Germany advises its citizens, they can visit Kashmir

Germany has changed its travel advisory for Kashmir for its nationals, saying that the situation in the state has calmed down considerably.

Jammu & Kashmir, the northernmost state of India has been bearing the brunt of insurgency, stated to be fomented by Pakistan. The state is known for its scenic spots amongst Himalayan mountains.

Germany is the first European nation in a decade to amend its travel advisory in this fashion. Travel advisories of many foreign countries still urge their citizens not to travel to Kashmir in light of the insurgency.

The advisory also refers Ladakh and Jammu regions. Regarding Jammu, the advisory says the region is basically stable, though the situation might change and travellers are advised to obtain information regarding the security situation prior to their visit. In the case of Ladakh, the advisory recommends trekkers to travel with trained local guides and avoid border areas due to security considerations.

Best summer honeymoon destinations in India

Our 11 cool honeymoon picks for the summer

We list below the most popular honeymoon destinations for domestic as well as foreign travelers. In picking the destinations, we have looked for:

• Secure environment for young couples
• Hassle-free local travel
• Good tourist places in and around the main station
• At least some additional facilities for recreation
• Picturescque setting, cool climate, good weather
• Good connectivity by air and surface transport
• Hotels and guest-houses in middle-level and higher budgets
• Other facilities and utilities needed by a tourist

Therefore, we have not listed here places that are stand-alone ‘hideouts’ for honeymooners. Also excluded are exclusive resorts developed by private developers.Our pick is:

• Coorg
• Coonoor
• Darjeeling. Include kalimpong.
• Gangtok
• Gulmarg
• Kodaikanal
• Ooty
• Mahabaleshwar
• Manali. Include Kullu, Rohtang Pass
• Nainital. Include Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal
• Srinagar

Many well-known tour operators [big list here] offer honeymoon packages.

You can locate these places in the map given below. You can expand and pan the map with sliders.

View Honeymoon in a larger map

Travel restrictions in some parts of India

Make sure, you don't stray into protected border / tribal area

There are a few restrictions on travel to some parts of the country for the reasons of security or protecting  tribal culture. You need not bother about them if you are not a highly adventurous traveler curious to go to remote places, or must go to such places for research purposes, meeting somebody staying there and so on. If you must, you must know the restrictions and formalities so as to avoid problem.The restricted areas are mostly border areas and tribal areas in these states: Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh/ Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar, Sikkim.

Domestic tourists going to such areas have to obtain an Inner Line Permit. This has to be obtained from the State government. NRIs and PIOs need permission like foreign tourists as of 2011.

Foreign Tourists would require a permit to visit restricted / protected areas, called Protected Area Permit (PAP) or Restricted Area Permit (RAP). For obtaining such a permit, you can contact Indian Mission in your country. If you decide to visit such areas after landing in India, you can contact Foreigners Regional Registration Officers (FRROs) at the metro cities or check with immigration office in the airport or seek guidance from tourism offices of Indian government. For specific locations to which visits are restricted, please refer to the concerned State tourism site. [list given in the right column].

There is no fee for PAP, RAP or Inner Line Permit. PAP/ RAP is given generally for 10 days, with permission to extend the visit for another 7 days. For citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, China and Myanmar, approval of Ministry of Home Affairs is needed, so the processing time may get longer. Do apply, or ask your travel agent to apply, in advance for the necessary permit.

Khajuraho: the erotic temple complex

Love and beauty immortalised in stone 

magnificent temple architecture

 If you have not visited the Khajuraho temple complex, you have missed the ultimate mix of eroticism with devotion. Starting from the extreme sexual perversion, the highly ornate walls of the temples depict the most sublime of sexual feelings. Inside, the deities bless you with calm beyond sensual pleasure.

a richly carved temple wall

The temple complex was built by Chandela kings between 950 AD and 1050 AD. There are many explanations how and why such exceptionally erotic sculpture was created in a conservative land and patronized by the rulers. The most plausible one is that Chandela rulers believed in tantrism and so, for them worship of erotic human form and gratification of earthly desires was the path to salvation.

such details of love making!

Initially 85 temples were built by successive rulers [perhaps more, as recent excavations in nearby areas have shown], but only 22 of them survive. Most of them have superb but simple architecture and are functional temples. The outer walls of most temples have highly ornate sculptures showing deities and their courtesans and others in poses that range from highly amorous and direct to very sublime and graceful. There seems to be a hidden message and logic in the way such poses have been depicted along with meditating saints and gods.


