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Showing posts with label Hill Station. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hill Station. Show all posts

Saturday, July 19, 2008

SHIMLA - QUEEN OF HILL STATION

Shimla, the Heaven for tourist, the "Queen of Hill Stations." Situated in the north-West Himalayas, Shimla the summer capital of India before independence is now the capital of Himachal Pradesh. Shimla derives its name from "Shyamala";- the goddess Kali, whose temple existed in the dense forest that covered Jakhu Hill in the early 19th century. The English named it Simla. Shimla is well connected by air, road and rail with all parts of Himachal Pradesh, and the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashimir and the Union territory of Chandigarh. Covering the area of 18 sq. km. at a height of 7,238 ft. Shimla is surrounded by pine, deodar, oak and rhododendron forests. Its well developed facilities, easy accessibility and numerous attractions make it one of Indian's most popular and biggest hill-stations.
Shimla is connected to the city of Kalka by one of the longest narrow gauge railway routes in India. Shimla is approximately 115 km (71.4 miles) from Chandigarh, the nearest major city, and 365 km (226.8 miles) from New Delhi, the national capital. The city is named after the goddess Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Kali.
Shimla Tourist Attractions: The Mall: Known as ‘the Heart of Shimla’, the Mall is the main shopping centre of the place. It is teemed with colorful shops that sell various curios and trinkets to tourists. For gourmands, the place is next to heaven with a huge array of exotic cuisines and local delights. No vehicles except the emergent ones (like fire brigades and ambulances) are allowed inside the mall which makes it a pedestrian’s delight.
Tara Devi Temple: Among the various places to visit in Shimla, this temple occupies a crucial place and is also of great importance for the pilgrims. It is located on top of a hill facing Shimla and commands panoramic vistas of Shimla. It is also an ideal picnic spot surrounded by thick forest of oak and rhododendron.
Chadwick Falls: These are the 67 metres high water falls which come streaming down from the Summer Hill. The falls are set amidst thick forest at a height of 1586 metres. The falls are at their best after monsoons. You can go and explore the tracks in the forest on your own, deodar trees line the forest. There are also some old temples closeby and a fair is held here in April every year.
Himachal State Museum: The museum showcases a large collection of Pahari miniatures, stone sculpture, local handicrafts, textiles and embroidery.
Nature Park, Kufri : Kufri is a well known tourist resort near Shimla. A large number of tourists visiting Shimla also visit Kufri where a nature park has been established. In this park rare varieties of Hangal, Barking Deer, Musk Deer, Brown Bear, rare species of Monal and other pheasants are kept in social groupingsAccommodation: Shimla, being a very popular holiday destination amongst Indians & foreigners, does not leave scope for complaint in context of accommodation. Right from the luxury travelers to the budget ones, no one will find the hill station lacking in accommodation .Hotels in Shimla cater to every need and budget. The luxury ones provide world-class amenities and excellent hospitality, while the budget ones make sure to never ever put a strain on your budget. Some of the most popular hotels in Shimla are Wildflower Hall, Oberoi Cecil, Radisson, Shilon Resort, Hotel Asia The Dawn, East Bourne Resort, Chapslee Palace, Woodville Palace Resorts, etc.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Tourist Place - MUNNAR

