Tag: Nature

11 Best Secret Hotels You Should Visit for an ideal getaway

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These hideaways are the sacred saviors from the city rush. You not only need tranquil swish of the wind and the silence of the forest but also a calm and undisturbed retreat to spend your days in absolute disconnect from the world. You want the luxury of nature on a silent mode at a zero gadget buzz zone. Here’s a tour list of hotels in India giving you the much sought after getaway from the world.

1. Elephant Valley Eco Farm, Kodaikanal

 If you’re moving away from the civilization then it better be for the best. 20 km’s away from Kodaikanal, these eco farms attract eco-tourist year round. This old elephant migration route is a biodiversity hotspot and gives you more reasons to move away from the crowd and spend your days in one of the twenty eco-friendly bungalows in the wilderness equipped with solar light and firewood.

Click here to book now.

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Credits: duneecogroup.com

2. The Tamara, Coorg

Amidst the greens of the Western Ghats, The Tamara Coorg brings you a unique experience of blissful solitude in the luxury cottages overlooking the vast Kabbinakad Estate. With the freshness of the Arabica and cardamom plantation, this retreat in the lap of nature gives you immense opportunities to be one with nature. The Rudraksha trail, bird watching, and the rejuvenating studio spa would leave you with nothing more to ask for.

Click here to book now.

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Credits: thetamara.com

3. Glenburn Tea Estate, Darjeeling

On the bank of River Rangneet, amidst the Kanchenjunga mountain range, this beautiful hillock is owned by The Prakashes, The Chaiwalla Family. This tea estate experience can be your ultimate blissful disconnect from the world. With a thousand acres of private forest and two rivers running across the marvelous property, there is nothing more you need to spoil yourself and spend lazy afternoons on a sunny balcony.

Click here to find the best places to stay in Darjeeling.

glenburn
Credits: glenburnteaestate.com

4. Otter Creek Tents, Mandrem, North Goa

These three candy-colored tents were the ancestral retreat for the Sequeira Family of Mapuca. This colonial hideout offers a double four-poster bed inside brightly draped tents. 100 meters from a serene beach, the tents face a silent creek running parallel to the sea. Closed during the monsoon season, Otter Creek tents are a perfect hideaway for summertime birdwatchers. The road ends 30 meters from the creek, making it a pocket of complete disconnect.

Click here to find hotels and homestays in North Goa.

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Credits: aseascape.com

5. The Captain’s House, North Goa

The heritage of the Sequeira Family has left us more scenic wonders and tranquil retreats than we can imagine. The house is named after the aviation pioneer of the previous century, Capt Cyril William Sequeira, who would fly over this vacation house in his tiger moth and leave the locals enrapt. This summer-house sleeps six and is probably your next summer escape resort.

Find stunning homestays in North Goa for your dream vacation.

Credits: aseascape.com
Credits: aseascape.com

6. Rajakkad Estate, Dindigul

An hour drive from Dindigul, Pallam Palace of Rajakkad in the hill country of South India is a silent getaway amidst the coffee estate. With private terraces facing lush gardens, Rajakkad estate is home to more than two hundred migratory birds. This seven bedroom garden hotel can also be a base for a short excursion to Kodaikanal or the temple town of Madurai.  A leisure walk through the estate and the coffee drying yards would give you the ideal break from the city humdrum.

Book your stay at Rajakkad Estate. 

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Credits: rajakkadestate.com

7. Cardamom House, Dindigul

The silent haven of Dindigul is home to yet another traveler utopia. Cardamom house is a family home to British physician Dr. Chris Lucas. Outside the small village of Athoor, these cottages with rooftop terrace overlook a beautiful monsoon dependent Kamarajar Lake. This remote retreat in the foothills of Western Ghats offers immense photographic opportunities with the flowers in bloom, butterflies in the pool garden and wonderful dawn at the adjoining lake. 

Find the best vacation rentals in Dindigul.

Credits: cardamomhouse.com
Credits: cardamomhouse.com
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Credits: cardamomhouse.com

8. Treehouse Hideaway, Bandhavgarh

This is the dream hidden amidst the 21 acres jungles of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. The treehouse balconies overlook the exquisite Bandhavgarh National Park with the highest count of tigers in the country. A traditional jungle living experience that has been on your bucket list awaits you here. 

Book your stay at Treehouse Hideaway.

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Credits: treehousehideaway.com

9. Tranquil, Sultan’s Battery

From one treehouse to another, there is no reason to step down yet. Sultan’s Battery, watch tower constructed by Tipu Sultan 4km from Mangalore. The quaint tree houses at Tranquil Plantation Hideaway amidst coffee and vanilla plantation are an ideal escape into the wild.

Click here to book now.

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Credits: www.scottdunn.com

10. Serenity, Vazhoor

Located at the Kanam Estate on a small hilltop, at Serenity, you are enrapt in the scents of tropical spices. This private villa hotel prides itself for its vintage architecture and heritage ambiance. If you wish to spend more time with elephants than with people, this is the choicest destination giving an exquisite Malabar escape.

Click here to book your stay at Serenity, Vazhoor.

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Credits: malabarhouse.com

11. The Auli Resort, Auli

The snow-capped peaks of Garhwal are a loner’s paradise throughout the year. These tourist bungalows on the heavenly white slopes are the Himalayan Elysium. If you wish to hide away, make sure that it’s a wondrous hideaway and the bungalows on the snow blankets at Auli give you a bite full of nature you can savor for life.

Find stunning hotels and homestays in Auli.

