India

Nako is a pretty fairly tale about 4-5 hrs drive from the travel headquarters of Kinnaur Valley – Rekong Peo and is easily accessible by buses which run two times a day. You can find information about travelling to Rekong Peo by Public Transport.  From Rekong Peo there are two buses for Nako, one leaving at 7AM and another at 11:30AM. Most tourists visiting Nako spend a night at max, and some visit it enroute to Tabo and Kaza. All of them commit a mistake we advise you not to commit. Infact we love Nako so much that we can advise one to stay here for 3-4 days, we stayed 5 nights in Nako. The town is much smaller than a neighborhood that you were probably brought up in. We suggest the following things to do during your stay in Nako. 1. Nako Lake – This is the main attraction that has put Nako on the tourist Map. It is a 5min walk from the Nako Bus Stand, and you will need only  5 minutes to see if all you want to do is tick it off the list. This is what most people do but the way to see it is to walk up the small hill that you see next to the lake, you don’t need to go too far just 10 minutes, all you need to do is reach the old rustic white Gompas that you can see from the Lake. 2. Nako Monastery – Not as famous as the Tabo Monastery but it is empty most times of the day and you will see lots of locals gathered around it when they have their monthly celebration. The celebration is a spectacle to watch if you happen to be in Nako around the time, but nothing that you …

10 rules for finding budget accommodation in India. All Backpackers traveling to India get acquainted with the term ‘Cheap and Best’ in the first 2 weeks of their time in India but we Indians never come across such a thing while traveling. We pay too much or at least are expected to pay too much while travelling in India. In our recent trip to spiti n kinnaur valley, we paid from INR 200 to INR 700 for rooms, and surprisingly had to bargain the most for the 700 one. In one place in Kalpa, we went in to check a room in Kalpa, receptionist showed a dirty room, and quoted 600. We exchanged looks which he understood meant NO. Before we could say anythin, another Indian couple walked in, about 10-15 yrs elder to us to whom he quoted 1400 for the same room, most hotels were booked out, so they said YES as they had to stay only a night. We left Kalpa and headed to Sangla, and 2-3 days later met two Israeli girls who came from Kalpa. They had stayed in the same room paying only 400. We had expected them to pay as much and they didn’t disappoint. Despite having been in India for only 1 week, they had mastered the act of paying the right price for a room in a remote part of Himachal Pradesh, in a land where their only way of communicating was a foreign language. Things to be remembered while traveling. 1. Even if you are travelling for a short duration, don’t splurge too much. You are creating a bad environment for the days you will travel long term. 2. It is still possible to find decent rooms in india for about 500 if you are away from the cities. 3. …

The best way to travel to Spiti or Ladakh is on your own Motorcycle, Jeep, Car or a hired Taxi from Manali, Srinagar (For Ladakh) or Shimla (For Lahual-Spiti, Sangla and Kinnaur Valley), this time we have decided to ditch our motorbike and head to Spiti , Sangla and Kinnaur by Public Transport. In this article we are covering how to get to Spiti, Kinnaur and Sangla Valley from Shimla, and RekongPeo is the first major halt on your journey. You can head to Kinnaur and Sangla valley from RekongPeo or continue your  journey towards Spiti Valley. TRAINS Several trains run between Delhi – Kalka, the Himalayan Queen (departing at 5:45AM) and Shatabdi (departing at about 8AM) are the fastest. Book your tickets till Kalka and from there you can either take the Toy – Train, Bus or Taxi to Shimla. There are 3 Toy Trains Shivalik Deluxe Express – connects with Howrah-Kalka Mail train, departs Kalka at 5.30 a.m and arrives Shimla at 10.15 a.m. Himalayan Queen – connects Himalayan Queen train from Nizammudin, Delhi departs Kalka at 12.10 p.m. and arrives in Shimla at 5.20 p.m. Rail Motor Car – departs Kalka at 5.10 a.m and arrives at 9.35 a.m. BUS Ordinary Bus There is a direct bus from Delhi to Rekong Peo, leaves Delhi at 8:10PM and reaches Rekong Peo at about 5PM next day, cost about 720/- Deluxe Bus There is a Deluxe Bus [HRTC operated] which departs from Chandigarh at 5:50PM and get your to Rekong Peo by 7-8 AM next morning, costs about 650 per person. You can catch the same bus from Shimla at 10PM. There is only current booking on the bus from Shimla. Volvo You can take a Volvo from Delhi to Shimla 4 times during the day around 6:45AM, 9:25AM,  These …

