Places of interest in Jodhpur

Balsammand Lake

Mehrangarh Fort: This ancient fort serves as a prime tourist attraction in Jodhupur. A must visit structure, the Mehrangarh Fort is located on a small hillock around 400 feet above Jodhpur City and can be viewed from most parts of the city.

For more information, entry fee and other details read Mehrangarh Fort

Balsammand Lake: One of the best places to visit in Jodhpur. Serves as an Picnic spot. This artificial lake was built during 1159 AD and is located 7 km from the Jodhpur. One of the most scenic places in Jodhpur, the Balsammand Lake is surrounded by lush green gardens and cascading waterfalls. On the banks of this lake is the famous Balsammand Palace, a must see point in Jodhpur. One can get sight of beautiful peacocks, jackals all over the lush greenery.

Jaswant Thada

Umaid Bhavan Palace: Another prime attractions of Jodhpur Umaid Bhavan Palace is the official residence of Maharaja Umaid Singh. This huge palace is located on total area of 26 acres and is beautifully landscaped. This palace is divided into 3 sections, the palace itself, the transformed Taj Palace Hotel and the Umaid Bhavan Palace Museum.

For more information, entry fee and timings read Umaid Bhavan Palace

Mandore Gardens

Mandore: Mandore is an ancient town located around 9 km from Jodhpur. This town boasts of its several historical monuments, few including ruins of the past including the ruined Mandore Fort. This place is worth visiting as it revives the ancient history and highlights the royal past of India. Other than the monuments, one can also visit the Mandore Gardens which forms one of the main attraction among tourists. This garden is actually a charming collection of temples and memorials including the Government Museum (worth seeing). The museum houses the Hall of Heroes which houses popular heroes of the area.

Kaylana Lake: Kaylana Lake is an artificial lake built during 1872 by Maharana Pratap Singh towards the west side of Jodhpur around 8 km from the main city.

Kaylana Lake

Jaswant Thada: One of the most popular landmarks of Rajasthan, the Jaswant Thada is a white marble memorial built by Sardar Singh in the memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II in 1889. This monument is a finest example of excellent marble works with sheets of marble intricately carved to form an rare artifact. This ancient cremation ground for the rulers of Jodhpur is exquisitely built and is beautifully landscaped.

Dhawa Doli Wildlife Sanctuary: This sanctuary is located 40 km from Jodhpur and serves as  a great tourists destination. This sanctuary houses large population of black bucks, desert foxes, nilgais and partridges. Visit this place early morning for great animal spotting. Serves as a great one day tour.

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Umaid Bhavan Palace

Umaid Bhavan Palace

About Umaid Bhavan Palace

Located in Jodhpur, Umaid Bhavan Palace is the official residence of Maharaja Umaid Singh. This huge palace is currently divided into three sections, the residence for the royal family where currently Gaj Singh resides, the one part of the palace which has been transformed into Taj Palace Hotel and the Museum which is open for the public.Umaid Bhawan covers an total area of 26 acres, with lush green, well planned lawns and complete 3.5 acres dedicated to the palace itself.

What you can see at this museum


 Royal artifacts, beautiful paintings, huge clocks, stuffed animals

Umaid Bhavan Palace Museum timings


 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Entry fee

 Rs.50/-

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Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur

Mehrangarh Fort

 About Mehrangarh Fort:

Mehrangarh Fort is the prime attractions of Jodhpur. One of the largest forts in India, this fort serves as a must see tourist spot in Jodhpur. Worth watching is its splendid architecture, intricate carving and amazing, huge courtyards. The charm of this fort of Jodhpur is such that it succeeds to attract the tourist towards it. The first impression that it gives when seen from a distance is the gigantic appearance which stands tall and magnificent. This massive fort is located around 400 feet above the Jodhpur City and resembles to a massive hill. There are around 7 gates to this fort and each of them hold some significance. Out of 7 gates, famous ones include the Jai Pol, Fateh Pol and Loha Pol. One can see decorative palaces and beautiful courtyards inside the fort.

Structures that should be visited inside Mehrangarh include:

Moti Mahal, which currently serves as a museum and holds many valuable artifacts.

Sheesh Mahal, which includes exclusive mirror works, worth seeing.(Don't miss this one)

Phool Mahal, that means the Palace of Flowers which is one of the grandeur here in Mehrangarh. It is said that this palace served as a private chamber for the royal family.

