Well we suggest you strike this travel spot off your bucket list and commence an opulent sojourn featuring vivid blue mountains, greenery that resounds in silence, an opulent architecture from British times, and colorful markets, abuzz with scores of hand crafts. So, if we have you convinced to plan a trip to Mussoorie, we suggest you come aboard and let us guide you through the city’s choicest of experiences and the best of the tastes. Read on.

Your sojourn, planned.

Day one

Start off your trip by soaking in the mystical surroundings the beautiful city has to offer. We suggest you head off to the famous, Company garden. Located just 3km from the city centre, this beautiful spot is your perfect place to relish a fun filled picnic amid lush greenery, beautiful blossoms and artificial pond with man made waterfalls.

After spending an afternoon in a quiet mirth nestled amidst nature, how about some street action? Take a fun-filled stroll down the city’s famous Mall road. Bustling in colors and crafts, this one of a kind market is filled with scores of souvenirs, clothes, and woodenware to choose from. Rest assured, you won’t leave empty handed at all! Whilst here, head up to the Liberty Road which is a section of Mall Road itself but with livelier markets and a colonial aura.

Don’t forget to munch on the yum golden corn cobs here as you call it a day!

Day two

The second day calls for some action and if you are up for it we suggest you put on your hiking shoes and get set for a good trek. Perched amidst snow clad mountains at a height of about 10,000 feet, Nag Tibba is the highest peak of the Nag Tibba range.The stunning allure of the place is ameliorated by the gorgeous trail of  flora and fauna, a rustic Gharwali lifestyle, a Deodar forest and exotic wildlife, all falling along the way. What’s more? Savor the majestic view of the Bandarpoonch,  Kedarnath, and Gangotri Peaks and the Doon Valley.

Nag Tibba offers a moderate level trek. And it takes an hour’s gradual ascent to Nag Tibba base with a 10 minute steep section followed by a steep climb to the summit. We suggest you pitch a tent and camp at the camping grounds in the Nag Tibba base itself since the 19 km trek takes an entire day. Either way, what better way to soak in the beauty?

Day three

Pitch a ride back to the city centre if you had camped overnight at Nag Tibba. It is a roughly 12 km drive from Panthwari village (the trek’s starting point) to the city. Once here, we suggest you hitch a ride to the city’s yet another famous attraction, Mussoorie Christ Church. If you are an art lover or an admirer of fine architecture, you are in for a real treat for this classic from 1836 is an exemplary example of Gothic architecture which evolved from Romanesque architecture.

From here you can pay a visit to Shedup Choepelling Temple and later, the Gun Hill point which  offers a panoramic view of the snow-clad Himalayan ranges, a gondola ride, an excellent sunset spot and some great places to grab a meal, once atop. Interestingly,  the place derives its name from the presence of a gun at these hills during the pre-independence days. The gun was fired during the day to enable people to adjust their watches during those days.

Day four

Up for some more adventure? Start off early and head to George Everest. Located some 5 kms away from the city centre, this opulent spot ‘houses’ a mansion that was once an observatory and laboratory of Sir Everest. The house, built in 1832, presently stands in ruins and offers a majestic sight to those visiting. A little trek from here would lead you to Cloud’s end, which is as mystical as the name sounds. The pristine peak offers a grand view, as the clouds rise in a stunning allure amidst the lurid mountain ranges.

Accommodation

Traveling to a popular hill station has its own perks. The city offers a wide range of stay options to suit all tastes. Savor the asthete of JW Marriott, Rokeby Manor or Jaypee Residency if you are looking for luxury stays. For a more budget friendly option, consider lodging at Urvashi Palace, Hotel Broadway or Mussoorie camp resort. Alternatively you can find a number of decent stay options uphill the Mall road. Mussoorie lags when it comes to offering good hostels so if a comfy bunk arrangement is what you have in mind, we suggest you take a look at the B&Bs and backpackers’ hostels in Dehradun, about a 1.5 hour ride away,  bunk beds costing as little as 300 INR a night. Check out Hotels in Mussoorie here.

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Enjoyed your vacation? We would love to hear your comments about your travel experiences!

