Category: Incredible India

I happened to visit Allappuzha (aka Alleppey) in April 2011, along with my office mates. Alleppey is situated in between Kochi and Kollam. It is famous for being the starting point of the houseboat cruises. The backwaters of Kerala are a network of inter connected canals, rivers and lakes.

There are 3 major backwater travel spots in Kerala:

1) Allappuzha (Nearest Airport: Cochin)
2) Kumarakom (Nearest Airport: Cochin)
3) Kollam (Nearest Airport: Trivandrum)

Frankly speaking, the number of house boats in Allappuzha is on a higher side and it’s a little crowded here.

We had booked the house boat (including food), well in advance. As we were a group of 18, we decided to take a bigger house boat. The Backwaters of Alleppey have been used for centuries by local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. Today Backwater/house boat tourism is quite common in Kerala. These days we have house boats with all sort of facilities like Bath attached A/C rooms, Conference halls and so on. There are luxury and premium house boats aswell, which will be very costly.

So when you plan a trip to Alleppey, you should also plan about the type of the boat that you want. Whatever is the type that you select, I would personally suggest to add the food package (Veg and Non veg options available) along with your house boat booking. Also you will have to decide if you are taking a day trip or a Night/stay trip. My personal preference is a day trip. Normally there will be 2-3 staff in the houseboat.

The day trip would start around 9 AM and drop you back by 5PM and the night/stay trip house boats usually depart around midday and return the following day at 8AM.

Different operators will offer slightly different routes, depending on your budget.

Your trip will usually start with a welcome drink which is a fresh coconut (might vary). For lunch they usually prepare rice, Sambar, mixed vegetables, chicken, Fish Fry (fried fish), pickles and fruits. Dinner, you can expect an Indian curry veg or non veg, Chappati, Dal, Rice vegetables or salad. If you looking for a snack you will get tea, coffee and banana fritters. Finally for breakfast you will get a choice of eggs, bread, butter and Jam and either a Dosa or Poori Masala.

Some house boats will also stop at nearby toddy shop, where you can try some Toddy.

You can also buy lobsters, prawns and so on from local fishermen and the house boat cook would prepare some tasty dishes with that fish. Obviously, such fish would normally be very costly.

Note: The food is normally prepared using coconut oil, but if you have some oil preferences, please communicate the same to the house boat staff/owner/booking agent, in advance.

The best time to visit Alleppey is during the months of September to March. Alleppey has moderately hot summers with April and May being the hottest months.

If you have enough time, you can also explore the backwaters in the Government Ferry/boat. There are boats that are run by the State Water Transport Department (SWTD) of Kerela. There are many stops in different locations with people getting on and off. The ticket rates will be extremely low in these types of boats. You can also see a lot of tourists taking this means of transport aswell.

You can also try some local Canoe here

We visited Kannur (Cannanore) in April 2017. This can be a good long weekend travel option for people from Bangalore. Ideally, I would suggest you to opt a road trip rather than a train or bus. You can easily set aside 2 days, to see the attractions in Kannur.

Places that we visited

Sargalaya / Iringal Craft’s Village (Enroute Kannur from Kozhikode)

Geographically, this is in Kozhikode district but don’t miss this place if you are travelling from Kozhikode to Kannur by road. Sargaalaya is a 20-acre arts and crafts village in Iringal (near Vadakara). There are lot of traditional crafts, available for sale at a decent price.

The tourists can also enjoy boating in the Moorad River.

Good to see such initiatives from the side of Kerala Government.

Angelo Fort:

It is infact a symbol of influence from various Europeans who had ruled this place. This is comparatively as smaller fort. You can also see a jail inside, with lot of prisons.

The beautiful location facing the sea, the well-maintained gardens inside the fort and the peaceful ambience gives an experience for the visitors.

Payyambalam Beach:

This is the longest beach in Kannur. Another popular spot for locals as well as the tourists. There are lot of water sports available here. Lot of people visit here to do Kite – Flying.

Entrance of the beach looks very odd and small.

There is a small bridge which takes you to the beach. There are lot of monuments at the side of this bridge. These monuments commemorate the lives of famous political leaders who had played an important role in Kerala politics.

