Destinations

TRAVELLING IN EUROPE IS CHEAP – SAID NO ONE And we wonder why! Let us guess – you have worked for a few years now, saved up on some cash (may be just a lac) and browsed through Lonely Planet and Tripadvisor to prepare yourself forthat epic Eurotrip! You totally deserve that sabbatical and the holidays – but not the way the world sells it to you! Let us give you some protips and a sample of what your trip could look like and also the least it could cost. Protip No. 1 – read up on parts of Europe that you do not hear about! Yes, Europe is more than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Red Light district in Amsterdam, Oktoberfest in Munich, Vatican City, Snowy peak experiences in Switzerland! There are parts of Europe which have much more to offer – the underrated, underground and way more beautiful places at half the prices. So what are we talking about? We are talking about – Ruin Bars in Budapest (Hungary), the lake island experience in Bled and Vintgar Gorge (Slovenia), the castles in Bratislava (Slovakia), the Volksfest (Wassen) in Stuttgart (Germany), the river Duoroin Porto (Portugal) and much more! Not convinced? Have a look at the pictures below This was clicked at Kuplung(Budapest, Hungary) during one of our many Eurotrips! There is whole underground vibe to this place and unimaginable colors of drinks at the bar counter! Strike a conversation with the people sitting on the next table – you will be surprised to find how much people travel and how many of them love India! We discovered this place with the help of our very pretty Barparade guide Dory! Barparades are awesome – for about 8 Euros a person you get free shots (Tequila / Jagermeister / the …

Are you tied with a day job? Peer or family pressure to exercise avarice. Are you tired of those daily hours being wasted that you couldn’t contribute anything meaningful to the world? Are you tired of sitting 2 hours in the traffic.? To toil till you die.  Do you believe that’s the essence of life? To succeed. What makes you happy? What’s fulfilling to you? What sets you free? Are you the one’s downloading the wallpaper of beautiful places but never able to go and actually see them. Are you the one’s checking the ticket price in Makemytrip and Yatra for years and never actually took a trip? Or Is it because a plane ticket can actually take 2 years of your savings. What if there are places so surreal, that you can visit without creating a hole in your pocket. What about Bhutan? And why not Bhutan. Called as Druk yul “Land of thunder dragon ” the country has a  lot to offer . A country practicing ancient Vajrayana buddhism where Gross National Happiness of the citizens is calculated. Situated in western Himalayas, It’s an unexplored paradise. Is it expensive. Well I have seen people who have hiked Bhutan with 3000 RS/- in their hand. So it’s cheap? Well not exactly, other than Indians , foreigners are expected to spend a whooping 15000 (250 USD) per day. Perks of being an Indian. You can sponsor your entire trip with that money. And also you don’t need a visa to travel there. A passport or Voters Id can give a permit of 7 days to visit Bhutan. Spending more or less is based on how good are you in haggling and negotiating. Traveling is a medicine to narrow mindedness and  bigotry.  Sun kissed farms, snow capped mountains, glacier filled lakes. Everything …

After you visit the Golden Temple, and do eat the Langar served in the Gurudwara premises. Now start wandering in the lanes of Amritsar, you would hardly find any nook and corner of devoid of great food. A heaven for food lovers, Amritsari Cuisine offers a variety of dishes. Here are our top 7 that will leave you craving for more and more. We love the food so much in Amritsar that we dare anyone to find non – tasty food here. Kesar da dhaba (at chowk Passian)-Maah di daal (lentil)+ lachedar parantha +kheer & Phirni sweet dish and other Indian veg meals.One of the oldest food joints and economical too. Amritsari Kulcha–Most of the Amritsari people start their day with this. Originated in Punjab,Kulcha is made with flour dough with stuffing of boiled mashed potato,onion, baked in earthen clay oven.Butter is spread over and served with spicy chole (chickpea curry) and chutney of tamarind, jaggery & onion.served at Kulche wale near Golden temple, Chungi ( maqbool road). Gyan Singh’s Punjabi Lassi (Hathi gate)- has been serving for past 70 years a lip smacking lassi,a tower glass around 500 ml topped with malai (cream) & white butter.  Ahuja Lassi near Hindu College serves ‘Kesar Lassi’ (saffron lassi). It is healthy and a refreshing drink ! Sarson Da Saag & Makki Di Roti- It is Punjab’s trademark food.Nearly every house or village of Punjab, gives a hospitable treatment to their guests by serving this dish. Prepared from mustard & spinach greens while makki roti is rolled out of a dough of makki ka atta (corn flour). Lots of Makhan (butter) adds to the richness and taste. Try this dish at Bharawan da Dhaba (Town Hall) Amritsari fish– The fried fish is one of the popular food items. Prepared by coating fish fillets with …

