Jaipur, India

Jaipur, Pink City is a place of palaces where Kings used to rule and live in their royal forts. As usual, we were eagerly waiting for our journey to Jaipur.

There are three ways to reach Jaipur- by train, by plane, by road. We went by road as we felt that going by car was a time saver. Plus it gave us flexibility to move around while being economical. Well, we started at 3pm and reached in approximately 4 hours. It was January, so very cold but enjoyable. Best time to visit Jaipur is from October till March. We had only 2 days for Jaipur which is a good enough time. List of important places to visit was ready which included :- Amer Fort, City Palace, Hawa Mahal,Jai Garh, Jal Mahal and Nahargarh Fort.

We started with Amer Fort which is 11kms from Jaipur.
Amer Fort was built by King Man Singh. It is a big fort on a hill with a long entrance road. The entry gate called as 'Ganesh Pole' is beautifully carved with intricate designs of stones. Ganesh pole is beautifully coloured with vegetable colours. Interesting thing is that these colors have never been repaired till date.

Ganesh Pole at Amer Fort

There were two open conference halls with designer pillars having intricate carvings. King used to hold his daily sessions with general public in one conference hall known as 'Diwan-e-Aam' and meetings with private guests in other conference hall known as 'Diwan-e-khas'.

Sheesh Mahal

There is a small palace in Amer fort which has walls of small mirrors. It is closed for public but I had a sneak preview from a window. As per our guide, it was built with an idea of having multiple images of Queen when both King and Queen were spending time together. This would give the King a feel good factor.

Sukh Mandir 

Another interesting place that guide showed us was Sukh Mandir which was built for the King for summers. Overhead tanks were placed to enable water trickle down through various passages in Sukh Mandir so that the air passing by creates a cool breeze. Interesting, no!

Big cooking pots used for Royal families

Kesar Kyari Bagh

Amer Fort is overlooking Maota lake which houses a beautiful garden. Garden is also called Kesar Kyari Bagh. It has star shaped flower beds. This garden once housed special spices plants from around the world.

View of Jai Garh from Amer fort 

City Palace- Comprises of Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal.  Entry gate has intricate designs of stones.

Major part of Chandra Mahal is lived by Royal Families and some part is museum.

Museum exhibits clothes used by Kings and Queens, arms and ammunition. Its very interesting to see snaps of Royal family and real thrones and darbar. There are two huge silver vessels of 4000 lts of capacity made of 14000 molten silver coins. These vessels have been officially recorded in Guiness book of world's record as world's largest sterling silver vessels. These vessels were used to carry holy water of river Ganges during King Sawai Madho Singh II's visit to England for his use.

Silver Vessel

Luckily, on the day of our visit, a wedding ceremony was being arranged for.

Hawa Mahal

Right in the heart of Jaipur city, in Johri Bazaar is Hawa Mahal, 'Palace of winds'. It was built by King Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. The palace has the face in the shape of a crown of Hindu God Krishna. There are 953 small windows to give royal ladies a platform to enable sneak preview of the street yet keep from public as Royal ladies were not supposed to show faces to public. Windows have lattice work to keep privacy and create cool breeze effect in summers. There are few rooms with different colored glass. Light passing through coloured glasses create colored spectrum in the chamber.

Hawa Mahal

There are many fountains in Hawa Mahal which combined with cooling effect of lattice windows made Hawa Mahal a favorite resort of kings.

Way to Jai Garh

World's largest Cannon- Jaivana

Jai Garh

Jai Garh fort was built by King Jai Singh II to protect Amer fort. Fort houses world's largest cannon- Jaivana. Barrel used 50 kg balls and weighs 50 tonnes. Cannon has been used only once for test purpose with 100 kgs of gun powder. It had covered a distance of 35 kms.

























Jal Mahal

Jal Mahal

Built in the middle of the lake, Man Sagar, this palace brings a spectacular view surrounded by Aravallis. The second floor of Jal Mahal has Chameli Bagh. A long walk by the lake side was very refreshing. A must see in Jaipur. I was thinking about the engineering at that time.



Nahargarh Fort

Nahargarh Fort

Having visited so many forts since morning, we were tired but still eager to see yet another interesting palace. We had to walk long to reach the wall of the fort. Walk way was green. Then we started walking along the wall to reach an open roof top to get full panoramic view of Jaipur City. Long walk was worth it.




On our way back, we saw beautiful peacocks. It reminded me of Ranthambore and Sariska!

GaltaJi added recently.

