Coorg - A refreshing monsoon gateaway

Although Coorg is a sought after monsoon gateway, it wasn’t my first choice for an August trip.  Originally the plan was to trek in the rain forests of Agumbe, followed by relaxation at Chikmangalur. I even had my train tickets booked to and from Mangalore.  However, due to an unforeseen spur in my left heel after Europe trip, an adventure trip (which also involved trekking) was out of question.  Coorg was the next best alternative and rather an attraction one owing to the cheap airfare from Mumbai to Bangalore.  Soon enough I had booked plane tickets and the rest (accommodation, itinerary) followed, including learning that Coorg/ Kodugu is not a place but a district!

Reaching Coorg, the budget way

We landed at an unearthly hour (4:30 am) in Bangalore, waited for dawn to break and took an expensive taxi (Rs 800, no uber in sight!) to Satellite bus stand, 45 kms away to catch a KSRTC bus to Coorg.  We learnt that from 6 am onward there are frequent KSRTC buses to Madikeri.  We hopped on the first bus in sight and got zipping along the narrow highway/ road (surprisingly so) towards Kushalnagar (45 minutes short of Madikeri) via Mysore for a measly fare of (Rs 205/person).  Initially we did contemplate renting a self-drive car and/or hire a taxi for our trip, but on hindsight taking local bus was a good idea. It was cost-effective and not-time-consuming.

The bus was quite empty and the driver/ conductor took an instant liking towards us, bordering on being overprotective (he had our back during breakfast and coffee break). The drive was quite beautiful (at least the stretches I noticed between my naps) and the locals in our bus were friendly.  The breakfast halt our bus made served good south Indian tiffin (idli/ dosa, etc).  the only glitch was the blaring horn of the bus! Never again will I dare to sit on the seat right behind the driver! 

We arrived in Kushalnagar in about 6.5 to 7 hours, a tad longer than expected but excited to explore the district.    

Coffee estate homestay in Coorg

Coorg is synonymous with spectacular resorts which are meant to tantalize the body, mind and soul, while showcasing a spirit of Coorg to its guests, but I wasn’t staying in one.  Instead, we had booked 2 nights at a homestay called Soul Land Estate (in Virajpet) run by Mr Jay Prakash and his lovely wife with help from their daughter, Jyothi, who manages all the guest questions and ensures smooth booking and transit.  During our long bus journey from Bangalore, we were in constant touch with Jyothi to find out if we should directly reach the homestay or explore Bylakuppe (a Tibetian settlement next to Kushalnagar). She was very responsive and patient (replying to our e-mails from 7 am onwards).  I couldn’t wait to meet her.

We arrived at Soul land estate by 5 PM after exploring Bylakuppe (read below).  The driveway to soul land estate is lined by trees on both sides.  The bungalow is large, white and imposing.  We were welcomed by JP uncle’s wife (unfortunately I do not know her name) and divine filter coffee & banana wafers.  

JP uncle was at an independent smaller bungalow 20 mins from Soul Land Estate, helping other guests check-in.  Jyothi, we found out, was in Mysore working towards her Phd.  However, uncle’s elder daughter and her adorable daughter were home and we knew we’d be thoroughly entertained during our short stay.

Soul land estate is an independent bungalow, built in 1950s and completely renovated and revamped somewhere in in 2003 when the family started it as a homestay.  

It is built on a 22-acre coffee estate and is a serene abode in Kodugu.  Back then when the family opened doors to guests, tourism was just picking up in Kodugu and advertising was mostly by word of mouth/ referral.  With the advent of technology (tripadvisor, own website and airbnb), soul land has seen a steady rise in the number of guests and the family has had a chance to delight more guests with their hospitality.

My first look at the veranda and I was in love with it.  I knew I'd spend a large chunk of time here, on the swing, on the sofa enjoying the view and sipping on endless filter coffees.  

Other than veranda, guests also have access to common drawing room, dining area and ofcourse the kitchen garden and coffee estate adjoining it.  Our room was large and had 3 beds, the bathroom was competing with the room in dimensions!  The overall décor of the place is very 70s, especially the library cum-tv-room where the family has displayed old typewriters, phone, furniture etc.

