Adventure Ahoy! At Varkala

There are thousand reasons to visit the beautiful and pristine location of Varkala Beach for a holiday! With the town gaining popularity as a tourist centre over the past few years, many holiday revellers want to explore the realms of the beach destination, amongst others, in Kerala. The vast expanse of pristine clear waters and sandy beach make it a great place to enjoy, relax and have some fun. Besides wanting to enjoy a leisure time with loved ones, there are some good adventure sports around varkala to keep up the adrenaline rush

Some adventure sports around Varkala that you must definitely indulge in are trekking, scuba diving, snorkelling, boating, wind surfing, deep sea fishing, gliding and parasailing. Besides these the cliffs of Varkala, which are incidentally the only ones in Kerala, offer a great time enjoying hiking as well. There are trained personnel and instructors who can give you a few quick sessions before embarking on your thrilling adventure. These instructors guide you step-by-step to learn any new activity or try the existing ones with assistance.

Most of the hotels and resorts offer their services for you to enjoy Varkala adventure sports. You can avail of these services at a price and have the time of your life exploring the beautiful beach of Varkala. It is however, advisable to keep a look out for the weather conditions before your journey to Varkala. Monsoon is strongly not the best time to visit Varkala because of the high tides and the heavy rains. Winters and summers are still better however winters are the best time to enjoy the pristine beauty of this beach without much hindrance. To make your trip easier and a little better planned there are couple of good travel websites with good reviews and suggestions about the sports in Varkala and you can go through those before going ahead with your plans

The aid of a reputed travel agent can help you ease your planning and make your trip nearly hassles free. There are different packages that they offer or can customize taking into consideration your time, budget and preference. A blissful vacation is on the charts to enjoy the amazing Varkala Beach Adventure Sports!

Buddhist Celebrations

Buddhism, a religion or a way of life that is based on the teachings and preaching’s of Lord Gautama Buddha is an important part of the Indian culture as well as outside India or to aptly state the Asian countries. Buddhism is an important religion in many countries and now is being widely practiced and adopted by people of other ethnicity too. Like every religion, Buddhism too has couple of festivals that are celebrated with great fervor amongst the followers of Buddhism. These festivals may not be widely known to every person but if you delve a little further you will know the different festivals in Buddhism and the way they are celebrated

Few important festivals in Buddhism are:-


Buddhist New Year: The beginning of a new period, hope and age are the few things we welcome with every New Year. Buddhist New Year is celebrated with great pomp and show in all the countries where they majorly practice Buddhism and in India too. The Buddhist New Year depends on the country, ethnicity or the background of the people of the country and hence it differs from place to place.

Buddha Day: Lord Buddha’s birthday is known as Buddha Day or Vesak is a major festival in Buddhism. It takes place on the first full moon of May and during a leap year in June.

Asalha Puja Day: Celebrated around July, this pays homage to Lord Buddha’s first lesson and the turning of the wheel of Dhammachakkapavattana Sutta or Dhamma.

Magha Puja Day: The Sangha Day or the four-fold assembly day is an important event in the life of Lord Buddha and is celebrated during the month of March. It marks of the four important aspects of a day in Buddha’s life.

Besides the ones mentioned above, Uposatha, Kathina Ceremony, Abhidhamma day, Songkran, Loy Krathong and The Ploughing festival are important festivals in Buddhism. All festivities are celebrated with equal fervour in different parts of the world and you can witness a slight difference possibly in the way of celebrating the festival in different countries.

If you have a penchant for exploring new cultures and their traditions then a sneak peak at the Buddhist culture and festivities is definitely suggested. Enjoy a quiet time enjoying the festivals of Buddhism with your loved ones!

Travel to the Heart of India - Madhya Pradesh

An alluring journey filled with many beautiful monuments, intricately carved places of worship, rich flora and fauna and an unforgettable journey to the centre of India, Madhya Pradesh has a lot to offer to holiday revellers. As the name suggests, situated in the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh too experiences all climate changes and mostly has a dry climate. The summers are hot and winters are cold.

Every time we plan our travel we need to keep the weather conditions in purview and then clothe ourselves accordingly. Madhya Pradesh experiences very hot and arid summers making it difficult to enjoy the beauty of this state to the fullest. The scorching summer heat prevents you from stepping out of your hotel room and walk around the popular sightseeing spots across Madhya Pradesh. Hence it is may be said that it is best to avoid a trip to Madhya Pradesh from April to September. As the winters approach the entire country starts to cool down and so does Madhya Pradesh

The best time to visit Madhya Pradesh is during the cool winter months of October to March, beginning of summer or spring. The weather conditions are quite comfortable to manoeuvre around the different hot spots and enjoy the beauty of the state in its full glory. As mentioned, Madhya Pradesh is blessed with many beautiful monuments, places of historical significance, ample flora and fauna and a tradition that dates back to thousands of years. You can enjoy all these different aspects of Madhya Pradesh during the winter months.

