Travel Diary

Tweet There are many popular hill stations in India that are really cool places to visit in the summer. Ranging from North India to South India and East to West, each region has their own picturesque hill station to choose from. Kashmir has some of the most beautiful hill stations in the world like Srinagar, Gulmarg and Sonmarg. I have been to quite a few of these hill stations in the North and South of India; namely :- Shimla, Kasuali, Dalhousie, Mussoorie, Munnar, Kodaikanal, Ooty, and Mahabaleshwar. Each place has its own unique features and beauty that cannot be compared to any other. And due to their high altitude by virtue of their being located in the top of the mountain ranges stretched all across the Indian terrain, they offer cooler temperatures and so are really pleasant to visit in the summer. The British cleverly recognized this feature of the hill stations and were quick to establish them as their summer capitals during their Raj in India.   Himachal Prad...

Tweet The summer vacations were looming ahead, in the month of may, with the prospect of a whole month of heat and nothing much to do. We had already been to all the nearby places, where one could drive for a holiday, places like Mahabaleshwar, Ganapatiphule, Alibaug, Lonavala, Khandala and even Shirdi. So, where could we go next? A friend suggested that we try out the Sula Vineyards at Nashik . That sounded pretty interesting since it seemed quite nearby promising a good enjoyable drive and also offering something new that we had never seen before, namely a vineyard. We checked out their website and found out that they have a resort called " Beyond " at the vineyards where one could book rooms or even a three bedroom luxury villa for a comfortable stay. Well, not wasting much time, we went ahead and booked a deluxe room for ourself for two days and two nights. The package included all three meals and coupons for the tour to the Sula Vineya...

Tweet I know just the perfect stimulating and thrilling high flying adventure activity that your family will love to indulge in this summer: Para sailing in Goa. Goa is the perfect haven for all tourists in summer. There is plenty to do, see and "feel" and chill out too in Goa. The place has plenty of beaches to head to if you need to cool down by taking a dip in the Arabian Sea. The most popular beaches for the tourists in Goa are Calangute, Anjuna beach, Baga beach, Condolim beach, Majorda beach, Dona Paula beach, etc. Enjoy the thrill and excitement of water sports activities at any of the beaches mentioned above. You can indulge in Para sailing, Windsurfing, Dinghy Sailing, Water-Skiing, Body boards, Motor-boats rides, Water-scooter rides, Snorkeling and Jet-ski rides. Not only this you can also indulge in Scuba diving, Canoeing and Fishing. Beaches in Goa Para sailing is an ideal sport to indulge in while in Goa, specially during the summers. The best time ...

Tweet I have just returned from a very exciting, thrilling and enjoyable trip to the Andaman Islands. As we had only 6 days at our disposal we were able to visit only a few of the islands and Port Blair. There are a lot of foreign and Indian tourists who visit the Andaman Islands for a holiday or sight seeing. While some places are very strict about not polluting the sea and the beaches with plastic water bottles or polythene bags, I was shocked to see the Andaman sea flooded with water bottles all the way from the Port Blair (Aberdeen) Jetty to the Ross Island Jetty. The sight of all those water bottles bobbing up and down in the sea was very disheartening and a sore for the eyes. I really had a strong urge to jump into the water and collect all those bottles and bring them ashore, to clean up the seas. The Andaman Sea water is very deep blue in color on a normal sunny day and the waters are crystal clear. It's a pity to see it being polluted this way by water bottles, which w...

Tweet (30th March 2009): After a relaxing morning at Havelock island, we checked out of our rooms after lunch and set off for the jetty to reach there by 2:00pm. We arrived well before the time of departure, 3:00pm so that we don't miss the ferry. We had asked the hotel reception to purchase our tickets for the ferry the day before and so we had no hassles to board the ferry. We realized that nobody gives out the real information regarding availability or booking of the boat tickets so that the agents can fleece money from you by asking exorbitant sums just to book your ticket for you. So my advice is, don't fall for these guys. All correct information is available at the ticket counter and you can book the tickets in advance contrary to what the agents are going to tell you. The ferry departed on time and it took almost 2 hrs to reach Neil island. The journey on the boat was fun as we came out to stand in the open deck and could get cool breeze. We were s...

Tweet (30th March 2009): The next day we got up early to catch the 6:45 am ferry to Havelock Island from the Pheonix Bay. This ferry takes 4 hrs to reach the destination as it is very slow. We managed to get concessional tickets (specially for defense officers) of Rs 25/- only, as against the regular fare of Rs 250/-. Let me remind you again that all the tickets were booked in advance by our friend for us and so we could go straight ahead with our trip without much hassles. The sun rises early in Port Blair as it is on the east coast and so light breaks as early as 5:00am. Therefore, there was bright sunlight when we boarded the ship/ferry and found our seats on the upper deck. We carried some snacks and water bottles with us (from a tea stall nearby) as we had no information if we would get anything on board. But, we later discovered that it was really not necessary as tea and snacks were available in the cafeteria. Ramanujam Ferry The ferry departed on ...

Tweet (30th March 2009) : The next day we proceeded to Wandoor, which is about 29 Km from Port Blair to catch the ferry to Jolly Buoy. Wandoor consists of stunningly beautiful group of 15 islands that form part of the 280 sq kms of Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. It took us about half an hour to reach the jetty where the boat was ready. The best time to leave for Jolly Buoy is around 9:00am when both the boats leave the jetty together and also return together. Jolly Buoy is an uninhabited island and so we had to carry packed lunch and snacks with us as also drinking water. The island is a strictly "No Plastics" zone and so you are not allowed to carry any polythene bags with you to the island. We were also told to bring back all the empty water bottles back with us. A thorough checking of our bags was done before we were allowed to board the boat. We reached the jetty well in time as we were under the impression that the boat would depart at 8:30a...

Tweet (30th March 2009) : I am just back from an exciting holiday in the Andaman Islands. It was the most beautiful and enchanting place I have ever seen. It’s been a soul enriching experience and I would definitely recommend anyone who hasn’t been there yet to visit the place at least once in their lifetime. However, you need to do a little planning well in advance to be able to enjoy your experience. Here is how we went about it. Our tickets were booked in advance on the Kingfisher Airlines via Chennai to Port Blair. You need to book your flights well in advance to get the maximum discounts in the airfare, as the rates keep fluctuating like the stock market closer to your date of journey. We took the early morning flight (6:45 am) to Chennai, which took about 2 hrs and a connecting flight from there to Port Blair. Aerial View Port Blair We had the whole package planned and laid out for us by a friend who is posted there at present in the Naval Base. As we w...