Indian bond-A travel guide to exotic places in Ind A travel diary of the exotic places in India for those who love adventure, seek pleasure, peace, happiness and spiritualism. Visit the great Himalayas, deserts, health spa, tropical paradise, beautiful beaches and incredible wild life. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 27 5040

Articles from Indian bond-A travel guide to exotic places in Ind

TRAVEL TO A SPIRITUAL BLISS AT TARA DEVI TEMPLE , SHOGHI , Himachal, India 2007-11-21 06:39:00 Leaving behind Kasauli's bracing crisp cool air behind, we headed towards our next destination, albeit briefly at SHOGHI on our way to Shimla. Enjoying the winding road with it's hairpin bends, we joined the national highway (NH22) 12km from Kasauli at Dharampur. We couldn't resist stopping at Giani's Dhaba (roadside restaurant) for a second round of breakfast of anda-toast (egg toast) washing it down with lassi (whipped sweetened yogurt with a floating cream). It was a pleasant drive with beautiful scenery. We reached Shoghi at 11 AM, a sleepy town at 5800 ft. and close to Shimla. Though Shoghi is a quite place surrounded by lovely hills, forests and little hamlets with some ideal and cozy jungle camps with bamboo huts resort of Park Woods, our orientation was truly spiritual on that day and we had decided to visit rather unexploited and secluded shrine at TARA DEVI HILL close to Shoghi. We inquired the details of Tara Devi Temple from the Minchy's Fruit Products stand on NH ...

ESCAPE TO SOOTHE YOUR NERVES AND REJUVENATE: KASAULI, exotic destination, Himachal, India 2007-11-10 05:57:00 It was 7.30 AM. Sitting on the beautiful, albeit, small lawn of the Hotel Ros Common, Kasauli, Himachal, my eyes had a grand feast of an incredible scene. Soon we shall be leaving this town situated at the height of 6500 ft above the sea level. It was cold but a pleasant morning. The sun had risen over the distant eastern mountains. There was a breeze. The sun rays were filtering through the branches of pine trees playing taunt, moving light on the round polished stone table top. There were islands of cemented floor surrounded by plants with blooming yellow flowers dancing with the breeze.In front of me, I could see through morning haze the road at a distance across the valley on the ridge of the mountain. A bus and a car behind negotiating the turn. We had to leave through that road, soon to our next destination...what a disappointment!We had arrived in Kasauli two days back after a grueling drive from Delhi, courtesy heavy traffic on the way all through. Instead of 7 hours it too ...

INDIA TRAVEL : HIMACHAL-a devine and an exotic piece of earth 2007-11-03 03:49:00 The car arrived sharp at 7.45 AM at my host's house in Sakat, New Delhi to take me to pick up Tommy Singh. We were heading towards our next exotic destination in Himachal Pradesh on a long sojourn. Tommy's place was a half an hour drive. A tall and a hefty figure with a radiant smile was the hallmark of Tomlmy which always pushes you to move on and on. Throwing his backpack and the newspaper in the front, he dumped his body next to me on the back seat . His trade mark identity-the perfume of fahrenheit filled the interior of the carAs the car raced passed the roads of Delhi, I started thinking about Himachal Pradesh. The name of the state was derived from 'Himachal' which means " the home of eternal snows", identifying itself with the mighty Himalaya. The grandeur is a thrilling experience this state has to offer where nature has woven a combination of both majesty and gentleness!Our first stop was supposed to be KASAULI, a small hill hamlet nestled in the Himalayan lap. An old ...

