Nainital & Mukteshwar

Trip to unwind

“What a wonderful world “I said to myself while I stared out of the small balcony at one of the hotel in Nainital.....I was amazed at the beauty of nature at this place. For all the three days that I stayed at this place, I admired Mother Nature for being so beautiful and thanked god for creating such places on earth where one could visit and unwind! I also thought of my Sangeeta bhabhi from whom I'd heard a lot about this place while growing up. Yeah! she is from Nainital and today I thank her for introducing me to this lake:)
Although we had started from Delhi (on road) with the idea of visiting ‘Mukteshwar’ but half way through we decided to go to ‘Nainital’ first and then cover ‘Mukteshwar’.

Nainital, as the name suggests is a lake (Naini Lake) surrounded by hills which believe you me, is very beautiful any time you look at it. The view of cottages and villas including the hotels that have come up on the hills is awesome. 
The early morning cool breeze, with a serene view of the lake in front of you, makes you sit and introspect in your mind. 

The sun rays falling on the lake make it glitter in the afternoon and the fun /enthusiasm of paddling a boat in it in the evening just makes your experience at the lake complete. There are plenty of budgeted hotels that you will find at Nainital. Look for the ones that are situated at the hill so that you get the beautiful view of the lake from your room itself. When you are in Nainital don’t miss out on visiting Bheemtaal, Sat- Tal and Nauchika Tal in Uttarakhand. These other ‘Tals’ are situated at a few kilometres from Nainital. (Bheemtal to Nainital- 22km, Sat- Tal to Nainital-23 km, Naukuchiatal to Nainital- 23km). Also, ensure to do the local sight-seeing by hiring a taxi for a day rather than driving yourself around. Taxies and the guides are easily available on mall road at reasonable rates. Be careful to carry some shawl or some warm clothes as evenings are cold here especially when it rains. The rains are very unpredictable here.

Local places to see- Cave Garden, Hanuman temple, Raj Bhawan (Governor’s house, golf course), Zoo, KhurTal- man made lake, small waterfall, lover’s point, high point are the important things to see in Nainital. Rope way or Cable car connects the snow view point with Nainital. All this can be covered in one day. You should give one day to enjoy all the boat rides on the lake. More adventurous and sporty can have the fun of paddling the boat in a paddle boat. It’s a small boat for two people to paddle. Or if you want to just sit and enjoy the boat ride then you can have the one driven by the boat man. We decided on spending time on both and believe me it was worth it. There were people enjoying kayaking as well in the lake.

You will find many shops that arrange for a day’s tour on mall itself. Mall road runs on one side of lake with plenty of hotels, shops and restaurants etc. We hired a local taxi wala for an amount of Rs 1500/- to show us around on the local tour of Nainital. The Zoo is situated on a l’ll height. It is at an altitude of 2100mts in an open, large and sprawling area. It is well maintained and has parakeets, silver pheasants, Leopards, Himalayan bear, monkeys etc. Visiting the caves was also fun. If you are an adventurous sort then you will definitely enjoy going through those narrow caves. But if you are even a wee bit claustrophobic then it is not recommended. Visiting Raj Bhawan requires buying an entry ticket but one is not allowed to go inside the governer’s house.However; from the outside of it one can admire the greenery outside the building, which is well maintained .Like other hill areas this place also had many small temples in and around, especially of God Hanuman. The road to the local waterfall and the lover’s point is beautiful especially when it’s raining. We got drenched in the rain and enjoyed some candid photography as well. One of my friend loves taking pics so he took out his camera and took some shots in the rain that came out really beautifully. In fact while we were coming back to the lake after our local site- seeing it started raining heavily. Remember weather is unpredictable here!It doesn’t stay in one condition and changes very quickly. 

We had to head to Mukteshwar (it is 51km from Nainital and at an elevation of 7513 ft) so we did not decide on staying but one can stay longer and plan on visiting Kausani, Almora etc as well. Mukteshwar, I would say is another paradise on earth. Still, so very untouched by the tourist crowd. Although there are many resorts that you will find on your way to Mukteshwar. But the best and the most famous one to stay is the ‘mountain trail’.

