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It is that time of the year when Udaipur, the City of Lakes, blossoms with her stunning scenery. With greenery all around, lakes extravasate waters of the newly born rain and travelers ready to enjoy them.

If extravagant palace, lavish resorts, historical museums, man-made lakes, or heritage city life allures you, then Udaipur is open for you anytime of the year. But if you like to explore the raw natural beauty of Udaipur and are a traveler who like offbeat destinations that are peaceful, beautiful and less explored, then you must plan to travel in the monsoon season.

Most of the rural areas worth visiting are within a range of 20-30 km from downtown Udaipur. If you love road trips, then you should jump on your bikes and have an amazing ride to enjoy the lush green hills and scenic beauty. We decided to take one such road trip to Alsigarh which is around 25 km from the city.

Alsigarh is located in the southern west part of Udaipur district. It is surrounded by mountains, natural lakes, dam and small green hills, enough to mesmerize you with its peaceful aura.

In my view, to know a destination from a perspective which no travel blogs or magazines provide, you should:

1) Take a road trip to nearby rural areas.

2) Travel with a mindset like that of a local.

3) Monsoon is the best season for most of the places.

The black clouds roaring and mild drizzling gives you a pleasant experience. We were lucky to experience such drizzling on our trip. As soon as we left the city, drizzling started and everything turned green. Not literally but the greenery from the flora blossomed and as if they were expressing happiness and paying their respect to the clouds.

The ride was not so smooth, as there are areas where you will find no roads. But then where is the fun in riding on smooth roads. After about an hour, we reached Alsigarh. We asked the locals and they said to travel further inside about 3-4 km. And this time we had to drag our bikes on the mountains. We rode the bike on the mountains, but to our disappointment, we landed at the wrong hill. Now we asked the locals and found out that the dam was accessible from another mountain which was about 2 km from there. So we again rode to the right mountain. But our disappointment had long gone, when we saw the stunning lake and the dam from up the hill. It was so peaceful, that if you kept complete silence, you could only hear the cool breeze blowing past you giving chills.

We trekked the mountain from top to bottom, to enjoy a bath in the lake which was created because of the over flow of the dam. We had already brought out snacks, so we had our breakfast at the lake. The trek down the mountain was not so difficult, but it was steep so a bit risky. We enjoyed a good swim in the lake for about 2 hours, then trekked back to our bikes, which were parked on the hill. The climb was tiresome, but the best feeling is when you relax after the climb and enjoy the scenic beauty.

After resting we rode back to city, had our lunch and that day we had the best afternoon nap.

Tips :

1) If you find the route confusing, don't hesitate to ask the locals. They are all happy to help.

2) Take your stock of snacks, drinking water, first aid as there are hardly any stores nearby.

3) If you don't know swimming, bath near the shore.

4) Always carry plastic bags with you during rains.

5) Have a cheerful mind when you travel anywhere, this doubles your happiness.

So, next time if you plan to explore something new nearby Udaipur. Just keep your options open for Alsigarh and keep this photograph in mind. Now I have shifted to Ahmedabad and working on my Digital Marketing Company based in Ahmedabad.

An old man singing Rajasthani Folk Songs

Rajasthan is a treat for the senses, an alluring kaleidoscope of rich culture, history and colorful people. With its beautiful artisans and their works, Rajasthan is also an amazing destination for the one who loves handicrafts. From the traditional Bandhani to the age-old mind-boggling stone carvings of the Jain temples. Since time immemorial, reams have been written about the desert land, its flamboyant royalty and mighty wars – but it is not until you actually experience Rajasthan for yourself that you understand it all. So we decided to utilize our precious weekend and travel and there we were in the Golden City of India, Jaisalmer.

View of the city from a window at the Fort of Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer is one of the most visited tourist destinations in India. With its vast desert and age-old history, it mesmerizes every traveler. A city in between the ocean of the desert has a picturesque view.

A city with lots of architecture which will take you to the 16th century. A sane mind of the 21st century would go insane after experiencing such rich artwork in buildings of ancient Jain temples, grand forts, and houses. If you are visiting Jaisalmer, my personal advice would be to visit every temple in the city and Patwa Haveli to have a feel of the intelligent yet artistic architecture of Jaisalmer or Rajasthan for that matter.

Artistic architecture at the Jain Temple inside the Jaisalmer Fort

After visiting these architectural epics, we now headed to the most visited spot in Jaisalmer, Sam Sand dunes. Sunsets and sunrises are like ATM to the photographers and travelers. It is said that if you want to experience the true nature of a destination, you have to encounter the sunset and sunrise of that place. You will lose track of time when you will encounter the surrealistic colors and transition of the colors during sunset.