Payyambalam beach has appeared in several South Indian films and advertisements. The Tamil movie Alai Payude, directed by Mani Ratnam, Worldspace ad by A.R.Rahman, and many more have scenes filmed here.

Sri RajaRajeswara Temple:

The Rajarajeswara temple is a Shiva temple located at Taliparamba in the Kannur district of Kerala, South India. The temple is regarded as one of the existing 108 ancient Shiva Temples of ancient Kerala. It also has a prominent place amongst the numerous Shiva temples in South India. As the custom, only men enter the Naalambalam during the daytime, while women standing outside. Women can enter the Naalambalm all days once the Athazha pooja is over in the evening. It is assumed that after Athazha pooja the lord is in an aspect of a very pleased and gracious disposition accompanied by his consort goddess Parvathi — this is considered to be the most auspicious time for women to enter the Naalambalam as they get the occasion to worship the divine couple.

Muzhappilangad Drive In Beach (around 4 Kms):

This is one of the favourite hangout spot for locals/tourists. This is a Drive in beach, where you can drive through the beach in your vehicle along an unbroken stretch of 3-4 Kms. This is simply amazing. This is one of the longest Drive in Beach in Asia. Not far from the southern end of the beach is the Dharmadam island.

Dharmadam Island:

Dharmadam Island (Green Island) is an nice island located at Thalassery. It’s a beautiful place with coconut trees and dense bushes extending upto 5 acres. The island is just 100 meters from the mainland of Dharmadam. The island is surrounded by the Anjarakandy river on three sides and by the Arabian sea on the fourth side. The island is a beautiful sight from the Muzhappilangad beach.

During low tides, the sea becomes less intense making it possible for tourists to visit the island. Walking through the shallow waters to the island is an exciting experience. However, do not venture to the island alone, as the water can rise expeditiously during high tide. Get advice from a local guides, if you travel to Dharmadam through the low tides.

An alternative way to reach Dharmadam is by taking a boat from the south end of Moidu Bridge which is close by on the Kannur-Thalassery highway.

There is also a small well in the island whose water is not salty.

Other Places Near By (within 25 Kms):

• Thottada Beach (10 Kms)
• Choottad Beach (25 Kms)
• Meenkunnu Beach (10 Kms)
• Arakkal Museum (3.5 Kms)
• Parassinikkadavu Muttapan Kavu (19.5 kms)
• Parassinikkadavu Snake Park and Mini Zoo (16 Kms)
• Vismaya water Theme Park (17.5 kms)
• Thalassery Fort (21 Kms)

Food:

There are a lot of options for foodies here in Kannur.

Raandal: I really liked the food that we had from here. Fish Biriyani and Mango Fish curry are worth trying. The desserts and special drinks were equally good. They have very good options for Vegetarians aswell.

Sheen Bakery: Don’t forget to buy butter cakes from here. Seems they have many branches across the city.

Accommodation:

Kannur have a lot of hotels, homestays and resorts. Ensure to book in advance during long weekends or vacations. Personal recommendation would be to take a home stay.

We stayed in ‘Harris Sea Shell Beach Home’. I would definitely recommend this place to my fellow travellers. There is a beach very near to the resort. The sea view from this resort is amazing.

How to Reach:

Air: The nearest airports is Kozhikode International Airport.

Recent Update: A New International airport is now open in Kannur (December 2018). Lot of domestic players have also started operations from here. Do search in some websites to see the connectivity to your place.

Train: The nearest railway station is Kannur Railway station.

Bus: Kannur also have one private bus stand and one KSRTC (Kerala State road Transport Corporation) Bus stand. There are lot of state and interstate connecting buses available from here.

Important Disclaimer: The political history of Kannur is not great compared to other states. So please check with your resort/hotel and ensure that there are no political fights/hartals in Kannur as a whole or at the specific place that you intend to visit.

“Great things are done when men and mountains meet.”

– William Blake

Jadayupara (Jadayu Earth’s center) located in Chadayamangalam in Kollam district is one of the newly added feather to Kerala’s Tourism Sector.

