Darjeeling Archives - Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips Indian American Community Magazine Tue, 28 Mar 2023 19:01:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.5 69th Cannes Film Festival Selects Saurav Rai’s ‘Gudh’ Short Film as India’s Official Entry https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/saurav-rais-gudh-is-indias-official-entry-for-69th-cannes-film-festival-2016/ https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/saurav-rais-gudh-is-indias-official-entry-for-69th-cannes-film-festival-2016/#respond Tue, 19 Apr 2016 14:09:09 +0000 https://blogbox.indianeagle.com/?p=13119 The festival de Cannes 2016 has started rolling out the red carpet for its inauguration on May 11. A short film from the regional cinema of India, not multibillion Hindi film industry, is the sole official Indian entry on the list of 18 films in the ‘Cinéfondation’ category of the international French Riviera. Gudh (meaning […]

The post 69th Cannes Film Festival Selects Saurav Rai’s ‘Gudh’ Short Film as India’s Official Entry appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

]]>

The festival de Cannes 2016 has started rolling out the red carpet for its inauguration on May 11. A short film from the regional cinema of India, not multibillion Hindi film industry, is the sole official Indian entry on the list of 18 films in the ‘Cinéfondation’ category of the international French Riviera.

Gudh (meaning Nest) by Saurav Rai, a young filmmaker from Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal, is the only Indian film to represent India at the 69th Cannes Film Festival this year. Gudh is a short autobiographical film.

69th Cannes Film Festival, Cannes 2016, Indian's entry for Cannes 2016, Saurav Rai's Gudh film, Bengali films, Indian Cinema

Gudh is a memoir of my childhood in a very raw and bold form. It also depicts my relationship with my parents and grandparents. My individual style of filmmaking is not pleasing to anyone. – Saurav Rai, an alumnus of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata.

Saurav Rai is the fourth SRFTI alumnus to travel to the international Cannes Film Festival. He is currently busy shooting for a travelogue in New Delhi. The last three Bengali films by SRFTI alumni – Tridib Poddar, Anirban Dutta and Raka Dutta – to have represented Indian Cinema at the Cannes were Khonj, Tetris and Chinese Whispers in 2002, 2006 and 2007 respectively.

There are many contemporary Bengali films on unconventional subjects, which are traveling to international film festivals like New York Indian Film Festival for premiere. The Cannes 2016 has selected only one film from Bengal, while NYIFF 2016 will screen seven Bengali films in May. – IndianEagle

Born in Mangwa, a small village in Darjeeling district of Bengal, the 29-year-old Saurav Rai has depicted his childhood as a tale of two places – Darjeeling in India and Kathmandu in Nepal – with hints of the Gorkhaland movement for independent statehood of Darjeeling in the background. Gudh in Nepali language depicts how the political upheaval in demand for a separate state affected his childhood.

The selection of Gudh as India’s official entry to the 69th Cannes Film Festival is not his first international achievement. Saurabh Rai’s previous short film Monsoon Rains had traveled to the Munich Film Festival in 2014. He aspires to bring alive the untold stories of rural India on celluloid for a global audience.

Saurav Rai admits being influenced by the Satyajit Ray films and Mrinal Sen films from the golden era of Bengali Cinema and Indian Cinema at large. He likes watching popular art films by late Rituparno Ghosh from the next generation of Bengali filmmakers. Whenever he is accused of defying the grammar of filmmaking in his narrative technique of Gudh, he refers to his grandfather who used to compare him with Einstein as a stupid child.

Saurav along with his sound designer Ankita Purkayastha will leave for the 69th Cannes Film Festival on May 10. The jury of the Festival De Cannes 2016 selected Gudh short film out of the 2300 films from film schools across the world.

Travel Beats is a fast-growing news portal for Indians and NRIs by IndianEagle, a leading international travel organization. It publishes the latest news about travel, aviation, culture, humanity and entertainment from India and USA.

