Kerala the correct blend of history culture and nature at its best

Every time whenever it comes to deciding which holiday destination to visit, there is always a war of words among our family members. My reference of family does not mean three or four members, it’s a group of around fifteen including kids, youngsters and seniors. This time deciding the right destination was more crucial as we were going on a tour after a gap of three years. Everybody was busy collecting data on more attractive destinations, from this data and discussions majority of us agreed for Kerala as the destination for our forthcoming tour.

When our family friend Venugopalan came to know about our travel plans, he extended a helping hand by taking the responsibility to take us around the notable places to visit in Kerala. Venugopalan being the resident of Thiruvanantpuram having a huge house in its vicinity, we landed in this city first. Looking at the immense tourist potential of this capital city of Kerala, we thought of visiting some selected places to visit in Kerala. Some of the highlighted places in and around the city are Kanakakkunnu Palace, Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple, St. Josephs Cathedral, Trivandrum zoo, Science and Technology Museum and Kowdiar palace. We covered most of the places in a day’s tour taking our lunch at the cities most renowned Kalavara family restaurant. Seafood cooked in keralite style of cooking, with awesome side dishes was a great experience for all of us. Among the above places Sree Padmanabha Swami temple is the must visit place in Thiruvanantpuram which was previously called Trivandrum.

We thought that second phase of our tour should be more enjoying and entertaining, so we filtered a few places to visit like Kovalam beach, Shanghumugham Beach and the Veli lagoon. Kovalam beach is a paradise for the beach vacationers located just few km from the city which is renowned as one of the finest beaches in India. We had excellent time around the beach where we shopped, took an exclusive medicinal oil bath and went for a soothing Ayurvedic massage. Halcyon castle offers luxurious accommodations of International standards. We spent our evening at the nearby serene Shanghumugham beach close to Trivandrum International airport. The huge “Jalakanyaka” sculpture and the amusement park attract tourists to this place. At Veli lagoon we had enjoyed lots of water sports and a coffee at the floating restaurant. We had a nice opportunity to get the glimpse of sunset at the beach. Our wish of taking a Keralite dinner was fulfilled at the Indian Coffee house. The ancient stone pavilion and Vettukad Church near the beach are also best places to visit.

We were really accomplished with our tour of Kerala, which became spicy under the guidance of our great friend. In order to respect his request, we stayed one extra day at the capital city in which we had the chance to get acquainted with the common Keralite delicacies like Paysam and appetizer Rassam. Offering thanks to Venugopalan we left this incredible place for a return journey.

Himachal Trip

One of the most beautiful regions of northern India, Himachal Pradesh offers breathtaking views of its snow-capped mountains and lush green valleys for visitors. Its hill stations have always enjoyed tremendous popularity among tourists. Most of them visit these places to get some respite from scorching summers, while there are some who wish to explore scenic beauty of Himachal. It has elevated regions covered with pine forests along with different types of shrubs. Due to these reasons, a Himachal trip is always a rejuvenating experience for many individuals who want to leave all their worries behind and get lost in its enchanting natural surroundings. Adventure-seekers can also have an exciting time as this amazing North Indian state also has plenty of activities in store for such individuals. Couples on a honeymoon trip would also find places that are truly blessed with nature's best gifts, offering an opportunity for them to spend some of the most romantic moments of their lives.

Himachal has plenty of attractions for tourists including some beautiful hill stations and places of worship. They can experience peace and tranquillity in Dharamshala, which is home to the Dalai Lama. This particular place has marvellous views of surrounding Dhauladhar mountains. Hill stations like Kullu-Manali, Shimla and McLeodganj make for an ideal tourist destination during summers. Adventure tourists can enjoy trekking, skiing, paragliding and other sports that provide numerous challenges along with plenty of excitement for them. Rural life of Himachal can be experienced in small towns or villages that have orchards of different types of fruits. Presence of many travel agents in Himachal can be a great boon for honeymooning couples or leisure tourists as they can have several tour packages to choose from.

In recent times, tourists can save plenty of time and money by booking exciting tour packages through a travel site. Whenever travellers are in search for a reliable Himachal tour operator for planning their vacation in this region, an online tour operator can provide plenty of options to choose from. There are different types of Himachal packages that are offered on this website to suit the travel preferences and budgets of various tourists. They not only give such individuals a chance to have greater discounts, but also include best locations of Himachal. Stays during such tours are arranged in some of the best hotels in this region that have luxurious rooms, fully equipped with modern facilities. Booking these tour packages from the comforts of their homes also adds to tourists’ delight.

Leh Ladakh- Paradise on the Earth

A spectacular hill station located at an altitude of more than 2750 metres, Ladakh has gained tremendous popularity among tourists in recent times. There are several scenic landscapes in this region that are set against the backdrop of beautiful snow-clad mountains. It is also characterized by an underlying silence, which has a calming effect on visitors. Leh is the capital city of Ladakh, which has several Buddhist monasteries and a population that welcomes every guest with a smile. Today, there are many tour operators who offer exciting Leh Ladakhtour packages for tourists who want to explore this fabulous region. Individuals and couples visiting this region can also get a glimpse of Ladakh's rich culture during Hemis festival, which is quite popular in this region. A sacred dance called 'Chaam', performed by masked Buddhist monks on this occasion attract a huge audience comprising of locals and tourists. Adventure seekers can indulge in various activities like white water rafting, trekking and jeep safaris.

There are many tourist attractions in Leh-Ladakh that can charm its visitors with its natural and man-made features. First in the list is Shey monastery, which is located on the banks of Indus River. It is wonderfully crafted with Tibetan-style carvings and showcases a blue-haired Buddha made of copper and brass. Thiksey monastery, located at a distance of 30-40 minutes drive from Leh, is another great example of Ladakh's architecture. It has marvellous wall paintings and carvings of Buddha's teachings and ideas on a large pillar. Thiksey Festival attracts plenty of tourists and Buddhist devotees every year and is held with great zest. Stok Palace Museum, which is located at a distance of 14 kilometres from Leh, has several royal artefacts and ancient Buddhist remains. Travel companies that offer Honeymoon packages in Leh Ladakh for newly-weds also include Nubra valley, which is a picturesque region located about 150 kilometres from the city of Leh. It is situated at about 10,000 feet above sea level and almost seems like a heavenly place for those visiting this amazing tourist destination. Alchi, Uletokpo and Drass are some of the other places that are included in tour packages to Ladakh offered by different travel companies.

Certain precautions have to be taken by tourists who visit Ladakh for enjoying their trip to this fabulous region. It is advisable not to take kids below the age of five as they may encounter acclimatization problems. Visitors must carry certain medicines such as Diomax and Disprin with them and drink plenty of water during their trip. Consumption of tobacco and alcohol must be completely avoided as oxygen levels in Ladakh region is very low and would lead to a hangover. This is especially true in case of trekking expeditions which involve trips to places situated at high altitudes. Many travel companies which provide LehLadakh holiday packages for tourists always take utmost care to ensure that these instructions are followed. Taking proper precautions would help tourists to have a pleasant and memorable tour of this enchanting region.