I decided to visit this place along with my family on 27^th September 2018. Couldn’t find a better day than 27^th September, World Tourism day, to visit this amazing place. Before I proceed with my experience, I would certainly like to take this blog to congratulate Sculptor ‘Rajiv Anchal’ Sir and his team for giving us ‘Kearalites’ such a wonderful Architecture masterpiece.

Route:

My journey to Jadayu started from Kazhakuttom, near Trivandrum.

Kazhakuttom –> Pothencode bypass –> Venjaramoodu (MC road) –> Chadayamangalam

The distance from TVM KSRTC Station to Jadayu Earth’s center is 51 KMS (1.5 Hrs Approx)

The distance from Kollam KSRTC Station to Jadayu Earth’s center is 40 KMS (1.25 Hrs Approx)

If you are coming by public transport like KSRTC or Private Bus, you will have to walk around 1 KM from the MC road to reach this space.

Current Status (as on 27^th September 2018):

The facility is not fully operational yet. The pending works like Rama Temple, 6D theater, Museum and so on is expected to be completed by Jan 2019. Helicopter service will also be operational by that time.

As of now, we can use the Ropeway / cable car to reach up to the hill where the biggest bird statue is built.

Once fully operational, this is going to be one of the best tourist destinations in Kerala.

Hopefully, the management would keep the cleanliness in the coming years aswell.

WikiPedia Link

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatayu_Earth%E2%80%99s_Center

Official Web Site

http://jatayuadventurecenter.com/

Overview:

There is a rope way / Cable car facility available (Imported from Switzerland), which will take you to the Jatayu bird sculpture. Currently there are 16 compartments, each having a maximum capacity to carry 8 persons (640 Kgs).

Jatayu Nature Park will hold the distinction of having the world’s largest bird sculpture (200 feet (61 m) long, 150 feet (46 m) broad, 70 feet (21 m) in height and having 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) of floor area) of the great mythical bird Jatayu (Courtesy: Wikipedia Page)

Bookings/Tickets:

As of now bookings can be done only through online mode.

In case if you are a walk-in tourist who decided to drop by with a sudden plan or you are person who is reluctant to do a prior online booking, don’t worry! There are some shops nearby the facility, who can help you with the online booking.

The charges for online Booking is around 400 for adults and 360 for senior citizens (10% discount). Free entry for kids with height up to 90cm

Online Bookings can be done here –> http://www.jatayuearthscenter.com/

Please note that the 400 rupees ticket is for the Rope way/cable car service and there might be different ticket rates for Museum and Theatre, once they are operational.

Please note that there are currently 3-time slots available, while you try online booking:

10:00-12:00 (My personal preferred option –> 1)

12:00-15:00 (My personal preferred option –> 3)

15:00-17:00 (My personal preferred option –> 2)

Personally, I feel this is just for the visitor’s convenience. However, they will still allow you to go inside the campus anytime.

Foodies:

In case if you are coming in from Kazhakuttom side, you can try out:

Shantigiri Veg restaurant near Pothencode (Vegetarian Option).

Variyorakkada near Kilimanoor in MC Road (Non-Vegetarian Option)

There is a restaurant available near the sculpture. Not sure if they would provide lunch and other items. There are some small hotels / Bakeries near the Main gate.

Parking:

There are ample parking space available and lot of staff are available at your service. The parking is currently Free of cost.

Campus:

Please note that they don’t entertain Plastic items like bottles and all inside the campus. There is a clock room available where you can keep the items (Free of cost)

Extreme care has been taken to help people with walking disabilities. Wherever possible, there are lifts provided.

The Rest Rooms/ Toilets is fitted with the world class Brands and is extremely clean.

You will have to undergo a thorough security check, before you board the Rope Way.

Little care:

Be a little careful, while you get into and out of the ropeway compartments. They normally will be travelling at a very low speed and you should be getting inside and coming out, on the move. Be a little careful, while you do so.

Summary:

I would certainly recommend this place. It will certainly be a Wonderful experience. This Facility should be functional fully by Q1, 2019.

