Spectacular North India!!!

Admits deep valleys and high hills, this trip to North India was a bliss. Dehradun, located in the valleys and Mussoorie, located on mountain ranges, two contrast locations but has its own beauty and magic.
The excitement begins the moment you see Dehradun from 14,000 feet high, surrounded with greenery and the Himalayan ranges. This place has its own charm that mesmerizes you. The best time to visit is winters but summers are pretty cool as well.

We stayed at Hrishikesh, which is 30 min away from Dehradun. Hrishikesh is considered a holy place as the river Ganga resides here. The 2,525 km river rises in the western Himalayas in the Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh and empties into the Bay of Bengal. Hrishikesh is famous for adventure activities like river rafting, bungee jumping and rock climbing. We were staying in a hotel located on the banks of river Ganga - Scenic place and a feeling of quietness embraces you all day long.

Day 1
On the very first day of our trip, we visited Haridwar. Thousands of people gather every evening to pay respect to the Holy water Ganga and participate in the maha-aarti that takes place every evening at 6 pm. This is one scene that cannot be missed. We have been seeing this in movies but to get a real life experience is something different and unexpected. Just remember to be safe and always stay in groups.Chances of you getting lost are much high here.

Day 2
I'm a person who is scared of water, but couldn't afford to miss river rafting in Hrishikesh. I was continuously praying for 2 days before the rafting activity and finally decided to take on this water journey - 26 kms, white water rafting, 12 rapids and 4 hours...phew! I survived and enjoyed every bit of it...must say you cannot miss this if you are in Hrishikesh....Usually people prefer to stay in camps in Hrishikesh. You can also opt for many other activities provided by these camps.

Take a day off after rafting as you body will refuse to respond post this activity.

Day 3

Next day we were off to Mussoorie, quiet and serene, usually known as the queen of hills. This place has it owns beauty that welcomes everyone with warmth. The hill station is located 8000 feet high.The only thing you can do here is sleep, eat, relax, walk the mall road, shop and spend quality time with yourself. The attractions here include the Kempty water falls, the rope way, good restaurants and food, some schools and lush green Himalayan ranges that can be mostly viewed from your hotel rooms.

I fell sick after the rafting activity and didn't enjoy my stay at Mussoorie. Some some of the funny experiences in Mussoorie which cannot be forgotten were when my friends had to call the doctor at 2 am.. go to the hospital to get my medicines... wade through the hilly regions, secretly praying to reach safely, finally got a lift from some localities at 2 am...half drunk and a ride they will never forget in their entire life.. I was more tensed for their safety rather than getting my medicines on time.

We had dinner by the river side, walked all the way to the Ram Jhulla and Laxman Jhulla, saw some parts of Delhi and traveled in metros. We used all means of transport- the airplane, local cabs, pulled rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, etc etc.

Things to remember:

1. Carry enough medicines in case you fall sick after the rafting activity, good clothes for rafting and some warm clothes as well.
2. The food is usually vegetarian but some places do serve non-veg.
3. You can reach Delhi by flight and then take another flight to Dehradun.
4. Book in advance in case you chose to stay in Hotels or else camps is the best option if your travelling with your friends. 




This place is adventurous yet relaxing..
Trust me you will have enough stories and experiences to share once your back from this journey.

Happy Reading
Priyanka

Images are taken from Shutterstock.com

Maldives - Heaven on Earth

Though I'm not too late on writing a travel post but I'm definitely late on writing a review on Maldives - my first exotic destination. By now many of you must have already seen the pics on facebook and must have gauged its beauty. But as its said - a picture can paint a thousand words, so does a review help in spreading those thousand words.:)

I thought this was the best platform to write a review about the island and resort we visited.

Maldives is a collection of about 1000+ islands. It is located in the Indian Ocean and easily accessible from Kerela. It is the smallest Asian country with regards to population and size. Male city is the capital of Maldives, people speak Maldivian language, Islam is their major religion and the currency used is Maldivian rufiyaa. Fishing and Tourism are the major industries.

Beach resort

Sea plane boarding

Candle light dinner in the middle of the sea

Fishes during the fish feeding activity

The water villas

Thats how the sky looks at night

The DHONI

Chaaya Reef Ellaidhoo, is a coral reef which is located an hour away from Male airport. This is definitely a virgin island as not many people are aware of this place and it still stands unexploited.

You will notice just one or two Indian couples visiting this place in every 6 months. Most tourist staying on the resort are either Europeans or Americans. We were lucky enough to be the only Indian couple staying on the resort during our visit.

The one week break is the perfect time and destination to rejuvenate yourself. Its exotic, relaxing and you have all the time to yourself. You can either opt for a beach or water villa as per your budget. This resort is surrounded with turquoise blue water, white sand and not to forget the FISHES, The rooms are lavish and the staff very friendly and warm. The list of activities include scuba diving, snorkeling, island hoping or simply lazing around. You cannot afford to miss the spa treatments and some of their night club activities. Karaoke nights, magic shows, crab race and dance were things that kept us entertained. Now let's talk about the food. 

The resort serves International cuisine. The wisest thing to do is to opt for a full board package since you are staying on the island and not gonna get out of the place. You can treat yourself to some mouth watering spreads that contain food from around the world. From pulavs to pastas, breads, croissant, salads to soups, different types of curries and non veg dishes, fruits and desserts, cold drinks and drinks too. You have a variety to choose from.

Evenings you can enjoy fish feeding activity and look at the aquatic life. Fishes of all colours, types and sizes will mesmerise you. They are harmless, unless you spot a stingray or a baby shark in the pool.

On the last day we were flown back to the airport via a sea plane. These sea places belong to the local Maldivian airlines and has a capacity to take only 8 to 10 passengers at a time. Their boats are called as Dhoni which take you right at the middle of the sea from where you are supposed to board the sea plane.

It was and will be one of our best trips. Its the perfect place for your honeymoon or if you just need to spend some quality time with your self. Till then keep reading, travelling and exploring until I come back with my next travel review.

Regards,
Priyanka Ohol