The Chamunda Mataji Temple, serves as a holy shrine and is one of the oldest temple and holds great festival which is visited by the pilgrims during Dusshera.

Location of Mehrangarh Fort: 15 minutes from the Jodhpur Railway Station

How to reach Mehrangarh Fort: take an auto-rickshaw

Main entrance of gate: Jaipol

Entry fee: Rs. 20/- for Indian tourists and Rs. 250/- for foreigners

Still Camera Charges: Rs. 50/-

Video camera charges: Rs. 200/-

Guide can be hired for Rs. 150/-

Points to be remember:

- Hire guides from the ticket counter itself, they can be trustworthy.

- See that you hold on to your camera and other valuables all the time.

- Take care of your luggage, and don't carry valuables

- There is an arrangement for elevator to carry tourists to the top, but you always opt for the steps or walk around the mountain slope to visits the fort.

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Nagaur Fair in Jodhpur

Cattle fair / Nagaur Fair

About Nagaur Fair:

Nagaur Festival is an annual fair held at Jodhpur. This is one of the biggest fair that is celebrated for 8 days every year in the month of January and February. The festival is also known as the Cattle Fair as it mostly deals with the trading of cattle which include camels, bullock, cows and horses. The animals which are traded in this festival are mostly decorated lavishly. But it is not just the animals that are traded during this fair. The Nagaur Fair also includes trading of various spices, wooden items, leather goods and other items. Rajasthan is popularly known for its Mirchi Bazaar. The mirchi(chili) of Rajasthan is considered to be the best. Hence the trade at Nagaur Fair also includes various types of Mirchi from many parts of Rajasthan.

Fair: Nagaur Fair (Cattle Fair)

Venue: Nagaur

Events that take place in Nagaur Fair:

Cattle trading

Spice trading

Sell of wooden items, leather goods and iron crafts

Juggling

Story telling

Puppet shows

Folk dance and music

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How to reach Jodhpur in Rajasthan?

Jodhpur is centrally located in Rajasthan and hence easily accessible. Here's how:

By air: The nearest airport for Jodhpur is the Jodhpur Airport, located just 5 km from the main city of Jodhpur. Jodhpur Airport is connected to major flights from Mumbai, Delhi and other cities of India. This airport is also connected to other cities of Rajasthan internally by means of daily flights, such as Udaipur and Jaipur. Moreover the State Transport buses of Rajasthan has a good inter city buses which ply to Jodhpur regularly at frequent intervals from all the main cities of Rajasthan. Once in Jodhpur, tourist can either opt for the auto-rickshaws for sightseeing or the private taxis.

By train: Jodhpur is connected by regular trains with all the major cities in India which include Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kota, Puri, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Lucknow, Jaipur and many such cities by means of regular trains. 

Few Passenger trains to Jodhpur include:

Mandore Express

Suryanagari Superfast Express

Jodhpur - Bhopal Express

Jodhpur Indore Express

Jodhpur Puri Express

By road: By road, Jodhpur can be easily accessed via Pokaran and Agoli. Jodhpur can be reached by road from Agra, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Delhi, Jaipur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur. 

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Jodhpur in Rajasthan

Jodhpur

State: Rajasthan

Location: Centrally located in Rajasthan

Famous for: culture, palaces, forts, temples

Serves as: great historical destinations in India

About Jodhpur:

Jodhpur is a ravishing town in Rajasthan,(one of my favorites). Its known as the Sun City, due to the climate and sunny weather it seems to enjoy 365 days a year. Jodhpur also forms one of the ancient cities of India and is all full of palaces and temples, just like any other town in Rajasthan. But similar to Udaipur, Jodhpur too seem to be popular among tourists for its beauty and picturesque sights to visit. The forts and the huge palaces of Jodhpur add color to the city and same does it's culture and tradition. This city is the second largest city in the state of Rajasthan. Since this city is centrally located, it is easily accessible from all over Rajasthan and its nearby states. Similar to Udaipur, Jodhpur witness many tourists throughout the year.

City of Jodhpur

Best time to visit Jodhpur:

Known as the Sun City, Jodhpur enjoys hot and humid climate throughout the year. The climate is overall dry and resembles to that of a desert. However winters are comparatively colder and pleasant. So one should visit Jodhpur from October to early March.

