Travel Tips

On the recent trip to Dharamashala, I had a day's stop over in Delhi. We utilised this to see the Qutub Minar. This is one of the 3 UNESCO world heritage sites in Delhi. The other 2 being Humayun's tomb and the Red Fort. This is the world's tallest brick minaret. The construction of this minaret was started by Qutb-ud-din Aibak who won Delhi from the Prithviraj under Muhammad of Ghori. It was subsequently extended by Iltutmish and Alauddin Khilji. Tomb of Iltutmish The complex has a number things to see like the Ashoka Pillar, Tomb of Iltutmish, Tomb of Alauddin Khilji and the Alai Minar. The ASI has installed an audio guide system in this complex. It is available in multiple languages. Different places in the complex are marked with numbers. On pressing that number in the audio guide, you get the information for that particular place. This is a must-try for the visitors to the complex. Other places of interest near this complex are the Jain Temple and the Lotus t...

View Larger Lonar crater was created due to the impact of a meteor hitting the Earth. A huge salt water lake has been formed within the crater. There is a MTDC resort near the crater. This is an ideal option when planning to see the crater. Overnight stay and early morning trek into the crater would be ideal. The manager at MTDC resort arranged for a guide into the crater. Taking a guide along is a must unless you know the area. The guide took us down the crater to the lake's edge. On the way we saw a few old temples. Of note is the Daitya Sudan temple which has very beautiful carvings. The lake water is alkaline in nature with a pH value of 11. The guide had brought along a litmus paper to display the alkalinity of the water. He also displayed the magnetic nature of the soil around the lake using the magnet that he had brought along. The brochure that we bought on Lonar Lake mentions that it is a habitat for a number of birds and animals. Was able to see some ducks. The gui...

Amazing place.....  Photos below More photos below

Aurangabad is one of the major locations on the tourist map for visitors to India. The 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites (Ajanta and Ellora) in its vicinity are the primary reason for that. But Aurangabad is worth a visit even if you take these attractions out of the equation. Stayed for a few days at the Atithi hotel. Have posted the review for it here. It is a good value for money proposition. Places that can be covered during a trip to Aurangbad are Pan Chakki - This is a water mill built in the times of the Mughal era to operate a mill for grinding corn for the poor and military garrisons. The mechanism is still functional. Daulatabad Fort - This is about 15 kms from Aurangabad. Take a government approved guide along with you to really enjoy this fort . This can be arranged at the ticket window at Daulatabad. The guide we got, explained to us the various defensive mechanisms engineered by the builders to make it an almost impregnable fort. Bibi-Ka-Maqbara - ...

Ajanta Caves in India are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Oldest of the caves are believed to be around 2000 years old. The paintings and sculptures found here are considered to be masterpieces. There are a total of 31 caves. Restoration work is in progress for some of the caves. Most of the visitors are dropped at the parking lot, from where there are regular buses which take the tourists to the caves. Cave timings are from 9 in the morning to 5:30 in the evening. Camera/Handycam charges have to paid separately at the ticket window. Handycams are not allowed inside the caves. People interested in shopping can shop for crystals. Check out more photos below.

After Gris Gris, Blue Bay was a big contrast. The sea here is very calm. Almost total absence of waves. Lots of people had come here to enjoy their weekend swim. The water is clean. The sand is white and soft. The water is fairly shallow for quite some distance. To top this off, we had a smashing sunset. Check photos below. More photos below

This was our first stop in our short (1/2 day) tour to the south of Mauritius. You can see strong waves come crashing towards the cliffs here. Swimming is prohibited. You lose track of time as you sit back and relax, enjoying the breeze coming in from the sea. Some photos below The place is a photographers delight with white sand, green trees on the surronding cliffs and clouds dotting the blue skies. Check out more photos here