Northeast India Tour – Explore the Tempting Tourism Attractions and Sightseeing Spots

Northeast India is gifted with so many tempting and alluring tourism attractions. It is one of the tempting tourist destinations where one can relish in the bounty of the nature, explore the exciting sightseeing spots and more importantly can know more about the rich culture and traditions, geographical features, hospitality and about the locals living in the hilly regions. No wonder visit to any tourist places, you will find the places really tempting and fascinating.

Northeast India has so many alluring and tempting tourist places. It has exciting hill station, breathtaking landscapes, cascading waterfalls, sensuous rivers, streams, lakes, rich flora and fauna, thick forests and many more. Here tourists can savour in the tempting attractions of the nature that allures thousands and hundreds of tourists from all over the world.

So if you really want to soak in the splendour of the nature, come and feel the glory of the nature by exploring some of the tempting tourist places with immense pleasure and delights.

Darjeeling

Located in the lap of the Kanchan Junga, Darjeeling is a scenic hill station known for its outstanding natural beauty, well organised tea gardens and more importantly scintillating tourist spots. Darjeeling is the perfect place where one can enjoy to the fullest and soak in the splendour of the nature. Some of the tempting places to visit during Darjeeling tours are Batasia Loop, Rock Garden, Happy Valley Tea Estate, Tukvar Tea Estate, Tiger Hill, Mirik Lake, Observatory Hills, etc. These are some of the interesting tourist places that can be explored and enjoyed with the help of the tailor made Darjeeling tour package.

Darjeeling tours also offer tourists to enjoy trekking as well as go for tour to the wildlife parks and sanctuaries. Thus Darjeeling offers something for everyone and let tourists to relish every moment with immense pleasure and delights.

Sikkim

Located just few hours from Darjeeling is a picturesque state known all over the world for its refreshing natural beauty, clean and green surrounding, exciting sightseeing spots, tourist spots and more importantly intricate monasteries and temples. More of all, Sikkim is one of the most sought after destination included in almost all the North east Tour packages that allow tourists to explore some of the exciting tourist places that include Do Drul, Nathula Pass, Rumtek Monastery, Himalayan Zoological Park, Phodong Monastery, Pelling, Pemyangtse Monsatery, etc. These are some of the interesting and alluring tourism attractions that are worth to visit and explore during Sikkim.

Recently a big tourism attraction has come up as Char Dham. The holy centre and pilgrimage centre has become the main attraction of this Namchi Town, which is visited by thousands and hundreds of tourists from all over the world.

So plan for Northeast tours and enjoy remarkable vacation in the outstanding tourism destination and relish in the memories for lifetime.

Come feel the glory of the nature after all its Northeast India, a gem located in the cozy lap of the Himalayas.

India's longest road tunnel under construction in J&K

The Shivalik mountain range of the Himalayas being drilled to set up explosives for the construction of India's longest all-weather road tunnel — the Chenani-Nashri tunnel — which will connect Srinagar with the rest of the country. Photo: K. Balchand

The arduous trek to Kashmir may soon be a thing of the past. A new passage to Srinagar now under construction will not only bring the regions of Jammu and Kashmir closer but will also end the isolation of the valley from the rest of the country.

A number of state-of-the-art tunnels are being dug through the Pir Panjal ranges, among others, for easy roadways and a pioneering railway line both of which will give easy access to the valley.

Even as the railways are planning a 90-km-long network of tunnels, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has undertaken a project to upgrade the present national highway (NH 44) stretch from Jammu to Srinagar into four lanes. The project includes two major tunnels.

The 288-km distance between Jammu and Srinagar will be reduced to 238 km but more importantly the 10-hour journey will be covered in just about five hours, avoiding perilous points such as Khooni Nala (bloody path) where shooting stones slide at the speed of a bullet taking a heavy toll of life. At least, 10 people have lost their lives at such points in January-February.

The two tunnels will also end the snow-related traffic jams that last several days. The Chenani-Nashri Tunnel which is being blasted through the Mury formation range of the Shivalik range — derived from Mury village in Pakistan from where it starts — at an elevation of 1.2 km is 9 km long and will be the longest tunnel in the country when completed in 2016, the deadline for the entire project estimated to cost Rs. 10,600 crore.

