Negombo

kandy

Colombo

Jaipur

Jal Mahal

Amber fort

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were shrouded in mystery for centuries because of their inaccessibility. These are the paragon of beauty and present a landscape full with scenic and picturesque extravaganza. These islands shimmer like emeralds in the Bay of Bengal. The dense forest which cover these islands and the innumerable exotic flowers and birds create a highly poetic and romantic atmosphere. "Here the white beaches on the edge of a meandering coastline have palm trees that sway to the rhythm of the Sea. The beat of tribal drums haunt the stillness and technicolour fish steer their way through crystal clear water." This addition of strangeness to beauty which is responsible for creating the infinite romantic impact may be described in the following famous lines of Keats.


"Charmed magic casement opening on the foam Of perilous seas in fair lands forlorn." The scenic beauty of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, would create a sense of dissatisfaction and the human mind would rebel against "the whole mass of the motley facts of life". He would be guided by an irresistible desire to this paradise on earth, with invincible faith on the philosophy of Wordsworth: "Our cheerful faith, that all which we behold is full of blessing".

The unparalleled beauty of these islands, create in men a love of nature with a caressing tenderness, a wistful fondness for all its delicate nuances. The enveloping atmosphere with its subtle harmonies of light and shade, fragrance and exhales the paradise, visionary splendours, and the music of the birds that defies definition would develop creative and constructive feelings in the hearts of those people who come here to enjoy the beauty of nature. He would like to rebel against the stereotyped moulds and forms into which life is so called 'modernman' is cast. He would be under the impact of the complex mood of infinite longing and tragic helplessness, "the yearning that craves for expression, yet defies expression, the inconclusive struggle between emotional apprehension of life and the articulation that must transcend personal emotion".

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have great maritime importance. During the British period political leaders considered dangerous to the interests of the Raj and other dreaded criminals were deported from mainland to the Cellular Jail- the Indian Bastille, situated on the sea coast of Atlanta Point in the North-Eastern part of Port Blair. Thus these islands were infamously known as the 'Black Water Prison' or 'Kala Pani'.
The Andaman & Nicobar are a group of picturesque Islands, big and small, inhabited and uninhabited, a total of 572 islands, islets and rocks lying in the South Eastern Part of the Bay of Bengal.They lie along an arc in long and narrow broken chain, approximately North-South over a distance nearly 800 kms. . It is logical to presume a former land connection form Cape Negris at South part of Burma to Achin Head (Cape Pedro) in Andalas (Sumatra). The flora and fauna of these islands, however, indicate that this land connection if it existed, should have been prior to the development of their present life form

Cellular Jail

Gandhi Park

Ross Island

Viper Island

Snorkelling at Red Skin Island

Scuba Dive @ Havelock Island

RadhaNagar Beach @ Havelock Island

Ramanagara

Ramanagara is about 50 km south-west of Bangalore is a newly formed district (in 2007) of Karnataka.

Ramanagara was carved out of the existing Bangalore Rural district by moving the taluks of Channapatna, Kanakapura, Ramanagara and Magadi taluks into the new district.

Ramanagar is situated in a valley surrounded by rocky hillocks on Bangalore - Mysore Highway. Ramanagar was earlier known as Closepet. But the present name, of Ramanagara finds its origin from the once existed village Ramagiri foothill of the Ramadevarabetta.

Ramanagara is famous for its silk market, giving it the other name of Silk town.

PLACES OF INTEREST IN AND AROUND RAMANAGAR

Rocks of Ramanagar

Ramanagar is also known as the land of seven hills. Shivaramagiri, Yatirajagiri, Somagiri, Krishnagiri, Revannasiddeshwara Betta, Jalasiddeshwara Betta and Sidilakallu Betta are the seven hills that dot the landscape of Ramanagara.

Ramadevara betta

Another well known hill is Ramadevara betta. Small door like grottoes were made in the rock to resemble caves. It was also in this region that the famous Hindi movie, Sholay, was shot.

Janapada Loka

Janapada Loka is situated in Ramanagara district on the Bangalore - Mysore highway at a distance of 55 km from Bangalore. Janapada Loka is an organization that is committed to preserving and propagating the rural folk culture of Karnataka. An art gallery, open-air theatre and museum are also located here.