What to do in Jodhpur:

Enjoy the rich culture and tradition

Savor the authentic Jodhpuri cuisine

Visit places of interest in and around Jodhpur

Learn about its deep history

Go shopping and buy exclusive Jodhpuri souvenirs

Visit the Rajasthani International Folk Festival

Jaswant Thada Palace

Festivals in Jodhpur:

Marwar Festival in Jodhpur

Nagaur Fair in Jodhpur 

Gangaur Festival

Rajasthani International Folk Festival

What to shop in Jodhpur:

Shopping in Jodhpur is an unique experience. One can find many shopping arcades and bazaar in Jodhpur, where authentic Rajasthani items are available as a best buy. This includes the Sojati Gate where you can try buying the Dye sarees, the Station Road Market which is famous for leather items and footwear, the Mochi Bazaar which is ideal for Lac bangles( very beautiful and unique) and many more such bazaars. Things that should be bought from Jodhpur include exclusive ornaments, home decorative items, lac bangles and Bandhini materials and sarees.

What to eat in Jodhpur:

Jodhpuri cuisine is nothing different than the authentic Rajasthani Cuisine, yet one should always know that few of the most known cuisines of India had been first created in this city. Few of the delicacies one should never miss out on in Jodhpur include the Mirchi wada, Dal Batti Churma, Gatte ka saag, various farsan items like kachori and traditional sweets.

Read more about Jodhpur :

 How to reach Jodhpur 

Places of interest in Jodhpur

Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur 

Umaid Bhavan Palace in Jodhpur

Marwar Festival in Jodhpur

Marwar Festival

About Marwar Festival:
This is one of the most popular festival in Jodhpur which is held annually. The festival is celebrated as a tribute to all the heroes and brave fighters of Jodhpur. Held once in every year during the month of September or October, the Marwar Festival is celebrated with great zest. This festival is attended by man tourists from all around the world.

Festival: Marwar Festival

Month: September/ October

Venue: Mehrangarh Fort, Mandore and Umaid Bhavan Palace in Jodhpur

Events held during Marwar Festival:

Folk dance

Local art and music event

Musical drama based on the battles that took place in Jodhpur

Camel ride

Polo

 Return back to Jodhpur in Rajasthan

Shilpgram Festival in Udaipur

Stalls at Shilpgram Fest

About Shilpgram Festival:

Shilpgram is a small village in Udaipur, and is known for the famous Shilpgram festival. This festival is held near Hawala Village, around 3 km from Udaipur. The Shilpgram Festival is usually a Annual Crafts Mela that is organized by Rajasthan Tourism to promote the arts and crafts of Rajasthan. This festival has its own great importance as many tourists from all around the world visit Shilpgram Festival every year. Held usually during the month of November or December, this fair is one of the hits in Udaipur. The participants of this fair are mostly the artists who engage in creation of various art-forms like handicraft, decorative art-forms, mirror works and the potters who engage in various beautiful pottery and other decorative items. This fair promotes the craft bazaar of Rajasthan as tourist buy lots of artifacts from this fair.Since held during winters, the tourists get to enjoy the Shilpgram Festival even more due to the pleasant climate.

Festival: Shilpgram Festival

Held during: November or December (every year)


Venue: Shilpgram Village

Entry: Free

Events of Shilpgram Festival:

Craft fair

Annual Bazaar

Workshops for pottery

Glimpse of the lifestyle of weavers in Rajasthan

Music shows

Dance programme by local artist

What can one buy in Shilpgram Festival:

Handicraft items

Decorative Pots

Mirror work

Decorative wall hangings

God idols

Fabrics of Rajasthan

decorative hand bags and purse

Toys

wall arts

food items from Udaipur

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Or

Read Mewar Festival in Udaipur

Pichola Lake in Udaipur

Pichola Lake

About Pichola Lake:

Lake Pichola is one of the most picturesque lake located in Udaipur, Rajasthan. This artificial fresh water lake was built in 1362AD by Pichhu Banjara, a gypsy. The Pichola Lake is far more enchanting than one could imagine. The lush green Aravalli Hills offer it a panoramic backdrop and so does the City of Udaipur.  The famous Hotel Lake Palace of Taj is exactly in the center of Pichola Lake. Other than this palace, even City Palace, Mohan Mandir, Jag Mandir and many more such places of interest are located on the banks of this lake.

How to reach Pichola Lake:

One would never find it difficult to reach Pichola Lake as it is one of the most popular spots in Udaipur. Any local transport or tongas can help you reach Pichola Lake.

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Places of Interest in Udaipur

Lake Palace

Lake Palace


 Lake Palace is one of the most beautiful palaces of Udaipur, presently transformed into  a 5 star luxury hotel by Taj Group. This hotel is located amidst Lake Pichola.