Now, you have to be lucky to get three whole days in Ooty. Most tourists club Ooty with the neighbouring hill stations like Conoor and Kodaikanal. Tied by the itinerary they are always on the run missing out on the pure connections with the place. While this might give you more check in posts on facebook but leave you with very few real memories. So, we suggest to give your undivided attention to Ooty as it spellbinds you with its surreal Eucalyptus forests and panoramic valley views. It is perfect for those who enjoy hopping from one spot to another exploring all depths of the place and also those who like to just ease out in the vibe that place has to offer relaxing in one place. There are several Hotels in Ooty that would be your perfect host through the stay and get you a perfect detoxifying vacation.

HOW TO REACH

Located at the western border of Tamil Nadu, it is easily accessible from Bangalore(306KM) and Coimbatore(86KM) by road. The road from Bangalore runs through the forests of Bandipur and Madhumalai slowly getting you addicted to the charms of the Bluish mists that embellishes the Niligiri hills. The drive from Coimbatore is relatively much shorter but with thrilling turns and bends with several animal crossings.

DAY ONE

As you reach your hotel in Ooty, after an ecstatic drive through the nature, take that day slow and get glimpses of everything that it has to offer. You can start your day with the Government Botanical Garden tour and watch different renditions of the greens; later followed by the rose garden. The town still reminisces in the British colonial charms. Visit the Fernhill Palace that was once the summer residence of Maharaja of Mysore teleports you the bygone colonial era. Continuing your Ooty odyssey you can now move to the pristine lakes. You could skip the crowded Ooty lake and head to offbeat spots like Pykara Lake and waterfalls, Avalanche Lake, Emerald lake, Upper Bhavani Lake and Kamaraj Sagar Lake. After you watch the sun set over the rolling blue mountains, just go for unplanned walks, move around in the markets, relish on the street food and make those lasting first impressions. The Charring Cross market, Tibetan market, Upper and Lower Bazaar road set in motion by evening and are perfect your souvenir hunt. The markets close by 7.00 pm so plan your visit accordingly.

DAY TWO

Start this day with sunrise at the Doddabetta peak. As the sky turns shades from blues to orange and yellows giving way to the sun’s first rays, the Eucalyptus trees get washed in the warmth looking like flamed forest. The astounding panoramic views are too pretty to be captured in just camera lenses; so, freeze them in your minds as well. One can spend hours here, simply adoring nature’s masterpieces. With this stunning start, get binging on the traditional South-Indian delicacies. Later as the day progresses you can indulge yourself into tea extravaganza. At the Doddabetta Tea factory, you would discover the different stories that come hidden with the tiny tea leaves that impart colour and flavour to your tea. The tea factory shows the visitors all the elaborate processing that goes to get you the perfect cup of aromatic tea along with a picturesque walk through the estate. In this enchanting tea estate there is a Tea museum that takes you through the evolution of tea from just an Asian herb to being passion for many. It also has a souvenir store that has delicate tea cups and dishes along with teas and spices. In the evening you can again explore the leftover parts of the market and may be buy some more of those Ooty’s famous homemade chocolates.

DAY THREE

This day gather all your adventure genes and dive right into the nature’s arms. The safari through the Madhumalai National Park is all you need for an exhilarating nature encounter. Here, watch the changing green hues as you spot elephants, deer, gaur, Bengal tiger, hyenas, jackals, bonnet macaqe and leopards. It is a bird watcher’s paradise too. One can choose from van safari and Elephant safari. We suggest morning safaris as the chances of spotting animals are higher at this time. The van safari starts by 6.30 am and the Elephant safari by 7.00 am and lasts till 9.00 am. The Queen of hills, Ooty also has many endearing trails that share different vistas of from natural Eucalyptus groves to manmade tea gardens. The popular treks are Glenmorgan trek, Ebbanad trek, Parson’s trek, Ooty Scottish trail, etc. These trails allow you to know Ooty like never before enchanting the traveller in you and are mostly range from east to moderate grade of difficulty.

Well, you could always extend your trip to just relax on the fourth day. Simply get those pyjamas on, steal the balcony seat of your hotel in Ooty and stare at the alluring Nilgiri hills, sipping the best tea. Or may be save it for the next time when you visit Ooty just to enjoy its company.

Have your Bucket List ready!

Everyone has a list of places I am sure, but what I mean is decide your destinations and travel dates much before. Last minute bookings are always unreasonably high. So, pick out the dates and get all your bookings in place before hand. These would help you save a lot especially on travel fares and hotel fares. Flight tickets are much cheaper if booked in advance. Also you could get the travel dates of your preference so you could checkout from the hotel at the right time.