The proposed two-lane tunnel with a separate escape route avoids Patnitop, a tourist spot during the winter for its snow, and the steep Nagroda bypass which the State government declared unfit for use after truck drivers found it difficult to negotiate not only the steep gradient but also the sharp and narrow bends on the range.

“It will save us enormous time, about Rs. 250 in fuel, wear and tear and several other bottlenecks on each trip,” said truck driver Mushtaq Ali.

However, twin tunnels with inbuilt escape routes in case of snow storm or blizzards, are being provided through Pir Panjal from Banihal to Quazigund at an elevation of 1.8 km. Though their entrances are not free from snow, experts maintain clearing a four-lane road of snow would be much easier than a two-lane one.

Moreover, the mountains are steep and unstable posing a challenge to travellers. Engineers also consider it difficult to carve out a single four-lane road and intend to adopt the split road technology separating the ascending and descending stretches which will require erecting flexible steel tunnels during the construction period to protect existing traffic from falling stones.

Every one in Kashmir is eagerly looking forward to the completion of the project, with the owner of a cricket bat manufacturing firm even having surrendered his land facing the national highway. One is not sure whether he was convinced by the official explanation of the roads being completed by 2014 and the tunnels by 2016 which will ensure smooth travel on this stretch and give his business a fillip.

The four-year wait might get prolonged given that the NHAI is yet to award the contract for the 43-km-long Udhampur-Ramban and 36-km-long Ramban-Banihal stretches due to various reasons, including the fact these are among the toughest sections of the project.

Virendra Singh, director of the project, however, said the proposals were likely to be cleared with revised cost estimates by the Union government and would be completed by June 2014.

Timely clearance and construction of the two stretches is imperative as their traffic carrying capacity has to match those of the other stretches which would be opened as and when completed. A failure will lead to a major congestion at the two ends.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/article3273879.ece

Music in the Mountains

Kasauli is just perfect for this time of the year. A little more than 250 km from the Capital, the quaint hill station is the favourite weekend getaway for many in North India. Come April, music will form the backdrop of this misty mountainscape. Kasauli is going to be the venue for the first-of-its-kind Rhythm & Blues Festival, a two-day musical extravaganza being organised by Genesis Foundation as a fund-raiser for critically ill children. To be held on the weekend of April 6-7, the event will feature some of India’s most popular artistes and bands, including the Raghu Dixit Project, Parikrama

Unplugged, Advaita, Shaa’ir n Func, Sonam Kalra, Adil and Vasundhra, Pragnya Wakhlu, Kasauli’s very own Abzoluts (the Sanawar School Band) and some solo singers.

“The festival is for a cause, to save the lives of underprivileged children, who otherwise have no options for survival. Every rupee goes on to save a child,” says Prema Sagar, Founding Trustee of the foundation.

The festival will be a mix of R&B, Sufi, jazz and soul. Six months down the line, Sagar also plans to start a similar festival in Lonavala, near Mumbai, and make festivals at both the destinations, Kasauli and Lonavala, an annual feature. With Baikunth resorts as the destination for the festival, the organisers are looking at a crowd of 400.

Donor passes are priced at Rs 5,000 each. For info, log on to www.genesis-foundation.net

Gulmarg Celebrates Winter with Music and Adventure – M. L. Dhar

The picturesque and immaculately snow covered Gulmarg has been witnessing tremendous enthusiasm of lovers of snow, adventure and music. The internationally acclaimed ski resort was quite busy during the first fortnight of March as participants and tourists arrived in hordes for the just concluded Gondola Ski cup, Gulmarg Global Derby and the Gulmarg Winter Festival 2012.

There was overwhelming response by local male and female participants in the much awaited three-day Gondola Ski cup with events for under-14, 18 and senior categories. Similar was the response by the national and international skiers and snow boarders in the Gulmarg Global Derby. “It was a surprise to see such a huge influx of participants in each category. In senior men’s category there were 111 skiers and out of them only 15 qualified. Most of the high profile skiers got disqualified because of the tough and tricky course during trials,” said co-organiser and founder of Gulmarg Global Derby.

