The Kaziranga National Park is one of the best forest reserves in the world – and you have to stay at the Wild Grass Lodge for a truly satisfying and wholesome experience. [continue reading…]
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From the category archives:
The Great Himalayan Drive
Hotel Review: Wild Grass Lodge, Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India
Hotel Review: The Old Inn, Bandipur, Nepal
Why don’t they make more properties like the Old Inn at Bandipur?
It is a charming property, with some of the best interiors I have ever seen. Each nook and corner seems to be a labour of love and great taste. It is like an aesthetic exposition of Nepali / Tibetan handicrafts. And the place has character with wooden steps going all over, walls beautifully painted and decorated and furniture to match. You can see albums of actual photographs of those who have been adventurous in Nepal and want to follow their footsteps. With the property overlooking the village and the valley and peaks around, you have the perfect recipe for not wanting to leave. [continue reading…]
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Driving to Nepal: Formalities to cross border from India
As a part of the Great Himalayan Drive, I reached Banbassa on the Nepal border – my first international crossing by car. So what if it’s Nepal – Indians never regard Nepal as a ‘foreign’ country. Anyway, this is how I went over the line (Note: These rules are applicable only for Indian Nationals driving cars registered in India): [continue reading…]
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Driving to Nepal: Delhi to Nepal in 7 hours, seriously
Have you fancied driving across to Nepal in your own car? It is not a big deal at all as I discovered when I undertook the Great Himalayan Drive recently. You can actually start very early, cross the border around noon, and be out for a jungle safari in the Shuklaphanta National Park in the afternoon. Or leave comfortably, cross the border when the gates open in the evening and have dinner in Mahendranagar (this is the border town in Nepal and adjoins the national park). Here is the distance / time chart I logged: [continue reading…]
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Photo of the Day: Brown Wall of House in Village near Tansen in Nepal
Brown Wall of House in Village near Tansen in Nepal
Limited edition prints of this image are for sale. Ordering info is given at the end of the post. Click on the image for a larger view.
I took this image while driving around the town of Tansen in Nepal in 2010. This house was in one of the many unmarked villages in the region, and stood out for its colours and absolutely clean surroundings. With the light falling almost perfectly on it, and the way the utensils were out to dry with a broom lying nearby, this shot was waiting to be taken. Continue reading if you want to order this print
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Hotel Review: Iora, The Retreat, Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India
If you are looking for modern comforts when visiting the Kaziranga National Park, Iora is the place you should choose to stay. The property has all the comforts you can ask for, with high quality furnishings, satellite TV, a fully functional restaurant and more. The problem is the property could be anywhere in the world; it has little to show that it is at the world heritage site of Kaziranga National Park. [continue reading…]
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The re-discovery of Nepal: Driving across the country
Bhaktapur in Kathmandu
Ever since Nepal made front page news for its political troubles, it has been struck off as a holiday destination by most Indians. But surely Nepal’s charms must still be holding good? Ajay Jain hit the road in his SUV to re-discover Nepal he last visited in the 1980s as a school boy. And came back giving a thumbs up to the country. [continue reading…]
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Hello Ladies…of Arunachal Pradesh!
Annie’s friend giving me a flying kiss at the Nyokum Yullo festival in Boasimla.
“I want to marry you,” calls out Anne.
“Er, I’m already married,” I reply.
“So?,” she asks with a shrug of her slim shoulders. “What’s the problem?”
“There is no problem,” I reply with a flattered grin, “I just need my wife’s permission to marry you.” [continue reading…]
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Driving from Delhi to Srinagar, Kashmir including Jammu, Pahalgam & Gulmarg
I drove to Jammu and Kashmir in April 2010 (yes, that’s right – I drove; don’t know any other way to travel) from Delhi. Here is a time – distance chart should you want to do so yourself. Hope it helps! [continue reading…]
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Nepali scam: Paying for a chicken I never ran over
On my recent trip to Nepal, I stopped my car to ponder over something a few miles out of Pokhara. Just then the conductor of a passing bus told me I had run over a chicken in a village I had just crossed. Don’t think I did. Just then two youths on a motorcycle came over and said the same thing. My protestations did not seem to matter – nor any lack of evidence on my wheel. Not even a feather anywhere. They said either we go back to the village with them (even small matters can lead to a riot) or they call the police. Even though I knew I had not run anything over, I offered to pay up – and we settled for Rs. 800 (started at Rs. 1,500). As I drove off I could not miss their jubilant grins in my rear view mirror. I had been conned – and had not applied my mind enough to check the truth for myself. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
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Great Himalayan Drive Day 57: Time for snow in Gulmarg in Kashmir
Need to touch and feel snow – not just see. After all I am in the Himalayas. So off to Gulmarg it was. An eventful day – here is why:
* Conned by shop renting gumboots for the snow – paid Rs. 75 against official rate of Rs. 45.
