Search Results

Dibrugarh is a town located on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra River in Assam. It is one of the easternmost parts of India. And because of its unique isolated location, it is, in a way, cut off from mainland India. With minimal industrial growth (except in the tea industry), Dibrugarh has a close connection to nature featuring crystal clear blue skies and pure oxygen to breathe. Located on the banks of mighty Brahmaputra river, this lesser known and as yet less explored town of Dibrugarh is home to vast tea gardens that provide a breath-taking landscape of lush greenery. So, let's explore this town together. Where is Dibrugarh, Assam, located? Dibrugarh town is the administrative headquarters of the Dibrugarh district in Upper Assam, Northeast India. It lies at a distance of about 444 kilometres away from Guwahati (the largest city of Assam) or about 435 kilometres away from Dispur (the capital of Assam state). The Brahmaputra river borders the entire town of Dibrugarh in the north. The Burhi Dihing, which is the tributary of Brahmaputra, slices through the district from east to west. How to reach Dibrugarh, Assam? Dibrugarh is well connected by airways, railways, and roads. In fact, it is also linked to other districts in Assam via waterways. Airway Dibrugarh airport is located 15 kilometres away from the main town in an area named Mohanbari. The airport is connected via direct flights with Shillong (Meghalaya), Guwahati (Assam), and Bagdogra & Kolkata (West Bengal) and New Delhi. The flights run daily, though the frequencies might be low. Railway Dibrugarh railway station is amongst the biggest railway station in entire northeast India. Through the eastern rail network, it is well-connected to major cities in India like Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Kochi, Kanyakumari, Trivandrum, and many more. Roadway National highways number 15, 17, 27, 29 and 37 link the state of Assam with other neighbouring states and cities. Since the completion of the Bogibeel bridge, Dibrugarh has been connected to the northern banks of the Brahmaputra, which eventually leads to Arunachal Pradesh. Government, as well as private buses, ply from Guwahati to Dibrugarh multiple times a day. You will also find shared tempo travellers running from Guwahati to Dibrugarh all day long. Waterway Ferry services link Dibrugarh to the areas of the Dhemaji district across the Brahmaputra River. Even luxury cruises sail from Guwahati to Dibrugarh and back. What is the best time to visit Dibrugarh, Assam? Dibrugarh is blessed with a moderate climate, and mostly the weather is pleasant irrespective of the time of the year. As such, October to March is considered the best time to visit Dibrugarh. However, you should plan your visit in line with what you want to experience. March and June months are the tea harvesting seasons. So, if you are interested in visiting tea gardens and having a cup of freshly harvested flush, these months are the best time to visit Dibrugarh. The tea gardens are closed between December to February for pruning and maintenance. But you can definitely still see them from outside. Dibrugarh receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon (April/May to September). If you want to see the greenery in all its glory, right after monsoon would be a great time to visit Dibrugarh. Remember that rains bring their own challenges with flooding of the Brahmaputra river and waterlogging woes in the low-lying areas. Even national parks/ safaris are closed during this time. If you want to experience the rich culture of Assam, the best time to visit Dibrugarh is during the Bihu festivities. Bihu is the harvest festival and marks the end of the harvesting season in Assam. It is celebrated with tremendous zeal and enthusiasm. Rongali Bihu is celebrated in April, Kongali Bihu in October, and Magh Bihu in January/ February. The dates are based on the Hindu calendar. What are the best places to visit in Dibrugarh, Assam? Brahmaputra and Tea estates are of course the main attractions within Dibrugarh town. There are few places as well that might interest you. 1. Tea estates 50% of India's Assamese tea crop is grown in the districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, and Sivasagar combined. A drive through Dibrugarh will bemuse you with umpteen shades of green in a single expanse of a tea estate. Miles and miles of green land are covered by tea gardens. Owing to the Brahmaputra river, the soil of Dibrugarh is mainly fertile alluvial soil, which further assists good tea cultivation. Assam tea gardens are very different from the Darjeeling tea gardens when it comes to the style of growing. In Darjeeling, tea is grown on slopes that are 700-2000 metres above sea level. Whereas, in Assam, tea is grown on flat land (30-40 metres above sea level). To prevent damage to the tea plantations from scorching heat in summers, black pepper trees are grown between the tea plants that provide shade and keep the temperature cool. You will be surprised to know that Dibrugarh alone has more than 250 registered tea companies, and each company has acres and acres of land for tea cultivation! This is barring the small-scale tea growers. Tea tour is one of the reasons why tourists visit Dibrugarh. This includes a walk-through tea plantation and a guided visit to a tea factory where you understand the process of tea growing, harvesting, making, and trading. What better way to experience the tea cultivation of Dibrugarh than to live in between a tea estate! Chang Bungalows (built during the British colonial era) surrounded by tea gardens on all sides are renovated and refurbished by the Jalans (the oldest tea growers of Assam) for tourists to stay and get a feel of living in a heritage property in the middle of a tea estate (More on this in our upcoming blog). 2. DTP Dyke DTP Dyke is a riverside promenade in Dibrugarh built along the Brahmaputra banks. A major part of Dibrugarh town was eroded away in the earthquake of 1950 that caused severe floods. That is when the Government of Assam decided to build the dyke. It is used as a place for jogging, cycling, and walking by both the locals and the tourists. Entrance to DTP Dyke is free of charge, and you can spend as much time there as you want to. We recommend visiting the dyke early in the morning or late in the evenings to catch sunrise or sunset. These timings are perfect for photography. You will get an incredible view of the Brahmaputra glistening with golden colours because of the sunlight reflecting water. 3. Bogibeel bridge The Bogibeel bridge on the Brahmaputra River in Dibrugarh is India's longest rail-cum-road bridge. It is 4.94 kilometres long and has a double rail line on the lower deck and a 3-lane highway on the upper deck. Bogibeel bridge is located just 20 kilometres away from the state of Arunachal Pradesh. It hence is of strategic importance to India as it significantly eases India's ability to transport troops and supplies to Arunachal Pradesh, which shares a border with China. In our opinion, Bogibeel bridge is the best place to watch the sunset in Dibrugarh. We went to a restaurant named Kanchanjanga, located right below the bridge on the banks of the Brahmaputra River. The place has cottages for staying, a playground for kids, a unique concept restaurant, and a dolphin viewpoint. We actually were able to spot 3-4 dolphins galloping in the river within a span of 5 minutes. We opted for a 1-hour evening cruise in the Brahmaputra and watched the sunset from the boat which was without a doubt one the best sunset experiences we have had. The sky displayed an incredible array of colours with the setting sun, and getting to view such a magical phenomenon from the centre of the water was a fantastic experience. Bogibeel bridge lights up with colourful lights as the darkness surrounds, and all this light gets reflected in the river water below. All in all, the sunset cruise is perfect for everyone, be it photographers, family, couples, or children. Entrance fee for Kachanjanga – INR 30 per person Ticket for boat cruising Brahmaputra River – INR 500 per person that includes 1-hour boat ride, complimentary mix veg fritters and tea 4. Jokai Botanical Garden Located 12 kilometres away from Dibrugarh city centre, Jokai Botanical Garden is a storehouse for germplasm and endangered species of flora. The garden is divided into various zones like an orchid house, rainforest, medicinal plants, etc. Jokai Botanical Garden will give you a feeling of being in a tropical rainforest where you can wander amongst tall trees. It is a good place to visit for nature lovers especially if you have time. If you need to skip something in Dibrugarh due to lack of time, we would recommend skipping this. 5. Jagannath temple Jagannath temple in Dibrugarh is the exact replica of the one in Puri, Odisha. It is very well maintained, and along with the main Jagannath temple, there are several small temples dedicated to various deities in the temple complex. A quick visit to the Jagannath temple in Dibrugarh will leave you with peace and tranquillity. The temple is located very close to the tea gardens of Dibrugarh. 6. Jalan mandir Jalan Mandir in Dibrugarh is a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha. The temple is made of white marble, and the surroundings are full of greenery with big lawns and tall trees. Unlike other temples, Jalan Mandir is seldom crowded, and hence you can spend some time in quietude here. What are the places to visit near Dibrugarh, Assam? Around Dibrugarh is where it becomes more interesting. There are quite a few varied places around Dibrugarh that ranges from interesting culture, paradise for birders and nature lovers, and some historically interesting places. 1. Namphake monastery Namphake monastery is a Buddhist monastery in Namphake Village in the Dibrugarh district of Assam. The monastery is located 60 kilometres away from the main Dibrugarh town. All the residents of Namphake village are Buddhists in religion and belong to the Tai-Phake community that migrated from Myanmar to Assam in the 1800s. They maintain their own unique culture. Namphake Buddhist monastery, situated on the banks of Burhi Dihing River, is said to have been established in the year 1850. It houses a giant statue of Lord Buddha along with numerous smaller statues. We lit candles and incense sticks inside the Buddhist temple. We also found a Buddhist Pagoda, an Ashokan Pillar, and statues of Buddha's disciples in the monastery campus. Colourful flags adorn the entire campus creating an extremely peaceful environment. Apart from the Namphake Buddhist monastery, also visit the nearby Namphake museum that is created as part of a restaurant. The museum showcases photos, utensils, attire, and unique households of the Tai-Phake tribe. A leisurely walk in the village allowed us to see the raised/ elevated bamboo huts, interact with the community, and understand their culture in a better way. 2. Joypur Rainforest Joypur (or Jeypore) Rainforest is located 65 kilometres away from Dibrugarh's main town. It is an evergreen forest marked by the rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. Spread across 108 square kilometres, the Joypur rainforest houses hundreds of species of orchids and trees as tall as 50 metres high. The forest also accommodates an incredible number of rare and endangered animals, including sloth bears, Assamese macaque, flying squirrels, and leopard cats. Every year, a Rainforest festival is organised at Joypur Rainforest that includes fun and adventure activities like trekking, camping, elephant riding, and bird watching. This festival attracts thousands of tourists from across India. 3. Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary About 50 kilometres ahead of Joypur Rainforest is the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary. Located about 100 kilometres from Dibrugarh town, this wildlife sanctuary is a major elephant habitat and has 47 different species of reptiles and mammals. It harbours the largest stretches of lowland rainforests in India, home to the rare white-winged wood duck – the state bird of Assam. To enter the sanctuary, you need to obtain a permit from the Forest Range Office in Digboi. It's best that you hire the services of a local guide who could take you deep inside the forest reserve; you might easily lose your way inside the thick rainforest. 4. Digboi Oil Centenary Museum Digboi is an oil town located 84 kilometres away from the main town of Dibrugarh in Upper Assam. In the early 18th century, crude oil was first discovered in Digboi, making it the birthplace of the industrial revolution in this region. The town houses the oldest running oil well in the world, and at that exact place, the Digboi Oil Centenary Museum is constructed. The museum showcases samples of different types of fuels, refined fuels, and by-products. A stroll through the museum will make you understand how the British discovered oil. Beside the Digboi Oil Centenary Museum, you will find a bunker used by the British Army during World War II. You will also find a well-maintained and well-documented war cemetery 4 kilometres away from the museum that used to be a burial ground of the bygone warriors of World War. Entrance fee for Digboi Oil Centenary Museum – INR 10 per person; Photography is prohibited inside the museum. 5. Margherita coal museum Just 18 kilometres south of the Digboi Oil Centenary Museum is the Margherita Coal Museum. This museum is established to preserve materials from over 120 years of coal mining in India. It showcases various instruments used in coal mining since the 18th century, including machines, tools, vehicles, engines, and pumps. The museum houses a replica of an actual underground mine which is very interesting to visit. Some locomotives on display are too cool to believe. Entrance fees to Margherita Coal Museum – INR 10 per person 6. Dibru Saikhowa National Park Located about 100 kilometres away from Dibrugarh town, Dibru Saikhowa National Park is bounded by the Dibru River on the south and Lohit and great Brahmaputra River on the north. The national park is the largest salix swamp forest in northeast India, attracting many endangered species. More than 350 species of birds have been spotted at Dibru Saikhowa National Park so far. Dibru Saikhowa National Park was established to protect the critically endangered species of white-winged wood duck and wild ferral horses. The river around the sanctuary is even frequented by dolphins. You will be able to spot a variety of fauna while on a boat safari in the river around the sanctuary. The other activities at the Dibru Saikhowa National Park include bird watching, trekking, river cruising, village touring, and night camping. How many nights should one spend in Dibrugarh, Assam? While touring Dibrugarh, you need to keep in mind that all the places of interest are located far off from each other. Along with road conditions, you will have to spend quite some time on road to cover all places around Dibrugarh. If you have to choose one place around Dibrugarh town, we would recommend covering the Namphake monastery and getting a different cultural insight. An ideal Dibrugarh itinerary will look like this: Day 1: Visit the Jagannath temple, Jalan temple, and DTP Dyke (in the evening) Day 2: Explore Tea Gardens early in the morning, followed by Jokai Botanical Garden, and then head to Bogibeel Bridge for the sunset Day 3: Full day excursion to Namphake monastery, Jeypore Rainforest, Digboi Centenary Museum, and Margherita Coal Museum (You will have to start early) Day 4: Trip to Dibru Saikhowa National Park Note: You can also plan to spend a night near Dibru Saikhowa National Park. The roads to the places mentioned on Day 3 are narrow and very okayish in condition, so consider the time spent on the roads. Where to stay in Dibrugarh, Assam? This one's a no brainer. If you visit Dibrugarh and don't spend time amongst tea estates, have you really explored the place?! That's why we chose to stay in a heritage house surrounded by acres and acres of tea estates. Choosing to stay at Mancotta Heritage Chang Bungalow was the best decision we took on our Assam trip. Mancotta Heritage Chang Bungalow was previously owned by the British Indian Tea Company and is an ideal representation of how the Britishers lived in the estates. The heritage bungalow is built on stilts (known as chang ghars in Assamese). The wooden bungalow has 4 large double rooms and 2 single rooms in the attached annexure. The chefs at Mancotta prepare authentic Assamese food, which is to die for! 5 stars for the service and hospitality. We were free to roam in the surrounding tea gardens and enjoyed every moment of our stay here. If you would like to checkout other options to stay in Dibrugarh, click on images below to see available hotels and homestays in Dibrugarh, Assam - Other important information: The biggest tip we would give to the people living in Western India and visiting Assam is to wake up super early, as the sun sets pretty early on this side of India. Every minute of the daylight counts. The sun rose as early as 5:30 AM in Dibrugarh and set by 4:30 PM when we visited in December. It gets pitch black dark by 5:00 PM (Daylight timings might vary in summer). Since we were just two of us, we rented a two-wheeler to get around in Dibrugarh. If you are on a tour where you have booked a car for the entire trip, that will work too. However, hiring a car on a daily basis may turn out to be expensive. Pin this image We hope this guide helps you plan a trip to Dibrugarh and to the nearby places. Should you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section below, or you can directly mail us at studios.fairytale@gmail.com.

