Jaipur Pink City of India

Jaipur Pink City of India

by | Oct 10, 2018 | Destinations, Heritage, India, North

Travel Guide

Jaipur pink city of India is capital of Rajasthan, an Indian state that is rich in culture and had lot of prominence in the country’s past. The city of Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Jai Singh II, the Raja of Amer who ruled from 1688 to 1743. His plans were to shift the capital from Amer, 11 km from Jaipur to accommodate the growing population and increasing scarcity of water. Lot of consultation and careful observations by then renowned architects was put in planning the city, it took 4 years to build the city. During the rule of Sawai Ram Singh, the city was painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, in 1876. This gave Jaipur a distinctive appearance and the epithet Pink city of India.

In case if you are literature lover, you have more reasons to visit this beautiful place. Jaipur is going to host literature festival during January 24-29, 2018 so plan your tickets accordingly. Here is the detailed link for more info Visit this site.

Jaipur’s glorious heritage attracts travellers from all around the world, so naturally when it comes to accommodation there are a number of options to choose from. For those who prefer to stay in the lap of luxury, there are a plenty of top-rated resorts, heritage stays, and even some beautiful palace resorts. If you do want a reasonably-priced, good accommodation, you can opt to stay with Treebo Hotels in Jaipur. The properties under these brands offer clean rooms and quality amenities and services, like WiFi connectivity and complimentary breakfast. With brands like this, you can always be sure you’ll get your money’s worth.

 

Amer Fort

Located high on a hill, it is the principal tourist attraction in the Jaipur area. Amer Fort is famous for its artistic Hindu style elements, with its large ramparts and series of gates and cobbled paths, the fort overlooks Maota Lake. The aesthetic ambiance of the palace is seen within its walls. Constructed of red sandstone and marble, the palace is laid out on four levels, each with a courtyard consisting of the Diwan-e-Aam, or “Hall of Public Audience”, the Diwan-e-Khas, or “Hall of Private Audience”, the Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace), or Jai Mandir, and the Sukh Niwas where a cool climate is artificially created by winds blowing over a water cascade within the palace.

City Palace

The City palace includes the Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal palaces and other buildings. It was the seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur, the head of the Kachwaha Rajput clan. The Chandra Mahal palace is now converted to a museum but the greatest part of it is still a royal residence. The palace complex, incorporates an impressive and vast array of courtyards, gardens and buildings. The palace was built between 1729 and 1732, initially by Sawai Jai Singh II.

City Wall

The Jaipur city wall is the wall encircling the old Jaipur city. It was built in 1727 when the city was founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II.The wall is six meters high and three meters thick. There are seven gates in the wall.

Diggi Palace

Diggi Palace now known as The Diggi Palace Hotel is an Indian royal palace located in Jaipur. It was converted into a heritage hotel, but a part is still occupied by the royal family, which also runs the hotel.

Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal or the Palace of the Breeze,  so named because it was essentially a high screen wall built so the women of the royal household could observe street festivals while unseen from the outside. Constructed of red and pink sandstone, the palace sits on the edge of the City Palace, and extends to the zenana, or women’s chambers.

Jaigarh Fort

The Jaigarh Fort, located on one of the peaks of the Aravalli range is built about 400 m above the Amber Fort It provides an excellent of view of Aravalli hills and the Amber Fort down below. The fort features a cannon named Jaivana, which was manufactured in the fort precincts and was then the world’s largest cannon on wheels.

Central Park

Central Park, constructed by the Jaipur Development Authority and is the largest park in Jaipur. Central Park is located, in the centre of Jaipur city. Having a big lush green beautiful garden and Rambagh Polo Ground and golf club nearby makes it a perfect enjoyable place in Jaipur. Central Park Garden also has a 5 km long jogging and walking track. Central Park is also a bird watchers paradise as a number of migratory and native birds visit it round the year.

Albert Hall Museum

It is the oldest museum of the state and functions as the State museum of Rajasthan. The building is situated in Ram Niwas Garden outside the city wall opposite New gate and is a fine example ofIndo-Saracenic architecture

Galtaji Temple

an ancient Hindu pilgrimage site in the town of Khania-Balaji, about 10 km away from Jaipur. Temple is built within a mountain pass in the Aravalli Hills 10 km. from Jaipur, Galtaji has been a retreat for Hindu ascetics belonging to vaishnavite Ramanandi sect, since the early 16th century.

Jantar Mantar

Jantar Mantar is a collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments, built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh, and completed in 1738 CE. It features the world’s largest stone sundial, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The nineteen instruments are used for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking location of major stars as the earth orbits around the sun, ascertaining the declination of planets, and determining the celestial altitudes.