If you are coming from Trivandrum/Kazhakuttom side, you can also cover Parnasala of Santhigiri (full bloomed lotus in pure white marble) near Pothencode.

We visited Kochi in April 2018.

Kochi (also known as Cochin / Fort Kochi) is a city in south India’s coastal state ‘Kerala’. It has been a port since 1341, when a flood carved out its harbour and opened it to Arab, Chinese and European merchants. Sites reflecting those influences include Fort Kochi, a settlement with tiled colonial bungalows and diverse houses of worship. Cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, typical of Kochi, have been in use for centuries.

Kochi can easily fit in as a 2 Day Itinerary in your travel plan. Kochi is widely used as an entry point by all tourists because of the connectivity of flights from ‘Cochin International Airport.’ Also I have seen many tourists using this as a transit place for travelling to other regions like Munnar. If you have more days in your trip I would suggest spending 2 days here in Kochi and travel to Munnar or Alappuzha based on your choice.

Jew Street/Jew Town

This is the oldest settlement of Jews in India. It is a narrow street between Mattancherry Palace and the Paradesi Synagogue. On both sides of the road, you will find shops that are selling spices, antiques, colourful shawls and handicrafts. It’s a very nice place to wander and a great place to shop for souvenirs.

Fort Kochi/Chinese Fishing Nets

The parking options are slightly less compared to the number of people who visit this place. The boats between Kochi-Vypeen starts and ends here. It’s a Government run boat and the ticket price is less than 5 rupees. We were lucky enough to see the new boat (Jangaar) in service between Fort Kochi and Vypeen, that was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Kerala the same day.

There is a path way available in FortKochi. You can also enjoy the Sunset view from here.

The Chinese Fishing Nets are the most famous sight here. Chinese nets (Cheenavala) is an interesting way to catch fish from the shore, it takes about 3-5 men to pull in the net using a pulley system made of rope, rocks, teak, and bamboo. This is slowly missing its popularity as people started using boats for catching fish. After a few years, I am sure people won’t even remember / know that such a technique did exist.

The main thing that needs improvement is cleanliness. Government has to take some steps here regarding cleanliness. It is very important for any place, to attract the tourists.

Lulu Mall

LuLu International Shopping Mall is a shopping mall located in Kochi, Kerala. It is the largest shopping mall in India in terms of total area. With an average daily footfall of more than 80,000, it is one of the most visited places in Kerala.

Kochi Metro

Kochi Metro is the first metro in the state of Kerala. It was opened to the public within four years of starting the construction, making it the fastest completed metro project in India until the Lucknow Metro overtook it. Kochi Metro was lauded for its decision to employ Kudumbashree workers and also members of the transgender community.

Sunset Cruise from Marine drive

Sunset cruise is another interesting thing to do in Kochi. It’s a great way to see the Chinese Fishing Nets from the water and to enjoy the Cochin backwaters at a leisurely pace. It is also the perfect opportunity to spot dolphins! It lasts for around 1.5 – 2 Hours. Sorry to say that you cannot enjoy this ride fully, because of the mosquitos.

Bolgatty Islands

Bolgatty Palace is located on an island of the same name, Bolgatty Island. It is one of the oldest Dutch palaces outside of Holland built by the Dutch. It was the residence of a number of British governors, but after independence the state turned it into a heritage resort. It’s another great place to wander around and to enjoy a cup of tea!

We again witnessed another inauguration here.

Lulu Bolgatty International Convention centre and Grand Hyatt Hotel was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Kerala the same day, a few hours back. The view of the convention centre from the cruise boat was amazing.

Other Places nearby

Dutch Cemetery and St. Francis Church: At this church, explorer Vasco da Gama was buried for 14 years before being dug up and taken back to Lisbon. It’s also the oldest European church in India.

Vasco Da Gama Tomb
MattancherryPalace (Dutch Palace)
Fort Emmanuel
Sant Cruz Basilica
Cherai Beach

You can also watch a Kathakali Performance or go for an Ayurveda Massage.

Accommodation

There are accommodations that suit all budgets, available in Kochi.

We stayed in Ramada Resort Kochi.