How to reach; do’s and don’ts

Reaching Khajuraho can be a pain if you do not plan properly and well in advance. Hotels are no problem but transportation is. The airport is not well connected and major trains too do not stop here. However, all good tour operators provide package tour deals for Khajuraho. If you are a young couple, so spend 2-3 days in Khajuraho. If you are interested in ancient sculpture, you may like to study the fine details of some of the temples. Casual visitors should make it part of a larger itinerary covering other north / central Indian tourist places.
When in Khajuraho, avoid being influenced by beggars and those offering to show the village side or something special; there is likelihood that you are shortchanged. Even tour operators, taxi drivers and hotel staff might be taking commission to woo customers on behalf of crooks.

female figures in different poses: loving, applying make up, removing thorn from sole

 Photograph credit goes to Archeological Survey of India.

Major tourist destinations

Places you must not miss on a visit to India

India is big and you cannot visit all places in India even if you are here for a fortnight and keep a hectic schedule. However, if you are in India, it will be worthwhile to visit the important places around your main destination. There are numrous sites guiding you about these places and many of them provide services such as package tours, taxi servides, pick up and drop services, hotel and flight bookings and so on.

The following list is just a reminder that you should visit at least one of them however short your visit to India is.

In general, if you land in Delhi, you must plan a visit to Agra [the city of the Taj] and Jaipur [the city of forts and palaces and a glimpse into colourful ethnic culture of western India] and of course the numerous monuments scattered within Delhi.

If you land in Kolkata, you can think of a visit to Sunderbans besides exploring the British legacy in Kolkata itself .

If you happen to come to Mumbai and have limited time in hand, do visit Ajanta and Ellora caves.

If you come to Chennai, a visit to temple towns in the vicinity will be quite rewarding.

With civilization spanning five millania and enormous diversity of climates and topography, biodiversity, cultures and faiths, every part of India is fascinating. The list is too small to accommodate even world heritage sites.

We'll come with an exhaustive list sometime later.

A. The Taj @ Agra [200 km from New Delhi; connected by road, rail, air]

B. Ajanta and Ellora caves @ Aurangabad [Ajanta 100 km from Aurangabad airport; 60 km from Jalgaon railway station; Ellora 30 km from Aurangabad]

C. Havelock island beaches, Jarawahs, the most recluse tribes in the world +corals [+ some of the most unspoilt beaches] @ Andaman & Nicobar Islands [by air from Chennai or Kolkata; over 1000 km]

D. Forts and palaces everywhere [+ camel ride+ colourful desert culture] @ Rajasthan, the desert province [Jaipur: 260 km from Delhi; other important tourist cities: Jaisalmer, Udaipur]

E. The holiest town of India, a cauldron of civilizations warped in time @ Varanasi [800 km from Delhi; connected by road, rail, air]

F. Cool and beautiful hill resorts @ Kashmir [Srinagar: 880 km from Delhi; best nearby places: Gulmarg, Sonamarg; connected by air, bus, train – nearest railhead Jammu Tawi is 300 km]

G. Himalayan ranges, trekking [+pristine local culture ] @ central Indian hill towns [Starting from Delhi, one can visit hill stations in the following groups: Nainital-Kausani-Bhimtal-Jageshwar, Shimla, Mussorie-Lansdowne- valley of flowers; all are within 250 km range.]

H. Erotic ancient temples @ Khajuraho [600 km from Delhi; connected by road, rail, air]

I. Sunny beaches [+ ancient cathedrals] @ Goa [Panaji is approx 500 km from Mumbai; connected by road, rail, air]

J. Backwaters [+ ayurvedic treatment] @ Kerala [one of the southernmost provinces of India][Thiruananthapuram or Trivandrum is 1250 km from Mumbai; connected by road, rail, air]

K. Magnificent ancient temples at every nook and corner [+hot south Indian food] @ Tamil Nadu, the southernmost part of India [Chennai, the state capital, is an important international destination.]