If we simply define Goa, we would call it a state in India that is a popular beach destination. However, it's extremely difficult to define Goa in detail. The definition varies from person to person. For some, Goa is a budgeted backpacking destination, while for others, it is a luxurious vacation. For some, Goa is synonymous with partying and beach hopping, while for others, Goa is for sunset chasing and fort explorations. Some picture Goa as a Portuguese land, while some see it as a harmonious blend of all major religions. For us, Goa is a writer's inspiration and a photographer's creativity. We visit Goa for monsoon greens, for summer swims, for falling asleep on the sand listening to waves, for sunbeds and cocktails, and for smoothies and mocktails. Also, to run away from the city's busyness and cheap shopping :P And Goa is kind enough to fulfil all our and others' needs. We always wanted to experience how Goans live every day. How they buy the paos/pois (breads) from cycle-sellers, how they retire to susegad for an afternoon nap, how to whizz past the narrow palm-fringed roads on a two-wheeler, and how they know and socialise with anyone and everyone. And what better way to feel like a Goan than to slow travel in Goa. So, we did just that during our 3-week long trip to Goa. On this slow trip, we found some unique places to stay in Goa for an offbeat experience. While it's difficult to suggest someone a place to stay in Goa, we often find ourselves asking them questions to gauge what type of trip they are looking forward to. But whatever type of trip it is, we highly recommend trying to book these unique places to stay in Goa for an offbeat experience. Unique Places to Stay in Goa for an Offbeat Experience Maravilha Maravilha, meaning ''marvellous'' in Portuguese, is a boutique property located in the quiet interiors of Assagao village in Goa. It is a 200-year-old Portuguese house very tastefully refurbished and converted into a luxurious stay. However, the age-old charm can still be found in the décor and antiques adorn the house. Maravilha features 14 designer rooms, an in-house kitchen, a lounge room, a dining area, a swimming pool, and lots of open spaces in the surrounding gardens. Special mention to their selection of furniture, the extravagant décor, and the subtle lighting. The rooms are either blue or white themed, and both are fantastically done. Each room showcases a rich heritage and a spirit of intimacy and romance. Maravilha is 2-storeyed – the rooms on the ground level have direct access to the swimming pool, whereas the ones on the first floor have balconies with private sit-outs. We stayed in a lavish room on the first floor, which was equipped with high-speed internet connectivity, a smart TV, a minibar, a safe deposit, and a tea/coffee maker. The en-suite bathroom was equally exorbitant with designer tiles, a wall-mounted shower, rich toiletries, and a hair-dryer. Striking Indo-Portuguese elements stud the nooks and corners of Maravilha, like the tiled gable roof sloping down to a columned façade, the unique lounge chair just outside the reception, the vintage artefacts that complement the décor, the designer tiles in the rooms and bathrooms, and the illustrator paintings themed on Goa that is hung everywhere in the house. Like all the traditional Portuguese houses, Maravilha features an inner open courtyard that filters sunlight inside the house. What made our stay at this boutique property so memorable was the staff. They are ever-so-smiling, welcoming, up for a conversation, highly hospitable, and always on their toes to make us feel at home, yet never intrusive or interfering. There was so much to do during our stay at Maravilha. We relaxed in their backyard swimming pool, chilled on the hammocks in the garden under the palm-fringed trees, lounged on the balcony with a chilled drink, rode their bicycles to explore the nearby hinterlands, and gorged on the freshly prepared mouth-watering food. They also arrange for guided village walks, help you rent a scooter, suggest nearby places to visit and give reccos on the places to shop. Maravilha's in-house kitchen prepares personalised meals based on your tastes and requirements. For health and fitness enthusiasts, they have a few gluten-free, fat-free dishes too. Their menu is specially curated from amongst the different cuisines in the world and has something for everyone. The staff customises everything for their guests, right from décor to food. Maravilha is rented out as an entire property to a group of friends or family looking for small celebrations or a get-together in a private setting. It's ideal for office outings, conferences, as well as workcations too! The property is kept spic and span, and you are free to roam anywhere. They spoil you with their authentic hospitality. Maravilha also has a massage room beside the pool, where they offer authentic spa services. If you are looking for a secluded private vacation far from chaos yet close to the beaches, Maravilha is one of the best places to stay in Goa for an offbeat experience. If you would like to book a stay at Maravilha, you can check their official website or click on the below sites to find the current prices - Dudhsagar Plantation & Farm stay Dudhsagar Plantation and Farm stay is a simple yet elegant stay located in the forested interiors of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa. Situated 50 kilometres from the Goa airport in Dabolim, this family-run farm stay is very close to majestic waterfalls, including Dudhsagar Falls and Tambdi Surla Falls. The property features 5 cottages that are set amidst spice gardens on a 30-acre estate. The cottages at Dudhsagar Plantation & Farm stay are traditional, spacious, and simplistic, with an attached washroom. The room is well-ventilated and provides a feeling of being close to nature. It is surrounded by tropical forests with tall palm, betel nut, and banana trees. Each cottage has an outdoor verandah seating where you can spend a relaxed time. The property has an open dining space with a thatched patio that adds to the feel of oneness with nature. The farm stay's host, Ashok, is very friendly and welcoming and will instantly make you feel at home. He and his family have worked hard on nurturing the local bio-diversity while simultaneously managing the farm stay by including initiatives like rain-water harvesting, converting food waste into biogas, and protecting the rare flora and fauna. They have even constructed an eco-friendly swimming pool with water-purifying aquatic plants growing in it. Ashok charted out a perfect itinerary for us to explore all the nearby places. Dudhsagar Plantation & Farm stay makes for a perfect base to visit Dudhsagar Falls. After a stressful 22-kilometre hike, returning to the farm stay felt like a huge relief. We wonder why anyone would want to do this long hike and then return to the crowded beaches 50 kilometres away! Ashok and his family are typical Goans by heart, and we were lucky to have sampled some delicious Goan cuisines during our stay. We spent a lot of time in the dining area where the dishes kept coming, from Goan paos to avocado chutney to a dessert made out of coconut and passion fruit. Food and like-minded conversations, what else does one need! At Dudhsagar Plantation & Farm stay, we explored the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and nearby waterfalls, swam in the property's eco-pool, spotted birds and butterflies, walked through the spice garden, ate organic food, and talked to like-minded travellers. Dudhsagar Plantation & Farm stay also offers activities like cashew picking. These cashews are then washed, taken to their in-house distillery, and brewed to produce local Feni. Ashok has perfected the art of making Urak (a milder version of Feni), and he serves it with the utmost affection. You can also explore the village around the stay and spot beautiful rare birds. All in all, Dudhsagar Plantation & Farm stay is amongst the most unique places to stay in Goa for an offbeat experience. Away from the chaos and amidst nature, we're sure you wouldn't regret booking your stay there. Here's our honest experience of staying with Dudhsagar Plantation and Farm stay. If you would like to book a stay at Dudhsagar Plantation and Farm stay, you can check their official website or click on the below sites to find the current prices - Vivenda dos Palhacos Vivenda dos Palhacos (that translates to House of Clowns) is a 100-year-old Portuguese villa that is beautifully restored by a brother-sister duo into a luxurious 8-bedroom mansion. Tucked in a corner amongst the coconut grooves in Majorda village, this boutique stay is just about a kilometre from the beach, yet set in peaceful surroundings. The house belonged to a Hindu family and was sold to Catholics somewhere around the 1920s; hence it has bits and pieces of Indo-Portuguese architecture. The house's front porch has pretty sit-outs on both sides, typical of Portuguese architecture. Whereas there's a central open courtyard in the middle of the house, which is typical of old Hindu homes. When Simon and Charlotte, the brother-sister duo, bought the house, it was in a derelict condition. You will find a photo book at the property where you will be able to view the old photographs of the dilapidated house and accompanying photos of how the mansion was refurbished gradually. Right from the living room, the balconies, to the tiled roof, you will be able to differentiate the architectural styles. All the rooms at Vivenda dos Palhacos are differently themed and innovatively designed. The rooms are named after places in India that the owners have lived in and have loved. Like there's a room named Konnagar (a posh locality in West Bengal), and it is styled luxuriously with a 4-poster bed and a huge bathroom featuring a big bathtub from the Royal Bombay Yacht Club. The other room, named Ooty (a popular hill station in Tamil Nadu), where we stayed for 3 nights, is all white, styled with sensual framed paintings, overlooks an open courtyard, and has a bathroom tiled with pieces of mirror. We learnt that this was the kitchen of the old Indo-Portuguese mansion. Isn't it interesting? The other rooms are Madras, Alipore, Chanpara, Chummery, Darjeeling, and Ballygunge, each themed uniquely and adorned with interesting antiques. The living room has big sofa sets, and the dining room has a 16-seater antique wooden dining table. Every corner is decorated with unique antiquities, like the balconies feature high chairs found in a barber's shop, and the dining table features quirky utensils. The café plus bar is constructed out of the back of a truck and is full of vibrant colours. Vivenda dos Palhacos is a mini library where you will find a variety of books on all the topics under the sky in each room. If you are a book lover, you can easily spend a couple of days inside the house without an urge to wander outside. Oh did we mention they have a swimming pool too? The hosts are charming, and we loved having detailed conversations with them about the Goan way of living. And oh, did we mention that they have 2 pet dogs and are super friendly?! If you are looking for authentic Goan experiences, and an opportunity to delve into a new culture, then Vivenda dos Palhacos is the best place to stay in Goa for a unique experience. Read our detailed review on Vivenda dos Palhacos here. If you would like to book a stay at Vivenda dos Palhacos, you can check their official website and call/ mail them directly. WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn As the name suggests, WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn is located in Panjim, the capital city of Goa. Surrounded by the narrow and colourful lanes of Fontainhas, this heritage property is situated in the posh suburbs of Panjim. It is an ancestral property that is now a part of the WelcomHeritage chain of hotels. Panjim Inn was built in the 1880s and is the first heritage hotel in Goa. Owned by the same family for over 5 generations, the family has taken utmost care to preserve the old-world charm of the building, including the external façade, the stonewalls, the teak beams, and the wrought iron railings lining the balcony. We had a chance to stay in Panjim Peoples – a restored mansion that was formerly Goa'sGoa's first English medium school. The spacious rooms on the first floor of Panjim Peoples are extremely spacious, with handpicked Portuguese style décor, carved rosewood furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows, a royal bathroom, and a huge balcony that opens to the view of the coloured streets of Fontainhas. During the night, the entire area surrounding Panjim Inn looked like a small Portugal town. The lime, turquoise, violet, team, and crimson-coloured buildings adorned with ajulejo tiles teleported us to a different world altogether. Panjim Inn'sInn's in-house restaurant named Verandah serves Goan, Continental, and Indian delicacies that are wholesome and delicious. WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn is amongst the most unique places to stay in Goa for an offbeat experience that majorly includes exploring the Latin quarters of Fontainhas. The property's central location ensures that you are never far from either beaches, churches, casinos, or nightclubs. Before making your bookings, you might want to read our experience stay at Panjim Inn. If you would like to book a stay at Panjim Inn, you can check WelcomHeritage's official website or click on the below sites to find the current prices - Do you know of more such unique places to stay in Goa for an offbeat experience? Drop us a comment, and we'll be there in no time.

Most tourists know Andamans for Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep); and of course Port Blair (because that's where their flight lands). But, there's a lot more to Andaman Islands that meets the eye. Port Blair is just a tiny part of South Andaman Island. The North Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands still remain unexplored. In this article, we give you a detailed guide on North Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands. By the end of this, you will understand the geography of the Andaman Islands, a brief on places to visit in North and Middle Andaman, the best time to visit and the ethnic tribes you will get to meet there. Happy reading! Read our other articles of the series 'The Andaman Odyssey', by clicking on the below image or text: 1. Introduction to Emerald islands of India 2. Plan your own trip to Andamans 3. A complete travel guide to Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) 4. Review: Summer Sands Beach Resort at Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) 5. A complete travel guide to Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) 6. Review: Symphony Palms Beach Resort at Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) 7. Review: Havelock Island Beach Resort at Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) 8. Review: Dive with Scuba Lov 9. Review: Makruzz - Cruising across Andamans 10. Plan your trip to North and Middle Andaman Islands 11. Travel guide to Baratang Island, Middle Andaman Island 12. Travel guide to Rangat, Middle Andaman Island 13. Travel guide to Mayabunder, Middle Andaman Island 14.Travel guide to Diglipur, North Andaman Island 15. Travel guide to Port Blair 16. Places to visit near Port Blair, Andaman Geography of Andaman Islands: The Great Andaman Island is divided into 3 main parts: North Andaman (Diglipur) Middle Andaman (Mayabunder, Rangat, Baratang) South Andaman (Port Blair, Neil Island, Havelock Island) You will be able to get a good idea by looking at the map in the image below. The North Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands are separated from the South Andaman Island by narrow creeks. The Andaman Trunk Road (ATR) connects all these 3 islands. However, one is required to board ferries to get to one island from the other while driving on the Andaman Trunk Road. These ferries that cross the creeks are operated by the government and can accommodate passengers along with large and small vehicles. The Andaman Islands were formed around 150 million years ago when there was a collision between the two continents named Laurasia and Gondwana. This led to the formation of the Himalayas. It is believed that the Andaman Islands are a part of the Himalayas. The Himalayan ranges in India extend from the north of the country to the east and further stretches out to Myanmar. These Himalayan ranges then get submerged in the Bay of Bengal and again emerge back from the Sea as Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Best time to visit the North and Middle Andaman Islands: The best time to visit the North and Middle Andaman Islands is from October to March. The weather is pleasant during these months and is ideal for sightseeing, water sport activities and beach excursions. It starts becoming hotter from March and April. May to June is the peak summertime, and though the weather is hot and humid, it is probably the peak season due to children’s summer vacations in India. Monsoon may start from end of June and visiting the Andaman Islands is definitely not recommended in the peak monsoon months from July to September because of high tidal waves, incessant rainfall and strong winds. How to reach North Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands: North and Middle Andaman can be reached by sea using ferries and by road using buses and hiring a private car. The cheapest way would be government ferry or government buses. However the most comfortable way would be hiring a private car. Also a private car would enable you to move around much more flexibly and cover various interesting places on the way. Here are further details on these - Reaching North and Middle Andaman by road: As mentioned earlier, Andaman Trunk Road (ATR) connects South Andaman to Middle Andaman and North Andaman Islands. The base to reach any place in Andamans is via Port Blair, a part of South Andaman Island. You can reach Port Blair through flights. You connect to the ATR from Port Blair. However, the drive on the ATR isn’t smooth as silk. Firstly, the roads are extremely muddy. So, you cannot even think of rolling down the vehicle windows to enjoy a cool breeze. And secondly, the route is rough, irregular, bumpy and rugged, except for some good stretches. Apart from that, you cannot just leave Port Blair at your own time or drive at your own pace when travelling to the North and Middle Andaman Islands. The ATR passes through Jarawa Tribal Reserve, a safe habitat for the endangered and indigenous tribe. From Port Blair, you will have to drive roughly 40 kilometers to Jirkatang Check Post. This is the place from where the Jarawa Tribal Reserve starts. All vehicles assemble in a queue at Jirkatang Check Post which has specified opening timings (6:00 AM – 6:30 AM, 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM). You can pass this reserve only during these timings. The entire long convoy of vehicles is preceded and succeeded by police and forest department vans for 50 kilometers till the Middle Strait near Baratang. If you want to catch the first convoy at 6:00 AM, you will have to start from Port Blair at least by 4:00 AM. Once at the Middle Strait, you will have to load your vehicle on a government ferry to reach the other side, i.e. Baratang (Middle Andaman). This same process of loading and off-loading the vehicle into a ferry has to be repeated at Kadamtala (Middle Andaman). All the vehicles on ATR take the following route: Port Blair – Baratang Island – Rangat – Mayabunder – Diglipur. To reach North and Middle Andaman Islands, you can either hop in a government bus or buy a private Volvo bus ticket. It would take you 12 hours to reach Diglipur (North Andaman) from Port Blair. The government buses are Non-AC; they run non-stop without any pitstops except the ferry boarding points and can be boarded from Aberdeen bus stand in Port Blair. The private buses are both AC and Non-AC, the tickets to which can be bought from Port Blair town. These have multiple pick-up points within the town of Port Blair, and you can choose one as per your convenience. The buses start as early as 4:00 AM from Aberdeen bus depot in Port Blair. According to us, if you want to travel by road, hiring a private cab from Port Blair is the most sensible option. The cab will be accompanied by an experienced driver who will suggest good places to eat and places to visit on the way. The cab services are available from Port Blair, and the driver will remain at your disposal till you return Port Blair. Although hiring a cab is expensive, it is the best option if you have a fixed date schedule. During our visit, we found several parts of the road under construction. Our driver informed us that once the roads are smooth, per day driver and cab cost will come down, which is good news! Reaching North and Middle Andaman by Sea: A potential alternative to the journey on the Andaman Trunk Road is the old sea route. Direct ship services (government as well as private) are available on fixed days in a week to reach the North and Middle Andaman Islands. Sailing by sea is a cheaper way to reach the North and Middle Andaman Islands. Makruzz, the best private cruise player in the Andaman Islands, operates daily ships from Haddo Jetty near Chatham in Port Blair to Nilambur Jetty in Baratang and vice versa. The sea journey from Port Blair to Baratang Island takes about 2-2.5 hours, and the tickets can be booked online or purchased offline from Makruzz’s office in Port Blair. From Baratang, you can either opt to hire a private vehicle or take a government bus to explore the further northern areas of the Middle and North Andamans. Makruzz doesn’t yet offer its cruise services to Rangat, Mayabunder or Diglipur. You can check the timings of the cruise to Baratang Island on their official website. All government ferries to the Middle and North Andaman Islands start from Phoenix jetty in Port Blair. They run 4 times a week to Rangat, 2 times a week to Diglipur and 2 times a week to Mayabunder. The tickets cannot be booked online and are sold at the Directorate of Shipping Services at the Phoenix Bay jetty in Port Blair. The tickets are made available just 3 days before departure; hence you have to be in Port Blair a day or two before sailing to the North and Middle Andaman Islands. Please note that the return tickets are not issued from Port Blair. You will have to make the booking from either Rangat, Mayabunder or Diglipur jetties for your return journey. Suggested Read: Places to visit near Port Blair Places to visit or places of interest in North Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands: Planning a trip to North and Middle Andaman wasn’t easy as very little is known about these islands and very few tourists visit it. Even very little is documented about these Islands, from a tourism perspective, on the internet. The places to visit in North Andaman and Middle Andaman are hence unexplored, offbeat, raw and pristine. Here’s a list of places that you must not miss out on visiting when you are on a trip to the North and Middle Andaman Islands: 1. Diglipur (North Andaman) Diglipur is known for the twin islands - Ross and Smith, which are separated by a pristine white sandbar. Tourists also flock Diglipur to visit the Kalipur beach and Lamiya Bay beach, famous for the turtle nesting. From Kalipur beach, you can snorkel to Craggy Island during low tide. You will get to see lots of colorful fish and corals while snorkeling. Diglipur is also famous for the highest peak of Andaman Island, the Saddle Peak. A slight detour from the Andaman Trunk Road while driving towards Diglipur, will take you to the secluded Ramnagar beach. Alfred Caves, located on the same route, is a limestone cave that is another decent place you can visit in Diglipur. Shyamnagar, about 25 kilometres far from the town, is famous for the active mud volcanoes. 2. Mayabunder (Middle Andaman) Karmatang beach and Rampur beach are the most sought-after sightseeing places in Mayabunder. Karmatang is also a nesting ground for turtles. Apart from the beach, Avis Island and Interview Island, the tiny uninhabited islands located near the town of Mayabunder, can be visited after procuring special permission from the Forest Department. Other places of interest in Mayabunder are the Forest Museum, Driftwood Museum and German Jetty. While in Mayabunder, you should also check out Webi village known for a large population of Karen tribe, a lesser-known community who were brought into Andamans from Myanmar by the British. They have their own Karen Craft center in the town, which is a must-visit for buying locally made handicrafts. 3. Rangat (Middle Andaman) Rangat is known for its beaches. The Amkunj beach and the Morice Dera beach lie right on the Andaman Trunk Road and are amongst must-visits in Rangat. Dhaninallah mangrove walk, a kilometer walk on a wooden bridge surrounded by varieties of mangroves, leads you to the pristine Dhaninallah beach, famous for turtle nesting - another must-visit. A mangrove view watchtower is also erected near Yerrata Jetty in the main Rangat town. Cuthbert Bay beach in Rangat is popular for mass turtle nesting. Panchvati Hills and waterfalls is another attraction that is located towards the outskirts of Rangat. From Rangat, you can also plan a trip to Guitar Island, North Passage Island and Long Island, which is famous for its sandy beaches like Lalaji Bay beach and Merk Bay beach. 4. Baratang (South Andaman) Baratang is famous for its limestone caves and dense mangrove creeks. You can also get to see active mud volcanoes in Baratang. From Baratang, you can visit Parrot Island, an uninhabited island, which is a site for spotting thousands of parakeets and birds of other species. On your way to Baratang from Port Blair, you can also get a chance to sight the rare Jarawa tribes while driving through the Jarawa Reserve forest on the Andaman Trunk Road. PIN THIS IMAGE We hope you found this article useful and are now confident in planning your North and Middle Andaman Islands trip. In upcoming articles, we will write in detail about all the places to visit in the North and Middle Andaman Islands, along with specifics on how to reach each location. So, stay tuned! Drop your thoughts in the comment section below.