 

During the stay we got a lot of opportunities to interact with JP uncle and aunty, over our meals and while we lounged endlessly in the veranda. Although the family is originally from Kerala, however their fathers migrated to this region of Karnataka during British times.  JP uncle is a very humble, yet popular man in this region.  Aunty is beautiful, warm and served us lip-smacking meals.  Our stay (at Rs 1800 pp) came with complimentary breakfast and ofcourse filter coffee!  

Aunty gave us tours of all the other rooms they offer to their guests (granary house - built on stilts with bathtub and balcony overlooking a tiny pond & Cloud9 honeymoon cottage which comes with an open air shower and four-post bed complete with romantic white drapes). 

Uncle showed us around the estate, including the kitchen garden and patiently answering all our questions. Staying with the family was a delight.

The food we ate at Soul land was homely.  Most of the vegetables came from the kitchen garden and all the meals were prepared by aunty herself.  During our short stay, we ate Kadubu (steamed rice flour balls) & chana, idli & chatni,  payassam, tapioca sabzi, coorgi chicken, avail and pork curryon special request (this is an absolute must-eat dish in Coorg!).  The food was not just for our tummies, but also for our soul.

Uncle and Jyothi also helped us make most of our short stay in Kodugu.  On Jyothi’s recommendation we visited Bylakuppe and on uncle’s recommendation we took a half-day trip to Mandalpetti hills – both the suggestions were very good!

My overall experience at soul land was brilliant.  I did not feel like leaving the house.  In two short days uncle-aunty felt like family and I do hope I come back or send my family here (they were sold looking at the photos!).  Although the stay is not cheap, but the experience makes the slightly high-pricing seem inconsequential. 

Bylakuppe - Tibet of south India

The lure of cheap Tibetian food and a chance to see a one-of-a-kind Buddhist monastery in South India brought me to Bylakuppe , just 5-6 kms off Kushalnagar.  Bylakuppe is a large Tibetian settlement built between in 1960s on land leased from Indian Government.  It houses Tibetians in exile and today is a thriving hub for Buddhism and Buddhist studies. We spent and afternoon exploring the area and were delighted to see so many monks (of all ages!). 

Golden temple (Namdroling Monastery)

We first visited the most popular monastery, Golden temple (Namdroling monastery) where we were lucky to catch the afternoon prayer and food ceremony in full glory.  It was amusing to watch monks/ students literally run towards the golden temple when the drums started playing, signalling the prayer time.  

The golden temple/ vihara has stunning interiors and it was difficult to take my eyes off the three golden statues and the ornately done pillars.  Harder still was to abide by law and to not enter the temple during prayer. 

We spent a good amount of time exploring the adjoining temples and contemplating.  The place was calming in a strange way.

(Note:  On prior permission, guests can stay in the monastery.  You can find out more about this at Namdroling website)

Tibetan food

By this time we were starving and headed to a nearby family-run Tibetan restaurant next to coffee time, café.  Here the owner was very friendly and we were surprised to see the moderate pricing.  We ordered veg hakka noodles, chichken noodles and chicken mothuk (Tibetan soup with momos).  The food arrived in installments and had a wonderful aroma.  

The hakka noodles were the usual fare, but the chicken noodles (actually like thukpa!) was divine with a wonderful kick from ginger.  

Mothuk was a hearty meal as well, although flavourful rather than spicy.  We chitchatted with the Tibetan lady for a while after our meal and thanked her for the enjoyable lunch.

Ingalakere lake

With our happy tummies, we headed to the Ingalakere lake (man-made reservoir), a couple of kms from Nandroling.  The lake was a chilled out place with benches and a small walkway.  The lake has abundant fish and people come here to feed them. 

Here we met a happy monk (duh!) feeding who was making the fish in the lake and dogs by the lakeside happy by feeding them fish.  We relaxed here for a while enjoying the view and the shade offered by then trees, before hearing to Sera monastery. 

Sera monastery complex

We traversed the lanes of Bylakuppe to reach Sera monastery complex.  Here again, monks of all ages were rushing towards the monastery for prayer/ meals (all of them had their own plates/ bowl in hand).  As we entered the complex, we tried to have a conversation with young monks (who were kids), but they ran away and one of fell flat and his plate went for a toss, the other had a good laugh!