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Booking.com

Source: Trip hotels in India

Mother Earth

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*/ This post is inspired by Weekly Photo Challenge Earth /*


You may like to read International Mother Earth Day – Best Places of Interest


COLOUR ME “SAFFRON”

Ujjain, Kumbh Mahaparv
Vermillion and yellow flags
Vermillion and yellow flags

Once in 12 years, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh , India explodes in the colour  SAFFRON as it is home to the “SIMHASTHA KUMBH”.

The  Gulmohar  Trees ( Hindi), Flamboyant ( English) , Delonix regia ( Scientific name) join the celebration of Faith in the Month of May and explode in the colour of the season, Saffron.

 
Seen through flowers
Seen through flowers

The Kshipra River In Ujjain seen through the  Flamboyant  Saffron  flowers of the  Gulmohar Tree.

The Trident or “Trishul” is the Symbol of the Ruling Deity of Ujjain , “Mahakaal” or Lord Shiva .

The Trishul rises over the flamboyantly flowering  Gulmohar Trees  and the  Saffron Bridge  across the Kshipra River  during the Maha Kumbh Festival.

Saffron bridge across the Shipra river
Saffron bridge across the Shipra river

The Ghats of the River Kshipra turn  Saffron  too as the River is worshiped in celebration of the Life-giving Powers of Water.

Millions will bathe in the River during the Month long festival Simhastha Mahakumbh held once in 12 years during a time determined by the Planets and Stars. The Sun enters Aries and Jupiter the constellation of Leo symbolizing the timing of this explosion of Faith and the  colour  saffron.

Saffron along the ghats
Saffron along the ghats

The Dumroo or Drum , held by the Saffron Sadhu ,is another symbol of Lord Shiva.

The reverberating and enchanting sound of the “Dumroo” symbolizes the healing Power of Sound.

Sadhus in their own world
Sadhus in their own world

Be Enchanted by the saffron colours in Ujjain as I take you through the Heart of India during a Festival of Faith.

A recent update of this site

Six die as storm hits Kumbh Mela. Lightning and thunderstorms hit the site of the ongoing Simhastha-Kumbh Mela in Ujjain. Four devotees and one sadhu died when a pandal collapsed due to strong winds. A woman pilgrim died after being struck by a bolt of lightning. Squall, coupled with rain, suddenly hit the area, uprooting several camps of sadhus.

Source: Mukul from Enchanted Forests and news sources.

Golden Oriole

Harmony ARJNH6 (Image source)

A beautiful, coloured bird with striking yellow and jet black plumage and fully black wings was perched on the tree outside my window sill. It had camouflaged so effectively amongst the leaves that it is hard to spot. It has this song that alerts everyone around and can be heard over considerable distances.

The female of the species has dull-looking slightly greener colour. They have dark red eyes and a fairly thick, pink beak that is curved downwards at the end. It is a migratory bird and is mainly found throughout Europe and Western Asia. It is scientifically known as Oriolus kundoo and commonly known as Golden Oriole.

ARJNH6 Oriolus oriolus Golden oriole male sitting on a twig Alamy (Image source)
ARJNH6 Oriolus oriolus Golden oriole male sitting on a twig Alamy
(Image source)

The Golden Oriole, as most oriole watchers who study the bird, will surely agree, is the most frustrating, intelligent, beautiful, characterful, acrobatic, brave, diverse, successful and exciting arboreal passerine there is.

A poem on Gold Oriole

A traditional children’s poem from Holland has been translated by Rob Bijlsma:

Going up the country,

Looking for the oriole

Summer has arrived again,

When calling starts this songster.

Dudeljo resounds his song

Dudeljo resounds his song

Dudeljo and nothing more.

He lives in oakwood dense

Clad in golden dress.

Sparks our hearts with happiness,

When yodeling his shawm.

Dudeljo resounds his song

Dudeljo and nothing more.

Golden Oriole’s diet and prey

It eats the most diverse range of invertebrates, from minuscule beetles to large bush crickets, locusts, large hairy caterpillars and worms. They also pluck fruits of the branches.

A number of the prey items on which orioles feed have pest status, making the oriole a welcome bird in many situations.

Indian Golden Oriole

Golden Oriole’s distribution and habitat

Golden Oriole is found across the Palearctic region, from Western Europe to Siberia, in much of Africa, and in Asia from India through Southwest Asia to China and Japan. They are scattered throughout the Philippines, Indonesia and into the Northern Australia and down the east coast. The main four species in addition to Eurasian Golden Oriole are Indian Golden Oriole, African Golden Oriole, Slender-billed Oriole and Black-naped Oriole.

The Golden Oriole (Poyser Monographs)by Mason, Paul Allsop, Jake has amazing illustrations and photos of Golden Oriole. The cover photo is also good. The book is an interesting read about the Golden Oriole. There are specific chapters dedicated to their habitat in Britain, Europe and North Africa, habitats in other parts of the breeding range, the special case of Kazakhstan.

The authors are the Secretary and Chairman of the Golden Oriole group. They are at the forefront of the successful battle to save the orioles’ last breeding area, Lakenheath in Suffolk, from deforestation. Chapter 2 is specifically dedicated to this, The story of Lakenheath and the Golden Oriole Group.

In the later chapters, there is a great detail of the biology of this beautiful species, their breeding biology, feeding ecology, evolution, migration and conservation.

The Golden Oriole is an absolute must for a bird watcher as the author’s expertise provides you with all the information you could want.

Image source: Independent

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