Andaman Islands are a place full of magical destinations, waiting to be explored. The most popular tourist destinations - Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil islands (Shaheed Dweep) which are administratively part of South Andaman district are located little away from the mainland in the sea towards east. Out of the two, Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) is smaller and is located 16-17 kms southwest of the Havelock Island. Opened to tourists only few years ago, Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) is just a tiny little dot on the map hidden in one corner of the Andaman Islands. If you look forward to a slow, laid back vibe, want to lie on deserted beaches, meet friendly people and snorkel or dive through the incredible corals, then Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) is the place to get off the ferry. Since we had already introduced Andaman and Nicobar Islands in first article and helped you create your travel plan in second article, in this third blog of the series – The Andaman Odyssey, we move on to Neil Islands (Shaheed Dweep). We will detail out everything about Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) with recommendations of how to reach, where to stay, what places to visit, total duration to stay and what activities to experience. The series of travel blogs - The Andaman Odyssey will serve as a one stop travel guide to you and give you all details along with recommendations to ensure you can plan your own trip. Our other blogs of the series - The Andaman Odyssey will help you understand and plan your trip to Andaman Islands and give you a good idea of Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) with recommendation on places to stay and activities to do. 1. Introduction to Emerald islands of India 2. Plan your own trip to Andamans 3. A complete travel guide to Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) - Current blog 4. Review: Summer Sands Beach Resort at Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) 5. A complete travel guide to Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) 6. Review: Symphony Palms Beach Resort at Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) 7. Review: Havelock Island Beach Resort at Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) 8. Review: Dive with Scuba Lov 9. Review: Makruzz - Cruising across Andamans Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) is more popular among the foreign tourists as they like to spend more time in less crowded places. But in recent years, it is gaining popularity among Indian tourists as well. Usually foreign nationals who visit Andaman Islands for a month love to stay for weeks in this island and Indian tourist who tend to visit Andaman Islands for a week tend to just make Neil Islands (Shaheed Dweep) a day trip or maximum a one night stay. While visiting Neil as a day trip is just a wasted effort, we felt one night stay to be simply too less to cover everything we wanted to at leisure. So, if you want to immerse yourself in the stillness and peace Neil has to offer, spending more time is definitely recommended. It is one of those places which will let you forget time even exists and lets you get lost in nature or get engage talking with friendly locals. How to reach​ Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep): Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) is well connected by inter island ferries from Port Blair as well as from Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) allowing you to reach there from either direction. While most tourists take the Port Blair – Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) – Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) – Port Blair route; we followed and would recommend the other way round ie. Port Blair – Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) – Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) – Port Blair. It does not make a big difference but we always prefer avoiding crowds and the suggested route means less crowd in ferries as well as on Islands. While Government ferries do connect these islands through the year, we recommend private ships which are much faster, cleaner and comfortable. Makruzz and Green Ocean are 2 operators who ply between Port Blair, Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) daily for most of the year. We definitely recommend Makruzz which is an experience in itself. You can read our detailed blog post purely on our experience with Makruzz here. Makruzz ship takes about 1.5 hours to cover the journey from Port Blair to Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep). Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) jetty: As soon as we disembarked from the Makruzz at Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) jetty, we were awestruck by the beauty of the panoramic view in front of us. The water was emerald blue in color and so clear that we could actually see the rocks and corals at the bottom right from the jetty bridge. As we walked towards the village of Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) we saw wooden fishing boats scattered at the white sand of the curvy beach on the left. This side of the jetty is the Bharatpur beach and towards the right end beyond the visible mangroves is the Lakshmanpur beach. Though there was some construction going on besides the jetty as it seemed they are making a new jetty bridge, the first impression of Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) was enhanced as we reached the end of the jetty. They had waiting areas in the form of small cute huts and dustbins to ensure cleanliness. Conveyance in Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep): The widest part of Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) is just about 5-6 kms. One can actually walk the whole island in about 2-3 hours, so says wikipedia. Tourists generally tend to rent a bicycle or a two wheeler which is a convenient option. However, auto rickshaws can also be hired on half day or full day basis to explore the island. All of the vehicle hiring can be easily done through the vendors outside the jetty. We hired a two wheeler, which was easily available, right at the jetty entrance. Two wheeler hiring cost is INR 500 per day. All the sightseeing spots are well connected by roads, which are not that great or wide, but quite manageable to drive. People and Place - Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep): Neil is a very small settlement of about 4000 people. Most of the people have migrated here from West Bengal or Bangladesh when Hindus had to leave due to partition. Hence Bengali is one of the main languages spoken here. People are extremely helpful and kind. As the Island is small, everyone knows everything – you just have to ask for it. There’s a wonderfully unhurried pace of life in Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) and people tend to enjoy it to the fullest. Just 40 kms from bustling Port Blair, Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) feels to be several universes away from all the hustle. The island has 5 villages primarily named after characters from Hindu mythology - Ramayana: Neil Kendra - Centre of island where Jetty & administrative offices are present Ram Nagar (Summer Sands beach resort) Sitapur (Sunrise point) Lakshmanpur (Natural bridge & Sunset points) Bharatpur (Water activities) The main occupation for people of Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) is cultivation, especially vegetables. This island is one of the main suppliers of vegetables to its capital Port Blair. The main market has some basic shops and ATM. You can find eateries in many places as people set aside small verandahs outside their homes and run it as restaurant for earning few extra bucks. Important tip: BSNL mobile network gives good connectivity at Neil Islands (Shaheed Dweep) just like rest of Andamans. We also found Airtel network in most places at Neil. You can not expect internet but calls and SMS were working satisfactorily. Stay Options in Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep): Many budget as well as luxury hotels/ resorts are available for stay in Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep). Prices can range from Rs.500 per night for backpackers choosing to stay longer to upwards of Rs.10,000 per night for the most luxurious room in high end resorts. We stayed at Summer Sands Beach resort located at Ramnagar beach and would definitely recommend it as your place of stay. You can read our detailed review of Summer Sands Beach Resort and see why we recommend them. Places to visit in Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep): The names of the beaches in Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) revolve around the names of the villages which in turn are characters in the hindu mythology Ramayana; which is extremely interesting. Towards the extreme east of the island is the Sitapur beach (Sunrise point), the extreme west is the Lakshmanpur beach (Sunset point). Bharatpur beach is towards the north and Ramnagar beach roughly towards south. Except the Ramnagar beach which is very rocky, all other beaches are fine white sand beaches with crystal clear blue water and very less rocks. Although Neil Island’s beaches are not as luxurious as its more famous neighbour Island – Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), they have their own unique charm. Interesting tip: We would also recommend just wandering in a scooter aimlessly. The random streets in rural areas are sometimes most scenic and offer great experiences. Farms, coconuts and betel trees are aplenty on this island and all you would find by wandering around is lots of greenery and lots of great people. Sitapur beach - Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep): Being on the eastern end, Sitapur beach is best visited to watch the sunrise. The road that leads to the beach is revitalizing with vast green fields, forest trees and variety of crops and vegetation on both the sides. One has to climb few steps down to get on the beach.The backdrop at Sitapur beach is full of old tall trees, mangroves and limestone formations. We selected a huge rock at the middle of the curvy beach to sit on, relax and photograph. The beach is clean, beautiful and unexplored hence unexploited. We do not recommend swimming as it’s rocky but one can dip their feet in sea and ease out listening to the rhythmic sound of the waves. The beach has no water sports or eateries or amenities like changing rooms. As the sun rose from the bottom of the ocean, the glittering water reflected silver light. We loitered around on the vast stretch of the beach after sunrise staring into the ocean and thinking of how lucky we were to witness this heavenly place. We recommend spending a good 1-2 hours in the morning over here. The beach is almost empty for rest of the day. It turns turquoise blue and is a delight to visit any other time too. Important tip: The sun rises around 5 AM. It is advisable to leave your hotel by 4:30 AM so that you can reach comfortably and settle yourself and your camera in the best spot before the sun rises. Natural Bridge - Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep): The Natural Bridge also known as Natural rock formation or Howrah Bridge is located at one end of Lakshmanpur beach. The road to the Natural Bridge is from the main market. After parking the vehicle, it is a good 15 minute walk or rather a trek, firstly through a few stairs and then through rocks and mangroves. The initial path is through many stalls of coconut, fruits, imitation jewellery and small decorative items. After crossing that, one has to walk on sea coast through dead corals and rocks lined by extremely tall Mahua trees. This stretch can be uncomfortable and difficult for some. We spotted many small crabs and lobsters running around on the way. The entire walk was worth it as soon as we sighted the Natural Bridge. It is indeed a nature’s marvel. Setting sun and low tides made this place picture perfect. The bridge stretches from the mainland to the shore and creates a wonderful arch with green vegetation growing on its surface. The bridge is itself made of natural coral reefs. Watching the sunset with Natural Bridge in the backdrop was an experience in itself. We do not recommend this place for old people and infants as it is quite a rough walk. Visiting during low tide is recommended. Important tip: We recommend having as much coconut water as possible in Andamans. It will not only keep you hydrated, you will be shocked to see the size of coconuts here. They are so huge that many find it difficult to finish one coconut in one go. While returning from Natural bridge there are many vendors selling coconuts and we suggest you have one before heading back. Note that this beach also offers perfect view of sunset. Bharatpur beach - Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep): Bharatpur beach has a sprawling stretch of white sand and greenery that overlooks a vast expanse of emerald blue sea water. This beach is well known for water activities; be it swimming or snorkelling or coral watching. We had already booked our snorkelling and scuba diving sessions in Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) but we highly recommend these activities at Bharatpur beach. The water is extremely clean and clear. One could also hire glass bottom boats for viewing the corals and marine life. Other water sports activities included Jet Ski and banana ride. The sea is full of colorful corals with schools of fishes swimming around. Changing rooms are also present here. Lakshmanpur beach - Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep): Lakshmanpur beach is famous for sunset viewing, however you can also see sunrise from this beach. Thats a unique thing as you would rarely come across a place where sunrise and sunset can be seen from the same beach, and Lakshmanpur beach is one such place. This beach is usually secluded and hence is rich in terms of under water ecology. Corals, fishes and even sea cows or Dugongs are found here. Though swimming is not encouraged here due to rockiness, there are areas which are safer. The shallowness of the beach especially during low tides makes it one of the best diving sites around. The white sand and turquoise waters make this one of the most picturesque sights around. Important tip: Note that you will have to walk to extreme left end of the beach to see the sunset. So plan reaching the sunset point on time accordingly. For Sunrise, you will have to walk to your extreme right. Activities in Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep): As the waters in Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) are more clean and clear than Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep), we suggest experiencing the underwater activities here. Both snorkeling and scuba diving are worth the experience here as the sea is shallow around the island shores and is full of colorful corals and fishes. We recommend booking the activities with Scuba Lov whose dive center is located at the Sea Shell Resort in Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep). We experienced their extraordinary services in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) and we are soon going to write a separate blog on our scuba experience with them. In case you can not dive, you may try out glass bottom boat rides at Bharatpur beach. All in all, we had a wonderful stay in Neil Islands (Shaheed Dweep) and while leaving we were really sad of not having more time to spend there. Going around paddy fields of Neil Islands (Shaheed Dweep) on our scooter felt like going around a place which was a fusion of Hampi and Goa. Similar narrow lanes with laid back relaxed aura with no one to bother you. Neil island (Shaheed Dweep) is definitely one of those places where we would not mind settling down. Away from rest of the world, Neil Islands (Shaheed Dweep)provide that perfect escape clubbed with natural beauty. Hope you love it as much as we did. PIN THIS IMAGE Hope this article was useful to you in helping you plan your trip to Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep). Let us know your thoughts or queries in comments section below. You can also directly email us your queries and we will surely respond back. Do keep reading our travel guide series - The Andaman Odyssey as we cover Port Blair and Havelock islands (Swaraj Dweep) in detail with recommendations for stay, food and transport. #India #Andamans #UnionTerritories

Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep), part of the Indian union territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands lies 70 Km north east of capital city of Port Blair and is administratively part of South Andaman. Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) is the largest island of Ritchie's Archipelago islands, a group of 17 islands to the east of Great Andaman. Since Indian government has started advocating the tourism development in Andamans, Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) remains one among the most visited Islands in Asia. This emerald island of India is an intoxicating blend of beaches, nature and water activities, all fitting in so beautifully with one another that you cannot decide where one ends and another begins. It is a scenic natural paradise with pristine white sandy beaches, abundant coral reefs and lush green forest. In this fifth blog of the series – The Andaman Odyssey, we present a detailed travel guide covering everything about Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) with recommendations of how to reach, where to stay, what places to visit, total duration to stay and what activities to experience. The series of travel blogs - The Andaman Odyssey will serve as a one stop travel guide to you and give you all details along with recommendations to ensure you can plan your own trip. Our other blogs of the series - The Andaman Odyssey will help you understand and plan your trip to Andaman Islands and give you a good idea of Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) with recommendation on places to stay and activities to do. 1. Introduction to Emerald islands of India 2. Plan your own trip to Andamans 3. A complete travel guide to Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) 4. Review: Summer Sands Beach Resort at Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) 5. A complete travel guide to Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) - Current blog 6. Review: Symphony Palms Beach Resort at Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) 7. Review: Havelock Island Beach Resort at Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) 8. Review: Dive with Scuba Lov 9. Review: Makruzz - Cruising across Andamans Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) seems to be more popular among Indian tourists compared to foreign tourists who tend to prefer the quiet and laid-back neighboring Island – Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) which happens to be the smallest inhabited island of Ritchie's Archipelago. While Andaman is on the path to becoming the most favored honeymoon destination for Indians (being more affordable and easy to access and providing experiences somewhat similar to Maldives or Mauritius), most foreign tourists are attracted to these islands, primarily Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep) for their exotic marine life, diving schools and remoteness of pristine beaches. Interesting fact: Havelock islands (Swaraj Dweep) in India, apart from a MRT station in Singapore; number of roads in UK (Norfolk, Bedforshire), India (Kanpur, Lucknow), Australia (Perth); towns in New Zealand, US, Canada are all named after Sir Henry Havelock who was a British General in India. He was credited with capturing Lucknow during India's rebellion of 1857 and thats where his tomb lies. Duration of stay in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): Havelock island (Swaraj Dweep) can be covered in 2 nights 3 days. However, we recommend having at least 3 nights in hand to ensure you truly soak in the essence of Havelock rather than rushing through your much deserved vacation. Also ferries you take from Port Blair or Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) will use up half of your days each side. So in case you spend just one night in Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), frankly you will be wasting your hard earned money. How to reach​ Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) is well connected by inter island ferries from other main centers of Andaman, Port Blair and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) allowing you to reach there from either direction. While most tourists take the Port Blair – Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) – Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) – Port Blair route; we followed and would recommend the other way round ie. Port Blair – Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) – Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) – Port Blair. It does not make a big difference but we always prefer avoiding crowds and the suggested route means less crowd in ferries as well as on Islands. While Government ferries do connect these islands through the year, we recommend private ships which are much faster, cleaner and comfortable. Makruzz and Green Ocean are 2 operators who ply between Port Blair, Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) daily for most of the year. We definitely recommend Makruzz which is an experience in itself. You can read a detailed blog post purely on our experience with Makruzz here. Makruzz takes about 2.5 hours to cover the journey from Port Blair to Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep). Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) jetty: To be frank, Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) jetty is not as serene as Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) jetty mainly because instead of Neil's picture perfect straight jetty, Havelock has a right angled jetty. Also the water is not as turquoise as Neil (Shaheed Dweep). However, the feeling of peace is similar. The blue water of the sea and the cool breeze were welcoming to the eye, body and soul. The jetty at Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) is huge and we had to walk quite a bit to reach the main road. You can easily get a 2 or 3 or 4 wheeler from the jetty that takes you to your hotel. Useful tip: You can also get a luggage trolley like airports at the jetty. Just look around and carry your luggage through these trolley till the main road Conveyance in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): Just like other main tourist centers of Andaman, Two-wheelers as well as four-wheelers are available for hire right outside the Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) jetty and at many other locations throughout Havelock. Hence hiring a vehicle is not an issue. Tourists generally tend to rent a two wheeler which is a convenient option. Petrol is available at a few petrol pumps as well as some of the shops in the market. We hired a scooter to roam around in the Island. Two wheeler hiring cost is INR 500 per day. Useful tip: Petrol of Rs.100-150 might be enough for 2 days in Havelock (Swaraj Dweep). Do not put excess fuel which you have to return back along with the vehicle People and Place - Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): Havelock Island’s population of about 10000 mainly consists of Bengali or Bangladeshi settlers. While Neil island (Shaheed Dweep) villages were named after characters of Hindu mythological epic - Ramayana, Havelock island (Swaraj Dweep) villages are inspired from the other epic - Mahabharata. There are five villages in the Island covered by forests, farms and some commercial areas. Three villages where the lovely beaches are present and most hotels / resorts are built - Govind Nagar (Has jetty and serves as entry point to Havelock) Vijay Nagar (Has Vijay Nagar and Kalapathar beach) Radha Nagar (Has Asia's best beach as ranked by Time magazine in 2004) The other 2 villages are occupied by locals and are agricultural areas. You need to pass through these areas to reach Radha Nagar. Shyam Nagar Krishna Nagar The main languages throughout Andamans including Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) are same - Bengali and Hindi; but many understand English very well, hence communication is never a problem. The pace of life is slow, the locals are friendly and still not too affected by tourism, and the facilities are moderately basic for the most part. The main market of Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) in Govind Nagar is big with lots of shops, banks, ATMs and big and small eateries. The map above will give you a rough idea of where you will arrive in Havelock island (Swaraj Dweep) through ferry and where these villages are located. People at Havelock source many basic items from Port blair. As tourists, we do not realize how difficult life here could be but seeing workers offloading things like gas cylinders from boats made us notice little things worth appreciating here. Useful tip: Airtel, BSNL, Vodafone and Idea mobile network gives good connectivity at most places in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) unlike Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep). The internet connection is however almost non-existent. Stay Options - Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): Many budget as well as luxury hotels/ resorts are available for stay in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep). Prices can range from INR 500 per night for backpackers choosing to stay longer to upwards of INR 10,000 per night for the most luxurious rooms in high end resorts. The east coast i.e. Govind Nagar and Vijay Nagar has the most number of stay options and is more developed commercially. Many small and big properties are located on this coastline. A few good properties are also located towards the west coast i.e. Radha Nagar which is an hour’s drive from the jetty; hence people prefer to stay at the east coast. We stayed at Symphony Palms Beach resort and Havelock Island Beach resort located at Govind Nagar beach and would definitely recommend them as your place of stay. We will be writing a blog reviewing our wonderful stay with these resorts in due course. Places to visit in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): Beaches are the main attraction at Havelock island (Swaraj Dweep). Beaches are numbered starting from Beach #1 which is the part of the jetty. However we feel it is better to ignore these numbers as they are confusing and difficult to remember. Names are easier to recall and identify. Out of the 5 main beaches in Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), 3 lie on the east coast in a single line whereas Radha Nagar & Elephant beach are located towards the western ends of the island. Due to tsunami and various other storms, you would find barren tree trunks on most of the beaches which also act as a good photography prop. Radha Nagar beach - Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): Famously known as beach number 7, Radhanagar beach remains the most popular beaches of Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep). It was named as the “Best beach in Asia” by Times Magazine in 2004 and since then it is flocked by a lot of tourists from India as well as the world. Located on the west coast, Radhanagar beach is famous for sunsets. The clean and clear blue water in the front and a backdrop of tall trees makes this beach one of the most beautiful beaches. The whole stretch of beach is sandy and shallow and is good for swimming though there is an earmarked section where swimming is encouraged and life guards are present. The approach road towards the beach is hilly, bumpy and steep and would take around 1 hour of drive if you stay at the east coast. The entrance of the beach is huge with lots of parking space and many eateries lined up on both sides of the road. From the parking lot, you can see a hint of water but as you get closer, the expanse of Radhanagar beach takes your breath away. Changing rooms and lockers are located near the entrance of the beach. It rained for a while when we visited Radha Nagar beach though it was November end which did not give us a chance to view a perfect sunset but the pinkish hues in the sky and white sandy beaches were enough to make it a memorable experience for us. Useful tip: Strolling towards the empty ends on either side of Radha Nagar beach in the evening is one of the most romantic experiences you would have. Elephant Beach - Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): Elephant beach is the most commercialized beach of Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) where various water sports are present. It is famous as an elephant (who is now old and retired) used to swim to this beach along with its mahout each day. Elephants were brought to Havelock mainly to uproot trees and carry logs of wood across the rainforest. It is better not to expect seeing any elephant here. The beach has locker facility, some fruit shops, changing rooms and toilets but are not clean enough as this is the usually the most crowded place in Havelock (Swaraj Dweep). The beach can be reached in 2 ways; one by taking a boat and the other by trekking. If you choose to trek, a path to the beach starts from the road to Radha nagar beach which you can easily identify by the number of vehicles parked there or you could ask a local for directions. You can hire a guide that would accompany you through the trek as there are several narrow paths through the forests where you can be lost. It is advised to stick to the broad paths only. The trek is recommended only in dry weathers and may form a lot of muddy puddles in monsoon or rainy weather. You can trek to the beach in around an hour one way. Boats ply from left of Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) jetty to the elephant beach. They offer a package costing INR 950 per person that includes to and fro motor boat ride and a 10 minute complimentary session of snorkelling. The boats take about 20 minutes to reach Elephant beach where you have about 2-2.5 hours of time to roam around and have to return back in the same ferry. 8 - 11 AM and 11 AM - 2 PM are two slots and you can take boats in either slot. The last boat leaves Elephant beach around 2-2:30 PM after which anyone present will have to trek back. Note that the rates change as per season. The beach is full of water sports vendors who offer activities like snorkeling, banana boat ride, sea walking, jet-ski and scuba diving as well. Personally, we were not very happy with the beach visit and felt that it was too commercial just like some beaches of North Goa. The 10 minute complimentary snorkeling is only till few metres from the beach and you have to pay extra to go further deeper into the sea. They try to convince you that you will see good corals going deeper by showing videos on their mobiles, but trust us, they are fake. They also convince you to pay some extra money to wear full face mask which is safer but frankly, it does not matter. The boatman, the camera guy, the snorkeling guy all are part of the same team who want to make more money. It is common sense that more the crowd, less will be the cleanliness and visibility of water. Pictures below is comparison of what we saw with Scuba Lov (on left) vs what we saw in Elephant beach (on right) and we definitely recommend paying scuba diving shops such as Scuba Lov for snorkeling or scuba than visiting Elephant beach for underwater activities. The damage done to reefs in Elephant beach due to mindless commercialization is all together a separate reason to feel disappointed about. We are not sure why many Indian tourists like visiting Elephant beach. Either they do not get they are being deceived or they just do not know existence of better experiences out there. Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) or even Andamans have so much better to offer than Elephant beach. After the disappointment, we wandered to one end of the beach affected by tsunami which was quiet and peaceful and we had a good time there. Useful tip: We would definitely recommend trekking to Elephant beach if you are fit enough in the second half of the day. The last ferries leave the beach around 2:30 PM and you can find a deserted beach post this. You cannot do the adventure sports but can have a good private time here. It is advisable to start your return trek by 4-4:30 PM as it will be extremely difficult to find your path back in the forest after dark. If not for this trek, we would not even prefer visiting Elephant beach again. Kalapathar beach - Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): This beach is located at one corner of the east coast of Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and has got its name from the surrounding village named Kalapathar and the black rocks that line up its coastline. An early morning visit to this beach is recommended. We went here to watch the sunrise. The beach is average and you could spend about half an hour here. What we recommend is a visit to the Kalapathar village (Basti). Our early morning ride to the basti through the paddy fields and small huts is one of the most memorable moments we have had in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) and probably Andamans. The village is full of green fields on both sides, good roads and amazing people. It amazed us to find this quiet and peace in the normally touristy and happening Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep). Vijay Nagar beach - Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): Vijaynagar beach’s coastline is lined by several beach resorts and restaurants. It is a beautiful spot to view the morning sunrise in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep). It is less crowded and mostly visited by backpackers who usually sunbath or take a dip in water. It is lined by coconut trees and makes a perfect relaxation zone. It also offers fairly good views for sunrise. Govind Nagar beach - Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): Of all the beaches, we spent the maximum time on Govind nagar beach as we stayed right at its bank in Symphony Palms beach resort and Havelock Island beach resort. Number of other resorts and budget hotels are established on its shore. This beach is a stretch of white sand and clean blue water but is much more rocky compared to other beaches. Low tide allows one to explore shells and marine insects on the rocks and dead corals. The views are blocked by an island in the front which is far but visible. The sand is soft and we went for long walks on this beach. We also had a candle light dinner at its very shore while our stay at Symphony Palms beach resort. One can see sunrise from this beach as well but the sun would rise at an angle unlike Kalapathar beach where it would be straight in front of you. Activities in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep): We recommend you indulge in water activities like scuba diving and snorkeling at Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep). If you are older and not sure of these, you could also try sea walking which happens on Elephant beach only. Several diving centers are present at the east coast that offer right from a single diving session to week long/ month long certificate courses in Scuba dive. We had one of the most amazing experience in our entire Andaman Island trip while scuba diving with Scuba Lov located at the Seashell resort in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep). We highly recommend Scuba Lov for water activities as they are highly skilled and experienced and know the best sites around Havelock to Scuba dive. Read our detailed experience with them here. We would also recommend 2 restaurants - Shakahaar and much acclaimed Anju Coco. While Shakahaar was Havelock's first pure veg restaurant and continues to attract veg tourists in huge numbers, Anju coco offers all types of cuisines in a cafe lounge type of setup. Anju coco happens to be the most popular place to hang out in Havelock (Swaraj Dweep). If you would love a drink, Venom bar at Symphony palms beach resort is the most sought after place and if you like to groove and move, Havelock Island beach resort tends to have one of the best parties on the island pretty frequently. Many resorts offer candle light dinner experience. To summarize, Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) has something in store for all. From the party goer to the peaceful kind, the honeymooners to the diving enthusiast. Havelock island (Swaraj Dweep) is the jewel of Andamans. A trip to emerald islands of India is incomplete without setting foot on Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep). PIN THIS IMAGE Hope this article was useful to you and will help you plan your Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) trip. Let us know your thoughts or queries in comments section below. You can also directly email us your queries and we will surely respond back. Do keep reading our travel guide series - The Andaman Odyssey as we will write detailed articles of our recommended options to stay, travel and dive. #India #Andamans #UnionTerritories

Kerala, a strip of land between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, is blessed with an abundant coastline, Varkala being one of the towns on the shore. While the beach facing areas in Kovalam are gasping for air with tenacious souvenir-sellers and bumper-to-bumper hotels, the cliffs of Varkala prove to be a saving grace for this precipice town. We were ecstatic about being greeted by a ragged line of red cliffs in Varkala. Before visiting Varkala, we had seen beaches by a cliff (in Gokarna and Goa), but neither have a cliff line as long and vibrant as Varkala. Once a tiny virgin town, Varkala is a top-rated backpack beach destination today. With countless cafes, restaurants, homestays, and hotels, it is no longer a lesser-known paradise. Popular amongst surfers, bohemians and now digital nomads, Varkala will greet you with an incredible view of the infinite and unblemished sea, soaring coconut and palm trees that silhouette the deep blue sky, and music exuding every sea-facing café and restaurant. What we really felt is, more than a tourist spot, Varkala is a feeling. You go there to chill, relax and have fun, just like Goa! You visit Goa with a list of places to see, and you end up doing nothing but beach hopping and participating in water sports. Similarly, Varkala is a destination for lazy holidays and long weekends filled with sun, sand and festivity. With laid-back vibes and rocksteady music-loving backpackers, it is a place to while away days, even weeks. In this article, you will find places to visit in and around Varkala, things to do, the best way to reach, places to eat and stay, and the best time to visit Varkala. Location of Varkala: Varkala is located in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) district, atop a 3-kilometre-long laterite cliff that looks down upon South Kerala’s most picturesque beaches. It is situated about 46 kilometres north of Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala state. For a tourist, Varkala’s charm lies entirely along the seashore. Best time to visit Varkala: As with all the seaside town, Varkala enjoys tropical weather. The best time to visit Varkala highly depends on what you want to do. October to February are the best months for those who want to relax and see the places of interest. The temperature remains pleasant during these months for sightseeing. However, if you are interested in surfing, the months before and after the monsoon (March, April, May, October, November) are ideal. It’s rainy between June to September, and these are the best months to enjoy the monsoon glory. How to reach Varkala: The nearest airport to Varkala is the Trivandrum airport, from where you can hire private taxis to reach Varkala. The nearest railway station is Varkala itself, which lies on the South-Western Railway Line. From the railway station, you can hire an autorickshaw to get to your accommodation in Varkala. In season, the cliffside shops and restaurants rent out scooters or motorbikes to tourists for ease of transportation. Places to visit in Varkala: On your trip to Varkala, you could choose to visit 4 beaches each unique in its own way, a happening street with amazing views on the cliff and an age old temple if you are interested. Read on to know more about these must visit places in Varkala. 1. Janardhana Swamy Temple The Janardhana Swamy Temple is believed to be 2000 years old, which is two millennia – can you believe it! Just this fact was enough for us to go check out the temple. The temple sits above the beach road. The perennial spring that feeds the temple tank can be seen right from the road. It is surprisingly and controversially closed to Non-Hindus, but they can still enter the temple grounds, where there’s a banyan tree and shrines of Hindu deities. Janardhana Swamy Temple holds extreme importance amongst devotees and is referred to as ‘Dakshin Kashi’. Varkala town got its name from the shrine in the Janardhana Swamy Temple. The story goes that Sage Narada was once on his way to visit Lord Brahma, his father. Lord Vishnu was allured by Narada’s singing and followed him. When they reached, Vishnu disappeared but not before Brahma spotted him and bowed down to him. Unaware, the almsmen nearby mistook the gesture and laughed at Brahma to bow down to Narada, his own son. In a fit of rage, Lord Brahma banished them to Earth. Narada threw his Valkalam (a garment) at a place and asked the almsmen to perform their penance. The area soon started to be called Valkala and later, Varkala. Lord Vishnu blessed the spot with a pond that stands beside the Janardhana Swamy Temple today. Hence, the deity of the temple is Vishnu. The holy water that the almsmen drank became purifier of sins (papanashini), and therefore the adjacent beach is named Papanasham beach. You will have to climb 50+ stairs to reach the Janardhana Swamy Temple. The shrine sits between perfectly handcrafted stone pillars. To enter the main sanctum sanctorum, the men must wear a dhoti and be bare-chested, while the women have to be dressed fully covered and appropriately. Dhotis are available in nearby shops if you aren’t carrying one. Janardhana Swamy Temple timings: The temple is open from 6 AM in the morning till 12 in the noon. It reopens at 4 PM and closes by 6:30 PM again. 2. Papanasham Beach or Varkala Beach While a few beaches in Varkala are calm and churn out great surfing waves, a few others have powerful currents; Papanasham beach being one of them. The beach is also called Varkala Beach. It is believed that a holy dip in the sea at this beach will wash away all your sins. Do remember to swim between the flags set up by the lifeguards. Body surfing boards can be rented from shops/ shacks lining the beach, but again, be wary of powerful currents. On new moon days, the beach gets crowded with pilgrims, and that’s the best time to stay away. The panorama of the crescent-shaped Papanasham beach is heightened by the long stretch of red laterite cliff rocks, which stand there as soldiers guarding the sea. These are extensive unique geological formations with winding lane atop lined with hotels, restaurants, and shops. A natural spring originates from one of the cliffs and is believed to have curative properties. Hence, no harm in taking a dip here. 3. Black Sand Beach At the northern end of the North Cliff, the laterite rocks plunge down into the Black Sand Beach. The beach stretch is short, but hardly anyone visits it. Black Sand Beach is ideal for people seeking silence, solitude and serenity by the sea. Locally, the beach goes by the name ‘Thiruvambady’ beach. It can be reached by descending the North Cliff or by taking the Thiruvambady road. The unique feature of the beach is, as the name suggests, the black coloured sand. Here, you can opt for a boat ride with the local fishermen if you wish to. 4. Edava Beach Edava Beach is a fishermen beach situated north of Black Sand Beach. Its location is lovely with one kilometre of a straight road, where there’s backwaters on one side and the sea on the other. An estuary connects the sea with the backwaters. The sea waves at Edava Beach are highly conducive to surfing and are often sought after by beginners and experienced surfers. We learnt to surf here and at the Kappil beach. 5. Kappil Beach Kappil Beach is the northernmost beach of Varkala and kind of on the outskirts. This is the point where the lake backwaters meet the sea. A long stretch of land separates the sea and the backwaters at Kappil Beach. There are no shops, no shacks, no vendors, no traffic at the beach. This makes Kappil Beach a closely guarded secret as usual tourists do not flock here. Kappil Beach generates waves for all levels of surfers in different seasons. The waves are pristine and win the hearts of numerous soul-searching surfers. 6. The North Cliff The North Cliff is the most happening place in Varkala, and hence the most popular also. The Papanasham Beach is best viewed from above the North Cliff. Whether you choose to visit the beach or not, climb the North cliff and do not miss out on watching the beautiful sunset from atop. The orange-pink colours in the sky after sunset will surely make you bow before nature. Tonnes of shops and restaurants line up the narrow lane that runs through the cliff's edge (From Helipad to the Black Sand beach). No vehicles are allowed in the cliff edge's lane and you will have to park your vehicle at the Helipad area (free of cost). From here, you can walk the entire lane and take in the beautiful views of the Arabian sea on the left. On the right, you can shop for little trinkets, souvenirs as well as eat local to global cuisines that the restaurants have to offer. The North Cliff is best visited during the evening time. Places to visit around Varkala: While you may enjoy spending your leisurely time in Varkala sipping coffee and relaxing by the beach, if you are visiting Varkala for a longer duration, you may want to hop around to check out some other interesting places to visit around Varkala. You can choose from a variety of places around Varkala ranging from backwaters canals and lakes to world's largest bird statue perched over a hill. Read on to know more. 1. Anjengo Fort and Lighthouse Anjengo Fort and Lighthouse are located 15 kilometres south of Varkala. Situated right on the shore, the fort is also called Anchuthengu, which means five coconut palms. Anjengo used to be one of the most important bastions of the British East India Company in the 1690s. Hence, the Rani (Queen) allowed the Britishers to build a fort here. The Anjengo fort was established in the year 1699 and served as an important landmark during the Anglo-Mysore War. The fort is surrounded by a beautiful garden that is great to spend some relaxing time. The Lighthouse is located very close to the Anjengo fort. It is 130-feet tall and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding village and the Arabian Sea from the top. 2. Kollam Kollam town is located in the district of the same name about 25 kilometres north of Varkala. The town is referred to as the ‘Gateway to backwaters of Kerala’ as it is surrounded by several water bodies, including lakes, rivers, sea, lagoons, and inlets. Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam beach, and Thangassery lighthouse are the nice to visit tourist places in Kollam. 3. Jatayu Earth’s Centre Jatayu Earth’s Centre is world's biggest bird statue located about 30 kilometres northeast of Varkala. It is the latest attraction that houses a giant sculpture of the mythological bird, Jatayu, sitting on top of a hill in the Chadayamangalam area. From the base, you can either climb the hill or take a cable car to get to the top. The bird sculpture at the Jatayu’s Earth Centre is dedicated to Women’s honour and safety. Due to the lack of stay options at the Jatayu Earth’s Centre, Varkala makes a perfect base to explore the magnificent sculpture. 4. Munroe Island Munroe Island is located 50 kilometres northeast of Varkala on Ashtamudi Lake. It is called the ‘Hidden Venice of India’. Munroe Island is highly popular amongst foreign tourists (and slowly gaining national recognition) for the backwater canoe tours through the narrow winding canals and the mangroves. If you want to get the real feel of living in an authentic Keralan village, Munroe Island is the place for you. 5. Kovalam Kovalam is a beach town located 60 kilometres south of Varkala. The town is known for its three spectacular crescent-shaped beaches and Ayurvedic herbal treatments. Apart from the beaches, the Vinzhinjam Lighthouse is the main attraction and amongst the best places to visit in Kovalam. The beaches at Kovalam are pretty calm and hence perfect for swimming and surfing. Activities / Things to do in Varkala: 1. Surfing Varkala is one of the few surfing destinations in India and a perfect one, to say the least. The beaches here are perfect for beginners to learn surfing. And once the shorter wave time (early morning) is over, the experts can take over the big waves. You will find several surf schools in the town that teach you the ABC’s of surfing. If you are an experienced surfer, you can rent a surfboard from the beach-side shops and ride the waves on your own. We learnt surfing from Soul and Surf – a surf school cum accommodation situated on the South Cliff. 2. Paragliding The cliffs of Varkala are perfect spots to take off and land while paragliding. If you are an adventurous soul and wish to see the bird’s eye view of the coastal area, then you must try paragliding in Varkala. The sport highly depends on the wind conditions, and hence an instructor follows you for your safety. You can enquire about the sport at the Helipad on the North Cliff or ask someone at your place of stay. Places to eat in Varkala: From a culinary perspective, Varkala is a heaven for those who want to indulge in delicious meals. We were on constant restaurant and café hop during our stay in Varkala and tried out several different cuisines. Seafood lovers will have a gala time here, and so would the diet-conscious people. Here’s a list of some eateries we tried: Soul Food Café: This is an in-house café at the Soul and Surf – a stay plus surf school on the South Cliff, Varkala. They offer a short but delicious menu with excellent food and homemade juices. The location of the café is to die for. InDa Café: Located inland, InDa café is a homestyle European café that offers a creative menu. The Green bowls here are delicious, and so is the Banoffee pie. Visit InDa Café at dinner time when the ambience is impressive with fairy lights and hanging lamps. Darjeeling Café: Located on the North Cliff, Darjeeling Café features giant dreamcatchers and candlelit tables with some sea views. But honestly, we weren’t too impressed with their food, staff or service. It has made a name for itself but based on our experience, we wouldn't recommend it. Coffee Temple: Another in-land cafe, this place was hard to find trying to follow google maps and easy to find if you just ask someone. Set in a verandah of their home, Coffee temple serves fantastic coffee and a plethora of tummy-filling munchies. Make sure you try their crepes and French toast. Chimney Restaurant: Chimney serves authentic Keralan thalis, North Indian food and sea food. Give this restaurant a try when you are super hungry and crave Indian food. The other eateries that we recommend on North Cliff are God’s Own Kitchen if you are into seafood; Café Italiano for pizzas, pastas, lasagna and bakery items; Café Del Mar for coffee and cakes; Little Tibet for vegetarian food. Other in-land restaurant you ought to visit is True Thomas for its ambience and tasty food. Places to stay in Varkala: Varkala has plenty of stay options to choose from. Most places to stay in Varkala are along the North Cliff but if you are looking for peace and solitude, head to the quieter areas at the South Cliff; else, go inland. With the ebb and flow of demand, the tariffs fluctuate wildly. We wanted to stay by the cliff but also wanted some seclusion. Our search for such a stay ended at Soul and Surf. Soul and Surf in Varkala is set on the South Cliff overlooking the endless sea. The hotel has simple and clean rooms with designer touches and splashes of style and attention to detail. It also has an in-house surf school which was a huge plus. The surf instructors at Soul and Surf are ISA qualified, extremely patient with beginners (and experts), and down-to-earth. If you want to learn surfing, think no further. And even if you do not fancy surfing, you will thank us for recommending Soul and Surf. The vibes here are just so chilled and comfortable. They offer commendable hospitality and have a vast veranda up-front with a soulful café where you could spend your entire day (literally) adorning the sea. If you are thinking beach destination, then give Varkala a try. As you may have realized by reading this article, Varkala is synonymous to good vibes. Hope this travel guide helps you in planning your travel to Varkala. Pin this article for later. Drop your questions and thoughts, if any, in the comment section below. PIN THESE IMAGES

Rain rain go away, Come again another day, Little Johnny wants to play. - Anon We are sure that this rhyme must be sung by every child around the world but this rhyme would certainly have a different meaning for every child in Mawsynram town located in the state of Meghalaya, India. For some, rain is a blessing from the Gods, but who would love a constant downpour? Mawsynram (Pronounced - Maw-sin-rum where Maw rhymes with Law) lying in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya is titled ‘The Wettest Place on Earth’. It receives an average annual rainfall of 12,000 mm and holds a Guinness Book of World Records for 1985 monsoon when Mawsynram received 26,000 mm rain in a year. The title, however, was held by the neighbouring town, Cherrapunji (Sohra), for quite a long time. But Mawsynram was successful in overtaking Cherrapunji in the last few decades to secure this rank. So without a doubt, we wanted to see Mawsynram, Meghalaya. Mawlyngbna (Pronounced Maw - lib - na where Maw rhymes with Law) is yet another village close by which have some interesting folklore and places to visit which we realized is a must-visit for any Meghalaya Itinerary. Read on to know why. This article is a part of the series – The Meghalaya Odyssey, where we take you through various must-visit places across Meghalaya along with detailed travel guides which help you plan your own trip. In this tenth blog of the series – The Meghalaya Odyssey, we will present a detailed travel guide to Mawsynram along with recommendations around stay and itinerary. Read on to know more about a remote destination – Mawlyngbna village which surprised us in more ways than anything. Also, note that though this is 10th article in the series after Jaintia hills, the actual itinerary would be Shillong - Mawphlang - Mawsynram & Mawlyngbna - Cherrapunji - Mawlynnong - Dawki & Shnongpdeng - Jaintia hills. 'The Meghalaya Odyssey' is a series of 10 travel blogs and 2 photoblogs. Check out other blogs in the series by clicking on the below-mentioned links or photographs: 1. Introduction to Meghalaya 2. Plan your trip to Meghalaya 3. ​Shillong Travel guide 4. Mawphlang Travel guide 5. Sohra (Cherrapunjee) Travel guide 6. Sa-I-Mika Resort @ Cherrapunjee 7. Mawlynnong - A Photostory 8. Mawlynnong (Asia's cleanest village) Travel guide 9. Experience Dawki, Shnongpdeng and adventure sports on Umngot river 10. Amazing Dawki, Shnongpdeng and the river Umngot in Meghalaya - A Photo blog 11. A Complete Travel Guide to Jaintia Hills 12. Mawsynram & Mawlyngbna - This article As we charted an itinerary to Meghalaya a few months back, we wondered how the residents of the Mawsynram town attuned themselves to rainfall throughout the year. On researching, we did not find much to read about Mawsynram and that triggered our desire to include this offbeat place in our Meghalaya trip. Most tourists either do not visit Mawsynram or visit it for a day trip as there isn’t much to see around. But just the idea that not many people visit this tinted town, thrilled us. We were disheartened by not finding any good recommendations of places to stay in Mawsynram except a few dingy guesthouses/ homestays. On further research we learnt about facilities for staying in a village named Mawlyngbna, another 15 kilometres drive from Mawsynram, Meghalaya. We learnt that Mawlyngbna village is rich in fossils and one can find natural geysers and ponds to swim in this place. Having learnt this, we instantly booked our stay with Mawlyngbna Traveller’s Nest. Mawsynram, Meghalaya is located about 60 kilometres from Shillong but it takes about 3 hours to cover this distance owing to hilly and narrow roads. We halted for a visit to Mawphlang Sacred forest on our way to Mawsynram. The plan was to touch upon Mawsynram, spend the night at Mawlyngbna village and head to Cherrapunji the next day. Despite being ‘The wettest place on Earth’, we were surprised to see the roads were smooth and in excellent condition. MAWSYNRAM There are very few places to visit in Mawsynram, Meghalaya – Mawjymbuin Cave and a hoarding declaring Mawsynram as the wettest place on Earth are the only areas of interest. One can, however, walk around the village or have a cup of tea in one of the local shops and see how locals go about their everyday lives. Places to visit in Mawsynram, Meghalaya: Mawjymbuin Cave at Mawsynram, Meghalaya - The giant stalagmite in Mawjymbuin Cave is formed after years of dripping of mineral enriched water and deposition of calcium carbonate, which is the main attraction of the caves. The opening of the cave is massive, just 15 feet high but 150 feet wide. The stalagmite is in the form of Shiv Linga which is revered sacred and is worshipped by Hindus. As per Hinduism, the Shiv Linga needs to be hydrated all the time, and here nature has taken up that responsibility. Pouring of milk on the Shiv Linga is strictly prohibited in the cave. We did not explore the various passages formed inside the cave due to complete darkness and foul smell but we are sure they must be worth a view. Visit to the cave requires just 15 minutes of one’s time. Note: Cave remains open from 9 AM to 5 PM and an entrance fee of INR 10 per adult is charged 'Wettest place on Earth' hoarding - We saw this hoarding declaring Mawsynram, Meghalaya as the ‘Wettest Place on Earth’ on our way to Mawlyngbna village. Two green-colored milk cans are kept in front of the board which possibly seem to collect the rainwater that is then measured. Unfortunately, it wasn’t raining while we were there; but just the idea of getting clicked with the board delighted us and we rushed to take selfies. It took our imaginations thirty years back when there were no paved roads to reach Mawsynram, no electricity or running water, which made the 7-8 month long monsoon an insufferable experience. Today, just the title of being the wettest place of Earth has given Mawsynram and its residents so much to rejoice for. Note: The hoarding, though lying on road, is difficult to spot. Ask your driver or any local for its exact location. MAWLYNGBNA Having visited the above two sightseeing spots in Mawsynram, Meghalaya, we headed towards Mawlyngbna village, where we were about to spend the night in Traveller’s Nest. Mawlyngbna is considered to be the ‘Edge of India’, being located in the extreme interiors of the state of Meghalaya where Khasi Hills merge with the plains of the neighbouring country, Bangladesh. Mawlyngbna, regardless of being a smaller village than the Mawsynram town, had more places to see and visit. Places to visit in Mawlyngbna, Meghalaya: Umkhakoi Lake at Mawlyngbna - Mawlyngbna village is blessed with several natural water springs that provide clean and freshwater throughout the year. Umkhakoi Lake is one such water reservoir which was artificially built by the villagers by constructing a small dam that allows water to be stored between several large boulders. The lake thus formed is half a kilometre long and quite deep. Several varieties of silver fishes are found in the lake that makes it an ideal place for fishing and angling. The government set up a kayak station at the lake a few years ago and since then this place is known for the recreational and adventure sports it offers. Natural potholes are formed in the rocks surrounding the lake which makes it extremely scenic and remarkable. The potholes were filled with stagnant clear water and we had to hop around a few rocks to reach the kayak station. It was surprising to find life jackets and the well-maintained kayaks in such a remote place. Kayaking in Umkhakoi Lake was a stress reliever and absolute fun. We even saw the silver fishes splashing in the water. In monsoon, canyoning activity is set up which starts with trekking from the forest named Pung Bahshait and ends in the Umkhakoi reservoir. Zip-lining and rope walking activities are also set up in the area surrounding the lake making this place a great camping site. Note: Charges for kayaking – INR 50 per adult for 15 minutes Split Rock at Mawlyngbna - A small trek over a hill in Mawlyngbna village took us to the Split Rock. The rock formation is such that it looks as if the rock was split from the middle. Our guide Welbert told us that we can even go down by rappelling and explore the caves beneath, which we did not! Strong and sturdy bamboo logs were laid at one end of the split which enabled us to cross the split and view it from the other side. We even lied down on our stomachs to check out what’s inside and what we found was great depth and then darkness. Pitcher Plant Garden at Mawlyngbna - Another peculiar revelation of this small picturesque town was a Pitcher Plant garden. For those of you who don’t know what a Pitcher plant is – it is an endangered predaceous species of plant which survive by preying on insects. It is also known as a carnivorous plant. The leaf of the plant develops into a deep cavity pit which is filled by digestive juices or the nectar. This nectar attracts insects that are trapped inside the pit and due to slipperiness are not able to climb back. The digestive juices convert the insects into a solution which is nutritious to the plant. While we were trying to make sense of this puzzling mechanism of the plant, our guide, Welbert, plucked a pitcher leaf and drank the nectar from the pit which he declared was sweet in taste and is believed to provide strength to the body – bizarre!! The garden was full of Pitcher plants – hundreds of them, small and large and is a must-visit. Note that this is not a normal garden where you can walk in. It is a bunch of plants besides the road barricaded by bamboo. However, you can find many a pitcher plants around you in the forest when you return from Iew Luri trek. Iew Luri Lura Fossil Trek at Mawlyngbna - Many secrets are believed to be embedded in the rocks of Mawlyngbna village. We discovered a few during our trek to Iew Luri Lura with our guide Welbert. It is assumed that the village was once under the sea and as the sea receded the fossils of the sea creatures were embedded in the rocks. As per another belief, Iew Luri Lura was a market where the animals used to meet weekly. During one such meet, a volcano erupted and the animals died and were buried in the lava, whose fossils are still a common sighting in the village. The fossils are 450 million years old and no one is exactly clear of the history behind its existence. During the trek, we found the footprints of the animals lodged in the rocks. The trek to Iew Luri Lura was through snaking creek covered with high golden grasses - with streams passing by and a lot of natural potholes in the rocks filled with water. We still doubt the stories that we heard, but nevertheless, the trek was extremely beautiful and scenic. Umdiengkain waterfall at Mawlyngbna - The Iew Luri Lura trek also took us to Umdiengkain waterfall. A bridge is being constructed over the stream of the waterfall as a viewpoint to see the falls from a distance. As we went in a dry season and the water was less, we were able to trek down to the vertical drop of the fall. The water was cold and refreshing after a strenuous trek. Our trek was a unique experience which ended at the Pitcher plant garden from where we headed back to our place of stay – The Traveller’s Nest. Where to stay when visiting Mawsynram and Mawlyngbna: As we highlighted before, there are very few places to visit in Mawsynram, Meghalaya and hence travellers generally prefer to explore everything in a day trip from Shillong or Cherrapunjee. However, Mawlyngbna village is an off-beat destination not to miss out on; therefore at least one-night stay is needed. We failed in our search to find decent accommodation in Mawsynram and hence nominated to stay in Traveller’s Nest, Mawlyngbna after a lot of research. Apart from Traveller's Nest, you can find one or two Airbnbs listed around this region. Traveller’s Nest, Mawlyngbna: If you wish to stay very close to nature that too at a really affordable price, then Mawlyngbna Traveller’s Nest is a place for you. This place is a hidden gem in the interiors of a forest. The first look of Mawlyngbna’s Traveller’s Nest will amaze you and you will be surprised of how such facilities are made available at such a remote place. It has been developed by the village’s co-operative society to flourish tourism that can benefit the locals. They have 3 spacious cottages with attached bathroom that can accommodate 3-4 people with extra bedding. The cottages are very basic with just the bed, sofa and centre table as furniture. The bathroom is equipped with a geyser. The surroundings are natural and quiet; so much that the eerie silence in the night can be worrisome for someone who is not used to it. The food is basic, freshly made and delicious. The staff is extremely friendly and double up as guides. The only staff that we came across during our one night stay was a teenager named Welbert who also served as our guide. All in all, it was a completely different experience having stayed in Traveller’s Nest, Mawlyngbna. A few points to note: There is no mobile network except BSNL in Mawlyngbna village. It would be good if you make prior bookings if you opt to stay in Traveller’s Nest. They do not ask for any advance payment, just an intimation is enough. Also, call them a day or two before you reach Mawlyngbna village and they will help you with directions. If they run out of cottages during peak season, they arrange for comfortable tents for you that you can pitch anywhere amongst the trees. A village homestay can also be arranged as well. Do not expect any luxury. Pre-order for lunch in the morning and for dinner in the afternoon itself. The charges for the guide is separate but reasonable. Be patient with the staff, guide and villagers; they do not understand your language too well. Contact Details to Book Traveller's Nest, Mawlyngbna: Our host cum guide's name was Welbert: You can reach him on +91 80140 49039 PIN THESE IMAGES Apart from the above-mentioned attractions, you can also try visiting the recently discovered Krem Puri cave system which is also claimed to be the world's largest sandstone caves. We hope this information on travelling to and staying in Mawsynram and Mawlyngbna was helpful. We would love to hear what you think or feel about these places. Also, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section below; and we would be glad to answer. Note: All opinions expressed in this blog are our own and not influenced by Traveller's Nest in any manner. #India #EastIndia #Meghalaya