The post 69th Cannes Film Festival Selects Saurav Rai’s ‘Gudh’ Short Film as India’s Official Entry appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

]]>
https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/saurav-rais-gudh-is-indias-official-entry-for-69th-cannes-film-festival-2016/feed/ 0
Northeast India Road Trip: Many Dream but Few Dare https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/northeast-india-road-trip/ https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/northeast-india-road-trip/#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2015 18:25:04 +0000 http://blogbox.indianeagle.com/?p=9406 Northeast India is full of offbeat attractions and incredible wonders, most of which are unseen, unknown, and unexplored till date. This mystic part of India spans from Darjeeling in North Bengal to the Indo-Tibet, Indo-China, and Indo-Burma borders through geographically diverse forested landscapes penetrated by rivers and streams in hilly terrains and green valleys. Many […]

The post Northeast India Road Trip: Many Dream but Few Dare appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

]]>

Northeast India is full of offbeat attractions and incredible wonders, most of which are unseen, unknown, and unexplored till date. This mystic part of India spans from Darjeeling in North Bengal to the Indo-Tibet, Indo-China, and Indo-Burma borders through geographically diverse forested landscapes penetrated by rivers and streams in hilly terrains and green valleys. Many are flattered by illusions of making trips to Northeast India, but a few dare to drive or travel all the precarious way. One such road trip to Northeast India by Jatin Kapoor and Karan Jung at Alternate Atlas makes a fulfilling story for aspiring road trippers and adventure enthusiasts at Travel Beats.

road trips in India, Northeast India road trip, Darjeeling tea, travel stories, IndianEagle travel

We started our road trip to Northeast India from Siliguri in West Bengal with cups of Darjeeling and Lopchu tea adding to our gusto for the adventure ahead. Our first stopover was Darjeeling where we spent a night in a planter’s bungalow. Tea plantation is the backbone of economy in North Bengal and most of Northeast India as it seemed from a huge number of men and women working in sprawling tea gardens there. Corporates like Tata own some of the tea estates in Darjeeling and Assam. We caught an eyeful of the lush green landscape dotted with tea plantations across highs and lows of the valleys where pluckers (most of whom are women) work meditatively like the Solitary Reaper in a poem of the same name by William Wordsworth.

living root bridges in meghalaya, northeast India, offbeat India, IndianEagle travelbeats

We drove the car from Darjeeling to Shillong, one of the best road trips in India. The beauty of nature in different concrete forms on both sides of the winding road overpowered our senses. Known as the Scotland of the East, Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya. It is a springboard of entertainment and a hotbed of activities through the atmosphere feels laidback there. [pullquote]Located in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, Mawlynnong Village is also known as ‘God’s own garden’. For its unmatched cleanliness, the village is featured among the Inspirational Stories of Rural India.[/pullquote] We explored caves, visited Mawlynnong (the cleanest village in Asia), and trekked a little. Cherrapunji where the highest rainfall occurs in the world welcomed us too. What is the most surprising about the villages of Meghalaya is the way the living roots of trees form natural bridges. Such bridges last for centuries. We took a walk across one such bridge and had a nice time over great food at the night bazaar in Shillong.

Meghalaya’s living root bridges are among the most offbeat attractions in India. Huge thick roots naturally get intermingled to form bridges which are so strong that around fifty people can walk on them at a time. Such natural wonders are common sights to behold across the banks of streams in Meghalaya. The Living Root Bridge in Cherrapunji is a UNESCO heritage site.Indian Eagle

Northeast India trips, offbeat Nagaland traditions, offbeat India, India travel stories

Then, we drove from Meghalaya to Nagaland, the land of head hunters. It is a customary practice for the people of the Naga tribe to severe the heads of their enemies and put them as trophies on display in their homes. Even such trophies are preserved and exhibited in Nagaland’s State Museum. Hornbill Festival of Nagaland is a major festival when all the 16 tribes of the state get together to celebrate their unity. Hornbill Festival was the main reason that this road trip to Northeast India was planned.

