How to Plan a Vacation?

Come holidays and we begin to wonder where to go next. Somewhere we have been or someplace new, somewhere in our own country or abroad, somewhere relaxing or adventurous? There are questions galore! And At times it gets perplexing!

So, how to plan a vacation? …And how to ensure having a good time on one?

With vacations, good planning goes a long way in ensuring a good, fun-filled, hassle-free holiday. Here are a few things to keep in mind while planning your next retreat.

1.  First and foremost comes your budget, as it has a big role to play in your choice of destination. Also, it can both, put constraints on or liberalise your duration of stay, activities, shopping etc.

2.   The duration you want to get away for. Once you are clear about how many days of break you need, it is easier to plan a vacation destination keeping the budget in mind.

3.   Relaxing or thrilling holiday. There are times one feels the need of a laidback holiday while at the other times he may seek adventure dying to do a thing he has never tried before or explore the unexplored.

If you go for what you want, your holiday is less likely to be a disappointment and you are bound to return happy and refreshed after your much-needed, fulfilling break.

4.  Shortlist a few places of interest. We all desire to visit certain places or do certain things, at least once in our lifetime. Away from the humdrum of life, vacations present us with the perfect opportunity to realise our dreams and add meaning & quality to life. Shortlist the places which tempt you or offer what you are seeking.

5.  Decide on your final destination. Once you have the budget, duration and clarity on what you desire and which all places you want to visit, you will be able to easily home on to where to go next.

While deciding you must keep, the prevailing weather, tourist season and other factors, in mind. Like visiting hills in monsoons might sound romantic but it is not a very good idea because of the fear of landslides, slippery roads, traffic snarls etc.

6.  Road, Rail or Air? Do you love travelling by road? Is the distance appropriate enough to travel by your own car? And do you have adequate time to do so? Or will it be better to catch a suitable train or maybe go by air? And would you get a means of transport at your holiday destination? These are a few of the things you must consider beforehand.

7.   Book your hotel and air tickets. It is always better to book your hotel and tickets in advance, as at times places are over-booked and exorbitantly priced, especially so during the tourist season.

Before booking your hotel you must check out reviews by genuine travellers on various websites and forums like Tripadvisor and HolidayIq etc.

8.   Chart out your itinerary. After your bookings, come to your itinerary. It is always a good idea to work out your itinerary beforehand so that you can spread out your day excursions and hectic activities to give you adequate gaps for relaxation and recouping, the whole idea behind a vacation.

Also, if there is any tourist place or activity which requires prior permission, medical certificate or entrance passes to be collected from someplace else, you will be better prepared.

9.   Pack thoughtfully. While carrying all your latest and best attires might definitely be your first temptation that actually might not be enough. If you have done your research well on the place and decided what all you are going to indulge in, you must pack accordingly too.

While catering to weather goes without saying, things like a repellent for camping and forest visits, comfortable shoes for long nature walks, light jackets for nippy evenings, costumes for swimming and binoculars for bird-watching come pretty handy.

With tickets in hand and bags packed, you are all set to go. Embark on your journey with a planning well done and have a time of your life!

Wanderlust!

We are all struck by wanderlust every now and then. We all crave exploring the unknown and visiting the unvisited whenever we can. And we all long to visit as many places as we can, driven by that innate longing to get what’s slightly beyond us and attracted by what’s unlike us.

Isn’t this exactly why we travel… to quench the thirst of exploration!? This longing alone made men discover each other and brought civilization to the remotest of the lands. 

And this is not all! It has pushed man into exploring space and visiting other planets, not just to know how those are like but to discover the imprints of life and to find out the possibility of humans settling down there.

How astonishing is that idea! How and to what extent one can be driven by a single simple desire! We all travel. But why really do we?

We are all drawn to travelling as it not only opens up new vistas but also satiates our need of adventure and gives a sense of happiness and fulfillment.

Travelling calms our nerves and helps us live mindfully by presenting wonderful and exciting moments we want to immerse in forever.

While travelling we brush aside our rushed routines and forget the stresses of life. We live in the moment and revel in the happy times!

And those happy times last longer than they actually do as we carry back home with us the memories of the splendid moments spent with family, friends or even just self!

Then the memories once created last forever, bringing a smile to our lips when relived!

So, travel… and travel more! Create an everlasting treasure of memories to last you a lifetime! And relive those memories over and over again.

Travel as it brings a smile, Travel as it keeps one alive!

We Travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.

-- Anonymous

Travel beyond The Populars

Sweltering heat of summers in India, makes a perfect excuse for vacations for children and a holiday trip for families, away from the urban jungles, in the hills!

With rising incomes is increasing the urge to see the world and the blue planet seems to have shrunk and become more accessible than ever!

