Tag Archives: India

A Trip to Royal Rajasthan

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Rajasthan desert camping A Trip to Royal Rajasthan

Camping in the Rajasthan desert.

By DIVIJ PASRIJA

Rajasthan, with its many different colors, customs, and traditions, always make for an interesting destination. This desert state has several different experiences to offer to the keen traveler. From the royal to the rugged and everything in between, there is every kind of experience to be had in Rajasthan.

For those planning trip to this royal state of India, here are some pointers to the destination for a wholesome experience.

Visit Udaipur and Jaipur For Their Royal Heritage

If you plan to take a royal Rajasthan tour, there is nothing better than a visit to the cities of Udaipur and Jaipur. Udaipur has often been voted as one of the most beautiful cities of India. It has many manmade lakes overlooking picturesque palaces and forts. Most of these palaces have been converted into heritage hotels, but you can still take a tour of these.

And then there is the capital city of Jaipur, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar and several others, which give you a peek into times gone by.

More Rustic Experiences in Jaisalmer

Most of us have dreamt of having a quintessential desert experience, riding atop a camel and crossing sand dunes after sand dunes. Those dreams can come to life in the city of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. The city was once an important royal kingdom of Rajasthan, the proof of which lies in the many forts and palaces of the region. Take a tour of these ancient forts and palaces, and take a camel safari, or an elephant safari, whatever pleases you most.

For Those with Valor, visit Bhangarh

If you have more than just an adventurous streak in you, visit Bhangarh in Rajasthan. This ancient city is believed to be haunted. In fact, visiting the city after dark is prohibited. Explore the many ruins of the city, and hear spooky folklores from the locals. If you are lucky enough (or unlucky), you may even come across a real ghost.

Wild Experiences in Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary

If you thought Rajasthan is home to camels only, you are wrong. Rajasthan has its very own wildlife sanctuary by the name of Sariska wildlife reserve. The forest reserve is inhabited by tigers, elephants and several other species of animals. The reserve is frequented by tourists throughout the year. Take a jeep safari through the reserve. It always makes for a wild experience.

Villages For a Traditional Experience

The villages of India often give you a sneak peek into “real” India, as some prefer to call it. The villages of Rajasthan are no different. Take a tour of the villages of Rajasthan, including those of Mandawa and Bikaner. There are interesting havelis to explore in the villages of the state, apart from a chance to experience the lives of local people.

The above is just a pointer to royal Rajasthan. For a truly wholesome experience, be prepared to take unexplored routes in Rajasthan, and interact with locals to get an insight into the “real” Rajasthan.

Divij is an adventurer, a budding photographer and a writer. He has been to various trekking trails and to many offbeat destinations in India. His passion is to explore all the offbeat destinations in India. Currently, he writes articles on travel for www.Thrillophilia.com

Vegetarian-Friendly Holiday? Visit India

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Diwali Vegetarian Friendly Holiday? Visit India

Diwali. CC Image by chiragkpatel (Flickr).

By HRS

There are many reasons to put India on your list of must-visit destinations – from the majesty of the Taj Mahal to the pristine beaches of Goa, as well as its rich spiritual history and countless colourful festivals. India has plenty to offer the curious traveller. If you’re not a meat-eater, you’ve got one more reason: India has the highest proportion of vegetarians in the world, estimated at as many as four in ten of the population. Naturally, having this many vegetarians to feed means India boasts some of the world’s finest vegetarian cuisine!

Most Indian restaurants clearly mark themselves as being either vegetarian, non-vegetarian or “pure vegetarian” (vegan), and a similar system is employed on food labelling supermarkets and shops. A green dot in a green square means a product is pure vegetarian, while a brown dot in a brown square indicates that animal products were used. And if you’re using the railways (highly likely on a visit to India!), you can expect to have a wide array of veggie fare to choose from on your journey.

Restaurants in India are cheap and plentiful: nearly every street in the larger cities has a few eateries to explore, not to mention dozens of roadside vendors. It’s usually best to stick to the restaurants and avoiding snacking from the roadside stalls, as these aren’t known for their hygiene. Small restaurants, known as dhabas, can usually be found next to petrol stations and serve excellent local food that will be different from city to city – in fact, part of the fun of travelling to India is seeing just how much the cuisine can change in just a few miles.

Some of the mainstay dishes to taste are thali and dhosa, both common in south India. The former is an all-you-can-eat vegetarian feast, comprising curries, pickles, vegetables, yoghurt, papadums and more – great if you’ve been on foot all day and just want to tuck in to a big plate of food. Meanwhile, dhosa is the Indian version of the pancake, make from rice batter and black lentils. It’s usually filled with spicy veg and served with chutney and pickle dips.