  • Air: Jaipur is well connected with rest of India with flights plying from all major cities. Sanganer Airport located at Jaipur is nearly 10 km from the heart of the city.
  • Train: Jaipur is well connected to most of the major cities in India by the rail network. Apart from normal trains, a luxury train called “Palace on Wheels” covering all tourist destinations in Rajasthan (Alwar, Udaipur, Jaipur, Swami Mdhopur etc) and starting from Delhi is also available..
  • Road: Being the capital, the city is well connected by a well maintained road network. The Rajasthan road transport corporation and other private players ply buses connecting various cities.

hawa mahalhawa mahal
hawa mahal 2hawa mahal 2
hawa mahal 1hawa mahal 1
amer fort3amer fort3
amer fortamer fort
amer fort1amer fort1

 

  • State: Rajasthan
  • District: Jaipur
  • Famous for/as: Heritage
  • Languages: Hindi, Rajasthani
  • Best time to visit: October to March
  • Weather: Summers 25 to 47°C, Winter 4 to 30°C
  • STD code: 0141
  • State Govt. tourism website: http://www.ordistricts.nic.in/

 

Book Hotels

Mount Abu – A Last-Minute Winter Getaway in Rajasthan

Mount Abu – A Last-Minute Winter Getaway in Rajasthan

by | Feb 9, 2018 | India, North, Personal Experience, Road Trips, Trekking

One & only hill station in Rajasthan, Mount Abu is located in Aravalli Mountains that offers a gamut of surpassing scenic views, religious sites, and spots for people who’re looking for a romantic escape. Tourists head towards the destination for a pleasant weather to enjoy boating on Nakki Lake and to get rid of the scorching days at their locations or neighboring cities. Do go!

 

 

Some of you, dear readers, might be thinking that mostly I share my pleasurable experiences but if you look forward to a break over a period of time & planning to cover top hill stations in India, Mount Abu would comparatively be a mediocre choice. Winters are the best time to visit Mount Abu and highly advised if you really want to feel an arresting chill. Take a sweater along, and remember that nights might be quite cold.

Here, a list of must-go places from plethora of tourist spots in Mount Abu you shouldn’t miss –

  1. Dilwara Jain Temples –

Decorated with extraordinary carvings and hilly surroundings, this temple complex was built before 13th century which consists five Jain temples; Shri Mahaveer Swami Temple, Shri AdiNath Temple, Shri ParshavNath Temple, Shri Rishabdao Temple and Shri NemiNath Temple.

Opening Time: 12:00 PM
Closing Time: 06:00 PM
Open All Days with Free Entry

  1. Nakki Lake –

Associated with an interesting history, Nakki Lake is a major tourist attraction in Mount Abu or I can say the lake posses the crown of being the heart of Mount Abu. The center of attraction tops the list where some of the most photographed scenes include mesmerizing mountains and rocky formations that symbolize this quite cool place.

  1. Guru Shikhar –

A Hindu pilgrimage site located at the highest peak of Aravalli Range, Guru Shikhar is a tourist attraction in Mount Abu that leads them to the top of the mountain. A visit takes at least 2 hours and remember the timings; 9:00 AM to 5:00 in the evening. I recommend reaching early morning and witness the breathtaking sunrise.

  1. Achalgarh Village –

 A hamlet in Mount Abu has a beauty that’s enough to attract tourists. It is popular for a medieval monument – Achalgarh Fort and Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple that is famous for having a Nandi which is said to be made of five metals, gold, silver, copper, zinc and brass.

  1. Adhar Devi Temple –

 A temple of Goddess Durga or Arbuda is another religious site situated in a cave and just 365 steep stairs away which offers a bird’s eye view of the town. The temple receives a gamut of tourists during the holy season of Navratri has been celebrated once a year and pilgrims from all over to witness this beautiful sight.

  1. Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary –

 The oldest part of the hill station is also a home to a fantastic Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary not exclusively for nature lovers while for those who’re looking to make their experience in the forest a different one. The best thing about this untamed sanctuary remains its location – cut off from a level of bustle in Mount Abu.

Mount Abu is undoubtedly the best one in Rajasthan and on the list of best tourist attractions in India. Bordered by Gujarat, the town is easily reachable from any major city and Abu Road is the nearest railway station which is just 30km away. Tourists gave Mount Abu 4 out of 5 on Tripadvisor. A single click on LIKE button encourages us to serve you better while sharing the blog can motive a thousand of people for hitting the road because we all know that travel brings power and love back to your life.

Google ads.

Book Hotels

Google ads.

Archives

Google ads.

