Hemkund Sahib

• Hemkund is at a height of 15k ft. Best plan an acclimatisation day at Gangaria and a trip to Valley of Flower before attempting Hemkund.
• Check SpO2 before you start and if it is less than 90, take a Diamox tablet.

We reached Gangaria a day before after a long but enjoyable trek from Govindghat. Gangaria is a small village on the way to Hemkund and acts as a base camp for both Hemkund and Valley of Flower. We were surprised to find there was neither internet nor any kind of signal here. Nobody told us that we are going to be disconnected from the rest of the civilisation for the next 3 days.

En route to Gangaria, base village to Hemkund

Tiger’s Nest

Thimpu - Punakha - Paro - Tiger’s Nest

It was our fifth day in Bhutan but the best was still to come. Evidently the spot was perched some 2000 metres high in the middle of nowhere some ten miles away from the scenic Paro Valley. Paro itself had taken us by surprise. We were expecting an airport city but it was so much more than that. Probably Tiger’s Nest had something to do with it.

Trek @ Tiger's Nest

Sigri

Trip: Delhi - Nainital - Sigri - Delhi

• Go for the village walk in the evening. A golden sunset and glimpse of village life in the hills will be worth the exertion. You can even restock at the village shop.
• A trek to the highest point is the best way to spend the afternoon. Both the view and the effort to reach the high point is invigorating.
• Remember there is no cell signal in here. Visit Nainital in the evening. It is hardly an hour away and the buzzing marketplace is a good balancing act against the seclusion of Sigri.

Imagine a cozy resort nestled in an islotaed heaven deep in the Himalayas, inhabited with simple hillfolks, few hutments and no cell signal. What can you do, disconnected from the city? How about if you are with a bunch of close friends, enough booze and an entire resort staff at your command, not to forget a stunning view of the ice-capped Himalayas and pleasant weather. You would definitely want to go there.

Golden Sunset, Sigri

Manikaran Sahib

• Don't come by car if you can. Park your car wherever you are staying and walk to Manikaran. There are Volvo buses that ferry around here which create massive jams.
• Come prepared for the holy dip in the hot spring water below the Gurudwara. Food served at the gurudwara is tasty and healthy. Dont miss that.
• The scenic view of Manikaran is best visible from high ground. Try to find one. The holy town bisected by a sizeable river is beauty to behold.

We drove and drove and drove and reached Manikaran exactly in 30 hours. This included a comfy stay at a resort near Mandi overnight. Hence we were fresh and full on energy when we hit the holy city. The first glance of Manikaran gives an impression of a bowl with a liquid flowing through it. Surrounded by high hills and dissected by Parvati river, the city automatically brings the spiritual in you to fore.

Manikaran Sahib

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

• Start early with balanced breakfast. The uphill climb takes 2 hours including breaks so by the time it is noon you would be climbing down in heat with the most clear view when you were up there.
• Don't miss the frescoes painted on the cavern of western wall of Sigiriya. They are some of the most exquisitely painted frescoes that are still preserved probably due to the cave.
• Enjoy the different views that elevation throws at different levels. Explore the top of Sigirya a little. People tend to just hit the top and come back.  

Sigiriya Lion Rock is not just a tourist attraction. History says it was seat of the most powerful king who ever ruled the island nation. Add to that the buddhist monastery in the caves of the gigantic monolith and a view to behold from the top. The result is an unmatchable structure that may very well have cake-walked into the Unesco World Heritage Site list. While the front view of Sigiriya is intimidating, the trek and the experience is equally exhilarating.

View from middle, Sigiriya Lion Rock

Udaigiri Caves, Vidisha

• One can book a vehicle for less than $10 for half day to cover both Udaigiri and Heliodorus Pillar from Vidisha station. The pillar is worth 20 minutes stay.
• November to February is the best time to visit Udaigiri Caves. Both the climate of this region and the small uphill climb traversing this hill demands cool temperature.
• At the top of the hill, there is a cave dedicated to Lord Ganesha. People mostly come back from here. There is a path from here that takes you to the other side which has few more caves.

We were in Vidisha for Prateek's wedding. The journey itself was interesting. It was not since the dreadful night train to Rameswaram that we had taken a train trip. However the group that accompanied us was fun. We reached Vidisha early morning and got transferred to our respective rooms. Management from bride's side was impeccable. Breakfast was equally good with the variety and a hint of Madhya Pradesh. We ate sumptuously and then rested for a while at room before starting again.