If you really want to make cuisine a central part of your stay in India, make sure you go during festival time. Some of the best-known Indian festivals are Diwali, Lohri and Ganesh Chaturthi, but there are literally hundreds – India has such a diverse array of cultures and religions that you’ve got a good chance of seeing celebrations of one kind or another everywhere you go. Food is a central part of the festivities, so make sure you sample the local crackers and sweets.

Finally, don’t forget that quite a few of the smaller, family-run eateries in India offer cookery classes to tourists at lunchtime, where you’ll typically learn to make a couple of dishes in an hour. Take the opportunity to learn from the masters, and bring home a new skill that you can use to make delicious vegetarian food for your friends back home!

This article has been provided by HRS, one of the leading sources for hotels on the web. For more information, go to http://www.hrs.com/uk/.

Kolkata: India’s Cultural Hub

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victoria memorial Kolkata: India’s Cultural Hub

Victoria Memorial, Kolkata.

By LYNDSEY BIDDLE

Previously called Calcutta during the days of Britain’s colonization of India, Kolkata is one of the largest cities in India and has a deep and rich history plus a number of worthwhile sites and shows for visitors to enjoy. The city has been the making of many historical figures such as Nobel Laureate, writer and poet Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray who wrote and directed numerous films. The city is also said to be the cultural hub of India with numerous theatre performances, musical programs, art galleries and a variety of other daily cultural events.

If architecture fascinates you, the northern/north central area of the city offers a number of well-preserved British Era style buildings. You can get to this area from the subway. Getting off at Central station will place you right in the center of preserved British Kolkata. You can also plan a walk from Esplanade metro station toward Central station. By going along this route you will go past New Market, which is the largest indoor market in the city, the place to buy virtually anything you might possibly desire from clothes to electronics to puppies.

It is easy to lose yourself at New Market as the aisle-ways lead all over the place, forcing you to constantly guess whether you should turn left or right, go straight, or return to where you came from. Also, the coolies, the local word for porters, could drive you crazy if you don’t remain calm. The coolies will follow you throughout the market, trying to lead the way and help carry your items. If you want their help you can simply offer a small tip when you finish shopping. If you don’t want their help, tell them so and go on about your day. Be prepared though, they will still follow your every step whether you like it or not.

If the buzz of New Market sounds is too much for your tastes, consider visiting some of Kolkata’s many art galleries. You can find a vast assortment of art showrooms and exhibitions in this city including a number of small galleries featuring anything from photography to painting. Take a look at Seagull Gallery on Mukherjee Road, very close to Kalighat metro at the intersection of S.P. Mukherjee Road and Rash Behari Avenue. The gallery is small but offers a good variety of shows and public viewings.

As India’s capital of culture, Kolkata offers something that will inspire and entertain every variety of traveler. If live performances are something you are more interested in, be sure to visit Rabindra Sadan at Rabindra Sadan metro station. There are always new programs going on here, from traditional dancing to music performances to plays.

Lyndsey writes for Briefcases Direct, a website that offers luxury briefcases directly from the manufacturer. Lyndsey is currently living in Kolkata, India and studying the Bengali language in her free time.

The Magic of the Annapurna Circuit

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trekking The Magic of the Annapurna Circuit

By THE ADVENTURE COMPANY

After recently having had such a great time in the Himalayan foothills of India, I decided along with a couple of my new friends to do a more strenuous trek in the Annapurna circuit, Nepal. I was aware that this would be a great challenge, and I could not wait to hop on the plane and get started; I have previously had the exhilarating experience of white water rafting on the Kali gandaki river and fell in love with this beautiful country. Without a doubt Nepal holidays offer something really unique.

This particular trip was good because it concentrates on the actual trekking; a full 16 days are spent on the circuit. I had been searching for something of a challenge and activity holidays like these also enabled me to raise some money for charity; a double feel good factor!

So we started in the lively vibrant capital of Kathmandu. On arrival here I literally felt on top of the world; at 4,400 ft above sea level the scenery is breath taking. The mountains surrounding the city are incredible as are the views from the temples; my favourite being World Heritage sites Swayambhu and Pashupati. I revisited to some of the wonderful buzzing teahouses and ate mouth watering Tibetan dishes in my favourite guesthouse, Las kus at the Kathmandu Guesthouse. This had to be the best place in the world to chill out before the challenge began.

