Friday, January 29, 2016

Travel Horsely hills

Distance - 145 Kms from Bangalore.
Travel period - 1 Day
Time to reach - 3-4 hours
Type - Hill
Best time to visit - Throughout the year

View from top of the Horsely Hill

View from top of the Horsely Hill


* Horsely hills is suitable for a day outing.
* The hill got the name due to the British collector WD Horsely who built his home here.
* It is situated in Madanapalli Taluk of Andra pradesh.
* From Bangalore travel towards Hosakote->Kaivara->Chintamani->Madanapalli.
* Cross Madanapalli, travel in Anantapur-Tirupathi Highway, reach Angallu.
* From Angallu take a deviation travel towards Kotavooru and take a left towards Horsely hills.
* We have to cross some hairpin bends before we reach the hill.
* We can see some view points on the way


On the way to the Horsely Hill


* Once we reach the hill we can get snacks to eat and soft drinks as well.
* The restaurants are very less on top of the hill.
* We can find a resort (Haritha resort) on top of the resort.
* If we are planning to stay on top of the hill then we can book the resort in advance.



* There is also a Zoo on top of the hill.
* Apart from that the view from the hill is so beautiful and so calm.
* We can enjoy the nature till evening and vacate the place.


* Its preferable to leave the place before it gets dark.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Travel Srirangapatna

Distance - 125 Kms from Bangalore.
Travel period - 1 Day
Time to reach - 2 hours
Type - Historical City
Best time to visit - July-February

*Lets leave Bangalore and travel in the Mysore-Bangalore highway towards Mysore.
*Lets cross Bidadi, Ramnagar, Channapatna, Maddur, Mandya and reach Srirangapatna.
*Let us take a right turn near Srirangapatna bus stand towards Ranganathaswamy temple which is our 1st destination.
        -> This temple is built to worship Lord Vishnu.
        -> Tipu Sultan has made Srirangapatna as his capital .
        -> Tipu Sultan and his father has donated lot of wealth to Ranganathaswamy temple.
        -> We can see the temple built with Vijayanagara and Hoysala style.
        -> The temple is surrounded by a fort like walls.
        -> The main attraction is the beautifully curved gopura.  
Ranganathaswamy Temple
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*After visiting the temple lets come out and see the Dungeon which is our 2nd destination.      
-> The dungeon is well known as Col.Bailey Dungeon because he died in this Dungeon 
-> We can see the cannon in the Dungeon even today which rolled back and fell into the Dungeon during the seize of Srirangapatna.


Col> Bailey Dungeon
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*While returning back towards the main road we can see the death place of Tipu Sultan which is our 3rd destination.
        -> Tipu Sultan's body was found near the mosque. We can see this place on the way
-> Tipu Sultan died while fighting with Britishers during the siege of Srirangapatna.
Death place of Tipu Sultan
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*Next lets travel towards Jama Masjid on the way which is our 4th destination.
        -> This was constructed by Tipu Sultan.
-> This place was considered one of the favorite place of Tipu Sultan.
        -> This consists of a couple of towers and a dome at the center with some open space infront. 
Jama Masjid
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*Next let us cross the highway and travel towards our 5th destination Daria Daulat Bagh. When we are travelling from Bangalore to Mysore we have to take a left turn from the highway near the bus stand where we can see a huge sign board "Sangama, Ninishamba temple, Summer palace, Gumbaz etc.)        
-> Daria Daulat Bagh is also called as Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan.
        -> This palace is built inside the beautiful garden from where Tipu Sultan ruled for sometime.
        -> The Palace is constructed using wood and mostly teak wood.
        -> It is built in a rectangular design in a raised platform.
-> We can see the beautiful art work/designs through out the palace.(Canopies, walls, roofs, pillars etc.)
        -> Today we can see lot of paintings and many other things in the palace. 
Daria Daulat Bagh / Summer Palace
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*Now we shall move to our 6th destination Nimishamba temple which is situated at the banks of river Kaveri.
Nimishamba Temple
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*Once that is done lets move to our 7th destination called as Sangama where 3 holy rivers Kabini, Kaveri and Hemavathi meet. We can have a holy dip in the water and many movies have been shot here.
Sangama
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*Now let us head back towards the highway and visit our 8th destination called Gumbaz.      
-> This place was built by Tipu Sultan for holding the graves of his parents Hyder Ali and Fakr-Un-Nisa.
-> This place is surrounded by beautiful gardens with different species of plants and trees.
-> When Tipu died he was taken to Gumbaz and made himself buried next to his parents by Britishers.      
-> This place is surrounded by beautiful gardens with different species of plants and trees.

