Weekend Getaways near Delhi

Independence Day Weekend Packages

2011-07-18T01:48:00.000-07:00

Also See Monsoon Packages

15th August, Independence Day India.

Long weekends are great for holiday goers and planners alike, while you get a chance to take a break from the daily routine, we holiday planners get a chance to serve you ( and sell a lot of our merchandise). Independence Day Weekend, 13th-15th August 2011 is one such opportunity to some spend some quality time with family or friends or both. While a lot of resorts around Delhi, may already be sold out, some good ones are still available, though I am sure not for long.
Allow me to give you some suggestions for your holiday plans around Delhi. While most plans are for one or two nights you can also take a holiday on 12th,Friday (work and boss permitting) and make it a still more extended weekend.

Around Delhi (within 200k)
Fort Unchagaon (130K) Heritage property situated in a village about 7k from the Ganga, a great place and off beat place to spend a weekend. Packages start at Rs 5000/- per night with bfast.

Sariska Palace

Sariska Palace (190K) Situated next to the Tiger Wild Life Sanctuary (Sanctuary is open on Saturdays during monsoons). Only 2 nights package at Rs 17,000/- for a couple with all meals and various celebration activities.

Shiva Oasis, Behror (130k) Special Independence Day one night and two nights package with gala dinner & drinks, flag hoisting, DJ night etc. Starts at Rs 7500/- per night plus taxes with all meals.

Hans Resorts A lovely resort close to Delhi with good rooms and food with recreational facilities. Normal package starting at Rs 6999/- for a night with all meals.

Kadamb Kunj

Bharatpur -Just 4 hrs from Delhi, can be a good choice for a one night or two. Bharatpur is a lovely bird sanctuary and a quiet place for the weekend. Kadamb Kunj is one of the good resorts with a reasonable package of Rs 7000/- for 2n/3d with bfast.

Hills

Shimla- Hotel Willow Banks Situated right on the Shimla Mall road, this 4 star equivalent hotel boasts of lovely premium rooms with balcony, wooden flooring and valley view along with all modern facilities. Rooms start at Rs 5500/night with breakfast.

Timbertrail Parwanoo

Timbertrail Parwanoo A unique experience of using a Cable Car to reach your resort at a height of 5000ft, just a 5 hrs drive from Delhi. Rooms start at Rs 5600/nite plus taxes with bfast

Naini Retreat, Nainital A heritage hotel just 2 km from the lake with great rooms and food from Leisure Hotels stable.

Royal Orchid Fort Resorts, Mussoorie 800m from the Mall this beautiful resort boast of good rooms along with a lot of recreational facilities and green lawns with huge terrace. Independence Day Packages start at Rs 13000/- + taxes for 2n/3d for a couple.

Chalets Naldehra, A wonderful resort beyond Shimla close to the Golf course. Rooms, cottages and an indoor swimming pool makes it a perfect choice for the hills.

View from Binsar

Kassar Jungle resort, Binsar Binsar, a beautiful off beat hill station affords lovely views of the himalayas and at Kassar you can enjoy other recreational activities.

Annabella Resort, Ranikhet A new resort with beautiful views and good rooms with garden areas. Rooms start at Rs 7555/- for 2n/3d with bf & dinner for a couple

Hill Resort, Naukuchiatal A brand new property overlooking the lake with lovely rooms and a reasonable package starting at Rs 5999/- for 2n/3d with bf & dinner for a couple.

Corbett - Lovely and green resorts, flowing Kosi and Ramganga river, Jungle safari, adventure, treks and a lot more...

Corbett Hideaway

Corbett Hideaway and Corbett River View - Cottages and rooms close to the river with swimming pool, great food, spa and lots of activities to keep the whole family involved.

Infinity Resorts - All rooms facing the Kosi river and a great jungle like environment.

Non Hills Dont' feel like going towards the hills look at these options in the plains.

KK Royal Jaipur- A 4 star resort with lawns swimming pool and other recreational activities, the resort is overlooking the Amer Fort. Package starts at Rs 5999/- for 2n/3d for a couple with bfast.

Rasa Vilas - Deluxe tented accommodation based in 20 acres of forest area near Amer fort. This new property is promoted by the Devi Garh Resort, Udaipur. Package starts at Rs 9999/- for 2n/3d with bfast.

Khajuraho

Khajuraho Enjoy the rains and the lovely stone sculptures of Khajuraho, stay at Radisson or Usha resort to enjoy this long weekend. Package for 2n/3d starts at Rs 5500/- with bfast for a couple.

For bookings and more options log onto www.AroundDelhi.com or call Seema 9891458220/Anand 9811193634.

R.Anand,
Around Delhi

Monsoon Getaways

2011-07-09T00:13:00.000-07:00

It seems that finally the Monsoons are here in Delhi and North India and non too soon you will agree. Monsoon is a great time to explore new places or spend time watching the rain or enjoying the cool breeze at places which are green and close to nature. It is great seeing Raindrops falling on your window or verandah or lawn or....

Around Delhi offers some great getaways where we feel you can enjoy the rains in green environs and yet not too far from Delhi. Click here for special discounted Monsoon Offers from Around Delhi Holidays
What's more you enjoy great discounts and fablous monsoon offers from Around Delhi Holidays.
Sariska is a beautiful jungle area just about 3 hours from Gurgaon and it gets really green and clean due to the rains with wild life too enjoying the downpour after a parched summer. Stay at the Sariska Palace, a heritage property spread over 100 acres of mostly green lawns with not too big build up area.And who knows you might come across a Tiger on your visit to the Jungle Safari. Book Sariska Palace with us and get Jungle Safari free with the 2n package.

Fort Unchagaon near Garh Mukteshwar is just 130k and surrounded by Mango orchards in a village setting very close to the River Ganges. Enjoy this stint of rural tourism in a heritage fort with excellent food and services. Fort Unchagaon also has a swimming pool now. All meals package for a couple starts at Rs 5000/-.

Kikar Lodge near Ropar and Chandigarh is a jungle property with world class facilities and accommodation in tents or cottages with a Spa thrown in. Go for a night safari in this very green surrounding about 5 hours drive from Delhi. Also avail of a 20% discount voucher for your next booking at preferred resorts.
Corbett in rains with it's flowing rivulets, growing rivers and increasing greens adds to the charm of the place. You can also go for rafting, walk in the rains and Jungle safari as one or two Jungle gates are still open. Plus you can enjoy your stay at lovely resorts with all modern facilities at reasonable rates. Choose from any of these resorts at Corbett. Stay for 2 nights at Corbett Hideaway and stay free for one night at Naini Retreat.

And then of course you can head to the hills if you want to enjoy the beautiful & green mountains washed out by the falling rains. Click here for Hill options.
For more options log onto www.AroundDelhi.com or call Seema 9891458220/Anand9811193634.

R.Anand,
Around Delhi

Official Google Blog: The J. Paul Getty Museum collection comes alive with Google Goggles

2011-07-05T05:54:00.000-07:00

Official Google Blog: The J. Paul Getty Museum collection comes alive with Google Goggles

Official Google Blog: Introducing the Google+ project: Real-life sharing, rethought for the web

2011-07-05T05:51:00.000-07:00

Official Google Blog: Introducing the Google+ project: Real-life sharing, rethought for the web

Conference at Goa in the Monsoon Rains

2011-06-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

Ariel View, Majorda Beach Resort Goa

May and June is a very hectic season for us as far as season booking in hills are concerned as it is extremely hot in the plains. This leads to a lot of difficulty to get rooms and also the rates are quiet high. So we planned a conference for one of our clients at Goa during June as it is Monsoon time in Goa and one can get good rates in 4/5 star beach resorts in Goa.
The Conference cum Leisure trip was planned at Majorda Beach Resort in South Goa. Took the evening flight of Spicejet to Goa to reach one day before guest check in. On Landing at Dabolim Airport, Goa pickup vehicle was waiting in a light drizzle and it felt like heaven after the blistering heat of Delhi. After a welcome drink at the reception I was guided to my room, which was centrally air conditioned and felt so cold that I had switch off the A/c soon. There were also the delicious Goa Cashews and port wine waiting in the room, and the wine really set the mood for the evening with it's aroma and taste. I soon joined other guests near the indoor pool where a Goan band was playing along with some great acrobatic display including fire dance and all. The dinner had a wide variety with good taste and a definite Goan flavour.

View From Lounge at Majorda, Goa

Majorda Beach Resort Goa is a 5 star hotel spread in 22 acres and located in South Goa on the beach. It is one of the oldest properties in Goa and shows a mixture of Goan and Portuguese culture. The resort at Majorda boasts of two swimming pools, one indoor and one out doors, spa facilities, Gym, Lawn tennis and Squash in recreation. It has two Conference Halls with the bigger hall catering up to 300 people. The resort is very green with a lot of lawn areas, tall palm trees and green areas doting the place. The resort is very close to the sea and one can view the sea from some of the rooms, though the tall palm trees come in the way. One can just walk to the beach and enjoy the sandy beach, just as we did early next morning before breakfast. The sea is quiet rough during Monsoon and one should be careful not to venture too far into the sea during this season.

Indoor Pool at Majorda

After some fun in the pool and on the beach, it was time for the Conference and we were using the bigger San Rafael with back projection screens with LCD and an AV system. After the lunch it was time for some sight seeing to Old Goa to the famous Churches of Goa including that of Basilica of Bom Jesus, situated in Old Goa and built in 1605, Basilica of Bom Jesus has now been declared a World Heritage Monument. The church houses the sacred relics of St. Francis Xavier, patron saint of Goa, who died while on a sea voyage to China. By 6 PM we crossed Panajim for the cruise of River Mandovi with the slight drizzle egging us on. The evening cruise on the river is a One hour trip where the group enjoyed the lovely views and breeze along with some Goan and Portuguese dances to boot. After the cruise people bought some specialities of Goa like the cashew nuts and Port wine and Cashew Fenny from a nearby market. We made our way back to our resort in our bus in the falling rain and reached back in about an hour.

San Rafael Conference Hall

The next day was fully reserved for the conference followed by a DJ party indoors because of heavy rain inside. The Conference Hall was very spacious and made a perfect venue for the discussions and unveiling of some new themes for the Company. Last day after winding up the discussions in the pre lunch session, the group checked out and took flights back to Mumbai and Delhi. Majorda.

Dr. R.Anand

For planning your Conference or Leisure programmes at Goa contact us at Around Delhi,call us at 09811193634/09891458220 or email us at arounddelhi@gmail.com

Also see Goa Airfare packages

Confernece at Kasauli

2011-05-17T06:20:00.000-07:00

Just finished a Conference for a group of Delhi District Court Judges at Victoria Continental near Kasauli. Total of about 120 Judges were hosted and the complete programmed was expertly handled including all transport facilities, stay, conference and trekking etc.

Dr.R.Anand
Resorts at Kasauli
(MY4QM9YC75QN)

Good Friday Long Weekend

2011-04-07T00:40:00.000-07:00

We are fast approaching the long weekend of Good Friday 22nd-24th April 2011, a holiday on Friday makes it convenient to take a well deserved break from one's busy schedule and relax in the hills, forest or some nice resort around Delhi. Not surprisingly many of the resorts are already sold out and rest too are selling like hot cakes. So if you have not booked do it fast to avoid last minute disappointment. Some of the options available for this weekend are as below

Wild Life
Sariska Palace, 4 hrs drive from Delhi, a heritage property based in 100
acres right next to Sariska Tiger Sanctuary.

Corbett, CorbettRiverView and Den Corbett. Corbett is just 6 hrs drive from Delhi and all year round destination plus a great place to watch the wildlife. Also available are
convenient 2/3/4 BR cottages.

Hills

WillowBanks, Shimla, situated on the Mall Road, this beautiful hotel is
conveniently located on the Shimla Mall road and offers 4 star facilities.
Situated near Shimla, Oakwood Shoghi is a great place for some adventure activities in natural surroundings

Ranikhetin Uttaranchal, Rosemount a beautiful heritage property near Nainital.

KassarJungle Resort, near Binsar,
the place to see the snow capped Himalayan peaks.

Sun n Snow, EcoLodge and Mountain Villa at Kausani.

Nainital- Naini Retreat & Shervani Hill Top

Claridges Nabha is a lovely 4 star resort near Mussooire in beautiful and quiet surroundings.

HotelSilver Rock at Mussoorie on the Mall Road Mussoorie.

Adventure

Rishikesh-Rafting & Camping Options Camping on the white sand beaches and rafting on the Ganges.

Chakrata Camps near Dehradun Camps at a cooler place with option of adventure including rafting.

Rajasthan & Around Delhi

Jaipur is fun with it's colourful bazaars, variety of cuisines and various old forts and
havelis. Stay at the KK Royal next to Amberfort or the Pride Amber Vilas, a new
resort in Jaipur based on a Rajasthani village, right opposite the Chokhi Dhani.

ResortCountry Club, Gurgaon,

Tree House near Bhiwadi, is about an hour's drive from Delhi and a beautiful place to enjoy with swimming pool, spa , tennis etc. and great food to boot.

For other options log on to www.AroundDelhi.com

For bookings nd queries call Seema @ 9891458220/ Anand 9811193634

Devi Garh Udaipur

2011-01-06T04:48:00.000-08:00

Devi Garh Udaipur

I was now on last leg of my Rajasthan tour and was to travel by road from Jodhpur to Udaipur. Started early morning from Jodhpur and made good time to reach Devi Garh a luxury resort, made popular by now divorced Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar wedding. The road from Jodhpur to Udaipur is fairly OK except for some bad patches. The usual time taken is about 6 hours.

Arravali Suites

Palace Suites

Devi Garh or Devi resorts as it is also called, is situated about 28k before Udaipur, The fort, surrounded by lush green fields and mountains on three sides, overlooks the village of Delwara, and is close to the temples of Eklingji and Nagda. Devi Garh fort palace with its contemporary interiors set in an 18th century fort palace, has been described as one of the most romantic places on earth, and it surely lives up to that. The lovely fort palace of Devi Garh offers a variety of palace suits each unique in it's own way. The well spread out Palace has been resurrected from almost scratch and now the garden, palace, terrace and the pool has a divine look. I was accompanied for a Palace tour as this was my first visit to the place followed by a sumptuous lunch. The accommodation is all suites with the Devigarh Suite having a private Jacuzzi and a semi private swimming pool,luxury at it's best.

All the palace suites have either balconies or bay windows, which overlook the lush green fields and the mountains which surround Devi Garh. Each suite is accessible through a traditional "aangan" (courtyard) with contemporary design. Each suite is decorated with semi precious stones and is unique in it's own way.