130 skiers (boys and girls) including 50 foreigners and 13 best skiers chosen out of 110 skiers participated in the competitions that were for the first time held at the newly built chairlifts at Merry Shoulder slope of Kongdoori, the mid station of the Gondola cable car. The J&K Cable Car Corporation organized the event in collaboration with Winter Games Association of Jammu and Kashmir and Ski Association of Delhi.

The main attraction of the Gulmarg Global Derby 2012 was snowboarding event having both local and International participants. “It was great to see 50 snowboarders coming forward to participate and I think it was first time so many players participated”, said an official. Interestingly the snowboarding championship was organized for the first time in the valley. ”Apart from locals, the skiers from ten foreign countries including the USA, the UK, Canada, Newzealand and Norway participated and enjoyed the games,” said Director, Tourism, Jammu & Kashmir.

The notable thing about these games was that local boys and girls turned up in significant numbers to participate for whom the entry was made free. The Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir expressed hope that Gulmarg winter sports events would be instrumental in tapping local talents for national and international events. The children of Jammu and Kashmir have tremendous potential in the field of sports and by organizing such events we can provide a good platform to tap and promote their talent.

Nature has bestowed Gulmarg with some of the best slopes in the country with a few of them serviced by ski lifts and the Gondola Cable Car at Kongdori offering a ski run of nearly 3 kms. Gulmarg is favourite with advanced skiers too who prefer to trek in the snow for hours at a stretch to reach the Apharwat peak for a memorable descent lasting about half-an-hour over the challenging slopes. There is also a lot of fun over gentle slopes for the novice who need not have any skills in skiing. For them there is Tobogganing in which a snow enthusiast goes downhill simply on a flat wooden board. It is the most common sport among tourists visiting Gulmarg.

Both Central and State governments have worked to build adequate sports infrastructure and other facilities related to accommodation, tourism and holidaying at Gulmarg and this is testified by the fact that it is being consciously marketed as a winter sports capital of the country.

Along with adventure sports, Gulmarg had an added attraction this year with the Gulmarg Winter Festival 2012, a music festival that displayed thrilling performances of some renowned Indian folk singers and bands. The three-day festival was staged in the backdrop of awe-inspiring Himalayan beauty of Gulmarg. “For the first time, people will witness performances by leading artistes in the beautiful locales of Gulmarg. The aim is to promote concert tours in India and encourage adventure sports and responsible tourism amongst the increasing domestic travellers,” said a representative of the organisers on the eve of the festival. Supported by the Jammu & Kashmir Tourism the organisers expect the festival to be an annual feature now onwards. ”It’s is an attempt to encourage growing peace and progress among all by providing one common platform to local artists, craftsmen and folklore artists,” said a spokesman of the other organising group of the first ever fusion winter festival.

The musical potpourri brought together local artists and renowned singers together while showcasing classical, folk, sufi, jazz, DJ and the best Hindi and Kashmiri songs that hit the chord with the audiences. The bad weather, extreme chill in the air and some initial hiccups could not dampen the high spirits at the festival. ”Kashmir saw its first music festival ever, and after having spoken with the locals who hadn’t heard a band play in all their life, us playing there, was a mammoth event in their lives,” said one of the performers at the festival. ”It is good to see a festival of this kind has been organised here. This kind of music is rarely being played here and I have enjoyed, as it was something different. I could not stop from dancing on the music played here. It is fantastic,” said one of the locals at the festival. ”It is all about the right kind of music. We just want to entertain people” said a vocalist of a renowned Indian band, who hails from Kashmir.

Gulmarg’s legendary beauty in combination with mountains, cold, snow, and winter sports offers a lot to both the visitors and the locals. Its proximity to the state’s summer capital Srinagar makes it easily accessible, unlike most of the other hill stations in the country. Besides being the country’s premier ski resort in the winter, Gulmarg has also the proud distinction of having the highest green golf course in the world at an altitude of 2,650 meters. It also offers a sight of Mount K2 from the high slopes in Apharwat on a cloudless day.

Gulmarg attracts hordes of tourists every year at the annual snow festival during which ice hockey, snow rugby and snow cycling are staged making people, who come here just for fun, winter sports addicts. (PIB Feature.)