Jagdish Temple


 One of the biggest and oldest temple in India, Jagdish Temple is a must visit point in Udaipur. This temple was built in 1651 A.D by Maharana Jagat Singh Ist. Worth seeing is its architecture and eccentric art work.

Fateh Sagar Lake

 One of the most beautiful lakes, because of which Udaipur is called the Lake City. Located on the north side, this lake was built by Maharana Jai Singh in 1678 AD.

Nehru Garden

Nehru Garden


 Located near the Fateh Sagar Lake is Nehru Garden, one of the best parks in India. This park is huge spread over an area of 41 acres and has lots of flower gardens and also a lily pond.

Saheliyon ki Bari


 This too is a beautiful place worth visiting. The Saheliyon ki Bari was initially built for the maids of Udaipur Princess. The garden of this place is what one should definitely see. There are small lotus pools all over with beautiful lotus and fountains. Here you get to take pictures wearing a traditional Rajasthani costume. The best part is the picture is couriered to you anywhere you live. So do check your mail for that beautiful pic.. that you took in Rajasthan.

Shilpgram

 Shilpgram is a small village know for its art and craft. A Shilpgram festival is organized every year, where the art-form and craft work is showcased. Many people from all over India visit Shilpgram for showcasing their artwork.

Fateh Sagar Lake

Devigarh


 This place is located 28 km from Udaipur and is an ancient palace which now has been transformed into a resort.

Eklingji


 Located 22 km from Udaipur, this place is a big complex comprising of 108 skillfully carved and sculted temples. These temples were built in 734 AD.

City Palace

City Palace is a must see point in Udaipur. It's a huge palace with intrinsic carving and splendid architecture. For more information read City Palace

Pichola Lake


 One of the most picturesque lakes in Udaipur. Read more about Pichola Lake

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City Palace of Udaipur

About City Palace, Udaipur:

City Palace

City Palace is one of the most beautiful palaces in Udaipur. City Palace is located on the eastern side of Lake Pichola and serves as a must visit point in Udaipur. This beautiful and huge palace was built in 1725 and is has series of courtyards and terraces including gardens and beautiful corridors. City Palace is live example of the rich heritage of Rajasthan. Moreover this palace is in a great shape and magnificent when it comes to its splendid architecture. The main entrance gate of City Palace in Udaipur is known as the Elephant Gate. As one enters inside the palace, all you see is intricately designed pavilions, corridors, rooms. The palace is an actual conglomeration of 11 big palaces. Hopefully now you get the idea, how huge City Palce of Udaipur must be. Moreover one also gets to see the Maharana Pratap's Sword (weighing 25 kg) right here. Then the war ornaments of Maharana Pratap and his famous Horse Chetak are also kept here for exhibit.

Event: Mewar Light and Sound Show

Entry fee: Rs. 100/- for adult and Rs. 50/- for child (age group 5 to 12 years)

Camera fee: Rs. 200/-

Entry time: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm


Read: Udaipur

Mewar Festival 2011

About Mewar Festival 2011:

Mewar Festival is celebrated to welcome spring, every year in Udaipur.This 3 day festival is usually held in the month of March or April.

Festival: Mewar Festival

Entry: Free

Date: 3th April 2011 to 8th April 2011

Venue: Udaipur, Rajasthan

Events:

Immersion of Gangaur and Isar idols in Lake Pichola

Dancing

Singing

Music concerts

Fireworks

Read more: Mewar Festival in Udaipur

How to reach Udaipur?

Udaipur is easily accessible from all the major cities in India. Here's how:

By air: The nearest airport for Udaipur is Dabok Airport. This airport is also referred as Maharana Pratap Airport and is located 20 km from Udaipur. The Dabok Airport receives daily flights from all the major cities in India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur and many other cities.

By rail: Udaipur is connected via a broad gauge line to all the cities in India including Mumbai, Delhi, Bhopal, Gwalior, Kolkata and Ahmedabad to name a few.

By road: By road, Udaipur is connected via National Highway no.8 to Dekhi and Mumbai. There are many state transport buses which ply regularly to Udaipur from all the major cities in Rajasthan.

 Return back to Udaipur in Rajasthan

Udaipur in Rajasthan

Enchanting Udaipur

State: Rajasthan

Location: Located within the dense Aravalli Range.