We were overwhelmed with warm welcome in Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. A group of natives took care of our needs, served us with platefuls of mouth-watering dishes from their local cuisine, and treated us to the best of hospitality. The locals are decent, humble and warm. The influence of mother figures in the society of Northeast India did not elude our attention. Little did we know that the Second World War actually concluded on the soil of Kohima. The corpses of hundreds of American, English and Indian soldiers lay buried at DC’s Tennis Court.

Kaziranga National Park, Northeast India trips, IndianEagle flights, wildlife travel

The next destination was Assam where we stopped by the Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World heritage site. Watching one-horned rhinoceroses and wild elephants was as exciting as walking on the Living Root Bridge. Inside the park, we took a boat ride on the Brahmaputra River and caught glimpses of the Gangetic dolphins. On the way back from the park, we came across a few local boys playing soccer. We went into a game with them and lost miserably only to realize that Northeast India has the best soccer talent in the country.

Our untamable lust for road tripping took us to Pangsau Pass at a height of 3727 feet on the India-Burma border. It is close to the famous Still Will Road built during the Second World War. This could connect with the much talked about road from India to Thailand. Carpet making is a means of sustenance for the natives of this seemingly uninhabited place. They weave beautiful carpets out of the raw materials imported from New Zealand through their awesome craftsmanship.

Named after a Burmese village, Pangsau Pass was the route that led to the invasion of Assam by the Ahoms, a Shan tribe, in the 13th century. It was nicknamed “Hell Pass” during the Second World War as its fierce gradients formed a mammoth obstacle for the American soldiers on their way to China. The Pangsau Pass Winter Festival is a famous event in Nampong, Arunachal Pradesh. – Indian Eagle     

Arunachal Pradesh bridges, Northeast India places, Pangsau Pass Winter Festival

Debang Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh was the next episode of adventure during our road trip to Northeast India. Also known as the Nampada National Park, the sanctuary is home to tigers, leopards, snow leopards and clouded leopards. The only way to explore the park is on foot. Trekking is full of blood-chilling thrills in the park. Generally, tour guides carry weapons for protection from animals. An expanse of dense forests with marshy land on the river bed creates a supernatural environment. Dr. Salim Ali, a most reputed ornithologist, described Debang Wildlife Sanctuary as the most beautiful national park sans the human intervention.

There are many things to see and do in Darjeeling, Shillong, Kohima and Khonsa. The unseen and unexplored part of this road trip will surely get us back on another drive.

Indian Eagle, a leading international travel agency booking the best USA to India flights at the lowest airfare, brings this exclusive road tripping story with inputs from Jatin Kapoor and Karan Jung.

About the Contributors 

Jatin Kapoor and Karana Jung are young road trippers & dynamic travel professionals at Alternate Atlas. They are on a mission to help travelers explore the natural and cultural uniqueness of India. At Alternate Atlas, they organize village walks, road trips, birding trips, jungle safaris, home stays, and trips to offbeat destinations across India.

Are you a traveler or travel photographer? We would like to share your travel story and experience with our readers. Pitch to us at share@indianeagle.com and get published.  

The post Northeast India Road Trip: Many Dream but Few Dare appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

]]>
https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/northeast-india-road-trip/feed/ 3
Different Ways of Green Travel in India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/different-ways-of-green-travel-in-india/ https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/different-ways-of-green-travel-in-india/#respond Thu, 05 Jun 2014 16:31:17 +0000 http://blogbox.indianeagle.com//?p=3982 Today is World Environment Day, the day to take initiatives, drive campaigns and make promises to keep the world green for healthy living of the next generation. Green travel is one such a great step taken by most of today’s environment-conscious travelers and trippers. India is the ultimate destination for green travel in Asia. There […]

The post Different Ways of Green Travel in India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

