Agumbe

In the state of Karnataka, within the Shimoga District is the hill station of Agumbe. It is a little village nestled on a plateau on the top of the Someshwara Ghat. In the old days, when people used to travel to erstwhile Bombay to colonise there, they would say “agumbe” which meant ‘will eat later’, where ‘later’ stood for ‘the time after descending the hilly terrain’.

A lot of waterfalls dot the areas in different hills and peaks in Agumbe. Situated between the Shimoga and Dakshin Kannada districts, Agumbe is accessible from the nearest town of Sringeri at a distance of 26 km. There are some remnants of temples and artistic sculpture of the Hoysala rule in the 14th century.

Landmark Point of Agumbe village is marked by a microwave tower. This village is primarily a hill which is the highest in the Western Ghats and is termed as the Cherrapunji of South India. It receives the highest amount of rainfall in Southern India and the second highest in the country. Agumbe hill is one of the four peaks in the Western Ghats that borders the mainland and divides it from the coast.

Bordi Beach

Bordi Beach is located about 15 km from a small town of Dahanu, in the Thane district of Maharashtra. This beach stretches for about 17 km, located just 145 km from Mumbai. The clean beach is characterised by the black coloured sticky sand. The presence of the Chikoo orchards in the background renders a sense of tranquillity to the beach. Moreover, the water level never rises above waist line till half a kilometre into the sea.

Bordi Beach, also known as the Dahanu Bordi Beach, is a popular choice of tourists for picnics, gatherings, beach walking tours and horse riding. This beach also holds religious significance for the Zoroastrians. The Mecca of Zoroastrians houses the sacred fire, which has been kept alive for more than a century. The community of Bordi mainly comprises Parsis, who offer Parsi cuisine and bungalows to tourists.

Junagadh

Junagadh is a city and a municipal corporation in the western state of Gujarat. It is the district headquarters of the Junagadh district, and is situated at the foothills of the Girnar hills. It is around 355 km from the capital city Gandhinagar. The literal translation of the name Junagadh means "Old Fort". It is also famous as "Sorath", named after the earlier princely condition of Junagadh.

The town has a rich history as different dynasties ruled it during though time. The place bore witness to the Mauray dynasty, the Chalukya dynasty, and the Mughals, to name a few. A remarkable fort, Uperkot, situated on a highland in the center of the town, was initially built during Chandragupta reign. The castle remained in exercise until 6th century, while it was covered for more than 300 years. The castle was overwhelmed 16 times more in a period of 800 years. One fruitless blockade lasted twelve years.

LUCKNOW-City of Nawabs

Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, was once the artistic capital of northern part of India. The city of Lucknow is popular among tourists for its cultural and traditional heritage. Lucknow belongs to Avadh (Oudh) region. It is also the renowned seat of Shi'ism and is referred to as ‘the epitome of Shia culture’ in India.

Lucknow is traversed by River Gomti, dividing the city in to Trans-Gomti and Cis-Gomti. Located towards the centre of the great Gangetic plain in the seismic zone III, Lucknow is bounded by Barabanki District in the East, Unnao District in the West, Raebareli District in the South and Sitapur and Hardoi districts on its North.

The city of Lucknow is of ancient origin as per the inscriptions given in the epic Ramayana.  Lakshmanpur or Lakhanpur was the initial name of Lucknow. This territory was gifted to Lakshmana by Lord Rama, after conquering Sri Lanka and completing the term of life in exile. Later this region came under the rule of Afghans, Mughals and the British. Lucknow also became a major centre for uprisings like the First War of Independence and Indian Independence Movement.

History of Char Minnar

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 AD,shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb Shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water.[citation needed]"
The mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of its four (Persian/Hindi char = four) minarets (Minar (Arabic manara) = spire/tower).
It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by lightning and "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs 60,000. In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 100,000.
In its heyday, the Charminar market had some 14,000 shops. Today the famous markets known as Laad Baazar and Pather Gatti, near the Charminar, are a favour, of tourists and locals alike for jewellery, especially known for exquisite bangles and pearls respectively.
In 2007, Hyderabadi Muslims living in Pakistan constructed a small-scaled quasi replica of the Charminar at the main crossing of the Bahadurabad neighborhood in Karach.