Exotic Tours in India

India can be a region of astonishing demarcations and continually shifting and changing fast landscape. India in the possession has everything; commencing from snow-capped peaks exemplified as Kanchanjunga to long-stretched beaches like Marina Beach as the longest beaches on the planet and indolently spread deserts of Rajasthan to evergreen forests of Sunderbans. This mesmerizing land unquestionably can be a holidaymaker’s delight. India is really a complete mixture of old tradition and modernity. India is incredible due to the vast and immeasurable theme tours and holidays of wildlife, culture, hill station, adventure, trekking, angling, historical, budget, tribal, agriculture, Ayurveda, luxury, heritage, honeymoon, religious and spiritual holidays. However, the theme around travel to India might be experienced to all or any the various of India dependant on selecting the travelers.

The sub-continent of India has bewitched the imagination with the holidaymakers in relation to the beach holidays in India. Because the land of India is interlocked in the Arabian Sea by reviewing the western side, Bay of Bengal by reviewing the eastern side and Indian Ocean by reviewing the southern side, so that all the states surrounding these water lands are filled with beaches that attract the beach lovers coming from all aspects of the globe. For that bird-eye-views, a few of the famous beach destinations of India are Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Orissa, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep etc. The beaches of tours in India are Alappuzha Beach, Calangute Beach, Condolim Beach, Kovalam Beach, Vagator Beach, Varkala Beach, Varsova Beach etc. Making wildlife holidays, wild jungles and forests safari around India, nature and wildlife resorts around India could be the real excitement to the tourists watching a gallant tiger staggering in the jungle or elephants and rhinos treading their way over the marvellous grass of your National Park in India.

See astonishing animals on wildlife safari tours in India. Figure out wild creatures and explore nature tracts populated by rare birds on India Wildlife Tours. Enjoy in person using a sloth bear or even a wild hyaena; have the chill of photographing an outrageous lion around the lurch and proceed through an Indian jungle safari by using an India Wildlife Tour with tour operators in India. India Wildlife Tours proffers memorable adventure tours and travels and nature tours to India. Theme tour India, a land of natural splendor and wonder with exciting India Tours. India holidays are just one of top selected itineraries on the list of tourist on the planet when they're looking for being placed in peace environments of hill stations or hill resorts. Because the forever the hill stations of India attract the travelers for his or her immense beauty and serenity. India tours to hill stations tend not to limit to a single area or region, because the hill stations spread in nearly all direction from North India to South India and East India to West India. A few of the famous hill stations of India are Darjeeling hill station famous for the organic beauty, clean outdoors, year long pleasant weather; Kodaikanal Hill Station famous due to the wooded slopes, waterfalls and precipitous rocky outcrops.

Best Hill Stations to Visit in India

With its spectacular landscapes and some of the highest mountains in the world, India is renowned for its stunning hill stations. These high-altitude towns provide a refuge of beauty and calm in the magnificent Himalaya, Aravalli and Vindhya mountain ranges. Benefiting from the pure fresh air high above the bustle of the cities, India has a variety of these lovely hill stations, all with their own unique delights and gorgeous scenery. Here is a selection of some of the best of India’s hill stations, where the snow-covered peaks contrast with colourful flowering meadows and the striking colonial architecture of the buildings.

Ooty

Ooty lies in southern India in the Tamil Station state. Known by the epithet ‘Queen of the Hill Stations’, Ooty is renowned for its wonderful tea estates, wildlife and botanical gardens, and is a popular choice with honeymoon couples.

The four hills of the Nilgiri mountain range - Elk Hill, Snowdon, Doddabetta and Club Hill - dominate Ooty’s lovely landscape of tea and coffee plantations and open grasslands.

Take the Blue Mountain train ride from Ooty to the botanical gardens and colonial style club at Mettupalayam to transport you back to the splendour of the days of the Raj.

Munnar

Munnar, also in southern India, is a quintessential outpost of the British Empire and is known as the ‘Little London of India’. This is an expanse of verdant rainforest surrounding a spice, tea and coffee plantation resplendent with flowers and also many gorgeous aromas.

The beautiful flowering blue shrub Neelakurinji is native to the region and blooms only once every 12 years, but when it does it covers the mountains in a breathtaking sea of blue. Book a trip for 2018 when it is next due to flower!

Kuthumkal Waterfalls is a spectacular beauty spot and is ideal for an atmospheric picnic, with its cascading water and dramatic mists.