The Golden Temple

The Golden Temple

by | Nov 28, 2017 | Heritage, North, Religion

Located in the city of Amritsar in the state of Punjab in India Harmandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib is popularly known as the Golden Temple.
GOLDEN TEMPLE (image courtesy A Little Adrift)

GOLDEN TEMPLE (image courtesy A Little Adrift)

It gets the name Golden from the gold plated dome visible from a distance as you approach the sanctum. The Golden Temple is the most sacred Gurdwara and important pilgrimage of the Sikhs . It spreads the message of equality and brotherhood . All people irrespective of their caste, creed, colour or race can visit the spiritual place and embark in its aesthetic brilliance. The Golden Temple was designed by the 5th Sikh Guru Arjan Dev Ji who  later on after the construction was completed installed the holy scripture (Adi Granth) of the Sikhism inside the Harmandir Sahib built at the center of the holy tank the Amrit Sarovar . The holy shrine has four entrance signifying the four directions.
GOLDEN TEMPLE

GOLDEN TEMPLE AT NIGHT (Source: Tripoto)

The glorious past , the architecture and the scenic beauty of the Golden Temple is like a pandora’s box which never ceases to amaze you. The AMRIT SAROVAR at the Harmandir Sahib is a very large pool surrounding the central temple. The Sarovar is very sacred to the pilgrims who take a dip to cleanse their mind and body.

AMRIT SAROVAR

AMRIT SAROVAR (image courtesy Global Gallivanting)

The common kitchen or the Guru Ka Langar at Harmandir Sahib serves pure vegetarian food to all visitors for free . It serves around 40,000 to 100,000 people per day without any religious bias. The Langar is served in the community kitchen on a daily basis . All the preparation , cooking , serving , and washing is done by volunteers or sewadars. The Langar brings all people rich – poor , big – small on the same pedestal which helps bringing in the feeling of oneness.
Langar

LANGAR AT THE GOLDEN TEMPLE (image courtesy Adventures of Goodman)

THINGS TO KNOW:-
  • Best time to visit Golden Temple is in the morning for the Palaki procession at 4:30 am.
  • Keep your head covered within the complex.
  • Hand and feet should be washed before entering the temple.
  • You can carry cameras but pictures are not allowed in all areas.
  • Backpacks can be deposited at the cloak room.
  • There are no washrooms inside the complex . The closest washroom is in the dharmashala outside the complex.
  • A special note for people with disability –  WHEELCHAIRS are available and much of the site can be accessed

Google ads.

Book Hotels

Google ads.

Plan your Travel

BODHGAYA

BODHGAYA

by | Nov 25, 2017 | Heritage, North

Travel Guide

Bodhgaya is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in India where GAUTAM BUDDHA  attained supreme knowledge under the Bodhi Tree around 2500 years ago. Located in the Indian state of Bihar in the Gaya District which boasts of its rich cultural and religious beliefs. Bodhgaya is an epitome of architectural brilliance and divinity .
THE MAHABODHI TEMPLE: It is one of the oldest Buddhist Temple made entirely in brick. The first temple was built by emperor Ashok in the 3rd Century B.C. and the present temple was built in the 5th or 6th Century. It hones a large black statue of Buddha sitting cross-legged.
THE BODHI TREE: The Bodhi Tree is one of the most sacred sites at the Mahabodhi Temple where Buddha attained enlightenment after 49 days of rigorous meditation .To commerate this a Chankramar was built as a low platform which is adorned by 19 lotuses parallel to the Maha Bodhi Temple .
GREAT BUDDHA STATUE: This Great Buddha Statue is one of the major attraction in Bodhgaya . The 25 meter tall statue of Lord Buddha is located half a kilometer away from the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya. The Great Buddha Statue which is portrayed in a deep meditating state is a symbol of peace and serenity.
ANIMESH LOCHANA CHAITYA  SHRINE: This  shrine is visited by thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. Animesh Lochana Chaitya Shrine is one of the most revered shrines where Lord Buddha gazed at the Bodhi Tree continuously for 7 days without blinking his eyes to show his gratitude towards the tree for giving him shelter.
THE THAI MONASTERY: Established in 1957 this monastery gives you a glimpse of the Thai architecture and Buddhist ideology. The monastery is adorned by a colourful Buddhist Pagoda. The captivating Thai temple hones a chiseled 25 meter high statue of Lord Buddha with his hair tied.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: The best time to visit Bodhgaya is from October – March.
Buddha StatueBuddha Statue
Mahabodhi templeMahabodhi temple
Thai MonasteryThai Monastery
By Air: Patna is the nearest airport which is 17 kilometers from Bodhgaya is well connected by flights from major cities in India .
By Rail– The nearest railway station is Gaya Junction which is 13 kilometers away from Bodhgaya .
By Road–  A main road connects the city of Gaya to the to the town of Bodhgaya

Posts not found

Book Hotels

Google ads.

