainital – Almora – Kausani – Munsyari

Best Months to experience snowfall- Late December to March

Expected Temperature – Min: -12 degree Celsius; Max: 20 degree Celsius

Munsiyari, Uttarakhand - 5 Hill Stations to experience snowfall near Delhi
Source – www.gangavalleyadventure.com

In and Around – Thamari Kund, Darkot, Madkot (Hot water springs); Birthi falls; Thamari Kund; Maheshwari Kund; Potato farms

Not to miss – Skiing slopes; Picturesque beauty of Village; Munsyari Bhugyal; snow capped Panchauli peaks (5 in number); base for trekking to Milam, Ralam and Namik glaciers; and birds in dense forests of pine, deodar, and rhododendron.

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  1. Chopta, Uttarakhand (Known as mini Switzerland)

Distance from Delhi – 393 km

Route – Delhi – Meerut – Roorkee – Haridwar – Rishikesh – Srinagar – Chopta

Best Months to experience snowfall- November to Late March

Expected Temperature – Min: -15degree Celsius; Max: 20 degree Celsius

Chopta, Uttrakhand - 5 hill stations to experience snowfall near delhi
Source -www.traveltriangle.com

In and Around – Dense forests of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary; grassland meadows; Tungnath temple; Deoria Tal; Chandrashilla Peak; Atrimuni falls, Dayara Bugyal

Not to miss – Camping; Snow trekking; Snow Skiing; Watching the Panoramic view of Himalayan range; Birds like Snow Partridge and photography of rare Himalayan species like musk deer.

  1. Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand

Distance from Delhi – 505 km

Route –Delhi – Ghaziabad – Hapur – Garhmukteshwar – Rampur – Bareilly – Pilibhit – Khatima – Champawat – Pithoragarh

Best Months to experience snowfall- December to February

Expected Temperature – Min: 0 degree Celsius; Max: 20 degree Celsius

Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand- 5 hill stations to experience snow near delhi
Source – www.holidfy.com

In and Around – Pithoragarh Fort; Dhwaj Temple; Kapileshwar Mahadev; Nakuleshwar Temple; Chandak; and Thal Keda

Not to miss –Camping; Trekking; getting mesmerized by the beauty of village; Views of Soar Valley, glaciers like Ralam, Milam; famous snow-covered peaks like Nanda Devi, Trishul, Nandakhat etc.

  1. Khirsu, Uttarakhand

Distance from Delhi – 321 km

Route – Delhi – Ghaziabad – Muradnagar – Daurala – Khatauli – Jansath – Miranpur – Bijnor – Nazibabad – Kotdwara- Lansdowne -Khirsu

Best Months to experience snowfall- December to January

Expected Temperature – Min: 0 degree Celsius; Max: 20 degree Celsius

Khirsu, Uttarakhand - 5 hill stations to experience snowfall near delhi
Source -www.uttarakhandvisit.com

In and Around – Ancient Temple of Ghandiyal Devi; Chaukhamba viewpoint, religious shrines, Tarakund, Pine forests

Not to miss – Apple Orchards, Snow covered mountain peaks, Thick oak and deodar forests, and birds

This is not the complete list. In my next post, I will be sharing with you the places in Himachal Pradesh to experience snowfall near Delhi.

So, check the post here 5 winter destinations to experience snowfall in Himachal

India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tourism, Travel

5 tips before finalising the exclusive honeymoon trip

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The wedding is the biggest event in everyone’s life and as soon as the wedding dates are decided we start working on our never-ending to-do list. We start planning for every single event to make it exclusive especially honeymoon trip. It is right to be thoughtful and plan these holidays well with your fiancé as it is surely going to be once in a lifetime trip.

Honeymoon Trip
Source -www.naturehillstation.in

I still remember when we had to plan ours; my husband asked me to do some research. Then he asked me few questions and my choices, to make it easier for choosing the final place among the shortlisted destinations. All this helped us in short listing and planning our holidays.

Now, these tips along with research can help newly hitched or to be hitched couples in narrowing and deciding  on their honeymoon trip.

  1. Determine how far and how much time you both can spare for your holidays

Discuss with your spouse openly how far you both can travel? How much time you both can spare for honeymoon trip? How many leaves you both have or can avail? Is travelling extensively comfortable with you and your fiancé? A destination like Europe and America require lot many hours of travelling and sometimes connecting flights. Throw in the fact of time zone too, to get mentally prepared to get acclimatised. Some of the places may be your dream destinations. But don’t panic or push on each other for that destination! You can plan a trip to your dream destination some other time.

Apa Villa Thalpe, Sri Lanka- Honeymoon Trip

  1. Choose a theme

Choose with your fiancé what type of trip you both want to take – relaxing, adventurous, romantic, peaceful, road trip, cultural or nature. A romantic relaxing honeymoon trip on the beach resort, getting suntanned and sipping wine can be on many couples list. So, one can consider Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bali, Bora-Bora etc from the long list. Streets of Paris and Gondola ride of Venice; dressed up like a princess are on the list of others. So, one can opt for them too, if looking for romantic, cultural spots.