 Jaipur is full of hotels and restaurants to cater to needs of all budgets. We stopped at an eating complex called 'Saras' . About our hotel, it was a decent economical stay at Angel Taurus at Rs.2000.

Overall, Jaipur was a nice trip. A must see to know how Kings used to live.

Goa, India

Goa,Well.....Even the name brings a smile and is ever refreshing.
Also known as pearl of Orient and tourist paradise. Goa is famous for two things - beaches and places of worship. This place is heaven for sea food lovers. Goa has attraction for all ages. Actually, as lot of local people say Goa simply means relax.

Goa is at its peak beauty during monsoons i.e., from June to September. However, tourist season is from October till January.

After multiple cancellations, I thought I will never be able to go there. But, now the day had come when we were on our way to Indira Gandhi Internatonal Airport to catch our Spice Jet flight for Goa. Everyone was excited! Our flight was at 1pm.

Kids were happy to see the sea from the Aircraft.The flight was on time and we reached Goa Airport. Soon we were in our cab. It was a beautiful route to our hotel in South Goa -  Haathi Mahal, where we were supposed to stay.
Upon getting down, a big tall man standing with royal mustaches welcomed us. There was a big hall which had two elephants on the entry. We had our welcome drink and went ahead for our villa. Villa was nice and comfortable with functioning kitchen, two baths, two rooms and one drawing dining.

It was a luxurious resort with 4 swimming pools, Jakuzi, two restaurants, archade, gymn, library, spa and kids zone. Haathi Mahal was on a great location. On one side river Sal was flowing and on the other, it had Cavelossim beach nearby at a walkable distance.

Haathi Mahal

Sunset at Cavelossim beach, Goa

First day we rested and visited the beach Cavelossim in the evening. It was very rejuvinating to see the sun set by the sea with cool breeze embracing to say 'rejoice'. What a great place I was at. Just wanted to sit by the sea and simply stare at nature's beauty.

Cavelossim beach 

After sunset at Cavelossim Beach

Goa is divided in two zones mainly- North Goa and South Goa.
North Goa is a party place having low and medium budget hotels. South Goa is relaxing and peaceful in general having high end accommodations and private beaches. There are many properties where one can stay. Next day, we had to visit North Goa.Every time you want to visit beaches, you will have to hire a vehicle. We were excited to explore many beaches North Goa had to offer.

Dona Paula- There are many stories for this point. The one that we heard - It is said to be the suicidal point of Dona Paula who was a viceroy's daughter in love with a fisherman. Since she was not allowed to marry the fisherman, she jumped from the cliff. We went there to see the view, it was nice. There was a huge market which mostly offered clothes and small items. A good time pass.

Calangute- Beach which is highly crowded, it is mainly for people who like noise, rush and water sports. It was not possible for me to go near the sea due to huge crowd and little kids by my side. There are many eateries. We had some snacks to freshen up.

Baga-Comparatively less crowded but had water sports. Its a big party place and lot of youth festivals are organized here.I could enjoy the scenic beauty. Even the sand was less coarse.

Baga beach, Goa

Vagator- Another beautiful beach offering a scenic view.

Anuja beach, Goa

Anjuna beach, Goa

Another view of Anjuna beach, Goa

Anjuna- Beautiful beach with rocks. Many hindi film songs are picturized here. I wanted to sit on the rock for long but since we had limited time, we had to leave early.

A famous Anjuna Flea market where one can see many vendors for unbranded stuff was interesting as well. You can explore it for clothes and ornaments.





Arambol,Bamboline,Candolim, Chapora, Miramar, Morjim and Sinquerim were other beaches which we wanted to visit but have parked for our next visit to Goa.


It was a tiring but interesting day.

Next day was a relaxing again with Cavelossim beach visit near the resort. There is an arcade on the way.

Third day, our list had South Goa beaches Agonda, Benaulim, Cavelossim, Kolva, Majorca, Palolim and Varka.

Cavelossim , Kolva and Varka were quiet and relaxing beaches. People who want to relax in peace would like them.
We decided to come back to Goa to see the remaining beautiful natural creations.

On our fifth day, we visited spice garden which was very unique in itself. We enjoyed herbal tea followed by organic lunch from fruits,vegetables, pickles and spices grown there itself. Volunteers took us to the spice garden's tour showing various medicinal plants and their properties. I even tried to climb a tree which was quiet an experience.


On our sixth day, we went to see famous Basilica of Bom Jesus. It was a peaceful and soothing church. I meditated for some time. It was relaxing. Then, we visied Shanta Durga temple. In the evening, we reached river Sal side near our resort and clicked some snaps.