Famous for: forts, temples, lakes, palaces

Serves as: great tourist attraction

About Udaipur

Udaipur is a mystical land so full of ancient palaces, lakes, hills, temples and scenic beauty. It forms one of the major tourist attractions in Rajasthan. Udaipur is an enchanted city, so full of mystic hills and forts. Each and every fort and temple of Udaipur speaks of its rich tradition, glorious history and culture. It has usually been referred as a Lake City, since there are around 5 lakes in Udaipur. Udaipur is one such place in Rajasthan, where one can see many ancient luxurious palaces, few of them already transformed into heritage hotels though. But there is so much when it comes to sight seeing and visiting places. One may just get completely absorbed in its rich tradition and culture. For foreign tourists, Udaipur has been one of the favorite destinations. There's a reason behind this. Of all the cities in Rajasthan, Udaipur stands out unique. Not very exploited and not very crowded, unlike Jaipur.

Best time to visit Udaipur

Udaipur gets very hot in summers. Still you may find tourist visiting this place all year around. But still the best time is only during winters when the temperature falls and makes it appealing for everyone to get out and roam around. Hence the ideal time for visiting Udaipur is from October to March.

What to do in Udaipur

Enjoy the rich tradition of Rajasthan

Visit the ancient palaces and temples.

Stroll around the wonderful lakes of Udaipur

Go boating

Enjoy the traditional, awesome Rajasthani cuisine

Go shopping and buy souvenirs exclusively from Udaipur

Visit places of interest nearby

Enjoy and visit the sand dunes

Watch the Mewar Light and Sound Show

City of Lakes

Festivals in Udaipur

 Mewar Festival   


Shilpgram Festival

What to shop in Udaipur

When it comes to shopping, nothing beats Udaipur. There is so much to shop including beautiful traditional clothes, colorful and traditional fabrics including the Bandhini, Sarees, toys, silver ornaments, artifacts, paintings, statues, decorative items, gulkand (rose jam) and much more.

Read: How to reach Udaipur? 

What to eat in Udaipur

Udaipur serves the finest food, as Rajasthani Cuisines is one of the best. There you can find lots of restaurants, which serve traditional Rajasthani Thali with sumptuous Dal Batti, Churma, Aloo sabji, gatte ki sabji, mirchi bada and also farsaans of different types. Farsans are the savories which may include fried samosas or puff pastries. Usually a typical Rajasthani Thali may include two to three subji, curd, rotli, churma, dal, pickle, papad and sweet dishes. Though most of these thalis are vegetarian, yet one can also find lots of non-vegetarian menu in the menu list of various restaurant. Nowadays with many hotels and restaurants coming up, other than the Rajasthani cuisine, one can also opt for Chinese, Thai and Continental cuisine in many restaurants of Udaipur, in Rajasthan.  

Click here to learn more about Places of interest in Udaipur
 
City Palace  


Pichola Lake


Where  to stay in Udaipur:


Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur


Kajri Hotel - RTDC Hotel

Mewar Festival in Udaipur

Mewar Festival in Rajasthan

About Mewar Festival:

Mewar festival is celebrated in Udaipur every year during the month of March. The unique significance of this festival is to welcome the spring with joy and fun. During this festival, all the Rajasthani women dress up in traditional attire and carry the idol of Goddess Gauri to the Pichola Lake and immerse it. Once the idols are immersed by carrying in the middle of the lake by boats, the cultural programmes begin. Traditional dance performances, songs are performed with great fun and frolic. Huge fireworks  and procession of boats conclude the 3 day Marwar Festival. This festival is celebrated with great spirits.

Read more: 

Mewar Festival 2011 

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Rajasthan Day 2011

About Rajasthan Day 2011:

Rajasthan Day is a festival which will be celebrated in Jaipur, Rajasthan from 28th March to 30th March 2011.

Festival: Rajasthan Festival

Entry: Free

Date: 28th March to 30th March 2011

Events at Rajasthan Day:

Theater
Children Film Festival
Magic Show
Military Pageant
Akash Ganga Aerobatic Show by India Air Force
Craft Bazaar
Rajasthani Folk
Classical dance and recital

Fore more information visit: http://www/rajasthantourism.gov.in/

Telephone number: +91-141-5110598

How to reach Gopalpur Beach in Orissa?

Gopalpur Beach can be easily accessed by air, rail and road. Here's how:

By air: The nearest airport for Gopalpur Beach is Bhubaneshwar around 190 km away. From here one can take a private taxi or state buses to reach Bhopal.