L. Ruins of Vijaynagar empire @ Hampi [46o km by road from Bangaluru; nearest railway station is Hospet; not very well connected]

M. Mangrove ecosystem @ Sunderbans [world’s largest estuarine sanctuary; can be reached from Kolkata by road; Kanning is 64 km from Kolkata and also has a railhead but other towns are slightly away and connected only by road.]

Travel to India; visit RAJASTHAN

How Rajasthan offers more than desert destinations abroad?

Rajasthan is a north-western state of India, adjoining Pakistan. Numerous tourism offers are available from government and private tour operators and hotels for visiting Rajasthan. Rajasthan is unique in what it offers to international as well as domestic tourists, and in some ways its offers are incomparable to anything offered by international hotspots. Desert safari, camel ride, desert wildlife and such other standard desert stuff is just the base layer; the real cake and topping are what make Rajasthan a memorable experience. Read on...

• Rajasthan has a very rich cultural content. The ethnic dances, dresses of vibrant colours, peculiar hand-made  accessories, handicraft in myriad shades, age-old traditions...
• Rajasthan has some of the world's most beautiful palaces and fortes. These are magnificent in their architecture and layout and have a rich, royal exquisiteness about them.
• Almost every ancient building of Rajasthan has an engrossing tale to tell. Folklore is part of Rajasthan's life.Love, intrigue, battles for honour, chivalry, ...
• If you care to live amidst the villagers (and genuine stays are arranged by well-known tour operators), their simplicity and quirky lifestyles will make you forget your sophisticated, modern, world for those cherishable moments.

Hawa Mahal the face of a Jaipur palace

The most important destinations in Rajasthan are:

• Jaipur: the state capital and often part of Delhi-Jaipur-Agra triange
• Udaipur: the lake city
• Jodhpur and Jaissalmer: cities in extreme desert
• Bharatpur: city with a world-class bird sanctuary
• Pushkar: temple city known for its unique fair, a place for the true vagabond soul

We recommend that you visit Incredible India and Rajasthan Tourism websites before deciding on a travel operator. These are government organisations.

India during winters: Goa is the place to go

GOA: HOT DESTINATION IN COLD MONTHS 

Flight cancellations from Europe and America have affected travel all over the world, but some places are either not affected by it or have gained. Goa, the beach capital of India, is one destination that has not seen fall in tourist arrivals this winter.

Goa has a mild weather during most months except summers when it tends to be a bit stuffy. In comparison, northern parts of India reel under chill during December-February period. So, though flight cancellations have impacted some traffic from Europe and North America, that seems to have been compensated by additional domestic traffic.

Goa attracts about 2.5 million tourists in a year, out of them about 350 thousand are foreigners. So, the majority of visitors are Indians. In recent years, the domestic traffic has turned quite well-paying. In addition, flight cancellations from the colder parts of the globe have not resulted in outright cancellation of hotel bookings but their readjustment.

What is likely to impact tourism in Goa is the visa restrictions that don’t allow foreigners of most countries a continuous stay beyond three months. So, if a foreign tourist wants to be in Goa continuously for more than three months, he/she needs to go back, cool heels for two months and then come back for up to three months at a time.

Get a breath-taking Himalayan view

Kausani: so enchanting a place!

This article is a shorter version of an article written by Palas for an Indian newspaper one year back. Many thanks indeed, Palas.

Kausani: enchanting mountains!

When we visited Kausani this summer, we didn’t know how profound an impact this small hill station will have on us. So, without waiting to tell what all you can see there, let me give an advice to you, if you love nature and hills, is to visit Kausani as early as you can.



Frankly, our journey from Kolkata to Delhi and up to Kathgodam (the last railway station this side) was not much to write about. In fact, we had quite a few irritants including an unfriendly encounter with fellow passengers before alighting the first train at Nizamuddin railway station in Delhi. We took another train from Delhi to Kathgodam, which was a further mistake and it added long hours to our journey. (Mind it, we are frequent travelers and not rich, so we can’t afford air journey.)

If you don’t know anything about Kausani, read this: It is a hill station about 1900 metre above sea level in Uttarakhand. It is about 140 km from Kathgodam, the nearest railway terminal. From there, you can book a taxi or take a bus to Kausani (Better is to get off at Haldwani, 7 km before Kathgodam, and book taxi or bus from there because more options are available, Haldwani being the bigger of the twin towns.) If you are coming from Lucknow, you have to get down at Lal Kuan, 10 km further away from Haldwani and take a taxi to Haldwani. Road journey in the hills can be tiring and nauseating, so be cautioned: take proper food, take a vomit preventing medicine beforehand, break journey often.