Varaha statue, Udaigiri

Shivpuri

• Shivpuri is home to rafting. White sand river-side used to be perfect for camping as well although recently that has been prohibited by Green Tribunal.
• Stay at a nearby resort or makeshift camps close to Ganges. It is better than Rishikesh for those who come to avoid the hustle of city.
• Rishikesh is 20 minutes drive from here. You can plan for evening aarti and dinner at chotiwala and comfortably come back by 9.

We reached Rishikesh at 2 and immediately hit traffic. The way Rishikesh has developed, a bypass merges into the city right at the middle of the busiest road. We crawled and reached Shivpuri at 3. To our utter disappointment, the riverside camps were moved sideways away from the Ganges. Now it attracted mostly bachelors. We decided to go back to Rishikesh but found a good resort called Bull's Retreat close by.

View from near Bull's Retreat Resort

Chail

• Visit during March-April for 3 days. Nights are cold but it is less crowded and more pleasant weather wise.
• Stay at Chail Palace for a royal experience. Plan a visit to nearby market for lunch as the lazy morning and cold evening are mostly to be spent inside the resort.
• Drive / trek to Kali Tibba, Cricket Ground and Wildlife Sanctuary. Chail is small town for a relaxing weekend. 

Taking a detour from Kandaghat, it takes one hour to reach Chail - a small hill town near Shimla. Being small works in favour for those seeking seclusion amid a decent infrastructure. We had booked two rooms in the Himneel Block of Chail Palace which is an actual palace converted into a hill resort by the Himachal Tourism. We were the only ones staying in this block and the sense of freedom this gave us was a very happy one.

Sunset from Chail Palace

Top 5 travel circuits from Delhi

Delhi - Agra - Fatehpur Sikri - Bharatpur - Mathura - Vrindavan - Delhi

Delhi - Sariska - Jaipur - Ajmer - Neemrana - Delhi

Delhi - Haridwar - Mussoorie - Kanatal - Tehri - Rishikesh - Delhi

Delhi - Jim Corbett - Nainital - Mukteshwar - Delhi

Delhi - Chandigarh - Kasauli - Shimla - Kufri - Chail - Delhi

Delhi - Agra - Fatehpur Sikri - Bharatpur - Mathura - Vrindavan - Delhi

• Can be covered in 2 days flat 
• Includes 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites 
• Stay overnight at Bharatpur, near the gates of Keoladeo National Park

Bharatpur Bird Sactuary

Golkonda Fort

• Golconda Fort is a major attraction of Hyderabad. Trek to the top on an October morning is heavenly. The whole city is visible.
• Take as little baggage as possible. Take water and some food. The top of fort is a huge terrace where one can sit and relax for hours.
• A digression from main path will take you to one of the edges from where view of the city is uninterrupted. Steep fall below and chill air with the landscape in front is a view to behold.

We visited Golkonda Fort first thing in the morning. Still it was 11. Thanks to the incessant rainfall for last four days, the air will chilly and there was ample greenry around. In front of us was the grand Golkonda, famous for its sound system.

Golkonda Fort

Everest House

• Road to Everest House is little tattered. Take left from Library End of Mussoorie as the road is better from this side compared to Company Bagh side.
• Trek to the peak near Everest House is recommended although it takes upto couple hours uphill and down.
• Snacks and beverages are available. Best time of day to visit is between breakfast and lunch in the morning half. 

Everest House is one of the treasures that Mussoorie keeps for the travel worthy. You have to look for it to find it. A tortuous drive, digression to a broken path and a small trek will take you to the house of Sir George Everest and you will rejoice the moment as if you have found a treasure.

Everest House

Kovalam

• Best time to visit Kovalam is Dec-Jan. Christmas and New Yr celebration here is grand and looks exotic given the number of foreigner tourists.
• Beach is shallow and among the most playful in India. Hotels are numerous so a deal is possible on last minute booking.
• Dont miss top view from lighthouse. It closes down early. Dont miss the Poovar Island trip. It adds to the charm of Kovalam.

Last time I came to Kovalam was with college friends on the eve of new year of 2008. It was a short and not so sweet stay at this lovely beach town. The way foreigners, specially white people, are preferred by restaurants here will give you a pretty good feeling of how apartheid felt like in South Africa. This time around the plan was to stay longer and experience a little more. Kovalam is more of a landmark in the 5000 miles long sea shore that belongs to India.

Sea View from Lighthouse @ Kovalam

Gwalior Fort

Trip: Delhi > Gwalior > Khajuraho > Raneh Falls & Delhi

Gwalior was a quicky. We were on our train to Delhi from Khajuraho when we saw the fort palace and decided to pay it a tribute. We had to look for a hotel or take Shatabdi @ 7.

