Lonely Planet - EARTH

It’s the state capital of Meghalaya, at an altitude 1496 Mts above sea level. The town in situated on a plateau in khasi hills, and is surrounded by hills. Its named “Scotland of the East”, for its awesome scenic beauty.

Places to see:

shillong peak

Shillong Peak:

Its an ideal picnis spot at an altitude of 1965 m above sea level and its 10 Kms from the town. It’s the highest point in the state.

Umiam Lake:

This is a man-made lake, 17 Kms from Shillong. It offers a variety of water sports like sailing and skiing and boating. There is a park (Lum Nehru Park) adjacent to the lake.

Ward’s lake in the heart of the city has a small garden and facility for boating.
There is a botanical garden located near this park.

falls

Falls:

There are so many falls in and around shillong, that are nature’s treat to our eyes. Elephant Falls, Sweet Falls, Bishop and Beadon Falls, Crinoline falls are some of them.

Golf course:

Shillong has one of the largest golf courses in Asia, called “Glen Eagle of the East”. Golf was introduced to shillong in 1898, with 9 holes and in was expanded to 18 holes in 1924.

Lady Hydari Park:

This is a small park that has swings, see-saws for the kids to play and, has colorful flowering plants that are feast to our eyes. A mini zoo nearby attracts many children to this park.

Butterfly Museum:

A great collection of different species of butterfly are major attraction to zoology students and some researchers.

Cherapunji:

Its 56 Kms from shillong. It’s a place that experiences heavy rains round the year. The drive to this place is exotic with many small and beautiful falls along the way.

Getting There:

Guwahati (104 Kms from Shillong) is the nearest airport with regular flights from many parts of India. Umroi is a small airport with flights operating from Calcutta only on certain days of a week.

There are no railway lines to meghalaya. Nearest station is Guwahati.

Cabs to Shillong are available from outside airport and railway station of Guwahati. Regular buses are also available.

Mahabalipuram is just two hours drive from Chennai. It is a coastal village which means a lot of enjoyment for the tourists with all the available seafood. It is famous for its shore temples built by the pallava kings between 630 A.D and 728 A.D. This place is one of the world heritage sites and is a renowned centre for stone carvings.It also has a beautiful beach with restaurants on the shore.Best way to travel within this small village is by hiring a bicycle.

Transport ::

My suggestion is, better take a taxi or bus from chennai to reach this place. Nearest cities ar chennai and pondicherry.

Touring Spots ::

1)Shore Temples :: Standing alone and majestic facing the bay of bengal, these small romatic temples depict the greatness of pallava art. These temples have shrines for Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. Entry fee is applicable for visiting these temples. Video cameras have separate fee.

2)Five Rathas :: A fine example of pallava architecture is the Five Rathas, rock-cut temples resembling chariots. They are located at just 300m from the sea.The five rathas are named after champions of Mahabharata :: Draupathi Ratha, Arjuna Ratha,Bhima Ratha,Dharmaraja Ratha,Nakula-Sahadeva Ratha.

3)Arjuna’s Penance :: This carving depicts the deities,animals and other creatures. The main carving in this is arjuna standing on one leg and doing penance while Lord Shiva is standing before him.

4)Mandapams :: There are three mandapams featuring sculptures are situated around the temple. They are Kotikal mandapam, Krishna mandapam and Mahishamardhini mandapam.

5)Museum :: This museum contains thousands of sculpures from local artisans who work with wood,stone and metal.

Mount Abu is situated in the southwest end of Rajasthan. It’s the highest peak in the Aravalli range of mountains and is the only hill station in the State of Rajasthan. It is located 1220 mts above the sea level.

Mount Abu became a significant summer retreat in the reign of the British. They started setting up cottages to escape the scorching heat of Rajasthan. References to this mountain are found in Indian Puranas too. One of the great sages named Vashishta is believed to have set up his ashram in this mountain. It is also the home for many Jain temples.

There a many tourist spots in and around Mount Abu.

Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary:

The sanctuary was established in 1960. There are about 820 different plant species and it is the home for many wild animals like leopard, wolves etc.

Dilwara Temples:

These are Jain temples known for its marvelous architecture. They are made of white marble stones. These temples are located about 2-1/2 Kms from Mount Abu. There are 5 unique temples of this kind.

Other Temples:

There are other hindu temples. Adhar Devi temple carved out of solid rock, Dattatreya temple perched on top of Guru Shikhar Peak. The world Headquarters of ‘Brahma Kumaris’ the World Spirituality University is also located here. Gaumukh Temple is located near the valle here. Its amidst the wood. It can be reached with the help of the locals.