Sera monastery complex houses almost 3000 monks and is one of the largest Buddhist university complexes.   The monastery also undertakes a lot of missionary activities and propagates knowledge and Buddhist teachings. 

As we explored the complex (did not go inside the monastery), being the only tourists 9that too girls!), we did feel a bit awkward, but curiosity kept us going.  The complex was huge and offered lots of open space.  It seems like there were several living quarters just outside the boundary wall too!  

Just behind one of the boundary walls, we saw a line of beautiful stupas overlooking the stunning views.  By then, the drums started rolling and monks started lining up for meals in the courtyard behind the monastery.  We left the temple complex soon enough to avoid commotion and more awkwardness!

Mandalpatti hills

Most people told me there is nothing to see in Kodugu.  I wonder if they discount nature trails!  

Me and my friends were keen to do some short hikes, although monsoon wasn’t a favourable season.  As an alternate, JP uncle suggested a jeep trip to Mandalpatti hills to enjoy a gorgeous drive from Virajpet to Madikeri (the hills are in Madikeri region) and stunning views from Mandalpatti (the view point is inside Pushpagiri wildlife sanctuary).

We started at leisure from Soul land and reached the jeep point by 12 noon, after a lovely scenic drive with lush green trees and paddy fields.  The two-hour jeep package for Mandalpatti hills cost us Rs 1600 (for full jeep).

The jeep was an open jeep and it was rather difficult to keep our balance.  After a 20 minute drive on fairly decent, curvy roads, we reached the check-point for Mandalpatti.  From this point the road was mostly a well-defined mud track with lots of stones and beautiful shrubs all around, with the occasional tree in sight.  The clouds and sun were playing hide-and-seek and the fog was wild and plenty!  

Our jeep traversed on impossible terrain and I was literally holding my breath and praying that we reach Mandalpatti quickly. Fifteen grueling minutes later, we arrived at the parking lot of Mandalpatti view point and quickly bought out tickets (I think the entry fee was 50 per person for 45 minutes time-slot).  We started our short ascend towards the view point.  

The climb was beautiful as we were already at quite a height.  Much to our delight, there were very few tourists here and the place seemed untouched. We walked through fog and slight drizzle to reach the view point.  Our view was mostly obscured by fog and clouds, but briefly when the obstructions cleared, the view was gorgeous.  There was also such freshness to the air that we couldn’t help but sit cross legged on the grass and count our blessings.

Raja’s seat

This is by far as touristy as it gets in Kodugu. Madikeri is a fairly large hill town and rather commercial.  Raja’s seat is a small flower garden cum view point offering unparalleled view of rolling hills, valley and the glorious sunset.  This place is named Raja’s seat as the King’s of Kodugu used to come here to enjoy the view from the comfort of their seat underneath a small white structure. 

Views from Raja’s seat were pale in comparison to Mandalpatti.  However, instead of standing at the viewing balcony, we walked 5 minutes to the edge of the hill on the left of the viewing deck.  From here not only did we get a view of raja’s seat, but also of the valley and the curvy roads.  It was nice to have tranquil moments away from the crowds.

...Afterthoughts

My brief visit to Kodugu was better than expected, maybe it was the lack of expectation or perhaps the unparalleled hospitality, or even untouched nature. 

Kodugu gave me so much peace, it was overwhelming.  

12 months 12 trips - Quarter 2 round up

Quarter 1 of my challenge was rather exciting and interesting.  While quarter 2, in contrast, was dull – the only high-point being a long pending, full-fledged family trip to Kashmir.

April 2016

Kashmir: where Tulips bloom

I visited Srinagar (just for a day!) in June 2015 as a part of road trip to Ladakh.  At that time I was rushing from one place to another, trying to see as much of Srinagar as possible.  But the best memory I have of Srinagar was our lovely and relaxing stay at Peacock Houseboat, Nigeen lake.  Nine months later, here I was again on a rainy April morning, sitting in the balcony of our bnb (Bloomingdale) and sipping on Kahwa. The chatter of fluffy sparrows and a nice book gave me company.  This wonderful bnb run by Mr Firdaus was to be our base for the Kashmir trip.