View from right flank @ Gwalior Fort

Om Beach, Gokarna

Jog Falls - Gokarna - Murudeshwara

• The landlocked Om beach is the place to stay in Gokarna. Two more beaches are adjacent although less fun - Kudle beach & Gokarna main beach.
• Namaste Cafe is famous for seafood and fresh juices although everything else is equally tasty. The place even has few rooms for stay although you need to book in advaance.
• Murudeshwara and Jog Falls are a day trip from here. Both can be covered if one starts early. Mudureshwara holds the largest Mahadev statue while Jog is the tallest waterfall in India.

The bright morning sun was blazing in front of us when we reached Namaste Cafe Hotel in Gokarna. Earlier we had booked SRS Travels Sleeper bus from Bangalore and the journey was not disappointing. Namaste Cafe is located right on the Om beach but to reach here either you have to trek 3 miles or pay 150 bucks to the autowala.

Gokarna Main Beach

Chikmagalur

Shravanbelgola - Chikmagalur - Belur - Halebidu

This time we were more planned than last time. An advance booking at hotel and a bottle of scotch in the car was there before we started. It was a short and eventless ride that we took to the western Karnataka.

View from edge of Yagachi Dam@Chikmagalur

Shravanbelgola

Shravanbelgola - Chikmagalur - Belur - Halebidu

Having just missed a visit to the giant Bahubali statue on my last trip to Chikmagalur, it was imperative we take digress to see this place of holy importance to Jains. We took the turn and reached the small and peaceful town of Shravanbelgola. Almost unexpectedly, the statue is at the top of a monolith that takes some climbing.

Daulatabad Fort

Trip: Aurangabad > Ajanta > Lonar > Daulatabad > Ellora > Aurangabad

• A full fledged 7 tiered fort, Daulatabad is worth studying on the defense systems of forts used by early rulers of India. At worse its a healthy trek to the top.
• Dont miss the bat cave, a set of staircases to the top only few hundred metres long but full of squeaking bats. You need to cross it to reach the top.
• Within few miles of Daulatabad are the grand Ellora Caves and Grishneshwar - one of the twelve jyotirlingas, both dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Daulatabad Fort is impregnable by the look of it - a layer of seven increasingly difficult barriers from bottom to top. We arrived at the foot of this hill fort through a shared auto that runs frequently from Bawa Petrol Pump in Aurangabad City. The entrance is a massive wooden gate that opens to view of a high watch tower and the fort itself. The gate is not counted among the seven layers of defence.

View from Bharat Mata Mandir

Lonar Crater

Trip: Aurangabad > Ajanta > Lonar > Daulatabad > Ellora

Imagine a mile wide and 150m deep pit. Worth watching? Naah. Now add the fact that a meteor created it some 60,000 yrs ago. Geeks would be interested. What if I tell you that this is the third largest impact crater in the world and right in the middle of our backyard? I hope you will go have a look.

Lonar Crater, Lonar

Aurangabad

Trip: Aurangabad > Ajanta > Lonar > Daulatabad > Ellora

When we told friends that we will be in Aurangabad for Christmas the question we faced invariably was 'What's there in Aurangabad?' Any reply to that question would be an understatement. 

Chand Bibi's Tomb, Aurangabad

Savandurga

I managed to pull out a team outing. Savandurga was perfect because of its proximity. The four of us managed to reach the top after quite a series of discussions but when we did it was triumph. The reservoir view was waiting for us with a luxuriant slope of a place to enjoy. 

We had brought ample beer and snacks to spend a peaceful couple of hours facing a scenic view. A cloudy sky, cool breeze and absence of anyone else was helping the cause. It proved once again that high-point views never disappoint. Last time I had missed something.

We were lucky that day last time to have a holiday and a vehicle at our disposal on the same day. The opportunity was too good to leave. Hence on the Republic Day we were climbing the hill of Savandurga, a fort not more than 30 miles from the periphery of Bangalore.

We had just crossed the beautiful Manchanabele reservoir and my motivation was to have a look at this lake from top of Savandurga. The climb started with the most pleasant weather that is trademark of Bangalore region.

The climb was steep and I regretted why I was not up for regular exercise. We had ample food supplies to take breaks and move again. However the late start meant we were not going to reach the top. It was a tough decision to make.

A fellow trekker returning from top suggested us to go for another 20 minutes where we will find caves to settle, take a break and return. It proved to be a good advice.

Our last settlement was just after the caves ended. We opened the last of resources which included a bottle of mazaa, cashew nuts, chips, snickers and few jokes to be cracked on Manoj. Another round of gossiping followed before we decided to leave for the day. The return was equally hectic because of the steep.