If you’d like to stay away from the hustle and bustle, then consider staying at Ramada Kochi Resort. A littleaway from Fort Kochi, it’s a place of peace and it has everything you need to relax after a well explored day. It has Kerala’s Biggest pool, multiple restaurant choices. All this right by the edge of the Kochi Backwaters. I would recommend staying in one of the Cottage Rooms, with a balcony overlooking the longest pool you have ever seen. Please note that there are many rooms that doesn’t have any views. Such rooms won’t be worth your money.

Sea Food

Don’t forget to have some sea food before you travel back from Kochi.

How to Reach

Cochin International Airport is an hour by taxi from Fort Kochi, and traffic jams are a regular occurrence, so try and get an air-conditioned car and make yourself comfortable.

Kochi is connected to all other regions across Kerala by Bus. The KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) bus stand is also within the city limits.

Kochi also have 2 railway stations – North Railway station and the South Railway station.

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware.”– Martin Buber

Happened to Visit Kuttiady Dam in October 2018.

My Route : Kuttiady private Bus Stand –> Kadiyangad Bus Stop –> Kuttiady Dam

Kuttiady to Kadiyangad will be around a 10 Rupees ticket in a private bus.

From Kadiyangad, its around 7 KMS to the Dam.

If you are a Budget Traveler, you can get into a private bus from Kadiyangad Bus stop to reach the dam.

Because of some time constraints, I went in an Auto by paying around 150 Rupees (To and Fro Charges + 15 Minutes Waiting Charges)

Ticket Charges:

Ticket Charge is around 5 rupees per person. They had also taken 5 Rupees for the Auto Parking.

History:

Ideally, it’s an Irrigation Dam project. But now a days a huge drinking water project under the financial aid from Japan (locally known as Japan Kuddivella Padhathi) is implemented for distributing drinking water to Kozhikode city and other nearby panchayaths.

As a part of this drinking water project, a WELL – measuring 3.5 m in height and 18 m in diameter was constructed on the bank and then floated in the reservoir and fixed at the location. It is intended to store water for supply to 13 lakh consumers. There are six gates through which water from the reservoir will enter the well, which will have the capacity of storing 174 million litre per day (mld). The project has been envisaged to meet the requirements of the targeted consumers for 30 years.

(Courtesy: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/Japan-drinking-water-project-sees-new-construction-method/articleshow/18141378.cms)

Overview:

Was very much disappointed with this destination. They have almost closed all the gates because of which we can’t see the real beauty of the reservoir or the dam. The entry into the Dam Pathway is also blocked. Anyway, the dam is also very small.

The Garden is also not maintained properly nowadays.

If you are a nearby traveler, it’s OK to visit this place. But if you are coming from a Faraway place just to see this destination, please think twice before proceeding.

Other Points of Interest (Personally, I did not get enough time to visit the below places)

1) Crocodile/Snake Park

2) Heard that there is a Kayaking place near by

I visited Parasinikadavu and Kottiyoor temples in October 2018.

Kottiyoor Temple

Kottiyoor temple is situated in the Kottiyoor village, East Kannur almost 65 Kilometers from Kannur Town. Since it is on the eastern side of Kannur, it falls under the Western Ghats region of Kannur. The huge hills ,valleys and dense forests – iconic landmarks of the Western Ghats can be experienced here.

This is a prominent Shiva temple in the state of Kerala and also known as ‘Varanasi of the South’ (Dakshinakashi)

There are two temples in Kottiyoor – one on the western bank of the Bavali river- and the other being on the eastern bank.

Also known as Ikkare and Akkare Kottiyoor.

The Vaisakha Maholsavam festival is held every year during the months of May – June. The twenty-seven-day festival commences with the Neyyattam ritual on the Swati Day in Edavam and concludes with the Thrikkalashaattu.

The temple on the east bank (Akkare Kottiyoor) is a temporary place of worship (its located in dense forest). It is open only during the Vysakha festival. The temple on the west bank Ikkare Kottiyoor is a permanent one like other Hindu temples and you can visit this temple any time of the year (except on some special occasions).

There is a lot of history behind these 2 temples. As per the legends, Kottiyoor is the place where the ancient king Daksha performed Daksha Yaga.

