Chowki Dhani

Chowki Dhani is a well-recreated Rajasthani village. "Chowki Dhaani" means a small village in the local language. They have done a great job of recreating the Rajasthani village feel. So much so, that at the entrance, an old man with a spinning wheel yells out something incomprehensible at you. For a Rs. 200 admission fee, you get an evening's entertainment and rich traditional dinner. It's money well spent. You'll have to take an auto to it, since it's 20km south of the city, so be sure to negotiate the price before you get in.

You can view Rajasthani dances, potters, cooks, go on animal rides, and visit palm readers. Some of these require a small fee of there own, namely the last two.

I have never lived in a village but somehow that felt very authentic. The highlight of Chokhi Dhaani is the dinner. Seated on small stools on the floor, you are served by traditionally dressed waiters. And again, true to Indian tradition of hospitality, they insist that you gorge on the food. In fact you can't say no to them. The waiters are really friendly and two of them placed their turbans on Manish and my heads. A couple of foreigners sitting across the room from us seemed amused. But they didn't eat much. Dinner is delicious and excessive. I had so much food on my plate. I'm a fan of the red garlic chutney with Bhajree ki roti.
The place is happening in the evening because it's one of the few activities at night. Middle- to upper-middle class families and groups of 20-something friends frequent it.

Chiplun, Break free of Goa

Chiplun lies along the banks of the Vashishti River, just shy of the Konkan coast, almost half highway to Goa from Mumbai. Chiplun is like a host undemanding of its guests but always solicitous. No dazzling attractions force you choose, there are always wide green vistas to gaze upon and beautiful points drive to. Also, enough good food and purchases will interleave your interlude.

You can cover all of Chiplun in 1 day and the other day you can view places outside Chiplun. I rented a car for sightseeing, basically my hotel did the booking part for me, however you can also get the auto rickshaws. Most places are easy to find in Chiplun, despite the fact that most of the roads don’t have names.

Pethe Parshuram Village near Chiplun is a dreamy, times-gone- by air, which belies its uniqueness and its significance to the people of the Konkan. According to my guide, Parshuram, a hot-tempered saint gave up all his land to prove to his guru that he was a true sanyasi. He came to Pethe Parshuram, the legend continues, and in characteristics anger, threw his mighty axe into the churning sea, which at that time, presumably, came right up to Chiplun. The water receded up to the point where his axe landed. Pethe Parshuram is today a clean, one cobbled stone street village that makes a quite living from tourists who come to the temple and buy knick-knacks from the surrounding shops.

Vashishti River is 20 minutes from the highway. You can do boating, and while you enjoy the boat ride you might also view crocodiles. You can fish also for which you do not require a permit.
All restaurants are called hotels in this place and hotels are called lodging so don’t be confused. You can stay at Gateway Riverview Lodge, Hotel Royal Palace and Motel Vanashri and many more.

There are few restaurants like Taj’s Riverside for Konkani cuisine, Pethe Vishranti Graha for papad and there are many dhabas to eat also.

Palampur, Darjeeling in Himachal

Palampur is in the Kangra Valley, criss crossed by streams and brooks which make Palampur pulum word for water in pahari, ideal for tea plantation. According to my guide the British were so obsessed by the aroma of the leaf of the Chinese origin that they began to plant tea bushes wherever land was suitable. The fame of Palampur lies in this British desire to have more tea than they could drink and export the rest back to a thirsting Europe.

While you enter Palampur you would come to know that it is surrounded by dense forest of oaks, pine and deodar making it ideal for those who enjoy long walks. For me the green valley also makes for enjoyable drives with my family and for those who are more adventurous, plugging off course to nearby destinations can be pretty rewarding.

Baijnath Temple also known as Kigram, was once the capital of the Kirat kings of Kangra as told by our guide. The early 13th century Shiva temple here is most unusual and looks as if it has been lifted from Puri in Orissa and dropped in the Kangra Valley.

The Tibetan monastery of Tashijong is one of the many built after the Dalai Lama settled in McLeodganj. We buyed carpets of delicate weave, Buddhist thanka paintings and other Tibetan arts and crafts, which were available here for our friends and relatives.

My destination was Neugal Khad close to the five centuries old temple of bundlamata. Also rising tall behind the chasm are the mighty Dhauladhars where we had a cup of tea at the HPTDC café nearby enjoying the views of chasm, temple and mountains all together as leisure.

Then there is a palace of the crescent moon Taragarh, heritage property build by Nawab of Bahawalpur and was named after the glass pleasure pavilion he built here which is now converted into a temple. However now it has been turned into Taragarh Palace Hotel.

Sherbing is a gigantic monastery also home to the pre- eminent Tal Sti Rimpoche. There are huge stupas and grandly conceived monastery in the middle of the forest. The Buddhist temple here contains an immense statue of Buddha. The Rimpoche allows the people between 2 and 4 in the afternoon; everyone is welcomed for the darshan.

We stayed at Hotel silver Oak, which offered us home-cooked food and horse rides, however there are many other hotels to stay like Hotel T- Bud, Sath Camps and many more. There is no dining choice in Palampur outside the hotels. Only Joy in town is famous for its veg food.