You can see a range of snow covered peaks, about 300 km in length. You can watch these peaks and the low ranges in between change hues through the day. Nanda Devi, Trishul and Panchchuli are among the tall Himalayan peaks you can see from high points at Kausani.

Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, spent 12 days in 1929 at Kausani and wrote commentary on Gita. Renowned Hindi poet, Sumitra Nandan Pant belonged to Kausaini.
Kausani is pleasantly cool to very cold, and summer months [April-June] are the best; however you need to book hotel in advance. There are a good number of hotels in Kausani, and they cater to all pockets.

Let me now tell a bit about my impression of the place.

This place is a small hill resort, unlike unmanageable hill towns. Its air is always fresh, cool, filling the lungs with divine freshness and peace. If it rains, you can watch play of clouds around you and in far-off hills. We stayed there for four days and came back greatly satisfied with the natural beauty that we soaked in our mind and body. It rained on the day of departure, and so we were able to enjoy that too, but it suddenly became very cold. One of our friends suggested that we start our journey in rain so that we do not get late for Binsar, an enchanting hill-site and sanctuary. We stopped some three miles from Kausani towards Someshwar, next to a tea shop.

The hill people, I have noticed everywhere, are very simple folks. Probably the small businessmen among them, such as the tea shop owner, try to act smart at times and that makes them funny. We asked the tea shop guy to get us five cups of tea and five biscuits [we had taken breakfast early but had been delayed due to rains]. He charged us thrice the going rate just because we had asked for freshly made tea! No arguments, he said, I know my job better than you. We laughed behind him, not to annoy him, and walked on the slope. Small herbs were still smarting from rain drops falling from pine trees above, though the rain had stopped. Springs were oozing water every few feet. We went further away from the tea shop and drank water flowing out from under a tree, hesitatingly, but found that we had never tasted such sweet water.

We came back after seeing many other places in Kumaon region, where Kausani is located and some places were as beautiful, but no place gave as much peace and oneness with nature as Kausani. It is superb!

Seen this on Uttarakhand?
Look at this link for two write-ups on travel to Uttarakhand - one is a personal experience and the other an advice for visiting Himalayan tourist destinations.

The enchanting andamans
Our friend Koyal sent her personal experience of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, as comments. We thought, it deserves an independent posting. Before that, lel us remind you that we have given links to governement websites [because they are highly dependable on information, and without a vested interest] in the left column of this blog. The Andaman Island website is full of information and nice photos.

Here goes Koyal's post:


We visited Andaman & Nicobar Islands last winters – the best months to visit the islands. [You need more time and a special permit to visit the Nicobar part.]

It is a heaven for those seeking to spend holidays amidst un-spoilt nature.

In a ten day tour, you can station for four days at Port Blair: one day for local sight seeing and three days for day long visits to different islands. Keep 2-3 days for Havelock Islands. They are the best in the archipelago. The sprawling beaches of Havelock are not crowded and are lined with thick equatorial forests. The Radhanagar beach is the best of them all. Its sands are unusually white and there are tourist huts right on the best face of the beach [but they are to be booked in advance]. Other resorts are on other beaches. Keep the rest of your time for longish trips to far off islands.

The best attraction of Port Blair is the Cellular Jail, which was used by the British to put hardened criminals and freedom fighters. In the evenings, they have [a rather mediocre] light and sound show depicting those cruel times.[Book tickets in advance so that you do not have to stand in very long queue.]

Besides beaches, the Cellular Jail and marine museums, you have plenty to experience on different islands: snorkel and watch corals in shallow waters of Coral Island; trek to a limestone cave; see a live mud-volcano throwing mud and water out of its small hole; watch very primitive Jarawah tribals in thick forests; cross a tunnel made of mangrove tree roots.

The choice of how you want to enjoy Andamans is yours. If you want to mingle with the Indians [generally a cross section of Indians from different parts of the mainland], go for ordinary tours run by the tourism department or private tour operators. But if you want exclusive trips [comfortable, enjoyable in your own group but without local touch], it is better to book them in advance through you hotel / tour operator.