If you want to unwind and gain peace away from the maddening hustle bustle of our daily life then ‘Mukteshwar’ is the place to go.

The most peculiar thing that we observed at Mukteshwar was the sound of the wind that flows through the trees. Yes! The wind flows making a sound of a ‘Jharna’ (waterfall). Listening to the sound was very soothing and calm. It gives you a very soothing and quiet feel and brings you more closer to Nature. The experience and the stay there was very relaxing and calm. We had covered the Nainital & Mukteshwar trip in a week’s time giving three days each to both the places.

'Chauli ki Jaali'-My favourite point on the cliff to spend time early mornings and evenings daily at Mukteshwar

Himalayan peaks as visible from Mukteshwar in the early mornings

Nainital is much commercialized and very much touched by the tourists, but Mukteshwar is not. By the way, you don’t expect a TV either at such a place;)

At mountain trail, the rooms are made such (there is a varandah and a glazed sit-out next to your room) that you can always enjoy the view of snow peaked mountains of Himalaya in front of you. Early morning view from here is a breathtaking one. Mukteshwar, I would recommend is an ideal place to spend some quiet time with family or the loved ones. 

A very famous temple of lord Shiva called “Mukteshwar temple” and “Chauli ki Jaali” are the two venues for sightseeing here. ‘Chauli ki Jaali’ is a overhanging of cliffs and rocks, which gives a breath taking view of both sunrise and sunset. They also provide a panoramic view of the valley below. This is also a very good point for spotting eagles and other birds. Witnessing sun-rise & sunset at these cliffs is an experience in itself. If you like adventure sport then the resort administration helps arrange for mountain climbing, rappelling and fox trot/flying activity at Chauli ki Jaali. 

Mukteshwar became famous after IVRI was established in 1893. But the name has been derived from the famous 350 yrs old temple of Lord Shiva called “mukteshwar” which is situated at the highest point at town. “Mukti” means moksha/ salvation by Ish, i.e.Lord Shiva. As per the local story, Lord Shiva gave Mukti to a demon that he killed. The temple itself is very calm and serene. Climbing the stairs through the woods gives you a tranquil and delightful feeling. We heard the wind blowing like a jharna at the temple stairs only. March-April (a non- peak) season is a better idea to visit. Mukteshwar is a very small town in Uttarakhand and locals are as helpful and naive as people would be at any hill station. Resorts like Mountain Trail provide you with all the modern amenities except for a TV.
Various adventures activities that one can enjoy at Mukteshwar are trekking, Nature Walks in the nearby woods, fox flying, rappelling & rock climbing.

Trip to Nainital and Mukteshwar is worth visiting again always!

Lansdowne-The ‘Do Nothing Get away’

Spending your time doing nothing in the midst of mountain hills is one ‘do nothing activity’ that lets you admire the sunset, sunrise, clouds, chilly wind, flowers in the valley-all in all, the beauty of nature around you...:) and there’s no better place than Lansdowne to do so.

Valley view from our room at Lansdowne

Leaving for Lansdowne, (a small hill station situated in Uttarakhand) on a Friday was a perfect ‘Get away’ for our weekend.

Still untouched by the modern tourism industry, this place was originally a popular hill station for Britishers. Situated at an altitude of 1,706 m enroute Kotdwar-Pauri road, it was founded and named after then Viceroy of India, Lord Lansdowne in 1887. Only 250 km from Delhi, this place is surrounded by tall, thick oak and blue pine forests. 

