Its Ganga Dussehra today (also tomorrow!). Many of us would be already in Varanasi or may be in Haridwar or Rishikesh to take part in one of the most important festival attached to River Ganges. People will be taking dip in the river and will be part of Ganga Arti in the evening. Well, quite straightforward in terms of rituals. But ever imagined a festival in India where men jump in wells to bring out, just a bottle of feni! Looks bizarre but that happens in Goa. Looks like a chill-out fun for scorching summers of June. But June has a lot more to offer. Summer is at its peak in the north while monsoon has already struck in the south. It is still the vacation time for the most parts of India and hill stations will be packed of vacationers. Lot more to do then routine ‘queen of the hills’ t...
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Malwa Utsav started last night at Indore's Lalbagh palace. There are still five more days to go and you can certainly catch some action. So has India’s most awaited yearly pilgrimage- Char Dham Yatra, which commenced on 28th April with opening of doors of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines. But there are host of other events which can prompt you to some quick travel plans. With soaring temperatures, hill stations like Mount Abu and Ooty try to chill out with their annual festivals. Then there are a few church festivals also in Kerala, besides the all famous Thrissur Pooram. Here are some quick ideas for the month of May- first of India’s traditional two months of summer vacations. Time to pack! Malwa Festival, Indore Celebrated with great enthusiasm, Malwa Utsav is one of the biggest and
Read MoreRajasthan seems to have developed a penchant for exquisite and exclusive hotels. No doubt, most of these hotels are a different class altogether which make them loved ones among those who are looking for something elite. As per TripAdvisor Travellers’s Choice survey for 2017 among the top 25 hotels in India, 9 are in Rajasthan and all the top three are from state with two among them from Udaipur. Actually City of Lakes Udaipur along with Pink City Jaipur have three hotels each in the list which is maximum for any Indian city. And interestingly, in this list there is also a mini competition among the big hotel chains that quite explains the Indian hotel industry scenario. Among the top 25 hotels eight belong to the Oberoi Group of Hotels and seven to Taj Group of Hotels. That leaves onl...
Read MoreThis post is couple of days or more late, but still worth perhaps. Its the Monsoon time. Kerala will be receiving it in a few days, although it is already late by a week. Rest of India will be patiently waiting for its turn sweltering in humid heat until then. But it is still the vacation time for the most parts of India and hill stations will be packed of tourists. Besides the routine trips, have a look at the some of the other ideas for travel this month that I can recollect. 1. Boat race season kicks off at Champakkulam The snake boat race of Kerala or the vallamkali (boat race) is not just an event that lasts for a few hours or a day. Rather, it is a phenomenon the impact of which will last for a lifetime. In Kerala, the season of boat races starts with the famous Champakkulam Mo
Read MoreSummer in the northern part of India seems to be peaking a bit early. Such a weather instigates desperate search for cooler vistas. With annual summer vacations just round the corner, we bring you our choice of top ten ideas for the month of May- first of India’s traditional two months of summer vacations. Many festivals around and a few adventures to calm you down. Go ahead. 1. Malwa Festival, Indore, Ujjain Celebrated with great enthusiasm, Malwa Utsav is one of the biggest and most spectacular events of Madhya Pradesh. The festival restores the age old culture and the tradition of India through its various classical dance performances and traditional music. Performers and entertainers from different parts of India charm the cities of Indore and Ujjain for a remarkable five day cel
Read MoreIt is indeed one of the most beautiful and challenging road journeys in India and arguably, in the world. A road trip to Spiti valley from Shimla to Kaza is thoroughly entertaining and fulfilling. But it is entirely different from road trip to Lahaul valley, i.e. from Manali to Leh, although people often name them in same vain. Lets tell you about top 10 highlights of this route, which one shouldn’t miss while going to Kaza from Shimla. 1. Ka zigs At a distance of almost 290 kms from Shimla, these are seven stretches of zig-zag road between Khab and Ka villages. Often people will say that you have to see it to believe it. Deep into the Spiti valley, stretch starts right from bottom of the hill along the Spiti river in full flow and climbs the hill like a snake towards Nako. Once on t...
Read MoreWildflower Hall at Mashobra near Shimla has been rated as India's numero uno hill station hotel by TripAdvisor's Traveller's Choice Awards. With bags already packed for the coming summer vacations in India, this list provides ample options to choose from for the prospective travellers as suggested by no other than fellow travellers themselves. That's what makes these TripAdvisor lists always interesting. What more is interesting about this particular list is that though we consider good Hill Stations as normally located in Himalayan region, here second, third and fourth in the list are all located in southern part of India. Owned by Oberoi group and situated 8,250 feet above in the magnificent Himalayas, Wildflower Hall is a fairy tale luxury resort set in 22 acres of virgin woo...
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