Monday, 13 June 2011

Treasures of Himachal (2 Night Shimla | 3 Night Manali )


On this getaway to Shimla and Manali, look forward to a wonderful time amidst the splendour that pervades the beautiful hills and valleys! The greenery, the lifestyle, the people, and the cultural extravaganza that'll evoking memories of India's glorious past, these are the destinations mountain-lovers swear by. What's more, they also act as gateways to even splendorous mountain locales such as Mashobra, Rohtang, and Ladakh. Let's have a tour!!!!
Day 1: Delhi - Shimla (370 kms / 9 hours approx)
On arrival at New Delhi Airport/Railway Station, transfer by road to Shimla. On arrival in Shimla, check-in to the hotel. Enjoy the evening at leisure followed by dinner and a comfortable overnight stay.

Day 2: Shimla
Meals: Breakfast
Today, embark on an excursion to Kufri, which is situated at an altitude of 2500 meters, just a 2 hours drive from Shimla. Later in the afternoon, visit the Vice Regal Lodge and enjoy a walk down the Mall Road. Enjoy dinner and a comfortable overnight stay.
Day 3: Shimla - Manali (260 kms/7 hours approx)
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, depart to Manali, a picture perfect hill station at an altitude of 1929 meters. On arrival, check into the hotel. Enjoy the evening at leisure followed by dinner and a comfortable overnight stay.
Day 4: Manali - Rohtang Pass - Manali (51 kms / 2 hours approx)
Meals: Breakfast
Today, enjoy an excursion to the Solang Valley and the 'not to be missed' Rohtang Pass with its snow-capped mountain, 51 kms from Manali, situated at an altitude of 3978 meters. Enjoy dinner and a comfortable overnight stay.
Day 5: Manali
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, proceed for a half-day sightseeing tour of Manali. Visit Vashisht and Hadimba Temple. Enjoy the evening at leisure followed by dinner and a comfortable overnight stay.
Day 6: Manali - Delhi (570 kms/16 hours approx)
Meals: Breakfast
After an early breakfast, drive to the airport / railway station to board flight/train for onward journey.

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

Kaziranga is a title of a remarkable success story of conservation of the One Horned India Rhinoceros and other wild lives in the North East India. It is not only the homeland of the Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros, but also provides shelter to a variety of wild lives.
Kaziranga is not all about Rhinos. Apart from 60% of the world's endangered One-horned Rhinoceros, the Park sustains half the world's population of genetically pure Wild Water Buffaloes, over 1000 Wild elephants and perhaps the densest population of Royal Bengal Tigers anywhere. Kaziranga is also a bird watcher's paradise andhome to some 500 species of birds. The Crested Serpent Eagle, Palla's Fishing Eagle and the Greyheaded Fishing Eagle circle the skies above the marshes. The Swamp Partridge, the Bar-headed goose, the Whistling Teal, the Bengal Florican, Storks, Herons and Pelicans play in the water. Each monsoon, the mighty Brahmaputra breaches its banks and floods the park, breathing life back into the parched land and replenishing the 200 'beels' or shallow lakes with water and fish.

The easy accessibility to wildlife is the secret of Kaziranga's popularity among wildlife lovers and tourists. With its primeval vegetation, it presents a view of what the Brahmaputra valley must have been years ago, before it was touched by cultivation and civilization. Engaged in wildlife conservation since 1926, the park is on the National Highway 37, which passes along the park and is almost midway between the two major cities, Guwahati and Dibrugarh, amidst the undulating landscapes of the world's oldest tea gardens outside China.

 



Journey to Kaziranga National Park: National Highway 37 passes along Kaziranga national park which connects three cities of Assam- GUWAHATI, JORHAT and DIBRUGARH. These places are also well connected with other major cities of India.

GUWAHATI : Kaziranga national park is 225 kms. (Approx 4.5 hrs. drive) east of GUWAHATI, the largest city in northeast India. Guwahati is well connected to the rest of the country by air, rail and road network. Guwahati airport is about 5 hrs. drive from Kaziranga.
Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Jetlite, Kingfisher Airlines, Spice Jet, Air Deccan, Indigo operate Guwahati daily from Bagdogra, Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai to Guwahati. Indian Airlines connects Bangkok with Guwahati once a week.