By rail: The nearest railroad is Berhampur, just 16 km from Gopalpur Beach. From here one can travel by auto rickshaws or taxis to the beach.

By road: Gopalpur Beach is connected well with roads by means of the National Highway No.5 via Berhampur. Many buses travel regularly from various cities of Orissa to Gopalpur Beach.

Read more: Gopalpur Beach in Orissa

Gopalpur Beach Festival

Sand Art

 About Gopalpur Beach Festival:

Gopalpur Beach Festival is celebrated every year near Gopalpur Beach in Orissa. Though this festival was discontinued for few years till 2008, it has been revived and various measures has been taken by the Orissa Government to initiate the festival. This 5 day beach festival is included in the Tourism calender of Orissa State Tourism. So this will definitely encourage the tourist to plan up their holidays to Orissa right during the Gopalpur Beach Festival, which usually takes place during the month of December when the climate is at its best.

Fun element of Gopalpur Beach Festival:

The fun element of Gopalpur Beach Festival lies in the various activities that are carried out during this 5 days festival. The cold climate add to its beauty. The activities include:

Sand Art, which tourists cam have a look at.

Colorful cultural programmes which include the local folk lore and traditional dance and music.

Craft Mela, which showcases the traditional and local craft.

Exhibition of rural arts and handicraft items.

Read more: Gopalpur Beach

Chilika Lake in Orissa

Chilika Lake

About Chilika Lake:

Chilika Lake is India's only largest, brackish water lagoon located in Orissa State. This lake is home to one of the rare and endangered species of birds, plants and animals. One can definitely fall in love with this lake at the first sight. This lake also forms a large fishing source for the local fishermen. Birds from all over the world including Russia, Siberia, Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal and many other places visit this lake. It is one of the notable wetlands of the World.

Avi-fauna at Chilaka Lake:

Egrest, Purple Herons, Indian roller, Storks, Spoon bills, Brahminy ducks, Pintails, Shovellers, Jacana, Sea eagles.

Fauna at Chilaka Lake:

Green Sea turtle, dugong, Irrawaddy dolphins, Black buck, Fishing cat, Limbless skink

Flora at Chilaka Lake:

Seagrass, Mangrove, various wild plants of horticultural importance, flowering plants, island floral species



Aqua-fauna at Chilaka Lake:

Herrings, sardines, Hilsa, Mullet, Ten punder, and many other fresh water fishes

How to reach Chilaka Lake:
Chilaka Lake can be reached by a road through NH5 from cities like Chennai. Moreover the lake is only 50 km from Puri, 44 km from Gopalpur Beach and 100 km from Bhubaneshwar. Nearest airport for Chilaka Lake is Bhubaneshwar.

Places of interest nearby:

Gopalpur Beach

Gopalpur Beach in Orissa

Gopalpur Beach

State: Orissa

Location: Towards southern side of Orissa

Famous for: beaches and sparkling sand

Serves as: great tourist attraction

About Gopalpur Beach:

Gopalpur Beach is one of the main beaches of Orissa, located towards its southern side. This beach is situated on the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the popular beaches of Orissa and is considered ideal and safe for swimming. This beach gets it's beauty from the deep blue water and golden, sparkling sand. Moreover the Gopalpur Beach has beautiful palm groves and coconut trees to provide shade for swimmers from the hot sun.

Best Time to visit:

Beaches can be visited all along the year. Ideal time is usually in the morning to enjoy a great swim and a splash. Also one can visit in the evenings for enjoying the sunset and a walk on the beach. The best time to visit is usually from September to March.



What to do in Gopalpur Beach:

Enjoy the unexplored beauty of this beach and its surroundings

Play in the sand

Swim in the blue sea

Sun bathing

Stroll on the rich golden sand

Enjoy the sand sculptors

Enjoy the authentic, local sea food

Feel the beauty

Places of interest near Gopalpur Beach:

Chilika Lake, which is located around 44 km from Gopalpur Beach and is one of the biggest inland lake in India. Chilika Lake allows us to enjoy some natural beauty with birds that visit this place from all around the world.

Jaugarh or also referred as Jaugada, which is a excavation site where fine rocks and other edicts have been found from the Ashoka Period.

Taratarni, which is located on the banks of River Rushikulaya and has a beautiful temple located on the hill top. This temple has around 1000 steps and is a famous Shakti Pitha of Tantra Cult.