River Sal

Another view of River Sal

River Sal merging with Sea

Boating at River Sal

Hill view from river Sal

We also went to see the Dolphins at Agauda beach in North Goa. On the way, we got to see the Goa Agauda jail from a distance where freedom fighters were imprisoned before independence and Agauda fort.Upon reaching some far in the sea, Dolphins were diving in the water. Hmm... what a beautiful animal but timid. After they heard noise of water boats, none came out.

I realized that North Goa and South Goa should not be combined in one trip to be able to enjoy better. That is because if you are in South Goa, you have to travel a lot for North Goa. By the time you reach only, you are tired. We spent whole day hopping from one beach to other but still could not see all and were tired. Money spent on travelling was not less. We spent around Rs. 5000 only for cab for North Goa.

Few interesting facts about Goa-

1. Goa covers 125 kms of coast line.
2. Basilica of Bom Jesus is 408 years old. It hold mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier.
3. It is a UNESCO world heritage site.
4. Culture of Goa is influenced by 450 years of Portuguese rule.
5. People from all over the world specially Europe come to Goa mostly during winters.
6. Temple Shanta Durga signifies the transformation of Hindu goddess Kali to Durga goddess of peace.

Now, I am waiting to get another opportunity to visit Goa.It is definitely a destination that is worth going again.
I would recommend this world famous destination to all.

Nidhi K.M
23 Feb, 2014

Agra, India- Taj Mahal

Agra a synonym for Taj....! 

Taj ....... Eternal symbol of love !

We went there with our family friends on Republic Day, last year. Although I had visited Taj many times, this time I wanted to show it to my kids for the first time. They were very excited. We started at 9 am from Delhi. The Noida express way we took was fast and comfortable. We zipped through the way, stopped for sometime to freshen up, reached Agra by lunch time.

This time we stayed at 'The Gateway' hotel in the vicinity of Taj. Well , it was because my husband and his friend insisted to stay in a hotel having view of Taj from the room itself.

Kids as you know, always get excited outside their own house. But that was a good way to register Taj in their memory forever. They were able to spot Taj from our hotel room window.

Location of Taj is such that it stands out from far.

Next day morning, I woke up to a surprise. My husband was awake to see Taj before sunrise and it was amazing as we silently stared at first rays of sun embracing Taj. Although, the best time to view Taj is on a full moon night when the moonlight strikes Taj,it gives a spectacular view. However, this view was no less.

We had delicious breakfast and started for our destination. There was a big queue to enter the historical monument. I held kids tight because of huge rush at the entrance.

It was time to hire a guide to be able to better appreciate Taj. He told lots of facts about Taj . We were observing and admiring the wonder's spotless beauty. All kids were running around and enjoying.

Interesting facts about Taj Mahal:-

1. Meaning of Taj Mahal- Crown of Palaces
2. Taj Mahal was built by Shahjahan, a Mughal Emperor in 1653 ( 16 parks and 53 fountains symbolize the same) in remembrance of his beautiful wife, Mumtaj Mahal
3. The foundation of Taj has large wells on Yamuna river bed
4. White translucent marble was brought from Makrana, Rajasthan- India
5. Over 1000 elephants were used to transport building material
6. 28 types of precious and various semi precious stones were brought from India, Tibet, China, Afghanistan, Srilanka and Arabia which shine during the full moon night adding to its beauty
7. It took approx 12 years to complete ( equal to number of domes on outer gate)
8. The main gate is called 'Darwaze-i-rauza'
9. Four minarets are not exactly straight but little bit tilted outside so that they do not fall on the monument in case of any calamity
10. Beauty of Taj lies in its symmetry
11. UNESCO declared Taj Mahal as a world heritage site in 1983

Intricate carvings with precious stones

At the back side of Taj, river Yamuna was flowing seamlessly. Beautiful it was! It made me think of  Shahjahan, the emperor - how much he loved his wife that he built one of wonders of the world in her remembrance. Amazing , no!

I then wanted to sit for a while and feel the timeless beauty of Taj.  I would recommend this place to all.

Nidhi, 13-2-2014

Tarudhan Valley Golf Resort- weekend getaway from Delhi

Tarudhan valley golf resort is one of its kind. Situated near Tauru village, it is a beauty in its own. Good thing was that we reached there in just 1.5 to maximum 2 hours from Delhi.