]]>

Today is World Environment Day, the day to take initiatives, drive campaigns and make promises to keep the world green for healthy living of the next generation. Green travel is one such a great step taken by most of today’s environment-conscious travelers and trippers. India is the ultimate destination for green travel in Asia. There are many green tourism hubs along the length and breadth of the country. Indian Eagle takes you through different ways of green travel in India.

green cities of India, green travel tips, Indian Eagle travel blog, world environment day article The skyline of metro cities in India is getting chock-a-block with skyscrapers and flyovers. Environment activists have already started referring to tier I capital cities as concrete jungles. But, a few tier I and tier II Indian cities are blessed with greenery. There are Gandhinagar, Chandigarh, Nagpur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Bhopal, Pune, Jamshedpur and Thiruvananthapuram. Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India, is popularly known as the Garden City for its green landscape dotted with gardens, parks and lakes. The cityscape of Gandhinagar on the banks of the Sabarmati River is dotted with 33 lakh trees.

Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala with backwaters and beaches, is one of the greenest cities in the world. The lush green landscape of Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, is dominated by 33 beautiful lakes. The city of lakes is located at the upper edge of the Vindhya mountain range. Built at the foot of the Shivalik mountain range, Chandigarh is known for its Rock Garden and Rose Garden. This union territory of India is not just best planned but the greenest city in the country. Jamshedpur, the Steel City of India in Jharkhand, is meticulously beautified with scenic greenery sprawling over lakes, parks and sanctuaries.

green travel destinations india, green cities of india, indian hill stations

Green travel in India is synonymous with hill stations from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. South Indian hill stations are as green as North Indian hill stations are covered in snow. If you look down while flying over Kerala, it looks like a pool of green waves on the map of South India. It won’t be an exaggeration to call Kerala a state of hill stations considering the great number of hill stations there. Unlike the Himalayan towns and tourist destinations, the hill stations of Kerala and Tamil Nadu like Munnar, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Wayanad, and Idduki brim with green beauty throughout the year.

darjeeling tea estates, darjeeling toy train, hill stations of India, green travel india

Darjeeling is the greenest of all hill stations in other states of India. The green belt of Darjeeling mainly consists of tea estates at the foothill of mountains. It becomes greener during monsoon. Mount Abu is the green paradise of Rajasthan in West India. It is an oasis of greenery in the sands of Rajasthan. There is a wildlife sanctuary too. Pachmarhi, the only hill station in Central India, is a laurel of green in the range of Satpura Mountains. Buzzing waterfalls and flower-carpeted meadows make Pachmarhi a must-visit destination for green travel.

best green travel tips, kerala hill stations, green flights to India, green road trips

The hill stations of Maharashtra are the natural hubs of greenery in monsoon and winter. Most of these green holiday tourist destinations are located between Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra. Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Matheran, Khandala, Amboli, Lonavala and Dapoli are the most popular hills stations, far from the madding crowd. These less-frequented destinations boast of green sightseeing spots, breathtaking sunset points, beautiful lakes and mountains with rolling waves of green. Waterfalls in the Sahyadri Mountain range encircling some of the hill stations look like white streaks on a deep green canvas, from a distance.

best green ecotourism hubs in India, popular road trips in India, how to travel green

If you are a diehard biker, take road trips to travel green in India. There are green routes, long and short, for scenic road trips in the Himalayan and coastal regions of India. A road trip from Mumbai to Goa along the west coast of the country is a journey into the green land. The same is true about the Bangalore to Goa route for road trippers. Road trips from Mumbai to Lonavala, Chennai to Kanyakumari, from Shillong to Cherrapunji, and from Dehradun to Nainital are like dives into a green sea.

green travel by trains, mountain railways of india, Indian Eagle travel blog

If you are looking to travel green by trains, India is one of the best destinations in the world. The mountain railways of India promise a life-enriching green travel experience. A green journey on wheels running through forested areas, coastal regions, mountain terrains and steep plateaus is full of natural bliss. The Kalka Shimla Railway in Himachal Pradesh, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in West Bengal, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Tamil Nadu, and the Konkan Railway in the Western Ghats are the greenest routes offering the greenest glimpses of nature to green travelers.