FOREST GLADE, A MEADOW OF GREAT BEAUTY AT 6500 FT: Khajjiar, Himachal, India 2007-10-30 07:28:00 it was Tommy Singh who noticed a movement in the wooded forest on the descending gradient to the left of the path we were negotiating back to Lakkarmandi from the Kalatope wildlife sanctuary. We stopped as we heard some voices. 'Hello', shouted Tommy, looking down. After waiting a while the reply came. 'Helloooo'. We saw few figures climbing up towards us.And when they were closer, we were surprised.They were foreigners. 'I am Rufus, Rufus Scott. My wife, Alice and this is my son, Ronnie. We are from Manchester, England.' We introduced ourselves.Rufus was a tall handsome in his early 40's. Alice, his wife was also tall and a pretty blond. Ronnie in his teens with a mischievous smile and a round face. We walked back together to the forest outpost where we had parked our cars and we knew that we are staying at the same place in Khajjiar- Hotel Devdar, we decided to meet in the evening. It was about half an hour drive to Khajjiar from the forest outpost of Lakkarmandi, Dalhousi ...

TRAVEL INDIA : FOR SENIORS- PRISTINE AND EASY TREK IN KALATOPE,Himachal, India 2007-10-17 09:49:00 It was the last day at Dalhousie. I looked out from the window at the vast expense of the deep valley and the guarding Dhauladhar range of mighty mountains bathed in the morning sunlight. At the far off in the north, a village with the cluster of houses was clearly seen on the top of a hill. There was a flicker of light reflected from a moving vehicle. With a slight sinking feeling creeping inside me, I drew the curtains, lifted my bag and headed towards the restaurant.Tommy Singh was already there busy giving the final touch to his favorite breakfast, methodically spreading egg bhurjee (minced omelet) to cheesed toast. I had my vegetable cutlets with chips and tea. Soon we were off to our next exotic destination-KALATOPE The road was beautiful and passed through wooded forest of pine, oak and rhododendron. We reached Lakkarmandi forest check post within less than an hour. As you have to obtain permit to take your car into sanctuary, we preferred to walk. We were a bit careful of t ...

EXOTIC DALHOUSIE-A RETREAT IN SILENCE: Himachal, India 2007-10-17 00:55:00 He met me at 10 pm at "comesum" restaurant outside Delhi railway station. Tommy Singh is one who could be noticed among the crowed by his sheer exuberance and gestures. An ex-army, enthusiasm radiates from every cell of his body. I had flown from Bombay and then straight to Delhi railway station and was really hungry. So, we had piping hot "Chole Bhutere"(Fried Indian flour cake with chick peas curry) washed down with hot coffee and headed towards 2AC compartment of Jammu mail. After settling down on the 2 lower berths, I looked around. On the top upper berth was a typical Punjabi gentleman, prosperity oozing out from every inch of his personality. A puffy smiling face with an egg shaped head. Delicately, he opened his dinner pack and wow! Soon the aroma of tandoori chicken filled our coupe! Took few large gulps of water looking substance and I am sure it was vodka with Limca and asked smilingly to us,"Come on Bhai Sahib, join me," to which we politely and thankfully refused. A fres ...

THE ULTIMATE FOR THE NATURE LOVERS-HIMACHAL IN INDIA 2007-10-13 07:29:00 It astonishes me beyond imagination. Being an Indian and traveling for almost 30 years, I have yet to see more than half of India. Perhaps the most diverse nation in the world. In area 7Th and in population 2nd. I sympathize with first time visitors. India, can be a powerful assault on the senses-noisy, frenetic, vibrant, chaotic, loving; a land of great contrasts and paradox. But there is an essence, a continuity of a unified character, a rhythm and albeit, may be grudgingly, you start admiring this nation and it's spirit.One of the state of this wonder called India is HIMACHAL PRADESH where I always wanted to go and when my friend Tommy Singh planned a visit, I readily agreed. We decided to meet at Delhi railway station to board "Jammu Mail" leaving in the late evening for a small station "Chakki Bank" reaching early morning next day to enter Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh has an area of 21,000 sq miles of the Great Himalayas. The land rises from the border of the plains ...