JORHAT : Kaziranga national . park is 90 kms west of Jorhat. Jorhat airport is 1.5 hrs drive from Kaziranga. Jorhat is connected to Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai via Kolkatta by Jet Airways (on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays) * and Indian Airlines (on Mondays, Tuesdays, Sundays) *

DIBRUGARH : Kaziranga national park is 225 kms. (Approx 4.5 hrs drive) west of Dibrugarh. Dibrugarh airport is 240 kms (Approx 5 hrs drive) from Kaziranga. Jetlite and Indian airlines operates from Dibrugarh to Delhi and Kolkata everyday.

* days shown subject to change.
 

ABOUT KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK - General Information
With the passing of the Assam National Park Act of 1968 Kaziranga became a National Park from January 01, 1971.
 
1908
Kaziranga declared “Reserved Forest”, with the primary aim of rearing and protection of the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, hunting prohibited with immediate effect.
1916
Kaziranga declared “Game Sanctuary”.
1950
“Game Sanctuary” changed into Wildlife Sanctuary.
1971
On the 1st January, Kaziranga declared as National Park.
1985
Notified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO
1999
Kaziranga declared as the 29th Tiger Reserve

Area : 430 Sq. Km.                                               Altitude : 65 Meters
          29.13% Moist Mixed Decicuous Forest
          51.92% GrassLand                                    Average Rainfall : 160 CM
          6.62% Water Bodies
Latitude:26.30 0 N to  26.45 0 N                     Longitude:93.08 0 E to 93.36 0E

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK has following ranges to visit:
Kohora (Central) Range.                            Bagori (Western) Range.
Agoratoli (Eastern) Range.                        Burapahar (Ghoraketi) Range.
Panbari Reserved Forest.

Guests can explore Kaziranga’s tall grass jungles on elephant back for a plentiful sighting of the one horned rhino and the elusive Royal Bengal Tigers in the early morning mist as the sun rise in the horizon. This will be followed by Jeep Safaris where guests will be accompanied by local guides who are expert birders. The mahouts are also experienced guides.

Clothing & Temperature

For summers light cotton clothing would be suitable, but in winters it is advisable to carry tough woolen clothing. The average temperature around Kaziranga National Park in summer is 32.2 deg. C and in winter 10 deg. C. On an early winter morning on elephant back or in a open jeep, the temperature feels far colder than 10 deg. C. Kaziranga's visiting season is from mid-November to early April months. During the monsoons, the Brahmaputra River bursts its banks, flooding the low-lying grasslands and causing animals to migrate from one area to another within the Kaziranga National Park

Don’t

 • Wear bright clothes.
 • Walk inside the Forest, except at Panbari accompanied by Forest Guard.
 • Litter in the park.
 • Tease and feed animals

Things to carry

 • Camera
 • Binoculars
 • Cap / Hat
 • Woolens in winter
 • Umbrella in summer
 • Mosquito Repellent

Other attractions nearby:

Nameri National Park
This park can be reached in just 2.5 hrs by road from our resort. Nameri National Park, covering an area of about 200 sq. kms is located at the foothills of eastern Himalayas about 35 kms from Tezpur, the nearest town.

Nameri was set up as a sanctuary in 1985 with an area of 137 sq. kms. In 1998 it was officially established as a National Park. The park, with its hills of deciduous forests and the Jia Bhoroli river flowing through it, is a birder's paradise, home to more than 300 species of birds: four species of Hornbills, an abundance of Mainas, Bee Eaters, Barbets, Babblers, Bulbuls, Plovers, Ibis, Bills etc. In recent years, Nameri has sheltered the rare and endangered White Winged Wood Duck. Over 50 of the total world population of 700 of this species can be found at Nameri National Park.