Indian Eagle wishes you happy World Environment Day! We would like to conclude with a quote by Barack Obama, the US President: “Only when I saw the Earth from space, in all its ineffable beauty and fragility, did I realize that humankind’s most urgent task is to cherish and preserve it for future generations.”

The post Different Ways of Green Travel in India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

]]>
https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/different-ways-of-green-travel-in-india/feed/ 0
Best summer holiday destinations in India https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/best-summer-holiday-tourist-destinations-in-india/ https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/best-summer-holiday-tourist-destinations-in-india/#comments Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:53:22 +0000 http://blogbox.indianeagle.com//?p=3124 You may have heard several stories of Indian summer. That summer is hot and scorching in most of the Indian states is an undeniable fact. At the same time, it is true that India has many summer holiday destinations in the lap of nature. Since the British Raj, these destinations have been the summer capitals […]

The post Best summer holiday destinations in India appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

]]>

You may have heard several stories of Indian summer. That summer is hot and scorching in most of the Indian states is an undeniable fact. At the same time, it is true that India has many summer holiday destinations in the lap of nature. Since the British Raj, these destinations have been the summer capitals where heat does not dare to touch anyone. Most of these places are hill stations where nature does not obey to the whims of summer. Indian Eagle points out on the map of north, northeast and west India the top 10 summer holiday tourist destinations for fun, romance, peace, adventure, photography….

Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir

best summer destinations in India, where to spend summers in India, summer capitals of british raj, tourist destinations in Kashmir

It won’t be unjust to call Srinagar the goddess of natural beauty in India. The capital of Jammu & Kashmir, it is a mirror to the wonderful artifices of nature. The summer ambience of Srinagar is cozy and charming. Adding to the lure of the landscape and the serenity of the surrounding is the Dal Lake where the floating vegetable and flower market is a photographers’ delight, in the morning. Sonmarg at a height of 2740 meters is an ideal visit for trekking and skiing which offer dollops of adventure. The snowy beauty of Sonmarg is really admirable.

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

tourist attractions of Shimla, hill stations in Himachal Pradesh, top 10 summer holiday destinations in India

The summer capital of the British Raj in the colonized India, Shimla is one of the best summer destinations in Himachal Pradesh. The face of Shimla dramatically changed when Charles Kennedy, a Scottish Civil servant, set up his summer abode here in 1822, and when the town became the official capital of the British for the summer season in 1864. After the capital of British India was shifted from Kolkata (then Calcutta) to Delhi, the officers of the East India Company and the British ladies took refuge in the cool & cozy atmosphere of Shimla in summers. October to June is the best tourist season of Shimla.

Darjeeling, West Bengal

Tourist destinations in Bengal, west bengal tourism, Darjeeling tours, best summer destinations in west India

The geography of Darjeeling is waved by green valleys of tea plantation and rocked by scenic mountains. Established by the British as a summer destination for their army, this hill station is the life and soul of West Bengal tourism. Darjeeling ticks all the boxes – wildlife, adventure, fun and romance. The panorama of this tourist destination spans across Kanchenjunga, Tiger Hill, Happy Valley Tea Gardens, Toy Train, Senchal Lake, and Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park. Photography is an irresistible pleasure during sunset and sunrise. To be precise, Darjeeling is nature’s darling!

Shillong, Meghalaya

Tourist attractions of Shillong, top 10 hill stations in northeast India, british summer capitals in India

Surrounded by rolling hills, landscaped by tall pine trees and beautified by picturesque waterfalls, Shillong is like a piece of cloud floating in the sky. Now the capital of Meghalaya, it used to be a major British settlement. The food habits of the locals are influenced by the British. One of the summer capitals of the British India, this northeastern hill station is full of tourist attractions such as Shillong Peak, Lady Hydari Park, Wards Lake, Don Bosco Museum, and Mawsynram. Shillong takes pride in its hills and waterfalls which keep summer away.

Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

where to spend summers in India, summer tourist destinations in North India, best hill stations in India

Called “gateway to the heaven”, Rishikesh is a major destination in North India. Not only the beauty but also the spirituality of nature makes itself felt all over here. Home to hermits, sages and monks in the Himalayan region, Rishikesh is famous for the Gangotri. Besides being a spot of pilgrimage, a seat of meditation and a hub of yoga in India, it is a swing of adventure as well. It is equally popular with pilgrims and adventure buffs. It is a very short drive from Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand. Many foreign tourists visit Rishikesh to attend the International Yoga Festival in the first week of March every year.

Cherrapunji, Meghalaya

where to spend summers in India, best summer tourist destinations in India

One of the best summer destinations in India, Cherrapunji is the right place for those who spring into adventure even in summer. In India, it is one of the few tourist destinations where there is no off season. It teems with tourists and buzzes with activities throughout the year. The beautiful natural setting of Cherrapunji promises a rejuvenating vacation to the tourists in search of relief from the heat of summer. Among the tourist attractions of Cherrapunji, Mawsmai Falls is an irresistible temptation in itself.

Nubra Valley, Ladakh

Ladakh tours, where to spend summers in India, best hill stations in North India

The abstract beauty of nature is sensuously manifested in each nook and each corner of Nubra Valley in Ladakh. Nicknamed Ldumra that means “valley of flowers”, Nubra Valley defines how pleasant, how beautiful, and how relaxing the world of nature is. The passage to Nubra Valley goes through Khardung La Pass, the highest motorable pass in the world. Popularly known as the Orchard of Ladakh, Nubra Valley boasts two natural rich places – Hunder and Panamik. Waved by sand dunes, Hunder is called “desert in the sky”. Monasteries add to the picturesqueness of the valley.

Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh

Best tourist destinations in North India, top 10 summer destinations in India, things to see in Arunachal Pradesh

If you are looking to spend summer months in the solitude of peace and silence, Tawang is a must visit in Arunachal Pradesh. Tawang is a sparsely populated town inhabited by the Monpa people who belong to the Monyul or Lhomon Kingdom. Home to beautiful monasteries, this region is like a hidden jewel. The tourist attractions of Tawang include Gorichen Peak, Craft Center, Sela Pass, Gorsam Chorten, Tsachu Hot Spring, Nuranang Falls, Banga Jang Lake, etc. This small town in Arunachal Pradesh has all the makings of a summer capital.

Nainital, Uttarakhand

Things to see in Nainital, best places in Uttarakhand, top 10 summer destinations in North India

If Rishikesh is popular with the spirituality seekers, Nainital is a favorite of romantics. Among the best hill stations in Uttarakhand, Nainital is gifted with the romantic beauty of nature. Lavished with serenity and greenery all over, this hilly region inspires tourists to fall in love with the lakes and hills. A must visit in summers, Nainital is sure to make you feel young during a sightseeing tour. Boating and angling in the Lake Naini are among the joyous things to do. The authentic Tibetan cuisine is a must try here.

Gulmarg, Kashmir

Best places to visit in Kashmir, summer destinations in India, top 10 Indian hill stations

Glorifying Kashmir as a summer holiday destination in India is Gulmarg in the Baramula District. Gulmarg is the place to be for those who drink to pleasure out of peace and those who find adrenalin rush in adventure. Do feel the soulfulness of the place during a Gondola ride, do catch an eyeful of the panorama from the cable car, and do experience the kicks of adventure while skiing on the snow. So, why not add Gulmarg to your list of Indian destinations to visit in summers?

IndianEagle.com is booking the cheapest flights to the summer capitals of India. Hope, you are no more in two minds about flying to India in summer months!