*Now lets head towards Gosai Ghat which is our 9th destination.
      -> Gosai Ghat is situated on the banks of river Kaveri.
      -> Kashi Vishweshwara Swamy temple is next to it.
      -> The place is very calm and its beautiful.
Gosai Ghat


*Next lets head to our 10th destination which is called as Ranganathittu which is a bird sanctuary.
      -> Now we have to get back to the highway and travel towards Mysore.
      -> When we travel for about a kilometer we will get a bridge and after the bridge we get a junction
      -> We have to take a right in the junction which is called as bypass Yelwala road.
      -> Travel for around 3 Kms and we get a sign board. 
      -> We have to take right from there and reach the destination.
      -> This place is the largest bird sanctuary in Karnataka.
      -> This is also known as Pakshi Kashi of Karnataka.
Ranganathittu bird sanctuary
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*Let us move to our 11th destination which is called as Balmuri falls which is around 10 Kms away from here.
-> This is a very beautiful picnic spot for youngsters to get into the water and enjoy.
-> We can also enjoy the boat ride as well.
-> If we find this place too crowded then we can move to a place called as Yedmuri / Edmuri.
-> Yedmuri is similar to Balmuri but with less crowd.
-> Yedmuri is at a walk-able distance from Balmuri. 


Balmuri Falls
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Yedmuri Falls
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*Once this is done then lets end our trip and return to our homes.


Saturday, January 16, 2016

Travel Kodaikanal

Distance - 475 Kms from Bangalore
Travel period - Preferably 3-4 days.
Time to reach - 9-10 Hrs
Type - Hill station
Best time to visit - October to February
Famous for: Mushroom

 Let's begin our journey

Preferable time to leave Bangalore via car is around 4 AM.

Day 1:
*Start our journey towards Hosur road and travel via Salem --> Dindigul (National highway which is very good for drive) --> Take a diversion towards Kodaikanal (Single road with a good quality). The journey will be through the ghat section with lot of curves and hairpin bends.
*On the way we can stop near the beautiful view point to watch the view given below.
View Point


*As soon as we reach Kodaikanal lets search for a good stay and relax for some time.
*Let's move out and visit
Bear Shola falls which is our first destination.



Bear Shola Falls
*Bear Shola falls is closer to the city and we have to trek for around 15 mins to reach to the falls. We can directly stand beneath the falls and enjoy the water falling over us and the water will be so cold and freezing.
*Lets get back to the city, have dinner (Do not miss to try teetar which is very tasty)  and lets get back to our hotels and start relaxing.


Day 2:

*Next lets move to the mind blowing 2nd destination Dolphin nose. We need to trek for sometime to reach dolphin nose to view the Kodaikanal valley which is elevated at 6600 feet. The trek duration will be around 3-4 hours.



Dolphin Nose
*After the trek lets have our lunch and visit Pine forest which is our 3rd destination.

*Then lets travel towards Moer Point which gives us a wonderful view which is our 4th destination.

*Now lets take the road next to Moer Point which leads to a beautiful lake called as Berijam lake which is the 5th destination. We have to take permission from the forest department to enter the gate which is right next to Moer point. We can pay the entry charges @ the gate as well.


Berijam Lake


*Next lets move to one more Pine tree forest which is the 6th destination.


Pine Forest

*Our 7th destination will be the Guna Cave. We have to walk for around 10-15 mins and we can see a very beautiful place. 


Guna Cave


*Our 8th destination will be Pillar rock where we can see a very beautiful view of the Pillar rocks, which is a very popular place.