Berhampur, located 16 km from Gopalpur Beach, this place is an important town in Orissa and an ideal place for shopping.

Activities at Gopalpur Beach:

Sand sculptor
Gopalpur Beach Festival
Water activities

What to shop at Gopalpur Beach:

You can buy authentic sculptors, jewelry, Orissan handicraft, silk sarees and toys.

Where to eat at Gopalpur Beach:

There are many restaurants and hotels located along the beach and nearby places which serve some authentic cuisine of Orissa. Try eating at the shacks which are located near the beach. They do serve some amazing food.

Read How to reach Gopalpur Beach?

Where to stay in Gopalpur Beach:

There are many accommodation facilities available nearby Gopalpur beach in the form of hotels, resort and guest house which offer comfortable accommodation. Most of them are located right on the beach and offer great view of the spectacular sea. Few options include:

Hotel Oberoi Palm Beach :  A quaint resort located right on the beach.

Hotel Green Park: Hotel Green Park is located in Talchur Town, closer to the railway station and has around 23 rooms. Room rates range from Rs. 450/- for standard room to Rs. 1850/- for Suite. The facilities in the hotel include well appointed rooms, restaurant and conference hall.

Address of Hotel Green Park:

Hotel Green park
By pass Square
Talcher Town
Angul
Orissa - 759100

Telephone number: +91-6760-241843

How to reach Matheran?

Toy train of Matheran

Matheran is at a close proximity to Mumbai (95 km) and Pune (121 km). Hence Matheran can be reached through Mumbai and Pune. Here's how:

By air: The nearest airport for Matheran is Mumbai Airport, around 95 km away.

By train: You can visit Matheran by train. Take a Mumbai CST train fof Karjat or Khopoli and get down at Neral Station. By train it takes at least 1 hour 40 minutes to reach Neral. once in Neral take a private taxi or the Toy train of Matheran. Matheran has a narrow gauge line which is a 8km track for Matheran. Since this toy train passes through valleys and mountain slopes, it takes lot more time to reach Matheran. But the experience is awesome.

Please note: If you don't plan to take a toy train or even don't wish to go for a private taxi, then start walking. From Neral the distance is 8 km up to Dasturi Park and further 2.5 km up to Neral. One can find developed walking trails which pass through a line of streams, narrow gauge line and valleys making it a great and beautiful journey.

By road: If you wish to travel by road to Matheran, take the Mumbai - Karjat Route and the Matheran bypass near Neral. From this bypass you would need to climb the Matheran Hill Ghat and reach Dasturi Park.

Please note: Dasturi Park forms the main car park for all the private and tourist cars which come for Matheran. Beyond this point no one can take their car. So one has to leave his car or vehicle in the Dasturi Park and pay a nominal fee for the car parking. Don't worry your car is safe here.

Beyond Dasturi Park, you do have couple of options about how to continue your journey further. What you can do is:

1. Take a horse ride and hire someone to carry your luggage.

2. Hire a Hand-pull rickshaw and continue your journey further.

3. Take your backpack and start walking.

Please note: The idea of walking from Dasturi Park could be a whole new experience for you. The fact is from Dasturi Park, Matheran is just 2.5 km away. And one can just might opt for walking.

Read more about Matheran

Matheran

State: Maharashtra

Location: Near Karjat in Raigad District

Famous for: Hill station, enchanting hills and scenic beauty

Serves as: One day picnic spot or weekend holiday

About Matheran:

Matheran is one of the smallest hill-station India has. This hill station is located on the Western Ghats around 800 meters above sea level. Matheran serves as a unique one day picnic spot due to its proximity to cities like Mumbai and Pune. So what makes Matheran so special? Its the beauty of this place which is so enchanting. Moreover being an eco-sensitive region, no cars or other vehicles are allowed in this area. Hence one can expect to breath some unpolluted fresh air within the scenic surroundings of Matheran. Matheran has muddy roads, as no tarred roads are built in Matheran. Several measures have been taken to maintain the original charm of this place. The only vehicle one can see here is the bicycle or man-pulled rickshaws. Other than one more mode of transport is horse back.

Waterfalls post monsoon

Best time to visit Matheran:
Matheran is at its best all year around except for monsoons. But the ideal time would be from October to March. I would suggest visiting Matheran right during Post monsoons, when the nature splashes its charm in form of beautiful waterfalls and dense greenery. It just adds to the existing beauty of Matheran.

