Travel - Best Places of Interest

November 21, 2015 Round the world, Travel

Trilateral Highway

If you are a backpacker, then you won’t want to miss this trip. You can plan a road trip next year which connects three countries. The India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) trilateral highway will link India to Myanmar and then to Southeast Asia. It is a 3200km road link that connects Moreh (India) to Mae Sot (Thailand), via Mandalay and Yangon in Myanmar. It will boost connectivity between the Mekon sub-region and India’s northeast region. This highway shall connect Moreh in Manipur to Thailand’s Maesot through Tamu in Myanmar, Mandalay, and Myawaddy.

Trilateral highway, http://www.aseanbriefing.com/ — Three-nation highway
Image source

So, if you are planning a road trip from North East region in India to Thailand, don’t forget to visit these places:
Guwahati- It is the gateway of the North East. While in Guwahati, there are many interesting places to visit if you are a nature lover. Guwahati is situated on the banks of the Brahmaputra River with a stunning landscape and rich cultural background.

Kaziranga National Park– It is home to tigers, elephants, leopards, panthers, and one-horned rhinoceros. If you are a bird watcher then it is a haven as birds flock in thousands here. The best time to travel is in the month of November and April as the park is open to tourists.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhinoceros_unicornis,_Kaziranga_(2006).jpg
Wild Indian rhinoceros — Wild Indian rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park

Manas National Park– it is a World Heritage site. It is the only Tiger Reserve in Assam. There are many endangered species here. Among birds, you can spot bulbuls, falcons, hornbills, and magpie robins.

Brahmaputra River Cruise– You will be mesmerised with breath-taking views of the majestic river that flows through Guwahati dividing it into two halves.

From Guwahati to Imphal and Moreh, via Dimapur by road. This is the Asian Highway (AH-1) and is a part of the India-Myanmar –Thailand Trilateral Highway.

Moreh- It is the border town in Manipur in the northeast region of India. An important trade point in northeast India connects Tamu town in Myanmar.

Myanmar- Bagan, a city from the 9th century, was built by King Anawrahta in 1044. There are many stupas and temples built around the 11th and 13th centuries. Magnificent architecture with mural or fresco paintings. Hot air balloons can be taken over Bagan to enjoy the spectacular view of the sunset and birds-eye view of Bagan.

Mandalay is known as the center for Burmese culture, a city of artisans, and a trading center of goods. A hot air balloon tour can be taken over Mandalay and Inle Lake.

Yangon – Shwedagon Paya, a large golden Buddhist temple is fabulous.

The Shwedagon Paya in Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma)

Inle Lake– You can see the local fisherman use special techniques to set their nets. The fisherman row boats using their legs.

The wide lake has villages on stilts and floating gardens. The gardens are anchored with long bamboo poles in the lake. There are flowers, tomatoes, chilies, cauliflowers, and vegetables. The best time to visit is September and October. Hapaung Daw U Festival lasts 3 weeks and Thadingyut Festival of Lights.

Thailand- To its north, it forms a border with Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia on its east, to its south by Malaysia, and to its west by the Andaman Sea.

Bangkok– The capital city of Thailand has magnificent palaces. Wat Phra Kaeo in the Grand Palace is among Bangkok’s major tourist attractions.

So, do go ahead on this once-in-a-lifetime road trip.

You may like to read Travel Thailand in a low budget

Travel Thailand in a Low Budget

November 5, 2015 Travel

7 Spectacular Places to visit this Diwali

Diwali is a festival of lights. It is the Hindu New Year. The word ‘Diwali’ originated from the Sanskrit word ‘Deepavali’. It means a row of lights. It is a joyous occasion and you could celebrate Diwali at some of the spectacular places mentioned below:

A typical scene at a Kolkata puja Image courtesy: Bodhisattva Sen Roy — A typical scene at a Kolkata puja
Image courtesy: Bodhisattva Sen Roy

Kolkata, West Bengal– Kali Puja coincides with Diwali. The celebration of the goddess Kali (Hindu goddess) is associated with creative power. A day before the Puja, little candles, diyas and colourful electric bulbs light up the ‘city of joy’.

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh– This place wears a colourful look throughout this festival. The city is known as the ‘holy city of India’. Varanasi is illuminated with thousands of diyas (earthen lamps) on the day of Diwali giving it a mesmerizing and spectacular sight for whoever is present there.

Amritsar, Punjab– The Golden Temple is a spectacular sight when it is draped with lit diyas. The preparations for this festival begin weeks in advance. Every house is decorated with leaves, flowers and rangoli’s (an art form of colours and powder) at the entrance. Sweets are prepared to be shared with friends and families.

www.flickr.com — Diwali in London Image source

London– The festival of lights is not only celebrated in India but also by people of all religions and national backgrounds on the London streets, exchanging gifts and sweets. There are various venues that have Diwali events during this time. Trafalgar Square is one of them.