Pillar Rock

*Lets move to our 9th destination which is called as a Suicide Point. To reach this place we have to walk inside the shopping market for around 5-10 mins and reach the destination. The destination is covered by the grill/mesh for safety purpose.

*We can visit the Golf Ground which is right infront of the Suicide Point which is our 10th destination.

*Lets end our day with this and get back to our hotels and relax with a nice dinner.


Day 3

*Lets start our day with a nice breakfast and visit a calm and nice Fairy Falls which is our 11th destination. We have to walk for about 5-10 mins to reach the falls. 


Fairy Falls


*Let us go to the view point of the lake where we can see the lake from the top and enjoy the nature which is our 12th destination.
View Point Of Kodaikanal Lake


*Let us go to the Lake, the famous activity which takes places at the lake is Cycling apart from that we can enjoy a boat ride. Do try Cycling.


Kodaikanal Lake
Cycling @ Kodaikanal Lake

*In case if we want to leave then we can leave on the same day, else we can relax and enjoy the nature for a day. Enjoy activities like camp fire, dancing, music etc.


Day 4


*Let us have a nice breakfast and get ready to leave.

*When we are travelling towards the Dindigul route we can visit our 13th destination that is Silver Cascade Falls which is right next to the highway.
Silver Cascade falls

*After spending sometime in the falls then we can head back to our homes. 





Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Travel Andaman




Distance - 1400 Kms Approx. from Chennai. (Flight/Ship)
Travel period - Depends. Minimum preferred  period is 5 days.
Time to reach - 2 hours
Type - Island
Best time to visit - December to February
Famous for: Rasgolla (Sweet) / Sea foods

Let's begin our journey:
Preferable time to leave Chennai - Early morning (As per flight/Ship timings). Recommend Flight.


 

 Day 1:
*
Board the flight @ Chennai/Kolkatta and by the time you start to settle you will reach Port Blair.
*Once you come out of the airport try to book a hotel nearby. Get freshen up and start the tour by booking a taxi to roam in Port Blair.
*Start with out
1st destination - Anthropological Museum (The museum displays/explains most of the things related to tribes)

Anthropological Museum


*Lets move on to our 2nd destination - Samudrika (Marine museum which explains about marine life)

Samudrika


*Our
3rd destination will be Marina Park (Beautiful park with sports activities, Childrens play area next to Samudrika)

Marina Park


*4th destination will be the famous heritage "Cellular Jail". Wonderful and very well maintained historical place with the cells of Veer Savarkar, Oil mills, Photo gallery, Mess watch tower etc.

Cellular Jail


*Lets have some beautiful lunch and relax at the hotel for sometime and get back to the Cellular Jail for
Sound and Light show which takes place for about an hour which includes the history of Andaman, Cellular Jail, Freedom fighters, war etc.
*Once the show is over lets head to food street and have variety of food and finish of our dinner and return to our rooms.

 

Day 2:
*Let's have a nice breakfast and head onto Jetty for visiting the Islands nearby and buy tickets for Ross/Northbay/Viper Islands. 

Ross Island


North Bay Island


*Let's get onto the boat for our 5th destination Ross island (Capital of British) and we will get 1 hour to visit the island and get back to the boat. In Ross Island we can see the Church, Club, Press, Swimming pool, Water distilling plant, Museum, Bakery etc. which were used by the Britishers. This is one of the best place for family holidays.
*Let's move to our 6th destination which is called as North bay (Famous for Corals and importantly brain Coral). The pic at the back of the 20 Rs note is of North bay. Before we enter the island we can opt for few activities like glass bottom boat, Snorkeling, Scuba diving etc. Kindly do not miss glass bottom boat ride. In the glass bottom boat ride we can see the underwater corals and especially the Brian coral which is amazing.
*Next let's move to our 7th destination which is the Viper island.
*Let's end our day with this and return back to our rooms.