Find out the Real Number

Splurging a bit is natural on holidays and I have done it too. But it shouldn’t be on the unnecessary thing, right! So before planning for a trip find out about the total expenditure and hidden expenses, if any. Once you find out the real number that you are going to require; you would know for sure how much extra time you might have to work, what extra savings you might have to bring in, etc. A rough estimate would only upset you later when you will have to compromise to build your dream vacation. So, just to be fair to yourself be aware and start saving!

Do your homework

This is one thing that we Indians don’t do habitually. We don’t research about the place we are visiting by ourselves. We rely on the tour operators solely, who may or may not be honest about the expenses. So, a little study on your side would keep you away from hoax expenses. Also when you do your research thoroughly, you find out what are important things that you really need to carry or buy. Do not spend on extra items or over pack. At the same time, do not over rely on the web sources and pack something unnecessary that you may not require at all.

Choose your time wisely 

Picking up a perfect travel time is very, very important. Some places have to be visited in specific season only, but if you could avoid the typical tourist season you don’t have to suffer from over pricing that happens just for tourists!

Find a Travel Companion

You see, I don’t believe in soul mates but I believe in travel mates! Sharing is caring and also very easy on your pockets. When you travel with a companion it’s always fun. You could share the resources and split-up the expenses. So, you could carry common items, split up taxi fares, save on meals, and have lots of fun! It’s like less efforts and more fruits.

Look out for offers and discounts

There is nothing wrong in doing so. You can save a fair amount of money doing so. Check and compare travel sites and the deals they provide you. Most times you could get a group discount as well or some incentive for early booking. Also, most of these sites give value points on regular bookings which will ultimately help you get extra discounts and offers.

Travel with term insurance

So, when you embark on a journey, we always expect to make good memories. However, when something unfortunate happens, it’s good to be prepared for it. That’s why, having a term insurance will help. With a term insurance, you can make sure your family’s future is secure in case you meet with an accident or some personal loss. Your travel memories are invaluable, make sure your loved ones’ finances don’t go for a toss after you.

Best of both worlds

If you could be amongst the few lucky ones who can merge work and travel, do it! You could find work that requires you to travel. I know it sounds like a dream but it can happen!

Quick Tips

• You could save a great deal of money by going for a less fancy hotel. Anyways while travelling we spend more time outdoors.
• Don’t fall prey to false tourist prices. Fight for a fair price each time.

So, signing off with a word of advice from a traveller; ‘Don’t let money come in the way of your dreams’ the world is waiting to share its glories to you! Plan wisely and travel more!

About Aegon Life: 

With a complete product suite of life insurance plans, superior technology, and customised service, Aegon Life Insurance Company Limited launched its pan-India operations in July 2008. As a joint venture between Aegon – world’s leading financial services and Bennett, Coleman & Company – India’s leading media house, Aegon Life Insurance adopts a local approach to facilitate customer interaction. Our vision to be the most recommended new age life insurance company has enabled us to leverage digital platforms that bring transparent solutions to customer needs. Our financial planning and investment solutions include term life insurance plans, pension plans, unit-linked insurance plans (ULIPs), health insurance plans, child education plans, and more.

Mumbai, my city, is my first love for sure. Correctly called the ‘City of Dreams’, it indeed never sleeps. There is a special charm to this place that no one can escape the clutches of. However, due to my busy schedule, I often miss out on the scenic drives at Marine Drive, the marvelous Elephanta Caves and the Gateway of India that itself is a wonder. While most tourists drop in to enjoy the delicious vada pavs, click candid photographs at the Dharavi Slums or visit Film City where most Bollywood stars shoot for their upcoming films, I decided to head for a three-day getaway to Goa. My mini vacation to Goa from Mumbai was made worthwhile because of my stay at Holiday Inn Goa that was coupled with bright, sunny days at the beach and mouth-watering local dishes. Want to know what’s the cherry on the cake? I got my reservation at Holiday Inn Resort Goa within my budget and I could spend more on other points of my interest!