Munnar is a very famous tourist place, hill station located some 130 kms from Kochi in the state of Kerala. The place lies towards the east, in central Kerala and its borders coincide with that of Tamil Nadu state. The hill station is situated mainly in one of the taluks of Idukki district. One more famous hill station, Kodaikanal, lies nearby, around 90 kms from Munnar.
The undulating terrain of Munnar are enchanting, with the low lying hills covered with bright flower meadows and the spread out tea plantations. The place is essentially a resort town. The beauty of the place had long fascinated the Europeans and the place used to serve as summer resort for the Britishers during their occupation of the lands. The place is located at an average altitude of about 1600 metres and contains one of the highest peaks in South India, Anamudi. The altitude and the nearby Arabian Sea accounts for the pleasant climate that prevails throughout the year.
Munnar valley was developed by the Scottish planters in the early 20th century. The tea plantations is an important feature of Munnar. The plantations stand at heights from 4300 ft to 6100 ft above sea level. The Nilgiris, famous for the cultivation of tea, was responsible for the introduction of the plantations at Munnar, on hills popularly called Kanan Devan Hills.
Mattupetty : The place is situated at a distance of about 13 kms from Munnar. Mattupetty is famous for its cattle rearing farm and quality bred live stock. The farm is located at a height of about 1700 metres and is further provided with a dam and a beautiful lake. The place is a popular picnic spot.
Devikulam : Some 7 kms from Munnar is Devikulam, a popular hill station. The hill station features satin green lawns and rare species of flora and fauna. The mountain side is pleasant and with some exquisite scenes of nature surrounding the place. There is a mineral water lake at Devikulam called Sita Devi Lake, famous for trout fishing.
Eravikulam National Park : Eravikulam National Park that provides home to Nilgiri Tahr, is located about 15 kms from Munnar. This 97 sq kms stretch was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1975 and later on in 1978 as a national park. The place withholds great beauty, with grasslands and hill tops dominating the landscape. The treks along these hillsides are filled with action and adventure. One can go up to Anamudi Peak, on foot from here.
Lock Heart Gap : Some 13 kms from Munnar is present the Lock Heart Gap, a place known for trekking. The Lock Heart Gap provides for a pass in the mountain with some enticing treks and routes. The mountain view is splendid and one can feel on top of the world.
Chithirapuram : Chithirapuram is a small resort town with sprawling tea plantations all around. The place is provided with tourist cottages and bungalows that make a visit worth it.
Attukal : Attukal is yet another attraction located at Munnar, some 9 kms from it. The place features cascaded waterfalls and hills and a fantastic trekking routes.
Echo Point : The place is very popular for the natural phenomenon. The echo that reverberates after hitting the distant hills is fascinating. Echo Point is about 15 kms from Munnar.
Places Where You Can Stay : Accommodation at Munnar is provided by a range of hotels including expensive hotels and low budget lodges. Some known accommodation providers in Munnar include :Expensive Hotels and Resorts - Windermere Resort, Mahindra Resorts, Sterling Resorts, Hi-range Club.Budget hotels and lodges - Issac's Residency, Edassery Eastend Hotel, Holiday Inn, Hill View, Marthoma Rest House.How to Reach : The nearest railway station and airport to Munnar are situated at Kochi, about 130 kms from the place. The bus stations nearest to the place are the ones located at Pothmedu (3 kms), Pallivasal (6kms), Mattupety (13 kms). The long distance bus services are available from many regions like Kodaikanal, Thekkady, Alappuzha, Kochi, etc.

Friday, March 7, 2008

PANCHMARHI

Pachmarhi is Madhya Pradesh's most verdant jewel, a place where nature has found exquisite expression in myriad enchanting ways.Green shades embrace the mountains, and everywhere is heard the gentle murmur of flowing water. Bridle paths lead into tranquil forest glades, groves of wild bamboo and jamun, dense sal forests and delicate bamboo thickets.
Complementing the magnificence of nature are the works of man; Pachmarhi is also an archaeological treasure-house. In cave shelters in the Mahadeo Hills is an astonishing richness in rock paintings. Most of these have been placed in the period 500-800 AD, but the earliest paintings are an estimated 10,000 years old.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Inimitable Kerala Holidays

Kerala is one of the hot destinations for global tourists. Kerala Holidays gifts you with the calm and charm of both rural and urban life. Owing to the diversity in its topography that includes water based areas like unspoilt coastlines, rivers, backwaters, and houseboats makes it heads the priority list in your itinerary to this enchanting South Indian state of Kerala. Other than water based areas Kerala is renowned for its lush green landscapes, sky scraping mountains and a wealth of traditional art and dance forms.

Kerala Holidays offer the visitors with inimitable experience that would linger in the minds for a lifetime. The extended backwaters, bubbly boat races and floating paradise like houseboats are the attracting features of Alapuzha. Fort Cochin is famous for its home stays and Dutch monuments. Wayanad is a hilly area decorated with sky scraping mountains and beautiful valleys are ideal for trekking, jungle visit and tree-top-stays. Kovalam beach and several historical monuments remains the centre of attraction of Thiruvananthapuram.

Apart from this Kerala has lot more to offer for the irresistible travellers who would like to explore the serene natural beauty available in abundance in the so called Gods own country. If the visitors are keen to relax and unwind during their Kerala Holidays, the traditional Ayurvedic treatments available here will provide tremendous scope for it. The massages and other pampering facilities will rejuvenate the person to the core.

The travellers can witness the rich legacy of traditional art forms of Kerala through its mural arts, sculptures, dance forms like Kathakali and Mohiniattam; martial art forms like Kalari and lot more adds more spice to the Kerala Holidays. To fulfil the growing demand for accommodation facilities, Kerala offers wide variety of accommodation facilities for the visitors to choose from that ranges from luxurious star hotels that offer world class facilities to economical home stay facilities. With all these facilities perfectly blend together the Kerala Holidays will be the perfect way to spend your holiday break with greatest level of perfection.