Kalimpong, in Darjeeling district, has the unique advantage of being centrally located. The fantastic views from all around, the breathtaking sight of Mt. Kanchenjunga, the surrounding forests with rich flora and fauna, and the people of this town provide a spectacular experience for travelers. All major towns in this hill area—Darjeeling, Gangtok, Pelling, and Kurseong—are almost equidistant from Kalimpong. Siliguri […]

Balasore was a bustling port established by British in 1642 and was an important maritime trading port also with Dutch and French, but lost its importance because the port had silted up in the 18th century. Ruins of some Dutch tombs and remnants of some old canals which led to the sea (13 km away) can still be seen. Today […]

Hemis monastery, known as one of the most ancient monastery in Ladakh. Hemis monastery representative reincarnate of Buddha. Hemis Gompa is one of the most important in Ladakh quite apart from its annual festival. You can gain an impression of the extent of the monastery area by climbing the so called eyrie, a hermitage (Gotsang Gompa) reached by one hour, […]

Zanskar, the region between Kargil and Lamayuru in the north and Kishtwar and Manali in the south is, at the moment, an ideal trekking area. The new road from Kargil over the Pensi La to Padum will bring a post office, bank and even a phone connection to the Zanskar capital but at present, you will find none of these […]

It has been called ‘the moonland’, or ‘the last Shangri La’. Those romantic definitions all hold more than a slight degree of truth. Ladakh is the most remote region of India, a barren, virtually rainless area which lies north of the Himalayan, an area known geographically as the Tibetan plateau. The Himalayas serve as a barrier to clouds carrying rain […]

Location: Solan District, Himachal Pradesh Altitude: 6,100 feet Best Time to Visit: April to October Kasauli is a solitary settlement on a hilltop, in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. It is located about 320 kilometers from New Delhi. The landscape, climate, and terrain of Kasauli are completely different from other hill stations in North India. Located in one of the […]

Spiritual Sojourns The centre of the Buddhist Universe, Bodh Gaya helps one understand the message of the enlightened one. We stood amid the ruins of an ancient Stupa that rested like a crumpled crown on the summit of a little mound that overlooked the dry Falgu River. And as dusk cast its veil like a soothing balm over the sun-scorched […]

Once the hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Mysore, Bandipur National Park is today is a wildlife reserve that is home to a fascinating variety of wildlife. The wildlife reserve was originally part of the Venugopal Wildlife Park. In 1973, it became one of the first reserves under Project Tiger, an Indian Government initiative to project the tiger from extinction. […]

It is a cup-shaped valley called, “The Meadow of Flowers”. It is the finest and the most famous pleasure resorts in Kashmir. It is a lush green meadow sprinkled with flowers, a height of 2,650 meters above the sea level. It is at a distance of about 46 kms from Srinagar. The en route stations are Shalteng (7 kms); Mirgund […]

Discovered by a British Army officer in 1919, the Ajanta and Ellora Caves in Aurangabad are stunning examples of India’s cave architecture. The bend on the cemented pathway in no way prepared me for what lay ahead. Just beyond the curve was a staggering sepia-hued horseshoe-shaped cave complex, The Ajanta Caves, chiseled in the rock face by many a deft […]