Srinagar

Our itinerary, although packed, had a fair mix of nature, architecture, trails and relaxation.  Upon landing, we visited the famous Tulip garden.  These flowers are known to be rather delicate and the untimely rain in April was already damaging the last standing tulips.  I guess we were fortunate enough to see rows and rows of bright tulips gently swaying in the wind, touched by the rain drops.  

Such a feast for the eyes!

Our city sojourn included visit to the ancient Shankaracharya temple (about 350 stairs), enjoying commanding views of Dal from Pari Mahal, relaxing at Shalimar bag to the sound of fountains and under the shade of Chinar trees (leaves are like those of Maple tree), sunset over Dal lake from Nishat gardens and sunset Shikara ride at Dal lake. It is so difficult to pick a favourite, but I’m partial to sunsets; no guess here what my favourite would have been.

Sonmarg

No touristy circuit is complete without visiting Sonmarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam.  In June 2015 I had seen the lush meadows of Sonmarg, dotted with adorable sheep and framed by the snow clad mountains.  Hence it was amusing to see Sonmarg covered in snow.  My family had a gala time snow sledging and making snow man and snow angels!  My brother and I preferred climbing Sonmarg on foot, in knee deep snow and bearing the brunt of numb feet.  The panoramic views from the top made the effort worthwhile, hot maggi added to our small joys!

Gulmarg

Covered in a blanket of snow, Gulmarg left me rapt.  As our Gondola (lift which we took to second level) ascended, we could see the mighty mountain lined with poplar trees and rustic shepherd huts.  Until the first level the snow was walked upon (footprints were visible) and at the first level is was a sea of people indulging in snow activities (skiing, snowboarding, etc).  The ascend to the second level was far from gentle and commanded mighty views of the bright blue sky and the majestic mountains.  

Our gondola dropped us at second level and after some trouble with breathing/ head-ache, I thoroughly enjoying the expanse of snow around and giving my brother company while he shot a time-lapse.  There was a lake beyond second level which people can access in summers. Also, we were told that the Pakistan border is a stone’s throw away.  Thereafter, we joined the hoardes of people and enjoyed snow activities at level one.  I had learnt basic skiing in 2006 andalso skied one at ski Dubai in 2009.  Hence, it was exhilarating to ski again! We did a day trip to Gulmarg, but there are nice hotels where one can stay the night.  For avid skiiers, a trip here in January/ February would make for a perfect ski-cation!

Pahalgam

Unfortunately while we were in Srinagar, there was Bandh declared which limited our options.  The drive to Pahalgam was long, but without stops as it was not quite safe on this route, although tourists are rarely harmed. Pahalgam was very crowded, the touristy-ness of the place got to me and all the youngsters in our group decided to boycott a horse ride to Mini Switzerland and decided to climb instead.  This did not go down well with horse owners who followed us for a fair bit of the trek and then gave up realizing how determined we were.  Mini Switzerland (Baisaran) has stunning landscape – a perfectly meadow atop a hill! There isn’t much to do here and many people head onwards to Tuliyan Lake. Next we made a quick stop at Aru valley (the drive next to Lidder river was picturesque - but the place did not quite appeal to us) and Chandan wadi (sheer waste of time, but one route of Amarnath yatra starts from here), but didn’t have time to see Betaab valley (apparently it is very well developed).

Yousmarg

A clear high-point and my undoubted favourite was a day trip to Yousmarg.  On our way we stopped by Charer-e-Sharif dargah and random viewpoints to soak in the views of meandering roads lined with sarson and apple orchads.  Here we trekked (in mostly sludge) on the meadows, beyond the cobbled path and down to the river. A shepherd guide gave us company and also insights into the life in Yousmarg. The best things I liked about Yourmarg was the lack of tourists and untouched meadows! I wish I could stay here in the wooden cottages run by J&K tourism – alas, in the next trip!

Shopping and Old Srinagar

The shopping almost towards the end of the trip was enjoyable, while the drive/ walk through Lal chowk in the heart of Old Srinagar during the Bandh (thanks to the bravery of Mr Firdaus) was very scary.  Needless to say, I did not leave Kashmir without spending a night in a houseboat (apple orchad), this time at Dal lake.  This definitely is the good life!