I travelled to Kottiyoor temple from Kannur. The last private bus that starts from Kannur Bus stand to Kottiyoor is between 3- 3:30 PM (don’t recollect the exact timing now) and it takes around 2.5 hrs to reach the destination. Also please keep in mind the last private bus from Kottiyoor is at 7 PM and its to Thalassery. Also there are 1-2 long route KSRTC buses that go through this route to Thalassery and other places. Keep these timings in mind, so that you can plan your journey accordingly.

I was surprised to see that there was no rush at the temple . To be frank, at 6:30 PM, I was the only person in the temple. What I understood from the local shop vendors was the temple receives the highest number of pilgrimage in the festival season after Sabarimala and there is no rush at all during the remaining days,

Websites:

http://kottiyoordevaswom.com/

http://www.kottiyoortemple.com/

Address:

Sree Thricherumanna Alias Kottiyoor Devaswom

P.O. Kottiyoor, Kannur Dist, Pin-670 651
Tel : +91 490 2430234 , 2430434
Fax: 0480 2430234
e-Mail: info@kottiyoordevaswom.com,
kottiyoordevaswom@yahoo.com

Parassinikkadavu Temple

Sri Muthappan Temple is located at Parassinikadavu 20 kms from Kannur Town, on the banks of Valapatnam River.

The first bus that starts from Kannur bus stand is a KSRTC bus (6 AM- 6:30 AM, I don’t recollect the exact timing now). The bus picks passengers from both private and KSRTC bus stations.

This temple is unique for its worship styles and rituals. Unlike other temples here the offerings to the deity include toddy [an extract from coconut trees], fish and meat. Also, people from any religion can enter this temple. Happened to see a lot of foreigners visiting this temple.

There is a lot of history behind this temple. Unlike other temples, the devotees can ‘interact’ with the God as they pour out their grievances in a free-wheeling ‘chat’ with the tastefully decorated “Muthappan Theyyam,” an artist who assumes ‘divinity’ by representing the God.

Sree Muthappan is always accompanied by a dog. Dogs are considered sacred here and one can see dogs in large numbers in and around the temple.

You can see two carved bronze dogs at the entrance of the temple that are believed to symbolize the bodyguards of the God. When the Prasad is ready, it is first served to a dog that is always ready inside the temple complex.

From the Bus stand to the temple, you will have to cover a lot of steps. So be prepared for this.

Parassinikadavu Sri Muthappan Temple generally remains open in all seasons of the year.

Timing:

Vellattam and Thiruvappana are performed everyday morning from 5:45 and 8 AM.

Vellattam is also performed in the evening around 6:30 PM.

Thiruvappana is not performed on the following days:

1) Thulam 1^st to Vrishchikam 15^th, every year
2) Amaavasi (new moon) day of Karkkitakam and Thulam
3) ‘Nira’ day of the temple
4) When there is a death in the Madappura family.

The temple provides free meals and free accommodation to everyone who comes there.

There is also a supply of tea and boiled ‘Red cow beans (Vanpayar)’ along with coconut pieces, as prasadam.

Darjeeling is a busy little hillside town in northeastern West Bengal

The main idea behind this trip was to take a ride in the Toy train.
Its really an amazing journey. It’s good to pre-book the tickets, to avoid any last minute rush.
Tickets can be pre-booked in the website www.irctc.co.in
You can give the source destination and target destination as below:

I have seen many of the co-passengers getting down at the Ghum station. This can save your time, if you have a tight packed journey plan. The train stops in between for water refilling.

Couple of other places that we visited were:

1.Rangeet Valley Ropeway

If you want a panoramic photograph of tea plantations, Rangeet Valley Ropeway is a must. This was built in 1968 and is the first cable car in India. It’s a 15 minute ride over the sprawling field and an epic view. The ropeway stops at a small village of Tuvkar, where you can keep walking to its tea estate and visit its factory. The ropeway met with an accident in 2003, a cable car fell off killing four people. However, it reopened in 2012.