Please note: Monsoon is mostly a slack season, as due to mudslides, most of the hotels and shops are closed.

What to do at Matheran:

Have a breath of fresh air

Enjoy the panoramic beauty

Visit the panoramic points

Enjoy good food at the local restaurants

Indulge in some adventure sports like Trekking, Valley crossing, Horse riding, Walking (that's what you do most of the time)

Places of interest in Matheran:

Charlotte Lake

Here's a list of few notable points that you should definitely make it a point to visit:

- Panorama Point, also known as the Sunrise Point is spectacular and also serves as a main point.

- Monkey Point, another known point. Prepare yourself to see some large group of monkeys here.

- Malang Point, which gives an excellent view of Haji Malang situated close-by.

- Charlotte Lake, one of the great places and really very picturesque. Once you are here don't forget to visit the Pisarnath Temple. Its ancient and beautiful. Then on the left hand side of this lake, there are two points that you can visit Echo Point and Louisa Point.

Few other worth seeing points include Porcupine Point, Rambaug Point, Chowk Point, Khandala Point, Honeymoon Hill, One tree hill and many more.

Please note: In Matheran, once you are down the road, trekking around each and every corner of the hill is one point or the other. Maybe you would be the one who would discover his own point!!

What to shop in Matheran:

In Matheran you can shop for Chikkis, footwear, handicraft work, wooden articles, walking stick, wall hangings and leather goods.

Please note: Do bargain for a good deal.

Where to eat in Matheran:

Matheran has lots of restaurants that serve Indian and Chinese cuisine. So eating is just no problem, once you enter the main market area, there are so many eateries and restaurants that serve good food. Moreover the food is not very costly. You can find both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian eateries in Matheran. In fact for die-hard vegetarians, there are few Gujarati Restaurants that serve amazing Gujarati Thali.

Read How to reach Matheran?

Where to stay in Matheran?

Hotel Rangoli Retreat 

Hotel Panorama 

Regal Hotel

How to reach Pandavkada Waterfalls?

Pandavkada Waterfalls can be easily accessed by roads and train. Here's how:

By train: Kharghar is in Navi Mumbai and can be accessed to Harbour route. Catch up a train from Mumbai CST from the Harbour route and with one and half hour you are at Kharghar. As soon as you get down at Kharghar Station, take richshaws which will take you to the waterfalls. You can also get down at Nerul Station and take up a bus or taxi.

By road: If you plan to travel down to Pandavkada Waterfalls by car, then take the Sion-Panvel Highway to reach Kharghar. Other than the train route, many prefer the bus route to Kharghar. There are many buses by KDMT, NMMT and BEST that connect Kharghar to Kalyan, Thane and Mumbai respectively. Few buses include:

NMMT bus no. 26 and 29 from Thane, 44 (Dombivli), 52(Taloja), 53(CBD), 54(Ghansoli).


Best Bus no. 504 (Vadala), 503(Sion), AS-503(Wadala)

Read more about Pandavkada Waterfalls

Pandavkada Waterfalls

Pandavkada Waterfalls

State: Maharashtra

Location: At Kharghar, Navi Mumbai

Famous for: majestic waterfall

Serves as: One day picnic spot

About Pandavkada Waterfalls:
Pandavkada Waterfalls is an ideal picnic spot for people residing in Mumbai and nearby places. Located in Navi Mumbai, Pandavkada Waterfalls is a majestic waterfall that rest within lush greenery of Pandavkada Hills of Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. Ideal picnic spot during monsoons, this waterfalls are conveniently located. One can find the Pandavkada Waterfall completely crowded as people from nearby places come and visit this place to enjoy the majestic waterfalls. Since this place is not very known to people other than the locals of Navi Mumbai, it yet left unexplored and clean.

Best time to visit Pandavkada Waterfalls:
The ideal time for visiting any waterfall is during monsoons, and the same applies to this waterfall too. Visit this place in monsoons or post monsoon when the waterfall offers a great splash and is worth enjoying.

Please note: Avoid visiting this place during heavy rains, as they cause mud-slides.

What to do at Pandavkada Waterfalls:

Enjoy the splash.

Visit the Buddhist caves located on the Pandavkada Hill

Try some trekking on the Pandavkada Hill

opt for 200 ft rappelling options

Cycling also seems have become one of the activities here among cyclists who visit Pandavkada Waterfalls.

Read How to reach Pandavkada Waterfalls?

Also Read: Rock Garden in Nerul, Navi Mumbai