Achalgarh:

This fort built by Maharana Kumbha in 1452 is situated 11 Kms north of Mount Abu.

Nakki Lake:

This is a important spot in Mount Abu. Major attraction here in this lake is the Toad Rock. The rock looks exactly like a toad about to jump into the lake.

How to get there?

Nearest Railway Station is Abu Road, about 24 Kms from Mount Abu. Its well connected to Ahemedabad, Jaipur, Delhi.

Nearest Airport is Udaipur. Daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur are available.

Rajasthan Roadways has provided Special Deluxe buses to Mount Abu from Abu Road and Jaipur. It is also connected by road to Udaipur, Ajmer and Delhi.

Ooty is known as the queen of mountains . It is located among the four hills doddabetta,snowdon,elk and club. It is spread over an area of about 30.67 Square kms. It is located at a height of about 2286 metres above sea level.The best time to tour ooty is from February to May and from September to November. It has good climatic conditions for touring throughout the year. It is one of the main tourist attractions in Tamilnadu. Languages spoken are English and Tamil.

toy train, ooty

Transport ::

Road :: Ooty is well connected by roads to some of the main cities like coimbatore and mysore. Nearest city is Coimbatore (88 kms)
Railways ::  Mettupalayam(46 kms) is the nearest railway station before climbing the mountain. Toy train is available for travel and its an enjoyable trip up the hill. Coonoor,half way up the hill is also a hill resort and has a railway station.
Airport ::  The nearest airport is at Coimbatore which has flights connecting Chennai,Bangalore and Cochin.

Touring Spots ::
1)  Botanical Gardens :: It is sprawled over an area of 50 acres. It lies on the slopes of the doddabetta peak. It is created in the year 1847 and houses over 650 species of plants.It is open throughout the year for tourists.
2)Ooty Lake :: It is one of the most spectacular places in ooty. It has facilities for boating,fishing and picnic. Both rowing boats and paddle boats are available.
3)Government Musuem :: This famous museum was built in the year 1989. It has tribal objects,sculptures,arts and crafts  and the ecological details about the district.
4)Doddabetta peak :: This is the tallest peak in Tamilnadu with an altitude of 2623metres. A road leads to the top of the peak from where you can have a spectacular view of all the other peaks around it. Its just 10 kms from Ooty.
5)Lamb’s Rock ::  It is located at a distance of 9kms from Coonoor and is a good picnic spot. It is surround by tea estates and plains of coimbatore.
6)Kothagiri :: It is small village which is located at 28 kms from Ooty. It is one of the three famous hill stations in nilgiris.
7)Kalhatty Waterfalls ::The beautiful Kolhatty waterfalls are about 100 feet in height and are located on the kalhatty slopes. The falls are about 13kms from the city, so anyone on a tour of Ooty can easily check out the falls and the beautiful area surrounding it.
8)Avalanche :: Avalanche lies 28 km from Ooty. This place is a nature lover’s paradise. It is a lake, which is ideal for fishing, though one has to obtain permission before hand. It is also the perfect place to enjoy bird watching and a quiet afternoon.
9)Coonoor :: Coonoor is a famous hill station that is 17 kms from ooty. It is probably the second most popular hill station in the Nilgiris. The hill station stands at a height of 1839 meters and is known for its great picnic spots and picturesque surroundings.

NOTE ::

Summer :: Light woollen clothes
Winter :: Heavy woollen clothes
Area Code :: 0423

Kodaikanal is known as the Princess of Hill Stations.It is situated at a height of 2133 mts above sea level. It is located among the Palani Hills. It was turned into a hill resort by the American missionaries in 1845. It is spread  over an area of 21.45 square kms.The best time to tour kodaikanal is from April-June and september-october. The monsoon showers occur between october and december.The best way to reach kodaikanal is by road. Languages spoken are English and Tamil.

Transport :
Road :: 520 kms from Chennai, 120 kms from Madurai.
Train :: Nearest railway station is Kodai Road(80 kms) and Palani Railway station(64 kms).
Air-Route :: Nearest airport is at madurai(120 kms).

kodaikanal

Touring Spots :
1) The Lake :: It is spread across an area of 24 hectares. It was created in 1863 and has a skirting road for 5kms.