The post Best summer holiday destinations in India appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

]]>
https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/best-summer-holiday-tourist-destinations-in-india/feed/ 1
Mountain Rail Journeys in India are Best Stories of Travel in the World of Nature https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/a-tale-of-most-popular-wonderful-mountain-rail-journeys-in-india/ https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/a-tale-of-most-popular-wonderful-mountain-rail-journeys-in-india/#comments Thu, 16 Jan 2014 14:21:39 +0000 http://blogbox.indianeagle.com//?p=2778 The mountain rail journeys in India are so diverse and panoramic that they never cease to enchant authors, filmmakers, photographers, explorers and travelers. With 17,000 trains of different sizes carrying more than 18 million passengers across the 64,000 km long track, the Indian Railways has many tales to tell. After a flight to India, do […]

The post Mountain Rail Journeys in India are Best Stories of Travel in the World of Nature appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

]]>

The mountain rail journeys in India are so diverse and panoramic that they never cease to enchant authors, filmmakers, photographers, explorers and travelers. With 17,000 trains of different sizes carrying more than 18 million passengers across the 64,000 km long track, the Indian Railways has many tales to tell. After a flight to India, do travel by trains which run through the remote interiors, forested areas, coastal regions, steep plateaus and precarious mountain terrains of the country. Train travel along the zigzag railway routes through the mountains of India is an exploration drive high on euphoria just like an escape to John Keats’ melodious world of nightingales. Indian Eagle shares tidbits of the best trains for mountain rail journeys in India.

The Kalka Shimla Railway

kalka shimla railway details, most beautiful mountain journeys in India, Indian railway tracks

One of the most picturesque and highest railway tracks in the Himalayan region of India, the Kalka Shimla Railway is a wonder of technology. Built in 1903, the 96-km long rail route is a steep climb across the hills. The train Himalayan Queen crosses 900 curves, 102 tunnels and 87 bridges on the route. Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, the Kalka Shimla Railway used to transport the English ladies to Shimla, the then summer capital of British India. The wonderful artifices of nature on both sides of the track make this train travel a euphoric experience. The train runs from the Shivalik foothills at Kalka, a town in Panchkula district of Haryana to Shimla at an altitude of 2,076 meters in Himachal Pradesh.

READ MORE  Travel Story of Spiti Valley

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Darjeeling Hiamalayan railways, Toy tains in Darjeeling, most scenic railways of India

Darjeeling is a paradise on earth, and the Toy Train is the gateway to this paradise in the Himalayas. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, popularly known as the Toy Train for its miniature size, is the first passenger route in the mountainous terrains of India. A World Heritage Site, the Toy Train was built in 1881 to boost the development of Darjeeling as a tourist destination in the Himalayas. The 88.48 km gauge track from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling passes through several green valleys and 11 hill stations. Ghoom, the second highest railway station in the world, is a halt on the way. The journey begins with an eyeful of green valleys and ends with a panorama of the Kanchenjunga. The 11 km long part of the track from Sukna to Rongtong consists of dense forests. The way up to Kurseong is a sprawling hilly area with tea gardens. The 30 km of the route up to Darjeeling is the alpine landscape dotted with Himalayan pine trees.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway

most beautiful mountain railways of India, Indian railways, scenic railway tracks in India

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Tamil Nadu is the most scenic route penetrating the mysteries of nature. The beauty of this South Indian railway is aesthetically captured in the “Chaiya Chaiya” song in Mani Ratnam’s Bollywood blockbuster Dil Se starring Shahrukh Khan. Built in 1908, the 46-km long single track railway across an elevation from 326 m to 2,203 m is a marvelous work of engineering. One of the best trains for mountain rail journeys in India, the Nilgiri Passenger passes through 16 tunnels, 250 bridges and 208 curves during its uphill journey from Mettupalayiyam to Udagamandalam or Ooty at the peak of the Nilgiri Mountain. The route consists of tropical forests with eucalyptus and acacia trees.

READ MORE  Travel Story of Nilgiri Mountain Railway

We offer the lowest airfare to India just as these mountain railways provide pleasant travel experience. Online booking of the cheapest flight is just a few clicks away from IndianEagle.com.