Sam Sand dunes

A camel driver at the Sam Sand dunes, Jaisalmer

#IncredibleIndia

Next day we visited the Gadisar Lake. The Gadisar Lake in the city of Jaisalmer is one of the prime tourist attractions. Originally conceived as a water conservation tank to fulfill the water requirements of this arid city, by the then Maharaja of Jaisalmer, Maharwal Gadsi Singh, around the year 1400 AD. Being of such paramount importance, it is perhaps natural to find many shrines and temples dotting the precincts of the lake that has with time become spots of pilgrimage.

Shrines at the Gadisar Lake, Jaisalmer

Finally we visited the fort and the museum. Although if you are fond of old artifacts like guns, shields, arrows, the royal bed where the Maharaja used to sleep etc. then you should visit the museum, else you could just enjoy the local ambiance of the fort, with age old houses and talking to the local masses. As we already have seen a lot of museums in the past we were not eager to spend our valuable time there, instead, we explored the city on foot and found some of the best spots to spend some quality time and find peace after a long day.

A view from a window at the Grand Fort of Jaisalmer

#IncredibleIndia

We ended our journey by visiting the windmills as I never saw a windmill in my entire life for real and as there were hundreds of them in Jaisalmar I couldn't resist myself. And I must say that it was a right decision to see those grand modern machines which are beautiful and useful at the same time.

Jaisalmer may be the quintessential desert town, but it there’s more to it than just that. Resplendent with lakes, some perennial, others sporadic, Jaisalmer has its share of parks, museums, shops,eateries and places catering to different interests.

Buddha Statue at city center, Colombo, Sri Lanka

It has become a tradition in India, newly wedded couples are bound to discuss their honeymoon plans with everyone. Discarding the suggestions of others of going to Bali, Maldives, Kerala, Paris, Thailand, etc. I chose to visit the less explored country, Sri Lanka. Everyone said, "Why Sri Lanka?". This post is meant to be an answer to everyone who were surprised.

P.S. Never decide your travel destinations, or any important decisions of life, solely on the suggestions of others. I would rather suggest Listen, Think and then Decide.

So, I chose Sri Lanka for multiple reasons. Firstly, it was not going to be crowded as other destinations, because 'as per tradition' everyone were going to the places mentioned above.Secondly, it is a pocket-friendly country with countless beautiful places. Thirdly, we were able to cover almost every terrain, from beaches to mountain and from a heritage city to a completely modern city Colombo also the capital.

This is what our itinerary looked like :

Day 1 : Kandy

Day 2 & 3 : Nuwara Eliya

Day 4 & 5 : Bentota

Day 6 & 7 : Colombo

Kandy:

Kandy is declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO.Although, I did not find anything worth in the city as a whole. If you are going for a peaceful holiday then you could spend one day here. There is not much to see here, except for Temple of Scared tooth relic (which we skipped on purpose), Kandy Lake, Upper Lake drive and on the way from Colombo you should visit Pinnawala Elephant orphanage. It felt like a normal city, I don't know why it has been declared world heritage site.Still, we managed to spend our day here resting at the river facing hotel.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Sri Lanka


View from Ganga Addara Hotel, Sri Lanka

Kandy Lake as seen from the Upper Lake Drive, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Kandy Upper Lake Drive, Sri Lanka

Nuwara Eliya:

Nuwara Eliya is also called 'Little England' of Sri Lanka. The name suits perfectly. This town has the charms, with cottages and houses that were designed for the British for their Holidays. The houses and the view gives you a glimpse of English towns.The climate here is completely different from most other parts of Sri Lanka. A day or two is enough for this cute little hill town. A visit to Ramboda falls is must if you are here.You should travel to Nuwara Eliya by train as it offers a scenic view as recommended by most of the travelers. But we already had a van booked, so we drove from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya.If you follow the greatest indian epic 'Ramayana', you are at the right place. The famous Ashok Vatika, where Sita, wife of Lord Rama was captured by the evil Ravana, is in Nuwara. This place is now a temple called Seetha Amman Temple.