Srinagar

Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir State, is a striking hill station with rivers and lakes and their trademark houseboats. As well as having winding streets and fascinating old buildings, Srinagar boasts magnificent views of mountains and valleys.

Dal Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Srinagar and, along with lakes of Nagin and Anchar, is sprinkled with the distinctive houseboats or shikaras, which were once used by the British.

Royal Springs Golf club has the Zabarwan hills and Dal Lake in the background, and has been voted the best golf course in India.

Shimla

Shimla, in Himachal Pradesh, enjoys fantastic views of snowy mountains and rolling hills covered in dense forests of rhododendrons, oak and pine. This picturesque hill station is ideal for nature lovers and outdoor types.

Alongside its spectacular natural scenery, Shimla is famous for its sporting activities, and has an excellent outdoor ice skating rink.

From camping to skating, Shimla offers plenty to do for energetic tourists, but for those wishing to enjoy a more laid-back stay, take the miniature train from Kalka and enjoy the impressive views.

India’s hill stations offer the perfect holiday for anyone wanting to enjoy the finer things in life and experience some of India’s most idyllic scenery. You can save money by taking advantage of the excellent offers, coupons and discount holidays available in these fabulous destinations.

South India Hill Stations - Enjoy remarkable vacations in the bounties of nature

South India has innumerable hilly destinations like Horsley Hills, Coorg, Devikulam, Ooty, Munnar, Idukki, Nilgiri Hills, Kodaikanal, Coonoor and lots more that are dotted in every nook and corner of this region.



South India has innumerable hilly destinations like Horsley Hills, Coorg, Devikulam, Ooty, Munnar, Idukki, Nilgiri Hills, Kodaikanal, Coonoor and lots more that are dotted in every nook and corner of this region. At these South India Hill Stations, you have lots of things to do that you may not have ever done in your life like paragliding, ballooning, skiing, ice skating, hand gliding, climbing, trekking and some of the other adventurous activities. Besides, all these popular hilly places are rich with a number of attractions such as green plains, wildlife sanctuaries & national parks, picturesque landscapes, surrounded mountains and so on. Here, you can enjoy your remarkable vacations amid the bounties of nature.

Throughout the year, people flock here in a large number to explore awe-inspiring and scenic beauty of natural landscapes and rest of the other attractions which will seize your imagination and mind. Southern part of India has unique hilly places which are blessed with lovely & cool climate round the year. Here, we will talk about few spectacular hilly spots that are mentioned below.

Ooty Hill Station

The lovely Ooty Hill Station is a favorite destination of honeymooners and nature lovers who come to visit its cool environs round the year from all over the world. The hill station has picturesque natural vistas and lush greenery all around whose beauty is further enhanced by the mountain streams and rolling hills that you will find in the landscape of this erstwhile summer resort of the British rulers. Your visit to Ooty will leave you mesmerized and enchanted with the bounties of Mother Nature and you would surely love to visit it again and again in your life.

Kodaikanal Hill Station

Kodaikanal is located among the folds of the luxuriant Pali hills, at an altitude of 2100 meter which is surrounded by wooded slopes, gushing waterfalls, mighty rocks and so on. This charming Kodaikanal hill station is also popular as “Princess of South Stations”. This hilly town is an idyllic gateway for a variety of visitors, trekkers, honeymooners and vacationers. Sanctified with nature's awe-inspiring loveliness, the murmuring lakes are prominent landmark of this sleepy hilly spot. Moreover, you can also explore ample of allures like Berijam Lake, The Perumal Peak, Dolphin’s Nose, Kukal Cave etc.

Munnar Hill Station

Munnar Hill Station is situated at the conflux of three mountain streams viz. Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. This hilly site is well known for its green surrounding, pretty ambiance, lakes, reservoirs, tea estates, and dense forests. The wonderful environment of Munnar entice the visitors to refresh & relax in the lap of Mother Nature and to explore majestic vistas of low- flying clouds & haze filled valleys that make it a haven for them. In addition, this hilly site also beckons the adventure lovers, who are interested in paragliding. Apart from that, you can also search abundant of lures here like Christ Church, The Evarikulam National Park, Anamudi Peak, Rajamala Wildlife Sanctuary and many alike.