CHERAPUNJI

It is unusual to return from a doctor's clinic with a vacation idea! However, that is exactly what happened with us when, while waiting at a clinic's reception, we came across an article on living root bridges of Meghalaya in a travel magazine. A quick round of discussion with family and friends and our summer holiday plans were finalized. We were going to Meghalaya!
Our group had a thrilling time in Meghalaya. However, when we were told that a visit to Double Decker is a rough trek and not advisable with family, we were a bit heart-broken.
But then whoever said, 'Where there is a will there is a way' was absolutely right. We certainly did not want to miss this opportunity and the two of us decided to visit the Double Decker on our last day in Cherrapunji. Thankfully our families allowed the two of us to go while they stayed back at the resort to enjoy their time.

Gangtok

Gangtok is very pretty. A relatively small city, 1800 m above sea level, it has a quaint charm. We stayed at the State Circuit House near the Rajbhawan and the view from there was enchanting. Outside vehicles arent allowed to ply in Gangtok and one has to take a local taxi. Our driver Bhutia was an amazing guy, very talkative, friendly and always cracking jokes. That is the way most of the Sikkimese are. They are all fiercely patriotic, something very surprising in a land which was till 1975, an independent monarchy. The Gangtok bazaar was our destination that evening. It’s paradise for the shopaholics. You find items from God-knows-where. I sought out my favourite Momos and found that the Sikkimese version is even tastier than the Darjiling one! The climate is much more congenial to sight-seeing than the somewhat oppressive Darjiling cold. The people here speak excellent Hindi, proof of the popularity enjoyed by Hindi films here. Sikkim has made tremendous progress under its CM, Pawan Chamling. Today it is a power-surplus state and enjoys a high literacy rate. The social-welfare program too has been a success here and beggars who are a common sight in other Indian cities are virtually non-existent.

Kazirang National Park

Kaziranga National Park has 3 entry points for safaris- the Western Range, Central Range and Eastern Range. Each of them falls in a different district. While animal sightings are the norm at the Western and Central ranges, the Eastern range is mostly visited by birding enthusiasts.

Elephant safaris start at 5:15am and last around 45minutes each and jeep safaris start at 7:00am and extend for around 2 hours each. The park is closed to tourists for about 1.5hours in the afternoon, so the forest rangers, mahouts and working animals can have their meals and some rest. It opens up again around 2:00pm until sunset which is 4:15pm these days. By 5:00 its pitch dark outside and you have to exit the park before it turns dark.

Cherrapunji

The original name for this town was Sohra, which was pronounced "Churra" by the British. This name

eventually evolved into the current name, Cherrapunji. The word "cherrapunji" means 'land of oranges'.

Despite perennial rainfall, Cherrapunji faces an acute water shortage and the inhabitants often have to

trek for miles to obtain potable water.Irrigation is also hampered due to excessive rain washing away the

topsoil as a result of human encroachment into the forests. The Meghalaya state government has renamed

Cherrapunjee back to its original name, "Sohra". There is a monument to David Scott (British

Administrator in NE India, 1802–31) in the Cherrapunji cemetery. The history of the Khasis – the

inhabitants of Cherrapunji – may be traced from the early part of the 16th century. Between the 16th and

18th centuries these people were ruled by the syiems (rajas or chiefs) of Khyrtim in the Khasi hills. The

Khasi hills came under British authority in 1883 with the submission of the last of the important syiems,

Tirot Singh.
The main pivot on which the entire superstructure of Khasi society rests is the matriarchal system.

BULAND DARWAZA

Buland Darwaza, an entrance constructed by Akbar to celebrate his victory in 1573 over the kingdom of Khandesh in Gujarat, is the gateway to

the renowned Fatehpur Sikri near Agra. This exquisite architectural wonder is really an eye catching view for travelers and tourists, which is

visible even from a long distance. The Darwaza is placed at an elevated plain of height about 40 meters and seems to be inviting the tourists

to the land of Agra wholeheartedly.

The mammoth entrance is one of the grandeur monuments built by Akbar in Agra. Many verses from the Koran are inscribed on the Darwaza. This is

really made with simple but beautiful adornments.

