You being an Indian must have once in life dreamt about visiting several foreign locations. There would be at least one of it in everyone’s bucket list. I am no one different. I was always fascinated by visiting Venice once. But it would surely be a big hole in my pocket. So what i did was, searched for its alternatives and came across these locations which are in India and definitely gives abroad vibes:

1. Kashmir & Switzerland

Switzerland is well known European romantic paradise for everyone. The beauty of the Alps and the jaw-dropping scenes can make any one crave for it. But if this is a paradise, let me introduce you to the real paradise of our India i.e. Kashmir. Places like Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Srinagar are the best doppelgangers of Switzerland. From the snow-clad mountains to the lush green scenes, Kashmir provides one with all. It is often considered as the “Switzerland of India.” The Pir Panjal Range makes it a perfect spot for exploring.

2. Cherry Blossom in Shillong and Cherry Blossom in Japan

Cherry Blossom is also known as Prunus Cerasoides is considered to be the best gift of Himalayas. This is very popular in Japan but did you know every year in mid- November Shillong celebrates the blooming of Cherry blossom as an Intetnational festival where the Khasi Hills turns pink with the beautiful gorgeous flowers of Cherry Blossom.

3. Chitrakote Waterfalls, Chhattisgarh And The Niagara Falls of Ontario

If you have love for waterfalls, you must have came across the name of Niagara Falls. Well, we have its doppelganger in India itself i.e. Chitrakote Waterfalls in Chhattisgarh which is located to the west of Jagdalpur in Bastar district. It is one of most spectacular waterfalls of India which can give you an essence of Niagara Waterfall here in India.

4. Floating Market in Srinagar And Bangkok

Bangkok is famous for its several floating markets. These markets are well known for its exotic fruits, vegetables and species. We in India have a similar kind of market in Srinagar. Several fruit and vegetable vendors are nestled in the Dal lake and sell floating on a boat. Srinagar’s floating market is also a well known market in the world.

5. The Thar Desert And The Sahara Desert

Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world situated in North Africa. Pyramids are most common here. It is known as the “The Great Desert”. Similar to this, India also has it’s own desert known as the Thar Desert which is situated in northwestern part of India serving a natural border between India and Pakistan. Thar desert is also known as “The great Indian Desert.”

6. Great Wall of India and Great wall of China

Again, The Great Wall of China is not unknown to all. Situated in Northern China, it covers a distance of 21,196 km. But did you know the second largest wall of the world is situated in India’s Rajasthan. The Great Wall of India is situated in Kumbhalgarh which extends upto 36 km. It provides a cover to the Kumbhalgarh’s fort and is famous for its spectacular view of Aravallis.

7. Pondicherry And French Town of France

I am sure that France will be a dream destination to many. It has its own vibes, positivity and celebrated ambiance. One can certainly experience that vibes here in India too. Pondicherry is known as the “Little French Town of India” or “Paris of the East.” Pondicherry gives the close sense of French culture, architecture and ambiance.

8. Backwaters in Alleppey And Canals in Venice

Venice is famous for its lagoon where the water is flowing in between the city. Venice is the city with no roads. It’s major mode of transportation is through gondolas on the Canals. We in India too have a similar city known as Alleppey situated in Kerala. Alleppey is famous for its backwaters and the houseboats. It is so serene in between nature that you will get a pure magical vibes. Alleppey is the more green and natural version of Venice.

9. Andaman And Ko Phi Phi Islands

Ko Phi Phi Islands are a very popular destination in Thailand. It is known for its Island beaches and happening life beside sea. A similar happening and popular Islands we have in our basket too. The Andaman Islands situated in the Bay of Bengal, between India and Myanmar provides you a similar vibes.

10. Gurudongmar Lake And Jokulsarlon Lake

Jokulsarlon Lake is situated in Iceland. It has several icebergs floating in them. The lagoon is 200 m deep, and is, in fact, Iceland’s deepest lake. Similar to it, we have Gurudongmar Lake in Sikkim which has religious as well as spiritual significance. Gurudongmar Lake is one of the highest lakes in the world and in India, located at an altitude of 5,430 m and considered sacred for Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs.

11. Munnar And Cameron Highlands in Malaysia

If you ever wanted to visit Malaysia, you should first try going to Munnar. You can find a similar vibes of Cameron Highlands in India itself. Munnar is famous for its tea plantations and the scenic views of its rolling hills. It is a perfect getaway for trails and trekks and gives you the best climate to explore more.