Lansdowne is not yet stained by tourists. Its tranquil and pristine beauty unlike other hill stations (like Shimla, Moussouri etc) is still intact. If you ask me, I would say it is an ideal place to ‘Do nothing’, just relax and spend time with your family or loved one. There are very few resorts n hotels which are situated a few kilometres prior to the hill station, all promising a mystique view of the valley. The one that we stayed at had a 180 degree view of the valley in front. The sunrise and sunset are mesmerising here. We got up at 4/4:30 am daily to witness the sunrise. The valley view is awe-inspiring! The sound of wind blowing swiftly, pine trees moving to the rhythm of wind, the colourful flower beds; all this makes it so peaceful that one feels a sense of calm and tranquillity here. Truly, a get- away from the hustle- bustle of fast moving city life....ohh...just to stress on the peaceful time-mobile phones and internet don’t work here :)

Beautiful misty Lansdowne

Bells :) my fascination in the hills

If you are a nature loving person who enjoys a trek to an unknown village down the hill, who likes the feel of being surrounded by huge mountain trees like-oak and pine, love waterfalls, zigzag mountain roads, then, this is the place for you. The magnificently changing colours in the sky during the sunrise each day that we witnessed, is still embedded in our memory....Sunrise every day seemed a different mix of colours, formation of clouds, surrounded by vibrant flower beds and mountains all around. Not to mention the view after the sunset- small individual houses scattered at a distance in the mountains and flower beds would change to ‘twinkling stars’ in darkness (lights of the houses in the valley as seen from far away gives this impression)

Valley view from our balcony

Feels heaven on earth

Tarkeshwar temple

Way to sanctum- sanctoram at Tarkeshwar Temple

For those who are interested in sightseeing here, temples, churches, museum and a lake can easily be covered in a day. The famous Garhwal Rifles of the Indian Army has its command office here. The War Memorial at the Parade Ground of the Garhwal Rifles Center is another attraction for the visitors. Other places of interest around the city are ‘Tip-n-Top’-one could see the mountain view of the western Himalayas from here, Santoshi Mata Temple, Bhulla Taal (man made lake), St. Mary's Church, Tarkeshwar Mahadev temple.

A small trek leading to a local village

Nature and its simplicity

A colourful cemented platform

The temple is 36 km from Lansdowne and is at a height of 1,800 m, this place is known for its temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Surrounded by thick forests of deodar and pine, it is another aw-inspiring place because of the beauty of nature, it is believed to be one of the ancient holy sites or SiddhaPithas. The temple place is surrounded by thick blue pine forests, oak trees and dense Deodars. The spectacular feature of this place is that even at this high altitude, there are many water pools, flowing continuously. What fascinated me here were the bells surrounding the temple vicinity, both big and small. This gave a special identity to the temple. 
During our stay of 2 days, we enjoyed a small early morning trek near to the resort that we stayed. The forests are lovely, dark and deep, just ideal for those long walks.

A walk in the clouds !

Road route that we followed- ->Delhi-->meerut->bijnor->najibabad->kotdwar->lansdowne. 

Way to a small local temple 

Santoshi Mata Temple entrance

It is advisable to start early in the morning (around 4:30/5:00 am) from Delhi so as to avoid the traffic in Meerut. Also keep a light stomach while travelling in order to avoid mountain sickness, since you would be driving uphill after Najibabad. Do ensure to have your petrol full before you start as the nearest petrol pump is in kotdwar only which is 37km from lansdowne.
And do carry your camera if when you venture outside, you never know what you may like to capture. I developed a fetish for temple bells here, which were in every temple and I had a fun time clicking my way to them. It is also advisable to hire a local taxi for sightseeing instead of driving yourself. The resort helpdesk readily arranged for us the same as per our requirements.

Lansdowne was the perfect choice to spend our weekend.

Ayutthaya,Bangkok & Pattaya!

Tallest Buddha Statue in Thailand

Tired of too much of work at office, I felt that I was slowly being trapped and suffocated by e-mails and meetings.Lending ear to everyone, everything and every where was taking me away from me....phew!!!