Star-gazing at Naneghat

I had an 8-man tent lying around for years and an itch to try my hand at star trail ever since I bought a wired remote control for DSLR.  On the day of full moon (7^th May), 6 of us hired a car (from Myles) and left from Mumbai at 5 pm for Naneghat.  The plan was to (hopefully) shoot some fancy star trails, light a bbq, cook chicken, sausages and paneer for dinner, with some kingfisher beers by the side (we were fully stocked and loaded with beers in a neat ice box!)

We took unreasonably long to reach Naneghat.  By the time we got there it was close to 10 pm.  We quickly pitched our tent and tried to get the bbq started, but the wind played havoc.  Luckily there was another group who were cooking/ bbq-ing inside a cave (to our horror and dismay!) and we got some fire from them (literally, by burning a few coal embers from their barbeque).  Soon it was almost 11:30 and we set-up out cameras for the star trails.  There were other groups for star gazing and star trails and there was so much commotion and torch-light that it was impossible to ensure a dark sky.  Within no time the clouds came rushing in and hid all the stars and tainted our plan to shoot star trail. 

Instead of being upset by the loss of opportunity, we enjoyed our BBQ and drinks.  Sleeping in the tent was a good experience as well, albeit the stones poking through the bottom of the tent.  Early in the morning we climbed on the mountain to get a view of the surrounding area.  It was then that we realized that the frame we had chosen for star trail actually had many high-tension electricity wires passing through!  Lesson learnt, go early and set-up early. 

After that we had a delightful breakfast of poha at a villager’s home and started back for Mumbai.

Wine & dine – Pune & Sula

June had me worried.  Initially I had no plan to travel and then I had a fantastic plan to visit Coastal Karnataka (Karwar & Gokarna).  However, my body had other plans and it caught a nasty fever.  I was on antibiotics for over 8 days and the travel plan was shelved. 

When my health improved, we visited Pune (day trip) and had amazing food at Malaka Spice, Koregaon Park.  The outdoor seating was tastefully done.  Also, the sheer variety of the oriental food they served boggled me! Among other things, dishes which stood out were Madurasi soup (Indonesian), three mushroom stir fry, Top Hat (Malaysian dish comprising of rice cups stuffed with flavourful minched veggies) and chocolate brownie with ice cream (we ordered 3 portions between the 4 of us - gluttony!)

My favourite cousin was in town. Besides, how could I say no to wine?! Because Sula vineyard is always a good idea!

We drove to Sula, stopping at Shree Datta Snacks for breakfast-cum-brunch (where we hogged like pigs and ran a measley bill).  At Sula we had multiple agendas, all of which involved wine – white, red, sparkling….

While wining, we forgot the dining, so you do get the point :) One glass a day is healthy right? While in Sula, we ensured we’d be healthy for a couple of days, if not more!

12 months 12 trips - Quarter 1 round up

I have a track record of breaking New Year resolutions within the first few weeks of January.  But what do you expect if the envisaged goals center on fitness, eating right, reading more, etc! However, this year my goal is far more engaging and completely driven by “wanderlust”.  I strive to take a trip every month i.e. 12 months 12 trips! Yes, as crazy as it sounds and as damaging it is to my bank balance, travel is what drives me.

Bekal Fort, North Kerala

I was mulling over this idea for a while now.  In fact, in 2015 I travelled quite extensively without such an ambitious travel goal [Jan – Thailand/ Cambodia, March – Udaipur and around & Delhi, April – Goa, June – Srinagar & Leh, Ladakh, July – Goa, September– Harne/ Murud, October – Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal & Bangalore, November – Dubai, December – Sri Lanka]. In summary I travelled in all months of 2015 except February, May and August which is a pretty exciting year of travel!

In 2016, I plan to take this love for travel to another level by traveling once each month.  The plan is to do a good mix of long vacations (full-time job does not permit otherwise!) and weekend breaks.  I also hope to cover a fair variety of mountains, beaches, architecture/ historic places and some adventure.

Thus far, I have taken 3 trips (errr….4 if you count a spill over trip from 2015) in the first quarter of 2016 i.e. one in each month.  Here is a quick round-up:

January 2016

Sri Lanka (the spill-over from 2015!)

New year fireworks at Hikkaduwa beach, Sri Lanka

Just like New Year ’s Eve in 2015 (Arc’s Bar, Koh Samui), I brought in this new year at a beach.  This time we were dancing and drinking away at a beach restaurant in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka.

