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MycornerDrAnandNaregal
Amazingholidayideasforthissummer.
Infirsttwoepisodeswecheckedoutsomenewcarsfor2012.ThistimeIhavecompiledsomeamazingholidayideasforyouforthissummer.Everybody'sideaaboutholidayisdifferentthanothers.Mostofuswantrelaxingholidays,somewantsightseeingholidays.Somelikeactiveoradventureholidays.Whereassomearehookedontojunglesafaris(notwithstandingtheirfamily'sprotests!.Somelikebeaches(readbeachbabes)andsomelikehills(despiteallthatmotionsickness).Forsomeholidaysmeansshopping(ohthosesouvenirbrassarticlesreallyirritateme!),someothertaketheirtummytoholidays(thesegastronomictourersneverleavetheresortandtheyhopfrombreakfasttolunchandthanlunchtodinner,"wellit'sallinclusivepackagesoeverydaypaisahastobevasooled!").Someofusareshowofftraveller("YouknowwealwaysstayatTajwheninMumbaiactuallyIjustloveChickentikkathere".)andsomeofusarebudgettravellers.(Tillevening6pmtheyaresearchingforcheaproomandfamilyissittingatrailwayplatform.("well,neverbookinadvanceyouknowyougetbestbargainsatthehotelitself.").Fewofusliketoplaneverythingourselvesandfewotherslikehasslefreeescortedtours.(17countriesin21days!!Amazing.("keukenhofgardens??Itwasreallybeautiful.ItwasinItaly.NonoIthinkithadcomeinfirstpartofthetoursomustbeinBelgiumormaybeinNetherlands"!).Finallytherearethesecruiseholidays,wherejourneyitselfisaho
lidayanddestinationnotsoimportant.Orlittlequirky,likefestivaltours(ranotsavinkutchhorPushkarfairinRajsthan),triponpalaceonwheelsorrecentMaharajaexpress,orwellnesstrip(AnandainHimalayasatRishikeshormorenearernatUropathypackagesatShankuwaterpark).Finallytherearesomewholiketogooutwithfamilyonly("justthreeofus")whereassomeofuswouldn'tbudgewithoutfriends.Well,thebottomlineandIdeabehindwholeeffortputintheaboveparagraphisonecannottailormaketheholidaywhichwillsuiteveryone.Everyoneisdifferentandsoaretheirideasabouttheirholiday.Aheadofholidayseasonthissummeriamjustputtingforwardsomeideasandletsseewetheryoulikethemornot.
Hills:hillsareobviouschoiceforsummervacation.Butyouifdon'tchoosecor
rectlyyoumaycompletelybuggerupyourvacation.ForexampleInAbu,Sundayeveningscouldbemorecrowdedthanmanekchowk.OrKhandalacouldbemorehotterthanbombaysometimes!
SimlamaybequeenofhillstationbutiwouldrecommendapitstopatBAROG,surroundedbythickpineforestthisoneisstraightoutoftheEnidBlyton'snovels.45kmfromChandigarhitboastofoneofthemostpicturepostcardrailwaystationonKalka-Simlaheritagerailway.BarogisnamedafterBarog,anengineerinvolvedinbuildingtherailwaytrack.storygoeslikethis,Barog,theengineer,wasresponsiblefordesigningatunnelneartherailwaystation.Hecommenceddiggingthetunnelfrombothsidesofthemountain,whichisquitecommonasitspeedsupconstruction.However,hemademistakesinhiscalculationandwhileconstructingthetunnel,itwasfoundthatthetwoendsofthetunneldidnot
meet!.Barogwasfinedanamountof1RupeebytheBritishgovernment.Unabletowithstandthehumiliation,Barogcommittedsuicide.Hewasburiedneartheincompletetunnel.TheareacametobeknownasBarogafterhim.Hisincompletetunnelcanstillbevisited,just1.5kmfromtheexistingone.YoumaywanttobelievethatBritishneverleftIndiaaftervisittoKasauli,aquaintcantonmenttown40kmfromkalka.At6,000feet,sportingtallandslenderpinetreesandperennialburstofwildandornamentalflowers,KasaulisuredrugsthevisitorwithBaikunthresortsterracetopitsscenicbeautyandcoolerclimes.Asmallarmycantonment,threeBritishmadechurchesincludingonecalledthe"ChurchofEnglan
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d"builtin1884,severalBritishmadegreenandwhitecottages,twomallscateringforlocalandtouristneeds,andplentyofcalm,makeKasaulitheidealsummerretreatforheatanddustwearyIndianfamilies,desperatetocooltheirbodiesinanidyllic,friendlylandscape.Lookanywhere;shootfromanyangle;ortakeanyroadthroughthewhisperingpinesonbothsides,theplacehasanaturallyreassuringambiancethattellyouImustretirehere.Baikunthresort8kmfromtownisagreatstayingoption.(Istillremembermorningteaintheirterracegardensome8yearsbackwasoneofthebest).AnotherhighlightofKasauliispasteurinstitutewhichmakesantirabiesvaccineforentirecountry.Forsomeadventureloversthereisamonkeypointwithsteepclimb.(Hanumanjiscrappedhisfootonthishillwhileflyingbackaftergettingsanjeevanibuttifordyinglaxman).IfyouareluckyorinfluentialyoumaygetaentrancetoLawrenceschoolinSanwarnearby.ThisschoolisoneofthebestboardingschoolsofIndia.Establishedwaybackin1847byLawrence(whogotkilledinIndianmutinyof1857)itisbelievedbethefirstco-educationalboardingschooloftheworld!.GlimpsesofthisschoolcanbeseeninthemovieKoimilGaya.NotablealumaniincludesOmarAbdullah,SanjayDutt,andSaifAliKhan.BottomlineisgotoKasauli,ifyoulookforwardtorelaxingwalks,ifyoulikecolonialhouses,ifyouwanttofinishyourunfinishednovelwithoutanydisturbances,ifyouwanttounearthsomeunknownqualitiesofyours(sketching,poetry!)andaboveallifyouloveHimalayas.Adventure:adventuresportsmaynotbeeveryone'sideaofholidaysbutit'scatchingupinIndianow.Onemustunderstandthefactthatthethrillandriskgohandinhand.Morethethrillhighertheriskandviceversa.Soit'sveryimpor