BOOK HOTELS

Plan your travel

Glorious Lucknow an experience of lifetime

Glorious Lucknow an experience of lifetime

by | Sep 23, 2017 | Heritage, India, North

(“Credit – Canva Photo Collages“)

“Pehle Aap” –
Lucknow is the largest city in Uttar Pradesh with the highest Shia Muslim population in India. A city which is famous for its way of hospitality called ‘Adab & Tezjeeb’, dotted with the remnants of its former glory and known for producing a fine piece of embroidery that is ‘Chikankaari’, the City of Nawabs is a must-visit tourist destination where you get some unforgettable warm greetings.

Lucknow Railway Station – Charbagh (Reference: MouthShut)

Lucknow Railway Station – Charbagh (Reference: MouthShut)

 

Travelling to North India won’t be accomplished without your visit to the capital of Uttar Pradesh which is located on the bank of Gomti River. The word ‘Tu’ is considered very demeaning in Lucknow and the citizens feel proud while addressing someone with ‘Aap’. Instead of saying ‘Hi’ or ‘Thanks’, they prefer to use words such as ‘Aadaab’, ‘Namaste’, ‘Salaam-Alaikum’, ‘Dhanyawaad’ and ‘Shukriya’. When anyone uses ‘Hum’, he or she is not referring to multiple people while but they respect to our own self with the royal ‘we’.

Aasmaan Ki Kya Hai Taaqat Jo Churaae Lucknow,
Lucknow Mujh Par Fida Hai Mein Fida-e Lucknow

– Sheikh Imam Baksh Nasikh –

“Ama Ye Lucknow Hain Miyan” –

Lucknow is a historical city where a number of beautiful mosques, few wonderful memorials & museums, architectural buildings and natural parks have completely enriched the city and its cultural value. Here is the list of major tourist attractions

  1. Bara Imambara – Built by Asaf-ud-Daula in 1784, this beautiful building includes the Bhool-Bhulaiya (the labyrinth) which is a famous tourist attraction in Lucknow.
  2. Chota Imambara – Built as a congregation hall for Shia Muslims by Muhammad Ali Shah in 1838, this place is located near the Bara Imambara.
  3. Lucknow Zoological Garden – Established in 1921, it is situated in 29 hectares area with around 1000 animals of more than 100 species. Lucknow zoo is also known as Nawab Wazid Ali Shah Prani Udyan.
  4. Kukrail Picnic Spot – Located away from the centre of the city, it is one of the favourite picnic spots in Lucknow. It was developed by Forest Department which houses a deer park and few endangered species of crocodiles.
  5. Ambedkar Memorial Park – Also known as Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Prateek Sthal, this memorial is built using red sandstone brought from Rajasthan. A Bollywood movie Youngistaan (2014) was shot here.
  6. Janeshwar Mishra Park – It is claimed to be Asia’s 10th largest garden and spread over 376 acres. It is decorated with lakes, sports centre, gymnasium, cycle track, jogging track, theme park and trimmed lawns.
  7. Chandrika Devi Temple – It is one of the sacred temples of the Hindu goddess Chandika in Lucknow on the bank of river Gomti.
  8. Indira Gandhi Planetarium – Situated near Dali-Ganj Bridge in Lucknow, it is a novel attraction of the city and installed with an Art projecting system which gives special effects while projecting.
  9. Jama Masjid – The Mughal style of architecture – Jama Masjid is a place of worship for Shia Muslims especially on Fridays.
  10. Hazratganj Market – Hazratganj is a best place to have a whale of time in the evening and do not forget to taste the mouth-watering Basket Chat at Royal Café.
  11. La Martiniere College – Established in 1845, the college has seen generations turning in and transforming to the modern world. The building is an architectural marvel, preserving the history blended with the modern day advancements.
Ambedkar park

Ambedkar Park, Lucknow

“Muskuraiye Aap Lucknow Mein Hain” –

A popular adage ‘Muskuraiye Aap Lucknow Mein Hain’ is perfectly true because a research study has been conducted by IMRB International in 2015 where it has revealed that Lucknow is the 2nd happiest city in India, only after Chandigarh. (Reference)

(“Credit – Canva Photo Collages“)

SEE WHAT MISS ADIKA SAYS ABOUT LUCKNOW –

When I first went to Lucknow, I saw a huge crowd at various places and people were busy in community dining. The people on the temples were also squashed like sardines. I politely enquired and got to know about an auspicious occasion of BADA MANGAL celebrated exclusively in Lucknow, a festival devoted to a Hindu deity Lord Hanuman. This holy festival is being organized in the city for the last 400 years. It is celebrated on all Tuesdays of Hindu calendar of Jyeshtha month.