Garden Suites Sitout

The Garden suites at Devi Garh each have their own private lobby, garden and tented terrace, and overlook a vivid rectangular field of flowers. In each of the suites, the decor (based on local green marble) brings the serenity and beauty of the garden inside. A carved marble tree of life surmounts the headboard of the bed, adding to the effect of a garden within the room.

Apart from the suites there is also a lovely spa by L'Occitane presenting a fusion of Indian and Mediterranean well -being treatments

The evening at Devi garh was wonderful with the sun setting and turning the already golden fort more beautiful and paint it in lovely hues of red and gold.
Devi Garh near Udaipur is a lovely place to be for a romantic holiday, a honey moon destination or a family outing. Also a great set up for a high end corporate meeting or training.

Call us for best offers for Devi Garh Udaipur at 09811193634 or email us at arounddelhi@gmail.com.

R.Anand

Already covered Jaipur-Bikaner-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur in Rajasthan itinerary.

Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Rajasthan-road-train-trip

2011-01-01T04:15:00.000-08:00

After some memorable time at Jaisalmer & Sam,Khuri dunes it was time to move on to Jodhpur. Caught the evening train to Jodhpur, Jodhpur's main attractions are the Mehrangarh Fort and Umaid Bhawan Palace. Mehrangarh fort is situated 400 feet (122 m) above the city, and is enclosed by imposing thick walls. Inside its boundaries there are several palaces known for their intricate carvings and expansive courtyards. Some of the palaces inside the fort are

Umaid Bhawan Jodhpur

Moti Mahal - The Pearl PalaceBuilt by Raja Sur Singh (1595-1619), the Moti Mahal is the largest of the Mehrangarh Museum's period rooms.

Sheesha Mahal - The Hall Of MirrorsIt is a fine example of a typical Rajput Sheesh Mahal. The mirror-work includes large, regular pieces, rather than an intricate mosaic of tiny fragments; another thing is the superimposition over the mirror-work of brightly painted religious figures made in plaster.

Phool Mahal - The Palace Of Flowers The Phool Mahal was created by Maharaja Abhaya Singh (1724-1749). The grandest of Mehrangarh's period rooms the Phool Mahal was in all likelihood a private and exclusive chamber of pleasure; dancing girls once swooned in exhaustion here under a ceiling rich in gold filigree.

Umaid Bhawan Palace is named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of the present owners of the palace, this monument has 347 rooms and serves as the principal residence of the erstwhile Jodhpur royal family. Part of the palace has been converted to a hotel and another part has a museum housed in it.

Fort Luni Chanwa

Around Jodhpur- One can visit the Osian temples about 65 km from Jodhpur which are medieval Hindu and Jain temples, like the Shiva temple, Harihara temple and the Surya temple. The temples date back to 8th-11th century. Osian also offers a desert safari and some camping options too. Another place close to Jodhpur-40k, is Luni village where there is a lovely Fort Chanwa worth visiting and staying for one night at least.

The city of Jodhpur is now on the international tourist map and also a big hit with the domestic tourists for leisure and conference. Jodhpur is almost an integral part of your Rajasthan itinerary also because of it's strategic location. I had a wonderful time at Jodhpur in my two days stay.

Next in line was Udaipur, and I had to go by road to Udaipur as Jodhpur to Udaipur has no train connection(strangely).

Dr. R.Anand
For planning your Rajasthan itinerary contact us at Around Delhi,call us at 09811193634/09891458220 or email us at arounddelhi@gmail.com You can also book Jodhpur hotels with us.
Also see Bikaner, Jaisalmer.

Snow fall at Shimla Kufri on New Year eve

2010-12-31T00:21:00.000-08:00

Hotel Willow Banks on the Mall road, Shimla

31st Dec 2010- Shimla gets it's first snow fall of the season. Kufri got a heavy snowfall and is totally covered in a white cover right now. It's been more than 15 years since Shimla turned white on New Year eve. More snow is forecast by the Met department in the forthcoming days. Manali too has been having regular snowfall for the last few days. People can be seen playing with snow at Kufri and even Mall road has a good sprinkling of snow.
Lucky ones are already there in Shimla and Kufri to enjoy this beautiful spectacle, also with most of the schools being closed for winters people are heading for the Shimla hills to spend their holidays.
Plan your snow holidays with us at Around Delhi- Call us for your Shimla hotels booking or Stay at Kufri resorts. Choose from Hotels on Mall Road Shimla like Hotel Willow Banks Shimla or other hotels in Shimla.
As I write this blog news is that it is again snowing at Kufri, so head for the hills friends asap. The Shimla city witnessed intermittent snowfall during the day, while it received about 15 to 20 cm of snow last night. The road to Kufri was blocked for some time due to heavy snow. The NY festivities have started at most places in Shimla with music, live band and bon fires at many places. Chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, joined the festive crowd by taking a stroll of the The Mall Shimla, greeting local people and tourists for the New Year.

Dont' worry if you were not there on NY eve, catch a train or take out you car and head towards Shimla or Kufri to view this beautiful spectacle.

Manali area is having almost continuous rain and snow since last evening.

For bookings call us at 09811193634/09891458220 or email us at arounddelhi@gmail.com
R.Anand

Jaisalmer-Sam-Khuri-sand-dunes-tour

2010-12-16T08:19:00.000-08:00

Camps at Sam

After staying at Jaisalmer I planned to visit the famous and popular dunes of Sam and Khuri the next day of my Rajasthan desert safari trip. One can find desert sand dunes on two sides of Jaisalmer at Khuri and Sam, both about 40k. Both are in opposite directions and you can go to either of them. I planned to stay at luxury tents at Sam overnite and visit the Khuri dunes next morning just to compare the two.

Started from Jaisalmer after lunch in a Jeep, the road was fantastic as it is used by the Army to cover the Indo-Pakistan border areas. The first view of the dunes was totally mesmerising as it brought back memories of the desert as seen in Bollywood movies. The place was really abuzz with tourists, transferred to a Camel for a safari and seeing the sunset from a vantage point in the desert. The sunset was truly amazing as one could clearly see the ball of fire disappear all the way below the horizon. After the safari reached my abode for the night, the deluxe tents where I planned to stay the night. The tent was quiet spacious with two bed,chairs,table and still some space to move around. It also had electricity and an attached bathroom and English toilet with running water. Most important, the tents and the whole area was quiet clean inspite of a lot of sand around. After some light snacks and tea there were some great traditional Rajasthani songs and dances, the local artists were just amazing reminding me of Swaroop of Indian idol. The night was cold in the desert but the tents were quiet cosy. I really had a good night's sleep and planned to do another Camel Safari as it was much quieter now and very less people. The morning freshness of the dunes set the tone of the day. The tents had a small bathroom where hot water was also provided,didn't feel like we were in middle of a desert. After a hearty breakfast it was time to move on back to Jasialmer.

After reaching Jaisalmer the next stop was the dunes of Khuri as I wanted to compare Khuri and Sam dunes as I had to leave post lunch from Jaisalmer. The dunes of Khuri are located next to the Desert National Park which is know for the endangered Great Indian Bustard, a magnificent bird found in relatively fair numbers here. The Desert National Park also has a collection of fossils of animals and plants of 180 million years old. Some fossils of Dinosaurs of 6 million years old have been found in the area. Khuri is a small village of Hindu settlers with fairly good dunes nearby. Khuri has developed later than Sam so it is less crowded here, also one of the camps I visited is away from the village and the dunes are almost to your own even in the evening, that was the best part about these camps near Khuri. The tents are simillar with attached toilets and bathroom. I concluded that though Sam dunes were bigger but you can have less crowded dunes at Khuri.

I hurried back to Jaisalmer to have lunch and then catch my train to Jodhpur for my next leg of the journey.
Next- Jodhpur
Dr. R.Anand

Also see Bikaner trip, Jaisalmer Attractions , Udaipur Devigarh.

Delhi-Jaipur-trip-with-adventure-activities

2010-12-14T05:07:00.000-08:00

Reached Rajasthan today.Am at Jaipur with a group. Stay was at Gold Palace.
Here is the itinerary for Jaipur corporate trip

Reached Gold Palace at 7 AM
Breakfast at the resort
Moved to camps nearby by bus for adventure activities.

The total group of about 60 people enjoyed a fun day with lot of activities like
Spider net crawling, tyre wall climbing, Burma and triangular bridge crossing,
artificial river crossing, obstacle courses, Tarzan swing and climbing on Fiber glass wall.
After a hearty lunch at the camp the group had a game of cricket in the lush green lawns.
On the way back some of the group members visited Amber fort which is closeby,

Returned to the resort and in the evening and everybody enjoyed Evening DJ with cocktail snacks and drinks in the lawns. After a late dinner the group hit the bed to wake up to a hearty and refreshing breakfast. People took a dip in the pool or went for a walk in the lawns, some of them enjoyed TT,snooker and group games in the lawns.After some official meeting in the Conference hall the group departed to Delhi after a satisfying and fun stay.

While the group returned to Delhi, I prepared for the next leg of my Rajasthan Desert safari trip covering Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Udaipur. Follow my Rajasthan trip.

Dr. R.Anand

Please contact us for a simillar itinerary for Jaipur, Rajasthan including adventure activities and other fun activities or even a conference. Call us at 9811193634/9891458220 or email us at arounddelhi@gmail.com
For other options around Delhi and Jaipur click here.

Delhi-Bikaner-Jaisalmer-trip

2010-12-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

Continuing my trip of Rajasthan (See Jaipur-Bikaner trip) I caught a night train to Jaisalmer to reach early morning at the station. The only problem was that there is no A/c class available and one can only travel in 2nd Sleeper. One can also do Bikaner-Jaisalmer by road and a distance of about 240k can be covered in around 4 hours. I was booked at Hotel Jaisalgarh and was fortunate to get a room early in the morning.

Jasialmer Fort

Nathmal Haveli

Jaisalgarh is a nice modern hotel with lawns, swimming pool and nice clean rooms. It is about 2 km from Jaisalmer Fort or the Sonar Quilla as it is called, the second oldest fort in Rajasthan. Two hundred and fifty feet tall and reinforced by imposing crenellated sandstone wall 30 feet high; it has 99 bastions, 92 of which were built between 1633 and 1647. Wells within the fort still provide a regular source of water. Even today, you will find that nearly one fourth of the old city's population resides within the fort. The fort imposes upon the whole of Jaisalmer and definitely worth a visit. Jasialmer city as a whole gives you that golden look with a lot of buildings using the local yellow stone at the facade and even the floors etc. It is a small city easily covered even on an auto. The old city is quiet crowded and apart from the Fort one can see the various Havelis like Salim ji ki haveli, Patwon ki haveli and Nathmal ji ki haveli. The havelis are known for it's minute carvings, murals and gold and silver embroidery.

Other places one can visit around Jaisalmer are Gadsisar lake,a famous picnic spot in the sandy city, is among the most beautiful tourist attractions in Jaisalmer. It attracts hundreds of migratory birds during the winter season. An evening spend near the lake around Sunset time is really enchanting. About 15 km from Jaisalmer is the Akal Wood Fossil Park,where stood a forest 180 millions years ago. Then the area submersed in to the sea and the tree trunks got preserved in the form of fossils. Covering about 10 sq. Km of bare hillside, the Fossil Park contains 25 petrified trunks, in total.One can also visit Lodurwa, the ancient Jain temples or Kuldara village an architectural wonder of the medieval times. Jaisalmer town needs at least one full day to have a good look at it's tourist attractions. I have specifically not mentioned the sand dunes of Sam and Khuri, the major tourist attraction near Jaisalmer as I will be covering them in my next write up.
Dr. R.Anand
For booking of Rajasthan itinerary including Jaisalmer Call us at 9811193634/9891458220 or email us at arounddelhi@gmail.com . You can also book Jaisalmer Hotels and Camps with us.
Also see Jaisalmer-Jodhpur leg and Udaipur trip.

Rajasthan-train-road-trip-Delhi-Jaipur-Bikaner

2010-12-05T05:15:00.000-08:00

I had been planning to take a trip to Rajasthan for a long time, but Anaesthesia and AroundDelhi had me in their grip and did not let go. Finally post Diwali mid Nov 2010 I was able to make it and started with a train trip from Jaipur to Bikaner, took train no 0234 at to reach Bikaner early morning. You can also reach Bikaner directly from Delhi via Rajasthan Sampark Kranti overnite journey(10 hrs), via road one can reach Bikaner via Mandawa, Jhunjhunu. I was to catch a train to Jaisalmer in the night so I knew it was going to be a hectic day, I took up a retiring room to save time and was ready in time to have a tour of Bikaner and see some accommodation options too. The first stop was the Junagarh fort, this fort was built by Raja Rai Singhji, the sixth ruler of Bikaner, who ruled form 1571 to 1612 AD. Raja Rai Singhji could Marshal the revenues of a Kingdom increased by the conquest of half Marwar and grant of half Gujrat and made use of ample funds from Jodhpur and Western Deccan for the construction of this fort.

Junagarh Fort

Map of Bikaner The important portions of the old palaces in a sequence of visit are Harmandir, Tetis Crore Devi-Devtaon-Ka-Mandir (in this tepmple nearly 700 precious Bronze idols are stored that were brought by the tenth rules Maharaja Anup Singhji from Deccan), Mina Deodhi, Karan Mahal and its Courtyard , Kunwar Pada Mahal, Anup Mahal Courtyard, Phool Mahal ki Sal, Chander Mahal, Rai Niwas Katchery, Anup Mahal, Sardar Niwas (Badal Mahal), Sur Mandir Chaubara, Gaj Mandir Courtyard, Gaj Mandir, Chattar Niwas, Dungar Niwas, Lal Niwas, Ganga Niwas Mahal and Ganga Niwas Durbar Hall, Maharaja Ganga Sinhgji's study room and Vikram Vilas Durbar hall.

Karni Mata Mandir

Next stop was the Karni Mata Temple, it is 30 Km south from Bikaner on the road of Jodhpur, at Deshnok who is worshiped as an incarnation of Goddess Durga. The temple is unique as the rats called Kabas, are venerated here and the shrine is a sanctuary for them. It is believed that these Kabas carry souls of future Charans/bards (children of the goddess) who inhabit the town of Deshnok. The temple has fascinating huge silver gates and marble carvings. The most attractive feature of temple are the rodents who scamper freely within the premises and if one touches your feet its considered auspicious. They are regarded sacred and devotees buy prasad (feeding) to offer to them.