13 WAYS TO KILL A FAMILY HOLIDAY WITH KIDS! 2007-10-10 01:16:00 Be a great parent who would love to lose shirt on a family holiday!Or one of those at the airport with heavy luggage and panic written all over your face, confused, lost track of something or worse still, one of your kids!PREPARATION:1/ Never plan in advance. This will help you to welcome confusion and discord. Just book your tickets to a destination, whether suitable for your spouse and kids or not.2/ Don't involve children even if they are old enough in holiday planning. That's not their job.3/ Select a place you like prioritizing on shopping, night clubs and casinos.4/ Hotel should be away from the center of activities. Avoid facilities like swimming pool, table tennis, sand castles, skiing etc. The restaurant should NOT have kid's menu. They make a mess of special food.5/ Don't worry about the climate at your destination. Presume it to be good.GETTING READY:6/ Do you have infants and toddlers? Take everything under the sun with you. All the toys, blankets, strollers, few hand ...

DESTINATION INDIA-"THE EYE IN THE SKY" : TO THE HIGHEST OBSERVATORY OF THE WORLD : MOUNT SARASWATI, CHANG THANG, LADAKH 2007-10-03 21:02:00 A: Hanle observatory (2)B: Hanle MonasteryOn the 4th day of their Jeep tour, Douglas, breaking the silence of the great flat land of Chang Thang announced,"I'm gonna visit Mount Saraswati. This is some place. Rami Chan, you are coming with me for an incredible surprise.""Mount Saraswati? Where and for what?" asked Rami"You never heard of The Mount Saraswati? Henle? IAO in Chang Thang?"Douglas was surprised "No." "Well, let me tell you..."They were in a mountain ringed beautiful valley and Rami Chan could see at a distance the world's mightiest ranges of The Himalayas and The Karakorum. The gleaming golden peaks were fading with the approaching dusk, the darkness was not long behind. Then suddenly there were a flicker of light, a possible reflection of a metal sheet from the mountains to their left. Douglas asked the driver to stop the Jeep. Peering through his binocular- he saw him again, the byke man. The guy was at the hotel at Leh, at monastery and then at Khardung La pass a ...

THE WONDER CALLED : "THE COLD DESERT OF THE LAST SHANGRILA"-Ladakh, India 2007-09-27 23:25:00 Someone tapped his shoulder. Startled, Rami Chan whirled round. To his surprise, cousin Kishan was smiling. He turned towards a foreigner, tall and lanky with a gray shirt and black trouser. The hand shake was firm but friendly. With the raised eyebrows Rami Chan looked enigmatically at Douglas Ford when told that he is from University of Washington, St. Louis, a professor in Astrophysics and accompanying Rami Chan and his cousin Kishan to LADAKH for a business cum pleasure trip. Pleasure? Yes, LADAKH is an ethereal cold desert, “a little Tibet”, “The last Shangrila” and “The moonscape” in the north western part of India but for a business? Rami Chan couldn’t understand it. The flight to Leh the capital of Ladakh takes about an hour and a half from Delhi. Luckily they were seated on the right side. After about an hour they could see on their right, at a distance, the snow peaks of great Himalayan range in between gray white clouds. It was a magnificent sight and ...

THE WONDER CALLED "COLD DESERT";Chang Thung, Ladakh; India 2007-09-27 09:09:00 someone tapped on his shoulder. Startled, Rami Chan whirled round. To his surprise, cousin Kishan was smiling. He turned towards a foreigner, tall and lanky with a gray shirt and black trouser. The hand shake was firm but friendly. With the raised eyebrows Rami Chan looked was puzzled and looked at Douglas Ford when told that he is from University of Washington, St. Louis, a professor in Astrophysics and accompanying Rami Chan and his cousin Kishan to LADAKH for a business cum pleasure trip. Pleasure? Yes, LADAKH is an ethereal cold desert, “a little Tibet”, “The last Shangrila” and “The moonscape” in the north western part of India but for a business? Rami Chan couldn't understand it. The flight to Leh the capital of Ladakh takes about an hour and a half from Delhi.Luckily they were seated on the right side . After about an hour they could seetowards north, at a distance, the snow peaks of the great Himalayan range inbetween gray white clouds. It was a magnificent sig ...