Spiti Valley is unlike any other valleys in Himachal Pradesh, India. It doesn’t have any vegetation rich mountains, dense jungles, farms and orchards and English hamlets like other valleys. Instead, Spiti Valley has Grand Canyon like brown and barren mountains with strange shapes and colours. However, the valley has much more to offer than just the mountains, rocks and arid vastness. The charm of Spiti Valley lies in its quaint villages. These villages that seem like a tiny dot from afar, are full of life, culture, tradition and hospitality. Settled in the lap of trans-Himalayan range, Spiti Valley is home to some of the remotest, highest and most beautiful villages like Key, Kibber, Hikkim, Komik and Langza. On your trip to Spiti, do not miss out on Spiti's most famous sight of Key monastery, world's highest post office at Hikkim, world's highest and 2nd highest motorable villages at Komik & Kibber, Asia's highest bridge at Chicham and giant Buddha statue at Langza. In this blog, we will list down 5 villages of Spiti Valley that are worth visiting. Stay tuned. Read our previous blogs on Spiti Valley and Kinnaur Valley by clicking on the below-mentioned links/ images: 1. Introduction to Spiti Valley 2. Plan your trip to Spiti Valley 3. Travel guide to Kinnaur Valley 4. Travel guide to Gue and Tabo 5. Travel guide to Dhankar Lake and Monastery 6. Travel guide to Pin Valley 7. Places to visit around Kaza (Key, Kibber, Chicham, Hikkim, Komik, Langza) (This blog) 8. Travel guide to Langza and Buddha statue 9. Travel guide to Chandratal Lake Key monastery in Key village: Key Village (also known as Ki or Kee village) is situated between Kaza and Kibber on the left bank of the Spiti river. It is located just 12 kilometres away from the bustling town of Kaza. The small village houses an odd 70 families who mainly depend on agriculture for survival. Key village houses the famous Key monastery. The monastery is a 3-kilometre uphill climb from the village. You can either hire a taxi/ rent a bike from Kaza or tag along with someone going towards Key to visit the monastery. Key monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and is one of the oldest monasteries in Spiti Valley. It is located at an altitude of 13670 feet above sea level. Key monastery was built by Dromton, the founder of Gelugpa sect, in the 11th century. The monastery was constructed on a conical shaped hill, possibly on an extinct volcano, as per the Himachal Pradesh Gazette. It was devastated several times in petty wars between Kullu and Ladakh and particularly during Dogra war in 1841. It was also attacked by Sikh army and its old books and statues were destroyed. An earthquake in 1975 caused further damage, after which Archaeological Survey of India took steps to repair the monastery. Hence the outfit of Key monastery seems rather modern today. Key monastery has three floors, one of which is underground and used as a storage area to store supplies for winter, and dresses, musical instruments, masks and other necessities for occasions of religious ceremony. The ground floor has invariably fashioned rooms, built in similar architecture, for the monks. The large heap of rooms have low doors and narrow corridors between them. Through dark passages and torturous staircases, one can reach the topmost floor which has a beautiful assembly hall richly painted with murals. Currently, the Key monastery is home to 300 lamas who reside within the sacred walls throughout the year. They also provide guest house services to the tourists for a meagre amount. During our visit, red-robed child monks were playing around in the playground outside the Key monastery. With their guidance, we hiked up a hill towards the backside of the monastery. On a defined trail, we went upwards for 10-15 minutes and as we turned, we got a stunning bird’s eye view of the Key monastery with the beautiful Spiti river and mountains in the backdrop. From above, the Key monastery appeared like a hill fort perched on a rugged ridge. The view gave us the essence of the existence of the century-old heritage beautifully painted in white and red. This view of Key monastery is the best view we got in Spiti Valley. Note: Photography is allowed only in some sections inside the Key monastery. If you are doubtful, ask before clicking. Monks will invite you for butter tea while exploring the Key monastery. They will tell you all about the history and working of the monastery. Do give them some donation while you leave. In the meditation hall of Key monastery, you will find many monks chanting prayers or in deep meditation. Please keep silence and respect the aura. Do not miss visiting the view point we just described above Kibber Village: Kibber is a large village and is the last Spiti outpost before Ladakh. It is located at an altitude of 14010 feet above sea level and is just 10 kilometres away from Key village. Originally known as Kyber, the Kibber village was once hailed as the highest motorable village in the world till road to Komik village was built. Kibber village houses some 90 families, has a beautiful monastery and a wildlife sanctuary. It is also a base camp for treks to adjoining high altitude peaks. Popular treks like Parang La and Kanamo peak trek starts from Kibber. The Kibber wildlife sanctuary is 1400 square kilometres vast and protects animals like snow leopard, red fox, Himalayan wolf, ibex and Tibetan wild ass. In winters, Kibber village becomes a base for travellers interested in spotting the rare snow leopard. Kibber monastery was established by Serkong Rinpoche, the teacher of Dalai Lama. The monastery is located in such a serene and peaceful location that even Dalai Lama has expressed a wish to retire in Kibber someday. Kibber is considered as one of the highest well inhabited village of Spiti Valley with inhabitants staying all the year-round. Picturesque white houses with bright red rooftops add to the charm of the village. With an increase in tourism, many households have set up basic homestays with the help of the local community. Kibber village is a paradise for nature lovers, wildlife enthusiasts as well as for photographers owing to its panoramic beautiful landscapes and immeasurable beauty. Hardly 6 kilometres from Kibber village lies Chicham village, which you must not skip visiting due to two reasons. One, because the drive from Kibber to Chicham is extremely breath-taking with wonderful views of Mount Kanamo. And secondly, because you will get to see and walk on Asia’s highest suspension bridge situated at an altitude of 13600 feet from sea level. Chicham bridge is an engineering marvel as it is built over a 100-metre-deep gorge. Before Chicham bridge was built, that is till 2017, locals had access to Chicham village only via a pulley and ropeway system called as the Kibber-Chicham ropeway. Hikkim Village: Hikkim village, located at an altitude of 14570 feet, houses the highest post office in the world. Situated 16 kilometres away from Kaza town, Hikkim is nestled between the villages of Komik and Langza. Hikkim village is home to 40 odd families who mainly depend on agriculture for a living. The post office in Hikkim was set-up in the year 1983 in the house of a post-master named Rinchen Chering. From the parking area, we had to hike down through steep 65-degree decline to the house cum post-office of Rinchen Chering. The post-office goes into a half-yearly hibernation every year when it snows. The high-altitude village of Hikkim does not have any cell phone signals of internet connectivity; hence the post office is the only source of communication for the villagers with the outside world. The post-delivery system in Hikkim is a 2-man show. Every alternate morning 2 men from the village deliver the mail on foot to Kaza post-office. From here, the letters reach Reckong Peo by bus and another bus takes them to Shimla railway station. From Shimla, the letters travel on a toy train to Kalka and then again in a bus to New Delhi. It is from Delhi’s post office that these letters get sorted as per their destinations and are forwarded to the respective directions via road, rail or air. We were extremely eager and excited to send a postcard to our family and friends from the highest post office in the world and we sure did send hordes of postcards. It felt quite strange to write a postcard in this world of SMS and mails. But honestly, it was fun and we felt a deep sense of connection to our loved ones while writing to them, unlike the mails. We had already bought beautiful postcards from Kaza; however, they are on sale just near the parking area in Hikkim village. The locals charge INR 40 for a postcard. A stamp amounting to INR 5 has to be stuck on a postcard to be sent anywhere in India and INR 25 has to be stuck on postcards to be sent to international destinations. Surprisingly, the ones which we sent to Singapore were delivered earlier than the ones which we sent to our home towns in India. Do remember to click a picture with the red post-box hanging outside the post-office. Apart from the highest post-office in the world, Hikkim has nothing much to offer except the beautiful village and breath-taking views. You can also visit the village monastery at one far corner that overlooks the entire village and the valley. With Chau Chau Kang Nilda (CCKN) peak in the backdrop and view of the trans-Himalayan range in the front, Hikkim is the most stunning place to send a postcard to a loved one. Komik Village: Komik village (also spelled as Komic village), at an altitude of 15500 feet, is about 4 kilometres from Hikkim and 20 kilometres from Kaza. Komik village is considered to be the highest village in the world, though this ranking has been debated. The road to Komik is partially unpaved mud trail and it steeply winds uphill through barren mountains set against the bright blue sky. A sudden change in weather condition can be felt as one reaches Komik village. The village is set in a bowl-shaped depression in the high trans-Himalayan ranges. Hardly 20-25 families live in complete isolation, literally cut off from the rest of the world in Komik village. Their houses are similar to any other Spitian house with white walls and bright red roofs. Komik village is famous for the Komik monastery or the Tangyud monastery that houses a statue of Maitreya Buddha or future Buddha. The locals believe that the Buddha looks after the well-being of the people in Spiti Valley. Hence the monastery is highly revered and is considered to be of great religious significance by the locals. The Komik/ Tangyud monastery is built like a fortified castle on the edge of a deep canyon above Komik village. The monastery overlooks the vast valley covered with patches of greenery and with snow-peaked mountains towards the front. Komik/ Tangyud monastery is also the highest motorable Buddhist monastery in the world. The mud-walled monastery, built in the 14th century, houses several murals, scriptures and thangkas belonging to the bygone era. It also houses monk quarters where some 40-50 monks reside. We were lucky to witness a lama rally where they circumference around the monastery on foot while chanting mantras. We also visited a separate room full of tantric masks and fearsome statues in a building besides the monastery. Right at the entrance to this room was hung a stuffed snow leopard from the ceiling. Women were not allowed inside this room. Towards the other side of the same building were a few other monk residencies and a guest house as well. We wondered how it would feel to stay at the highest village in the world next to a room that housed a dead snow leopard. World’s highest restaurant is located just next to the Komik monastery. It is named ‘Spiti Organic Kitchen’. They serve delicious food made from local ingredients and you have to believe us when we tell you that their menu was exhaustive; at that highest point of the valley. We enjoyed the mouth-watering food soaking in the meditative silence, the untouched beauty, and the view of majestic mountains, with hardly a soul around. And soon we came to know that there’s a horse race to be conducted in the valley near the Komik village. Within less than an hour, the parking area was full and locals from near and far wandered around, practising sprinting with their beautiful horses. Langza Village: Langza village, located at an altitude of 14500 feet, is popularly known as the Fossil Village as you can dig up fossils of marine creatures everywhere in and around the village. It is also popular for the huge statue of Buddha overlooking the snow-capped mountains and the beautiful Spiti Valley. The majestic peak of the Chau Chau Kang Nilda (CCKN) mountain can be best viewed from Langza. However, the essence of Langza village lies in its villagers. A trip to the village is incomplete without spending time with locals and understanding their way of life, culture and tradition. We highly recommend spending a night at a local homestay in Langza village. Langza’s beauty cannot be described in a couple of short paragraphs. Hence, we have written a dedicated blog on Langza village which you can visit to know more. Covering these 5 villages near Kaza These 5 villages can be covered while staying in Kaza as a day trip. Kaza has enough hotels/ homestays/ guest houses and if you start at 7-8 AM, you can complete all these places in a day. However, if you are into photography or want to immerse yourself into Spiti's culture, we would suggest staying in a homestay in any of the villages. All these villages have homestay options but our recommendation is to stay in Langza. Hikkim and Komik are on the same route while Key and Kibber are on the same route. Langza is a slight deviation in the middle so we would recommend covering Hikkim - Komik and stay in Langza. Proceed to Key, Kibber and Chicham bridge the next day. Note that if you want to start from Kaza or Langza and cover - Key, Kibber, Chicham, Kumzum pass and reach Chandrataal, you would have to start early in morning around 6:30 AM and would have to spend limited time at each of these locations. If you want to spend more time at these places, split your trip in 2 days. All of these villages can be visited as an excursion from Kaza, the headquarter of Spiti Valley, where you will find the most comfortable stay. However, each of these villages has basic homestay facilities you can choose to stay in. Based on your time and comfort you can choose to wander in these little hamlets as per your convenience. Just remember, the beauty of Spiti Valley lies in its villages! PIN THESE IMAGES Hope you fall in love with these little isolated villages of Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, India just like we did. Let us know if you found this article useful in comment section below. #India #NorthIndia #HimachalPradesh

Dudhsagar Waterfalls (Dudh – Milk, Sagar – Sea; literally Sea of Milk) is a 4-tiered waterfall located in the Indian state of Goa. While Goa is famous for splendid beaches, there are a number of interesting yet unexplored offbeat places to visit in Goa. It is one of the most splendid waterfalls in Goa. After the shooting scenes of famous Bollywood movie ‘Chennai Express’ at Dudhsagar Falls, it has become very popular and is often a part of the to-visit list of tourists willing to travel to offbeat Goa. Considered among the highest waterfalls in India, Dudhsagar waterfalls is particularly unique and spectacular due to a railway track that cuts right through the middle of the falls. In this article, you will find everything you need to know about how to reach Dudhsagar waterfalls and what to expect. Read other blogs of the series ‘Offbeat Goa’ by clicking on the link or photos below: Dudhsagar Falls - This article Tambdi Surla Temple and Waterfall Stay at Dudhsagar Plantation and Farmstay – A review Stay at Vivenda dos Palhacos – A review Hidden Gems of Veling – A walk with Soul Travelling Stay at WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn – A review Fontainhas of Goa Fontainhas – A photojourney Places to visit in Panjim Divar Island Panjim to Dudhsagar Waterfalls – Goa, India: In Goa, Dudhsagar waterfalls is located in the eastern side of the state in Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary amongst the Western Ghats further ahead from a town named Collem or Kulem. Dudhsagar Waterfall forms the border between Karnataka and Goa states and is in the middle of a dense forest area. Kulem is 66 kilometres from Panjim or 36 kilometres from Margao towards east. One can reach Kulem by road or take a train from Margao. If one is coming from the Bangalore side, one can reach Castlerock which is around 500 kilometres from Bangalore. The Course of Dudhsagar Falls – Goa, India: Dudhsagar Falls emerges from the Braganza Ghats of the Indian State of Karnataka. In Goa, it falls from a mountain cliff which is a part of Western Ghats (a mountain range in South-West India). From the base of the falls, it forms Dudhsagar River which flows westwards in the state of Goa to join the Mahadayi River in Karmane district. Further westwards, it joins the Mandovi River in Ponda district and eventually pours into the Arabian Sea at Panjim, the state capital of Goa. Few facts about Dudhsagar Falls – Goa, India: Dudhsagar Falls is considered one of India’s tallest waterfalls. It falls from a height of 1020 feet and is approximately 100 feet wide. Dudhsagar Falls is in its peak flow in the monsoon season (June to September). As the waterfall is rain-fed, it forms a huge force of water in monsoon. However, in the summer season (March to June) the flow wanes out and the falls are not particularly spectacular. Viewpoints around Dudhsagar falls – Goa, India: There are two points to view the Dudhsagar waterfall: 1. Dudhsagar Railway Bridge – You can go on the Dudhsagar railway bridge. Here, you will get the zoomed-in view of the fall where a part of the fall will be above you and other parts will be below flowing from behind the bridge. You would also get a view of the falls for a few seconds if you are on board a train towards Madgaon in Goa. Passenger trains usually do not stop at Dudhsagar railway junction. 2. Dudhsagar Falls Base – Here, you walk to the base of the waterfall and will be able to view the whole fall from top to bottom. This is the point where the Dudhsagar River starts. You can even swim here if the flow is not too forceful. You would have to enter a gate that says Dudhsagar waterfall and you would find a viewpoint here. After the viewpoint, you will have to cross a few water streams to reach the base of the falls. You can, of course, do both - go on the Dudhsagar Falls railway bridge and go to the base if you have enough time and energy. How to reach Dudhsagar waterfalls – Goa, India: As we mentioned earlier, Dudhsagar Falls is located amongst dense forest hence there is no motorable road to reach the falls. You can choose one among the below-mentioned ways for reaching/ viewing the waterfalls. 1. Take a train to reach Dudhsagar falls (Difficulty level – Easy) To understand the train route, one must know the location of railway stations around Dudhsagar Falls: Castle Rock (Karnataka) ---- Caranzol (Goa) ---- Dudhsagar (Goa) ---- DUDHSAGAR WATERFALL ---- Sonaulim (Goa) --- Kulem (Goa) No passenger train stops at Dudhsagar railway station. All trains stop at the two railway stations – Kulem (Mumbai, Pune, Goa side) and Castle Rock (Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai side). You can easily take a train to either of these two railway stations. From these Kulem or Castlerock railway stations you can hop on into the engine of slow-moving goods train (if the driver is kind enough to allow you; we have even heard people bribing the driver). These trains may stop at Dudhsagar station if they get a red signal, but the stop will be short where you will have to alight the train (Not reliable)! Remember there is no platform at Dudhsagar station and you will have to jump down 2 feet from the train. If you are successful to get down here, Dudhsagar Falls railway bridge is just 1 kilometre away towards Kulem. You can easily walk on the railway track for 1 kilometre to reach the Dudhsagar Falls railway bridge from where you will get a magnificent view of the falls. (Note: Alighting the train at Dudhsagar station is officially not allowed; please weigh all the risks before selecting this way). Another way is after reaching Kulem or Castle Rock station by taking any train, take a goods train to Sonaulim railway station. From Sonaulim station you can either trek on the railway track for 3 kilometres to reach Dudhsagar falls railway bridge (Risky – as you may be stopped by the rail vigil personnel and will be asked to go back) or trek through the mud route for 4 kilometres to reach the base of the Dudhsagar waterfall (More preferable). 2. Trek through the railway track to reach Dudhsagar falls (Difficulty level – Moderate) Reach Kulem or Castle Rock railway station either by road or by taking a passenger train. From here, walk on the railway track to Dudhsagar Falls railway bridge. You will have to walk 11 kilometres from Kulem and 14 kilometres from Castle Rock to reach the falls. Keep your ears open for the sound of the train whistle. There is enough space to get down beside the rail track when the train passes. Be mindful of approaching trains especially when walking through the numerous tunnels on this route. Carrying a torch will be convenient. Please note that there are chances that you might be stopped by the forest or rail vigil personnel, mostly after Sonaulim station, and will be asked to go back. The best way to avoid this is by hiring a guide from Kulem or Castle Rock. These are local villagers who know the area very well and will help you find an alternate forest mud route if they have heard of any such vigil on the railway track. The local guides might charge you INR 500 per person and will walk with you throughout the way, will alert you of approaching train, will help you get down the railway track on time and will, of course, guide you through alternate paths in case of rail vigil. You could also negotiate on the rates if you are a big group. If you wish to view Dudhsagar falls from the base, trek on the railway track till Sonaulim railway station and then take the mud route through the forest for 4 kilometres to reach the base of the waterfall. Taking the mud route is not advisable in peak monsoon as many streams pass through the route which are difficult to cross. 3. Trek through forest to reach Dudhsagar Falls (Difficulty level – Moderate to High) It is a must to hire a guide if you choose to reach Dudhsagar Falls by trekking through the forest. For taking this route, you will have to reach Kulem village. Several local guides are available here who will take you through the forest route for a small fee mentioned earlier. If you find none, be patient and ask around. Many are generally wandering around to find customers. Trekking through the jungle is not advisable in peak monsoon as it becomes difficult to cross the several streams that come in the way. Wear your most comfortable walking shoes and be prepared to walk through the muddy and slushy pathways for 12-kilometre one way. This route is the most beautiful path that takes you to the base of the waterfall. 4. Taking a jeep safari to reach Dudhsagar Falls (Difficulty level – Easy; View: Dudhsagar Falls base) If you opt for this route, you will have to reach the Dudhsagar jeep taxi stand in Kulem village which is very close to Kulem railway station. Jeep safari is a government-initiated service and is highly reliable. However, the jeep route is shut down in monsoon (From Mid-May to October) as the jeep tracks are too slushy and the streams are difficult to cross in heavy rains. Please note that you cannot take your personal vehicle on the jeep track. 