A plethora of reptilian and insect life bears testimony to the immense biodiversity of the area: the Assam Roof Turtle, Multicoloured butterflies and insects like the Lantern fly add colour and charm to the scenery.

Rafting :These enjoyable rafting trips are meant for the entire family; rafters may swim, sunbathe or relax on the different river islands.

Angling : Jia-Bhorolli offers wonderful angling opportunities for keen anglers subject to regulation by the forest department.

Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary
 
This sanctuary is the only sanctuary in India to be named after a non-human primate, Hollock Gibbon(Hylobates hoolock). Holock Gibbon, the only ape found in the Indian sub continent, requires prime evergreen forests for survival. The Park is located 22 kms from Jorhat town (115 kms from Kaziranga). Total area of the Wildlife Sanctuary is 20.98 Hectares.

Majuli :Majuli is the largest river island and the seat of Vaishnavite culture in Assam. Majuli is accessible by ferry from Nimatighat which is 16 kms from Jorhat town.

Golfing :The 9 hole Golf course at the heritage Jorhat Gymkhana Club, established in 1876 (Approx 1.5 hrs. drive












Friday, 10 June 2011

Welcome to Munnar


Munnar, which means confluence of three rivers, was the summer resort of the erstwhile British rulers in the colonial days. In the late 19th century, A.H. Sharp planted the first tea bush and since then tea has been the main agricultural crop in the region. Today, the hills around Munnar are blanketed with best-in-class green tea bushes. With its sprawling tea plantations, pristine valleys and mountains and cool air, it’s no surprise that Munnar has been rated the second-best Asian travel destination for 2010.

If you are a true admirer of nature who has a passion for driving, Munnar is your dream destination and cruising along winding smooth roads across mist-sheeted lush green tea gardens is the finest experience you can ever have.


On the way to Munnar, some 22 kms before reaching there, I stopped by Anayirankal dam, a vast expanse of water surrounded by green carpeted hills covered with tea gardens. The distant view of the reservoir follows you for another 15 kms and it’s an excellent location for photography.



The dude who poses here is Varayadu or Nilgiri Tahr, stocky goats with short, coarse fur and a bristly mane. Nilgiri Tahr is an endangered mountain ungulate listed in schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. Eravikulam National Park which has the highest density and largest surviving population of this species is situated hardly 14 kms from Munnar town. Know more about this endangered species.

Does this picture suggest land’s end? It virtually is. This is Top Station, which is 41 kms uphill from Munnar. Located at the border of Kerala and Tamilnadu, this spot offers an ‘awebreathtakingsome’ panoramic view. Strolling down this pathway with steep abyss on both sides is adventurous, rather risky, but the view you get there is one of a kind.

 
Anamudi is the highest peak in the Western Ghats situated at a height of 2,695 metres (8,842 feet) above mean sea level. It is located in the southern part of Eravikulam National Park, fifty kilometers from Munnar. It is also the ideal place for wildlife travelers and nature lovers. It literally means “Elephant forehead”.


13 kms away from Munnar, Mattupetty is famous for its highly specialised dairy farm, the Indo-Swiss project. More than 100 varieties of high yielding cattle are reared here. The Mattupetty Lake and Dam, just a short distance from the farm, is a gorgeous picnic spot. The sprawling Kundala tea plantations, Kundala Lake and the echo point are other attractions in the vicinity. A boat cruise on the lake is the best way to enjoy the leisure.

Bristling with wildlife and crystal clear streams, the enticing charm of Munnar is simply irresistible. The area has many attractions within a short distance of the town of Munnar, including the Sandalwood Forest of Marayoor and the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Local Language:
The local people here speaks Malayalam (the official language of Kerala) and Tamil (the official language of Tamil Nadu). English is taught in schools from the primary level and even common people can read and speak English.

Best Time to Visit Munnar:
You can visit Munnar throughout the year except the Kerala monsoon in June/July. The weather is extremely cold during winter (December/January). Take extra woolen garments during heavy winter season.

Ambubachi Mela, Guwahati, Assam

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