Lucknow (Photo Credits: Malavika Bhattacharya)

Lucknow (Photo Credits: Malavika Bhattacharya)

 

Piyush Tripathi

Piyush Tripathi

Blogger

I wanna make memories all over the world & would like to be richer in my life so I satisfy my strong desire to travel irresistibly & get some mind-boggling experiences because travel is the only thing you buy, that makes you richer. 

I am a health professional, traveler and content writer / blogger. I have completed my MBA from Rajasthan and currently working as a Regional Supply Chain Manager in Gujarat Medical Services Corporation.

Book Hotels

Plan your Travel

Book Hotels

Google ads.

Aahana the Corbett Wilderness fascinating blend of nature and luxury

Aahana the Corbett Wilderness fascinating blend of nature and luxury

by | May 24, 2017 | Leisure, Nainital Excursion, North

Aahana the Corbett Wilderness

FASCINATING blend OF NATURE AND LUXURY
;

Demonstrating its respect to the nature, the resounding sounds of birds, a rich cover of lush green trees, a perfect blend of nature and luxury, Aahana the Corbett wilderness resort has its own reasons to be loved and respected. The resort is situated in Sawaldesh, a 20 minutes drive to a beautiful town of Ramnagar. Offering a serene and peaceful environment and the luxury equivalent to any 5 star hotels. Aahana is a highly recommended luxury resort for families and peace lovers.

During our recent trip to Ramnagar we had a day to spend and leisure after completing the Jungle safari and that is when we thought of staying at Aahana. We had heard a lot about the resort from locals. The resort is very well crafted, curated, maintained and executed. We reached the resort around evening after completing our safari, the reception area followed by the reading lounge gives a very professional look and the staff is very courteous. As a gesture of welcome we were offered juices and hot towel. We had a short conversation with the reception staff and were answered well.

After completing the formalities we were shifted to our room, they call it Corbett club. It is more of a suite rather than an ordinary room. Consisting of multiple wardrobes, dressing table, mini bar, AC, television, a spacious balcony with sitting, a fire place for winters, a sofa set and a beautifully planned washroom with toiletries. The suite is located at 1 end of the resort where at the entrance one can view the village and from the balcony you get a beautiful view of the resort, the jungle in the backdrop and a beautiful sunrise in the mornings.

Google ads.

The resort also offers other rooms such as the Den, Jim’s retreat, Jungle lore suite, Ranger suite, family suite and the villas. For more details about the rooms and tariff please refer to the resort website.

Room
Room
Room
Room
Room

After settling down, we walked down towards the restaurant for the dinner. The restaurant is spacious and professionally maintained. The restaurant offers a lavish buffet for all the meals along with a live counter. The restaurant is segregated into multiple areas such as the dining hall where the main buffet or ala-carte is served, an outdoor seating for people to enjoy the nature and enjoy the meals, an elegantly built bar that offers a variety of options for drinks and live music during dinner time. The resort has an upper hand in terms of food quality as compared to other resorts as they have their own bakery unit, dairy farm and organic farms thus maintaining quality.

After the luxuriant dinner, we took a short walk around the resort, the pathways which are dimly lit to maintain harmony with the resident birds and humans give a mesmerising view and force you to stay there for a while and feel the serene calm of the night gazing at the starts. It reminds me of the days we used to be curious children and use the roof tops as our own observatory.

The next day was at leisure and looking at the exorbitant heat during the day we thought to roam around the resort in the morning and evening. So we started the day earlier than usual but not as early as seven. We freshened up and had a quick breakfast, the staff was there at the restaurant ready to greet us with smile no matter how early they would have woke up to prepare the food and the place to make our experience as good as possible.

Google ads.

DSCN5775
DSCN5774
DSCN5779
DSCN5777

After the breakfast we took a walk around the resort and also a drive in the battery operated vehicles when our kid refused to walk anymore. The resort has some real good things to admire a well maintained kids play area which normally is the least looked after in other resorts, the play area has some good swings, a trampoline and cycling. Adjacent to the kids play area are the badminton and basketball court, within the resort premises there is a mini football and a mini golf course for people to rejuvenate. There is a separate place next to the reception for indoor games, pool table. The resort also holds a meditation/yoga room with daily yoga sessions provided to the guests. The resort holds a huge area under organic farming. The resort also holds a naturopathy centre offering various services to the guests. One of the major attractions apart from these is a buggy ride which is pulled by horses giving you a feel of the British era when effluent class people used to commute in those buggys. The ride would take you on a short village tour. However, due to some technical reasons we could not take the ride.