Winter also is a prominent season for different festivals and the celebrations across Madhya Pradesh are a sight worth seeing. The different sights around Madhya Pradesh leaving an alluring image in your mind and beckon you to come visit this state to explore more. Few places of interest that are best explored during winters are- Dhuandhar falls in Jabalpur, Khajuraho, the innumerable wildlife reserves and national parks like Ken Ghariyal, Kanha, Pench, Panna, etc.; Gwalior, Bhopal and many more wonderful destinations

The salubrious weather during the winter months is a blessing for all avid travellers and those who want to explore the beautiful state of Madhya Pradesh.

The City of Lakes - Udaipur

As the name aptly suggests, the City of Lakes- Udaipur is a great holiday destination to be enjoyed by young and old alike. The best time to visit the city is during the winter months as you can garner the picturesque beauty of the city two fold. The breath-taking Aravali hills and the lakes, paints a thousand pictures in your mind and serve as a perfect click to capture the beauty of the city on your camera.

Udaipur is blessed with wonderful monuments, palaces, temples and some amazing heritage resorts of India. One should indulge in the following Things to do in Udaipur atleast once during your visit:

City Palace: The famous City Palace is a box full of memories and great legacies. This Palace is home to many palaces that have been built by many maharajas over the years of their reign and now comprises a complex stream of architectural delights that take your breath away. The picturesque locale of Lake Pichola serves as a perfect backdrop for this majestic palace premise.

Monsoon Palace: A drive through the dense forest that once housed dangerous carnivores is now a quaint place to see Udaipur city in full bloom. The monsoon palace is called so because it served as a retreat to the Maharajas with their queens who retired to the realms of this palace during monsoons. The museum situated within the palace premise offers you little details from the glorious past of the palace.

Lakes of Udaipur: Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar Lake provide you the much needed respite from the hustle of the streets inside. A calm boat ride in the lake proves to be quite refreshing. You can also enjoy seeing Jag Niwas Palace or the famous heritage hotel Lake Palace Udaipur that stands amidst the silvery waters of Lake Pichola.

Shopping: Take a guide and explore the streets of Udaipur to enjoy the true sense of street shopping. You can buy wonderful handicraft items, textiles, paintings, wooden items and accessories typical to Udaipur or Rajasthan.

Cuisine: You have not experienced Udaipur if you have not tried their Dal Baati Choorma. This famous preparation is typical to Rajasthan and serves as a highlight of the trip while in Udaipur. There are other traditional delicacies in store for you too while savouring the tastes of Udaipur.

The Himalayan Experience

Himalayas, literally meaning “abode of the snow” in Sanskrit, are a cluster of over hundred mountains stretching across five countries (India, Nepal, Pakistan, China and Bhutan). These mountain ranges are unique in many respects, besides being the youngest mountains on the planet; Himalayas are home to a variety of flora and fauna, are a major tourist attraction and are considered sacred in Hinduism and Buddhism

The abundant wildlife, beautiful, scenic views, pleasant climate, trekking and pilgrimage are some of the things which attract tourists to these ranges. Its deep valleys and lofty peaks have enticed travellers since eternity. The Weather in Himalayas enjoy an alpine climate which varies with elevation; it gets colder with increasing height. Summers, monsoons and winters are the main seasons. Monsoons are experienced by the lower ranges and decrease as height increases

The best time to visit Himalayas depends largely on the purpose of your visit. If trekking is what you are looking for then March till June and September to November are a good time. There is little or no snow which makes camping and climbing easier and less treacherous. For sightseeing, anytime is good. If you wish to enjoy the snow then plan your trip in the months from December to February. Hill stations like Shimla and Darjeeling experience snow at this time. Be prepared to take heavy woollens as temperatures drop at night. The summer months, from April till June are also good if you want to escape the blistering heat of the plains. The Himalayan region enjoys a pleasant weather during this time.

For clear views of the majestic peaks you must visit during the months from October to November. This is the time when the skies are clear and blue and one can get excellent views of the Himalayan peaks. The Buddhist and Hindu pilgrimage centres are open to devotees at all times, but if you wish to enjoy Buddhist festivals, visit around July-August. The famous Amarnath Yatra of Hindus occurs during the same time. It is attended by thousands of devotees who undertake an arduous trek to the shrine located at a height of 3,888 metres.

A visit to the Himalayas will be a unique and exotic experience regardless of the time of your visit. So plan a trip to any of its scenic hill stations and enjoy a satisfying vacation with your family in blissful surroundings.