Singapore– It is one of foremost destination for Indians during Diwali. There are massive decorations on the streets and homes in little India of Singapore. Many events have been planned, keeping in mind the festive spirit.

Macau– Another destination that Indians prefer is Macau. Villas and resorts are decorated with Diwali lighting and there are fireworks too which the guests enjoy.

Image source — Diwali Festival in Cape Town

South Africa– It is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm. Prayers are offered and sweets are prepared. The festival spirit is the same as in India.

Wishing you all a HAPPY DIWALI in advance.

September 25, 2015 Round the world, Travel

World’s longest non-stop flight

Air India has quite recently declared that it plans to connect the IT centers of Bengaluru and San Francisco, in what could be the world’s longest non-stop commercial flight. As per a report in The Economic Times, the flight would take around 18 hours to cover an expected 14,000km, making AI the longest non-stop commercial carrier on the planet.

“We are planning to have a non-stop from either Delhi or Bengaluru to San Francisco on our Boeing 777-200 long-range aircraft. And in addition, we are planning a direct service between Ahmedabad and London due to the huge demand for travel between these two cities,” said a senior AI official, as reported by The Times Of India.

The declaration could be made when Prime Minister Modi visits Silicon Valley.

A month ago, Emirates declared it will begin the world’s longest direct flight from Dubai to Panama City (13,760 km). The 17.5-hour flight will start on February 1, 2016. At present, Qantas works the longest flight from Sydney to Dallas, USA, covering 13,730 km.

September 23, 2015 Travel, Within India

4 Awesome hill stations

Mussoorie hill station
Mussoorie, a renowned travel destination in India, is situated at around 34 kilometers from Dehradun. Mussoorie is found at an altitude of around 2000 meters above sea level. In 1820, Captain Young from British Army found the place to his fondness and designed his residence. The name, Mussoorie comes from the plant of identical name that are found in abundance over there.

Bhatta Fall is located on the Mussoorie- Dehradun Road and is an ideal spot for bathing and picnicking.

Almora Hill station
Almora is among the prime tourist destinations of the state of Uttaranchal. Almora is additionally referred to as the cultural capital of the Kumaon Region. The most effective seasons to travel are from April to June and from September to November. The winters are awfully cold in Almora.

Almora is encircled by the mighty Himalayas. You’ll be able to visit several places within the Almora hill station. There are a number of the sightseeing places, the 1000-year-old Nanda Devi temple , the Chitai temple around eight kilometers from town, 800 year old Sun Temple at Katarmal about seven kilometers from Almora and a horde of 125 temples largely of Lord Shiva dating back to 11 AD. located among the dense deodar tree forests and therefore, the Jageshwar, thought to be one among the twelve ‘jyotirlingas’ of Lord Shiva.

Nainital hill station

Nainital, a small city situated within the hills of the Kumaon, encircled by mountains on the 3 sides and revolves around the lake of Naini. This can be an exquisite hill district snuggled within the lap of the central Himalayas and it’s aforesaid to believe the rishis brought the sacred waters from the lake of Manasarovar to create Nainital lake.

Nainital is found at an altitude of 1938 meters above than sea level. Nainital is additionally referred to as the Lake District as there are over sixty lakes over there. Apart from these lakes, beautiful mountains and the lush green vegetation add to the exquisiteness of hill resort Nainital. There are several places to go to like Bhowali, Ramgarh, Bhimtal and Naukauchiatal.
Pant Nagar is the nearest aerodrome to travel to Nainital, that is found at around 70 kilometers from Nainital. The Kathogadam train station is the nearest railhead and is 35kms away.

Kausani Hill station

Kausani is found within the Kumaon region of the state of Uttaranchal in India. This hill station is situated at an altitude of 1890 meters above sea level. Kausani is renowned for the magnificence of the landscape that gives you stunning and fascinating views of the Kumaon Himalayan region and the Himalayan peaks Nanda Devi, Trishul and Nandakot.

Kausani has a great dawn and the vacationers throng to this spot to see the breathtaking views here. The spot has fresh air with the fragrance of pines. The scene is spotted with pear plantations and tea gardens and amid summers the valleys are brimming with wild blossoms. It has excellent thick woodland and the shining slopes lit up by the setting sun.

Kausani offers the brave trekking with fine treks like the Bageshwar Sundardhunga Trek, Adi Kailash Trek and Base Kausani Trek. For the untamed life aficionados, there is a bird sanctuary near the hill resort at Binsar.

Truly, Uttranchal, India has awesome hill stations worth a visit.

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