 

 Day 3:
*Let's go the Jetty and travel to Havelock Island which is our 8th destination in a cruse. (Boat takes 2hours/ few boat takes 45 mins to reach).
*Let's go to a nice beach resort for stay and hire two wheeler's /car for rent and start our journey with Kala Pattar beach which is our 9th destination.

Kala Pattar Beach


*Next head onto Vijaynagar beach which is our 10th destination.
*Next will be the awesome Govindnagar beach which is our 11th destination.
*Let's give a break for the day and relax @ the resort.

 

Day 4:
*
Let's go for early Scuba around 7 AM.
*Once done with the Scuba let's head towards Jetty to travel to our 12th destination Elephanta beach. Beautiful beach with lots of activities like Snorkeling, Banana ride, Jet Skie and many more activities and we can have a lot of fun and enjoy playing in water.
*We can even reach the beach by walking for about an hour.

Elephanta Beach


*Let's head back to our resort and end our day.

 

Day 5:

*Let's visit the most famous and largest Radhanagar beach which is our 13th destination. The beach is one of the very largest and a clean beach in Asia. The Sunset is very beautiful and its a must visit place.

Radhanagar Beach


*Get back to the resort and vacate the rooms and get ready to return to Port Blair.
*Relax in Port Blair and be ready to travel early the next day, Say around 4:30 AM.


Day 6:

*Book a cab prior and leave Port Blair @4:30 towards Jirkatang where the gate will open @ 6 AM.
*Once the gate is open you should travel in a convoy with a constant speed without overtaking, no stopping to reach our 14th destination Bharatang.

Bharatang Island


*As soon as we cross our self in a ferry then we have to hire a boat to go to Mangrove forest which is our 15th destination. The boat ride inside the Mangrove forest is a mind blowing and amazing experience. Also beware of crocodiles around the forest.

Mangrove_Forest


*
Our journey continues towards the Limestone cave - 16th destination. Once we get down from the boat we have to walk for around 1.2 Kms to reach the cave. The Limestone is formed due to the water of the rainfall which occurs and also due to the darkness where sunlight doesn't fall at all. The lime stone keeps on growing day by day and we can see a lot of idols in the lime stone.

Limestone Cave


*Next lets visit Parrot Island - 17th destination.
*18th destination
will be Mud Valcano.
*Let's continue our journey towards Ranghat and visit Moricedera beach - 19th destination. The beach contains a watch tower with bridges for a wonderful view of the beach.


Moricedera Beach
*Move towards Mayabunder beach and relax for sometime - 20th destination.
*
Reach Diglipur (North Andaman) and relax nicely.

 

 Day 7:

*Wake up and Visit Kalpong dam - 21st destination.
*After that move to visit Ross and Smith Island which is a very beautiful 22nd destination close to Myanmar/Thailand. This is a marvelous beach which we cannot forget. The beach is in between two islands "Ross & Smith". The other side of the beach leads to Thailand.This is one of the best beach holidays which can be visited.

Ross & Smith Island


*Next will be Alfred caves which is our
23rd destination. (Need to trek for about 1 hour)
*Diglipur is also famous for Turtle nesting and hatching which is the 24th destination.

 
Turtle Nesting

  Day 8:

*Wake up early and leave Diglipur around 4.30 AM so that we can reach Port Blair in the afternoon.
*Head to shopping in a famous govt shop called as
Sagarika emporium where we will find shells, pearls, show pieces, cloths etc etc which is our 25th destination.
*Get back to the room and relax.

 

 Day 9:

*Let's travel to a beach called as Chidiya Tapu (Munda/Pahar) which is around 20 Kms from Port Blair - 26th destination.


Chidiyatapu Beach (Munda Pahar)


*
Next will be the Chidiya Tapu biological park - 27th destination.

Biological Park

Day 10:

*Let's travel to Chattam Sawmill which is one of the Asia's biggest saw mill - 28th destination.

Chatham Saw Mill


*Next lets head towards Wandoor beach and move to Jolly boy Island which is our
29th destination.

Wandoor Beach


*Let's get back to Wandoor beach for the beautiful sunset which is our 30th destination.

Note: If you are on a beach holidays then do visit Andaman & Nicobar island.