Lumbini: The Blessed Land

Located in the Rupandehi district of Nepal, the small town of Lumbini is regarded as the birth place of Siddhartha Gautama or Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. It forms a part of the four holy sites or pilgrimages of the followers of Buddhism along with Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar. It is believed that Buddha himself named the four sites for pilgrimage, which include his birthplace, englightment, first discourse and death. While the exact place of Buddha's birth is disputed, legend has it that he spent his childhood here.

Being a holy site, Lumbini has several temples, monasteries and stupas. The town is bestowed with natural beauty and as per legend Maya Devi (Buddha’s mother) was captivated by the scenic splendor of the place. She then experienced labour pains under a Sal tree and Lord Buddha was born. Among the various holy temples here are:

Maya Devi Temple: For centuries no one knew about the existence of this temple. It was discovered after further excavation on a site that a German archaeologist stumbled upon. It’s a brick temple with a sandstone sculpture and scenes of Buddha's birth. Near this temple is a holy bathing pool called Puskarni. It is here that Maha Devi had a bath before her delivery. Excavations have also revealed a ‘marker stone’ here placed by Ashoka, revealing the exact birth place of Buddha.

The China Temple: This temple is a complex of pagodas, meditation cells and prayer rooms built by the Buddhist Association of China. The Buddhist monastery: A beautiful and peaceful monastery built in modern style architecture.

There are various other temples here like the Korean temple, Dharma Swami Maharaja Buddha Temple, Myanmar Temple etc. There are several other attractions too like the Japan Peace Stupa. Nippon Jon Kyohoji of Japan built this tall edifice measuring 41-m that features four different Buddha statues whereas the dome of the stupa looks towards the four directions. One can also visit the Lumbini Museum. On display here are ancient manuscripts, artefacts from the Mauryan and Kushana periods and several other relics discovered at the excavation site.

The best time to visit Lumbini is during October and November, as the climate at this time is perfect for tourist activities. The town is covered in lush greenery and you can catch breathtaking clear views of the various Himalayan Peaks. To get to Lumbini you can either fly or take a train. The closest airport is at Bhairahawa (22km away) and the closest station is at Nautanwa. To travel within the town you can hire cycle rickshaws or better rent a bike, available at reasonable rates. Lumbini is a town of immense scenic beauty and a rich religious heritage. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The innumerable temples here give this town a holy and blessed aura. It’s a holy pilgrimage centre for Buddhists but other tourists can go there just to feel the calm and serene atmosphere.

When is the best time to visit Madhya Pradesh?

The picturesque state of Madhya Pradesh holds the promise of an enticing, memorable and fun filled holiday for all kinds of tourists. The state is replete with ancient monuments, historic sites, magnificent temples, bustling cities, quiet villages, majestic forts, beautiful palaces and an abundant and diverse wildlife. This means ample to see and do for history buffs, adventure tourists and simple travellers.

To enjoy any place thoroughly it is best to go when the weather is ideal. Madhya Pradesh experiences extreme climates, dry scorching summers and chilly winters. It has four seasons, summers, winters, spring and monsoons. The topography of Madhya Pradesh ranges from the plains in the east, plateau with the Vindhya & the Satpura mountain ranges, rocky hills & ravines to lush green forests and meandering rivers. Each region has a certain charm in a given season.

Ideally the best time to visit Madhya Pradesh is during the winter months from October to March. The weather is extremely pleasant and salubrious. However different places in this huge state are worth visiting in other seasons. So it depends on what you are interested in seeing. If you want to visit the national parks like Bandhavgarh, between November and June is a good time to go. For Kanha on the other hand February to June is a good time. Keep in mind that the parks are closed during monsoon months, i.e. from 1 July to 31 October. So plan your trip accordingly.

The historic city of Mandu is best visited during monsoons when it is surrounded by lush greenery. For sightseeing in the other cities like Gwalior, Bhopal, Jabalpur etc are the winter months i.e. from October to March. This is because these places have a lot of sightseeing options which cannot be explored in the blazing sun of summers, when the temperatures touch 40 degrees.

Besides the extreme heat problem in summers, Madhya Pradesh may be visited throughout the year. The summer months will help you get good bargains at other wise expensive heritage hotels. Summer months are the best time to travel for budget travellers. You can also enjoy the sightseeing at leisure without the long queues and bustling tourists. The guides will also show you around at lesser price. But be prepared to bear the sweltering heat.

Nevertheless winters remain the best time to visit. The temperatures are bearable and the entire state is covered in verdant lush greenery. Regardless of what time you visit the Madhya Pradesh, this beautiful state will flood you with sightseeing options, tourist attractions in Madhya Pradesh and a horde of activities to indulge in. Enjoy your visit to the heart of India, a state which may be rightly called a microcosm of the culture, history and heritage of all of India.