Gajner Palace

Also about 30 km from Bikaner on the way to Jaisalmer is Gajner wild life sanctuary.The lush foliage of the woods here have a number of neelgais(blue bull), waterfowls, chinkara (black buck), particularly flocks of imperial sandgrouse and wild boar living here.It is considered as the prettiest place in the region, with a lake, a palace, wooded hills and gardens. The lake at Gajner attracts water birds in thousands, the imperial sand grouse from Siberia being the most important of these. Large herds of deers can be seen here grazing freely. One can stay at Gajner Palace right at the sanctuary. Though I could not see the Camel breeding farm near Bikaner but it is definitely worth a visit. There are also sand dunes near Bikaner,like Jaisalmer and one can spend an evening at the dunes with a camel Safari or stay overnite at the camps.

So Bikaner is definitely worth including in your Rajasthan Itinerary.

Contact us at Around Delhi Holidays for planning a trip to Bikaner and Rajasthan. Bikaner itinerary Bikaner Hotels

Call us at 9811193634/9891458220 or email us at arounddelhi@gmail.com

Dr.R.Anand

(Coming next- Jaisalmer trip with Sam and Khuri dunes.)

Goa Pacakges with Airfare Delhi Goa Delhi

2010-10-22T23:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Around Delhi Holidays presents best rates for Goa Resorts and Hotel packages for 2011 ranging from 3 to 5 star properties. The links to the Goa Resorts give you info about the resort location in Goa and the facilities etc. We also present Air fare packages for Delhi-Goa-Delhi and also Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai.

Goa boasts of a long coast line and rightfully so, a vast number of serene white sand beaches dot the coasts of Goa making the life line of tourism in Goa. Except for the Monsoons Goa beaches and quiet and smooth, not rough as at some other coasts in South India. During Season October to March these beaches get dotted by various shacks selling all kinds of stuff from beer to sea food to traditional costumes etc. Some beaches are more popular with the tourists depending on the attractions they offer while some Goa beaches may still be quiet and lonesome even at height of tourist activity, so you may take your pick depending on what kind of holiday you are looking at.

Airfare Packages -GOA 3N/4D per person

Hotel Name	Validity	Meal Plan	Ex. Delhi	Ex. Mumbai
Majorda Goa (5*)	Till 31st march 2012	AP	21800	20000
Ramada Carvela Beach Resort (5*)	Till 31st march 2012	AP	17700	15700
Baywatch Resort (4*)	Till 31st March 2012	AP	17200	15500
	Till 31st March 2012	AP	17500	15000
Holiday Inn Goa (5*)	Till 31st March 2012	AP	23999	21500
Calangute Grande (3*)	Till 31st March 2012	AP	16000	14500
Jewel Inn Resort & Spa (3*)	Till 31st March 2012	AP	15999	13500
ALOR GRANDE 3*	Till 31st March 2012	AP	15999	13000
ALOR HOLIDAY RESORT 2*	Till 31st March 2012	AP	14999	11999

Common Inclusions
: # Return airfare including airport taxes.
# Airport / respective railway station transfers.
# AP-Meals Bf,lunch,dinner.
# 01 day sightseeing followed by boat cruise on river Mandovi (except Intercontinental The Lalit).
Rates are Per person (Service tax extra)

Note: Other hotels and resorts are also available from time to time.

Also See- Beaches of Goa, Goa Attractions

For queries call Anand 9811193634/Seema 9891458220 or

send us an email - arounddelhi@gmail.com

R.Anand

Honeymoon Destinations India

2010-07-31T02:18:00.000-07:00

India offers a plethora of honeymoon destinations & spots and the newly wed honeymoon couples may find it confusing to choose from various options of honeymoon places in India. In an effort to help you choose a top and favourite honeymoon destination, we have tried to breakup the options into various categories and give the pros and cons of each honeymoon destinations. Here are some great ideas for an enjoyable honeymoon in North, South or any where in India.

Hills Honeymoon Spots India- Hills with their natural beauty, cool weather and great choice of accommodation options makes for a great place to spend the honeymoon for the newly wed couple. Another factor going for the hills is that you can get great deals in the off season period. Some of the top Honeymoon Hill Stations are

Shimla Manali

Shimla Region including Chail,Kasauli,Kufri

Uttranchal Tour covering Nainital, Ranikhet, Binsar etc.

Kashmir Honymoon Tour

Dalhousie Dharamshala Honeymoon Tour

Ooty Honeymoon Trip

Best time to go- Any time of the year

India Beach Honeymoon options- White Sands, blue seas, romantic setup by the beach and lovely cool sea breeze in your hail, what can be better than a honeymoon at the beach.

Goa Beach Holidays

Kerala Beach, House boat and the backwaters.

Best time to go- October to March

Rajasthan Royal Honeymoon Options Having your wedding during winters adds another destination for your Honeymoon trip-Havelis and Palaces of Rajasthan. Spend the first few days of your blissful marriage like royalty-King and Queen of an empire. Explore the Pink City Jaipur, or the sand dunes of Jaisalmer, lakes of Udaipur or the fort of Jodhpur or temples of Bikaner, Eklingi or Mount Abu.

Best time to go- October to March

Indian Wildlife Honeymoon options Couples trying to have a different experience on their honeymoon trip can try a Wild Life destination and share the thrills of watching some great wildlife together. Some of the best options are

Corbett

Sariska

Ranthambhore

Kanha

Gir

Kaziranga

Religious Honeymoon Options in India A very popular option with most Indian newly weds the first trip of the new couple is to take the blessings of the God to a famous religious shrine. Usually this is combined with another popular destination mentioned above.

Favourite Religious Destinations for Honeymooners

Vaishnodevi Katra

Amritsar

Puri

Shirdi

Tirupati

Some tips before you choose your Honeymoon destination

The couple should discuss the honeymoon destination before marriage possible and come to a consensus for the place they plan to visit.

Also discuss the budget you are planning to spend and the kind of hotels/resorts you plan to stay.

Always research and book your trip in advance because can not take the risk of searching for place to stay at your destination.

If you are not travelling by your own vehicle book the train/air tickets in advance and also book the required vehicle for pickup/sightseeing etc. in advance.

Don't make it too hectic by lot of travelling, remember you have come here for relaxing and understanding each other on the honeymoon.

You can book your Honeymoon trip in India through Around Delhi Holidays.Call Anand 09811193634/Seema 09891458220 or mail us at arounddelhi@gmail.com

R.Anand,

Editor

Leh Ladakh Packages Delhi-Leh air fare packages

2010-03-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

Leh Ladhakh is emerging as a new off beat destination during Summers for Indian tourists. One can travel by road via Manali or Srinagar or take a flight from Delhi to reach Leh.

Suggestive Itinerary for Leh Ladakh Tour.(2011-12) Also see Delhi-Leh-Delhi with airfare packages below.

Day-01
Arrival at Leh Airport. Leh is at an elevation of (3500 Mtrs) above the sea level. You will be received by our representative and transferred to hotel dragon .Traditional Check in, welcome tea / coffee will be served. Complete rest to get acclimatize. After lunch drive to visit Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa and drop at Leh Market, nice walk while returning to Hotel. Over night Hotel.

Day-02
Full day of visit, after Breakfast drive about 40 Kms (3 to 4 hours) en route visit Sindhu Ghat, Shey, Thiksey and Stok Palace Museum. Over night Hotel

Day-03
Full day of visit, after Breakfast drive 40 Kms (3 to 4 hours) visit Spituk Monastery, Kali Mata, Pather Sahib, Magnetic hill, Confluence of Zanskar - Indus river and Hall of fame. Over night Hotel.

Day-04
Full day trip, after early Breakfast leave for Pangong Lake drive 154 Kms (7 to 8 hours) through Changla Pass (5300 Mtrs,17,350fts) one of the highest motor able road in the world. Visit the beautiful Pangong Lake forms a part of the border area between India and China. This Large, serene Lake at an altitude of 13,930 fts above the sea level has a brilliant color variation including deep blue, turquoise etc. Enjoy your Packed Lunch on the bank of Lake. Drive back to Leh. Over night Hotel.

Day-05
After Breakfast drive 39 Kms (2 to 3 hours) World Highest Motor able Road, Khardongla Pass ranging at (5603 mtrs, 18380 fts. At the top enjoy the nature beauty of snow capped mountain. Return to Hotel.
After Lunch one is free to explore Leh Baazar and surrounding. Over night Hotel.

Day-06
After Breakfast Transfer to the Airport and fly back to Delhi with Sweet memories of Ladakh.
Tour End
Package Includes:-
• Wel come Tea / Coffee on arrival.
• Fruit Basket and Cookies in every room.
• Accommodation in well appointed Deluxe Double Room with LCD TV(A Category Class Room).
• Daily Bed Tea ,Buffet Breakfast ,Lunch & Dinner.
• Air port Pick up and Drop.
• Transportation for all sightseeing places as per the itinerary.

Package Not Includes:-
• Air fare, Guide, Tips and Soft Drink

Package Rs.13,000 /- per person for 5 nites and 6 Days with above Inclusions(minimum 4 persons travelling together).

Service Charge-10% Extra, Service Tax as applicable

Also available 6n/7d with above inclusions and Delhi-Leh-Delhi airfare included at Rs 26,999/- per person (2011-12 season)

Customised packages for higher or lower nights also available. Accommodation also available in 4 star Hotel Grand Dragon starting at Rs 27,000/- for 5n/6d per person(Taxes extra)

For queries call Anand 9811193634/Seema 9891458220 or end us an email @ arounddelhi@gmail.com.

R.Anand

Holi Weekend 2010 near Delhi

2010-02-22T01:04:00.000-08:00

Holi is celebrated in India since time immemorial but the popularity of Holi celebrations seems to be rising with every passing year and so is the level of hoo-ha. As no other festival gives so much liberty to the people to let their hair loose and enjoy their hidden crazy self. Planning to celebrate a quiet weekend near or around Delhi as Holi is falling on a Monday and you can start on Saturday or Sunday and be back on Monday in the evening. Here are the options where rooms are still available.

Sariska-Sariska Palace, 4 hrs drive from Delhi, a heritage property based in 100

acres right next to Sariska Tiger Sanctuary.

WillowBanks, Shimla, situated on the Mall Road, this beautiful hotel is
conveniently located on the Shimla Mall road and offers 4 star facilities.

CorbettRiverView and Ramganga Corbett is just 6 hrs drive from Delhi and all year round
destination plus a great place to watch the wildlife. Also available are
convenient 2/3/4 BR cottages.

Jaipur is fun with it's colourful bazaars, variety of cuisines and various old forts and
havelis. Stay at the KK Royal next to Amberfort or the Pride Amber Vilas, a new
resort in Jaipur based on a Rajasthani village, right opposite the Chokhi Dhani.

Situated near Shimla, Oakwood Shoghi is a great place for some adventure activities in natural surroundings.

Claridges Nabha is a lovely 4 star resort near Mussooire in beautiful and quiet surroundings.

HotelSilver Rock at Mussoorie on the Mall Road Mussoorie,

ResortCountry Club, Gurgaon, a beautiful resort 50 km from Delhi.

Fort Unchagaon, 130 km from Delhi in an Village setting is a heritage resort, 7km from the river Ganges.

For other options log on to www.AroundDelhi.com

For bookings nd queries call Seema @ 9891458220/ Anand 9811193634

R.Anand

Kikar Lodge near Chandigarh

2010-02-01T05:11:00.000-08:00

Did a conference for a client at Kikar Lodge near Chandigarh(70k, 300k from Delhi). We started on Wednesday night on a Volvo having fears of the North India fog in our hearts. The journey was quiet smooth till Ambala and we made good time, after that a stretch of about 10k brought our heart in our mouth. On that day I realized what is "zero" visibility in actual terms, nothing was visible, not even the white lines in the middle of the road till you were on them. And the outside temperature must be close to 2-3 deg C, slowly we crawled at 10-15k speed and heaved a sigh of relief as it cleared up. Still we were ahead of time and reached Chandigarh in about 4 hrs, Volvo does make good time on the road and the journey is jerk free. Kikar Lodge is a jungle resort beyond Ropar away from all habitation, we reached in about 2 hrs from Chandigarh. One has to make it's way first though a small village and then a kucha track to reach Kikar Lodge. The first impression if of beautiful cottages in a green setup with small hills all around, the set up is just perfect and you can smell the freshness in the air. The resort gives you a jungle feel at the same time giving you comfortable and luxurious stay. As it is not big, only 30 tents and cottages, it can never get too crowded. After a hearty breakfast the group went into the conference we planned to explore the resort and the surrounding areas.

There is a lot you can do at Kikar Lodge, go for the spa treatment by trained staff, sauna and steam treatment, dip in any of the two big sized pools, read some thing in the quaint little library or play a game of ping pong or pool. For adventure seekers there are soft treks all around, trek to the famous Kikar tree, a small trek up the hill and you are rewarded with a beautiful view a the top. Go for quad biking or rock climbing or obstacle course, there is also a night safari in the surrounding jungle area. For foodies there are ample amount of thing available in the buffet or order ala carte plus of course a well stocker bar. Kikar Lodge turns out to be a perfect place for conferences as it is quiet, has a good conference hall and even lawns can be used for a discussion. Similarly, it is also suitable for training programmes and all with great outdoors. For young couples and families it is quiet, luxurious, close to nature and offers a lot to do, plus it is not too far, you can easily make it in about 6 hrs from Delhi. Last day of the stay, the group planned to prepare a jungle lunch on their own with a little help from us at Around Delhi and the resort. In the end it turned out to be a great outing for the group which I am sure they will cherish for a long tome to come.

For bookings call us at Around Delhi Holidays @9811193634/9891458220 or log onto our website www.AroundDelhi.com.

R.Anand

Other holiday options around Chandigarh

Delhi Jaipur Conference Tour

2010-01-25T02:27:00.000-08:00

On a foggy Thursday morning in Janauray 2010 we started in two 45 seaters Volvo for Jaipur for a conference of about 100 people, some people were directly flying to Jaipur. The programme was already running late by an hour because of the dense fog and huge traffic on the NH8-the Delhi Jaipur Highway when we reached the new resort called Park Ridge at Rewari. This new resort on Delhi-Jaipur highway has got about 40 rooms with a swimming pool,lawns,bowling alley,pool table and a conference hall, ideal for a leisure or training programme or also for a short weekend getaway. After a quick breakfast we were off again, it was almost 12 noon, but still no sign of the sun as of now. As we entered Rajasthan, the Surya Devta made the first appearance of the day and soon it was bright sunshine, a reminder that we were in the vibrant Rajasthan. Rest of the trip to Jaipur was also not very smooth as the highway is being expanded to 6-8 lanes and there was a traffic jam at Behror and Kotputli.