You should buy the following gear if you plan to do a Road Trip to Ladakh. 1. Helmets: Buy good quality helmets, you will be in a very tough terrain. If you have a good helmet, then get the visor that will save you from the TAN. Rest of your body will be covered, but unknowingly a lot end up tanning their faces. 2. Body Suits: We spent 25,000 INR for these suits and got worth of every penny. They will protect you from heat, sun, rain, wind, cold, and dust along with guarding you against any injuries. Can be purchased in Karol Bagh. Make sure you bargain after choosing the one that you like. 3. Gum Boots: All other shoes will fail in this trip as some of the water crossings are really high. The rubber boots are the best option for this journey, they tend to get very hot during the day but are a blessing when there is a water crossing and trust me there are plenty of them.  These can be purchased in Manali for about INR 500 in the main Market near the bus stand. 4. Ropes: You luggage will sway here and there, get good quality ropes and get extra ones. Somehow these ropes have a tendency to get lost. A pack of 12 ropes costs about INR 150 and can be purchased in Karol Bagh or Gopinath Market. 5. Plastic Sheet: Your bags, rucksacks may be water proof but they will get dirty, really dirty and a plastic sheep will keep them in great condition. We were unlucky as there was nonstop rain on the way back from Patnitop to Delhi. The plastic sheets kept all our things dry. Easily available at any hardware store 6. Gloves: Get very good quality gloves to …

Here are seven reasons why you must visit a naturopathy center 1. Chronic / Severe Illnesses: There are so many diseases whose names we hadn’t heard till about 3months ago. Now we talk about like folk from the medical line. People in India above the age 50 seem to have gotten used to eating lots of medicines. It has become a part of the daily life, by the time you turn 50 – 55 years of age, you will be eating 2-3 tablets on a daily basis for diseases like Diabetes, blood pressure, cervical, varicose etc. Naturopathy is your hope to stop these medicines completely and if not stop then drastically reduce them.   2. Thyroid: It has become an accepted trend for women in their late 20’s and early 30’s to be diagnosed with thyroid. The doctors scare their female patients saying that any more troubled with the thyroid gland and you will have trouble conceiving and that thyroid cannot be cured, but can be controlled if you start eating a medicine. They don’t call it a medicine but a supplement claiming that the cause of thyroid is deficiency and excess weight. We saw people curing their thyroid imbalances by simple yoga exercises and some control in the diet. Ishwinder is one such person. The doctor got her tested and she was diagnosed with hypothyroid in January this year. 3 months of sensible eating, staying in naturopathy centers, along with regular yoga and her latest test report from 2 days ago, she has no thyroid problems anymore.   3.   Weight Loss:  Excess body weight is the root cause of 90% diseases faced by us today. A 2 week stint at a naturopathy center will easily help you lose about 6 – 7 kilos. Such a drastic change in weight is all …

Renting a bike for your Ladakh Road Trip You have three options for arranging  a motorbike for your Ladakh Road Trip. 1. Market in Delhi – There are two markets that are of interest to you if you plan to rent your motor bike from Delhi, they are Karol Bagh and Capt. Gopinath Market. Karol Bagh for the bike, body suits, helmets and Gopinath Market for everything else. Take the metro till Karol Bagh, and ask the cycle rickshaw puller to take you to NaiWala. You will see a huge line of motor bikes outside a lot of Automobile Shops. You can rent, purchase or sell your motorbike. 2. Somewhere in Rishikesh – If you a long term traveler and plan to be in the north of India for a few months, or even a month, then the option of buying a Bullet and selling it off later on should be the thing you should do. This will save you a lot of money, frees you of any time constraints. However it comes with two drawbacks. One is that you need to know someone reliable who understands how to inspect a motorbike, and can guide you about the price that should be paid for the motorbike. Secondly you may have to wait while trying to sell off the vehicle. There is an option which is available in some garages in Rishikesh where they sell you the bike in an excellent condition and then also buy it back from you at about 60 – 70% of the price you paid. Buying and selling in Delhi is a little risky as you are likely to get cheated. 3. Rent Bikes – If the duration of your road trip will be a few weeks, then renting the bike is the easiest option. There are …

The three most popular naturopathy centers in India 1. Nisargopchar – Urli Kanchan – Pune 2. Baba Ramdev’s Yog Gram – Haridwar 3. Jindal’s Naturopathy Center – Banglore We have stayed in Urli Kanchan (3 weeks) and Yog Gram (10 days) 1. Nisargopchar, Urli Kanchan Website – http://nisargopcharashram.org/ Nearest City – Pune Minimum Stay – 1 week Maximum Stay – 1 month (21 days in busy period i.e. summer holidays) Accommodation – Starts at about INR 100 a day in dorm room for one person to INR 900 a day in the luxurious rooms. Food – Based on the prescribed diet. All items served as charged at cost price, so expect to spend about 100 – 200 a day. Treatments – All treatments are included in the room price except massage and physiotherapy. Massage costs about 80 – 100 a day depending on weight.Physiotherapy at INR 50 a session Yoga – 1 Hr of Yoga every morning Meditation – 3 days a week in the evening. Prayer – 30mins every evening Lecture –  1 – 2 lectures a day Initial Check and Registration – INR 300 Booking Method – By Phone or Fax, then deposit INR 500 per patient. Remaining amount to be paid on arrival. Waiting Times – Usually a month. 2. Baba Ramdev’s Yog Gram , Haridwar Website  – http://www.yoggram.divyayoga.com Nearest City – Haridwar Minimum Stay – 1 Week Maximum Stay – 50 days Accommodation – Four Options ranging from INR 1500 a day for two to about INR a day 3000. Food – Included in the accommodation price Treatments – Included in the price Yoga – 1 hr morning , 1 hr evening Prayer – 1-2 times daily Lecture – 2 times daily Initial Check up and registration – INR 300 Booking Method – Website. There is an …