Selfie at Blue Deep Diving Centre, Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka

 

"All Ok", diving with the great instructors at Blue Deep Diving, Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa is a beautiful coastal town in Southern Sri Lanka.  We spent 4 glorious days here connecting with the ocean. Frolicking on the beach, watching turtles wade in the sea, trying our hand at surfing and exploring the zen world while reconnecting with scuba diving after nearly a year and so on...

 

Between the trips to the beach, we hogged on Sri Lankan hoppers, rotti, leisurely breakfast of pancakes, omelettes and fruits and lots of seafood!

Sunsets are grander at Hikkaduwa beach, Sri Lanka

The sunsets in Sri Lanka are grander and people are very warm.  The country owes a lot to tourism and has so much natural beauty to offer! I do hope to return here, maybe explore the east coast and Yala national park next time around!

Mangalore, Udupi and Bekal

Iconic light-house at Kapu beach, Udupi 

Karnataka is my new found love.  This time I set out to explore South-West Karnataka by beach bumming at the pristine beaches of Mangalore/ Udupi between sampling the Mangalorean cuisine (prawn ghee roast <3 content.="" heart="" nbsp="" our="" p="" s="" to="">

Must visit St Aloysuis Chapel, Mangalore

We also paid a visit to St. Aloysuis Chapel in the college campus by the same name. This Chapel is an architectural wander and has interiors in the Roman style. The paintings on the Chapel wall are intricate and very well preserved.  In fact, they do not allow photography inside! But This Chapel is a must visit!

Note two hot babes and iconic rock formations in the background!

It was end January and the region was very hot, but the numerous rounds of coconut water kept me cool. The most exciting part of the trip was St Mary’s island, where one finds strange rock formations made of basaltic rock supposedly when Madagascar broke away from Indian sub-continent.

Bekal Fort, North Kerala

We spent the last day of our trip at Bekal which is best known for Bekal Fort which juts out into the sea. 

Taj Bekal, you beauty!!

However, we made a quick trip to the fort and we were more than happy to simply unwind (in style!) at the Taj Vivanta property in Bekal (North Kerala)

My favorite part of our room, the swing overlooking backwaters, Taj Bekal 

The property is sprawling and boasts of an exclusive stretch of back-waters and it’s own private beach!  The earthy feel of the rooms with houseboat style roof, the traditional swing in the balcony overlooking the backwater and the swimming pool offering sunset views made our stay here very special.  

Swimming pool, backwaters and a sneak peak of the private beach!

To add to it, the hearty breakfast buffets and the chef recommended sea food for dinner at their sea-side restaurant while listening to the sound of the waves was the high-point.  

Backwaters, Taj Bekal

This property is the reason why so many people visit Bekal on a relaxing/ rejuvenating holiday.  No wonder it was difficult to part.

(Room for two cost us about INR 10,000/- = rates as on January 2016)

February 2016

Unravelling mysteries of Lonar crater, Maharashtra

Panaroma of Lonar crater

 It’s ironical how far and wide I travel, but rarely consider a trip in Maharashtra. Having read so much about Lonar crater (Buldhana district, Maharashtra), an action packed trip finally materialized just when February was bidding adieu. 

Unique rocks at Lonar

Lonar crater is one of a kind crater formed in basaltic rock some 50,000 years ago when a meteorite collided with Earth and left a deep burrow.  Today this burrow is a lake whose water is both saline and alkaline and is also a thriving habitat for birds and unique flora.

MTDC property, Lonar, Buldhana district, Maharashtra

We left Mumbai at 4 am and after driving through Malshej ghat, Aurangabad, etc finally made it to Lonar by 4 pm.  Lonar is almost 600 kms from Mumbai and it was very ambitious to do a one-night stay trip to Lonar, instead two night stay here is recommended.  We checked into the MTDC property (best stay option here and pre-booking is necessary), located at the periphery of the crater and quickly signed up with a guide to show us around the crater during sunset & guide us to a hike to the crater for sunrise the next day.

Viewing deck

We drove to the look-out point halfway across the MTDC property and enjoyed unobstructed view of the crater.  In photos, it just looks like a not-so-large green water body, but in reality the crater/ lake is huge with a diameter of 1.8 kms. 