We were staying at two resorts just before Jaipur(due to non availability of rooms at one place), Gold Palace and KK Royal. Both of these are good resorts with a lot of open green lawns and good accommodation, Gold Palace is 3 star while KK Royal is a 4 star resort. Both have a conference hall, deluxe rooms,bar,swimming pool,gym and more. The conference was at Gold Palace with a big hall that could easily take 100 people in round table. Sadly it was a dry day at Jaipur cos of Panchayat elections so no cocktail party for the group. Instead we took them to Chokhi Dhani for the evening village programme and Rajasthani Dinner. Chokhi Dhani has become a must see for most visitors to Jaipur for it's recreation of a complete Rajasthani village with the choupal, village well,camel rides,folk dances, magic shows,astrologer and so on and culminating into a Rasjasthani dinner where you can not come before you have your tummy full upto the throat.

Next day again it was a hectic conference day and in the evening we took the guest to see the Amer fort just next to the KK Royal. Like the entire fort complex, Amber Fort is also constructed of white and red sandstone. Amber Fort is located in Amber (Jaipur), which used to be the capital of the Kachhwaha clan, till Jaipur was made the official capital in 1727. The Amber Fort looks stunning, all-built in white marble and red sandstone.The Fort is unique in that its

outside, an imposing and rugged defensive structure, is markedly different from its inside, an ornate, lavish interior influenced by both Hindu and Muslim (Mughal) styles of ornamentation. The walls of the interior of the fort are covered with murals, frescoes, and paintings depicting various scenes from daily life. Other walls are covered with intricate carvings, mosaic, and minute mirror work. The fort is definitely worth a visit if you are in Jaipur. The weather too was just perfect and sunny in the day and cool in the evenings. A new son-et-lumière(Sound & Light show has been launched at Amber Fort, Jaipur. Through this Son-et- lumière spectacle, an attempt has been made to revive the pride of Amber, bring forth the traditions that coloured the lives of its people, the pomp that once existed in its fullest form and to end the silence that had long fallen. The spirit of Amber is eternal. This musical extravaganza has highlighted the local legends, folklore, and a connoisseur of folk music that continues to give Rajasthan its unique identity. The show has been set in a very exotic location, with the giant panoramic view of the Amber Fort & Palace Complex in the front, the rising Jaigarh on the left, the hills at the back and the gallery itself in the Kesar Kiyari Complex. The show starts at 6:30 PM in Hindi and 7:30PM in Hindi daily and is really worth a dekho.

Last day it was all fun with some cricket, tambola and group games in the sun, started back for Delhi after lunch and reached Delhi by 10:30PM. Jaipur is perfect destination for a Conference, leisure trip or a family trip in winters being easily accessible.

For bookings call us at Around Delhi Holidays @9811193634/9891458220 or log onto our website www.AroundDelhi.com

R.Anand

Mahakumbh Haridwar 2010

2010-01-15T01:58:00.000-08:00

To commemorate the holy event of the Amrita Kalasha, recovered from Samudramanthan being put at 4 places, Kumbh is celebrated every 12 years. According to other Pauranic legends, actual fight took place between Devtas and Asuras resulting in the Amrita Kalash being knocked, out of which Amrita (Nectar) fell down at 4 places, namely Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik. The Kumh is celebrated by bathing in the holy Ganges by millions of Hindus at the above sites. Haridwar is the nearest place in North India for Kumbh snan of 2010.

There are various ghats where the snan can take place including Har Ki Paudi, Subhash Ghat and Gau ghat.

Although one can visit Haridwar on any of the dates, some auspicious dates are

January 14, 2010 (Thursday) Makar Sankranti Snan First Snan (bath)

January 15, 2010 (Friday) Mauni Amavasya and Surya Grahan (Solar Eclipse) Second Snan (bath)

January 20, 2010 (Wednesday) Basant Panchmi Snan Third Snan (bath)

January 30, 2010 (Saturday) Magh Purnima Snan Fourth Snan (bath)

February 12, 2010 (Friday) Maha Shivratri ratham Shahi Snan (First Royal Bath)

March 15, 2010 (Monday) Somvati Amavasya Dvitya Shahi Snan (Second Royal Bath)

March 16, (Tuesday) Nvasamvatsar Snan Fifth Snan (bath)

March 24, 2010 (Wednesday) Rama Navami Sixth Snan (bath)

March 30, 2010 (Tuesday) Chaitra Purnima/Vasishnav Akhara Snan Seventh Snan (bath)

April 14, 2010 (Wednesday) Baisakhi Pramukh Shahi Snan (Main Royal Bath)

April 28, 2010 (Wednesday) Vaishakh Adimasaha Purnima Snan for the Vairagis/Bairagis (Fourth Royal Bath)

Where to stay- Haridwar offers various deluxe hotels accommodation apart from Various dharamshals etc. Some of the deluxe hotels include Haveli hari Ganga near Har Ki Pauri, Country Inns between Haridwar & Rishikesh. We can also provide you standard to Superior tents with attached toilets,bathrooms and 24 hour running hot and cold water and also private bathing ghats.

Rates for the camps

Special Offers- The Mahakumbh Camp

Mahakumbh Camps at Lahore House Private Bathing Ghat exclusively for The Camp guests
Category of Tents	*13^th Jan’2010-14^th April’2010( for non bathing dates)	*Rates for bathing dates Jan-14^th-17^th ,20^th , 30^th , 31^st Feb-12^th ,13^th ,14^th Mar- 13^th-16^th ,24^th ,29^th &30^th April- 9^th -15^th )	No. of Persons	Plan
Superior	Rs. 8500	Rs. 10000	2	All Meals
Mahakumbh Camps near Mela Ground & Bairagi Camps
Deluxe	Rs.6000	Rs. 7500	2	(All Meals)
Superior	Rs. 7500	Rs. 9000	2	(All Meals)
Standard	Rs. 2000	not valid for bathing dates	2	(bf only)
Deluxe	Rs. 4000	not valid for bathing dates	2	bfast only)
Superior	Rs. 5000	not valid for bathing dates	2	(bfast only)

Safari Supplement – Rajaji National Park: INR 2500 per 4WD Jeep (max 4 pax)

Escort / Guide Supplements – INR 1500 per day (max 4 pax)

The Special Offer includes:

·         Traditional Tika Welcome with Wet Towel and Welcome Drink
·         Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with unlimited Tea Coffee in the Lounge
·         Escorted walks twice during day to the special events of Maha Kumbh
·         Guided visits to the shrine
·         Escorted walk to the exclusive private bathing ghat for The Camp guests
·         Enchanting Cultural Evenings with Folk Dances
·         Bhajan and Kirtan every day
·         Special arrangement to organize private Srimad Bhagwat Katha

** Terms & Conditions Apply- Standard tents not available for bathing dates, only all meals packages available for bathing dates as specified.

For booking of camps and hotels at Haridwar contact us at 9811193634/9891458220 or email us at arounddelhi@gmail.com .

Rakesh Anand.
Travel Options around Delhi

Xmas New Year Packages Around Delhi 2012

2009-11-28T03:04:00.000-08:00

22It's that time of the year, when it's time to say 'Good Bye' to the 'Year' itself. Another year comes to an end and all of us prepare to usher in the 'New Year 2012'. Around Delhi offers you various options to do so at resorts in North India. All the resorts have special packages for New Year and some for X-Mas too.
Click on the Resort name for more information about the resorts.
Around Delhi
Sariska Palace is 180 km from Delhi and close to Sariska Tiger Sanctuary, an easy 4 hrs drive from Delhi. Enjoy the New Year with a package of 23,000 for 2 Nites/3Days all meals package with gala dinner with drinks on 31st nite with lots of activities like folk music & dance, DJ, magic show and more.

Shiva Oasis, Behror 2 hours drive from Delhi on Delhi-Jaipur highway, a beautiful resort with a lot of green open areas. Package starts from Rs.9999/- for1n/2d with all meals, snacks, drinks, Rajasthani theme dinner etc. 2n/3d Package start at Rs 14999/- for a couple(taxes extra)
Fort Unchagaon, a heritage property about 130k from Delhi offers an all inclusive package with all meals, snacks, drinks, celebrations etc. starting at Rs 15,200/- + taxes

Hans resort, just 70k from Delhi, Package starts at Rs 9000/- + taxes for a night with all meals,snacks & drinks.

Radisson Agra, Rs 16000/- for 1n/2d with bf & gala dinner for a couple.

Contact Seema 0-9891458220/ Anand 0-9811193634(10 AM-8PM)/ EMAIL us for bookings and packages.

Wild Life
The Den, Corbett about 6-7 hrs drive from Delhi with a lovely green setting and very reasonable package and nice cottages. Packages start Rs. 24000/- for 2 Nites / 3 Days for a couple with all meal, Live music, unlimited drinks etc.
Ramganga Corbett is set amidst hills on one side and flowing Ramganga river on the other. The valley some times just explodes with the roar of the tiger in the night. Packages start from Rs 17,500/- for 2 Nites /3 Days with all meals, jungle safari, unlimited snacks and drinks.
Corbett Hideaway Lots of celebrations, games, all meals, jungle safari, snacks, drinks and stay in deluxe cottages. Package Rs 36,000/- for 2n/3d for a couple. Xmas package starts at Rs 27,000/-
Kadamb Kunj Bharatpur 4 hrs drive from Delhi. Package Rs 13,500/-includes all meals for 2n/3d for a couple with gala dinner,DJ,folk dance and more.

Ranthambhore Forest Resort Tiger viewing at it's best along with NY celebrations. Pay only a supplement of 600/- per person for the NY with Gala Dinner and DJ.

Contact Seema 0-9891458220/ Anand 0-9811193634(10 AM-8PM)/ EMAIL us for bookings and packages.

Hills
Hotel Willowbanks on the Mall, Shimla NY packages start at Rs 19000/- for 2n/3d with bf, dinner ,gala dinner,snacks, drinks & live band on 31st Dec.
Kassar Jungle Resort, Binsar: Kassar Jungle resort is situated on the Almora-Binsar Road and a more modern resort with all the amenities in the lap of nature. Economical New Year package of Rs 14,999/- for 2 Nites /3 Days with Bed Tea, Breakfast and Dinner for a couple, gala dinner with snacks on 31st nite and DJ.
Destination Kandaghat, a beautiful resort 30 km before Shimla is a beautiful resort with large open areas, lovely landscaping and flowers. A lovely place to spend Xmas or NY weekend. Package starts at Rs 15,500/- for Xmas and Rs 25,000/- for New Year

Kufri Resorts, 3nights package starts at Rs 26000/- for a couple
Jungle Retreat, Chail A beautiful resort in Chail near Shimla, packages start from Rs 26000/- for 2n/3d with all meals and lots of competitions, gala dinner, DJ nite, fireworks etc.
Country Inn, Bhimtal Xmas packages start at Rs 17,999/- and NY at Rs 24,999/-with all meals, drinks, snacks, celebrations etc.

Fort Resorts, Mussoorie Package starts at Rs 13000/- for a couple + NY supplement for 2n/3d.

Claridges Nabha, Mussoorie A nice and cosy resort offers package starting Rs. 25,500/- for a couple and Rs 24,499/- for a family of 2+2.
For more options in the Hills click here

Rajasthan
Gold Palace, Jaipur All inclusive package for a couple starts at Rs 23,000/-
KK Royal, Jaipur Package starts at Rs 15,500/- plus NY supplement with Gala Dinner in 2n/3d package.

Country Inns & Suits, Ajmer, a 4 star property near Pushkar, value for money package at Rs 12000/- for 2n/3d with bfast & gala dinner.

Chokhi Dhani, Jaipur Ethnic Village resort near Jaipur offers New Year packages starting Rs 24,999/- + taxes.

Udai Vilas, Mandawa, situated in Shekhawati region, the place famous for the painted havelis of Rajasthan. Located about 270k from Delhi. Xmas package starts at Rs9000/- for 2n/3d with bfast,camel safari and evening bon fire. Guide can also be hired for village tour of havelis.(Contact us for more details) NY package at Rs 13000/- for 2n/3d with all meals and gala dinner on 31st Dec.

Packages and itineraries available for Jodhpur, Bikaner,Jasialmer,Udaipur,Pushkar.

FOR BOOKINGS INFORMATION & MORE OPTIONS LOG ON TO OUR SITES BELOW

AroundDelhi.com Shimla-Resorts.com Mussoorie-Hotels.com

Contact Seema 0-9891458220/ Anand 0-9811193634(10 AM-8PM)/ EMAIL us for bookings and packages.

Claridges Surajkund Conference

2009-10-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

          Just back from organising a conference at a new 5 star hotel near Delhi-The Claridges Surajkund, a lovely Business cum leisure hotel. Very nicely located on the Shooting range road near the Surajkund lake, a very green and quiet area. The Claridges hotel has about 200+ rooms with most of them overlooking the Courtyard with a beautiful lawn and a spectacular Dancing fountain with burning fires making it a treat to watch. The staff was very professional and since we were handling the top 11 executives of a big telecom company I was a little nervous about the services. The check in was handed expertly and even all the arrangements were as required. We were using one of the smaller halls the 'Cilantro' and the place had an excellent pre function area for lunch, tea etc.
          The rooms at Claridges Surajkund are just too good with even the base category rooms being about 400sq feet with all the facilities like 42 inch LCD, a sofa to relax apart from the king size or twin beds. There is a tea/coffee maker and an electronic safe for the guests. There is a separate work desk if you want to do some written work. The bathrooms have both a bathtub and a glass shower cubicle with premium bathroom amenities. You also have wifi and interactive web tv along with 24 hour room service. The Courtyard rooms are even better with a huge balcony and overlooking the central courtyard. even the balcony has a set of chairs and a recliner.
   Coming to the Food and Beverage section, the multi cuisine section provides a great range of dishes along with a cold section served on the central verge of a table with ice cubes keeping things cool. There is also a Blue bar with a choice collection of hard liquor and some of the best wines available in India. The meal I had was the breakfast when the choice of fruits, confectionery, cold meats etc left one spoilt for choice.
           The hotel is also promoting special Weekend Packages for couples and family which being introductory packages(bound to go up soon) are definitely a steal.

Romantic Package for Couple

2days & 1 Nite in deluxe room @ Rs.11999/- includes-

    * Welcome drink on arrival
    * Upgrade to room with private balcony facing central courtyard (subject to availability)
    * Bottle of wine and special chef amenities in room
    * Cocktails at Bluebar 2030 – 2130 hours(pouring brands, 2 drinks per person)
    * Evening Tea set up in the balcony (1730 – 1830 hours). Choice of Earl Grey, Darjeeling    High Elevation, Assam High Elevation, Green tea
    * Candle light dinner at the courtyard
    * After meal drink
    * Movies on demand
    * Brunch at Oasis on Sunday 1100 to 1500 hours
    * Couple massage
    * Late check out till 1600 hrs.