2. Japanese temple and Peace Pagoda

The Japanese Temple is the symbol of peace. It is located in the Jalapahar Hills and is built in the traditional Japanese style. The view from here is simply wonderful.

3. Chunnu Summer falls (Rock Garden)

The Rock Garden and Ganga Maya Park are two beautiful parks located close to each other. Rock garden is a terraced garden that has been cut through the rock and seating arrangements are made in between. The major attraction here is the cascading waterfall.

4. Batasia Loop and War Memorial

Batasia Loop is a garden and one of the scenic routes of the Toy Train . The valley view from this park is stunning. In this park there is a war memorial dedicated to Gurkha soldiers.

5. We also visited a couple of Monasteries and temples.

“A ship in a harbor is safe, but it not what ships are built for.”

John A.

We visited Gangtok in January 2018. A family friend and his family accompanied us in the entire trip.

We visited the following places:

1. Nathula Pass till Tsomgo Lake: An important pass on the crossroads of the Indo-China border, Nathula Pass forms a part of an offshoot of the Old Silk Road. We couldn’t reach till the Chinese border in Nathula Pass due to bad weather conditions. This was my first experience with Snow Fall, within India.. Quite a memorable one…Really enjoyed each and every moment of that day.

Temperatures at Nathula can be dramatically different from Gangtok. So it is good to plan accordingly, wear inner thermals and carry additional warm clothes (jackets) which you can use later. Carry woollen gloves and caps. Buying these items at the Nathula pass might be costly. There are options to take these items (heavy jackets and shoes) for rent from the shops available en route (like the the ones below)

How to reach Nathula Pass from Gangtok: Nathula Pass is located 54 km east of Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. The only way to reach the pass is through road from Gangtok. Sturdy vehicles such as Innova, Bolero, and Scorpio are available for rent from Gangtok. You can also share a cab till Nathula Pass with other tourists. The road from Gangtok to Nathula Pass is steep and slippery. It is decently maintained, except in a few places.

How to get Nathula Pass permit: A permit can be obtained by applying to the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department. You can apply through a registered travel agency. I had booked ‘Dokham Tours’ (service and dealings were good and impressive). The agency will take care of your permits. A photo ID proof and two passport size photographs are required for the same. Seems only specific number of vehicles are given permission every day. Dont forget to take your ID card along with you on the travel date.

Tsomgo River, enroute Nathula Pass : Also known as the Changu Lake, this place offers an idyllic scenery and is a travellers’ delight. The lake reflects different colours with different seasons and get frozen during the winter months. And dont miss the Tsomgo Rope way, its worth the money. It gives a wonderful panoramic view of the lake and the mountains all around.

2. Gangtok Ropeway: We boarded the Ropeway at Deorali just to see a panoramic view of Gangtok. Two kms ride (to and fro) passes through the main area of Gangtok and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Those interested in photography may find it interesting and exciting to shoot the view from the height and from various angles. The front and back ends of the cable car has one sliding glass window to take pictures without any hindrances.

3. Rumtek Monastery: It is located 24 kilometres (15 mi) from Gangtok, at an altitude of about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft).

4. M G Road: MG Road has to be the most happening place in Gangtok. The place has everything a tourist requires – hotels, good restaurants catering to all tastes, shopping’s, ATMs, Tourist Office.

5. Banjhakri Water Falls: It is a natural water fall sourced from springs at higher elevation. There is also a park nearby where you will find lot of man made monuments.There are restaurants available in this region.

We would suggest reaching the place by around 10 AM, so that there won’t be much crowd.

If possible, avoid holidays and weekends.

While entering the gate, left side will be safari journey and right side will lead you to the zoo. First complete the safari as the wait time for safari will increase during the course of the day.

The most important part of the whole trip is the safari.

Safari is well organised. You will be asked to wait for your turn in various waiting sheds. You will be asked to get into a bus accordingly.

To prevent the animal attack, Safari is normally done using fully covered mini bus (operated by the Forest department).

