A long weekend to Nepal – so close but so far away

Unihorn Rhinos at Chitwal National Park - A conservation program that is working!

Trip Taken : April 26th to May 2nd

When I read about Kathmandu as a quick and not so expensive destination from India, I wasn’t quite sure that I wanted to go from one land of overcrowded and polluted places to another. Yes, if you are going to climb the Everest, you do have to go through Kathmandu to Lukla, but otherwise, what else did Nepal hold that was charming and interesting enough for all the trouble it takes to book airline tickets and trust someone on the other end? Luckily, a good friend of mine had gone last year, all the way to Lukla, and said his guide was very helpful and knowledgeable. After trying for three to four days to figure out online bookings for flights (Budha Air was the most highly recommended), I gave up and called Sushil, the guide, for help.

Pokhara : The main lake around which it lies, surrounded by mountains

From several recommendations and backed up by research, I had a good idea what I wanted to do: Catch the first flight out to Kathmandu, connect directly to Pokhara for 2 nights, fly to Chitwal National Park (actually, Bharatpur is the closest airport) for 2 nights, fly back to Kathmandu for the last 2 nights. Pokhara is a popular foreigners’ destination, a romantic getaway of sorts, around mountains and lakes, if you will, providing enough fun things to do around it including day trekking, multi-day trekking, boat rides on the lake, paragliding, motor gliding etc. Chitwal National Forest is part of the Sundarbans that stretches across from Assam, and where, I read, the uni-horn rhinos still walk the high grass lands. Now, the only other place you can see these ancient dinosaur like creatures is in Assam. Assam is difficult to travel to because of the violence in the region and also because it is grossly underdeveloped by the government in the form of internal travel. So chitwal was a natural destination.

A round trip flight from Delhi to Kathmandu, if you book it early enough, is around Rs9000 or $200 USD or AUS. What a deal! Then the internal flights are not that cheap, at around $100-150 a leg,  at least not on Buddha Air. Ask the guide to check out a couple of other airlines as well. In reality, Buddha didn’t work well at all for us, and in each trip I found Buddha to have delays of upto 2.5hrs while all the other airlines took off with maybe 15-30 minute delays. Anyway, the flight to Pokhara is very scenic and beautiful. The mountain views are to the right side of the plane, so ask for the seating so you don’t miss out.

There is a very expensive hotel, running about $125 per night, but I really didn’t see a point in it. The town is so small, everything is in walking distance, and given we were going to be out the whole day and it isn’t a romantic vacation, we decided to go middle of the road to Hotel Barahi, at $65 a night. I think this is too much also, but this did include breakfast. If you shop around a bit you will still be able to find a hotel that is clean and comfortable, around $40 a night. A car and driver do tend to get a bit expensive in Nepal, depending on the politics of the day, but that must be forgiven. When I was there they had a major shortage of petrol, with India cutting them off from some supply because they were upset the free and democratic nation of Nepal elected a Moist communist government. So much for the right to choose but your choice better make me happy!

The Paragliding Experience in Pokhara - A must do!

I have already been to Sikkim and Leh, Ladakh, so I have seen some beautiful Buddhist monasteries. We were taken to another one in Pokhara, and then I soon realized the cab driver was doing the “tourist circle”. Basically a waste of time, he drove us to a waterfall, but one couldn’t see it because it wasn’t the right time of year so there was hardly any water! So why take us? Well, that’s just what they do. Then to a Tibetan refugee village, a small few huts set up just to make it feel that way, with 3-4 old women. Maybe there are some Tibetan refugees and a camp out there somewhere, but this isn’t it. After a couple of things like that, we decided to head back, walk around town, and do a hike late afternoon. It was a little chilly, even looked like it was going to rain, but that was a better option than being disappointed all day and driving from worthless sightseeing wonder to the next.

A Buddhist monk

The hike was wonderful to the Buddha Stupa on the hill across the lake, and is about an hour up and 45 minutes down. Remember it is a mountain area and forested, so it gets dark soon in the thick of it. The stupa is quite wonderful as well, and is a sacred place to where monks travel. There is even a place for them to stay up there, a kind of monastery.  The serene beauty at which height it sits, the misty clouds, a beautiful sunset across the hill from there, a view of Pokhara and the lake… I can imagine the holy divine feeling.