Markets are rather dull compared to the crowded markets of India’s mainland. If you are buying souvenirs, be careful about their weight; the coral and shell artefacts tend to weigh a ton.
We stayed in a tourist department guest house, on local trips we always carried a lot of stuff from a good bakery in Port Blair, drank gallons of coconut water from freshly cut coconuts, avoided eating local food except in the guest house, and didn’t get sick at all. We mingled with the locals in ships, ferries, buses and SUVs. We also had exclusive motorboat visits to nearby islands. At Havelock Islands, we stayed in a rather expensive resort for two days as others were booked long back for Christmas season.

We are of Indian origin but settled for two generations in Britain. Our children had an exciting experience of this part of the world they thought existed only in geography books. It all didn’t cost us [a family of two adults and two kids] more than Rs. 55,000 [GBP 700]. [It, of course, does not include air fare from/to Chennai.]

Andaman & Nicobar Islands send you back rejuvenated and marveling at nature’s bounty.

Photo courtesy: Pulkit

Seen this on Mumbai?
NY Times has a nice article, 36 hours in Mumbai. Though the hours have been packed a bit too tightly, it gives a glimpse of variety that Indian citiy life presents.

Bhimbetka: human autobiography on stone
Bhimbetka: mammoth rock-skyscrapers on hill-tops, standing the weather for ages. Where man took shelter under rocks and – as if in return – gave the rocks the bold existence they deserve.

Bhimbetka is a village forty-five kilometers from Bhopal. As the
road leaves the plains and starts meandering in the hills, the huge rocks start inviting the eager visitor.


Located in the thick forests on the northern fringe of the Vindhya range, Bhimbetka must have appeared to the stone age man a choice location for settlement. If the caves and rock shelters gave him protection against wild animals and enemies, they gave him relief from bad weather and chilly winters too. In his leisure time, he tried to make sketches on the enormous inners walls of the rock shelters. He used paints made out of the available colouring material like ground read-stone. In red and green, he [more likely, she] drew wild animals like tiger and bison, the most awe-inspiring subjects for him.

As time passed, the prehistoric cave artist showed interest in many more subjects like barbed spears, bows, arrows and pointed sticks (the weapons used by him); musical instruments and dances and other social activities of his pristine civilization. Later on, this site was inhabited by the historic man who used the same rocks – sometimes the same canvas – for depicting his life-style and surrounding. He added while and yellow to the hitherto used range of colours. Swords and shields, pets, horse-riders in procession, hunting scenes and religious symbols are among the more conspicuous recent themes.

These paintings together weave a vivid story of the ancient man. An autobiography in pictures, indeed. For an inquisitive mind they are a gold mine of information and for a casual tourist, a glimpse of the remote human past: for both a treat for the eyes.

[This article has been adopted from IFR, an India-centred magazine, with author's permission. Photographs have been added later.]
 
Details about the place:

* How to reach Bhimbetka?

By air: The nearest airport is Bhopal (connected with Delhi, Jabalpur, Indore, Gwalior and Mumbai).
By rail: The nearest railhead is Bhopal on Delhi-Chennai and Delhi Mumbai routes.
By road: Regular bus trips from Bhopal.

* Open: sunrise to sunset

* Paintings in Bhimbetka caves have been divided into 7 periods: PERIOD 1 – Upper Paleolithic: linear representations in dark and red color. The major drawings are of animals such as bison, tigers and rhinoceroses. PERIOD 2 – Mesolithic: smaller drawings. Animals as well as human figures, hunting scenes with weapons like barbed spears, pointed sticks, bow and arrows. The scenes of communal dances, birds, musical instruments, mother and child, pregnant women, men carrying dead animals, drinking and burials appear in rhythmic movement. PERIOD 3 – Chaleolithic: these paintings reveal the close connections of the cave dwellers with the agricultural communities of the nearby plains. PERIOD 4 and 5 – Earlier History: mainly in red, white and yellow, the figures have a decorative style and have religious symbols, dresses, and scripts of various periods. PERIOD 6 and 7 – Medieval: crude in their artistic style, but schematic. In all there are 700 rock shelters, 400 of which have paintings. Auditorium Rock Shelter, Zoo Rock and Boar Rock are of special attraction.

[Bhopal is almost in the middle of India and is the capital of Madhya Pradesh state of India.]