Ranthambore

Itinerary 2N/3D.


When to visit Ranthambore:
This is a tricky question and the right answer to this depends on the purpose of your trip. If you wish to have a leisure trip, just to enjoy the jungle and your resort than October-March is said to be the best season for Ranthambore with highest tourist footfall.

But if the purpose of your trip is tiger-spotting than the best months to go are May-June.

This time of the year, supposedly the hottest days in Sawai Madhopur area, with temp rising to around 46 degrees with an unbearable heatwave post 11am, most of the trees and bushes in the forest have no leaves and Tigers usually come out in the open for water, so the chances of spotting these ferocious cat-family species is the highest.

And when I say highest it means almost 80-90%.


Choosing the right zone:
Your jungle safari via Gypsy or Canter has to be pre-booked around 60-90 days in advance.

The jungle is divided into 10 zones. Zone 1 till 6 are good ones with maximum tiger sightings.
And out of these 6, Zone 3, 4 & 5 fill out faster as the tiger spotting probability is highest here.

In case you are not able to book yourself, you can always call some local agent and he will book it for you with some extra charges.

Itinerary
Day-1: Spend this day visiting the Ranthambore fort. The fort is a UNESCO world heritage site. You might have to climb 500 stairs to reach the top, but the view from there is unmatched and worth the trek.

Ranthambore Fort

Day-2: Go for an early morning safari. So even if you are traveling in May-June, you will not feel the heat.




How to reach:
- Sawai Madhopur Junction is the nearest railway station.
- By Car it is around 380Kms from Delhi. 

Keep Traveling,
Jaideep Singh

Send me your queries at:
jaideep248@gmail.com

Shillong

Itinerary: 3N/4D trip to Shillong

Quick Travel Notes:




Assuming you are landing at Guwahati airport and starting your trip from there.

Day-1: Guwahati --> Shillong (98kms)
The drive from Guwahati to Shillong is truly beautiful. Broad roads and not much traffic till you reach Shillong entry point. You must try the local pineapples on your way to Shillong.

Visit Umiam lake on the way. The lake is huge, picturesque and very soothing. You will love the breeze here.

Umiam Lake

Once you reach Shillong, you might want to visit Ward's lake.
End your day with an evening stroll and dinner at Police bazaar. It is very lively and you will surely   get some good local shopping options here.

Police Bazaar

Day-2: Shillong--> Cherrapunji (58kms)
Start early and try to reach Tyrna village by 11am. Start your trek to see this amazing marvel created by the local villagers called the double decker root bridge. Its a good 3500 stairs to reach this place but every bit worth it.

Double Decker Bridge.

On your way back to Shillong visit this mammoth waterfall called the NohKaliKai falls.

Day-3: Shillong--> Dawki & Mawlynnog (90kms)
Leave your hotel by 8am and reach Dawki river by 11sh. You will surely be mesmerized by the tranquility of this place and the crystal clear water of river Dawki. You can enjoy boating or kayaking here.


Post lunch visit Mawlynnog village, the cleanest village in Asia. The living root bridge here is equally beautiful and can not be skipped. The village itself has the vibes of a European countryside and trust my words it is "Surreal".
You can do some souvenir shopping here.

Day-4: Shillong --> Guwahati.
You can visit elephant falls and and Cathedral church before you head to Guwahati..


Experiences I missed:
- Krang Suri water falls
- Home stay in Cherrapunjee.

Where to eat:
- Cafe Shillong @ Laitumkhrah.
- Lamee @Police Bazaar.


Keep Exploring, Keep Traveling,
Jaideep Singh

Udaipur

Udaipur

Quick Travel Notes: 3N/4D


Day-1: Monsoon Palace.
On your day-1, the best option to absorb the beauty and feel the royalty of this majestic city  would be to have an aerial view. And the best way to do that is Monsoon palace.
Reach Monsoon palace by 5pm and visualize how Udaipur changes colours as the sun sets.

Day-2: City Palace, lake Pichola Jagmandir and Jagdish Temple.
Reserve this day to witness the grandiose and splendid lifestyle of Mewar kingdom.
Reach here by 11am. Take a guided tour(Rs 300 for a guide) to the palace to better understand the nitty gritties of the architecture.

- Enjoy boating at Lake Pichola and visit Jagmandir and Jagdish temple.
- Relish lunch at any of the good lake side restaurants mentioned below.


Day-3:  Saheliyon ki Bari, Hathi pole bazaar, lake Fateh Sagar
- In the first half of the day visit Sahilyon ki bari. Nice place for a a few photos.
- Enjoy some shopping at Hathi pole bazaar.
- By 5pm reach lake fateh sagar and enjoy live ravanhatha music while watching the sunset.

Where to eat:
1) Amberai: Near Lake Pichola. Most amazing restaurant in Udaipur. Needs prebooking.
2) Jagat Niwas:  Near Lake Pichola. Perfect for a laid back lunch.
3) Jhumer: Near Lake fateh Sagar. Perfect for a "not so expensive" lunch/dinner.
4) Arawali @ Radisan Blu: Opposite lake Fateh Sagar. Perfect for a dinner date.
5) Natraj: Good for a veg meal.
6) Khamma Ghani: Awesome food, amazing setup.