* At Tangmarg, 12 kms before Gulmarg, I was told to get off to register my name with the police – only to be told later Indians don’t need to. But it gave some guides an opportunity to insist I need their services. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Day 56: Shopping for vegetables in the Dal Lake in Srinagar – at 5:00 am
The early morning vegetable market on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India
Aaarrrrrghh! Its 4:30 am and the alarm is not giving up. If only I had not booked a Shikara for 5:00 am! But get up I had to – after all I am a travel writer out to cover the daily vegetable market in the Dal Lake. But once in the boat, was I glad for it. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Day 55: An evening Shikara ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir
Crusing in a Shikara in the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir
Click on any picture for a larger view
The best time to go boating in the Dal Lake is in the evening. Start about half an hour before the sun starts setting behind the peaks. This will give you enough light to look around and for any shopping. What shopping? Before you realize it, ‘shikara shops’ will float up close to you – selling silver jewelry, fine Pashmina shawls, paper mache gifts, dry fruits and more. Sceptical? Why not? Anything targeted solely at tourists is taken with a pinch of salt. Check out the floating market too – these are shops standing in the water selling everything from handicrafts to household supplies. Even hot tea and local breads. But don’t spend too much time here. Lest you miss the magic. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Day 54: Visiting Hazratbal and Jama Masjid in Srinagar, Kashmir
The Hazratbal Mosque in Srinagar, Kashmir
Click on any image for a larger view
The day turned out to be one marked for visiting some holy spots – and what a revelation they were.
Hazratbal
The first thing to strike me about Hazratbal: it has a dome and a single minaret – not a common architectural feature. It is the most sacred of Muslim shrines in Kashmir Valley – for it houses a single hair of the Prophet Mohammed brought a thousand years ago from Medina. It is publicly displayed only on special occasions. Could not help noticing hundreds just sitting around on its lawns – including two young veiled women whose eyes seemed to be following my camera and me all over. Still wondering how they would have reacted had I gone up to them to strike a conversation – would give anything to see what they looked like. Will never know. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Day 53: Visiting Pari Mahal and Mughal Gardens in Srinagar, Kashmir
The Pari Mahal in Srinagar, Kashmir
Click on any image for a larger view
The day was dedicated to exploring historical Srinagar – or at least as much as I could cover in a day. What will it take for the city to take a pause from impressing me? Show-off city! [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Day 52: A walk in the tulip gardens of Srinagar in Kashmir
The Tulip Garden in Srinagar, Kashmir
[View many more images on Facebook even if you are not a member]
Want to see tulips? Here are two possible options:
1. Keukenhof Flower Gardens near Amsterdam in Holland: Over 7 million bulbs planted, best viewed for two spring months starting end-May.
2. Tulip Garden in Srinagar: Smaller by comparison, best viewed for 2 weeks starting end-March. With a breathtaking view of Himalayan peaks around and the Dal Lake below. Surrounded by gardens developed by the Mughal emperors many centuries ago. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Day 51: The hidden temples of Kiramchi near Udhampur in Kashmir
The ancient temples at Kiramchi near Udhampur in the state of Jammu and Kashmir
If I ‘discovered’ the ancient temples at Kiramchi, it was only because I was told they exist. Not that anyone – including the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) – knows much about these. For anyone with even a passing interest in ancient structures, this site is a must-see. They are a work of art. And hats off to ASI for maintaining the surrounding gardens so well. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Day 50: It’s Kashmir, the Crown of India
A sign on the Jammu - Srinagar highway in Kashmir
“If there is a heaven on Earth, it is here, it is here, it is here,” uttered Mughal Emperor Jahangir when he first set his eyes upon Kashmir in the 17th century A.D. There have been no dearth of expressions to describe the most prolific of all Himalayan regions since then. The state’s highways abound with signs reading Kashmir is the ‘Fruit Bowl of the Country,’ ‘A Flower Bed’ and ‘The Crown of India.’ Pity some vested interests have made this crown one of ‘bloody thorns’ – but that is another matter altogether. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Days 46-49: Back to Delhi via Nepal, Pythons say the last good-bye
Pythons in a pit in Bardia National Park in Nepal
That’s it. Time to head back to Delhi to mark the end of the first phase of The Great Himalayan Drive. I started from Thimphu, spent the following night in Siliguri in West Bengal and then another two at the Chitwan National Park. The last night was spent at Bardia National Park where I did another afternoon safari. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Days 42-45: In Thimphu in Bhutan via Phuentsholing
The Tashichho Dzong (monastery) in Thimphu in Bhutan
I left Kaziranga National Park for Bhutan, expecting to reach its border town of Phuentsholing after a night halt somewhere on the way. Wonder of wonders, I reached by evening itself after a 10 hour drive. Amazing what good roads can do.
I spent a night in a comfortable hotel there, and had to spend half a day getting permits for myself and my car. Left for capital Thimphu a little after noon and reached in the evening. [continue reading…]
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