DSCN5778
DSCN5781
DSCN5786
DSCN5790
DSCN5788
DSCN5791
DSCN5772
Yoga
Pool
Indoor games
Reading Area
Kids area
Badminton

Post lunch, as the temperature soared above 40 degrees we went back to our room to rest and then in the evening we moved out for some more fun, after a quick high tea which is served in the lawn adjacent to the pool. It was play time with the kid.

After spending some time at the ground we went to visit another speciality of the resort and that is the Sewage treatment plant, one of the reasons why the resort is most eco-friendly resort. Unique and acclaimed to be one of the biggest in Asia, it runs on the principle of gravity. The sewage water using the force of gravity enters into two large chambers (15 feet deep and the dimension of 12.3 X 17 ft) where the sewage is segregated in to solid and liquid waste. The Wastewater from wash basins, bathrooms and kitchen goes into the Four Baffled Chambers filled with 40-60 mm gravel. These Baffled Chambers are 10 ft deep and are of 11.1 ft x 9.10 ft dimension each. This is also carried out through gravity.

Then from these Chambers the wastewater goes into the CANNA PLANTED FILTER ROOT ZONE Chambers which are Five in numbers and they are filled with 10-20 mm gravel having a depth of one metre. Cannae plants are planted in these chambers over the gravel. Their size is 49 ft x 19.9 ft each. The filtered water transparent in colour and having no odor goes in the Storage Tank having a capacity of 1,50,000 litres. We pump treated water through 2 HP Hydromatic Pumps to the Sprinklers which are located at different points throughout the garden area. The entire process takes about seven days.

This was something interesting to us and we spent some time there understanding the process. It was good to see this as the resort abides by its motto of Eco-friendly tourism.

DSCN5823
DSCN5821
DSCN5822
DSCN5836

Later in the evening had a detailed discussion with one of the directors of the resort Ms. Ayu, who told us about the inception of the idea of building this beautiful eco-friendly resort. There are lot of CSR activities that the resort as an organization takes up and ensures to keep to the values.

We were impressed to hear the initiatives that are taken up by the management such as employing local people and grooming them. They also support education initiatives for the children in the village, on a regular basis a village cleanliness drive is organized in support by the local population and sometimes the guests. Doing this they are not only connected to the local people they also earn a lot of respect and support from them in return. With all these discussions and finger licking food it was a lesson revised give respect, get respect. Not many profit making organizations take care of environment or the employees and the people around.

Next day we rose early to witness a lovely sunrise from the balcony though the most of it was in the backdrop of the trees but it was soothing to the eyes. We got ready, had the breakfast for one last time there and with a heavy heart bid adieu thinking to return again soon.

The Golden Tusk Resort a complete vacation package.

The Golden Tusk Resort a complete vacation package.

by | May 14, 2017 | Adventure, Excursion Nainital, Hotel Reviews, Jaipur - Excursions, Jim Corbet Excursions, Nainital Excursion, North, Ranikhet Excursions, Wildlife

THE GOLDEN TUSK RESORT

All you need for a vacation
;

With the backdrop of Jim Corbett and the Shivalik ranges of the Himalayas, only thing you would be looking for is a nice home-like comfortable place to spend a few days far away from the hustle ‘n’ bustle of the city. The Golden Tusk Resort is a blessing in disguise for families, naturalists and wildlife enthusiasts. The resort not only offers some beautifully crafted rooms it also has a rich blend of flora and fauna. With more than 100 species of plants and trees, the resort has abundant birds throughout the year for the visitors to enrich. The resort, situated on the bank of a seasonal river is an eye candid during monsoon and give a soothing view during rest of the years. If you are nearby Ramnagar or planning to spend a long weekend then this is a not to miss, place.

We planned for an outing and a jungle safari a couple of months back and that’s when I stumbled across The Golden Tusk resort. I was a bit skeptical about the place initially but it was worth a try since this is considered to be a good season for the safari as the chances of wildlife sighting increases manifolds. We started our journey from Delhi to Ramnagar with a super excited kid, who was going to have some great experiences. Starting from his first train travel to exploring a lot of new things about the nature and wildlife. The temperature in Delhi was soaring 44 degrees when we started and expected an equivalent hot evening in Ramnagar based on the weather forecasts. However, by the time we crossed Kashipur the weather had changed and a thunderstorm had lashed the small town with sporadic rains and cool breeze. It was almost 9 pm  when we reached Ramnagar. We were picked up by the resort representatives at the station and we started our journey to the resort, located approximately 20 kms from the station. The resort representative were very enthusiastic and we had a lot of chit chat about our journey, Ramnagar, Jim Corbett during this 25 minutes drive including some chat with our kid who was excited to spot a tiger.