I needed some space and this trip proved to be a timely Total Rewind for me. Thanks to my cousin sister and my brother- in- law that I could spend the best 10/15 days in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Although I took this journey a few years back but the memory is still fresh in my mind.Therefore,the write up!! and the pictures were from my album:)

During my stay at Thailand, I visited Bangkok, saw temples and ruins at Ayutthaya and did parasailing in Pattaya. I was fascinated by a few very simple things that were peculiar to this region. Like the bus wraps, bus stands and the Wats (temples). Not to forget the beautiful lamp posts on both the sides of the road in Ayutthaya :) 

Beautiful ancient reclining Buddha statue in Ayutthaya

I loved the reflection in the water. I captured this while taking a boat ride on the 'Chao Pharaya' River in Ayutthaya

Watching an elephant trainer bathing his elephant was a treat on this river boat ride :)

This Stupa is visible while you take a boat ride on the 'Chao Phraya river'

Lamp posts on both sides of the road in Ayutthaya. I liked the idea of putting such beautiful lamp posts on road sides.  

Bangkok Zoo- I think this pic is 'the master click' from this trip ;)

Funny thing about this picture is all of them are looking in the same direction except for one:)

Enjoying sun tan in the open:)

ohh! do not disturb its our nap time;)

Bangkok,at that time impressed me with its busy life, high-rise, malls and all the shopping items that were there for display. Right from a candy to jewellery to clothing and to cars. Except for cars & the jewellery, I ended up buying a l’ll bit of the rest of the stuff. 

Buddha statue at Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon

Ruins at a Wat Yia Chai Mongkhon, Ayutthaya

Bus Wraps- I spotted a lot of beautiful ones in the industrial area in Aytthaya. Many of these depicted mythological stories from Ramayana

Spotted these statues on my way back from Wat- Muang 

Ayutthaya (which is 76 km of north of Bangkok) on the other hand mesmerized me with its Buddha statues, Wats (temples) ruins, river and elephants. The name itself suggests Hindu influence on this land. The kingdom of Ayutthaya or 'Ayodhya'( In India, Ayodhya is the birth place of Lord Rama), located on an island on the 'Chao Phraya river' was the older capital of Thailand. It was one of the biggest cities in the world and a major power in South East Asia, untill it was destroyed by Burmese invaders. A walk in the ruins & temples there reflects on you the ‘Grandeur’ and the ‘Glory’ of those times. You cannot just stop and admire the structures concentrated in and around the city. The ‘Stupas’ and temples are charismatic in Ayutthaya.

During weekends, we made a day’s drive to places like 'Wat Muang' in the province of 'Ang Thong', Monument of King ‘Naresuan’, Mini Siam, 'Chatuchak' market etc.

The 'War Memorial monument of King Naresuan'-. It is a larger than life monument, beautifully built with amazingly looking colourful & shiny rooster statues in all sizes. Some of these roosters are too huge and larger than a normal human being. Initially I couldn’t understand as to why were they built in so many numbers and in so many sizes there. Later on I found out that these roosters are suggestive of a popular legend in which the young Prince Naresuan wagered a bet with a young Burmese prince that Ayutthaya would be freed if Naresuan's rooster emerged victorious in the cock fight. Prince Naresuan's rooster naturally won the bet, and the Burmese prince was humiliated in the process. Following this legend these rooster statues appeared at temples associated with this royal prince. Thai citizens bring them from all over the country as offerings. I felt that it was something which is unique to this place only.

This place was full of rooster statues in all sizes. It is near Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon

Another reclining Buddha statue in a temple at Ayutthaya

Ruins from Ayutthaya historical park

King's Palace in Bangkok-took this one from a moving vehicle

Love this one! a beautiful small Ganesha statue that I bought from 'Chatuchak Market' 

Dragon structures on the entrance of a temple in 'Wat Muang'

A beautiful Buddha statue inside the temple

'Wat Muang' in 'Ang Thong' Province inhabited a monastery and a huge,beautifully built Budha statue. This statue stands 92 m (300 ft) high, and is 63 m (210 ft) wide. It's construction commenced in 1990 and was completed in 2008. It is painted gold and made of cement. This place again is worth visiting. The Statue probably is the largest/tallest statue of Buddha in Thailand.

Patayya- We preferred driving to the beach and the other places that we had decided to visit during my trip here, so as to capture the locals, landscapes and the people.

After taking a walk at the beach and buying some souvenirs, I decide to have some adventure!! Patayya Style ;)!

