Deoriatal Trek - Part 2

Next day we started afresh for Deoriatal. We had a hot water bath and a good breakfast in our hotel which also operated a well running restaurant. The entrance was right in front of our hotel so we were on the uphill trek quickly.

First leg of Deoriatal Trek

Deoriatal Trek - Part 1

We started early morning from Rishikesh for Sari village. Within an hour we were at Devprayag. I have been to this place couple of times but its beauty never ceases to amaze me. Two rivers, one muddy another pristine, meet here to create Ganges. We stopped and descended down to the point of merger and just stayed there for a while.

Devprayag, merging of Bhagirathi and Alakananda rivers

Cabo de Rama Fort, Goa

• Take our couple of hours for this place, you will love exploring different corners of the fort.
• Nearby Cabo de Rama beach is good but the view from the cliff that drops to this beach is amazing. There is a sea facing restaurant also but its a bit costly.

One of the hidden gems of Goa, Cabo de Rama fort is spectacular. A proper fort with layers, viewpoints, a turquoise lake and beach, we instantly fell for this place. The fort is in south Goa and we found it by accident on our way to Agonda Beach. The approach road to Cabo de Rama has sea on the right side and hills on the left.

Sea view from Cabo de Rama

Udaipur

Jaipur - Ajmer - Chittorgarh - Udaipur

• Book a hotel on the lake side preferably facing the palace. This would also mean you are in the old part of Udaipur which has a different air about it.
• The City Palace is among the most preserved ones I have seen. The paintings and even utensils are kept for view. Area around palace is also full of artistic work.
• Go for Monsoon Palace for the sunset. There is a restaurant at the top that serves good snacks which along with the location makes it very special.

We reached Udaipur by noon and started searching for a suitable hotel. It was serendipitous for us to find Hotel Lake Pichola at such short notice. It is one of the hundreds of hotel adjacent to Pichola Lake but also has a view of palatial complex across the lake. Our room was modest in a royal fashion.

City Palace across Hotel Lake Pichola @ Udaipur

Nainital

Trip: Delhi > Nainital > Pithoragarh > Delhi

• Nainital can be basecamp for a plethora of destination in this part of Uttarakhand including Pithoragarh, Kausani, Binsar, Ranikhet and Bageshwar. Plan ahead.
• The trek to China peak is among the most exciting ones if you are upto the challenge of an uphill trek. The view of Naital and Naini lake will make your day.
• The market at far end of Naini lake is among the most diverse I have seen on a hill station. The walk along the lake and boating are other activities worth trying.

We had an ideal start at 4 AM. By 6 we were half way on Moradabad Bypass and racing towards Nainital  Things took a u-turn at Tanda. The road was like a series of speed breakers. It took us couple of hours to cross the bad patch to reach Bazpur after which the infrastructure improved. We entered Nainital through picturesque Kaladhungi route at 11 and were settled by noon.

View of Naini Lake@Nainital

Copenhagen

Copenhagen - Bergen - Voss - Flåm - Sognefjorden - Oslo - Stockholm

• Book a hotel near the main station. You will need both the trains and metro to traverse not only within Copenhagen but also to nearby attractions like Christianshaven.
• There is not much in Copenhagen - Tivoli Gardens, Carlsberg Breweries and the statue of the mermaid were all that we could figure out.
• Jelling and Helsingor are one day trips from here. So is Malmo in Sweden. We loved the crossover to Malmo which is sea on both sides of the railway track.

Although I am here to stay for a good four months, I couldn't suppress my wanderer self from expressing my first impression of Copenhagen. The first noticeable point is elegance. From the wooden flooring at the airport to helpfulness of a railway employee in directing us everything is presentable and beautiful here.

Damhussoen Lake @ Copenhagen

Mount Abu

• Mount Abu is less than 100 miles from Udaipur and overnight from Delhi and Ahmedabad via train. As such it is one of the accessible hill stations.
• One day is enough to cover the major points. Sunrise Point and some far points can be covered in another day.
• Ranakpur Temple near Udaipur is twin of Dilwara Temple here. Both are elaborate work of art. Enjoy the hospitality of Rajasthan

There are few hill stations in western India and fewer as complete as Mount Abu. It marks most of the checklist items of a typical hill station - lake, spiritual centre, sunrise & sunset points. Proximity to Udaipur helps and a railway station at the foothill, well connected with rest of India is a winner. Consequently you will never find Mount Abu out of a typical hill station crowd.

Guru Shikar, Mount Abu