12. Valley of Flowers And Antelope Valley

The Antelope Valley in USA is famous among-st the nature lovers and the nature enthusiasts. It is home to a wide range of plants and animals and provides with miles of hiking trails and cozy mountain towns. The Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand is way more than that. It is one of the UNESCO’s world Heritage Site and home of more than 500 species of flora and fauna. It’s natural beauty could not be compared as it seems so pure and magical.

13. The Gandikota Canyon And The Grand Canyon

Everyone is aware about The Grand Canyon of Arizona which is a true marvel of nature. A similar gorge is found in India’s Gandikota Gorge. It is a small village situated in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. Gandikota is a village and historical fort on the right bank of the Penna River. It’s beauty is beyond words as it seems magical during the sunsets. One can also hike to the top to witness its beauty closely.

Thus, all i can conclude is that before going or planning to visit a foreign location try and search once for its similar alternative in India. It would be more budget friendly and also could lead you to several other wonders which can make you spellbound. India has a lot in store, you need to just broaden your horizon 😉

Kumbalgarh is at approximately 85 km from Udaipur in the lap of Aravallis. We booked a car for 3 and when we were starting the journey, we had no idea how this will turn out to be the best journey of our life. July is generally a monsoon month in all parts of India and we went to Udaipur in July itself. We started in the morning at around 6:30 – 7:00 AM. On the way we ate at local small dhaba- Mirch ke padoke with tea.

As soon as the Aravallis started the thrill was another level as we were in the midst of the mountains as similar to any hill stations of Himachal or Uttrakhand. We crossed several villages where even the road was not constructed well. They were a typical Rajasthani villages which we generally see in films or television. The maximum part of the journey was alongside of a river but at that that there was no water. We stoped our car at one place and explored the place barefooted. That was just so magnificient.

We reached Kumbhalgarh Fort at around 9:30 AM after having a lot of fun on the way. The first thing we saw was a huge wall covering the fort. It is then we were told that it is the second world’s largest wall after the Great Wall of China. It is a World Heritage Site included in Hill Forts of Rajasthan which was built during the course of the 15th century by Rana Kumbha. The elevation of the fort is at 1,100 m (3,600 ft) above sea level on the Aravalli range.

It was around a good 20 minutes walk to the main fort. Most of the rooms were closed as it stored stuff of the current Royal family. So there was not much to explore inside the fort but but but this was the case till the time I hadn’t reached the terrace. Once I reached the terrace, I froze. The view, the air hitting the fort and the ambiance gave me chills. I was totally spellbound and it was that time I thought that my decision of coming here was not wrong at all.

I with my friends sat there for 2 hours doing nothing, just enjoying the pleasing winds and the greenery of Aravallis. We got a full 360 degree view from the top. On a personal level, I never thought that Rajasthan will turn out to be this cool. I mean Udaipur’s weather, the road to Kumbhalgarh and the fort itself- it all turned out to be a really nice experience. At first we were regretting that we could not go to Himachal due to landslides and at last minute we selected Udaipur but this was beyond our imagination.

Exploring the less explored turns out to be magical. Every experience matters whether good or bad. At first we were not sure that where to go but this little trip turned out to be so gorgeous that we could not even think off.

Hey, I am back with another blog of one of my favorite place i.e. Mussoorie. I used to think that it is another overcrowded hill station till the time i decided to go in the interiors of it. I did my PG from Dehradun, Uttrakhand which is approximately 30 km from Mussourie. So lets get started 😉

About Mussoorie

Mussoorie is a hill station and a municipal board in the Dehradun district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is about 290 km north of the national capital of New Delhi. The hill station is in the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayan range. It is also known as the Queen of Hills. It has an elevation of 2,005 m and the highest point of Mussoorie is Nag Tibba which is one of the easiest and famous trek and camp sights.

How to Reach?

By Air

The nearest airport is Jolly Grant at Dehradun (82 km). Taxis are available from the airport.

By Train

The nearest railway connectivity is Dehradun (68 km).

By Road

Dehradun is well connected by roads. Take the Tehri bypass from Mussoorie and drive down the Mussoorie-Chamba road.

Major Attractions

The Mall Road

Kempty Falls

Gun Hill

Nag Tibba

George Everest

Jharipaani

Company Garden

Landour

Dalai Hills

My Experience

One morning after my final exams, i decided to go Mussoorie to refresh myself but no one was free due to their work, so i made up my mind to go solo. I took a scooty on rent and early 6 in the morning left for Mussoorie. I was scared as it was first time i was going solo to explore but thought to give it a shot. There were several maggie points which were closed during that time. First, I came across the famous and huge Shiv Mandir. They give thahri and tea as a prashad. That was i guess my delicious breakfast. As it was early in the morning on a weekday so it was quite and free of hustle bustle which is not the case in weekends.

