The Chalets Naldehra, offbeat destination from Delhi

This weekend we went to an offbeat weekend destination from Delhi near to Shimla 20km, the Chalets of Naldehra with my family for a break from regular routine. The place was 343 km from Delhi so we started on Friday evening so that we can enjoy the weekend in resting and not in traveling. So we started around 7 in the evening and reached there around 2, do not worry we had hired a driver to drive the car especially in the night. We had already made are booking before reaching there so we just had to check in the cottage. In the night we were not able to view the scenic beauty of the place, we were just waiting for the reception man to give the keys and we can go to sleep. Our apartment was pretty good with all amenities and facilities. There are rooms and cottages available also but we were only four so we chose the apartment.

Next day I woke up early morning to enjoy the beauty of the place, and to my amaze it was awesome experience. I was standing in the lobby of my apartment with a cup of tea and enjoying the views of the hills and forest nearby with beautiful cottages close to my apartment. There was a chill breeze all over the place with little fog covering the terrace of the cottages, park and the forest plus the golf park. Yes it also offers the golf course however im not a golf player neither im attracted by the game. After enjoying the tea we planned to take a venture into the forest for jungle walk. We were provided with a guide who helped us out with the way in the jungle. The whole view was breath taking. The jungle was covered with many types of trees and with the clouds covering them and the chill breeze all around the place we could not have asked for anything much better than this. We were able to view many species of birds. While my dad and mom decided to go back to the apartment for rest I and my sisters planned for a trek. The trek was also good but I got little rashes. We had lots of fun with water rafting to horse ride everything was available here. Even it provided us with heated pool, spa, in house art gallery, croquet, billiards, golf, and yoga and evening bonfires. So now you can also understand that there was so much to do that we even realized that it was Sunday afternoon and we have to leave the place. But we decided to make another trip for Naldehra with the family and this time for a week.

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.

Nandi Hills, weekend destination from Bangalore

Nandi Hills

Nandi Hills are flat surroundings plains just outside Bangalore. The hills get their name from the beautiful statue of Nandi standing guard outside the Yoganandeeshwara Temple atop the hills.

Reaching the top is easy as there’s a good, mortable road going all the way up. Nandi hills are the place where laziness can be perfected into an art form. The most strenuous activities here are long ambles along the walkways meandering along the hills.

Tipu’s drop, a near 2,000 ft- high sheer cliff has a gory past. It is the place from where convicted prisoners would be hurdled to their death by Tipu Sultan’s decree. From here you would be able to view Bangalore in the distance sparkling beneath you like a giant rangoli decorated with diyas.
Yoganandeeshwara Temple is the abode of Shiva the ascetic at the top the hills was build by the Cholas. This ancient temple also has an inscription in the name of Sambhaji, son of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Amrita Sarovar is a large tank fed by perennial springs and is called the lake of ambrosia. People visit it in night when it shimmers in the moonlight. Nearby lies the chabootra or platform where Tipu Sultan used to pray.

Nehru Nilaya is the house where Nehru lived in, however now it is a guest house belonging to the Horticulture Department.

Bhognandeshwara Temple is at the base of the Nandi Hills. Nandi hills have only two accommodation options one is the Hotel Mayura Pine Top and the second one is Nehru Nilaya.
Nandi Hills is blessed with a pleasant climate all year round.

Ladakh A Spiritual High

Ladakh A Spiritual High

Ladakh is a high altitude plateau at India’s furthest frontier, bordered by POK and Tibet. To the west is Kashmir and to the south Himachal Pradesh. The Indus River bisects the plateau and by its banks is Leh, the capital of Ladakh. The vast land, dry and dedicated, swells and billows into great tiers of snow-crested peaks. Arching over it is a sky, pure blue, benign, sheltering. The river bisects the floor of the valley. The best season is from May to the end of October. Winter in Ladakh is bitterly cold. If you plan to travel by road, keep in mind that the Rohtang and Zoji La passes are open only between mid June and early October.

Dominating Leh from its vantage on the northern crag is the Leh Palace, a diminutive Potala. In the late afternoon, the wind picks up, riffling the prayer flags, carrying snatches of the deeply- intoed homage to Manjushri.

The mountains, snow-capped peaks and fortress- like monasteries provide a dramatic backdrop to the many roadside cafes, restaurants, beer bars, carpet and curio shops, and trekking and rafting agencies. It is full of trails that connect remote villages spread across ancient trade routes, and there is no better way to absorb this fascinating land and its culture than to trek through it.

Leh Palace is the imposing nine- storey Palace of Sengye ‘Lion’ Namgyal dominates the city. Explore its dark passages, making your way to the top floors to get a brilliant view of the Indus Valley. Further beyond the palace is the Tsemo Gompa.

Shey is the old capital of the Ladakhi kings. It is a pretty spot with numerous chortens and graceful willows that dip their leaves into pleasant artificial lake. There are extensive remains of a fortress on the hilland a palace, incorporated into which is a temple with a handsome copper and gold Shakyamuni Buddha. Around 300m away is the Thiksey Monastery, which housesa huge three storey Maitreya Buddha.

On the beautiful Leh-Kargil road lays the earliest surviving monastery of Ladakh known as Yung-drung, or the Swastika. Its site, perched on a rocky promontory high above the Lamayuru Village at the valley.

On the high southern bank of the Indus, in a lush, quiet oasis across the road from Saspol is the ancient center of learning. Alchi Choskhor. One can happily spend the whole day studying the frescoes and loafing under its verdant apricot trees. There are two high altitude lakes Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso.

Leh abounds with places to stay as almost every house being converted into a guesthouse ranging from Rs. 300 to Rs. 3000. There many hotels like Shambha La and Lharimo, which offer, heated rooms and lovely view. The Leh area has restaurants, cafes and bakeries catering to all budgets that run the entire range of cuisines from authentic Tibetan fare to European to Kashmeri to Israeli.
A successful trek in Ladakh requires you to acclimatize well. Spend a few days in Leh, go for gentle walks and get used to the altitude.