I felt good after the hike, like I burnt enough calories, more than I was going to or did in a long time anyway.  Then we decided to head out for drinks and see the main strip, hardly a 15 minute walk all the way. Some fun places there and a lot of shopping. But truth be told about shopping: it is much cheaper in Kathmandu. The bars were pretty cool anyways; one had pool tables and a fun atmosphere, another had a great band. I talked to tourists from around the world and ended up getting a little drunk, having a great time. Not good since I have to be awake at 5a.m for a little paragliding flight over the mountain rages at 6a.m! Oh well, it was a fun night. Let me tell you about spending enough money to get to Pokhara… and then debating the paraglide little plane… don’t think about it! The best part of Pokhara was this. The company I went with was called “Avia Club Nepal”, and the experience is unmatched to anything I have done. The pilots were experienced, really knew how to show us around and get us to the closest point to the mountain peaks, and beyond all that, they had good bed side manner if ever they thought you needed courage. They were also good pilots.

Short of that event, we had no more time that day, or so we thought. So we hurried to the airport just to watch our plane delayed for 2 hours for no good reason that we could get from the ailines since all other planes were coming and going, promptly. The only destination was Kathmandu, so why did we pick the best airlines, pay the most, to get the worst? Bad luck. Thank you, Buddha Air.

The scenery right outside our hut at Temple Tiger, Chitwal National Park

The idea was this: We fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu, from Kathmandu to Bharatpur, and take a cab from Bharatpur to Chitwal National Park. The drive should have been about 30 minutes, the site said. Destination: Temple Tiger Resort. Price: Well, we got taken for that. The web said said 20% discount, which was $160 per person a day. Seems like a lot. But that’s for food, stay, elephant safari, jeep safari and other activity they say you can choose from. Be careful about this. Make sure you choose your activities and print out their acknowledgement before you go, otherwise you can get pushed around and never do what you thought you were going to.  Also, we were told that some of these forest lodges, if not all, were going to be shut down by the government, so I am not sure how long they will run for. Here is their site to check it out.

http://www.hotelnepal.com/tariff.php?name=Temple+Tiger

Well, we got to Bharatpur airport, but the drive is over an hour and a half with bumpy dirt roads almost all the way out to the forest. Then you get to a river that divides the village from the forest border, so off you go onto a boat for 20 minutes to get across, and another 20 minute drive to the actual place where we stayed. Part of the adventure, or else one may as well go to a resort in a city and avoid all surprises!  The food is basic but there is plenty, and the nature is breath taking, as are the cute huts on tilts we stayed in.

The elephant safari is by far the best way to see wild life, and a trek into the forest. Given it is the land of unihorn Rhinos, nothing spots them over the tall grass lands like an elephant safari. I was thrilled to see five rhinos the first evening we went on a safari. I thought, “Beginner’s luck”. But the mahout informed us that the conservation project has been very successful over the last 15 years, and the numbers have almost tripled. I happened to be there during the birthing season so I was lucky enough to see a few baby Rhinos around as well. So there were plenty around, those dinosaur looking guys. And yet they are shy and calm, for all their size and strength. Not the aggressive creatures they can easily be given their build. We also saw many species of birds, small and large. Highly recommended. That’s all I can say.

The wonderful treasures of nepal; this, outside the Old Palace

We only had a day and a half in Kathmandu so we got to business as soon as we landed. As luck would have it, we had a nice enough place, I would tell you what it is but I lost my iphone and all the information I had about it is in there. The best I can do is tell you that I think it is Hotel Samara, in Thamel. The places to see are quite basic; anyone will tell you the list of three or four. The best place to shop for souvenirs is Thamel. Walk up and down that road and bargain. There is something there for everyone.  