Upon reaching the resort we were given a very warm welcome by the General Manager Mr. Sujit and the reception staff. Welcome drink offered was the juice of Burans a famous flower in the Kausani region of the Himalayas. Later we were shifted to our country view room and we could see the village with limited movement of people. The room was very spacious, well laid out and had all facilities that would make you feel home starting from a comfortable bed, a TV, Refrigerator and an AC. Outside the room there was a neatly maintained sitting spot with a set of table and chairs for the guests to sit, relax and enjoy together with the village in their sighting.

Google ads.

The resort also offers other rooms such as forest view, villas, grand villas, tiger suites, and luxury tents. For more details about the rooms and tariff please refer to the resort website.

country-view-1
country-view-5
DSCN5603
DSCN5601

After settling down, we walked down towards the restaurant which is built on an elevated platform and  away from the rooms. Standing on the front stairs of the restaurant one can have a clear view of the village where as the stairs at the rear side of the restaurant give a magnificient view of a well maintained ground followed by a perrinnial river bed with the mountains in the backdrop. The place can captivate any person and force them to sit there for hours cherishing the nature’s beauty.

We had a sumptuous dinner which was tasty and quality as compared to any famous restaurant in the cities. The restaurant offers a lavish buffet with Veg and Non-Veg options alongwith Ala-carte and live grill options. The staff at the restaurant was equally generous and courteous as the staff at the reception. After the dinner we took a walk around the resort listening to some of the insect and birds that we once used to hear in our native cities and are now lost in the harrowing sounds of mordenization in the cities.

Google ads.

IMG_20170509_091515
IMG_20170509_091647
IMG_20170509_091724
IMG_20170509_091714

The next day was at leisure for us and we utilized the time properly by starting with a delicious breakfast followed by a walk around the resort. The resort offers a conference hall for official meetings, gymmnasium, swimming pool, indoor games, spa, cycling, bar for those who want to just relax and enjoy the ambience, nature’s beauty and spend some leisure time with family and friends. As the temperature increased we thought to cool down in the swimming pool and spend around a couple of hours there. Below are some random clicks around the resort.

DSCN5560
DSCN5565
DSCN5559
DSCN5564
DSCN5566
DSCN5569
DSCN5570
DSCN5572
DSCN5577
DSCN5578

Post lunch, as the temperature soared above 40 degrees we went back to our room to rest and then in the evening we moved out for some more fun, after a quick high tea which is served in the back lawn on the banks of the river and some games with the kid, we moved for some sports activities. The resort offers a few adventure sports such as military hurdle for children and wall climbing and flying fox for adults and other games like basketball, badminton, volley ball etc. It was a real fun in trying the wall climbing and flying fox.

DSCN5585
DSCN5586
DSCN5617
Military hurdle
Wall Climbing
Flying fox
DSCN5669
Wall climbing

With the dusk falling and the full moon on the horizon, it was time for the birds to return to their bases and we experienced a mesmerizing noise of the birds chirping all around the resort as if they were discussing their activities and experiences during the day, reminding me of the days we used to sit with our parents and grandparents telling them our daily experiences and question nuts and bolts of anything and everything. As my kid sat in my lap listening to the birds, It was a mixed feeling for me which filled me with joy on one hand and reminded me the pain long forgotten of being far away from our near and dear ones knowing that in times to come there will be nothing left other than memories to cherish. I gradually composed myself back to the present and starting explaining my kid about the sudden movement and chirping of the birds.

full moon
full moon
full moon
the dusk

Next day we had the Safari planned and till evening we were masquerading in the resort as if we were the residents there. By evening 4 pm we were all set for the Safari, please note that the Safari is subject to prior booking and the availability depends on the permit from the government departments. Please check with the resort before planning the trip or safari. It was a real fun and a great experience, the presence of the qualified guide from the forest department and the knowledgeable representative from the resort made it more interesting, wherein a lot of information was shared by both the people. It is because of them that we were able to understand lot of things and also clear out the myths we have been growing up with about the jungle and the animals. It was a time well spent and we would  be taking up that experience in our next post.