Also available the Family Package for 2 adults and 2 children below 12 years

New Year Package- Bfast and gala dinner package with dance troupe,live band,DJ and unlimited snacks & drinks only at Rs 15999/- for a couple and two kids below 12 years.

I think Claridges Surajkund is a perfect place to hold a conference or just spend a lazy weekend. One can even hop over for 2 nights stay straight from office on Friday as it is just 30 mins from South Delhi and one hour from Gurgaon/Noida.

Contact Anand 0-9811193634/ Seema 0-9891458220/ EMAIL us for bookings and packages.
More one nite options around Delhi

R.Anand

Classic Hilltop Chamba Uttaranchal

2009-10-30T01:57:00.000-07:00

Visited Chamba, Uttaranchal with a group of about 50 people for a leisure group. Started in the night on two 27 seaters and the driver was good but the roads not too good, still we were there in about 8 hours, which is good time. The Delhi-Haridwar Highway is being four laned and you have to constantly switch between single and double roads, but I think things will be much better shortly as construction is complete. The route is via Merrut, Muzzafarnagar, Haridwar, Rishikesh and Narendernagar. We were staying at the Classic Hilltop Chamba, which is literally at the top of a hill and at least 200m above in height from the Mussoorie-Chamba road. The first thing that strikes you as you hit the place is the wonderful view of the snow capped peaks of Himalayas giving you and almost 180 degree view of these wonderful natural precipices. You can see Yamunotri, Nanda Devi, Gangotri and more. The view from the lawns is fantastic and having tea at these lawns was as great a welcome as it gets. The weather in middle September was just perfect, not too cold and not warm in the day. Chamba is about 50k from Mussoorie

The rooms at Classic Chamba are comfortable and some of them give the same view. The breakfast was refreshing and the group were given some free time to recuperate. Post lunch we headed for the Tehri Dam about 15 km away. The Dam, which has been recently commissioned, is important to the whole of North India for it’s electricity generation and irrigation. The whole of Tehri town was submerged to make a reservoir for the dam, the depth of the reservoir is more than a km and the view from the Gallery of the two rivers merging is seen to be believed.

In the evening we had a poolside party with DJ where various games and dance were organized and the whole group including the children enjoyed it a lot. Next day we traveled to Dhanaulti/Dhanolti which is about 22 km from Chamba. Dhanolti is an un spoilt hill station with lovely views and thick Deodar forests with green meadows. There is an eco park at Dhanaulti giving an insight to vegetation of the area and it is great place to relax and visit. One can also stop at Kanatal on the way to Dhanauti. On the way back we stopped at Haridwar, Har Ki Paudi where most guests took a dip in the holy Ganges. So Chamba, Uttaranchal turned out to be a perfect leisure destination with great weather, lots of thing to and not too far from Delhi.

Contact Anand 0-9811193634/ Seema 0-9891458220/ EMAIL us for bookings and packages and group tours to Chamba,Mussoorie or Kanatal.

R.Anand,

Around Delhi

Mussoorie Hotels Claridges Nabha

2009-10-14T03:44:00.000-07:00

                            Had a fantastic time last weekend at a 4 star hotel of Mussoorie Claridges Nabha, with family. I have never been too fond of Mussoorie because of too much commercialisation and concretisation of this hill
station. Lots of construction and deforestation had left the hill station, the Queen of Hills as a barren lot. The last few years has seen a sea change in this place with a bar on all new construction leading to a revival in greenery and better weather and rains to Mussoorie. This Monsoon the city had an excellent downpour and it had turned wonderfully green as we reached it in mid October of '09. Even the highway route to Mussoorie via Merrut, Khatauli, Muzzafarnagar, Roorkee and Dehradun is on improving as four laning is going on at most of the places along the highway. Once complete I think this will lead to decrease in time take to reach Mussoorie (presently 7-8hrs).
                              We were staying at the Claridges Nabha, Mussoorie, the only Claridges hotel outside the NCR region. Claridges Nabha is a heritage hotel of Mussoorie and the old residence of Mahraja of Nabha about 4 km from Mall Road, Mussoorie. The place is a heaven when you compare it to the hulla-gulla of the Mall Road, Mussoorie as it is surrounded by dense Cedar forests and immaculate gardens. Nabha Mussoorie is a small place with 21 rooms, a mixture of deluxe and Duplex rooms. It was just wonderful to stroll in the dense forest area around the place with a nice and cool breeze just about feeling the chill. The deluxe rooms are with a sitout area and some of them face the jungle. The Duplex rooms are for a family of 2 adults and 2 children with a master bed and two single beds in the attic. The radiation warmer keeps you warm in the winter as the temperature turns freezing outside. The hotel provides free transfers to the Mall and it becomes convenient as you do not have to search for parking around the Mall Mussoorie, so we took this facility and visited the Mall in the afternoon.
                         There are various hotels on the Mall road Mussoorie like Hotel Silver Rock, Shiva, Green Castle etc along with a lot of places to eat like the wonderful confectionary shops, Dominoes, Cafe Coffee Day, Barista and some good Chinese/Tibetan outlets with authentic Chinese & Tibetan food like Kasrang etc.We also tried the trolly which takes you to the Gun Hill which affords wonderful views of the surrounding area along with snow capped peaks of Himalayas. The peaks view was blocked by the clouds but still the surrounding view was worth the visit. One can also see the snow capped view from the Camels back road or the Himalaya facing rooms of Silver Rock or Shiva. You can also take other walks around Mussoorie. In the evening the view of the Doon Valley with thousands of shimmering lights is just superb. Around Mussoorie one can also visit Kempty falls, Dhanolti and Yamuna bridge beyond Kempty. I am sure you too will experience the change for the better in Mussoorie on your next visit.

Need a place to stay in Mussoorie call Seema @ 9891458220 or Anand @ 9811193634 for options and bookings or log onto our website- Hotels of Mussoorie

R.Anand

Delhi-Rishikesh rafting trip

2009-10-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Organized an all inclusive trip for rafting at Rishikesh end of October for 3N/3D. A group of 22 people enjoyed a wonderful rafting and camping adventure trip on the beautiful White sands of Rishikesh at the banks of the Ganges at

Camp 5 Elements, Byasi,Rishikesh
Run by the Leisure Hotels the camp the rafting camp in Rishikesh offers serene and rejuvenating environment. The Camp is indeed the most scenic, secluded & romantic beach camp on the Ganges. Sprawling over 500 meters of Silvery Sandy beach, the camp is surrounded by thick forests and mountains. The camp is located 27 kms from Rishikesh on the road to Deoprayag between Shivpuri and Byasi Village. The tents are deluxe with a twin/double bed. There is an attached bathroom having running water (The only camps in Rishikesh with attached bathrooms). Toilets, the typical dry pit ones are separately made.

Rafting Itinerary - Delhi-Rishikesh-Delhi

Day 01
Friday 30th October
Left Delhi -11PM by 27 seater A/c Deluxe bus
Arrival at the Camp. Welcome drink on arrival followed by breakfast. Briefing about the camp stay followed by chk in.
Lunch and camp orientation ; briefing. Post lunch
we left for our first encounter with the rapids at the Ganges,The first session included the stretch from Marine Drive
to Shivpuri covering thrilling rapids like 'Black Money',
'Three Blind Mice', 'Crossfire', 'Body Surfing', and 'The Shivpuri' rapids. Some of the people were nervous as this was their first encounter with the Ganges and rafting, but still all were super excited. One does not need to know swimming for doing rafting as Life jackets are provided and all safety precautions are taken. Post lunch camp activities such as Rock Climbing,
Rappelling, Beach Volleyball, Beach Cricket, Kayaking etc. kept the group ready.
.In the evening lazed over a Bonfire along with fun games followed by a sumptuous dinner specially
prepared by the Chef. Some of the hidden talents of singing etc came out of the group. Tucked into our Deluxe Tents at The Camp 5 Elements.

Day 02 Saturday

Woke up early to enjoy a refreshing Nature Walk with our guide. After a hearty breakfast changed into our rafting gear
and proceed for rafting on the river Ganges for the second round of rafting, the second stretch of Rafting
from Shivpuri to NIM beach. This stretch had even more rapids than the first round and the fear of water too had subsided for most.
Return to the Camp and go for lunch.

Post Lunch -
in camp activities such as Rock Climbing,
Rappelling, Beach Volleyball, Beach Cricket, Kayaking etc.
Evening Tea/coffee with cookies
Evening bon fire with cocktail snacks and a game of antakshri among participants

Day 03 2nd November, Monday

Breakfast & after breakfast 1100 Hrs Departure from the camp. Lunch on the way back. Evening tea with cookies.
Reached back Delhi

Cost Charged Per Person
Rs 6000/- inclusive of transfers Delhi-Rishikesh-Delhi , Stay for 2nigths in deluxe camps, Meals as per itinerary, Two rafting trips.
Does not include- Personal/medical expense of any nature, Service tax (2.58% extra), anything not mentioned in the Package as above.
Contact Anand 0-9811193634/ Seema 0-9891458220/ EMAIL us for bookings and packages.
Wait for announcement of our next trip. Individuals and groups for customised itineraries can contact us any time.
Other Rishikesh White Water Rafting options

R.Anand

Delhi-Khajuraho trip

2009-09-20T04:37:00.000-07:00

Did a trip to Khajuraho last weekend from Delhi, as we were organizing a Conference cum Leisure trip for a Corporate for a group of about 60 people. Took the morning flight on Friday from IG domestic by Air India. It had rained a lot on Thursday in Delhi and the Cab driver of Easy Cabs was telling me that it took about 3 hours on Thurs to reach the Airport from Patel Nagar(normal time 1 hr). Well I alomost missed my flight because of traffic jams starting from Delhi Cantt till the Airport and probably got saved because the flight was late, I reached just about 25 mins before the scheduled departure. The flight was via Varanasi and it took about 2.5 hrs to reach Khajuraho. On reaching the small airport, the taxi from the hotel, Usha Bundela, was there to pick me up. The hotel is just 3 k from the Airport, infact all hotels( six in total) are all within 6 k, so it is very convenient. You can take an auto or even a rickshaw to reach the hotel..

Usha Bundela is 3 star hotel with 66 rooms, spread over 3 acres with lawns, swimming pool, restaurant, bar and off course the Conference Hall. The participants reached on their own from Agra, Jhansi etc and we headed for the main attraction of Khajuraho, the erotic temples divided in to East, South and the main-Western Temples. The temples are some thing to really seen to be believed, the beautiful sculpture and architecture doesn't look like to be hundreds of years old. All the temples are dedicated to a God and the out side walls depict statues in erotic art. The motifs signify how advanced the particular generation was regarding Kama and other man-woman relations, all the temples have carved figurines posing, dancing, admiring themselves in mirrors, combing their hair, gossiping and making love. Absolutely unusual poses that have made Khajuraho temples unique in style.The different poses leave little to imagination. The Western Temples are UNESCO nominated World Heritage site.
Next morning was dedicated to the Conference while I had a look at other hotels in the vicinity like Ramada, Clarks, Taj and Radisson. In the evening we visited the beautiful Raneh falls about 20 km from Khajuraho on river Ken, Famous for their seasonal waterfalls and rock formations, the attraction here is a five-km long, 100-ft deep canyon of crystalline granite in shades of pink, red and gray. Also closeby is the Panna Wildlife National Park(closed till 1st October) known for the Tiger, leopard, wolf, gharial, chinkara etc.

While coming back on Sunday, my Jet flight was cancelled due to the strike and I used the other way to travel between Delhi-Khajuraho, which was quiet convenient too. Took a taxi to Jhansi(about 3.5 hrs) and then the Shatabadi(there are lot of other trains too) which took 4.5 hrs to reach Delhi via Agra. There is also a direct train between Delhi-Khajuraho but runs only 3 times a week. Khajuraho cna also be part of an itinerary covering Agra, Gwalior, Orchha, Panna and Bandhavgarh. So, if you have done enough of the hill-station drive and want to be away from traffic and shops and people, you could take a short break at Khajuraho — a peaceful destination with, perhaps, the finest sculptures in the world.
R.Anand,
For planning your trip to Khajuraho call us at AroundDelhi.com, Seema 9891458220/Anand 9811193634 or email us @ arounddelhi(at)gmail.com.

Tree House Bhiwadi near Delhi

2009-07-30T21:35:00.002-07:00

Conducted a Conference for a Govt. body at The Tree House at Bhiwadi. A comparatively new property Tree House is hotel cum Club with excellent rooms and lot of open and green areas. It is only 70 km from Delhi and 40 from Gurgaon, less than an hour's drive. As you enter the place you are greeted by lovely landscaping and flowing fountains adding to the freshness of the place. The reception area reflects the good ambiance of the hotel and check in of the rooms were done professionaly by the Front office staff. The reception leads on to the courtyard area which again has flowing water in form of small fountains and also a place to sit out in the evening for meals etc. There are mainly two types of rooms Palm and Mapple, the Mapple being a little bigger and with LCD TVs and all. Even the Palm rooms are quiet good with central airconditining, card entry, wooden flooring, Tea-Coffee maker, hair dryer and all.

There is a multicuisine restaurant for meals and also a restro bar with a huge LCD perfect to watch a cricket match over drinks or your favourite flick. The food is just excellent with the chef being ex Taj, I think that is the biggest plus of this place. The other big plus is the variety of recreation the club provides with a lovely swimming pool, synthetic tennis courts, squash courts, an indoor badminton court, a pool table and a kids room for children. For relaxation there is also a spa with steam, sauna, Jacuzzi and massage facilities.

As an introductory offer we have a special package of Rs 5000/- for Palm Room and Rs 5500/- for the Mapple room with Bfast, lunch and dinner for couple and two children of 5 years. The Package also includes
Complimentary usage of all recreational facilities like:

Well laid out tennis courts (The option of playing under floodlights is possible at an extra charge)
Well stacked library
The refreshing Swimming Pool
The Billiards and Pool Room
The indoor Badminton Court
The Squash Court
The Kids Room

For bookings call Seema 9891458220/Anand 9811193634 at Around Delhi Holidays.
Other one nite options near Delhi.