Anyway, it was a rainy for the two days we had in Kathmandu. The traffic is always bad and the main temple of Lord Shiva is no laughing matter, called the Parashurama Temple. The age of it, the lay out, the details of how and why it is there and the cremations of different classes and castes of society that are conducted separately to this day are a forced walk back into a kingdom of the past, into history and mythology, into a religion that is so deep. Mysterious as it may be, Nepal is the abode and destination for all followers of Hinduism, and the abode of Lord Shiva: Mount Kailash. The pilgrimage to this place is dangerous and treacherous. Yet, thousands take this on daily for salvation. The spirit can be felt and touched in the temple, and the only thing you have to do is separate the fake Sadhus from the real ones!!

Other main places to see are the Old Palace, the monkey temple, and the Botanical Gardens at night. That’s pretty much all we had time for. We did the early morning flight to Mount Everest, an hour long trip that should have taken us through the ranges and close to Everest and around, and back. Again, this is Buddha Air and they had no problem taking us half way, pretending that we could see Everest, pointing to a peak and claiming it was Everest, and taking us back. Definitely a waste of time, and the fact that one of their planes crashed on this flight a few months ago killing all aboard says little to dispute my theory they suck and are living off of a name that was built long time ago maybe, but service that is long gone.

Parashurama Temple in Kathmandu; Hindu cremation area

As far as photography goes, there is not much you can do wrong there. Kathmandu may be crowded but it is definitely a place of Hinduism and Buddhism, best merged in a way no other place is with two religions, or even different sects of the same religion. The colours are vibrant, the people are happy, and the history is cherished. It is a city one can spend three days at least, but alas, vacation comes hard for the working!

Royal Heritage of India, Rajasthan

The Ranakpur Temple, as majestic inside as it is outside

Trip taken: April 1st to April 5th

As always, like many people who are slaves to the 9-5 jobs and corporate rats, I planned this vacation around a long weekend, plus a day. It is difficult even today to find accurate information on what seem to be the basics, like distance and time, because road conditions in India will pretty much double normal travel time, and I have yet to come across a comprehensive blog that is true and honest about the information. It is as if even the travel agents figure if they can just get you there by saying a 3.5hour drive is only 2hrs, then you sit through the rest of the hour and a half hoping you are there but having no choice anyway!

Nikki Lake, Mount Abu. On top of the hill is the hotel we stayed at.

So it was. Mount Abu has no airport. The closest airport, most will say, is Udaipur, 185km. That may be very well true but the road is not too good, so the drive will take you 3.5hrs at least. The next closest airport is Ahmedabad, 215km. But the road is good although there are some heavy tolls along the way and because Ahmedabad is in Gujarat, a different state, an inert-state toll of around Rs1100 has to be paid upon entering Rajasthan. I picked Ahmedabad because there is nothing like bad roads and constant brake motion in a car in India!

It took us 3 hours to get to the bottom of the hill of Mount Abu, and another 45minutes to an hour to get up to mount Abu itself, up the hill. Mount Abu is the only hill station in Rajasthan, where the royals built their holiday summer homes and went to get away from the hot desert sun. Driving up the mountain I saw naked trees, stripped of leaves and flowers by early April heat, parched, dry and brown. There is a sudden point where the temperature seems to have cooled off, and the mountainside turns colourful, full of life and trees that now are dressed up, healthy, blooming. That is when the beauty of the place strikes you.

Ranakpur Temple, similar carvings and detail as teh Dilwara Temple in Moutn Abu, just bigger

I booked a hotel online. Service and return email are slow, but I wanted a heritage hotel since I enjoyed the one in Udaipur, so I was determined to find a deal here too. It was actually costly for the small town, but I went for the Jaipur Palace Hotel at Rs2500 per night for a standard air condition room. The reviews said it had a great view of the lake and the town too, so I bit. As we drove through the mountain, we saw this wonderful palace hotel on a cliff above, and I joked that I wish I could afford that hotel but I am sure that is not ours. Well, turned out it was the place I booked, and it was the best view and hotel around even though many others were priced much higher than this. We also ended up upgrading to a suite, which was not the smartest idea and there was no need for it, at Rs4000 per night. Anyway, the hotel was beautiful, service average, but that doesn’t rank too high for me as long as the food is decent and doesn’t get me sick!