As I had just three days in hand and wanted to make the most of my getaway to Goa from Mumbai, I took a flight which reached my destination in around 1 hour and 10 minutes. It was quite thrilling for me to finally step foot in the city which is marked by numerous upbeat beaches and beautiful churches that attract holidaymakers from all over the world. Here itself I would like all readers to know that they must, without fail, pack their essentials carefully and definitely not forget beach slippers, shorts or beachwear, sunscreen, iPod or earphones, camera, portable charger and an identity proof.

Baga Beach in Goa is the perfect place for all those who want to relax and forget their worries for a while. This is one of the best beaches to visit in Goa and warmly welcomes nature lovers and those who seek adventure. Topping my list of places in visit in Goa, it took me around 2 hours to reach the beach from my accommodation and 3-4 hours to enjoy the sun and waves here. My journey in car was also exciting as we had rent a car and drove ourselves. The sunset is breathtaking and once the nightlife is in full swing, I bet you will not feel like coming back. Well, at least I didn’t! What fascinated me most was the range of water sports such as jet ski, water scooter rides, paragliding and single and double kayaking, to name a few, that one has the chance to indulge in. In fact, there were back to back tattoo parlors, tarot card reading stops, spas, hair braiding stalls, palmistry tables and eateries. Café Mambos was where I headed to after my day at the beach and it was one of the best nightlife experiences in Goa that I’ve ever had. They played disc and house music and the ambience was outstanding. The drinks and food were totally worth every penny!

Another favorite on by bucket list was the Chapora Fort, the one that was featured in Dil Chahta Hai. Around 25 minutes away from the Baga Beach, it was an excellent experience. Officially, the Chapora Fort is open to visitors from 10AM to 5:30PM. The view of the city from the fort was stunning and we also captured a few images which we’re going to preserve for life.

The Cavelossim Beach, around five minutes from Hotel Inn Resort Goa was another boon of a beach which, unlike other beaches, is not too crowded and one can peacefully stroll for miles. It gave me an opportunity to re-connect with inner myself and actually changed my perception to a great extent about how I was viewing certain life situations. It was the perfect way to end my getaway to Goa!

Though I couldn’t visit too many churches, I made time to go to the Velim Church which was around 15 minutes away from my accommodation and the serenity is just what I’m going to be taking back hoe to the city of constant hustle and bustle.

Weekend Trip to Bangalore

Being a traveler based in Mumbai for last few years, Bangalore was among top places in my wishlist. I could not stop myself from witnessing beauty of this city and just made random plan with friends to travel on a weekend in the beginning of this month. I love to plan my trips but this one just happened and bit of quick research turned my short and unplanned Bangalore trip into a magical one. Read on to make the most of your Bangalore trip and I am sure this blog will serve you essential tips for your Bangalore trip.

Reaching the city:

Bangalore is well-connected to all domestic and international cities. From within India, one can reach Bangalore either by air, train, or road depending on the distance and the home city of traveler. From Mumbai you can travel either by air, train or road. By road it is about 980 kms and takes up to 16 hours of driving. Planning for weekend short trip, road trip was not the option for me as it leaves you tired. Train from Mumbai to Bangalore is also an overnight journey but you can sleep and rest in train. So, I decided to travel by train and quickly booked my ticket through online ticket booking. You can also travel by air and it is the best option if you want to save on time. It takes about 2 hours only from Mumbai to Bangalore and cleartrip offers best deals for mumbai to Bangalore flight.

Weather:

I fell in love with Bangalore’s romantic weather. The weather of city is very favorable throughout the year but the best time to visit this dream city is during winter months. Between September to March the temperature is between 25 to 32 degree Celsius and just perfect as you neither need to wear heavy woolen clothes nor sweat out like in summers. However, the fact that temperature rarely drops below 14 degree Celsius and rarely exceeds above 35 degree Celsius makes Bangalore a year round destination. Even on a summer afternoon, Bangalore was a breath of fresh air and the cool weather was perfect for pleasant stroll.

Crowd & Lifestyle:

Bangalore has a large youth population which consists of professionals in IT firms, start-ups and students of various fields mainly engineering and science. To hang out Bangalore has every possible thing from eateries, pubs, quaint cafes, quirky shops, shopping market and breweries serving chilled beers.

Food:

Masala Dosa and filter coffee is the signature breakfast in Bangalore. For non-vegetarian there are many fine dining and regular restaurants available serving best of non-vegetarian food. There are plenty to choose from for vegetarians as well. MG road is a good option to eat and shop as well. Bangalore is a pub city, so go to one and enjoy the evening. Toit’s is the brick-walled microbrewery which is good to enjoy cold beer. For authentic south Indian food, Bangalore’s famous MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Rooms) is must.