2)Bryank Park :: This park is situated on the eastern side of the lake. It is noted for its flowers, both hybrids and grafts. Cutflowers are exported from here. A glass house which shelters fine varieties of flowers can be seen here. The Flower Showconducted every year during May, as part of the Summer Festivals, should be seen by everyone.

3)Solar Physical Observatory :: It is situated 32 kms. from the lake. This observatory was founded in 1989, and it is located at an elevation of 2343 mtrs. This observatory is the highest point in Kodai.

4)Coaker’s Walk :: It is at a distance of 1 km from the lake. It runs along a steep slope on the southern side of Kodai. It offers some of the best views of the plains Entry fee is collected here.
5)Suicide Point :: It is situated at a distance of 5.5 Kms from the lake and nearby the golf club.

6)The Pillar Rocks Three boulders stand here, shoulder-to-shoulder, vertically measuring 122 mtrs, providing a majestic sight.Pillar rocks are located 7.4 kms from the lake. It has a garden with lovely flowers.

7)Shenbaganur Museum  The Sacred Heart College maintains this museum. It is a Theological Seminary founded in 1895 and devoted to preserving certain archaeological remains and the flora and fauna of the hills. It houses one of the best Orchidariamsin the country.
8 ) Falls :: Water falls in the vicinity are Bear Shola Falls, Silver Cascade, Fairy Falls and Glen Falls.

NOTE::

Summer :: Light woollen clothes
Winter :: Heavy woollen clothes
Area Code :: 04542

Chennai is the fourth largest metropolitan city with a population of 7million. It lies at the southern part of India along the coast of bay of bengal.Chennai covers an area of 70 square kms. The best way to reach chennai depends on from where you are coming. Chennai has India’s 3rd largest and busiest airport and its just 7 kms from the main city. Chennai is also well linked by railways and roadways to all other cities in the country. The best time to tour chennai is between november and february as it is winter season and the
temperature will be between 20 degree celsius and 28 degree celsius.There will be mild showers during this time, so it is better to have an umbrella handy. Languages spoken are English,Tamil,Telugu,Hindi,Malayalam.There are various 5-star hotels nearby the airport. some of them are
Radisson - 3kms , Trident Hilton - 3kms, Le Royal Meridian - 5kms,Taj connemara - 17kms,etc.

Touring spots::
1)   Chennai has many places of cultural importance:: Fort St.George, Government musuem, Gandhi mandapam, War memorial, Vivekananda House, Senate house,Valluvar kottam,Freemasons hall,Mahabalipuram,etc .
2)   Chennai has some amuseparks which are located in and around the city.:: MGM DIZZEE world(East Coast Road), VGP Golden Beach(ECR), Kishkintha, Queensland,Dolphin City.
3)    Zoo - Vandalur zoo, Children’s park,vedanthangal(bird sanctuary).
4)    Beaches - Marina beach, Elliot’s beach, Covelong beach.
5)   Cinema Halls - Satyam cineplex, INOX, Mayajaal.

Vivekananda House Near Marina

Transport::
Railway stations :: Egmore( for destinations within tamilnadu ), Chennai Central ( For destinations outside tamilnadu)

Food:: Idly, Vadai, Dosai, Pongal, Idiyappam,Rice,Biryani,etc
The best way of transport within the city is to use the local buses. It is not advisable to take autorickshaws as they may charge you more than the nominal fee. Another way is to book a taxi or cab from the hotel in which you are staying.

Some number which you have to remember:
POLICE  :: 100
AMBULANCE :: 1066
AREA CODE :: 044

India is one of the most popular tourist attracting nations in Asia. India has diverse culture and religious practices which serves as a major factor for its flourishing tourism.Tourism in India started during the period of British rule. The British came to India in 1600s for trade and slowly took advantage of the fight between the kings ruling different provinces and took control over the country. Since India is in tropical climate zone, the britishers found it difficult to survive during the summer season. So they changed various hills into resorts and touring spots. Moreover the rich ancient history of India has attracted many students from different countries. India is completely different in its own way from the well developed American and European nations in its culture . People from all over the world come here to learn the Indian culture. It is said that many poets from China came to India to adorn the court of King Krishnadevaraya ( Mauriya Dynasty ). India’s oldest language is Sanskrit. Most of the famous works by many great people are in sanskrit. All the Vedas and Manuscripts were written in sanskrit. From time to time , the works were translated in different languages. After the Independence in 1947, India has come a long way in all the fields. Now education,
trade and tourism are of utmost importance to the country as they bring more foreign exchange and also provide an opening for bilateral relationships with many developed countries.