Phi Phi Island, Thailand, Honeymoon Trip

  1. Fix up your budget

After short listing destinations according to the theme, next is to set up the budget for the decided number of days. This is where you and your partner need to sit and discuss frankly how much you should spend. There is no limit to spending but budgets always help. The other option can be to collect funding through honeymoon wedding registry . Some of the links for honeymoon holidays registry are: (https://www.honeyfund.com/; http://www.zankyou.com/us/honeymoon-wedding-registry )

Ranikhet Uttrakhand, India - Honeymoon Trip

  1. Decide on when to leave for honeymoon trip

Sometimes, leaving immediately for honeymoon trip after wedding doesn’t go well with your schedules or with the weather conditions of that place. So, do a quick research to know the weather conditions of the chosen destinations at the time of your travel. Also check for the local festivals, crowds at the time of your travel. For e.g. – If you are travelling to Europe in August, many of the towns are closed for vacations that time and in January, February it will be very cold. So, this all can change your decision. You can also consider travelling during off season to cut off the costs and experience more.

Honeymoon Trip
Source – www.destinationweddingmag.com

  1. Get Bookings done early 

Honeymoon holidays are not the time to experiment. Everything needs to be perfect. Don’t wait till last moment. At last moment, flights, hotels, everything will cost you much more than the actual amount. Look for the honeymoon packages, deals and check the hotel’s reviews and recommendations before booking. Read some travel blogs to get more insights.

Inform hotel about your honeymoon. They may charge you more but you will also get the room with better view and sometimes a complimentary dinner too.

So, planning honeymoon trip in not a big task. Talking everything candidly and planning together will act as a catalyst to your new married life. And I say travel solves every couple’s problem and it can save your marriage.

India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tourism, Travel

What all I learnt traveling around the world

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“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page” 

– Saint Augustine

Wow! What a quote on travel. Saint Augustine said everything in a phrase for which I need paragraphs to explain. Travel is my life and it is beyond everything. I had been traveling around the world not for a break to relax my mind but to explore and learn what I couldn’t learn through my books or under the guidance and to spend the qualitative time with my husband.

Traveling Around the world

Travel has polished and enriched me in every sense from being kind, patient and philosophical. I see the whole world with a different perspective and vision. So, now my life philosophy has changed and I repeatedly say “Invest in a book called – Travel. Get as many stamps in your passport as you can. Build up your own catalog of pictures and memories. Tomorrow there should be no regret of missing on anything”.

There is no end to what traveling around the world gave and taught me. I still want to quit rest and learn more. So, I have listed few lessons which travel around the world had already taught me so far.

  1. You explore new things what you haven’t done till today

Travel compels you to come out of your comfort zone and experience what is real life. It makes you realize that grass is not always green on the other side and sometimes it is the most challenging role to perform. The conversations with locals tell you how different lives can be with the common shared commonalities. Travel also makes you learn how you have to manage each penny when you have budgeted amounts.

Traveling Around the World

  1. Learn about new culture

While traveling around the world, you explore small towns, villages and of course big cities.  You meet different people; see different things, foods, different cultures, and traditions from yours. All this can’t be explored on the internet or taught by anyone but  all this can only be experienced. Might be some of the cuisines or cultures becomes your favorite and you imbibe that in yourself.

Thailand - Traveling Around the world

  1. The whole World is not that advance and every Human just wants to be happy

Traveling around the world will make you realize that the whole world is not that advanced as you think.  Every child is not spending time playing Xbox or teenager is not going to club. Still, children play in the puddles and enjoy making toys with the waste. But they are happy. They have cultivated their happiness in their surroundings. So, happiness is immaterial and comes from inside and thoughts. One can be happy in mountains, beaches, mansions, villas or just in a small house. But the prime goal for all human in all countries everywhere in the globe is just Happiness.

Happy Humans- Traveling Around the world

  1. Travel gives a new perspective to life

I stated in the second point that you learn about new cultures, new people, new cuisines etc. But in depth, all of these are some or more related. All the humans have same needs and same desires. It is just in the name of religion and politics people and countries are pulled apart. Still, there is a feeling of brotherhood and kindness for tourists and travelers.

Your family, your friends, and your job everything is important but there is much more in life. You learn to prioritize what is important and what is not. Travel around the world really helps you to broaden your horizons and think out of the box.

Jaipur - Traveling around the world

  1. Talking to strangers is not always bad

During travel, conversation with a stranger especially locals help you in learning more about that place. They guide you on what needs to be explored and what cannot be missed on. Locals actually help you to experience and live in that culture. And your fellow travelers on the move can help you with their travel guides and tips. Simultaneously you will have a new bunch of friends to go on the adventures together.

  1. You don’t need to plan everything in your life

Sometimes unplanned things and destinations lead you to beautiful experiences. I agree that planning is good but sometimes it can make you miss the awesome things you could have experienced otherwise. So, let the things go with their own flow especially with travel. You might fall in love with the place and want to embrace their culture and traditions. It is cool to get lost in unknown places to experience the most random and amazing things.

Sr Lanka - Traveling Around the world

  1. Certain things cannot be changed

There is no point of taking stress about the certain small things like missed bus or hotel booking or flight. Breathe with the situation and accept it. Instead, stress will dampen your morale and ruin your day. Traveling is all about fun, learning, exploring and seeing new good things. Learn from every mistake and situation so you organize the things better next time.

Overall traveling around the world had made me much more patient, knowledgeable and kind. And these are just a few lessons which I have learned till today. There is so much more to learn and explore. Life is short so enjoy and live every moment, whatever makes you happy.

Read the related post – 7 life lessons Himalayan trek taught me