R.Anand

Surya Vilas Solan Himachal

2009-07-19T02:23:00.000-07:00

Visited a new place near Solan, Himachal in last month of June-Surya Vilas. Started from Delhi at 6PM and stopped only once for refreshment and more at 9PM and reached Surya Vilas by 12 mn after travelling about 300k. The resort is just 90 mins drive from The road from Ambala to Zirakpur has really improved and the only bottleneck is the ongoing work at Panckula, crossing Panipat was a breeze with the new flyovers. On reaching Surya Vilas we were served piping hot dinner in the room thanks to the F& B manager, the food was really delicious specially so after the long drive.
The rooms are in form of cottages each having four rooms each with seperate entrance. The room size is huge with equally large bathrooms with their glass roofs giving you a view of the sky while bathing. The rooms are a/c as the resort is only 40 km from Kalka. The resort offers a lot of acitivities including a swimming pool overloojing the hills, the Thalgo spa offering stress busting treatments, pool table, table tennis etc. The a/c restaurant and bar keep you in great spirits and the food is excellent specially the confectionery part. The Buffet offers close to 50 items in Lunch or dinner. For moving about at the resort

you just have to call for the comfortable golf carts.
There is also a conference hall ( for which I had brought my clients to this place) for about 50 people with all necessary equipment. In the evening we had a quiet party in the lawns when the weather was just pefect for outdoors.
So if you want to plan a leisure trip to this luxurious place or go for a corporate work shop Surya Vilas is perfect venue for both.
Surya Vilas-a perfect weekend getaway from Delhi/Chandigarh/Punjab through out the year.
More on Surya Vilas/Surya Vilas Packages
For queries contact us at Around Delhi 9891458220/9811193634 or email us at arounddelhi@gmail.com

More Snaps of Surya Vilas
R.Anand

Delhi-Mussoorie trip

2009-07-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

Headed to Mussoorie on 10th July night accompanying a group of about 45 people in two 27 seater A/c buses. Although the main route to Mussoorie is via Merrut,Khatauli,Muzaffarnagar,Roorke Dehradun and onto Mussoorie we had to take an alternative road as it was Saawan maas, the month when the Kanwadias travel to collect the Ganges water from Haridwar and take it back to their local Shiv temple on foot. So the main highway had been taken over by them so we took another route via Merrut, Mawana, Meerapur, Bijnaur,Najibabad, Haridwar, Dehradun onto Mussoorie, the route was longer by about 50 k but very less crowded and the route between Haridwar and Najibabad is through Rajaji forest area and a wonderful one.
The weather had cooled down as we started our climb to Mussoorie from Dehradun and soon we engulfed in mist and clouds all around. Must say this natural a/c is much better than the artificial one. We were staying at the Fort Resorts Mussoorie, about 1 k from the Mall road and easily approachable by own vehicle although you walk up another 100m from the parking area. The breakfast was ready and inviting specially after the ovenite journey and the milk shake and fresh fruits were just yummy. The rooms at Fort Resorts, Mussoorie are either new or even the old ones have been fully renovated with wooden flooring, LCD TV, shower cubicles, mini bar, tea-coffee maker and what have you. The view of the Doon Valley from the huge terrace was eye catching and got better in the evening and night.
The walk to the Mussoorie Mall was refreshing because of the fine weather and fine ladies out in all their glory and make up. A bonus was a chance meeting with Mr Ruskin Bond, the famous author at one of the book stores. I got one of his novels signed for my elder son who is being taught his stories at School. I must say the greenery around Mussoorie has improved in the last few years after the ban on construction in the area. The cable car ride to the Gun Hill gives you some wonderful view of the forest and the valley, the cloud cover prevented the view of the snow capped peaks.
In the evening we organised an evening party for the client on the open terrace overlooking the valley with some foot tapping being played by the DJ and some juicy snacks being served with the drinks. Some interesting games were also organised to keep the guests entertained. The fantastic evening ended with a sumptuous dinner.
Next morning after breakfast we headed to Kempty falls after breakfast. The falls are about 15 km from Mussoorie and favorite with the crowd visiting. Here also one can take a cable car to down and come up. The water and the dip is really refreshing and cool though it became quiet crowded as time went by. Soon it was time to leave, we had our lunch at Dehradun and then on to Delhi by the same route.
Around Mussoorie one can also visit Dhanolti, Chamba and Kanatal.
Snaps of Fort Resorts Mussoorie. Other Mussoorie Hotels
With lot of new big hotels coming up in Mussoorie, it has come up as a favoured Conference Destination from Delhi.

For organising your trip to Mussoorie contact us at Around Delhi Holidays Pvt Ltd. Call Seema @ 9891458220 / Anand @ 9811193634
R.Anand

Delhi-Corbett Trip to Den Resorts

2009-06-15T01:38:00.000-07:00

Organized a group trip to Corbett from 11th June night onwards for about 90 people from Rashi Peripheral for their annual meet. The travel was arranged in A/c deluxe buses from Delhi and we left at 11 PM from Delhi for The Den at Kumeria Reserve,Corbett. We reached early at 7AM in the morning, the resort is about 29 km from Ramnagar. The resort is the oldest resort in Corbett in dense forest area and a stand alone with no other resort or even other houses etc closeby. It is situated on the banks of River Kosi though at a little height and one can climb down to the river. The accommodation is in Cottage form and all the rooms have been recently renovated and are air conditioned. Some of the cottages have TV and mini fridge also. There are more than 100 Mango trees in the Resort and the trees were full of Mangoes a this time, very tempting to pick these raw mangoes. The USP of the place is it's location. The first full day was spent in the conference in the A/c hall and in the evening the group had light refreshments. Though it was quiet in the afternoon but it rained quiet heavily with hail stones post lunch with turning the weather to a very pleasant one. We slept early as we had a wake up call at 4 AM next day to go for morning Jungle Safari.

Next day we were out of the resort by 5 AM to travel to Bijrani Gate for Jungle Safari. We hired about 15 four wheel jeeps with 6 people in each. We saw a lot of deer-spotted, barking and sambhar, birds like woodpecker, magpie, hornbill etc. The best spotting was first of a herd of elephants and then a wild tusker with huge tusks which we saw at very close range and followed for at least 15 minutes in the jungle. It was a treat to watch as the male was probably in heat and looking for a partner. Corbett has many gates of entry for Jungle Safari like Bijrani, Jhirna and Durga Devi and Dhangarhi for Dhikala. One has to take a permit for Jungle entry and it is allowed in the morning or afternoon. The Dhikala entry is only for residents or for full day Canter Safari.
Post Lunch we trekked down to a flowing stream in the mountain for some adventure activities. Three activities were arranged rock climbing, rappelling and river crossing. The people were very enthusiastic and almost everybody participated. In the evening we arranged a DJ party in the lawns where people enjoyed some snacks, drinks and music and danced the blues away. Checked out early next day and had lunch on the way at Meriton, Gajraula reaching Delhi by 2PM
Contact us at Around Delhi Holidays Pvt. Ltd. for you Corbett bookings for individuals or groups and get some great deals. Call us at 09891458220/09811193634.
More Corbett Resorts. Another blog on Corbett.
R.Anand

Summer Hill Destinations of North India

2009-05-04T23:17:00.000-07:00

The Heat is On...
Remember that Beverly Hills Song by Glen Frey-The Heat is on. The song holds true for the plains of India in May and June.It's Summer time once again and the plains are going to be hot,

very hot in fact.

So Around Delhi gives you some cool getaways to hill stations of North India. I am sure you will not mind sitting on the side of a stream or lake under a beautiful pine tree and laze around at 20 degress. Be it that you are looking for regular hiil places like Shimla, Nainital, Mussoorie, Manali etc we have hotels and resorts that fit to all pockets and cater to all tastes. Looking for a regular or an off beat hill
station- go no further as we have plethora of different places available like

Shimla - Willow Banks on the Mall

Around Shimla- Kufri,

Kasauli,
Chail,
Shilon Bagh,
Camping near Chail

Nainital

Near Nainital - Binsar
Ranikhet,

Bhimtal,
Naukuchiatal,
Kausani

Mussoorie- HotelSilver Rock, ClaridgesNabha
MoreOptions

Near Mussoorie - Chamba- Uttaranchal,
Kanatal,
Camping near Kanatal/Dhanolti..

Dalhousie Hotels Resorts Cottages

Dharamshala Hotels Resorts Cottages

We also have Cottages available at Ranikhet, Kasauli,Ramgarh,Chail, and Manali.
Service Apartments at Mussoorie

Camping facilities available at Tehri,
Mukteshwar, Saattal, Chail, Kanatal(contact for details)

Call Seema
9891458220 or Anand 9811193634 for queries & bookings.

Email-contact@arounddelhi.com

We also arrange for

conferences, training programmes, leisure trips etc.

Whirlwind tour of Shimla-Kasauli

2009-04-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

Did a whirlwind tour of Shimla and Kasauli this weekend. Took a morning Shatabdi on Sunday, 7:40 am from NDLS(got up late by 45 mins but still managed to reach on time, thanks to Metro). The train was fully booked but got quiet empty at Chandigarh. Reached Kalka by 12 noon and took an Indigo for travelling to Shimla by road. I think this is the best way to cover this region as it is comfortable and time saving. After a small stop we reached Shimla by 3:15 PM. I had gone to Shimla for some meetings with the hoteliers and I was staying at Hotel Willow Banks, an excellent deluxe hotel on the Mall Road.

I got down at the lift and took it to reach the Mall(charges Rs 7), it is an easy way to reach the Mall from the Cart Road, takes just 1 minute. The weather was just fine and must have been about 25 degrees, a blessing after the searing heat of plains at 40 deg+. Had a nice lunch at the Hotel and checked into the newly done premium rooms. These premium rooms at Willow Banks are just too good. They are huge in size, wooden flooring with balcony. The rooms have a fridge, TV, tea-coffe maker, wifi connectivity, electronic safes and lots more. The bathrooms have tubs along with 24 hours running water supply(hot and cold). The hotel has central heating during winters. The adjoining terrace is huge and give a wonderful view of the Valley and Shimla town and can be used for evening sitout and parties etc.

Terrace with a a view, Willow Banks on the Mall, Shimla

Premium Rooms, Willow Banks
(Click here for more pics of Willow Banks)

Being a Sunday, the Mall was crowded in the evening, though not overtly so. Shimla though being a little commercial, still is enjoyable as there is no traffic is allowed on the Mall. There is also a mix of old World charm with the new modern culture. The walk down the Mall road from Clarks in the eastern end to finish at the western end, about 3 km is leisurely and comfortable and you may sit down at various benches provided for rest. On the way you pass various shops, vendors, Gaiety Theater, Scandal Point- a popular hang out point, Indian Coffee House etc. You can also stop for some coffee, light snacks or a cool Softie(ice cream cone) to enjoy the walk. You may also buy some great looking and smelling fruits down the Mall. I will never get bored walking down the Mall road of Shimla. The evening also became quiet cool and woolens had to be taken out.

Next day left early from Shimla, the driver had parked the vehicle at the High Court Parking which is just 5 minutes walk from the Hotel. Started for Kasauli and reached in 2 hours time. Kasauli never seems to change(probably the Cantonment Board does not let it change, good for the town). Although few new resorts have come up near Kasauli, but no new construction is allowed in main town. Checked out a new resort called- Hills Pride. It is about 5 km from Kasauli town and slightly on the lower altitude(you need A/c during peak Summer in some of the rooms). Still it is a nice place with a beautiful lawn almost surrounding the whole building, one can sit out in the evening to enjoy a nice drink and meal.
Also checked on some two bed room apartments next to Kasauli Resorts, about 2 k from the main town. It is basically like a home away form home with a complete house to live in with a wonderful view from the balcony and some nice green terrace and lawns to sit out. The Apartment offers two bedrooms, a living rooms, attached baths with each room, a fully equipped kitchen and a balcony and attached lawns. Every one dreams of owning a house in the hills, and living here you will feel your dream is being fulfilled, although for a small period.
Reached in time at Kalka to catch the Evening Shatabdi, 5:40 PM, to reach Delhi at 9:50 PM. You are served evening tea with snacks and dinner on the train itself. So thanks to Metro, Shatabadi and my driver for two days, Tinku I could make this business trip( with leisure as a bonus) in restricted time.

For arranging your trip to Shimla, Kasauli and other stations in the area like Chail, Parwanoo, Kufri etc you can call us at Around Delhi Holidays- me at 9811193634 or Semma at 09891458220. Or you can log onto our website Shimla Resorts or AroundDelhi.
Bye for now
R.Anand

Training Programme at Resort Country Club, Gurgaon

2009-03-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday, 6th March'09 did a training programme for top executives of a comparatively new Mobile service provider. Resort Country Club is situated just beyond Manesar, and it falls in District Gurgaon only. It is about 5 km from the main NH8, the Delhi-Jaipur Highway. I could easily reach the resort from west Delhi in about one hour flat starting early morning. The resort is spread in a total of 12 acres with another 40 acres of green lawns with golf course nearby. The resort is surrounded by green fields and the resort itself is quiet green with a lot of trees, flowering plants etc.
The uniqueness of the resort is also in it’s location, it is not too far from Delhi and can be easily reached in less than one hour from Delhi and Guragaon, yet far enough from the city crowds and away from the busy NH 8 and offers vast open and green areas with a lot of shade giving trees. For recreation the place has a swimming
pool, lawn tennis courts, badminton courts, cricket, croquet, korf ball etc. For small children there is a sand pit area with slides, toy train, rides etc. There is also a 6 hole mini Golf course and a spa with massage facilities. Resort Country Club, Gurgaon is ideal for doing a conference or a training programme and also for short weekend getaways for the families or young couples. One can also come and enjoy the facilities and lots of organised games in a group.
The resort also has a pond and along with the greenery and trees attracts a lot of birds and one can hear the cacophony of their chatter through the day and more so in the evenings. The birds I saw on this trip were lots of peacocks, Hoopoe, Treepie, red vented Bulbul, rose ringed parakeets, jungle Babbler and more.

So next time you plan something and do not want to travel too far you can try out the Resort Country Club Gurgaon.
The family package for a couple and children below 6 yrs including all meals and evening snacks and drinks starts at Rs 7600 +taxes for weekdays and Rs 8000 + taxes for weekends.
For other options around Delhi log onto our website www.AroundDelhi.com or call Seema @ 9891458220 or Anand @ 9811193634.

Tigers in Sariska

2009-03-04T06:19:00.000-08:00

Hi,
The total strength of Tigers in Sariska went upto 3 with one more Tigress introduced from Ranthambhore Wild Life Sanctuary. So it makes it one tiger and two tigress. So people can look forward to have more frequent sightings in the future. The next best thing that can happen to Sariska is giving of birth to young ones by either of the Tigress.
Good wishes for the Tigers for that and Happy sighting to the visitors.