I took the Jharipaani route because i love the view from there. After having pictures and sightseeing, I reached the mall road by 8-8:30 am. The Mall road was quite but in just half n hour, the hustle bustle started and that was a sign for me to move ahead. Though i have visited to almost all the famous places in Mussoorie like Kempty Falls, Gun Hill, etc but this time i decided to keep it less. So, George Everest it is. It is situated in Hathipaon which is 6 km away from Gandhi Chowk in Mussoorie. It is considered to be horror and has many cooked up stories about it. Again the view is amazing. Built in 1832, Sir George Everest’s House and Laboratory, also known as Park Estate, is a popular heritage site. This popular house was from where Sir George Everest helped the British measure the height of the world’s greatest peak, Mt Everest.

While returning from there it was almost lunch time, so i have hot and spicy aloo and gobhi paratha from a dhaba at the foothills of George Everest. After Lunch, i went to the Dalai Hills which is 11 km from George Everest. The Dalai Hills in Mussoorie is about a 400 meter walk from the Tibetan temple, Shedup Choephelling Temple in the Happy Valley, Mussoorie. It is decorated with the Buddhist Prayer Flags all over and has a statue of Lord Buddha constructed by 20^th regional Tibetan youth Congress.

Now was the time to see off. I started from Mussoorie around 4:00 PM and took a stoppage at one of the maggie points. Reached back to Dehradun by 6:30-7:00 PM. It was a really short solo trip but i feel confident enough to now handle such circumstances again. You need to be sure while travelling solo that you have researched properly about the place you are going to, to make things easier.

If you like my content, you can follow my page @a.nomad.trail on instagram and facebook.

As promised, I am back with the second blog of my roadtrip to Shimla. As you have read in my earlier blog that i went to Kasauli and we decided to watch snow in Shimla. The plan was instant as we finished Kasauli in just 1 day. We got snow not in proper Shimla but we had to go to Fagu for the proper bulk snow as till that time the snow in Shimla was almost over. So lets start;

About Shimla

Shimla is the capital of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, in the Himalayan foothills. Shimla, the Queen of Hills is situated at an altitude of 2215 meter above the sesa level. Being one of the largest hill stations/cities in India, Shimla is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh, where honeymooners, couples, nature tour lovers and those who look for serenity and tranquillity come to enjoy their holidays. It is yet again one of the crowdy hill stations which is filled with tourist all over the year.

How to Reach?

By Air

There is an airport, Jubbor Hatti in Shimla which is around 23KM from Shimla city.

By Train

There is a railway station in Shimla. Take the mountain train from Kalka to Shimla. This railway track has recently been granted the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The view is stunning, with the line passing through an amazing 103 tunnels. One can reach Kalka from Delhi via train, mostly Shatabdi Express.

By Road

Shimla is located at about 378 Kms. from Delhi and 115 Km from Chandigarh. All types of private tranportation is available between Delhi and Shimla.

Major Attractions

The Mall Road

The Ridge

Jakhoo Temple

Christ Chruch

Chadwick falls

Fagu

Kufri

My Experience

As we were in Kasauli, the next we decided to go to Shimla. It took around 5 hrs to reach Shimla via road. But our plan was not to explore much of Shimla, so we went to selected places like Fagu, The Ridge, Mall Road and some other places. But before Shimla, we went through this amazing place named Barog.

Barog is a hill station in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The station lies on UNESCO World Heritage Site Kalka–Shimla Railway. Set in the mountains Barog is just 60 km from Chandigarh on the Kalka-Shimla highway. The railway station was the most beautiful station i have seen in my entire life. That little place took my heart away and the little dog guides left me awestruck.

After having a good time with the dogs and a lot of photo sessions, we restarted for Shimla. Once we reached Shimla, we went directly to Fagu for the snow. Mostly, the snow was vanished from Shimla, but we were luck enough to get snow in Fagu. It was old snow so we were slipping. Generally, old snow is slippery and the new fresh snow is not. We spent around 2-3 hrs playing and making snowman. After that we went to a place where we did cycle rides in the hills. It was so relaxing just riding through the woods.

After the fun, we went to our friends house in Shimla which is very near to the Mall road and we got to see the beautiful sunset once again. After relaxing a bit, we went to the mall road, when we tried the street food with some street shopping. Walking through the mall road, we reached The Ridge. It was again overpopulated with tourists as it was a Christmas weekend. We had our time on the Ridge and decided to go in a cafe for our dinner. It was an open air cafe with live music and amazing view on the mall road- Cafe Shimla Times.

