Ajanta Caves, Aurangabad

Ajanta Caves in India are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Oldest of the caves are believed to be around 2000 years old. The paintings and sculptures found here are considered to be masterpieces. There are a total of 31 caves. Restoration work is in progress for some of the caves.

Most of the visitors are dropped at the parking lot, from where there are regular buses which take the tourists to the caves. Cave timings are from 9 in the morning to 5:30 in the evening. Camera/Handycam charges have to paid separately at the ticket window. Handycams are not allowed inside the caves. People interested in shopping can shop for crystals.



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Blue Bay, Mauritius

After Gris Gris, Blue Bay was a big contrast. The sea here is very calm. Almost total absence of waves. Lots of people had come here to enjoy their weekend swim. The water is clean. The sand is white and soft. The water is fairly shallow for quite some distance.

To top this off, we had a smashing sunset. Check photos below.


More photos below

Gris Gris, Mauritius

This was our first stop in our short (1/2 day) tour to the south of Mauritius. You can see strong waves come crashing towards the cliffs here. Swimming is prohibited. You lose track of time as you sit back and relax, enjoying the breeze coming in from the sea.

Some photos below


The place is a photographers delight with white sand, green trees on the surronding cliffs and clouds dotting the blue skies. Check out more photos here

Caudan Waterfront, Mauritius

Recently had to travel to Mauritius on an official visit. :) I was put up at Le Suffren. Have put in a review of the hotel here.

Below is a very good site for all information related to Caudan Waterfront
http://www.caudan.com/default.aspx?strlang=en

This is the area around Port Louis harbor and is a happening place. It has a number of shops, banks, number of restaurants, amphitheater, casino, etc. There is a theater showing Bollywood movies here as well :). During the week long Diwali celebrations various events were planned around the Waterfront.

The Blue Penny Museum is also located here and those interested in collecting stamps should definitely visit it.

There are a number of Indian restaurants in this area. The pick for me was Tandoori Express which I opted for without fail for my dinners. Mystic Masala has some good options available like Samosa, Bhel, Dosa, Chole Bhature, etc

View from my hotel room	The Le Suffren Hotel
Casino	At the far end is the Blue Penny Museum
Amphitheater	Waterfront

Maharashtra Nisarg Udyan

This is a delight for nature lovers.... and right in the heart of the city too. It is pristine nature here and thankfully, the park authorities have not tampered with it. A small walkway has been created which leads you through the park. Birds, Butterflies, Trees and SNAKES. You will get everything here.

The entrance to this park is opposite to the Dharavi Bus Depot. Park timings are from 9:00 am to 3:30 p.m. The entry fee to the park is Rs 5/- per adult. Parking place is provided for the visitors within the park.


View Maharashtra Nature Park in a larger map

Below are some photos of the trip



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Post by Travel Tips.

Kanheri Caves

Kanheri caves in the monsoon beats Bhushi Dam.. hands down. Of course thats a personal opinion that I have formed after my trip to the caves last Saturday. There are a number of things going for it like proximity, not as crowded, lots of trekking possible, historic site, etc. Some photos from the trip below. You decide.........

Manali

This was my second trip to Manali, but enjoyed it just as much (if not more) than the first time. Had planned my stay at the Bannon Resorts. (This resort has an interesting history. If interested do lookup on their website.) Detailed review of the resort can be accessed here.

Mumbai to Manali was via Delhi. This was primarily to experience the plane journey from Delhi to Bhuntar airport (Manali is about 50 kms from this place). Kingfisher has daily flights from Delhi to Bhuntar. The flight timing is very early in the day, which necessitates a stopover in Delhi. Delhi was unbearably hot. Went to visit India Gate in the evening. We had great difficulty in finding transport from India Gate back to RBI quarters in Sarojini Nagar. This may be because we were unfamiliar with the area, but would suggest planning for return transport before planning a trip here. The flight from Delhi to Bhuntar was worth the stopover that we had to do in Delhi :) . The plane flies at a relatively lower altitude and you get great views of the mountains

There are prepaid taxis available just outside the airport with published rates based on the vehicle and destination. Innova from Bhuntar to Manali cost us Rs. 1500/-. With additional Rs. 1300/- we included the site seeing for Manikaran in the deal.

Manikaran is an important pilgrimage place for Hindus and Sikhs. Things to see here are old temples of Ram and Shiva, gurudwara and hot water springs.

Enroute from Manikaran to Manali we stopped at "The Himalayan Village" for lunch. The hotel has a traditional architechture and a very good locale. Would recommend a stopover here for lunch. (i personally didnt much like the food though :) )

While in Manali, we visited the standard tourist spots. The hotel staff helped us by arranging for the vehicle.

1) Manu Temple: This is dedicated to Manu who is supposed to have settled down and meditated here after the great deluge.

2) Roerich Museum: Roerich was a gifted painter who stayed here for a number of years. A number of his paintings are show-cased here. You also get to glimpse the living quarters that he stayed in. The museum closes down for some time in the afternoon. I have forgotten the timings now. But make sure that you plan accordingly.

3) Naggar Castle. This is an old castle that has been taken over by HPTDC and maintained. You can have your afternoon meal here when you plan your trip to Roerich Museum and Naggar Castle. It makes for a great location. We felt that the restaurant within it was understaffed and the quality of the food too was not so great.

4) Vashishta Temple: It is famous for hot springs in addition to the temples of sage Vashishta and Lord Ram.

5) Hidimba Temple - We visited this temple on the day the Times carried the news that this is likely to be added to Unesco's list of World Heritage Sites. Here you can do the standard touristy things like taking photos in traditional dress, sit on a yak, etc

6) Rohtang Pass. Road to this is absolutely spectacular. This would definitely be the star attraction of Manali. It is very important to start for this as early as possible. There are jams created on the way due to hundreds of vehicles carrying people intent on enjoying the snow. Winter clothing is available on hire. Rates are put up on a board on Mall road. Bargain possible. Suggest that you hire your clothes before you reach the snow point, as it is likely that the ones you get there are wet.

7) Kullu Shawl Factory

8) Van Vihar: Most brochures will not mention this. But, I feel this is a "must do" while you are in Manali. This is a small forest of tall Deodar trees. A walkway has been created through this which is around 2 km. It is refreshing and absolutely enjoyable. At the end of this walk is a rescue center for animals where we spotted  a few birds including himalayan monal and a bear.

9) Tibetan Monastry