tanttocheckthecredentialsandequipmentsandthetrackrecordofthecompanywhichistakingyouforthe'ride'.Atthesametimeadventuresportsisveryaddictivelikelayschips'youcan'tjusthaveone'.Ihaveputupsomegreatadventureideashere.Let'sseewhogetsinspiredandifyouhavealready'beenthereanddonethat',Iwouldbeveryhappytogetfirsthandinformationfromyou.SeasonedscubadiverslovetheclearwatersaroundBarrenandNarcodamislandinAndamanNicobar.Writetodive@barefootindia.comtobookasessionGodownacubbyholetoenterabreathtakingworldoflimestoneformationat40ftdeep(yes40feetunderground-thatremindsmehaveyouallseenmoviecalledManorma-6feetunder)atKutumsarcaveinchhatisgarh.Morenearerhome,chasewildassesat5am(teacheraskedSanta,what'smeaningof'assassination'?InHindi,'gadhekepichhegadhaauruskepeechhe
WildassesinlittleranofKutchSaradesh'wasthepromptanswer)onhorsebackoropenjeepatDasadainlittleranofkutch.www.ranriders.comIfyouwanttoexperiencehowyourancestorslived,tryKarolgufa.This8kmlongcavestartsatKaroltibbainhimachalandendatpinjoregardens,Haryana.Pandavaswhileinexilehadalreadystayedheresomindyou,youarenotthefirstone!OneofthenewestadventuresportsisZorbing,whichmeansgettinginsideabigplasticball,whichisthenrolledonthesteepslopesunattended!.AtSolannullah,Kulluvalley.Zorbing:goingdowntheslope,freewheelyinhugeplasticballRamanagaramaboulderstrewnquainttown40kmfromBangloreiswheresome40yearsbackJaiandVeerubeatthedaylightoutoffearsomeGabbarsingh.Dosomerockclimbinghereandrelivethemomentsfromico
nicmovieofalltimesSholay!It'srightonthehighwaybetweenBanglore-Mysore.Andmotherofall,CanyouguesswhereisIndia'sfirstskydivingzone(Jumpoftheaircraftfrom10000feetonlytolandonyourfeet).it'sjuststartedandit'sinDeesainbanaskanthadistrictinGujrat!Don'tstillbelieveme,gotothissitewww.sycd.gov.inorstillbetterjustgototheactualsiteinDeesa!Drives:withairtravelbecomingcheaperandbuyingpowerofmiddleclassimproving,thelastdecadeortwohasseenabigjumpinnoofpeopletravellingbyair.Thoughithasbigadvantageintermsofsavingtimebutthebiggestcasual
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tyofthisaresmallerandlesserknownplaceswhichareslightlyremoteintermsoftheirproximitytomajorairports.Stillforsomeofuswhobelievethatjourneycanbemoreinterestingthanthedestination,thereisthisnewcategoryofholidaysemergingandthat'sdrivingholidays.Helpingtothiscauseisimprovingroadconditionsandbettervehicles(SUVs).speciallyroadsinourstateandsomeoftheneighbouringstatesareamongthebestincountry.Satisfactoryandfoolproofdrivingholidayrequiresgoodplanningandresearch.Butthejoywhatyougetinperfectlyexecutingyourwellthoughtoutdrivingholidaysisunmatched.ConnectingDwarkatosomnathisaverypicturesquecostalhighway.This220kmdrivetakesyoupastsmallunsungbeaches,windpowerfarm,porbandar,andsomeancienttemple.Didyouknow:Gujarathasthelongest.CoastlinecomparetoanyotherstateinIndia!?LehtoKargilviaKhardung-Lapassisonejourneyyouwillnoteasilyforget.SimplyMyfriendSandeepSharmaandhisdaughteratKhardunglapassbecausehereyouhavetolookdown,yeslookdowntoseesnowcladpeaks.Khardunglapassat18000ftishighestmotorableroadintheworld.ShiftyourgearintooverdrivetocruisethepopularintercitytarmacknownasMumbai-Puneexpressway.Mindyou,onewaytollis160rs!Thisroadthoughhaslotsofcharacter(ghats,twistAndturns,tunnel,andbridges)unlikeourownVadodara-Ahmedabadexpressway,Whichisverymonotonousandsometimessedative.FromhilltownofMunnarthewindingroadtothekkedygoesthrusprawlingcoffeeandteaplantation.110kmdriveisespeciallyscenicduringmonsoonwithgree
nlandscape.StartfromUdaipurforPushkarandnoticethelandscapechangingfrolushGreentoarid.Withlakes,palaces,valesandtemples,this300kmstretchcutsthruthehistoricheartofRajasthanstate.
Hopeyoulikedtheseideasandputthemtouse.NexttimeIamcomingbackwithsomemoreideasonheritage,beachandresortholidays.Tillthangoodbye.Asusualwouldappreciateyourfeedbackandsomemoreideasformetoholidayatanand.naregal@rediffmail.com