7 passengers are allowed in each jeep and if you are less than 7, you will have to form a group of 7 with other nuclear groups before going to the jeep counter. The jeep safari charges are INR 2800 for 7 passengers. Make sure you reach the stand early in the morning, for as the day progresses heavy crowds’ line up near the stand, especially during weekends. The jeep safari takes 45 minutes one way to reach the end of the motorable road. From there, you have to trek for 15-20 minutes to reach the base of Dudhsagar Falls. You will be given one and half hour of time to view the waterfall and to return back to the same jeep for onward journey. The jeep safari ticket counter closes by 2 PM and everyone present at the base of the waterfall are asked to return back by 4:30 PM. What route did we take to reach Dudhsagar Falls? – Multiple We visited Dudhsagar Falls in the first week of September when the jeep safaris were not in operation. We hired a local guide who guided us to the railway track for the first couple of kilometres. Post that we trekked through the jungle of Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary for 5 kilometres and walked on the jeep track for the rest of the time. The trek on a railway track was by no means an easy one – walking on the pointed stones and gravel was painful for the feet. The walk through the jungle was however easy with hardly any ascent or descent and the tree cover provided us coverage from the sun. The very first view of the mighty waterfall from a distance made us scream with joy. Since we were in Goa during the off-season, and were covering Dudhsagar on a weekday, we did not encounter any other group throughout our Dudhsagar Falls trek. We halted for lunch at Sonaulim village where the villagers were kind enough to prepare us simple lunch (dal, rice and papad) for INR 120 per person. We were even lucky to capture a photograph of the falls with a moving train passing by on the Dudhsagar Falls railway bridge. The numerous streams in the jungle near the base of the falls was another delight for photography. After spending an hour at the falls, we took the railway track route for our return journey. Fees to reach Dudhsagar Falls: Entry to the national park – INR 50 per person Life jacket – INR 30 per jacket (Compulsory to carry for everyone) Guide fee – INR 500 per person Jeep fee – INR 2800 for a group of 7 passengers Things to remember before you visit Dudhsagar Waterfalls – Goa, India: No restaurants or food stalls are present near Dudhsagar Falls. Make sure you carry your own food items. You would get local village food at the only house in Sonaulim. If you go to the base of the falls, remember to keep any eatables inside your bags the moment you enter Dudhsagar gate. There will be fearless monkeys all around who would snatch any colourful wrapper they see. If you wish to swim in the Dudhsagar River at the base of the falls, do so only with the life jacket on. It is not advisable to swim in monsoon when the water flows with a lot of force. There are no cloak rooms/ lockers to keep your luggage near the falls. Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary is a plastic-free zone. Please do not litter the place. Toilets are available near the falls but their cleanliness is another question. If you do the forest trek, you may come across snakes in certain sections. These are usually small and harmless unless you disturb them. But having a guide helps as they tend to easily spot these and are not afraid of one. Recommended stay near Dudhsagar falls – Goa, India: The most important piece of advice that we can give to you all is stay closer to Kulem. While some camping options crop up near the falls during tourist season, it is difficult to carry all your luggage to these sites. Plus, they come with their own inconveniences. We know some travellers prefer to drive from their beachside accommodations to Kulem, do a day trip and go back. Trust us this is not advisable as you would be too tired after a long day's trek to travel all the way to beach side western end of Goa. Staying around Kulem not only gives you the luxury of time, but it would also be easier to cover a few other nearby attractions like Tambdi Surla temple and waterfalls. We had a wonderful and peaceful stay at Dudhsagar Plantation which is very close to Kulem. Our host Ashok arranged conveyance and guide to Dudhsagar falls which made everything so easy for us. Also, other guests at Dudhsagar plantation grouped in giving us wonderful company through the day. And it felt so good to have a good hot bath after the arduous Dudhsagar trek. You can read more about our experience of staying at Dudhsagar Plantation. You can also club another waterfall in Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary - Tambdi Surla waterfall along with Dudhsagar falls. Tambdi Surla waterfalls is a shorter trek spanning a total of around 5 hours in the forest. There is also a temple here which is supposedly the oldest temple in Goa. You can read more about Tamdi Surla waterfall and Temple. PIN THESE IMAGES Have you been to Dudhsagar Falls yet or are you planning a trip? Did this article help you plan a trip to Dudhsagar? Or did we miss out any detail? Which route do you felt was best to reach Dudhsagar falls? We would be happy to know. Please let us know in the comment section below. #India #WestIndia #Goa #BengaluruWeekendOutings #MumbaiWeekendOutings #HyderabadWeekendOutings#PuneWeekendOutings

Panjim (or Panaji) has been the capital of Goa, India since the 17th century when Portuguese had to abandon Velha Goa (Old Goa) due to plague and the capital city had to be relocated. A small town in those days, Panjim today is a culmination of rich history and culture fused with thriving modern developments. We have been to Goa a number of times before and have visited most of the beautiful beaches, experienced water-sports, adventure activities and hopped many cafes and clubs. But Goa never ceased to stir a desire in us to visit again. So when we decided to explore 'Offbeat Goa' and planned to indulge in true Goan experiences, it's culture, it's festivals, it's people and it's susegad way of life; Panjim was at the core of our plans. In this article, we guide you through places to visit in Panjim and show you what you might not know about Panjim. Read other blogs of the series ‘Offbeat Goa’ by clicking on the link or photos below: Dudhsagar Falls Tambdi Surla Temple and Waterfall Stay at Dudhsagar Plantation and Farmstay – A review Stay at Vivenda dos Palhacos – A review Hidden Gems of Veling – A walk with Soul Travelling Stay at WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn – A review Fontainhas of Goa Fontainhas – A photojourney Places to visit in Panjim - This article Divar Island Location of Panjim Panjim lies in central Goa on the western coastline of India largely on the banks of river Mandovi. The Mandovi river meets Zuari river around the Dona Paula. Panjim is located exactly at the point where river Mandovi and Zuari meets the Arabian Sea. About 30 km from Goa International Airport, Panjim lies on the way towards the popular beaches of North Goa such as Calangute, Candolim, Anjuna etc. Understanding geography of Panjim Goa as such is divided into 2 districts - North and South. In North Goa, lies a sub-district called Tiswadi (also called Ilhas de Goa meaning Islands of Goa; Tiswadi literally means 30 settlements) which includes islands such as Divar, Charao etc., Old Goa, some smaller towns and Panjim - the administrative capital of Goa. The whole city of Panjim can be divided into 4 sections for the purpose of visit - Old Panjim - Old Panjim includes the Fontainhas and Mala Altinho Hill - Altinho Hill divides new Panjim from the old New Panjim - New Panjim includes Dona Paula, Miramar beach, and a few interesting museums Panjim Promenade - The riverfront road that connects old and new Panjim In this article, we will introduce you to some of the best places to visit in each of these sections of Panjim. Places to visit in Old Panjim As the name suggests, Old Panjim was among the early settlements. It used to be a coconut plantation around the Mandovi river. Panjim has not lost its Portuguese influence and is still full of heritage houses, quaint little streets, colorful buildings and projecting balconies. The best place to explore these is in Old Panjim in an area called Fontainhas. 1. Fontainhas Fontainhas is an area which stands amongst the pastel-colored houses in Old Panjim that leads to Altinho Hill. Fontainhas area was once full of coconut plantation, most of which can still be seen from the top of Altinho Hill. Presently, Fontainhas falls under UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walking in the lanes of Fontainhas is an experience similar to walking in European streets with colorful houses having oyster shelled windows and wrought iron balconies. According to a story, during Portuguese rule it was mandatory to freshly paint the house every year and that tradition is still followed by people living in these Latin quarters. You can read more about Fontainhas detailing what to do, where to stay, eat etc. in our article - Explore the Fontainhas of Goa The other major attractions in Fontainhas are - 2. Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church - This church sits on top of a hill overlooking the square below. The zigzag stairs ascend from both the sides towards the centre until they meet the church at the top. These stairs make a perfect selfie spot for the travellers. The exterior facade is whitewashed with streaks of bright blue paint at some places. Many Bollywood movies have been shot at this beautiful church owing to its rich Portuguese architecture. The steps are an easy climb and once at the top, one can enjoy the panoramic view of the Panjim town. The main altar of the church is adorned by Lady Mary. On 8th December every year, the Festival of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is held at the church and in those times it is decorated with beautiful displays of colors and lights. However note that during prayer times, they do not allow tourists inside. We felt highly disappointed after excitedly climbing up the stairs only to be disallowed inside. Something we have never come across in any religious place. 3. Indian Customs and Central Excise Museum This museum is an eye-catching blue colored building located close to the Panjim jetty on the Dayanand Bandodkar Road. The building used to function as a Customs House during the Portuguese regime. The building used to be yellow and white in color till the year 2000; post which it was renovated and colored to Indigo blue as 'indigo' was one of the commodities that used to be traded in those days. Though looking small from outside, the museum is a two-storeyed display of Indian Customs and Taxation. Various displays depict how drug trafficking and smuggling used to happen in old days and how the smuggled items were seized by the Indian Customs office. The museum is one of it's kind and one would generally not find museums with such displays anywhere in India. It is a great place to see the evolution of Customs and Excise practices from Portuguese times till date. The museum is kept clean, is maintained well and the staff is very well-behaved. Note: Museum timings - 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM; Entrance fees - INR 10 per adult; Closed on Mondays. 4. Commercial centre for shopping - Panjim is the best place in Goa to shop for some quality products at a good bargain price. Shopping in Panjim can be done from street side stalls, designer showrooms or shopping malls. The market is famous for buying cashew nuts, wines, local handicrafts and Goan spices. Panjim specializes in azulejo tiles and Velha Galleria or Azulejo de Goa are the places where one can buy these richly colored ceramic tiles to decorate their houses. The Linen Shoppe is famous for its ikat print bed linens and kalamkari textile. Marcou Artifacts is a gallery where one can buy original work of iconic Goan cartoonist, Mario Miranda. It houses products ranging from books, stationary, bags, souvenirs, wall-hangings, caricatures to sketches - all designed and worked upon by Mario himself. Singbal's Book House has an excellent selection of books on Goa and travel in general. Gitanjali Art gallery at Panjim Pousada is a place for artists who love work of Mario Miranda and Francis D'Souza. The artwork is available for sale at the gallery. Places to visit on Altinho hill Altinho hill divides the Old and New Panjim. One can reach the hill via road or by climbing one of the numerous stairs that connects the 2 sides of the hill. 1. Maruti temple This temple is dedicated to Lord Hanuman and is located right at the top of Altinho Hill. It can be accessed via road or by ascending the stairs from the Phoenix Spring. The temple attracts less number of tourists but the view from the top is worth the effort put in reaching there. The orange colored exterior facade of the temple is shaped in the form of a chariot. The chariot wheels are intricately carved and beautifully crafted. Maruti temple is an ideal place to view sunrise in Panjim and is a perfect place for photography. Photography is however not allowed inside the temple premises. 2. Government buildings Panjim being the capital of Goa, many administrative buildings are located here. Offices of various banks, Goa Chief Minister's official residence, Indian Meteorological department, All India Radio headquarters, Telephone exchange office, High Court of Bombay at Goa and several other government buildings can be found at Altinho Hill. Each building is unique and painted in different colors with Portuguese influence in architecture. 3. Sunaparanta Centre of Arts and Cafe Bodega Sunaparanta is a non-profit cultural centre and is a must visit place for artistic souls. It's gallery houses the finest art displays and exhibitions and there are always interesting events happening here, not to forget a movie screening every Wednesday night. Cafe Bodega is a beautiful old house converted into a cafe and art gallery. The courtyard in front of the cafe is full of greenery and perfect to loiter around after a sumptuous meal or for sitting in the grass listening to music or reading/ writing a book. The ambience buzzes with energy and a different kind of vibe. The staff is prompt and the food is mouthwatering. The menu is vast with a variety of cuisines that are reasonably priced. There is wifi and laptop charging facility; hence the creative minds often can be seen visiting Cafe Bodega. Note: Cafe and art gallery timings - 10 AM to 7 PM; Closed on Sundays. 4. Just a lovely place to walk Altinho Hill is no less than a hill station. While it houses many government buildings, it also has several age-old heritage houses. Just taking a walk in the winding alleys of Altinho Hill can soothe one's disturbed mind. The calm and cool atmosphere with the canopy of trees all around is pleasant and refreshing. The lanes of Altinho hill are also a photographer's paradise with clean big roads, lots of flowering trees, colorful heritage houses and old Portuguese architecture everywhere. Places to visit in New Panjim 1. Dona Paula Beach and Viewpoint Dona Paula bay is the place where two of the most famous rivers of Goa, Mandovi River and Zuari River, meet the Arabian sea. The Dona Paula viewpoint is a nicely created deck with lots of street stalls selling cheap souvenirs and fast food. The viewpoint is best visited in the evenings during sunset. Benches are laid at the deck to sit and watch the sunset peacefully. Many famous Bollywood movies are shot here. Dona Paula beach offers a variety of water sports and adventure activities to the tourists. Both, the viewpoint and the beach, are often very crowded. We would rather not dwell into the stories around whitewashed statues of Dona and Paula who on one hand, are believed to be lovers and on the other hand are believed to be a parent and a child. Dona Paula as an area is on the outskirts of Panjim and is one of the most posh residential area of Goa. 2. Miramar beach Miramar beach is a public beach and is one of the favourite hotspots to visit for tourists. The white-sand beach is surrounded by coconut trees. Various hotels and resorts ply on the banks of the beach. Local shops selling sea-shell souvenirs are lined up at one corner of the beach. Streetside stalls serving Goan cuisines are lined on the other side. Miramar beach is famous for morning and evening walks, playing football or volleyball, relaxing and dipping feet in the water and soothing with the waves. 3. Kala academy Kala Academy is a centre for art and entertainment run by the Government of Goa. The centre organises festivals, exhibitions, workshops, seminars and competitions to spread awareness about the various forms of local art. It houses a couple of galleries, an amphitheatre, a library and a cafeteria that is very famous with the young crowd. There's always some event happening at Kala Academy, so just hop on to see whats recent. The academy overlooks the magnificent Mandovi River and is a nice place for art lovers and photographers. Panjim Promenade A beautiful promenade connects the Old and New Panjim with Mandovi river flowing on the side bustling with casinos, cruises and street shopping stalls. It can get little crowded during the evenings especially during the tourist season. 1. Casinos on river Mandovi By Goan law, the onshore casinos can only have electronic games whereas there is no such restriction for offshore ones. Hence, several floating casinos operate in the two-kilometre stretch of River Mandovi overlooking the Dayanand Bandodkar Road. From the shore, the casinos look fabulous with all the glitter, lights, pomp and show. Dominated primarily by the Deltin group and the Pride group, these casinos are multi-storeyed luxury ships anchored in the Mandovi River. Mini-ferries or speedboats from the shore takes one to the casino ships. Different entry fee structures are designed for weekdays and weekends that include slot games, table games, live entertainment, dance floors, unlimited world cuisine buffet, ala carte menus, finest liquor and live cooking stations. Every day fortunes are made and lost at these casinos. However if you are unable to visit these casinos for any reasons, you can always choose to play online at real money gambling websites. Be it Roulette, Blackjack or any of your favorite card games, they offer the same thrill and fun of actual casinos from the comfort of your home. 2. Sunset cruise on river Mandovi Various government and privates cruises run for a short ride in River Mandovi during sunset. They leave from the Patto jetty and takes one down the Mandovi River up to the Miramar beach and returns back to the same jetty. On board, there is live entertainment, cultural performances, music, fun, food and refreshments. Sunset cruising is amongst the favourite activities of the tourists flocking Panjim. The cruise lasts for 2 hours. One can walk freely at the top-most deck of the ship and enjoy the panoramic view of Panjim city. Apart from above listed places, you can also cover few other interesting places while staying at Panjim. These are not exactly in Panjim, but are nearby and can be easily reached as a day excursion. These are - 1. Churches of Old Goa You might have already heard or even visited the famous churches of Goa. Our favourite being the Church of Our Lady of the Mount. Just try visiting it during the sunset and we can guarantee it will take your breath away. 2. Divar Island An island close to Panjim consisting of 3 villages and makes a lovely place to visit. We would actually recommend staying at least one night on Divar island. 3. Houses of Goa museum A unique museum great to know history, culture and architecture of Goa. We would recommend visiting it before or after your visit to Fontainhas to get perspective. 4. O Coqueiro restaurant O Coqueiro meaning Coconut tree in Portuguese - A fine dining restaurant that is open till 4 AM & famous for Charles Sobhraj being captured while eating here. 5. Reis Magos Fort & Church Located across river Mandovi closer to Agonda, Reis Magos (meaning 3 wise men from Bible in Portuguese) is a small village just around 15-20 mins drive from Panjim. We hope this article gave you an idea of all the places that you could visit in Panjim. There is so much more that can be added in the list and it would still be incomplete. It's no surprise that people who visit Panjim return back again owing to its history, attractiveness and essence. PIN THESE IMAGES We know not every place in this list is exactly an offbeat place. However, we decided to include them in this list to make it more comprehensive guide on Panjim. Do write to us if you know of other attractions/ places to visit in Panjim you might have stumbled upon during your visit. We will be happy to read about your experiences in the comment section below. #India #WestIndia #Goa #BengaluruWeekendOutings #MumbaiWeekendOutings #HyderabadWeekendOutings#PuneWeekendOutings

Harishchandragad Fort is located about 200 kilometres away from both Mumbai and Pune cities of Maharashtra state, India. It is situated in the Junnar region near Malshej Ghat in Ahmednagar district. The area comes under Kalsubai-Harishchandragad Wildlife sanctuary. The fort is extremely popular amongst trekkers and nature lovers. Trek to Harishchandragad Fort is considered to be the best possible moderate level trek in Sahyadri Mountains of Maharashtra. Taramati (1424 metre), Rohidas (1412 metre) and Balekilla (1390 metre) are the three peaks in Harishchandragad. Taramati peak is, in fact, the fourth highest peak in Maharashtra state after Kalsubai peak (1646 metre), Salher (1567 metre) and Dhopad (1472 metre). On our visit to Purushwadi village to witness ‘The Fireflies Festival’ we came to know about Harishchandragad Fort from our guide. Knowing that we were so close to the fort (25 kilometres from Purushwadi village), we decided to visit it. This article highlights our visit to Harishchandragad Fort, places to see at the fort, history about the fort and the best season to visit it. Read our other articles on Purushwadi village, the Fireflies Festival & Things to do in and around Purushwadi by clicking on the images below How to reach Harishchandragad Fort: The trek to Harishchandragad Fort can be started from one of the three base villages - namely Nalichi Wat (difficult), Khireshwar (moderate) and Paachnai (easy). The Khireshwar village route is the most popular route to trek to Harishchandragad Fort as it offers a lot of scenic beauty. Harishchandragad Fort can be reached by road, rail or air as follows: Road – The base villages for Harishchandragad Fort trek can be easily reached by bus/ car/ motorbike from Mumbai or Pune. The route from Mumbai to Harishchandragad Fort is as follows: Mumbai – Igatpuri – Ghoti – Bari – Rajur – Paachnai/ Nalichi Wat (approximately 5 hours’ drive) OR Mumbai – Kalyan – Khubi Phata – Khireshwar (approximately 4 hours’ drive) The route from Pune to Harishchandragad Fort is as follows: Pune – Alephata – Otur – Paachnai/ Nalichi Wat/ Khireshwar (approximately 5 hours’ drive) Parking facilities are available at each of these base villages for a small charge. Rail – The nearest railway station to Harishchandragad Fort is Igatpuri (40 kilometres away). After reaching Igatpuri, you will have to travel by road (taxi/ bus/ motorbike) to reach the base village - Khireshwar, Paachnai or Nalichi Wat. Air – The nearest airport to Harishchandragad Fort is Mumbai (200 kilometres away). From Mumbai airport, you will have to travel by road (taxi/ bus/ motorbike) to reach the base village - Khireshwar, Paachnai or Nalichi Wat. For beginners, trekking through the Paachnai village route is recommended. We reached Paachnai village on a motorbike from Purushwadi village. The route from Rajur to Paachnai is very bad in condition. The breath-taking views of Harishchandragad and the waterfalls captivate you as you reach near to Paachnai. From Paachnai, it takes around 2-3 hours to trek to Harishchandragad. Best time to visit Harishchandragad Fort: The best time to visit Harishchandragad is during monsoon because nature is at its best with light clouds, mist, fog, flowers, water streams and greenery all around. History of Harishchandragad Fort: Harishchandragad Fort is quite ancient. It has been referenced several times in ancient scriptures like Matsyapurana, Agnipurana and Skandapurana. The carvings on the Harishchandragad Fort and the various constructions in the surrounding region point to the existence of diverse cultures. 6th Century – Harishchandragad Fort was built by Kalachuri dynasty. 11th Century – The caves of Harishchandragad were carved out. All the caves had idols of Lord Vishnu. Harishchandragad temple was also built in the same era. The temple as dedicated to Harishchandreshwar and was built in the Hemadpanti style of architecture. 