Imagine 15 different cuisines within a radius of 3km, and all of them equally good and reasonably priced at about 200 per person. You must certainly be in Food Heaven. Look no further, and head to Mcleodganj for your next trip. From Indian to Tibetan to Israeli,  Italian, Japanese, Korean,  it has everything.  Here are the top 15 that you just cannot afford to miss. A trip to mcleodganj is justified even if you come here just to EAT.   THAI FOOD AND BHAGSU CAKES– Missing Thai Food after your last visit to Bangkok, or wondering what is in-store for you on your first visit to Thailand. Head to ‘Tom Yam’ restaurant in Upper Bhagsu, and treat yourself to some find Thai Food, almost at the same prices as what you pay in Thailand. Try their spicy chicken Salad, Pad Thai and pick one of the noodle soups. And they have a huge Dog called Dollar, make sure you get a picture with him. Their ‘BHAGSU CAKES’ are certainly the best in town; we went in for two and ended up eating six. THIN-CRUST PIZZA – This tiny town makes some of India’s best pizzas. If you prefer thin crust with awesome views, then head to ‘Out of the Blue’ in Dharamkot. It is close to the place where the taxi’s or autorickshaws will drop you in Dharamkot.  Try the siciliana pizza, or ask them to make a special one with olives, mushrooms, eggplant and capsicum. THICK-CRUST PIZZA– If you prefer the thicker crust, then you should look for Unity Bistro in Upper Bhagsu. Reach Bhagsu, and then walk up Bhagsu Hill, You should be able to see this place on your left, when you reach the top of Bhagsu Hill. It’s pretty famous, ask around and people will point it …

We asked Bijoy, the cool bespectacled Travel Editor of Yahoo India, the three places one must see in India. He had nothing but the unseen, untalked of hideouts away from the beaten tourist trail on his list. So, here are his unique three picks of places not to be missed in India. Follow his footsteps to the three musts sees of India.   1) Meghamalai in Tamil Nadu One reason to love this place is that it’s soo off the beaten track (and that track is really, really weather-beaten). Only the most hardened travelers make a road trip there. I did it on assignment and, once up there, it was worth every bit of trouble taken. One of the most pristine wilderness habitats I have seen, this hill station in the High Wavy hills of the southern Western Ghats has nothing up there but a remote and aloof tea garden run by some very lonely managers who will give anything for a conversation over endless cups of locally grown tea. The Wood Briar group runs two plantation stays here and both are beautiful but a little pricey. Things to do: Enjoy a plantation tour, pick oranges (in season), take a nature walk, or just gaze at the clouds doing their little dance on the waters of the reservoirs.   2) Kutch, Gujarat I was lucky to experience Kutch in winter. Being a birder, I was after treasured sightings of the feathered kind. However, Kutch turned out to be so much more. The geology — extinct volcanoes, seasonal river beds and the acres of bare salt marsh — was otherworldly. We visited ancient temples, shopped for textiles, crafts and silver, listened to retired traders from Kenya and Tanzania converse in Swahili, gorged on some scrumptious vegetarian fare, had intimate encounters with …

Mcleodganj and Manali are the two most popular Himalayan traveller hotspots of Himachal Pradesh. We have spent a lot of time at both and can’t pick one over the other BUT Here are 5 things which Mcleodganj has but Manali does not. 1. Cakes and Coffee : We know there are too many German Bakeries in Manali but they all taste the same, its like the same person bakes all the cakes overnight and sends them across to all the German Bakeries in Manali. Whereas in Mcleodganj every Cafe, bakery will have its own selection of cakes and each one of them are something to die for. 2. Tibetan Buddhist Monks : The Dalai Temple reigns over the area lending it an environment of peace and quiet. 3.  Smaller Hamlets : There are so many tiny hamlets scattered around Dharamshala that you can easily trek between them, and find your own quiet spots. Trust us there are so many walks and hikes already, you could walk those or devise your own. 4. Dharamkot – A Huge Mountain : It is a part of Mcleodganj and yet a seperate entity in itself. If you want to beat the crowds, and get a hippie feel, you should head here. 5. Amazing momos : there are so many varieties of momo’s available here that you are spoilt for choice.

Tabo is the next pretty town on your way after Nako. Very few people take a diversion to Geu , where a 15th century mummy was found by ITBP soldiers and has become the pride of the locals now. They also claim that the hair and nails of the mummy are growing even today. We missed Geu due to unforeseen circumstances. But we did not miss Tabo and it is a place you shouldn’t miss either. Most people coming here spend one night where they hurry up to see the monastery and head off to Kaza. If not two nights then at least spend proper 24hrs in this gem of a town, you can tick the following things off your list while you are there. #Things to do 1. Tabo Monastery : Undoubtedly the most famous and most beautiful monastery in the entire region, the old buildings were made of mud in 995AD and are still standing strong. In the inner walls you have numerous paintings which have gained Tabo the name ‘ Ajanta of the Himalayas’. 2. Caves : The real Ajanta caves have a date when they were carved into stone, the caves in Tabo have been there since time immemorial. It is the said owing to these natural caves people first settled in this town. 3. Tashi Delek / Hike to Lama’s abode: A 87 year old Tibetan Lama lives in solitude for the last 20yrs 3-4 kms away from the villages, he has stayed in other monasteries in India before moving here about  1990. His daily necessities are taken care by the villagers. There is a bridge between Tabo and the previous village ‘Lari’. Just get off the bus at ‘Lari’ and anyone around, they will guide you. If they cannot understand Lama/ Hermit, simply ask for ‘Tashi Delek’. From …

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 …