By the time we reached the small village of Besisahar, spirits were high and our group was buzzing with excitement. Everybody on the trek had had some previous experience of trekking and was relatively fit. Our guide, Raj was really informative and extremely supportive; his general knowledge of Nepal was brilliant. He explained that we would be walking up to eight hours a day and that this particular trek would allow us to acclimatise safely; rest days were built in to help adjust to the altitude. The trek would take us through many different eco systems and we would be hiking through sub tropical forests, rice fields and crossing suspension bridges as well as climbing up the mountains; this was adventure travel at its best!

I do suffer from slight vertigo however, and on our way to Bahudanda one of the first suspension bridges proved a little tricky; these were not the most solidly constructed bridges I had ever seen and there were holes in between the runners which allowed glimpses of land way below. To my great relief I ended up blundering across quickly with my eyes fixed on the other side! By the end of the first few days I thankfully realised that although this was a tough trek, it was fully supported. Our friendly Sherpa carried all the heavy baggage whilst we only needed to carry day packs with the essentials; water, cameras and sunscreen. Generally the meals consisted of simple local produce but they were delicious and we did not want for a thing; great coffee to get us out of our beds in the mornings and mouth watering cakes and biscuits after a long day hiking. The atmosphere in the evening was cheerful; we were all tired and slept soundly.

On our way between the villages Pisang and Manang one guy got the symptoms of altitude sickness, luckily and we were able to spend a day in Manang (3540 m) relaxing while he adjusted before moving on. I was completely shattered at this point and aware that the hardest part was yet to come, so I spent time chilling out and chatting with the local people and playing with the friendly children. One of the best things about this trip was climbing the many paths and stone staircases and arriving in the remote villages and small tea houses; they seemed as if they hadn’t changed in hundreds of years. The locals were all so welcoming and interesting with their different religious beliefs; there were many Hindus in the lower villages but as we ascended the religion became predominantly Buddhist.

The scenery of course was totally stunning and changed on an almost daily basis; it seemed that one minute we were trekking through the forests and a few days later on our way to Yak Kharka (4018 m) with its harsh open terrain, frozen waterfalls and boulders littering the path ahead. I was really finding the going tough at this point and breathing was becoming more laboured. So it was amazing when we did eventually cross the Thorung La pass to Muktinath. We had started at dawn and after a five and a half hour climb we reached the summit (5416 m), luckily in the sunshine!

I felt an overwhelming sense of achievement. The views of the Annapurna range surrounding us were fabulous; we could also see the Gangapurna and the Dhaulagiri mountains. We spent a while here taking photos, it was the highest point most of us had ever set foot and I felt light headed with happiness. After this the steep descent was much easier as we were pretty fit by this point. The highlight on our descent was at Tatopani (1160 m) where we soaked in the spring fed thermal pools, what a treat for our tired muscles! This was one of the best holiday experiences I have ever had, and has given me the incentive to do lots more similar trips.

Experiencing India: Interview With Taylor Davidson

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Taylor Davidson shares what he learnt from a two-month trip to India.

jaisalmer Experiencing India: Interview With Taylor Davidson

Chai © Taylor Davidson

Erica Johansson: Where in India did you travel?

Taylor Davidson: I went to India knowing I had two months to explore, and without a firm idea of where I was going to visit outside of a couple of cities to visit friends. My travel itinerary evolved over time, as I talked to friends, locals, fellow travelers, and just tried to absorb information and learn more about the different places and potential experiences (and also how to actually get from one place to another). Since I was lucky to have a friend living in Delhi gracious enough to let me stay with him, I had a good base to use to explore, as well as give me some time and experience to get comfortable traveling in India.

In deciding where to go, I fought two conflicting principles:
1) The more I saw, the more I realized the more I was going to be unable to see, simply due to time.
2) I have also realized on past trips abroad that you can have a much richer experience by visiting fewer places but spending more time in each place, rather than rushing between places, trying to fit everything in, because you get the chance to explore and see local life much deeper.

So, in the end, I ended up going to:
Delhi
Punjab: Amritsar
Uttar Pradesh: Agra
Rajasthan: Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur
Maharasta: Mumbai, Pune
Karnataka: Bangalore, Hampi
Kerala: Trivandrum, Kollam, Allepehy, Kochin
Tamil Nadu: Ooty
Himanchal Pradesh: McLeodganj

(Actually, I have a map to view where I went:
http://www.taylordavidson.com/india/map.htm)

In retrospect, what would I have done differently? I would have spent more time in the hill stations and smaller towns in the south, staying out of the major cities a bit more, exploring some smaller towns for longer periods. But then, I am not a “big-city” person anywhere in the world, so that’s just my preference.