The post Mountain Rail Journeys in India are Best Stories of Travel in the World of Nature appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

]]>
https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/a-tale-of-most-popular-wonderful-mountain-rail-journeys-in-india/feed/ 4
Best Places to Visit for Best Coffee in India during Winter https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/best-winter-coffee-travel-ideas/ https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/best-winter-coffee-travel-ideas/#respond Fri, 08 Nov 2013 16:38:54 +0000 http://blogbox.indianeagle.com//?p=2410 Once Diwali celebration is over, winter arrives in India. The season of winter comes with a coffee break, the most-awaited time of the year for Indians. Though, the present generation is fond of round-the-year coffee intake. India is full of tourist destinations where sipping of coffee is like drinking to the bliss and beauty of […]

The post Best Places to Visit for Best Coffee in India during Winter appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

]]>

Once Diwali celebration is over, winter arrives in India. The season of winter comes with a coffee break, the most-awaited time of the year for Indians. Though, the present generation is fond of round-the-year coffee intake. India is full of tourist destinations where sipping of coffee is like drinking to the bliss and beauty of nature on wintry days. Indian Eagle shares some coffee travel ideas to let you get the best of your visit to India in winter.

best coffee in India, best coffee destinations of India, winter coffee travel ideas

Tea may still be the ruling flavor of dating in the countryside, but coffee is the choice of urban lovers on dating in India. If you are a romantic, sip into coffee and drink to romance with your spouse during a visit to India in the season of winter. Twilight is the most romantic time of the day. With the sunset in the backdrop, live the fleeting moments of twilight over a mug of coffee with your partner at such tourist destinations as Goa, Ooty and Coorg where nature makes itself felt overwhelmingly. Each sip of coffee is full of romance on the beaches of Goa, and the rolling fields of Ooty. It will be your best coffee dating in lifetime. Mount Abu is another romantic destination for coffee travel amidst hills in India.

A morning without a cup of coffee feels dull to many a traveler. If you are in the habit of welcoming the morning sun with sips of coffee, visit Darjeeling in West Bengal, or the hill stations of Maharashtra. The morning sun penetrating the veils of mist will greet you and add to the warmth of your hot coffee on wintry days at these hill stations. Just feel the moment when the snow-capped Kanchenjunga peak glitters like a huge piece of gold in the rays of the morning sun, and you warm up yourself with sips of coffee while catching an eyeful of the beauty through the window of the room. Matheran, Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Lonavala, Khandala, Dapoli and Amboli – the hill stations around Mumbai – offer the same ambience on the days of winter.

The warmth of coffee during snowfall is like a thrilling sensation that runs like a shudder throughout the body. If you are looking to spend your winter holiday at such tourist destinations where snowfall is a common natural phenomenon at this time of the year, visit Shimla, Kulu and Manali in Himachal Pradesh. The snowy beauty of these hill stations in the Himalayan regions of India will make your coffee more stimulating in winter. Lie back on an easy chair, hold a mug of warm coffee, take gentle sips, and look through the window glass how nature plays with ice balls when snow falls. These Himalayan hill stations are among the best coffee travel destinations in India.

Coffee can also be best enjoyed as a taste of adventure on the backwaters of Kerala, the Dal Lake of Kashmir, or the sands of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner are close to Thar Desert in Rajasthan where winter feels like an icy sting. Coffee is better than the best means to evade the biting winter wind at these destinations of Rajasthan. The joy of drinking coffee in the comfort of a houseboat on the Dal Lake of Kashmir or the backwaters of Kerala is an inexplicable feeling that you will surely preserve as a souvenir of your visit to India for lifetime. Travel to these destinations in winter and have the best coffee of your life.

When did you have the last coffee in India? Grab the opportunity of flying to India at the lowest airfare from IndianEagle.com.

The post Best Places to Visit for Best Coffee in India during Winter appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

]]>
https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/best-winter-coffee-travel-ideas/feed/ 0