Inner Line Permit Explained. Once you get to Leh, You think you have done all the hard work and now its time to see all those places you had been hearing about all these years. Places like Nubra Valley, Hundar, Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Khardungla Pass is on every person’s wish list. After reaching  Leh, you were told you need to get Inner Line Permits, which sounded a little bureaucratic, and in India the easy way out of all bureaucracy is to find an agent and get your work done. NOW THE GOOD NEWS The DM office in Leh has issued a circular which mentions that starting 1 May 2014 Indian Nationals DO NOT need any inner line permits for more popular spots in Leh – Ladakh. The following restricted places have been exempted: Dah, Hanu Villages Pangong Tso Man, Merak Tso Moriri Nyoma Loma Bend Khardung La Nubra Valley (up to Panamik), Turtuk Tyakshi, Digger La, Tangyar (for trekking only) Any form of identification like driver’s license, Passport, Aadhar card, Voter Id Card will suffice now at the Army Checkposts. This permit used to be a trouble at times when the DM office would be closed at short notice and people would be stuck in Leh for 2- 3 days.   However if you have more time and wish to venture into the not so popular tourist destinations, you will still need an Inner Line Permit and the procedure to get it is simple. 1. Head to the DM Office – On your way to the DM office, get a copy of the Inner Line Permit from any of the Xerox shops, there are a few behind the office which have the forms. 2. Fill in the details:  They expect you to provide a detailed itinerary along with …

Now that we have given you lots of reasons to visit Ladakh, here are some itineraries that you could follow. The main constraint most people seem to have is time.  We are listing the two most feasible 1 week itineraries that you could follow. One Week (9 days Saturday – Sunday) : Can’t take lot of time off from work, worry not, You can still see Ladakh, at least the top spots. Since you cannot take more than a week, we are assuming the following. You must be an important person at work (we read this as someone with a, fat paycheck). So you wouldn’t mind taking the expensive flights. There are flights from Delhi to Leh and if you book in advance you can get some nice deals. When we say plan ahead, In terms of Ladakh it means at least 2 – 3 months. We are not big fans of tour packages, but the ones for Ladakh left us thinking. Some friends of ours booked a tour package for Ladakh for 28,000 – 30,000/- each. You leave Delhi on a Saturday and come back next Sunday. The package includes your flights, accommodation,  food, sight seeing for the 8 days you are in Ladakh. The flights itself can cost you upto 20,000 return, so this package is a great deal for those who are short on time. If you are doing this trip on your own, you follow the below itinerary. Itinerary Number One Day 1. Delhi – Leh Flight Day 2. Acclimatize Day 3.  Acclimatize ( Get your permits ready) Day 4. Trip to Pangong Tso Day 5. Pangong Tso to Leh Day 6. Local Sight Seeing ( Shey Palace, Thiksey Monastery) Day 7. Trip to Khardungla Pass ( Highest Motorable Road in the world) – We all Love bragging, don’t …

We believe anyone who has done a road trip in Ladakh has done everything, now most things in life don’t hold any meaning. We salute everyone who has taken time out, spent the effort in planning, reading forums, convincing friends, bosses, family. Once you hit the road, you realize everything, every effort was completely worth it, you were rewarded more than what you came for. Now the ones who are still planning, think no more and make sure you are in Ladakh this summer, Take a bus, take a tour package or if you are ambitious enough get a ‘BULLET’ and ride through heaven on Earth. We did the same last year in our lazy style spending about a month. So feel free to ask all the questions that may arise in your mind. For starters, below is a break up of the money we spent in this road trip. Category Expenses for 2 people  INR USD Fuel 11500 186 Accomodation 18750 303 Breakfast 3760 61 Lunch 4210 68 Dinner 7110 115 Bike Rent 18200 294 Miscellaneous 3400 55 Total 66930 1082 For those who love to see pie-charts The route we followed was Delhi – Manali – Leh – Nubra Valley – Kargil – Zanskar Valley – Kargil  – Srinagar – Jammu – Delhi Summary of where we spent our money. 1. Bike Rental : We have a BULLET, but did not take it for this trip and had to rent one out. It cost us INR 650/- a day and was a major chunk of our daily budget.  They are easy to rent in Karol Bagh in New Delhi. All you need to know about renting motorbikes is here 2. Food :  Once you are in the mountains, food tends to get simpler, tastier and international at the …