Pattaya Beach

Para- sailing at Pattaya Beach!this is me... uuuuuhoooo! 

Yes, it was para-sailing time! we walked into the beach to be picked up by a boat so as to be dropped on a huge wooden pedestal for some Para-Sailing. This wooden pedestal was the place for the ‘lift- up’ and the ‘drop-down’ of the fun experience that people call Para-Sailing. For me ! it was my ‘first ever ‘.

It was so awesome that thinking about it even today gives me the fresh 'THRILL CHILL' that it gave that day and I feel like shouting “ Uuuuuu Hoooooo” like I did that time :).

I was up in the air with everybody and everything looking sooooo small beneath me .! Ohh forgot to tell you about the safety measures. You bet they are safe! Two men tie you to the parachute ensuring that harness and everything is fit and tight. They try and explain in Thai as to how you are supposed to run and then jump. But don’t worry even if your Thai is as good as mine (‘Swadikhaan’ is the only thing that I understood;)) You can learn faster by watching the people that went before you!

You trot, take a few steps running and then you leave the pedestal (sounds so simple to do it). Then rest your weight, including your worries on the rope that’s pulling you and off course your parachute. And Up... Up... you go!.... World looks beautifully different down, below you (by different I mean ‘small’) and you feel like the “king of the World” in my case I was the “queen of the world” and you feel like shouting ‘Uuuuuhoooooo’ which I did several times. By the time you are finished admiring buildings, people, boats, water, beneath you! The parachute brings you down on the pedestal slowly and those two people who helped you to get ready to feel this adventure, now help you to come down to your actual world.

Harness and ropes off ! and you are standing back on the wooden pedestal still enjoying / and not yet out of that THRILL !!! there are other water sports as well like water scooter and banana boat etc. But parasailing for me was one 'out of routine thrill' :)

I also enjoyed taking a walk on the beach, clicking pictures of local vendors and anything and everything and that I found to be interesting.

Everybody remembers one good/fun experience from their leisure trip. Mine was this- initially chilling but later on Thrilling parasailing (flying) on Pattaya beach!!

A local vendor. I saw this lady selling beads  at the beach

Mini Siam

A huge statue of Lord Vishnu with Goddess Lakshmi & lord Brahma

White Orchids at my cousins place

Mini Siam- I thought, as the name suggests it would definitely have some thing which is miniature. And I was amazed to see what all ‘miniature’ was inside the compound. This place had the miniature replicas of all the famous places worldwide. Located in pattaya city this place also has a souvenir shop to take home some. But  I bought my souvenirs from a congested market ( very much like Chandni Chowk in old Delhi)at a much lesser price. Chatuchak was my market to buy souveniers and exquisitely carved images of Ganesha (Hindu gods with an elephant head). This market had almost everything, I also bought some rare pieces of carved wood and some lamps.

Coming back to mini Siam, it took us half of the day to simply roam around and admire all the replicas. It had famous Thai temples, Eifel tower,leaning tower of Piza .Almost every thing popular, even the famous statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore National Memorial from US.I Was amazed at the precision with which they were made. It seemed as if some one has picked the famous buildings world -wide and has compressed them by hands to make it different (shorter/ smaller I meanJ)An amazing project that started in 1985/86. My favourite here was the huge statue of lord Vishnu on his serpant ‘Sheshnaag’ and the huge Angkor Wat from Cambodia. Also amazing were the statue of the huge ‘Dwarpals’ gatekeepers.

After spending time @ mini Siam we headed for Underwater World. Underwater world- was also an amazing visit. With nothing like this in India, I was amazed to walk below the giant fishes, coloured corals and other sea creatures through a long tunnel which was approx. 100 mt long. This has the rich variety of marine life which is found around Pattaya.

Well! It was an awesome trip; I still enjoy looking @ the pictures from this trip... Since I went alone there, so I had a lot to yap with my best friend:) Whenever we talk about an adventure sport my 'Pattaya trip' by default becomes a part of our conversation ;)