Ramboda Falls is 109 m high and is one of the highest water fall in #srilanka. It ranks 729, in worlds highest water falls. Ramboda comes on the way to Nuwara Eliya from Kandy. The sight is really soothing from a distant view. But as we move closer to the falls, it becomes fierce and deadly.A must visit place when you are in #Lanka. #waterfall #indianexcursionist #wanderlust #travel #bloggerslife #travelblog #srilankatourism #srilankanairlines #rambodafalls #nuwaraeliya #littleengland #kandy #wanderer #excursion #photography #travelphotography #exploresrilanka #shotononeplus #globetrotter #follow #followforfollow @cntraveler @malindoair @natgeotravel @srilankanairlinesofficial @indiantravelers @srilankantourism @ig_srilanka @cntravelerspain

A post shared by Nitin Bothra (@indian.excursionist) on Dec 19, 2017 at 6:45pm PST

Foggy view from Villa de Roshe in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

View from Villa de Roshe Hotel in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

Bentota:

We left at midnight for Bentota in our cab, as there was nothing left to see in Nuwara Eliya, due to rains.We already had booked a beach side resort Earl's Reef Beruwala. And we still can't stop praising ourselves for booking it. During our visit to Sri Lanka, the country got hit by cyclone Okhi which ruined most of our city tour. Although, we were blessed by the Sun at Bentota. And this was the best place in the whole of our trip. Good food, beautiful beaches, and most of all an amazing weather. A river safari in the river Madu should not be missed if you are here.

Earl's Reef Beruwala, Bentota, Sri Lanka

Sea view and a provate beach at Earl's Reef Beruwala

Bentota Beach, Sri Lanka

Madu River Safari, Bentota, Sri Lanka

Colombo:

We then reached the captial city of Sri Lanka, Colombo.Due to heavy rains and the cyclone we were able to visit Colombo only one day. In which we covered a few city sites and did some shopping at a nearby mall Liberty Plaza. But, the hotel location provided us with the scenic view of Colombo. Unfortunately, we couldn't go to any casino or bar due to rains.Colombo seemed a bit dull during the night compared to other capitals of the world, this surprised me. Either I chose the wrong curb of the city or the city had no nightlife on roads.

Independence Square, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Galle Face Green, Colombo, Sri Lanka

St. Lucia's cathedrial is a peaceful place.

St. Lucia's Cathedral, Colombo, Sri Lanka

In my trip I experience the tranquility and the scenic beauty of nature. The mountains, the beaches and the beautiful towns around rejuvenated me. So, if you are planning for a holiday which is more of relaxing type than Sri Lanka is a place to be.

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Xin chào, I am back from my maiden backpacking trip and that too, to an amazing country, Vietnam. So here is a brief about things that made me love Vietnam.

1. Street Food Haven

From a hygienic fruit filled breakfast to a full platter of sticky rice in lunch, Vietnam can allure anyone with the savory aroma of its delicious cuisines. Being a vegetarian , I was not sure; if I would be able to find something worth eating which included no meat, no egg. But, this dragon-shaped country has a variety of cuisines for vegetarian travelers in store as well.

It is the mecca for the street food lovers. Among the dizzying traffic and noisy markets of the capital, Hanoi, you’ll find street hawkers, food carts, and makeshift cafes at every turn – all dishing out some genuinely fresh specialty, ready to be devoured on the spot. Pho, Bun Cha (which even Obama couldn't resist), Egg coffee, Banh Mi...are some of the amazing cuisines which we tried and were really ambrosial

A post shared by Nitin Bothra (@indian.excursionist) on Sep 25, 2016 at 4:17am PDT

#vietnamesestreetfood

A post shared by B A O C H A U (@hoangchau2406) on Sep 29, 2016 at 11:07am PDT

Picture courtesy : @hoangchau2406

2. Halong Bay

Halong Bay is a UNESCO world heritage site and, without a doubt, is one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam. Thousands of giant limestone islands fill the bay.

Ha Long, meaning Descending Dragon is derived from the Sion-Vietnamese, features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes and sizes. The moment you enter the bay you will feel like traveling to the edge of the world. Watching the thousands of limestone karsts standing mightily gives you an amazing sight. Take a cruise or a junk boat, enjoy swimming, kayaking or just chill out at the Cat Ba Island or many such castaway islands.Halong bay has something in store for everyone.

Detail about Halong Bay I will share in my next post, till then just enjoy the scenic beauty.

#travel #blog #travelblog #indianexcursionist #halongbay #instagram #inspiration #travelphoto #peace #vietnam #traveldiary #unescoworldheritage #travelgram

A photo posted by Nitin Bothra (@indian.excursionist) on Sep 19, 2016 at 12:56am PDT

Halong Bay #Vietnam#Amazingasia #travel #backpacking #indianexcursionist #halongbay #lovefortravel #love #peace

A photo posted by Nitin Bothra (@indian.excursionist) on Sep 25, 2016 at 3:30am PDT

3. Paradise Caves of Phong Nha ke Bang

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site and a national park which is world famous for having more than 300 caves and grottoes. Son Doong cave was recently discovered which has the largest cave passage in the world spanning around 5 km long, 200 meters high and 490 meters wide. Most of the caves are still unexplored. The trek to Son Doong is very costly, it costs around 3000 USD for a 7-day trek inside the cave.