"THE LOST GLACIERS OF LADAKH", INDIA: Destruction by global warming! ! 2007-09-20 04:44:00 Rami Chan took a long drag from the remaining cigarette in his hand, exhaling it slowly, the column of smoke lifting from the corner of the mouth across nostrils clouding his eyes.He was staring at me and I knew he was about to reveal something important.Whenever in Delhi, Rami Chen, as affectionately called, his real name being Ramesh Chandra, would as usual insist on a meeting after we met last, each one giving a vivid account of his travel or other happenings.I had finished the narration of my wonderful memories of CHOPTA and AULI to which he listened remaining relatively calm except for the few occasions where a flicker in the eyes showed his inner excitement. He lifted his glass gulped down the whiskey and pointed to our glasses for another round. Then he took out a folded news paper from his back, an old habit to keep note books, magazines shoved between his back and trouser held by the belt, asking me to open page 9 of "Hindustan Times", September 20th, 2007.The title on the ...

INDIA-SKIING WONDER "AULI" in Uttarakhand 2007-09-14 23:35:00 It was cold. Tommy and Amrita were cuddled in a blanket. There was still time for a sunrise. On the front seat I could see at a distance yellow lights of the houses and plumes of smoke rising in Chopta. It would be 4 to 5 hours drive from Chopta to Joshimath and then to AULI.The high speed picture frames of the scenery were becoming clear as the light was brighter. I turned and glanced back. Amrita looked back at me with the same lovely smile, beautiful eyes dark and deep.Tommy being an ex-army major was persistent with AULI. He was trained and loved skiing. I opened the window and breathed deeply the pine scented air. My eyes had a feast on the incredible passing landscape. Then we were going down hill to Chamoli at the lower altitude of about 900 meters. Crossing the town of Chamoli we could see the beautiful river "Alaknanda", a bit of crowded township, the gateway to the holy shrine of "Badrinath", "Valley of flowers" and to "Auli." The road was turning difficult, metalled with the ...

INDIA-CHOPTA IN Uttarakhand: AN ALPINE MEADOW STRAIGHT FROM A SWISS CALENDER 2007-09-07 21:46:00 There was a heated discussion. Tommy Singh nodding and Amrita vehemently disagreeing and insisting to proceed on to CHOPTA and finally to AULI. The pretty women when excited get an additional thrust to their point of view. The flickering shadows on the walls, a cold and smoky smell of the burning candles was casting a peculiar spell. Amrita was a furious beauty. The shawl slipped, exposing her silky, flawless and smooth neck. When quite, her lips parted slightly and eyes dreamy! The anger made her eyes piercing and she was a she wolf! I got up to the table and poured a stiff shot of vodka from a chilled bottle-the temperature must be minus. Squeezed some lime and gulped it. The vodka made my throat feel as though I had swallowed a torch. It was OK. I was trying to burn away my thoughts. How could anything so cold could burn so intensely hot? Next morning the weather was flawless. We left for Chopta. The route was Khirsu-->Pauri-->Srinagar-->Rudraprayag-->Ukhimath-->Chopta. Tommy ...

HOLIDAY INDIA-KHIRSU: A HIDDEN JEWEL IN FORESTS AT 6000FT, UTTARAKHAND 2007-09-03 23:28:00 Tommy Singh was incorrigible! Without giving me any choice, told me to meet him at KOTDWAR, a gateway town to many places in north east of Garhwal region. Tommy with his beautiful daughter Amrita will pick me up for our adventure to KHIRSU and CHOPTA fianally to AULI the ultimate destination of a skiing heaven in India. Though Tommy considered western Garhwal gems of Deoban,Kanasar and Mori but finally decided about KHIRSU and CHOPTA as these places still remained relatively undiscovered. "All arrangements are made. Don't look at the glass half empty!" my old friend told me rather sternly in reply to my apprehensions.I was excited on two counts. One-to explore two hitherto unknown heavens and second-the company of my lovable friend and his beautiful daughter Amrita! There was a hurry in my preparations to leave Dehra Dun to Kotdwar and I caught the first morning bus to reach by 12 noon. I guessed that it will take Tommy about 6 to 7 hours from Delhi via Modinagar, Bijnor and Najibab ...