Rajasthani Dishes you should not skip:
1) For Vegetarians: Gatta curry, Ker Sangri, Papad ki sabji, Dal Baati.
2) For Non Vegetarians: Dhunkaar Murgh, Jungli Maas, Laal Maas. 

What to Shop:
1) Baandhani prints.
2) Miniature paintings.

Keep Traveling
Jaideep Singh

Kasol - Kheer ganga trek

Kasol 2N-3D

Day-1:  Delhi → Bhuntar → Kasol (585 km, 12hrs drive)

Whatever be your commuting means, you should try to reach Kasol by 11 am. Kasol is a lush green Himachal district with humongous pine trees and a furiously flowing Parvati river.

Things to do on your day 1:

• Do some local shopping.
• Visit ManiKaran Sahib Gurudwara (Langar highly recommended).
• Try kasol cafes and bakeries.
• Spend your evening on the banks of River Parvati.

Day -2: Kasol → Barsheni → Kheer Ganga

Leave for your trek by 10 am. It’s a one hr drive to Barsheni, the starting point of your trek.

What to carry along:

• A jacket
• A water bottle.
• Lots of chocolates
• Some Energy Drink

The trek is demanding but every bit mesmerizing. The only noise you will hear throughout the trek will be of River Parvati flowing parallel to your trek path. I have never seen a more “WHITE” river in my life.

After around 5hrs and 13kms, you will reach the camping destination. Enjoy the ultimate tranquility of the place. A bath in the natural hot spring will surely take away all your tiredness.

NOTE: Pre-Book camps from Kasol as they are mostly filled during trekking seasons.

Day-3: Kheer Ganga → Kasol → Delhi

Trek down and leave Kasol by 4 pm. Volvos to Delhi leave Bhuntar from 6 pm. By now you have walked around 28kms and your body(in most cases) won’t have any energy to do any thing else. So Doze Off in your bus and reach Delhi in the morning.

Kasol FAQs:

• Is it a family destination? NO :)
• Do I need to be a professional trekker for Kheerganga trek? NO :)
• Should NON SMOKERS, NON DRINKERS visit Kasol? YES :)

Commuting Recommendations:

• Volvo is probably the most convenient way of traveling to Kasol. Volvo’s leave Delhi in the evening around 7 pm and reach bhuntar(Himachal Pradesh) by 7am. You can take a local bus to Kasol from there.
• By Car: Roads are good, but make sure you have prior hill-driving experience as Bhuntar to Kasol is a pretty risky drive.

Where to Stay ????

• Kasol camps (though I did not stay there), looked the most promising place to stay in Kasol. As it is right beside the River and pretty close to the market.

What and Where to Hog ????

Kasol has gained tremendous popularity for its cafes and bakeries. So I decided to try all popular ones.

• Evergreen Café: Super interiors, awesome food, and decent service.
• Bhoj Café: More for Hukka-Daaru-lovers. The food was decent.
• Shambhu’s momos were super-good.
• The little Italy: Highly recommended for Italian food. Tried trout fish and it was to die for.
• Try Apple pies, mango pies, and cakes at German bakers.

Keep Traveling,

Jaideep Singh

Happy to help on you travel queries: jaideep248@gmail.com

Sariska

Sariska for a weekend : 

Day-1:  Delhi - Sariska (225 km, 5hrs drive)

Leave early by 6am. You will reach Sariska by 10.30-11am. Roads are good. Not many eateries/dhabas on the way so bhiwadi can be a good stop for breakfast.

Things to do (if traveling with family):

• Enjoy boating at Silserh lake.
• Visit Pandupol Hanuman temple.

SilSerh Lake

Things to do (if traveling with friends):

• Visit Bhangarh Fort: The place is said to be haunted. So adds a bit of fun element if traveling with friends.

Bhangarh fort.

NOTE: Make a booking for morning safari. Or else you will have to wake at 6am to get the tickets.

Day-2: Resort - Safari - Resort - Delhi

Wake up at 6.30 and leave for Sariska national park on your booked safari.The National park is pretty good. The safari would last for a good 3 hrs and with guaranteed sighting of deer, peacocks, blue bulls(neel gai) and other animals. On a good day you might find tigers as well. But haven’t met anyone who had this good day. :D

Safari

Leave for Delhi and post your pictures.

Recommended Hotel:

-      Rajasthan Tourism's, Tiger Den resort is pretty decent. No resort in the area can beat this resorts location. It’s right at the beginning of the Jungle.

Can be booked online as well: 

http://rtdc.tourism.rajasthan.gov.in/Client/HotelDetails.aspx?HotelID=SariskaTigerDen

Advice: 

Road from Sariska to Bhangarh is pathetic. Visit only if the car is not yours.  