Each country has its own charming culture, interesting history and beautiful places worth visiting atleast once in one’s lifetime. But where shall one start?

With a world full of beautiful places it is not so easy to decide. So why not start with home… our own country, India?!

Ofcourse you have been to most if not all popular tourist hill destinations in India… but then there is so much more to it… unlike the all so popular and most visited hill-stations like Shimla, Manali, Nainital, Mussoorie, Srinagar etc. ... but not-so-commercialised and equally or may be even more beautiful and relatively quieter and uncorrupted hill destinations.

Shimla, one of the most popular and easily accessible hill-stations in India, recently made news with whopping 18 lakh tourist visiting.

How many of us really take a break from our densely populated and heavily trafficked cities to land up in equally crowded holiday destinations?

I personally many-a-times omit out or only half-see a tourist place because there is actually no way I can go about it without being actually elbowed or stepped on by fellow tourist.

On my recent visit to Shillong and Cherrapunjee, I could barely go a few metres into a cave before deciding that it was best to move back and out as the cave was heavily crowded and passing through its narrow passage would have taken us hours. That’s just not what I am looking for on my vacation!

I would prefer serene, quiet locales with fresh air, beautiful environs and uncorrupted nature to refresh and rejuvenate both my body and soul.

If you are looking for a quiet holiday in the hills too, few of the finest niche hill destinations in India are Kausani, Lansdowne, Ranikhet & Almora in Uttarakhand and Palampur & Chail in Himachal Pradesh.

For those looking for a quiet holiday in the hills with not much to do except for sinking in nature’s beauty and breathing deep clean, fresh air, these destinations are ideal with their uncorrupted beautiful nature, as of today.

However, the day is not far when these will also be in a race to catch most tourist each season. So why not revel in the nature’s bliss today and now when we can!

Happy Holidays!

The Weird Tradition of Kullu

The annual tradition of shouting expletives to ward off evil has been followed since last many years by residents of villages in Kullu.

Every year the locals celebrate a weird but interesting tradition of mouthing abuses accompanied by traditional drum and trumpet.

The ritual of ‘Diyali’ is followed for 15 days during the Hindu month of Paush (mid December to mid January). Paush is considered the month of the dark when the deities are believed to migrate to heaven for 30 days.

The locals of Kullu believe that during this period evil spirits move freely to harm the people. To protect the villages and drive away the evil spirits, the villagers shout abuses.

Men of the villages shout at the top of the voice during the ritual. Many villages of the area owing to the objection from womenfolk of the village have stopped publicly following this years old ritual but many still perform the same to keep away, what they believe, is evil from their life.

Most educated youth do not take part in this tradition. Every village has its different legend behind celebrating the tradition.

Manali, one of the most popular hill stations in India

Landslides In Darjeeling Take Toll on Life and Tourism

Incessant heavy rains for 3 days followed by massive landslides in and around Darjeeling took a heavy toll on both life and tourism.

The calamity that struck on late Tuesday night has claimed 40 lives till now and injured many.

Portions of National Highways 10 and 55 have been washed away, power stands disrupted, bridges have collapsed leading to communication both delayed and difficult.

While heavy rains continued for 3 days, the destructive landslides late at night didn’t give anyone a chance to react and washed away houses and villages on the hillsides, while people lay asleep in those.

The locals joined hands with paramilitary forces and police in relief and rescue operations. People were seen digging with bare hands to rescue lives under heavy debris.

Hundreds of tourists visiting Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong have been stranded here and there as the connecting roads and bridges have been washed away.

The toy train ride along with other transportation services are affected as the rains still continue and are predicted to do so for next few days.

The worst affected areas are Mirik and Kalimpong with many dead and quite a few missing.

As I write, fresh landslides have been reported from the region, 32 bodies have been recovered and 11 people stand missing, rescue and relief operations are being carried out in full swing by NDRF and SSB along with State Government’s Disaster Management Team and Indian army.

While Darjeeling is already facing a crisis, Jalpaiguri is under flood threat as the water in the Teesta River is flowing over the danger mark. 

Helpline Numbers for J&K Flood rescue and relief

Nature is playing havoc once again in form of floods. This time in the northernmost Indian state of J&K. Sudden floods caused by incessant heavy downpour took everyone by surprise taking lives and causing massive damage to property and infrastructure. Till now the toll figure has reached 200.

Floods have devastated important bridges as well as almost all communication channels leaving the tourists and locals in the region stuck and helpless.

Many tourists are stuck in hotels in Srinagar or enroute Vaishno Devi, while many others managed to return half way as Vaishno Devi yatra was halted because of the bad weather and landslides.

People are trying through various means to get a clue about the status of their loved ones in the region.  