Kanva Reservoir

Kanva Reservoir is about 70 km from Bangalore and 13 km from Channapattana between Ramanagara and Channapattana. Kanva Reservoir was built in 1946 across the River Kanva (a tributary of the River Cauvery). The river here is named after the sage Kanva, who was supposed to have been living in this region during the time of Ramayana.

Kanva Reservoir has 5 automatic Siphons, each with a displacement of 14000 cusecs of water. It is also excellent picnic spot, with facilities for fishing and an ideal spot for camping and bird watching.

Magadi

Magadi is located at a distance of 50 km from Bangalore. Magadi is the Birthplace and it was Capital of Kempe Gowda who built Bangalore.

Magadi has a remnants of an old fort, which is said to have been built by Kempe Gowda in which is situated the temple of Rameshwara, his family God. The ruins of his palace are pointed out to the south-west of this temple, where only broken brick and ruined walls are noticed.

The Rameshwara temple in a later Vijayanagara style has a Sanctum hall having a brick and mortar Dravida Shikhara. There is a small Ardhamantapa leading to a Navaranga with frontal Mantapa having square granite pillars. Outside the temple is a spacious inner Prakara and at the backyard are small cells having Panchalingas.

Mekedaatu (Goat's leap)

Mekedaatu or Goat's Leap, a famous picnic spot is about 95 km from Bangalore via Kanakapura. Mekedaatu is situated within the limits of the Muggur forest. Mekedatu is a beautiful picnic spot where the river Kaveri and river Arkavathi merges at the Sangam. From this point, about 3.5 kilometers downstream, the river Kaveri flows through a deep gorge so narrow that one would think that a goat can leap and cross it.

Savandurga

Savandurga is a hill located at a distance of 60 km west of Bangalore. It is also known as Magadi Hills. The hill is famous for a temple and is also believed to be among the largest monolith hills in the world. The Savandurga hills are frequently visited by pilgrims who come to visit the Basaveshwara, Savandi Veerabhadreshwara Swamy and Narasimha Swamy temple situated at the foothills. At the foothill there is a village by the same name and the forest around has been stated as reserved forest and there is protected garden of the Herbs of medicinal interest.

Shivaganga

Shivaganga is located at a distance of 60 km from Bangalore. Shivaganga is also known as Dakshina Kasi or the Varanasi of the South. Temples dedicated to Gangadhareswara, Hanna devi and a cave spring called 'Pattala' are found at the top of the hill.

Channapattana

Channapattana is located 60 km south-west of Bangalore on Mysore-Bangalore highway. The City was ruled by the King Timmapparaja Aras and later Jagadevaraya choose it as his Capital city. Channapattana is popular for its wooden toys and lacquer ware. Lacquer ware products include brightly colored wooden toys in various shapes and sizes, door curtains and powder boxes, besides a range of distinctive jewellery.

Thekkady

Thekkady, located in the Idukki district of the state of Kerala, is the place where the Periyar National Park is located. Thekkady lies very close to Kumily, which lies on the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, spread across an area of 300 square miles, is home to thick evergreen forests, deciduous forests and a host of animal species, viz. elephants, sambar, tigers, Nilgiri Langurs, etc.

Things to do in Thekkady

The Mullaiperiyar Dam has been built across the Periyar River here, resulting in the formation of an artificial lake, which adds to the scenic beauty of the place. Apart from the park, Thekkady has a few more tourist attractions. Tourists can also try various attractive packages options to tour Thekkady.

There is the Mangala Devi Temple here which opens only during the Chitra Pournima Festival. The Chellarkovil which is known for its waterfalls and the Anakkara are other attractions. Thekkady is also known for its natural spices which are found in abundance here in the form of clove, cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper. In recent times, the government has made concerted efforts to promote spice tourism in the area. The area of Anakkara along with Murikkady is known for its spice plantations.

The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is surrounded by the Cardamom Hills, with the highest peak being that of Kottamalai at 2019 metres. The varying altitudes of the sanctuary give it different temperature conditions, which results in different types of vegetation. The temperature during the summer months could be between 15-20° Celsius, depending on the altitude.

Apart from being an ecotourism destination, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary or Thekkady as it is often called, also attracts a lot of pilgrims every year who come here to visit the Sabarimala Temple here. The temple receives more than 3 million pilgrims every year.