We also got a chance to have a chat with the owner of the resort Mr. Anirudh who completed his MBA from Amity university and also had worked in some private sector organizations, it was a pretty informative meeting and he shared his vision and aspirations about the resort. He also told us about how the resort was built in that place and that the rooms were furnished differently based on specific concept in sync with various flowers. He also gave us a glimpse on the additions they would be bringing to the resort thus making it more family friendly and it becomes a one stop shop for all age groups. The resort also fulfills its responsibility towards the society and have taken up numerous CSR initiatives including a village and forest clean up drives in association with TCHRI. The idealogy being followed is to create memories for the people visiting the resort and I would admit that in a stay of 2 days i never felt away from home making some very good memories for years to come.

Top places to see if you are in Chandigarh

Top places to see if you are in Chandigarh

by | Dec 10, 2016 | Destinations, India, North, Personal Experience

Touted to be India’s first planned city, Chandigarh is the capital of states Haryana and Punjab. The city as compared to any other city in India is much organized, planned and executed in terms of architecture. It is said that the foundation of the city was laid keeping in mind it’s existence after a decade. The city’s proximity with New Delhi, the national capital of India and Shimla which is another famous tourist place, attracts lots of tourists all-round the year.

While approaching the city, one can witness the lower ranges of Himalayas also known as the Shivaliks, hosting the temple dedicated to goddess Chandi thus giving the name of the city. If one has a couple of days in hand, the city provides a lot of things to do.

It was sometime back when I got to visit the city for a short trip, I was searching for a decent budget friendly hotel offering some good services. It was when, I stumbled across Treebo hotels, with various options available I booked my stay in Treebo Ocean located at Phase 5 offering pretty decent rooms with a courteous staff and prompt services all at affordable rates. . If you are looking for a budget stay in Chandigarh, checkout Treebo Hotels in Chandigarh”

image source: Wikimedia

Google ads.

Rock Garden:

One of the major attractions in Chandigarh is the well renowned, Rock garden. The rock garden demonstrates that a well determined effort can do wonders. The garden was built by Nek chand who thought to build a small garden by clearing the forest area. That is when he built some sculptures from the recycled and waste products and gradually people started acknowledging the efforts and the beauty of the garden.

Rose Garden: This is one of the biggest rose gardens in India and hosts the annual rose festival. The garden is well maintained and a perfect spot to be in if you are an admirer of the nature’s beauty.

Sukhna Lake: The lake was formed as part of water conservation project by building a dam across the seasonal water stream Sukhna that flows from the Shivaliks. It has gradually turned into a recreation spot for the local and a tourist spot for travellers providing a jogging track, amusement park, and cafeteria. Watersport lovers can enjoy rowing and yachting. People can also hire a bicycle and witness the beauty of the lake.

The Secretariat: The Secretariat building is an architectural beauty. Being a high profile place, the entry is restricted and only after proper verifications and security check you can get entry. These checks and approvals take from 30 – 50 minutes, so if you have some spare time with proper documents (can be obtained from the tourist reception center at sector 17) and are okay to wait for the security checks do visit the place.

The Capitol and the High Court: In addition to the Secretariat, the Capitol and the High court building are also accessible to the general public only after obtaining permission from the tourist center and security checks. Once you get the clearance the visitors can witness the well-built and heavily guarded buildings.

Pinjore garden: Also known as Yadavindra garden, it is situated approximately 20 kms from Chandigarh on Chandigarh-Shimla road. The garden is famous for its design inspired by the Mughal workmanship. The garden also houses a mini zoo, nursery and Japanese garden. The gardens are very popular for picnic amongst the local population.

Cactus garden: Cactus garden is situated around 8 km from Chandigarh and covering an area of around 7 acres. Cactus garden is known for its rare & endangered species of Indian succulents. The garden houses around 3000+ species of cactus. Since the inception in 1987 the garden has been drawing huge crowd year on year.

Museum and Art gallery: The museum is situated in sector 10 and is one of the major attractions in Chandigarh. The museum houses artefacts from various eras including relics, coins and sculptures from the Harappa era to the fossils of dinosaurs found in and around the area. The art gallery houses paintings of ancient and modern values.

 

Art gallery

Book Hotels

Google ads.

Archives

Accessibility

The city is well connected from various parts of the country and some cities having direct flights to Chandigarh. In addition the travellers can opt for various bus services ranging from state transport buses to the private buses.

The visitors can also use the hop on hop off bus service to explore the city. Apart from the buses there are lot of other modes of travel available, take an auto rickshaw or a cycle rickshaw and enjoy the beauty of the city. There are some companies that offer cycle on rent.

Read our blog on the go

Stay connected with us by signing up to our free newsletter and keep updated with our posts at your leisure.

You have successfully subscribed.! Wait ! There is one last step to perform. Check your Inbox for a confirmation email, click on the link to confirm your subscription.