The safari bus will start once the seating capacity is full. The side windows have grills but there are openings to put a camera and/or binocular. The front of the bus has wider grill-less windows, but that front right side seat is usually blocked by the bus staff (helper). Sometimes the helper in the bus will offer someone a seat and the expectation is that they will be given a good tip at the end of this trip. My relative was also trapped in this and he had to pay around 100 rupees. The large area that the safari takes you through is fenced and there are entry/exits to different portions of the safari (lion safari, tiger safari, bear safari etc). It takes about an hour as they stop whenever they see animals.

The ride was about an hour. We got a chance to see deer, rein deer, bears, elephants, lions, tigers, white tigers, very closely. People of all age group would certainly love this safari.

Once the safari is completed, they will drop you at the Butterfly park and then you can visit the zoo later on. There is nothing special about the zoo but the butterfly park is amazing.

The butterfly park was conceptualized as one integrated center that would support education, conservation and research activities.

I have heard that there are boat rides available within the park, but I haven’t gone gone for it.

The detailed tariff can be found below. I would suggest booking the ticket online, so that you can avoid the rush.

There is a lot of parking space available near the main gate. Off course there is a small parking fees aswell.

There is a public bus stand just at the entrance of the Park. There are lot of bus service (like 365, 366, 368) from various parts of the city to this place, which make it easy for people to visit the park, even if they don’t have their own vehicle.

The following needs some improvement:

Properly organise the parking area.

Properly organise the ticketing areas. There are lot of confusions.

Toilets needs more maintenance.

Goa is one of the smallest and one of the most preferred tourist location in India. Most tourists come here during their winter to enjoy sunny days, blissful beaches, fresh seafood, spicy curries, vibrant markets and so on. Tourists typically know Goa as North and South Goa, the former being the place to be if you’re looking forward to a “happening” holiday, and the latter, if you need a more relaxing respite from your hectic lifestyle. Goa is a perfect gateway for all, no matter it’s a Family holiday, a quick weekend gateway or a honeymoon trip…

Some places/activities that we tried:

1.Aguada Fortress:

Fort Aguada is a medium size fortress with a light house on the top of the rocks in Aguada district made by Portuguese in Goa.We get an excellent sea view from this Fortress.

2. Basilica of Bom Jesus

This church is often called as Basilica of Good Jesus and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The structure has stood the test of time and has been preserved quite well. The church holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier.

3. We also managed to do a small Cruise journey with lots of music and dance. It was exciting.

4.Tried some water sports . It was a nice experience.

If interested, you can also try your luck in some Casinos here.

There are so many nice beaches in Goa like below (read somewhere that there are more than 25 beaches)

1. Calangute
2. Palolem
3. Baga
4. Vegator
5. Ozram
6. Anjuna
7. Keri
8. Mandrem
9. Arambol
10. Colva
11. Galgibaga

We had stayed in Sterling Resorts ‘Goa Villagio’. It was a decent resort but slightly far from the happeneing places.

We had taken a car for rent and tried to explore some interior villages in Goa. That was fun and exciting. Goa’s interiors are rich in biodiversity and wildlife.

The Goan’s are renowned for their fine multi-cultural cuisine.

Two hotels that I would recommend based on my experience are (though slightly expensive):

1. Zeebop Sea food Restaurant:

We were told it is one of the best places to go to in South Goa. If you are staying in Dabolim this is a convenient place to get to with a scenic drive through the Goa countryside with its churches and Portuguese era country mansions ending on the quiet beach where this restaurant is located.

We really enjoyed the Fish menu in this hotel. Ambiance was also nice, quite near to the sea.

2. Martin’s Corner:

Another highly recommended hotel as per Trip Advisor reviews.

This is indeed a bigger restaurant with a wide spread of Sea food menu.

Not too many options for vegetarians.

The seafood served here is simply awesome.

How to reach:

By Air: Dabolim Airport is 29 kilometres away from the state’s capital, Panjim. It is well connected by daily flights from Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Cochin and Bangalore.

Mopa Airport is an under-construction greenfield airport being built at Mopa in North Goa (as of dec 2018)

By Train: The two major railheads in Goa are Madgaon and Thivim, which are well connected by trains from all over the country.

By Bus: There are a number of public as well as private bus operators in Goa, which offer options for intra-city and inter-city conveyance.