Keep Traveling,

Jaideep Singh

Happy to help on you travel queries: jaideep248@gmail.com

Gangtok

Gangtok itinerary for 3 days :-

Day-1 Bagdogra Airport --> Gangtok (125km, 4hrs) :

Bagdogra is the nearest airport and it takes around 4hrs to reach Gangtok from there. You would start from Bengal, slightly discouraged with the traffic, pollution and dust in the Bagdogra area, gradually head towards Siliguri hills, slightly motivated with the views, and eventually enter Sikkim via Rangpo feeling awe-struck with the sheer beauty of Sikkim. As you tread up Sikkim along meandering roads, Teesta tosta river will accompany you till you reach Gangtok.

Why I suggest to stay near MG Marg :-

-          That’s the ONLY happening place in Gangtok with the best eating and shopping options.

-          You will find ample taxi’s to go to other famous places in and around Gangtok.

On the day one, you would surely be too tired and too late to go for any sightseeing. Have a stroll on the MG Road, enjoy momos with a cup of ‘hard-hitting-best-smelling Sikkim tea’  and shed your tiredness with a ‘wife-permitted massage’ at a Spa saloon(attempt-1).

My two cents :

1)      Must-Must try the Sikkim oranges. They are as small as a lemon but extremely tasty.

2)      Must not –Must not try the Sikkim chillies. They are as small as a baby lemon but extremely nasty.

NOTE : Push your tour operator to arrange for Nathula and Changu lake Permits for the next day.

Day-2  Hotel --> Nathula (50 kms, 2hrs) :

After you have your breakfast leave early for Nathu La. Located at an altitude of 14,140 feet and 52kms from Gangtok, Nathula is one amazing place from where you can see the Indo-China border. 

Enroute Nathula, on a good day with bright sunshine and no clouds you will see a HUGEEEEEE mountain on some far distance from you. It has to be THEE MOST beautiful sight of your life, watching Mt. Kanchenjunga standing tall and reflecting gold as the sun shines on it.

Mt. Kanjenchunga

Around 12 kms from Nathula, you might want to visit the Baba Mandir. This Mandir has a slightly horror, slightly patriotic history behind it, so the whole feel of the place is pretty different (Read the history on internet and you would either be too excited or too horrified to visit the place ;) ).

For me the most breathtaking place in my gangtok sojourn was the Changu lake (also called Tsomgo lake).

The lake is frozen from Dec-May and trust my words, the lake becomes multi-folds more beautiful when frozen.  

Tsomgo Lake (rather, The Frozen Tsomgo Lake)

My two Cents :

1)      Carry popcorns, chewing gums and water along as you might feel a little dizzy at  14000 ft.

2)      There is no use buying the Snow shoes unless you know how to walk on snow. After falling a good 20 times, a good old Bengali gentleman taught me how to walk on snow. “Place your heel first”.

 

As you reach the hotel, tired and exhausted, you can try your luck for a “wife-permitted massage” at a Spa saloon. In case, your second attempt also fails, have a cup of black Sikkim tea and doze off ;)

Day-3 Hotel --> Local tour --> Hotel

Your day today would showcase the vibrant and enthralling culture of Sikkim. Start by visiting Rumtek Monastery. I was told that it is one of the largest monasteries in the world and buy my words it’s a visual treat to watch this architecturally captivating Buddhist monastery built in the lap of an extremely beautiful-peaceful place.

Your tour guide will take you to the following other places which are just fine enough to spend 10-15 mins each and take a couple of pics.

-          Institute of tibetelogy.

-          Do Drul Chorten.

-          Flower show.

In the evening, go for some tea shopping. Smell the most exotic teas (costing more than 25000/kg) at Golden tips on MG Road.

My wife is just pretending to be a Tea connoisseur in the picture below :D

My two cents :

1)      If you have failed miserably in your attempt-1 and attempt-2 than I would suggest not to go for an attempt-3(for the sake of a happy married life post vacation).

2)      Alcohol is pretty cheap in Gangtok, so you might want to buy a couple of bottles for home.

Day-4

Wake up early and head towards airport, at least 6.5 hrs before your flight, coz traffic in Siliguri can be really bad.

Best Food Options :

1)      Momos : Rolls corner.

2)      Thukpa : Golden dragon restaurant, MG Road.

Places and Experiences I skipped :

• North Sikkim, covering Yumthang valley, Lachung, Lachen and Seven sisters waterfall.

Important Advise :

-          Never plan  a Sun-Mon-Tue trip to Gangtok.

o   Sundays : Half the places I mentioned on day 3 are closed on Sundays.

o   Monday  : Nathula is closed on Mon and Tue.

-          Never plan a Gangtok trip in Dec-Jan.

o   The probability of getting a permit to Nathula – Changu lake is only 20%. So it would be a huge disappointment if you are not able to visit these places.

-          Never plan a Gangtok trip with the motivation of having a Spa. :(

Gangtok is a visually stunning, culturally rich and  a very very relaxed place. People seem content with their lives and keep their place clean and glittering. Must visit Gangtok,  just to experience a ‘Different India’.

Thanks,

Jaideep Singh

(jaideep248@gmail.com)

Cost Summary :

MMT Package(Meals + hotel + All transportation) : 8999 /person

Flight : 7500 /person

Recommended Hotel : Hotels near MG Marg . Mine was Summit Namnang.