Sunsets at Lonar

Thereafter, we visited the hanuman temple and enjoyed the sunset. Next morning was very exciting.  Our guide took us inside the crater and showed us around the numerous ruins of temples which dot the crater.  Some of the temples are being reconstructed, while majority are inhabited by bats! There are some temples which have carvings of figurines in Kamasutra poses, much like the UNESCO site of Khajuraho.

Green water of Lonar lake and winged friends

However, nothing beats the awesomeness of the lake, if you discount the strong odour of sulphur! The water is absolutely green and is covered by blue moss at several areas.  Early in the morning several winged friends were flying about of pecking on food along the lake which is why this lake is a birders paradise. There were also our predecessors (monkeys) playing about in the lush trees at the edge of the lake, trying their best to dodge the huge bee hives! 

Kamalja Devi temple, Inside Lonar crater

Most-touristy point of the crater is the Kamalja Devi Temple inside the crater. It sees a steady stream of devotees trickling in through the year.  We said our prayers and set off to finish our periphery inside the crater.  We ended the 4-hour walk at Gomukh temple where one can take a shower in the natural spring water which cascades down the artificially made holy-bath area.  Apart from the crater, we also visited the Daitya sudan temple (Vishnu temple with carvings akin to Khajuraho temples).

Our guide mentioned that the Lonar crater comes alive after monsoons, although the water level rises sharply.  A good enough reason to revisit? – only time will tell!

March 2016

Haridwar and Rishikesh

Meandering Ganges

Pilgrims are drawn to Haridwar, foreigners are charmed by Rishikesh/ yoga by the Ganges , well for me the biggest draw was rafting in the Ganges.  A cousin’s wedding in Haridwar was the perfect excuse to strike the rafting off my bucket list!  I spent 3 days and 2 nights in Haridwar of which majority time was spent in the weddings ceremonies and the balance in sight-seeing.  

Thereafter, we had a full day of rafting pre-planned (cost us about 2500 including vehicle and rafting the 24 kms stretch from Marine drive) on our last day. Our rafting company picked us up at out hotel in Haridwar and after driving for 1 hour we reached the office of our rafting company.  There we picked up our gear – life jacket, helmets and oar and set-off for a 45 minutes’ drive to Marine drive (starting point of our 24 kms rafting). The road was meandering and gave us stunning view of River Ganges throughout.

The gang!

At marine drive, we suited-up and got a briefing from our instructor.  Thereafter we set-off for a a few kms of lazy rafting, peppered with insane double rapids.  As the summer was just setting in, the water level in Ganges was quite shallow in parts exposing the rock-bed underneath and making rafting more dangerous.  Thus, having an experienced and friendly guide helped.

Our rafting route from Marine drive to Shivpuri (approx. 11 kms) took us about 2.5 hours whereby we tackled some popular rapids such as cross-fire, 3 blind mice, etc. Thereafter, we completed the stretch from Shivpuri to Rishikesh in another 2 hours. The rapids in this stretch were difficult and the rain/ thunder storm made it harder to row.  Luckily, the hot tea and vegetable maggi at the most-looked-forward to halt at Maggi point (approximately 3 kms short of Rishikesh) energised us.   The last stretch to Rishikesh was interesting with views of the numerous hotels/ yoga retreats dotting the river bed and the stunning views of lakshman and ram jhula. After finishing the 24 kms stretch of rafting, we were tired and socked to our bones and hot pakodas and mathris set us back on track for the return journey to Haridwar.

Overrated aarti at Ganga ghat

At Haridwar, we freshened up and went to Ganga ghat for the evening aarti.  The aarti was to start by 6:30, but even at 6 the crowds were maddening and the whole place was very chaotic.  The aarti itself was nothing remarkable.  In fact, the most enjoyable experience of the evening was eating hot parathas and washing it down with lassi for dinner at one of the many dhabas at Ganga ghat.

We did not get a chance to camp overnight at Rishikesh; however, I have heard it’s a lot of fun.  One can also do other adventure activities such as zip-lining and bungee jumping in Rishikesh.  Also, I would suggest going for rafting later in the summer months when water levels are higher and the rapids are even more challenging.

Quarter 2: April = Kashmir/ May = ? / June = ?

Coming soon :)