1500 trucks carrying essential supplies have been stranded enroute because many important roads and bridges have been washed away.

J&K is witnessing its worst flood in last 60 years. 2500 villages have been affected. The natural calamity has been declared as a National disaster by the Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi and Defence Forces of the country have been deployed heavily to carry out rescue and relief operations.

Intense rescue and relief operations are on in the region to evacuate those affected. Army and IAF are working hand in hand to evacuate people, provide essential supplies and medical aid and restore communication in the region. NDRF teams have also been sent to facilitate the rescue and relief.

Control rooms have been set up in New Delhi, Jammu and Srinagar to co-ordinate the relief operations and Government has issued helpline numbers for victims to contact on for assistance.

MHA Control Room Helpline Numbers - 011-23093054, 23092763, 23092923, 23092885, 23093566, 23093563

NDRF Control Room Helpline Numbers - 011-26107953, 9711077372

Send an e-mail to NDRF at - ndrfhq@nic.in

Helpline Numbers of Flood Control Room in J&K House at New Delhi - 011-24611210, 24611108, 0194-2452138 (Srinagar), 0191-2560401 (Jammu).

Travel Trends

The thought of travel, itself, takes one to places beyond imagination! It takes one to a heavenly world of immense natural beauty which calms one’s nerves, soothes one’s heart and rejuvenates one’s soul!

Man has always been a wanderer who loves to explore to quench his thirst of curiosity. In olden times, the explorers set out on their own and ended up discovering continents! Soon with faster means of travelling and communication, the world became a smaller place.

The holy crossed borders and travelled long distances to pay their tributes at specific pilgrimages.

And since times immemorial just as the man and means of transport have evolved, so have the travel trends!

And while family vacations and honeymoons have always been popular, the idea of travelling to exotic locations for business was appealing to and was welcomed by all.

Then to facilitate those looking for opportunities in a particular adventure sports, evolved the adventure tourism.

Soon followed women-all trips, where women travellers sought safe trips to travel all by themselves or with friends of the same gender. Infact such trips are now being recommended by therapists and are said to do wonders for both the women on the trip and their spouses at home as it gives them adequate space, a break from catering to eachother’s constant needs and demands and helps them rejuvenate.

Then, not so long ago came in the homestays. Homestay gives the tourists a close peek into the regional culture and a taste of the authentic local cuisine. It gives the tourists a lifetime opportunity to stay in the houses of the locals, mingle with the owners and learn about their lifestyles, culture, traditions and mythological stories.

And while the trend of homestays was still establishing a stronghold, came in the Homesitting! Homesitting is the latest trend in the travel industry and is becoming a rage amongst frequent travellers! House owners who travel frequently and go away for long time are seeking travellers who could stay in their house in their absentia and take care of their pets and plants etc.

Homesitting fits the traveller’s needs too as the expense of stay is nullified and is in terms of taking care of the owner’s belongings, pets etc. only.

With evolving travel trends, travel has not just become much easier these days, but has also become much more fun as one can go for exactly what one seeks from his perfect holiday… a holiday tailored just for him just as he/she wants it!

Happy travelling!

Mussoorie Winterline Carnival 2013

Mussoorie  Winterline Carnival, a four day long carnival starting from 27^th December and ending on 30^th December, is a ray of hope for the residents of this beautiful and popular hill-station who depend solely on Tourism for their survival.

With an aim to promote and revive state tourism, after the steep fall in the same since the devastating floods struck the state of Uttarakhand on 16 July 2013, Mussoorie Winterline Carnival is all set to showcase the best the place has to offer and has an array of Cultural and Adventure events spread through the span of four days.

A number of renowned folk singers like Pritam Bharatwan & Narendra Singh Negi and Bollywood singers like Shibani Kashyap and Arjit Singh of Aashiqui-2 fame are going to grace the Carnival by their live performances.

Also, a fashion show hosted by Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, promises to bring together various well-known designers and models on ramp.

Not to miss out are the walkathons, mountain biking, cycling and rock climbing for the adventurous and vintage car rally and painting competition etc. for the interested, besides a plethora of tempting performances and plays by various renowned artists, like  ‘Galib play’ by Tom Alter.

Mussoorie Winterline Carnival promises to offer something or the other for one and all and sounds a Must-attend for sure!

Know More about Mussoorie

Places To Visit In Mussoorie

Restoration Of Faith

On the auspicious day of the first Chaitra Navratri, 05 Oct 2013, pilgrimage yatra resumed in the flood-hit holy destinations.. the 'Char Dhams' of Hindus.. Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri.. and Hemkund Sahib, the holy pilgrimage.

In the wake of recent calamity in Uttarakhand and susceptibility of the region to weather conditions, the pilgrims are advised to enquire about weather conditions before commencing the yatra.