More about the Tiger shifting in the below links.
For bookings at Sariska, call us at Around Delhi 9891458220/9811193634

News article in Hindu
Article in TOI

Dr Anand

Delhi-Manali-trip

2009-02-19T05:03:00.000-08:00

Plan a Shimla Manali trip from Delhi lasting 5/6 night or higher. Stay can be arranged in cottages or budget to luxury hotels in Shimla and Manali. Vehicle can be arranged from Delhi/Kalka/Shimla/Chandigarh or Manali.
For detailed itinerary and bookings email us at arounddelhi@gmail.com or call Delhi-09811193634/09891458220. Around Delhi Holidays Pvt Ltd.
Shimla Hotels

Planned a Delhi-Manali trip to Manali last Nov(’08). Started early morning on Thursday to avoid the city rush. By 7 AM we had crossed the bypass
to NH1 and followed it till Chandigarh via Panipat and Karnal. Further route Route-Ropar-Kiratpur-Gharmora-Swarghat-Bilaspur-Mandi-Kullu-Manali. The journey took us about 13 hrs with about 3 stoppages, we had two people driving so that helped. The total distance covered 556 km, out of which about 225 was in the hills. We were staying at the Highland Park Manali , which was right next to the river Beas with beautiful views of the river and the valley. The resort had beautiful cottage style deluxe centrally heated accommodation and provided value for money. We took a Luxuria suite which had the bed room with a living room, a living room with a balcony and a garden. We had an excellent dinner in the restaurant and retired for the day to sleep away our tiredness.
Next day after early bfast we first went to Hidimaba Temple, The temple is dedicated to Hadimba, wife of Bhima from Mahabharata. No idol is enshrined and only a foot-print on a stone is kept within. Manu Temple and the Vashisht temple are also worth a visit. Vashisht is know for Hot Sulphur Water Spring and temple of Lord Vashist. Back at the hotel in the evening we warmed to a bon fire over some
drinks and light music.

Next day we were off to Rohtang pass, about 50 KM from Manali,which is a high mountain pass at 4000m, that connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahul and Spiti valleys of Himachal Pradesh. It has become a very popular summer spot for tourist as one can find snow here even in peak summers. It was freezing cold and the weather can be quiet unpredicatable here, so we were forewarned that we should leave at first hint of bad weather. We enjoyed some fun and frolic in the snow followed by some hot tea at a local joint and soon started back for Manali. On the way back we went to Solang Valley known for skiing and paragliding. Next morning we said good bye to this beautiful resort and hill station of Himachal and headed back to Delhi.
Where to stay at Manali
Stay at Shimla
Shimla Manali Tour Packages

Dr. R.Anand, Around Delhi

Uttaranchal-Trip-Naukuchiatal-Nanital-Kausani-Binsar

2009-02-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Recently did a trip to Uttaranchal covering Nainital, Naukuchiatal, Binsar and Kausani. We knew it would be a hectic trip as we had limited days in which we wanted to cover a lot of destinations as we had some overseas guests traveling with us who wanted to see it all. Beautiful landscapes, lovely lakes, excellent weather and some very nice resorts, the trip had all this and more(details as below).
We started early morning on Thursday at 6Am and crossed Delhi by 6 AM onto Hapur via Gajiabad. Highway till Hapur bypass (NH 24) is one way with great roads.
The road from Hapur bypass till Moradabad is mostly under construction and the stretches which are ready and excellent, but some stretches are very cumbersome. Stopped at Gajraula(Meriton) for breakfast(9AM) it is about 110 k from Delhi. (Route to Nainital) After Moradabad bypass we did not go towards Rampur, Haldwani but went towards Ramnagar
Corbett by taking a U turn. Took a right turn for Naintal(clearly marked)via Bazpur, Tanda and Kaladhungi. The road goes though a forest area near Kaaldhungi with Yamuna flowing on the right, it is a picturesque road with a wonderful drive and road. This route decreases the total distance to Nainital by 40 km. We reached Nainital via Sukhatal and went straight to Hotel Naini Retreat(previously Claridges). The hotel overlooks the lake and is a heritage property. The specialty of Naini Retreat is it's location, ambiance and food. We had a Garden view room which gave us a wonderful view. After a delicious lunch we went to the Nainital lake in the hotel's vehicle which dropped us near the Mosque. The lake is a walking distance from there and so is the Mall Road. After boating and some shopping we returned to the hotel by calling a vehicle form the hotel. In the evening we had some drinks in the lawns around a bon fire and listening to some nice old Hindi songs by a guitarist.
Next day we travelled about 30k to Naukuchiatal Lake Resort via Bhimtal, both lakes in the area. Naukuchiatal is a nine cornered lake and a beautiful one, it is much cleaner and less crowded than Nainital. Lake Resort Naukuchiatal is situated on the opposite side of the lake in the jungle with all lake facing rooms. The place is best to observe nature, go for long leisure walks and some boating on the lake. The serenity of the lake is something to look forward to and it really calms your senses.
Day 3 -Travelled 3 hours to Kausani via Kainchi and Almora. Staying at Sun-n-snow Kausani, a small but nice hotel, and by far the best available in Kausani. Kausani is a quiet place with some breathtaking views of the snow capped
peaks. The hill station is situated at a height of 1900 m and is surrounded by tea plantations and fruit orchards. Kausani is famous for it's Anasakti Ashram where the Mahatama stayed for some time in 1929.
Day 4- Travelled about 90 mins to Binsar, another of those quiet hill stations in the region. Stayed at Kassar Jungle Resort, named after a local Devi and located on Almora-Binsar road away from the main highway in the jungle area. Binsar is famous for the Binsar Wild Life Sactuary and Binsar Mahadev temple and of course the views of the peaks like Nanda Devi, Trishul, Nanda Devi and Kedarnath. It is difficult to decide which is more beautiful between Binsar and Kausani, but I think the greater height of Binsar gives it the slight edge. Had a visit to the Sanctuary and though we could not much animals, we were told that Leopard and other animals are sighted especially in the evenings. One can also have a Picnic lunch at Kosi river a little away form the resort. The resort also arranges for Adventure activities at a little distance like rock climbing, rappelling, river crossing etc.
Day 5- Started back to Delhi via Bhimtal, Moradabad and it took us about 8 hrs of driving + two breaks.

All in all it was a wonderful Hill Holiday which was quiet close to nature, relaxing and with some wonderful photo opportunity moments.

To arrange your trip to Uttaranchal you can call Around Delhi Holidays at 09891458220/09811193634

R.Anand,
Around Delhi

Snow fall at most hill stations in North India

2009-02-11T01:36:00.000-08:00

Fresh snowfall at Manali 9 Dec 2011

2011- 9th Dec- First snowfall of the season reported at Manali. Snowfall also reported in other parts of North India including Srinagar,Kufri and Narkanda.

2009-After a long dry spell this winter when most hill stations went without snow it snowed quiet heavily in hill stations of Kufri, Mussoorie, Chamba, Nainital, Kanatal and Shimla. The hills and trees in these hill stations were covered with a white blanket of snow giving a beautiful look. So if you are planning to take a break this weekend these places will make for a ideal weekend getaway. Below are some links with more details.

Snowfall at Shimla, Kufri,Narkanda

End of Dry spell at Shimla

Mussoorie, Nainital receive season's first snowfall
Dr R.Anand, Around Delhi

Picnic at Botanics Damdama

2009-02-03T05:12:00.000-08:00

Another corporate party near Damdama lake in Haryana, this time we did it at Botanics Nature Resort, the place I mentioned in my previous blog. The
place is based in 40 and most of it is lawns, gardens and full of flowering plants.The 40 acre global green park offers series of theme gardens and the marvels of nature. Park is built with the combined knowledge and inputs from experts of organizations like Samak Landscaping, WWF India and Haryana Tourism. The place provides options for a day picnic, day conference around Delhi or an overnite programme in it's cottages or luxury tents. The place is just half an hour drive
from Gurgaon and easily accessible from Delhi too. The place is a dream child of an horticulturist and what one sees is a result of a passion about nature and real hard work. The group was given a guided nature walk displaying the magnificent `Colors of Nature' in the breath taking series of gardens like Fragrance Garden, Herbs & Spices Gardens, Butterfly Park, and Rose Garden and many more. There is provision toplay various games along with the swimming pool and also the adventure activity area where one can do various activites like Jumping from Hurdle Wall Climbing Machaan, Balance Walk, Crossing Burma Bridge, Spider's Web etc.
We were served an excellent lunch and the sheer beauty and greenery surrounding us made it taste even better. For nature lovers the place is heaven with sighting of lot of birtds too in winter. The place also arranges for other activities like Zorbing, Dirt biking ATVs and Paint ball. For staying there are luxurious tents with attached toilets or the cottages.Only group bookings are done for minimum 5 rooms.So next time you plan to do some thing near Delhi either for the day or overnite contact Seema 09891458220 or Anand 09811193634 at Around Delhi.

More Picnic Options near Delhi

Dr Anand, Around Delhi

Trip to Bharatpur-Fatehpur Sikri-Taj, Agra

2009-01-23T22:48:00.000-08:00

17th Jan 09 7AM Started from Gurgaon for Bharatpur accompanying a group of 175 people including children. We had hired five 35 seaters deluxe buses and some guests were travelling on their own. It was a corporate family leisure outing which is a yearly affair and our company Around Delhi was doing it for the third time for them. The route taken-Gurgaon-Sohna-Palwal-Kosi-Mathura-Bharatpur. The road was clear though a little bumpy, but we reached Palwal from Hero Honda Chowk, Gurgaon in 90 mins.
10:00-11:20 AM Bfast at Country Inn, Kosi. A nice resort with lot of open green areas and the bfast was wonderful with good choice.
1:30 PM Reached Kadamb Kunj where the lunch for the whole group was arranged. We were staying at both Kadamb Kunj and Uday Villas as we needed about 65 rooms.
3:30 PM After lunch and check ins we proceeded to the Bhartapur Bird Sanctuary for a visit, Keoladeo National Park welcomes birds from all over the World during the winter months and this attracts tourists from around the Globe to see them. After taking the tickets for the guests and the buses we entered the park and parked at the second barrier in the park, the place from the wet lands start and the real birding is possible. One can either hire a rickshaw or a bicycle to visit the sanctuary, a few battery operated vans are also available. Remember to carry your binoculars and a bird book, if you have one. The rickshaw pullers are trained guides and can help you in identifying the avian population. There is a lot of water this time after a long gap and even boating is possible in the park. The various species seen were painted storks, egrets, sarus crane, black headed ibis, kingfisher, Indian and purple moore hen etc.
7:30-10:30 Evening party with tambola and cocktails with bon fire.

18th Jan 09 9:30 Am After breakfast headed to Fatehpur Sikri, which was just 15 km away. The stretch between Bharatpur and Agra is being four laned with work going on at many places, but is much better than before and hopefully work will be completed soon. At Sikri, like Taj Mahal, one has to park one's vehicle about one km away and take a battery operated van to reach. Fatehpur Sikri, a World Heritage site came into existence when Mughal Emperor Akbar wanted to make Fatehpur Sikri his headquarters. So he built this majestic fort. But due to shortage of water he had to ultimately move his headquarters to Agra Fort. One of the main attractions here are the Buland Darwaza, Dargarh of Salim Chisti and various Mahals of Mughal Emperor Akbar and his navratnas. Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti is famed as one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture in India. Situated near Zenana Rauza and facing south towards Buland Darwaza, it enshrines the burial place of the Sufi saint who lived a religious life here. The mausoleum, constructed by Akbar as a mark of his respect for the Sufi saint, was built during the years 1580 and 1581.

11:30 PM moved to Agra for seeing the Taj. The road after reaching Agra was really crowded and it took a lot of time in the city, it's high time the city roads in Agra improve to at least national standards. We again took the battery vans to reach the Taj. Even after having seen Taj so may times before, it's sight never fails to satisfy one's senses. Being a Sunday, it was quiet crowded and the frisking at the entrance took us a lot of time to enter. After the visit to the Taj, we had our lunch at the Haveli restaurant on the Fatehabad road. The food and arrangements were simply amazing and very well handled. Soon it was time to head back to Delhi and we reached back Guragaon at 10 PM having started at 5 PM from Agra. Though the tour was a very hectic one, the guests had their money's worth having seen and enjoyed so much in such a short time.
Dr. Anand,
AroundDelhi.com

Weekend Getaways Around Delhi: Fort Unchagaon, Heritage Hotel in a Village setup

2009-01-19T04:36:00.000-08:00

Weekend Getaways Around Delhi: Fort Unchagaon, Heritage Hotel in a Village setup

Fort Unchagaon, Heritage Hotel in a Village setup

2009-01-15T03:02:00.000-08:00

Some time back I had visited a nice and a different kind of hotel close to Delhi. The place was Fort Unchagaon, about 130 k from Delhi near Garh near the Moradabad Highway(a heritage resort near Delhi). This 19th century fort was made by ancestors of Raja Surendra Pal Singh, the present owner. The drive to the place takes you through a village road for about 10 k along the irrigation canal after heading on the NH24 for about 100k. The ride was a little bumpy in the last few km. The hotel offers two kinds of rooms Fort house and the Collector court, fort house being the bigger rooms in the main building, while the Collector court rooms are smaller in size.

We were greeted by a huge doorway and some very green lawns before entering the Fort House building. We were given a room in the Fort House itself which was really big in size though not a very luxurious one. The room had a living room and a bedroom with nice heritage feel and look. There are also rooms in the annexe, called the Collector's court. These rooms are smaller in size but still quiet good. We had a nice sumptuous and delicious lunch which was like home cooked food with a nice variety of dishes. For recreation there is a newly built Swimming Pool, badminton,TT, cricket etc. There is no TV in the rooms but a common TV with a dish is available.
After lunch we went for a horse ride after choosing a horse from the Fort house stable and went for a village tour. We saw some real country side with mango orchards, village style living and saw pottery making and jaggery(gud)making. We even tried our hands at pottery making which did not turn out to be that easy. We also went till the Ganges and enjoyed some boat ride by local boatsman, though we did not see any dolphins but we were told that they were some times seen in this area.

In the evening we had some tea in the lush green lawns and played some table tennis. There was a small cultural programme in the evening with bon fire, which we enjoyed with some drinks. Overall the stay was quiet comfortable with very hospitable and trained staff and some nice food and peaceful surroundings.