The Periyar Wildlife sanctuary, which dates back to 1950, is largely a protected piece of land with tourist activity restricted to the northern end of the park. It has been done so to protect the flora and fauna of the region.     

Food and Shopping in Thekkady

Thekkady offers quite a few places to shop, for the most produces are spices and small knicks-knacks. Market places are very few and not big on scales. But, there are a few attractive stalls centrally located in those areas. One can buy fenugreek, rolls of cinnamon, white and green pepper, cardamom, star anise, coriander, nutmeg, cloves and more. Traditional banana chips should be missed out, which are fried in fresh coconut oil and this is also a speciality.    

Travelling to Thekkady

To reach Thekkady, the nearest airport is at Madurai in Tamil Nadu, which is located at a distance of around 136 km away from Thekkady. The nearest international airport is Nedumbassery airport in Kochi, which is at a distance of about 190 km away.  

Thekkady has the nearest railhead at Kottayam at a distance of about 114 km.  All the express trains that go to Trivandrum, passes through Kottayam as well. There is KSRTC public transport buses connecting Thekkady with nearby cities, along with super fast buses regularly available from Kochi, Kottayam and Trivandrum to Thekkady.

lonvala

Lonavala is an important hill station in the state of Maharashtra. It is popularly known as the jewel of the Sahyadri Mountains. Lonavala is set amongst the sylvan hills of the Western Ghats and is a popular gateway from Mumbai and Pune. It also serves as a starting point for tourists interested in visiting the famous, ancient Buddhist rock cut caves of Bhaja and Karla, which are located near this hill station. It also has an important Yoga center near it, for the health conscious traveler.

LOCATION OF LONAVALA

Lonavala is located in the western part of the state of Maharashtra, in the western region of India. It is set amongst the slopes of the Sahyadri mountain range and situated 106 km southeast of Mumbai at an altitude of 625 m above sea level. The weather in Lonavala is pleasant. Summers (April-June) are mild, while winters are cool (November-February). It experiences heavy southwestern monsoon rains between June and September. 

BEST TIME TO VISIT LONAVALA

The best time to visit Lonavala is between the months of October and May. It is advised not to visit Lonavala in the monsoon season between the months of June and September, as it experiences heavy rainfall during this time.

HISTORY OF LONAVALA

The area around Lonavala was an important Buddhist center in 2nd century BC and a number of ancient Buddhist rock-cut cave temples can be found in this area. As Lonavala is located in the inhospitable terrain of the Sahyadri mountain range, it was not an important site in terms of history. Chattrapati Shivaji, the founder of the first Maratha Empire, ruled this area. Later it came under the Peshwa rulers, who founded the second Maratha Empire. It was finally taken over by the British when they defeated the Peshwas.

TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS IN LONAVALA

Lonavala provides a panoramic view of the lush green surroundings of the Sahyadri ranges. The peaceful environs of the town, which provides a great escape from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai city, attract tourists to this place. Travelers can take a walk along the waterfalls, the grassy abundance and hills in and around Lonavala. The mountainous terrain of Lonavala is ideal for trekking and hiking. 

PLACES AROUND LONAVALA

There are numerous lakes around Lonavala. Tugauli, Lonavala and Bhushi lakes are worth visiting; so is the Walvan Dam. The small hill station of Khandala is just 5 km away. Travelers coming from Mumbai pass through Khandala before reaching Lonavala. Kaivalyadhama Yoga Hospital is 2 km from Lonavala on the road to Karla and Bhaja caves. This center attracts both local and foreign tourists seeking yogic healing. This center was founded in 1924 and conducts various courses in Yoga along with a research center and a training college. Karla and Bhaja Caves, located in the hills at a distance of 11 km from Lonavala, are important places to visit. These rock-cut cave temples dating back to 2nd century BC and are amongst the oldest and finest examples of Buddhist rock cut temple art in India, belonging to the Hinayana sect of Buddhism. Adventure seekers can try their hand at rock climbing at the Duke's Nose peak and other locations in the Karla hills, near Lonavala. 

HOW TO REACH LONAVALA

BY AIR - Lonavala does not have an airport. The nearest airport is in Pune, which is 64 km from Lonavala. 

BY RAIL - As Lonavala is on the main railway line between Mumbai (Bombay) and Pune (Poona), all express trains plying between the two cities stop here. 

BY ROAD - We would provide you all India tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the intercity drives too.