What was the best part of your journey?

Best places: Mcleodganj, Ooty, Hampi, Udaipur, and Jaisalmer. Why? For me, it was about the opportunity to wander the areas, to talk to and interact with locals in a different way than I would in the bigger cities. In each of these places I had amazingly interesting conversations with locals and fellow travelers, and got to explore some wonderful natural scenery.

Best activity: talking to locals in the cities, learning about people and life. While talking to locals was often the most annoying part of the day, simply because of the sheer volume of people that approach solo travelers, I had some amazing conversations and met some great people. And I’m not really a “people person”.

Best singular moment: camping in the desert, under the stars, Christmas Eve.

What did you learn from this trip?

About photography:
People LOVE having their pictures taken. They also love having their pictures taken with foreigners. Take their picture, and get used to having your picture taken.

About traveling in India:
1) Learn patience. Learn to forget about schedules, and learn to be comfortable without a carefully planned itinerary. India is an easy place to travel without a lot of planning, and it’s definitely the most fun way. The journey may not always be smooth, but it will work out in the end.

2) Learn to ask. Information is most easily available by asking people, and everyone is so friendly and open to helping, it is by far the best way to get information about how to get around, about what to do, about how things work. But don’t ask just one person: ask multiple people, verify and corroborate what people tell you.

3) Learn to answer questions that you might not answer at home. People are very inquisitive, and are eager to ask questions about you, your home, your country. Depending on where you are from, you might get asked questions which are more personal than you would ordinarily answer at home. It is incredibly common for people’s first questions to be if you are married/dating, what your job is, how much money you make, or other similar questions. These are all important ways for people to understand you based on values and beliefs in Indian culture, much in the same way in Western culture we may ask about school, jobs, hobbies, or personal interests. The questions are normal, and whether you choose to be truthful or not, answer them, but remember that you will be judged and “slotted” by your answers.

4) Learn when to be aggressive, and when to be passive. Perhaps the toughest of all, it takes some time to be able to grasp and assess situations appropriately. While people are very warm and friendly once they recognize you as an individual, there is also an “individual callousness” that requires you to be a little more aggressive than you might otherwise. At least that is my experience, as a male traveling solo: it might be different if you are female and/or travel with friends in a group.

5) Logistics:

Booking: all hotels, travel agents, Internet cafes, etc., will help you book tickets and provide advice, for a commission. All business in India is done through middlemen, and using middlemen to book tickets for you can often save you a lot of time and hassle.

Trains: multiple classes of service are available; take what you’re comfortable with. Trains are a great way to meet people and talk to locals and fellow travelers. You can book easily online with a credit card.  If you can sleep on trains (I can sleep anywhere, anytime), trains can be pretty efficient way to travel overnight. If you’re going non-AC class in the winter, take a blanket.

Buses: intra-city buses can be intimidating, but actually quite easy if you get comfortable asking people how to get to where you want: often people will take you under their wing and tell you where to get off or change buses.  Inter-city buses are similarly easy, and for some, the popular routes are the easiest way to get around, cheaply and without any advance booking. For some routes you should book ahead, for others, just show up at the station and take the next bus.

Cars: if you have the money, or are short on time, for some routes cars (with drivers) are also an option, and can take you between and within cities quite easily. Definitely much more expensive than buses and trains, but I met numerous travelers who chose to hire drivers to take them between cities, often on self-directed tours between a group of cities.

Boats: I only took one, and if you go to Kerala, definitely take a backwaters tour by boat.

Flights: easy to book, usually does not require much advance booking, much faster than trains and buses for long distances. But flying is much, much more expensive, apt for delays, and you will not get the chance to meet people or see the landscape as you would by bus or train.

Overall: the key, in the end, is to ask people about the route you want to take to get their advice on which method to use, times, schedules, and of the variety of options available.

About India:
The diversity in culture, people, places, etc., continues to remind you that the more you see, the more there is to see. Every day is an opportunity for creating experiences, both good and bad. If you have an open mind, interact with people, embrace Indian culture, and bring a positive spirit, India can be an incredibly powerful, warm, inviting place to travel.

To see more shots from Taylor’s trip to  India, see the India Close & Afar photo gallery. For more reflections, check out the blog posts Unordered Thoughts from India and Cultural Tourism.