Souvenirs :

Bangalore is famous for Sandalwood products and handicrafts. Cauvery Emporium is the government emporium with genuine products. Look out for wooden toys called ‘Channapatna toys’, they’re very innovative & use non toxic colors. If not in Bangalore, you can also buy this at Channapatna, a small town en-route Mysore, where this craft originates from. You can also shop for silk fabrics especially the Mysore silk.

Places of interest :

Choosing main attractions can be a difficult task with Bangalore offering so much to tourists. However, you should not miss out on some of the main attractions.

Some of the best historic attractions in the city include Bangalore Palace, Tipu Sultan’s Palace, Malleswaram and they totally deserve a quick visit.

For outdoor lovers, green parks like Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Cubbon Park and the zoo and safari at Bannerghatta National Park are must-visit. Spread across 28 km from Bangalore, Wonderla the amusement park is there to enjoy adventurous rides and fun.

Be a nature lover, you must see the beautiful lakes like Ulsoor Lake, Bellandur Lake, Hesaraghatta Lake and the Hebbal Lake.

World famous ISCKON temple and bull temple are there for religious visitors.

You can choose to go for heritage walk as well if you have some time left in the city.

One day visit :

If you have interest in Indian history, you should visit Mysore and Srirangapatna (enroute) which is one day trip from Bangalore. Start early from Bangalore by 6 or 7a.m so that you can return comfortably in evening without getting late. Srirangapatna is a town located near Mysore which is of historical, cultural and religious importance. It can be visited enroute which has few good attractions like Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple and Dariya Daulat Palace. In Mysore, Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hills, Jagmohan Palace, Brindavan Garden and Mysore zoo are worth visiting.

Although, I made the most of my two days in Bangalore by exploring one day at Bangalore and another for a day’s trip to Mysore. I want to explore it more and two days are very less for this magical city with the majestic climate. I would love to come back and enjoy the pleasant stroll in the charming weather of Bangalore.

Here are some tips that can help you plan a better London trip:

Flights

Flights are among the biggest expense when you are travelling to a foreign country and takes almost 30 to 40% of your trip cost. British Airways  is the best option to travel to London because of its service and comfort offered compared to the price.  Try booking it from Cleartrip as it offers cashback and other offers for its users and flight status  can be easily known with a click.

Buy Visitor Oyster Card

Buying Oyster travel smartcard saves you a lot of money on public transport system. This handy card allows travel on the tube, tram, DLR, over ground, most national rail services within London and the river bus too. This travel card is about 50% cheaper than buying one day travel card or single tickets. The card also offers other discounts and offers on food, drinks etc.

Thames River Cruise

The Thames river cruise is about 17 euro per person. There is a cheap alternative you can enjoy instead of river cruise if you are keen for aquatic transport. With your oyster card, you can take the Thames clipper route from waterloo to the dome in north Greenwich. This will cost you about 4 euro with oyster card and is the cheap alternative for the cruise.

Accommodation

Stay just outside the popular touristic area to save the extra expenditure. You can get much cheaper accommodation near popular tourist areas rather than in popular tourist areas.  You can use sites such as AirBnB that provides much cheaper accommodations than hotels and you get to live with the locals too that can tell you lot more about the city. You can also try hostels for budget stay.

London Pass

London pass gets you free entry to about 60 tourist attractions and is good option to buy if you are looking to cover most of the attractions covered in it. These include Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, the London Bridge Experience and even the Thames River Cruise. However, do check the attractions it covers before buying the London pass as it won’t be useful if you look to cover only a few attractions covered in it. Like if you are in London only for two/three days and are not keen to cover most of the tourist attractions then buying it won’t be great idea.

Free Attractions and Events

There are many attractions, landmarks and events in London that are free to do. Why to miss them? The changing of guard at Buckingham Palace is the most spectacular event that is free to watch. The free attractions and landmarks include top art gallery museum like Tate Modern, National Gallery, British Museum, Guildhall Art Gallery & Roman Amphitheatre, Bank of England, Southbank Centre art complex, and outdoor spaces such as Hyde Park and Hampstead Heath. It also includes the National Portrait Gallery, Old Royal Naval College, Natural History Museum, Queen’s House Greenwich, the Royal Academy of Music Museum and a lot more.