VARANASI

Visit Varanasi to purify your soul and cleanse you body of all the stress! This magical place can fill spirituality in any human being.
Varanasi. The one thing which comes to your mind obviously when you hear about this city in the Northern state of Uttar Pradesh is Ganga. Over the years Varanasi has been synonymous with the majestic Ganga and her numerous sub-Rivers. Varanasi is famous for thousands of bathing ghats along the banks of the river Ganga stretching over thousands of kilometres. The Panchganga ghat is believed to be the most sacred among them. Pilgrims throng these ghats to bathe and rid themselves of their sins. Hindu’s are of the opinion that immersing the Crematorial ashes on the banks of these rivers will assure their loved ones a safe journey to heaven

Bandipur Tour Packages

Bandipur, established in 1931, is a wonderful wildlife centre. Tourists visit this place to admire the breathtaking beauty of nature and also to enjoy a quiet vacation far from the hustle and bustle of the city. This is located in the district of Chamarajanagar.

Situated in the Nilgiris, Bandipur is flanked by the Kabini, Moyar and Nugu Rivers which drain the area. Besides the rivers, there are many seasonal streams flowing through the region. This place is under Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is also the first Biosphere Reserve of the country.

Bandipur was the chosen site for Project Tiger. This is an initiative taken by the Government of India to protect the endangered species. The number of tigers has increased ever since. The place is also home to a large number of animals like Elephants, Hornbill, Sambar, Wild Dog, Giant Squirrel, Deer, and Partridges. There are also a few endangered species including Four Horned Antelope, Panther, Sloth Bear, Python, Mouse Deer, Pea Fowl and many more. Besides animals tourists can see some exotic trees including Bamboo, Sandalwood, Teak, Honne and Mathi.

Two wildlife sanctuaries are also attached to this place: the Waynad Sanctuary and the Mudumalai Sanctuary. This place mostly has an open forest area which makes it easy for the tourists to see animals.

There is no human settlement inside the Reserve but there are almost 200 villages around the area. This place makes for an excellent tourist spot and is a must-visit for those want to soak in the beauty of nature.

Dharmasthala

Dharmasthala is the most revered and best-known temple town in Karnataka. The word Dharma means religion, ritual, duty, righteousness, alms. It also implies justice, truthfulness, and freedom from fear, faith, solace, fulfillment and peace. The place is the perfect embodiment of the word `Dharma`. It is the place where Sri Manjunatheshwara Temple is located. The temple isdevoted to Lord Shiva.

Indo Nepal Tourism

Considering the magnitude of the campaign, the Government of Nepal formed the Main Organising Committee under the convener-ship of Hon’ble Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation. The Committee consists Hon’ble Vice Chairman of National Planning Commission as the Joint Convener and Secretaries of various line Ministries; Chief of Metropolitan, Sub-Metropolitan cities and Municipalities; presidents of trade, travel trade and other related associations and institutions are nominated as Members. Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board has been designated as the Member-Secretary of the Committee.

Nutritions while trecking

The key to nutrition on your trek is to maintain a constant flow of energy throughout your challenge. The information given in the introduction to this section gives you an excellent idea of how to look after yourself in the build up to your challenge as you train. However, on the challenge itself, you are at the mercy of the cooks as to what food you will receive. Have no fear! They will provide you with everything you need to maintain your energy levels throughout the day.

The most important aspect of any trek is cleanliness. Keep your hands scrupulously clean. By avoiding bugs and germs, you’ll be able to keep your food down, which has to be the best nutritional tip of all!

Lucknow Bhool Bhulaiya

A major attraction, Bhul Bhulaiya, is also a part of this huge structure (Bara Imambara). Bhool Bhulaiya is a labyrinth of hundreds of narrow stairway passages, some of which have dead-ends, some end at precipitous drops while others lead to entrance or exit points. One should always take a Guide to explore Bhool Bhulaiya. The Bhool Bhulaiya was constructed to confuse any enemy intruder. The narrow lanes of the labyrinth can make anyone feel lost. The king and other few only knew the way out.

The Bada ImamBara is said to be the world's largest arched room without any pillars.

The bhool bhualiyaa in the building is three storeyed. It is surrounded with 489 doorless similar galleries, where one can roam endlessly for hours. This is why it is so mysterious.

The structure contains various strategically built hollows in the corridors. There is also a blocked passageway which, according to legends, leads through a mile-long underground passage to a location near the Gomti river.

In short, it is simple in style but mysterious too.