Resort offered staying options like different villas and hotel rooms .We stayed in a villa. It was fully equipped with functioning kitchen and three baths with garden and parking space. Our villas location was nice where my kids could see different colored fishes swimming in pond straight from room window. They were really excited.

Whole resort is surrounding a nine hole golf course. It has many parks, fish ponds , kids play area, billiards, badminton courts, volley ball etc. 

Water splinkers created a beautiful rainbow.

I could not guess the existence of a peaceful and refreshing place near a hustling bustling city. Since the approach road was not so good, so we left the resort in the day light.

Visit for one night and two days was worth  value for money.

Nahan- one of nearest hill stations to Delhi

Nahan is a beautiful and scenic hill station in Himachal Pradesh,just 260 kms away from Delhi. Beauty of Nahan is relatively untouched and unexplored. It has breathtaking views where silence is disturbed by winds.

We started at 5 am and reached by 11 am. Drive was scenic and clear. Only a small portion of road near a place called 'Kala Amb' was bad. But it was worth going that far.

We stayed at Grand View resort which is located at the hill top of Jamta Heights. Resort actually offerered grand view of the valley and had decent rooms with Garden and swimming pool views. Food was good. One can play badminton, volley ball etc at resort.

Two nights three days trip is sufficient. Since we visited in July, weather was pleasant. Resort has a nice garden. Clouds were creating a scenic view while approaching the garden of the Resort. The stay was very quiet and peaceful away from hussle bussle of any township.

Places near Nahan- Fossil Park,Renuka Lake and Paonta Sahib Gurudwara.

Ranthambore wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India

Ranthambore is famous for Tiger Sanctuary. We went there in Dehradun express from Delhi. It was 7 hrs journey. We started late night and reached Sawai Madhopur early morning.

Sawai Madhopur Railway Station

It was a comfortable journey. 'Tiger Den resort’ in Ranthambore is a great resort to stay. All the facilities except TVs are provided. I liked being close to family and nature. The resort has three parks and a swimming pool. Well behaved staff helped kids (2 and 4 yr)adjust faster. Food was good too!

Sunset at Tiger Den Resort

Resort was just 5 mins away from the Tiger sanctuary. The trip to Ranthambore is worth two nights stay. One should go for Safari everyday, if possible both rounds – morning and evening. That way, probability to spot a Tiger increases.

We had our plans laid down. Since it was February and kids were too young to go for morning Jungle Safari, we went in the evening. We started with Zone 3 which had three beautiful lakes.

All of us were eager to spot a Tiger. We knew that jungle had 40 tigers but to our dismay, we could not spot any in the first trip. Although the wood was beautiful!

After alot of search , we got to spot a Tigress (T39 as per our guide) few meters away in bushes. She was lazing away to glory. We decided to wait and watch the majestic animal. Soon she started licking her limbs. Suddenly, she was alert, looked around and stretched herself. Ahh, there she starts.

Whhhattt....a majestic animal! Look at her divine stripes and golden fur. Oh my God, she is so close to us!!

Another move....

My first experience to watch a Tigress in its natural habitat. She seemed hungry and ready to hunt. She started walking towards a small pond. I was getting scared but was trying to stay composed as I had heard that Tigers don't attack jeeps. A single noise could have alarmed her leading to attack.

I held my kids tight. They were well behaved.

Then, T39 crossed the road where our jeep was standing.  We started following her. Suddenly, there was an alert call by a Sambhar Deer. I could see nature's drama right there. She went towards another small pond, tried to attack a baby crocodile which vanished in water at her sight.

Soon, she was out of our view. We decided to wait for her again and were lucky.
She was in front of us, not even 3 meters away giving a killing look. First she looked at me and then my kids one by one. I was numb and started saying 'Jai mata di'.

Kids were silent and brave, surprisingly behaving very well. They were really curious. Everyone in jeep was enjoying nature's drama.

After staring at all of us in jeep, T39 vanished in bushes. Ooh...fooh...! Relaxed, relieved, amazed! What an experience! Got to get once in a lifetime opportunity.

Now, about something else.

Those who have never seen a village can visit 'Shamsher Village'. We visited the village in a camel cart arranged by resort authorities. Village is a true picture of rural India.

We also visited a beautiful place called Bani ghat located 40 kms away from Sawai Madopur Railway station. Pictures will tell how beautiful the place is.

We were told that Ganesh Temple is very nice and worth going. On learning about more than 250 stairs to reach there, we did not go because of kids.

So, guys, go and enjoy Ranthambore.

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Nidhi, 31st Jan, 2014