A Trip To Discover Yourself –Travel to Ladakh

Image courtesy: www.facebook.com/academyofstoners 

The land so barren and the passes so high, that only the worst of enemies or the best friends would visit 
this land…

(Ladakhi quote)

The feeling of being a wanderer by day, a camper by dusk and a star gazer by dawn, if you ever wanted to experience a life like this, then heading to Ladakh should be on top of your list. Ladakh – the paradise situated in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north surrounded by the main Great Himalayas in the south. Capable of making any individual feel so insignificant and small, that if ever, you wished to realize the vastness of the world, Ladakh is the place indeed.

The blissful location, situated at an altitude of 3500 mt. above sea level is the highest elevated city in India. And despite being such a parched land, Ladakh has a great diversity of birds — a total of 225 species recorded till date.

With Tibetan monasteries and fabulously ‘cool’ monks, it is but impossible not to realize where the place gets its charm and peace from. The air of this place has a naturally serene sense of enlightment and makes you feel closer to the creator. With stunning architectural views of Thikse Monastery, Leh Palace & Shanti Stupa, individuals will find themselves doubly blessed- with the amazing views as well as surrealistic peace of mind. The natural beauty of this place is simply heavenly. With so many valleys & mounts to explore, tourists and travelers usually prefer to head on their own in search of rarer sights & more stunning scenery. Bike rides, cabs, horses and yaks make travelling an interesting adventure in this part of the country.

Besides the spiritual experience, if you wish to have some extreme fun at such an extreme location – activities like river rafting, trekking & mountain climbing are available to add to your adventure. Different people have different reasons to go to Ladakh, but they all have same reaction when they return – overwhelmed by nature’s vastness & beauty. So when are you planning to experience the thrill & enlightment of such an irresistible setting?

Travel safe. Happy travelling.  

Spread your wings, time for paragliding!

Let’s face it – each one of us, in our childhood wanted to fly like a bird. To simply spread your wings, float on the clouds, soar like an eagle, who wouldn’t want that! Indeed this sounds like a child’s fantasy but now that you have grown up, you can actually make this dream a reality by ‘paragliding’ - an easy, thrilling & incredible experience!

In India the top paragliding locations are in

• Maharashtra
• Himachal Pradesh

These two states have the most number of sites while other places in the list are:

• Goa
• Kerala
• Karnataka
• Tamil Nadu
• West Bengal
• Uttrakhand
• Rajasthan

You can experience paragliding in two ways, firstly learning to be paragliding pilot & secondly through tandem paragliding. One can learn the basics of paragliding in two days & three days short programs available at various aero & adventure clubs. These programs certify the individual as elementary pilot depending upon the number of hours flown. After this, you are eligible to fly without assistance like a free bird, to where your heart desires. These training sessions are extensively planned & thoroughly safe. On an average, the fees for these trainings range from Rs. 7000/- to 15,000/- depending on number of days and the skills taught.

If however, you do not wish to be a pilot & just want to go for one quick thrilling experience, tandem paragliding is your thing! A tandem ride helps you relish paragliding, without you having to learn it. Tandem paragliders are larger paragliding wings designed to carry the pilot and one passenger. The passenger sits in the front in a comfortable & safe harness and can enjoy the flight without any know how of flying. The tandem paragliding usually costs Rs. 2,500/- for a 10 minutes joyride, however, the average ranges to Rs. 7,000/- depending upon the time spent flying.

So this weekend, how about finally re-living your childhood dream? Paragliding is an absolute safe yet exhilarating experience and anyone from age 8 to 80 can do it. So this New Year, how about going beyond your own limits and just have fun.

Travel safe. Happy travelling.

Sky High Fun of Travelling: Hot Air Balloon Rides

This year how about exploring the same land with a different perspective? Adding a tinge of adventure & wonder to your holidays, simply to make them more magical! So here is a great idea to begin this year’s adventure traveling – Hot Air Balloon rides!

Hot air ballooning is a thrilling & mesmerizing experience and although new in India it is gradually seeing rise in demand. Previously, in India, only Rajasthan had the Hot Air Balloon adventure tourism assets, now however, state of Maharashtra will also be featuring this amazing tourism feature. Overall adding to the list of cities providing Hot Air Balloon services are-

• Jaisalmer
• Puahkar
• Udaipur
• Manali
• Pune (upcoming)
• Lonavala(upcoming)

These hot air balloon rides are charged usually on hourly basis and may range Rs.12, 000/- for adults, Rs.10, 000/- for each child aged 9-12 years old & Rs.8,000/- for each child of 6-8 years of age. These charges may however subject to change as per local & government rules & policies. The rides generally last for an hour, and reach not more than 5000 ft. in altitude.

Since the balloons float along with the wind, the passengers don’t feel the breeze and so the cold, hence you don’t have to worry about carrying an extra jacket for chillier temperature. The best time for riding a hot air balloon is always at sunrise (around 4:00 AM in summers & 5:00 AM in winters) or before sunset, and not to mention the rides are very much depended on the weather conditions. If the local climate gets too foggy or cloudy or overly windy, chances are that your hot air balloon will require a clearance from aviation department for further developments. It’s a safe, romantic & beautiful experience, and if you as well even fancy getting married in a hot air balloon – that is also possible!

So this year, pack your bags & head out to the gorgeous location of desert, forts and/ or mountains & valleys and enjoy the view from a different standpoint! The calmness, serenity of your transport & the marvel of land under your feet will leave you wanting way more! So what are you waiting for?

Travel safe. Happy traveling!