Explore walking

Walking like locals and exploring is always fun for me especially in a foreign country.  Centre of London is small and you should take a walk to explore it. Try walking from Trafalgar Square and National Gallery, down Whitehall and on to The House of Parliament and Westminster. Wander over one of the Thames’s bridge to the south bank or explore around convent garden.  You may find some amazing sights or witness amazing street performance while taking a walk around Central London.  It is better to walk rather than getting stuck in traffic jams especially during peak hours.

Book in advance

If you are not doing much sightseeing and not buying London pass, buy online in advance for the attractions you want to visit. Buy ticket for West End Theatre in advance and grab good discounts. London Eye ticket can be booked online at about 10% discount in advance. Similarly you can book for many other attractions and events using trusted websites like tickets.london etc. This way you not only earn discounts but also saves yourself from long queues and ticketing counters. The national rail websites even run occasional offers like two-for-one entry deals to places like Tower of London, Madame Tussauds and the Zoo.

Street Shopping

London is a shopper’s paradise irrespective of their budget and the city has lot of options from budget shopping to high end shopping. For budget and bargain shopping the city has markets like Brick Lane market, Borough Market, Greenwich Market and Broadway Market are the ones for you.  The Borough Market has lot of food stalls of varied cuisines and good eating points at budget.  Greenwich Market is good for gifts, accessories, clothes and lot more.

Food & Drinks

Look out for chain restaurants, cafes that has affordable rates. Purchase readymade food and drink like sandwiches from supermarket at standard rates. Try cheap and appetizing street food of London.  Try eating at markets like Brick Lane and Borough Market that offers variety of food at low rates. Brick Lane is lined up with Indian restaurants and you can have a two course meal here for about 10 euro.

3 Day Trip to Paris

Day 1

As soon as you arrive in Paris, you will be itching to go to Eiffel Tower as this marvellous attraction has driven you all the way to city of love. So I would suggest you to head to the tower soon after breakfast. It would be better to take the Metro to the Bir-Hakeim station. Take a ticket to the top level and don’t’ forget to enjoy a glass of the Champagne if you are on a good budget.

Eiffel Tower

After spending some time at the Eiffel Tower, you may have a quick lunch at the restaurants or street food near Metro station. Later take the metro to the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral.

After the tour of the church, you may have a evening coffee in the restaurants near the canal and walk down further near the canal to catch “Salsa Evening at River Seine”. Even if you don’t know Salsa, it will be good to watch the locals having good time.

Day 2

After breakfast, take the train to Versailles. Ticket is available from the metro station itself. There is on need to take any tour for the palace. You may take an audio guide if required.

Palace of Versailles

You may go back to your hotel for lunch and after a short nap, get ready to spend your evening at Montmartre. Here is my travel guide to Montmartre Paris. If you have the budget, go for the famous Moulin Rouge Show. Don’t forget to have a lovely dinner at one of the many restaurants at Montmartre.

Moulin Rouge at Montmartre Paris

Day 3

Today is the day to pay a visit to the Lady ‘Mona Lisa’. Take a metro to Louvre and spend a few hours at the museum. Around lunchtime, take a walk from the Louvre museum to the Arc De Triomphe.

Walk from Louvre to Champs-Élysées in Autumn

There are many options for lunch or street food at Champs-Élysées. After sunset, take a metro back to Louvre to admire the beauty of the lighted-up pyramid. After spending a few hours, take a metro again to  Bir-Hakeim around 10 PM to catch a glimpse of Eiffel Tower in night. Please remember that lights of the tower glitters at every stroke of the hour. Spend some time in the garden and mesmerise over your entire trip to Pairs. Also, there is no ticket for visiting either Louvre or Eiffel Tower in night from outside, of course!

3 Day Trip to Pairs

Here are my nominations for Trip Expert 2017 Awards

• Param and Shikha from The Untourists to plan a 3 day trip to London
• Archana from Travel See Write to plan a 3 Day Monsoon Trip to Goa
• Nisha and Vasu from Lemonicks to plan a 3 Day trip to Mauritius
• Jithin from Trablogger for any topic as per his choice.
• Ishani from Buoyant Lifestyles for any topic as per his choice.