The pilgrims proceeding to Kedarnath are required to register themselves at Guptkashi where their mandatory medical examination will be conducted.

Small vehicles can be hired for use till Sonprayag beyond which one has to walk 24 Km to Kedarnath. Also, for the convenience of the yatris, helicopter services to Kedarnath have resumed from Guptkashi and Dehradun.

Despite the recent disaster in the region, faith of many-a-believers remains firm and is a source of inspiration to others who lost their loved ones in recent floods in Uttarakhand and need inner strength which can only be instilled through restoration of faith in the Almighty.

Know more about Kedarnath                                                                 

Legend associated with Kedarnath

Badrinath

Hemkund Sahib

Uttarakhand Helpline Numbers

With thousands stranded enroute pilgrimages and hundreds killed or missing after disastrous floods in Uttarakhand, rescue and relief operations are still on after two days of nature’s first strike.

To assist the families of the flood victims in Uttarakhand the authorities have set up a number of helplines.

Uttarakhand Helpline numbers: 0135-2710334, 2710335, 2710233

More Helpline numbers:

Uttarkashi: 01374-226126, 226161

Chamoli: 01372-251437

Tehri: 01376-233433

Rudraprayag: 01732-1077

The ITBP has also established helpline and control room for information on Uttarakhand: 011-24362892 and 9968383478.

Army medical emergency helpline numbers: 18001805558, 18004190282, 8009833388

Karnataka has set up a helpline for those looking for the people from the state stranded in Uttarakhand: 080-22253707

For pilgrims of Madhya Pradesh in Uttarakhand: 0755-2556422 and 09926769808

For pilgrims of Andhra Pradesh in Uttarakhand: 040234510

Helpline numbers for Joshimath, Karnaprayag and Govindghat: 01372-253785

Tulip Garden, Srinagar

Tulip Garden in Srinagar was opened for tourists on 27 March 2013. Opened by Minister of Floriculture Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, the garden soon saw influx of hordes of tourists.

As per the State Floriculture Department a total of over 1.5 million tulips, of over 80 varieties, are presently in bloom at the garden.

The department has added 3.24 lakh more bulbs of 24 new varieties this season to make the garden more attractive. The bulbs have been imported from Holland and have been introduced in the Valley for the first time.

This 15 hectare garden located in the foothills of Zabarwan range is Asia’s largest tulip garden and one of the major tourist attractions in the valley.

Also Check Out
Srinagar, at a glance
Places to Visit in Srinagar
Dal Lake, Srinagar
Pari Mahal, Srinagar
Tulip Garden, Srinagar
Mughal Gardens, Srinagar
Shankaracharya Mandir, Srinagar
Hari Parbat Fort, Srinagar
Khir Bhawani Temple, Srinagar
Things to do in Srinagar
What to buy in Srinagar
Srinagar Hotels
Srinagar Map

Happy Radhashtami!!

Birthday of Radha, Lord Krishna’s divine consort, is celebrated with pomp and show in Brij area of Uttar Pradesh. 

Radha is said to be the most ardent devotee of Lord Krishna and hence dearest to him. On Radhashtami, devotees of Krishna worship Radha and plead her to pass on a particle of her dedication on to them which would get them also closer to Krishna. 

While a few devotees keep a half-day long fast, the others fast the entire day and a few go on even without water the whole day to ask for Radha’s grace, who is known to be tender-hearted and kind.

Radhashtami is celebrated with deep devotion and fervour in the temples of Brij area.. specially Barsana, the birthplace of Radha, Mathura and Vrindavan. The festivities go on throughout the day with devotees singing in praise of Radha and Krishna’s divine love and reminiscing amusing anecdotes from Radha and Krishna’s life. 

In most temples, grand feasts are organised for one and all, where each dish reflects a particular mood of Radha… with a bland dish symbolising her spiritless life without Krishna, a spicy one reminding of the times when Krishna would tease her amusingly and a sweet one connoting the blissful times they spent in togetherness. 

Radhe-Krishna!!

Also Check out
Mathura
Vrindavan
Sacred Destinations In India

Happy Janamashthami!

Festivities filled the air all around in North India this weekend when 'Janamashtami', Lord Krishna's birthday, was celebrated with devotion and joy. All Hindu temples came alive with grand celebrations when the devotees visited the temples late Friday night and waited for the clocks to strike 12 O' Clock when Krishna is believed to have been born. 

Mathura, the birthplace of Krishna, and Vrindavan, a village where he grew up, are both known for the magnificent Janamashtami celebrations and are visited by scores of devotees around this Hindu festival.

The temples are beautifully decorated and welcome one and all to join in the jubilant celebrations!