Although there are other caves which are really cheap and have fun-filled adventurous activities like zip lining, swimming, cave exploration, kayaking and the ultimate mud bath. These are done at the Dark Caves. You can also explore the Light Caves also known as the Paradise caves, which has out of the world structures naturally built inside the caves. We did the Light and the Dark caves and I was awestruck by experiencing such phenomenal creation of nature.

#traveloholic #travel #vietnamdiaries #traveldiaries #nitinbothra #phongnha #caves #paradise #journeytothecenteroftheearth #julesverne #instatravel #travelblogger

A photo posted by Nitin Bothra (@indian.excursionist) on Aug 16, 2016 at 6:52am PDT

HANG EN CAVE ADVENTURE TOUR IS STILL OPEN UNTIL SEPT 10!!!! Grab your chance today to have the last spots of this season! Book now at our website www.oxalis.com.vn or email us at [email protected]

A photo posted by Oxalis Adventure Tours (@oxalisvietnam) on Sep 1, 2016 at 7:24pm PDT

Picture Courtesy for the above image : @oxalisvietnam

4. Ancient World Heritage Site Hoi An

Hoi An, Vietnam was an important trading port from the 15th to the 19th century and has had a major harbor since the 1st century. “Ancient” is really a more apt description than “old” for the town, but it still has a feeling of being incredibly cosmopolitan and bustling. The town reflects influences from Vietnam and from all of the different cultures that have been coming together there for trade for the last couple thousand of years.

There is a decidedly unreal feeling you get wandering around the streets of the Ancient city. A feeling I found to be more dream-like than Disneyland, and the people who live there seem to take pride in how beautiful and well-preserved the town is. The yellow houses and shops were really giving an artistic perspective to the town. The streets near the river were full of creative minded backpackers and travelers from around the world. Everyone there looked peaceful and happy, gazing the exquisite scenic beauty of Hoi An.

#vietnam #hoian #backpacking #travel #instagram #indianexcursionist #photogtaphy #unesco #world #heritage #site #love #romantic #location

A photo posted by Nitin Bothra (@indian.excursionist) on Sep 25, 2016 at 3:57am PDT

Hoi An - UNESCO World Heritage Site #hoian #unescoworldheritagesite #travel #indianexcursionist #instatravel #instagram #Vietnam #Japanesebridge #traveldiaries #photogtaphy

A photo posted by Nitin Bothra (@indian.excursionist) on Sep 25, 2016 at 3:51am PDT

5. People of Vietnam

According to me, if you want to judge a place, you have to consider two things, food and people. Some countries have really reserved people and they don't love to interact or even smile in return.

But Vietnam was completely different. People were happy and had a curious mind towards tourist. Vietnamese are hard working and always give a cute smile, if you make an eye contact with them. The young Vietnam is completely influenced by the western culture and loves to party a lot, but on the other hand they never sacrifice their work for entertainment. They are, what you call the type of people who believed in, "Work while you work and Play while you play."

#Vietnam #indianexcursionist #peopleofvietnam #travel #backpacking #asia #people

A photo posted by Nitin Bothra (@indian.excursionist) on Oct 1, 2016 at 2:22pm PDT

Smiling faces of Vietnam #travel #indianexcursionist #vietnam #hue #photography

A photo posted by Nitin Bothra (@indian.excursionist) on Oct 1, 2016 at 6:35am PDT

I would recommend everyone to park their doubts about this small, yet beautiful country and just travel through every part of it. We didn't have enough time to explore Sapa, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Saigon,and I still regret about not extending the trip. But anyways, I will come again Vietnam. After this trip I was so motivated that I started working on creating a Digital Venture and now I am Managing Partner at Accetrix-Digital Marketing Company in Ahmedabad, India

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Walking down the Streets of Hoi An

EXPLORE THE LESS KNOWN UDAIPUR : ALSIGARH

Weekend Getaway to Jaisalmer

How To Spend 7 Days In Sri Lanka

5 Things I Loved About Vietnam

1. Street Food Haven

2. Halong Bay

3. Paradise Caves of Phong Nha ke Bang

4. Ancient World Heritage Site Hoi An

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featured Slider

Walking down the Streets of Hoi An

EXPLORE THE LESS KNOWN UDAIPUR : ALSIGARH

Weekend Getaway to Jaisalmer

How To Spend 7 Days In Sri Lanka

5 Things I Loved About Vietnam

1. Street Food Haven

2. Halong Bay

3. Paradise Caves of Phong Nha ke Bang

4. Ancient World Heritage Site Hoi An

About Me

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