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Follow on Google News | Top Holiday Destinations in IndiaWhen I look back at these last 12 months, I am amazed at how much I managed to do – despite a little baby and a start-up to contend with. Of course, it helps that the start-up is travel-based and all my holidays get counted as work!
By: Lonely Planet Shillong What do you say about a place that celebrates Bob Dylan's birthday every year? Totally in tune with reality :-) I went over Christmas and New Years, and the air just smelt of X- Mas cake! The first thing that strikes you when you enter the main Shillong town is...music. It's there on every street corner, makeshift stages have been set up and people young and old are belting out the songs I grew up on. Apparently, back in the 1970's, when the rest of India was just waking up to rock n' roll and the blues, Bob Dylan, The Doors and The Rolling Stones were already playing their music in this hilly town. I took a local cab to move around and the cabbie was belting out Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water – surreal and insane at the same time! Meghalaya literally means "abode of the clouds", and Shillong, its capital, sits amidst pine forests and waterfalls with the mountains in the backdrop. It has the most beautiful gentle trekking routes that takes you through flat meadows and forests only to emerge into a clearing with a gigantic waterfall right up ahead! We stayed at a friend's place and it was always open house in the evenings. Streams of unknown kids would walk through the house singing carols every night partaking of your Christmas cake and other goodies! Guwahati in Assam is the closest railway head or airport and the drive to Shillong takes about 4.5 hours with a stopover for momos at Nongpo. I know most people would recommend going there in the summer months, but December is special. The streets are full of festivities and the crisp mountain air and warm sunshine in the day makes up for the cold nights. Shillong is a must-see for people who are looking for culture, music, the hills and adventure all rolled into one. http://www.atriptoindia.com/ Aaranyya By The Ganges, near Rishikesh Watch the monkey's perform at breakfast, raft the cool Ganga in the warm morning sun, sit by the beach in the afternoon and slump into your mooda besides a blazing warm fire at night. This is the to-do list while you're here! Aaranyya is run by people who are pioneers in the adventure business since 1985. They run a rafting camp on the banks of the Ganga as well, but if you're into flushed loos, hot running water and the general comforts of a hotel, I'd recommend this new jungle lodge at Shivpuri – one hour's drive from Rishikesh. You hit the river every morning, bask in the warm sun on the beach till 4 pm, and come back to clean rooms, crisp white bed sheets, and hot running water in the evening. And if you're really lucky, at night, by the warm blaze of the bonfire, Col. Narinder Kumar – owner and India's most decorated mountain climber, will join you. He will regale you with hair raising tales of his expeditions to Nanda Devi, Everest, Kunchenjunga and more! It's open all year round, but best time to go is October to April – especially if you want to go rafting. Best way to get there is to drive up from Delhi – takes around 8 hours. Dehradun airport is the closest and then about a 2.5 hours drive. Casa Bella Vista in Manali Mountain views, peace, a warm fireplace and the best pizza in town! Could you ask for more? The aroma of oven baked pizzas wafts its way the moment you step into their wooden gates. Combine that with a beautiful green lawn blooming with spring flowers, lovely wooden cottages and the warmth of your Spanish hostess Martha, and you know this is where you want to stay! Poised on the top of a small hill, beyond the crowds and bustle of Manali town, yet just a short distance away from both the main bazaar and old Manali, Casa Bella Vista is owned and run by Girimere and Martha, who also make their home there with their three little kids through the summer. There are two cottages of three rooms each and two separate rooms. Impeccably furnished (you must ask Martha about her shopping experiences in Delhi's Chandni Chowk!) with a fully- equipped kitchen, you can choose to take a whole cottage if you're in a large group. And if you don't feel like cooking on your vacation, they will provide a cook for you. What could be better? Aha! There's the Cafe – warm, inviting and with Mediterranean flavours so divine you never want to leave! Let me say this quite emphatically, they have the best pizzas in the country! It's a veggie place – but even a hard core non-veg like I didn't miss the meat. The kids will love the blue berry cheese cake and the chocolate bombs! Best time to go? I recommend July and August. The main tourist traffic has left Manali by then and the madness and mayhem is replaced by peace and tranquillity! Raju Bharti's Cottage, Gushaini Fresh tout for breakfast, river gurgling by, bhutias for company – I think I found my heaven! What can you say about a place that makes you think of Alice in Wonderland the moment you enter? Nestled in the midst of the Banjar Valley, just three hours drive from Kulu, you have to cross the Tirthan river in a makeshift cable car to reach Raju's homestay. Suggestion - don't stare at the river gushing below, especially if you're a non swimmer! As soon as you enter the cottage grounds, you're surrounded by apple, chikoo, apricot trees and cherry bushes and 4 bhutias come bounding up wagging a warm welcome...it's almost magical! Raju Bharti is the man in charge and his cottages are rustic but extremely comfortable with running hot water and clean sheets every day. Some super trekking routes - for the serious and not-so-serious trekkers are nearby, and fishing for the passionate anglers. There's fresh trout for dinner (and sometimes even breakfast!) and a warm bonfire at night. It's the place to be - if you're looking for a quiet retreat with the family. The Banjar Valley is about 450 km from Delhi and it should take you around 11 hours. Best time to go is when the plains get unbearably hot – May to September is perfect. Chattra Sagar, Nimaj Sigh...I could keep going to Chattra Sagar again and again. This isn't Rajasthan the way we know it. No sand dunes here, no forts and palaces either, but luxury tents on top of a private dam overlooking the lake bordered by green hills on all sides. You're witness to the most stunning sunrises and sunsets you've probably ever seen, and what made my holiday complete – the most awesome laal maas and other Rajasthani spread you have ever been fortunate to eat! Run by brothers Nandi and Harsh, this is personalised service to the extreme, with their wives carefully supervising the food that comes out of their kitchen. You get to experience rural Rajasthan when Harsh takes you around in his jeep through the village of silver smiths and lets you wander around. You chat with the villagers, explore the farms and local temple ruins nearby. An early morning walk into the forest area on the opposite side of the dam brings you face to face with neel gai and barking deer. And as you emerge out of the forest into the clearing near the water, there's this most beautiful site of daintily stepping Flamingoes – a photographer's dream! Chattrasagar spells luxury and romance so I'd highly recommend it for honeymooners and if you're into birding too – this is your very own paradise! It's open from October to April, and is a 480 km drive from Delhi – just 95 km from Ajmer. You should really plan to be at Chattra Sagar when you're doing the Jodhpur-Jaipur- End
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