We proceeded back to the house and called it for a day. Next day, around 9 AM we had our cab back to Delhi. We reached Delhi around 7 in the evening as it was a sunday so there was a lot of traffic on roads.

All in all, it was a very good and well managed trip without much prior planning. We covered places like Kasauli, Shimla, Barog and Fagu in this 2 day trip. It was quiet an experience.

If you like my content, you can follow my page @a.nomad.trail on instagram and facebook.

I am a Peregrinate and Nemophilist who loves to explore the less traveled roads and enjoy the wonders of nature. My name is Shubhra and I belong to the city of Nawabs. I have been travelling since i was a child. I am a Management graduate and went to Dehradun for my masters. It was since then I came across this side of mine. The immense love and peace I feel while travelling and being in nature is something I could not express in words. Being an introvert, this gives me satisfaction and motivation to be good to others, to nature and most importantly to myself. Travelling and exploring have become my meditation now.

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Living in Delhi means a life of hustle and bustle, where people keep on running from one place to another. Likewise, weekends in Delhi NCR are no different. I am a person who is introvert and likes to spend my weekend with peace. Also being a peregrinate and a nemophilist, I would rather choose to spend my weekend wandering in nature and exploring the less explored. Last December I got a same opportunity: a long weekend, so I planned to visit Kasauli and it turned out to be one of the best trips so far.

About Kasauli

Kasauli is a small town in Himachal Pradesh in India famous for its colonial-era houses, orchards and green roofed Christ Chruch. It comes under Solan district and is situated approx. 290 km from Delhi and 72 km from Shimla. It is located at an altitude of 1800 m. It is a beautiful small place which is very less populated if we talk in terms of tourism. Mostly people visit there if they are on the way to Shimla or coming back. Kasauli is a hilly cantonment small town with a historical importance which makes it a beautiful peaceful holiday location especially for a weekend getaway.

How to Reach?

By Air

Nearest airport to Kasauli is Chandigarh airport which is 70 km away. Once you reach the airport, you can take a cab or a bus to reach Kasauli.

By Train

Kasauli do not have a railway station. The nearest railway station is Kalka which is 40 km away from Kasauli. Also you have an option of famous Kalka-Shimla toy train is available. One needs to board a train and get down in Dharampur railway station which is 12 km away from Kasauli. From both the places cabs at nominal prices are available for Kasauli.

By Road

I personally feel it to be the best option as you get to witness the mountains very closely and as per your convenience. One can easily book a cab from Delhi directly to Kasauli or can take a Delhi-Shimla bus and stop at Dharampur. From Dharampur, you need to take a cab for Kasauli. Mostly adventure loving people, hire a scooty or bike from Chandigarh to Kasauli, but it is important to take your safety at priority.

Major Attractions

Christ Chruch which is a historical landmark

Gilbert Trail which is a nature walk for nature lovers

Sunset Point– to witness one of the best sunsets of your life

Central Research Institute, famous for its historical value as well as architecture

Monkey Point (Sanjeevni Hanuman Temple), for scenic beauty

Mall Road for shopaholics

My Experience

I booked an early morning cab from Delhi to Kasauli in December last year. It was a weekend after Christmas. I started at around 4:00 in the morning and reached Kasauli around 9:00 AM via Chandigarh. The hotel was pre-booked as it was a festival season so there were shortage of vacant rooms. I checked-in, changed, had my breakfast in the hotel itself and got ready to explore. I was in a group of 4 and we had a friend from Shimla itself so he brought his car. We started from Christ Church which was indeed one of the beautiful Churches I have even been and to add to its beauty, it was Christmas time already. The temperature was cold as it used to be but nights are comparatively colder. We lit a candle at the Church, had our photo session, (which is kindda mandatory :P).

After the Chruch, we decided to roam in the mall road and have maggie and momos at maggie points (which is the most important part if you visit a hill station :P). We decided to walk till the sunset point and got to know about this amazing trail very near to sunset point- Gilbert Trail. It is a mere 2 km nature walk which leads to amazing scenic landscapes. Not many people are aware which makes it more beautiful. We saw the famous Monkey point too.

It was almost the time of sunset, so we rushed to the sunset point and was astonished to see the view. It was so magical and mesmerizing that you could not even take your eyes of. That was the best part of my trip. If you visit Kasauli and do not see the sunset, you would be missing the highlight.

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After sunset, we walked down till the mall road, did a little shopping for souvenirs and headed back to the hotel after dinner. We came back to the hotel around 9:00 PM, had our chit chats and went to sleep as we decided to see the snowfall near Shimla, the very next day.

The story of Shimla I will share in the next blog, so stay tuned !