Mount Abu is a very small town, with a beautiful story and Niki lake at its centre, mountains rising all around it. It is calm and a local resort since many tourists don’t have the time and/or money to get here as there is no airport and car cost is high (We paid Rs3000 per day for 300km minimum, plus tolls, taxes etc). It is a religious place and many Hindus from in and around the area come to the renowned temples, and to spend long lazy weekends up on the hill, away from the desert heat below. As such, it is a lazy town, with the highlight being the Dilwara Temple, a intricately carved Jain temple. One is not allowed cameras, the lines are long, and you will be herded along if there the line is longer on that particular day. Otherwise, one can easily wrap up Mount Abu in a day and a half.

Jodhpur

We started on day three, early morning, headed towards Ranakpur, which we heard was sort of on the way to Udaipur. The plan was to see the Jain temple there. Many people raved that was one not to miss, but there is nothing else to do near there, and Ranakpur is but a village, so we planned to drive the 3.5hrs there, hang around the temple and maybe grab lunch near it, drive to Udaipur the remaining 3hrs. A full day, but the luxury car eased the pain with a long break and walking in between, I figured. As we covered almost 3 hours to Ranakpur, the driver and I started to have a chat about time and distance. Technology works faster than two people talking it seems, and more accurately. The wonderful iphone was asked the question: Is Jodhpur closer or Udaipur closer from Ranakpur? The answer is: Udaipur is closer but the road is worse so the time from Ranakpur to Udaipur is the same as Ranakpur to Jodhpur. Laptop flipped open, internet went to work, and within the next hour, I changed our plans to Jodhpur since all of us had already seen Udaipur. We also decided to take an extra night and spend some time seeing at least the main sights in Jodhpur since we were paying a much higher last minute air fare and cancellation charges of the old ticket.

The clock Tower, Jodhpur

Ratan Nivas Hotel was recommended as the best heritage hotel at a price of Rs2500 inclusive of breakfast. Can’t really argue with that. The heritage hotel in Udaipur turned out to be awesome so we decided to try another such property. We were not disappointed at all. Elegant large rooms, an open courtyard, courteous staff, furnished verandas, and a good location is what we got. The Taj hotel is about 10 minutes from there and we decided that since it was a renovated hotel, we would go have dinner there and see the hotel as well that evening. That worked out well as they had live dancing along with the whole musical group in the open courtyard from 6:30pm to 7pm. Near the swimming pool, they were hosting a variety of Rajasthani cultural events including a puppet show, handmade bangles on sale, a typical village magician who did a whole show, all dressed ethnically. It was a full evening and a worthwhile one. I’m glad that simple question, “Should we eat at the Taj?” turned into things we could have not seen anywhere else in Jodhpur!

Traditional Rajasthani dance at the Taj, Jodhpur

There is only so much we could cover in a single day: the main palace will easily take three hours and is open from 9am. The audio visual for that is very good and informative. After that, there is a mausoleum of sorts, right down from the road; it is quite a unique and intensely carved structure and well worth an hour walking around. After that we had lunch and then drove to Uday Vilas Palace. This palace is opulent to look at from far, as it is pinkish red, but there isn’t much they let you see after paying for the ticket. Most of the palace and the best areas including the gardens have been taken on by Taj for a hotel and you can’t even get a glimpse into it. The only way to see the real part of the palace is to have dinner there, so we did. Again, the gardens blew me away and were probably the best part of the palace, and we could see the Pink palace lit up, similar to the Acropolis.  

One other place to see is the clock tower. If you have a couple of hours, this is the local market for the people: spices, different kinds of teas, knick knacks, daily household goods, vegetable market and also some handicraft shops. It is not high end at all and is all pretty much sold on carts or vendors sitting on the street. Definitely colourful and with a unique characteristics, the women and men are dressed traditionally and the clock tower itself resonates British times architecture. We didn’t any more time to see other local parts of the city or to do much more shopping for those beautiful legendary local items that are so popular, but I am not much of a shopper anyways. We are, however, photographers, and it was well worth the change in plans and the extra stress to change the trip from Udaipur to Jodhpur. The mystery of why it is called the blue city is revealed!

The Jodhpur Palace