Click Here for Fort Unchagaon Pictures

For booking call Seema 9891458220/Anand 9811193634
R.Anand,
Around Delhi

Timbertrail Parwanoo Snaps

2009-01-12T06:39:00.000-08:00

Details of Timbertail, Parwanoo, Himachal

CORBETT RIVER VIEW SNAPS

2009-01-12T05:37:00.000-08:00

Back to Around Delhi Corbett Page

Sariska Palace Snaps

2009-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Back to Sariska Page at AroundDelhi.com

Stay inside the Corbett Forest-Hideaway River Lodge

2009-01-04T03:13:00.000-08:00

I have stayed at various resorts in Corbett like Hideaway,Infinity,Ramganga and Riverview and also at Government run guest houses like the ones at Dhikala and Gairal. While you enjoy the resorts like Hideaway and Riverview because of their food, facilities and Ramganga for it's excellent location along the Ramganga river, you still long to stay inside the core area of the Corbett Reserve forest area to get that jungle feeling. You get that satisfaction while staying at Dhikala but the facilities including basic ones like the food,running hot and cold water and service leave you really unsatisfied. Also the bookings are not easy to secure and difficult to book.
So when I was offered a chance to stay inside the jungle with no phone connectivity, luxury tents with attached bathroom toilets I jumped at the idea. For the first night we stayed at Corbett Riverview and enjoyed the hospitality there with nice accommodation in cottages and excellent food to boot. Next day early morning (6AM) we had some hot tea and headed for Durgadevi gate, the hotel having already acquired our full day permits for us. The four wheel drive through the forest was nice though very chilly in January morning. On the way to Jamun, the location of our camps, we saw the barking deer,lots of spotted deer,many bird species and hint of a leopard(not sure). For reaching the camps we had to cross the Ramganga river which can be done on a jeep if the water level is low or an elephant oterwise. We preferred to do it on an elephant and what a ride it was as we could some fishes in the crystal clear water from the elephant back.
On reaching the camps we were awestruck by the awesome view of the forest from a height and the Ramganga River, the surrounding forest too was dense and very green. The camp area was surrounded by a wire fencing which we were told is electric, powered by solar power to prevent the wild animals to stray into the jungle area. Accommodation is in Luxury camps in the jungle spread over a 12 acre area with attached bathrooms and English toilets with running water. It was breakfast time and we were treated to a sumptuous meal and the taste was as good as one we had at Riverview resort. We were given hot water in buckets for our bath (running cold water is available 24 hrs)and after freshning up it was time to go for some fishing along the Ramgagna river. Permits for fishing have to be obtained and the norm is catch-photograph-release. We were joined by some guys from England, who had come all the way just for the jungle experience and Mahaseer fishing. They were staying at the camps for a week.It was a wonderful fishing session and though being our first time we still enjoyed it a lot. We could not catch anything ourselves but our English friends had some nice catch.
In the evening after sunset though it was quiet nippy but the cacophony of jungle sounds and the amazing view of the night sky with infinite stars made it all worth it. Around a bon fire we enjoyed some drinks along with chicken malai tikka and seekh kebabs. The kind of service and food the camp people provided was amazing and difficult to imagine in this difficult terrain. It was also exciting to believe that you are surrounded by a plethora of wild animals including the Tiger itself. We were told that Tiger sightings has been done from the camp itself and we were hoping for the same ourselves.
We were given a solar lantern to help us on our way back to the camp. On reaching the camp we found that the bed had been made with a hot water bottle tucked in to make it warm. We were woken up in the night by some loud animal howls which seem to be coming from very near,probably some pack of jackals.
Next morning we went for a elephant safari in the jungle but the tiger still eluded us though we had a lot of other sightings. Soon it was time to go back to habitation as we boarded the jeep, we were half way through when the driver

stopped the jeep in the mud track and told us to keep silent. We realised how still the jungle was and we could not hear anything except the birds. We saw a pair of spotted deer who were standing absolutely still and in rapt attention. And then we saw what we had been waiting for, the sight of the Tiger itself, strolling carefree, oblivious of our presence and the five pair of eyes that were following it. It was my first Tiger sighting in the wild and it was exciting as well as nerve wrecking. The approximately one minute sighting was something we will remember for long and one that will keep us coming back to Corbett, specially the Hideaway River Lodge.
Click here for more info on River Lodge and packages.
Around Delhi

Trip to Bhimtal Saattal

2008-12-26T05:10:00.000-08:00

Third week of December 08 I was off to Bhimtal along with a my corporate group of about 90 people. We travelled overnite by Deluxe buses in the night. Stopped at Gajraula in the night for some tea, it was unusually warm that night, unlike the late December in North India. Early morning around Rampur there was a dense fog that made driving difficult. Still we could make it on time for breakfast at Country Inn, Bhimtal a nice resort with deluxe rooms,cottages, nice lawns, spa and a swimming pool. The rooms, cottages and the facilities at Country Inn are excellent and we had a nice breakfast after freshening up with a warm bath. Here it was not so cold,rather pleasant. Our team had arranged for training for the employees and some fun activities for the families and children.
In the evening we had some nice old songs accompanied by guitar by the Fun rangers sitting around a bon fire.
Next Day early morning we did some yoga under expert guidance and it was a refreshing and wonderful start to the day. After bfast, we headed for Saattal(seven lakes) which is about 8 km from Bhimtal. Saattal is a more quieter and cleaner lake not visited regularly. After circling the lake we did some adventure activities like rock climbing,rappelling and valley crossing in the nearby jungle area. After that we had our lunch at Country Inn, Saat tal a small hotel with lake facing rooms and situated in a quiet corner. If you are looking for some thing quiet,lonely and serene this is the place.
The whole area is strewn with lakes, some of them being Bhimtal, Sattal,Khurpatal,Naukuchiatal and the biggest and most well known-Nainital. So from here we went to Nainital for some sight seeing, boating, shopping and all. It was real chilly in Nainital with gusty winds and all. For the first time in our visit we felt that we have come to a hill station.

Next day morning about 15 of us trekked to a very special but unknown place in the vicinity, the Nal Damayanti pond. The trek was a soft one and for about 2 km. It took us to a small pond which had lots and lots of fishes. We took some bread along to feed them and it was real fun seeing them jump for the bread crumbs all over the pond. The pond we were told has some religious significance too and any kind of fishing was not allowed here. On the way back to Delhi we stopped at Bhimtal lake.

Overall it was a nice trip enjoyed by all the participants and was a lot of fun.
For more info on Bhimtal,Sat tal, Naukuchiatal and Nainital and hotel bookings log onto Nainital Resorts
For arranging your trip tp Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal or Nainital call us at Around Delhi at 09891458220/09811193634
Anand, Around Delhi

Corbett Trip

2008-11-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

On Friday morning we headed for Corbett National Park in Uttrakhand with like minded friends of Rotary Akash,Delhi. After collecting all of them on the way in a deluxe bus we left Delhi by about 8 AM.We were a group of 25 including children.After stopping at Gajraula(Meriton) for some excellent breakfast (pre arranged)we could reach Corbett by about 2:30 PM for lunch in good time. The resort was a new one which we were trying out for the first one. It turned out to be an excellent choice as Tarangi, our resort, was a riverside affair and housing 21 beautiful cottages in 20 areas of vast Green lawns. At first it was difficult to find our way in the big resort. After taking a sumptuous lunch, we did not rest much and were by the river and then in the river soon. The river by the resort is Kosi and though it did not have too much water but enough for a cool dip. The cocktails were at the riverside lawns and every body was in the holiday mood. We had to retire early as we were booked for the morning Safari and had to leave the resort by about 5 AM.

Next morning we were 30 minutes late (thanks to a dear friend)and reached at the Jhirna Gate at about 6:30 AM. You have many gates for entry to core area of Corbett like Jhirna, Bijrani,Durga Devi, Sitabani, Dhikala etc. Each leads to a different part of the jungle and one needs a permit to enter. One can prebook the morning safari or go for a current booking for the afternoon one. Most of us go to Corbett with an aim of only seeing the Tiger and feel that if we don't see a Tiger it is a waste of time. I think that thinking should change and one should really enjoy and see the jungle as a whole instead of just the Tiger. We saw a lot of animals and birds like the spotted deer, barking deer( a deer that barks like a dog), wild boar, mongoose,kingfisher, tree pie, monkeys and langurs etc. Some of the friends were disappointed not to see the Tiger and wanted to again in the noon or next day, but sorry no luck, everything was booked. We came back to the resort and went straight for the breakfast, the variety in the bfast on both days was amazing, giving a choice of more than 10 things to have. Before noon we enjoed a game of cricket and after noon we went to a bridge on the Kosi near Garjia
temple for some adventure activities. The activities were loved by one everyone specially the children. It was amazing some of the six year olds trying their hand at flaying fox and rappelling. After the activity some of the friend went to the nearby temple while we decided to walk back to the resort, covering a distance of about 3km. It was a nice and cool walk covering all the resorts like Corbett Hideaway, Country Inn, Corbett Riverview etc. This road in fact now looks more like a Mall road with all the hotels and resorts instead of a jungle road. After a tipsy evening where we were treated to some old Hindi songs by a North East guy who also played the guitar. Later it was back to some fast CD songs which really set the tone for the evening making some friends really go over the moon(thankfully they were back the next morning). Finally it was time to leave the next day and a common thought that we needed at least another day a the place. While coming back we were struck in a bad jam near Garh crossing. The road from Corbett to Gajraula is quiet and not much of a problem, but the stretch between Hapur and Gajraula still has some bottlenecks which I am sure will not stay for long as construction is underway. Looking forward for another trip with the friends.

For a trip to Corbett and other destinations around Delhi click here- Wild Life Resorts around Delhi.

Driving on the Delhi-Jaipur-Ajmer Highway

2008-10-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

On Monday I planned to go to Jaipur for some work and took the NH 8, Delhi-Jaipur Highway early morning. It was wonderful travelling on this wonderful highway as we made it to Jaipur with in 4 hours, but for entering main Jaipur, we took the Jaipur-Ajmer bypass and it was simply wonderful and even better than the Delhi-Jaipur leg. We travelled about 30 km on it and the part of the highway which passed through JAIPUR was on an elevated road passing through one side of the city giveing one a beautiful view of the pink city. Though we had work in Jaipur but the highway being so good we really felt like going all the way to Ajmer. Both sides are covered by a railing and there are no frquent gaps in the road giving a smooth and fast drive.

By the way if you want to have some stay options in Jaipur you can look here Jaipur Hotels & Resorts.

Around Delhi

Sariska,Rajasthan-Tigers are back

2008-10-18T03:26:00.000-07:00

Continuning from where I left from last time about Wildlife resorts around Delhi. Went to Sariska, near Alwar on 2nd weekend of October as one of my clients Mr. Minood was doing a workshop at Sarisaka Palace on 'Rebirthing'. Sariska is a cool 3 1/2 hours drive from Delhi via Alwar(190k). Sariska is famous for it's Tiger Wild life sanctuary. Sariska and gone out of favour of wild life lovers as Sariska had lost all it's tigers to poachers and other risk fastors. It was only recently in September that a Tiger and a tigeress were airlifted from Ranthambhore, another tiger sanctuary and relocated to Sariska. That has brought life back to this Sanctuary after a long time, making it the closest place to watch Tigers Delhi. So in a way it is 'Rebirthing' for this almost dead Tiger Sanctuary. Though there are only two tigers at Sariska, people have already had sightings and close to the metalled road for that. So does't matter if you only have two days with you, start on Saturday morning from Delhi or Jaipur and stay for only one night and go watch the jungle and be back on Sunday to face the World, afresh. As far as stay is concerned, Sariska doen't give you too may options. The only worthwhile place to stay is Sariska Palace, a heritage property now converted into a hotel. It is all of 100 acres and beautiful lawns are really inviting with great rooms and food. It is a little on the costly side but look from some great offers from us at www.AroundDelhi.com. Though we did not have enough luch this time but still we saw lots of neel gai, spotted dear, langurs, monitor lizard, wild boar and lots of birds too. So I feel Sariska is one of the best weekend getaways from Delhi and Jaipur. For bookings contact us at Around Delhi-Sariska Bookings

Bye for now.

Around Delhi

Wild Life Spots around Delhi

2008-10-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

Staying in Delhi give you a chance to have a look at lot of wildlife options not too far from Delhi. In August on the Independence Day weekend we visited the Bhartpur Bid Sanctuary and just last week to Sariska.( Guess what am visiting Corbett in month end, lucky me).
Both the wild life and bird sanctuary we recently visited have seen revival of resorts this year. Bharatpurt or Ghana or Keoleaodeo Bird Sanctuary as it is called was almost bereft of water, swamps and birds for the last few years because of deficient rains. The migratory birds had almost stopped visiting the park and started looking at other options for nesting and laying eggs. On visiting this year it was heartening to see the park full of water and more of it still coming. We were told that they are going to start boating soon in the park, after a gap of 4-5 years. August is an early time of migration of birds but I was surprised to see the bird colonies of Painted storks, Ibis and other birds in large numbers. There were loas and oads of them and the cackle of the young ones was almost deafening. There were also other birds like kingfisher, snake bird etc. I am sure by ealry winter we will have the park full of different birds including coots, pintails and so on and maybe the elusive Siberian crane.

I would love to talk about Sariska Tiger and Sariska Palace,but it is time for dinner and I am feeling quiet hungry(less than my wife though on this Karva Chauth day). Catch you later.

For staying options at Bharatpur, follow this link-Bharatpur Hotels & Resorts

Bye,
Around Delhi

Tourist season in North Hills

2008-06-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hi,
It's been a long time since I posted as last few months have been very busy due to the tourist season in North India. It's still season time as people from all over India converge to North India Hill Stations to beat the heat of the plains. The maximum rush has been towards Shimla and Nainital but lot of people avoid these main hill stations and head for off beat ones like Kantal, Chamba, Chail, Binsar and so on. I will probably give more info on these off beat hill stations in my subsequent posts. Meanwhile places in Rajasthan like Jaipur, Sariska and son on which are close to Delhi were shunned by the tourist lot because of the ongoing Gujjar agitation. I wish the matter settles fast.
Bye for now.
Around Delhi

Travels in North India

2008-03-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

Hi,
This is Around Delhi, I am a travel enthusiast staying in Delhi and running a website by the name www.AroundDelhi.com for last 5 years. What started as a hobby-travelling by own car and sharing it with friends on the site has now become a full fledged profession of finding new and exciting new places and promoting them on the website. Though traveling is now a profession but the passion of discovering and unearthing new travel hot spots still remains. My original profession of Anaesthesia, putting people to sleep, has taken a back seat with this new found love. On this blog I will love to discuss various options of applying balm to your harried body, mind and soul by spending some time with near and dear ones at a worthwhile destination and accommodation. Also your valued suggestions are welcome about any destinations you have visited or stayed so as to share your experiences with fellow travelers.
ArounD Delhi