14th Century – Great sage Changdev who wrote the manuscript ‘Tatvasaar’ stayed at the fort and meditated in the temple for a while. 16th Century – Harishchandragad Fort was under the control of Mughals. 18th Century – Marathas captured the Harishchandragad Fort from the Mughals. Our trek to Harishchandragad Fort: We started our trek to Harishchandragad Fort from the base village named Paachnai. Right after parking our motorbike, we crossed a small bridge across a stream. Our trek started from here. We were able to see numerous waterfalls trickling down the steep rocky terrain in the distance. Huge hills and vast fields filled up the entire landscape. The initial trek was mostly flat with a few easy slopes. We saw white coloured arrows marked on the rocks to guide the correct way. However, our host from Purushwadi village guided us through the path. We slowly moved from one hill to the other. We were rewarded by spectacular views of the valley below as we climbed up. Eventually, we reached a point where the path was cut into an almost vertical rock face. A waterfall from above fell in the form of misty droplets. Walking through this cliff was the most dangerous part of our trek to Harishchandragad Fort. Any wrong step would have proved fatal to our lives. We even had to kneel down while hiking to save our head from colliding with the rocks above. Further, from this point, the climb became really steep and we had to hike very carefully taking help of the railings attached. We crossed several tiny waterfalls, dense forest and flowing streams while hiking the remaining trail. It also started drizzling at one point and the whole valley was covered in clouds. We stood in awe as nature unravelled right in front of our eyes. We halted for having lemon water from a local vendor at a small stall at one end of the cliff. Slowly trekking forward, we reached Harishchandragad summit. The view from the summit was impressive but mostly covered by intermittent clouds. On reaching the top, the area was completely flat with several medieval age constructions presumably part of the Harishchandragad Fort. A local film was being shot on the top and we wondered how such heavy equipments have been brought up to such a height. Main attractions at Harishchandragad Fort: Harishchandragad temple: The temple of Harishchandreshwar is nestled in the greenery at the top of the Harishchandragad summit. The temple is built out of black rock and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is carved out of a monolithic rock in North Indian style architecture and a similar temple has been built in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. The entrance to the temple is from all the four directions. A Shivalinga adorns the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The temple of Harishchandreshwar is surrounded by several caves and water bodies. Towards the left of the temple is an orange coloured shrine of Lord Ganesha. Saptatirtha Pushkarni Lake: This well-built lake is right beside the Harishchandreshwar temple. On the banks of the lake are 14 small temple-like constructions where idols of Lord Vishnu used to exist. These idols have now been shifted to the main temple. The lake of Saptatirtha Pushkarni seemed to be in a bad shape due to a lot of plastic waste. It is believed that the water was once potable. Kedareshwar Cave: This cave holds a big Shivalinga right in the centre. The Shivalinga is surrounded by knee-deep cold water all the year round. The water in the cave never dries out, not even in the summer season! It is believed that the River – Mangal Ganga originates from Kedareshwar cave. This famous cave holds a very interesting story – Four pillars surround the Shivalinga and support the cave. Out of these four, only one is left intact and the rest others are broken. It is believed that the four pillars were made to depict the four ‘Yugas’ (stage/ cycle) of life. As and when one pillar breaks down, one Yuga ends. We are currently living in ‘Kali Yuga’ and this Yuga will end once the fourth pillar breaks. Other Caves: Several other caves are spread out surrounding the temple at Harishchandragad. Many of these are situated at the foot of Taramati peak and some near the citadel of the fort. These caves are used as shelter by trekkers who stay the night at the fort as a place of accommodation. We took shelter in one such cave to stay away from heavy rain. We even ate our packed lunch that we carried from Purushwadi village in the cave. Some of the caves are used as small shops/ restaurants by the local villagers to sell food items. Taramati Peak: Taramati peak is another half an hour hike from Harishchandragad Fort. The route leading to the peak is pretty steep and passes through dense forests and rocky patches. One can get a panoramic view of the entire range of Malshej Ghat from the peak. Those staying at Harishchandragad Fort for the night can hike the peak early in the morning for a spectacular sunrise. Several nearby mountain ranges can be spotted from Taramati peak. Konkan Kada: Konkan Kada can be reached by climbing the hill right behind the Harishchandreshwar temple. The temple and the Saptatirtha Pushkarni Lake can be viewed from there. Konkan Kada is a semi-circular overhanging cliff that looks like a snake’s hood. It offers breath-taking views of the vast green fields and the valley. A unique atmospheric phenomenon named ‘Brocken Specter’ is generated at Konkan Kada during monsoon. It is basically a full circular rainbow with one’s shadow in between. Konkan Kada is hence believed to be one of the wonders of Sahyadri mountain range. If you start your trek from the base village of Nailichi Wat, Konkan Kada comes on the way! Accommodation at Harishchandragad Fort: Apart from the above mentioned main attractions, there are a lot of things to be explored on the Harishchandragad trek. Hence, trekkers and nature lovers prefer spending one night at the fort. They explore the nearby areas in the evening and the next morning and then descend on the second day. The numerous caves surrounding the temple are used as shelters by the campers. If you carry your own tent, you can pitch it anywhere you wish to. If not, renting facilities are available near the fort. The villagers charge up to INR 500 per tent which can easily accommodate 3 people. Local villagers have set up proper restaurants near the fort and serve Maharashtrian food items. However, these stalls would only be found during peak season. If you trek off-season and decide to stay, carry all your essentials with you. Harishchandragad Fort trek is a trekker’s paradise and provides plenty of adventure sports activities like rappelling, rock climbing, valley crossing and camping. For all those visiting Purushwadi village for “The Fireflies Festival’, do not miss out on this golden opportunity to trek to the Harishchandragad Fort. Checkout other related articles - Purushwadi Firefly Festival, Purushwadi: A photo journey Things to do in and around Purushwadi PIN THESE IMAGES Suggested reads - Gandikota - The Grand Canyon of India Places to see around Gandikota The Turtle Festival in Velas Velas: Life in a Village Places to see around Velas And you, have you ever participated in trekking and hiking activities? Do let us know your experience in the comment section below. #India #WestIndia #Maharashtra #MumbaiWeekendOutings #PuneWeekendOutings

Meghalaya, a North East Indian state, is surrounded by breathtaking mountains and ageless forests. This state has abundant places that are still unexplored and hence are hidden from the wrath of homosapiens. Cherrapunjee (also spelled Cherrapunji), is a town in Meghalaya which everyone can relate to from their childhood textbooks as being the wettest place on Earth. Though this title is no more held by Cherrapunjee (Mawsynram – another town in Meghalaya holds this position now), it still receives plenty of rainfall during monsoons. Supported by high plateaus and steep valleys, high rainfalls enable Cherrapunjee to have countless waterfalls of all forms and shapes. Mystical waterfalls, abundant caves and one of its kind double decker living root bridge makes Cherrapunjee a must visit for anyone traveling to Meghalaya. In this fifth blog of the series – The Meghalaya Odyssey, we will present a detailed travel guide to Cherrapunjee along with recommendations around stay and itinerary. Note that historic name as well as now official name of this place is Sohra. We will be using the more popular name Cherrapunjee in this travel guide as well as series. 'The Meghalaya Odyssey' is a series of 10 travel blogs and 2 photo blogs. Check out other blogs in the series by clicking on the below mentioned links or photographs: 1. Introduction to Meghalaya 2. Plan your trip to Meghalaya 3. ​Shillong Travel guide 4. Mawphlang Travel guide 5. Sohra (Cherrapunjee) Travel guide - This article 6. Sa-I-Mika Resort @ Cherrapunjee 7. Mawlynnong - A Photostory 8. Mawlynnong (Asia's cleanest village) Travel guide 9. Experience Dawki, Shnongpdeng and adventure sports on Umngot river 10. Amazing Dawki, Shnongpdeng and the river Umngot in Meghalaya - A Photo blog 11. A Complete Travel Guide to Jaintia Hills 12. Mawsynram & Mawlyngbna How to reach Cherrapunjee Guwahati railway station or airport are the nearest pit stops to Cherrapunjee. On reaching Guwahati the cheapest way to reach Cherrapunjee is to take a shared taxi till Shillong which takes around 3 hours and again a shared taxi all the way to Cherrapunjee which is little over an hour’s drive. Shillong too has a domestic airport but flights here are far less frequent and more costly. If you are on a long trip and do not have budget constraints, it is advisable to hire a car or self-drive from Guwahati for your entire journey including Cherrapunjee. The roads in most parts of Meghalaya are well maintained and driving on your own should not be a problem if you have driven on somewhat hilly areas before. Best Time to visit Cherrapunjee The weather conditions of the town remain pleasant and comfortable for the most of the year. But without a doubt, the best time to visit Cherrapunjee is during monsoon or months right after the monsoon. May-October remains the best time to witness the abundant waterfalls that Cherrapunjee has to offer. However, October-December are most preferred as it is less foggy and has sparse rainfall which will allow you to move around much more freely. January onwards most waterfalls start drying up as they are rainfall fed and this season is preferred by trekkers. Here you can see the difference in one of the most famous waterfalls of Meghalaya - Nohsngithiang Falls or more popularly known as Seven sister falls. The picture in top taken during monsoon presents a very different view compared to picture on the right taken in february when there is absolutely no sign of even a single sister i.e. even a single stream of water. However during or after monsoon, it will be almost impossible to do many a treks that Meghalaya offers due to excessive slushiness. Duration of stay in Cherrapunjee Cherrapunjee can be covered in 2 nights and 3 days. However, it will be good to have 3 nights in hand to ensure you have enough time to absorb what Cherrapunjee has to offer. Also, a visit to Nongriat to see Double decker living root bridge will use up your one full day or even more in case you plan to stay overnight at Nongriat. Rest of the sightseeing spots in Cherrapunjee can be covered in a day or little more depending on your speed and interest. Depending on rains, your schedule might again be affected so having a day in hand at Cherrapunjee is always advisable. Places to visit in Cherrapunjee Caves in Cherrapunjee: Meghalaya is blessed with beautiful caves which were carved out of limestone deposits. It is globally recognized by the International Caving organizations with sub-continents’ longest and deepest caves, besides also having the longest sandstone cave. And they have not even completely explored many caves yet. Though most of these caves are in Jaintia region, below are a few astonishing caves you can visit in Cherrapunjee: 1. Mawsmai Caves​ Mawsmai Caves are located at a distance of roughly 6 kilometres from the main town of Cherrapunjee. These caves are natural limestone formations. The caves are more than 800 feet long but only a small section of 150 meters is open for tourists. The caves are well lit from inside with halogen lamps. The entrance is wide but as one moves further inside, the opening becomes narrower and narrower. One has to duck and squeeze through a couple of areas in the caves. The entry and exit points are different; hence if you are unsure of squeezing so tightly, return back to the entrance. We would not recommend going to Mawsmai caves if you are too old or for small kids to venture alone. One needs to be cautious of bumping yourselves at most points. Caving inside Mawsmai caves is adventurous and unusually beautiful. The stalagmites and stalactites formations are amazing with varied colors and patterns. This natural creation is a work of abrasion and underground water since hundreds of years. Note: Visiting time to Mawsmai Caves is from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. The entrance fee is INR 20 per adult and INR 20 for a camera. 2. Garden of Caves Situated 10 kilometres from Cherrapunjee town, Garden of Caves is a natural space created by seasonal waterfalls. It is an amalgamation of caves, gardens, cascades and waterfalls surrounded by greenery. The caves and the gardens are centuries old and were used by the Khasi tribes to hide from the Britishers. The caves are open with a lot of sunlight. The major spots to view are the rock formations in the shape of – A King’s bed and Pillow, Heart-shaped rock, Baby rock, Cow-feet rock and Warrior rocks. The waterfalls can be viewed by descending several stairs down from the Garden of Caves. The area is clean and well-maintained. Walking sticks are available at the entrance for the elderly. Note: The entrance fee to the garden is INR 20 per adult and INR 20 for a camera. 3. Arwah Caves​ Arwah Caves are located on the way to Cherrapunjee from Shillong. In these particular caves, you will find local guides at the entrance to help you discover the caves. It is advisable to hire the guides as these caves are no less than a maze and you could easily be lost. The caves are not lit so well as the Mawsmai Caves. The water keeps dripping and various tiny streams are formed inside the caves. The rocks inside the caves have a yellowish glow and look slimy. You can also spot various fossils in the rock. The guide flashes his torch light on everything there is to see. Note: Entrance fee to Arwah Caves is INR 20 per person and INR 50 for a camera. Waterfalls in Cherrapunjee: As already briefed upon earlier, Cherrapunjee can be named land of waterfalls. In monsoon you would come across countless waterfalls in one sight. Some photographs taken around Cherrapunjee can be as mesmerizing as some of the waterfalls of Iceland. 1. Wah ka ba falls The first spellbinding waterfall of Cherrapunjee is located just before you hit the town and is called as WahKaba Falls. The waterfalls is right in the middle of a deep canyon with beautiful views and the water falls right into the deep gorges of the canyon. One can easily get a 360 degree view of WahKaba waterfalls from the several different viewpoints here. At a height of 180 m, WahKaba falls provide an iconic view of the surrounding valley. The view point is a short 10-15 minute descend from the road and if you are old, you might find it difficult to climb back up. The best part about this waterfall is that depending on amount of water, you can even go to the mouth of the falls and get a breathtaking view. Note: The entrance fee to the waterfalls is INR 10 per person. 2. Nohkalikai Waterfalls Nohkalikai Falls is a noteworthy waterfalls in Cherrapunjee. It falls from a height of 335 meters (1120 feet) as is regarded as the fifth highest waterfall of the world. It is the tallest plunge waterfall of India. The water falls in a single stream and bounces off the rocks below generating a lot of mist. The name ‘Noh-Ka-Likai’ refers to the ‘Jump of Ka Likai’. As per the legendary story, a lady named Likai jumped off the cliff, just like the Nohkalikai fall does, when she came to know that her husband killed her only child. Setting aside the tragic story, Nohkalikai waterfalls is truly mesmerizing and thanks to the several viewpoints made, one can savour the panoramic vista of the falls from different angles. The waterfall cascades down into a gorge with green pool below. One can also trek to the base of the waterfall or uphill to the originating point of the waterfall. Note: The entrance fee to the Nohkalikai waterfall is INR 10 per person. 3. Dainthlen Falls Just before reaching Cherrapunjee town, a 5 kilometre drive off route leads one to Dainthlen Falls. The waterfall derives its name from a Thlen or a snake of gigantic size which dwelt in a cave. Legend has it that the people destroyed the snake in order to rid themselves of its reign of terror. Adjacent to the very spot where Thlen was slaughtered lies the Dainthlen Waterfalls. Natural rock carvings of the episode draw visitors to see the image of the Thlen, the symbol of greed, corruption and evil. With no trekking required, one can view this waterfall right from its bed. The breath-taking views of the waterfall are a treat to the eyes. Note: The entrance fee to the Dainthlen waterfall is INR 10 per person. 4. Nohsngithiang Falls or Seven Sister Falls Also known as Seven Sisters’ Waterfall or Mawsmai Falls, the Nohsngithiang Falls derives its name from the fact that seven streams flow down the cliff. The waterfall is situated south westerly and gets illuminated by sun from dawn to dusk giving it vibrant colors and thus making it a sight to behold. The water falls from a height of about 1106 feet, thus making it fourth highest waterfall in India. The falls are created by water of River Kynshi. The seven streams of waterfall flow together over the hill in parallel formation with the gushing misty breeze blows on to your face moistening you. Monsoon is the best time to see all the seven falls side by side. Living Root Bridge Deep in Meghalaya’s forests, grow the famous ‘living root bridges’. Artistically crafted by the local tribes, the bridges are made from the living roots of rubber tree planted on each side of the fast flowing streams. Traditionally, the roots are guided by the tribal people and tied for increased support. Read a brief about our visit to the living root bridge below: Umshiang Double Decker living root bridge: The Umshiang double decker living Root Bridge is the mecca of all the living root bridges in Meghalaya. Getting there is no simple task. One has to descend 3500 cemented steps to Nongriat village that houses the Double decker living Root Bridge. The trek starts from a village named Tyrna which is located about 30 kilometres from the main town of Cherrapunjee. Descend through the steps surrounded by dense forests is however easy than ascend. After descend of 1000 steps and trekking slightly off-route is a single decker living Root Bridge named Ritymmen, which hangs over a rain-fed river. Being 50 metres long, Ritymmen is also the longest known living root bridge. The bridge shakes and swings as one walks over it making the experience more adventurous. Despite double decker living root bridge being the main attraction in this region, we would strongly recommend you to see Ritymmen living root bridge at Nongthymmai village on the way or while returning from Nongriat. Some more memorable hike towards the double decker bridge passes through several small villages always smiling and welcoming. There are also couple of beautiful footbridges on the way. Hanging over the water, the two bridges are created from the huge rubber trees sitting on either side. The roots are intertangled in a complex manner making the bridges more sturdy and strong. It’s truly a wonder in itself. The stream of water below is a perfect spot for a ‘Fish Spa’ and just dipping your feet in the cold waters feels so relaxing after a long trek. The landscape seems like it has been pulled straight from the pages of a fairytale. Trekking ahead the Double decker living Root Bridge takes one to the natural pools and the famous Rainbow falls. We recommend going this way based on your physical limitations. The journey back to top is pretty treacherous and you should keep this in mind. If you are old or have health issues, we would suggest do not attempt visiting the double decker living root bridge. Instead, go to Riwai, a village near Mawlynnong which has a lovely living root bridge (though not double decker) which requires barely 15 minutes of walk one way. Note: The entrance fee to the living root bridge is INR 20 per person and INR 20 for a camera. There is a separate charge for GoPro (Rs.100) and video camera (Rs.200). Buying walking sticks from the starting Tyrna village will help your knees to a great deal. You can also opt for staying at the Nongriat village in homestays for a night and ascend back the next day. Apart from these above mentioned places to visit, Thangkarang Park is popular among kids though adults might not find it interesting. Mawkdok Dympep Valley view point, located at the start of the Cherrapunjee town is a prominent attraction which provides an enticing view of the Sohra valley. There is also a zip lining above the valley by Pioneer Adventures which can be a very adventurous experience. And there are some more seasonal waterfalls like Kyrem Falls and a museum - Ram Krishna Mission & Museum, which you can visit in case you have more time. Accommodation in Cherrapunjee Cherrapunjee has many options to stay of varying budgets and types. However, as you might know, we always look for offbeat accommodations which are an experience in itself. At Cherrapunjee, we found Sa-I-Mika resort which gives you an experience of staying close to nature in rustic Khasi styled cottages giving amazing views while providing all the amenities you would want. The whole setup is minimalistic and rooted, yet comfortable and experiential. Sa - I - Mika resort is located centrally to most sightseeing spots and yet away from any hustle of the Sohra town. You can read a detailed account of our experience at Sa-I-Mika resort. As you would have realized Cherrapunjee or Sohra is a must visit destination in Meghalaya. It provides such as breadth of experiences from spellbinding waterfalls to awe inspiring living root bridges. Walking down the villages around Nongriat which seem so far away from the modern world yet so advanced in their own unique ways is truly worth pondering. Visiting Cherrapunjee in different seasons can be all together a different experience as well. One can also gaze upon flats of Bangladesh from some points in Cherrapunjee and see the streets light up in all together a different country. PIN THIS IMAGE Hope this in depth guide to Cherrapunjee would help you chart a detailed itinerary and make your bookings for stay. Do you feel we have missed out any specific detail? Would you like us to add any other detail? Do let us know your thoughts in comment section below. You can read our next travel guide to Mawlynnong and photoblog on life in Mawlynnong. #India #EastIndia #Meghalaya