Here’s what you need to do

• Read the Rules for Trip Expert 2017 Award 
• Accept the nomination and write a post describing your plan for the trip.
• Hope one of you win the first prize of Rs. 25K and I get to win Rs. 5000 “King Maker Award” for nominating you.

The home to Bollywood industry, Mumbai attracts tourist from all over the world. Bollywood fans are spread out not only in India but almost every part of the world. Many youngsters come to Mumbai chasing their dreams to work in Bollywood.

Gateway of India

With a natural harbor, which was developed by the British people, it is India’s financial powerhouse and the most flourishing centre of trade. It is a charismatic city filled with life and dreams.

My tour to Dream City Mumbai had lot of awe moment in it and this is why here I am sharing the tips for my readers. If you are planning a trip to Mumbai in a short period like me, read on to make most of your time while in Mumbai.

I visited Mumbai due to an official meeting on short notice but the news filled me with excitement. Immediately, I booked my flight with Vistara airlines. Thanks to Vistara Airlines for last time ticket booking at great offers. Click to check the latest offers at Vistara.

My stay was booked at Radisson Blu Resort & Spa in Mumbai. It is a five star hotel which truly lives up to the expectation. You can’t get such royal hotel at the prices offered. Click and see the latest offers at Radisson Blu.

I attended my meeting on the day I arrived and was all set to explore the city in coming couple of days. I started early the next day after having breakfast at hotel.

Bandra Worli Sea Link

Day 1: Full day tour of Mumbai

First visited Victoria Terminus, which is modeled on the lines of the St Pancras Station in London. Then I visited Gateway of India, Mumbai’s most famous monument. Afterwards, I headed to Nariman point, leading business center in Mumbai. Here you will get some delicious snacks like bhelpuri, sevpuri and variety of sandwich. You can also visit slums and dhobi ghat but I preferred to skip it for making visit to most famous siddhivinayak and mahalakshmi temple. Mumbai beach are not clean enough but Juhu and chowpatty beach are one time visit. Bandra Worli Sea link is also a must visit. Had a glimpse of Haji Ali mosque from Marine Drive as visiting there is a full day affair.  Marine Drive was the perfect end for the day as the sunset was beautiful here.

Day 2: Elephanta Caves Island & Bollywood Tour

I  took a ferry from gateway to reach Elephanta. The Elephanta Island is located 10 km away from the Gateway of India at Mumbai. These caves house rock cut temples dating back to the 5th century. Visiting Elephanta takes your half day even if you are fast enough.  After lunch I visited movie studio VFX.  Discover the Bollywood world here as you watch filming at live shooting set from behind the curtains. I participated in a dance show in evening and went back to the hotel to enjoy dinner.

I had my flight the next day to Delhi. This is how I made most from two days at the city of dreams. The city is beautiful and you need more time to enjoy it. However, the above itinerary will serve you if you have only two or three days in Mumbai. If you want to see most of the Mumbai in two days, be quick and follow the tips.

China is Calling!

The tourism in China has greatly expanded in the last few years. It’s because China has a huge diversity with breathtaking beauty, pleasant atmosphere, inspiring architecture and yummy cuisine which makes it one of the best places to visit in the world. From enjoying  the beauty of the lush green lawns and rocky mountains to shopping the best of designs in clothes China has succeeded in ranking them all.

The fact that there are so many attractions in China that travelers tend to forget their final destination. From one part of the county to the other part everything is diverse in their own way thus making the country an interesting tourist spot. The country has many fascinating attractions like museums, gardens, architectural designs, modern technologies, global centres etc plus shopping is also one of the major attraction of the country. Below listed are few of the must visit  Attractions of China.

The Bund- Shanghai

The Great Wall of China

Situated on China’s central coast is the city with the biggest global financial hub. The major attraction of Shanghai is the bund which is the most recognisable architectural symbol of the city. The place showcases the world with European architectural buildings and skyscrapers on the other side which is interesting and an epitome of elegance.

The Great Wall Of China- Beijing

Combining both modern and traditional architecture with rich historical backgrounds, the city is worth visiting. The city has numerous places to visit but one of the major attraction of city is the great wall of China. As the name suggests the great wall of China is the longest wall in the world and an inspiring phenomenal architecture. The great wall of China is also one of “the New Seven Wonders of the World” and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China. The city is usually known by this amazing architecture which is a must see.

West Lake- Hangzhou

Beyond Your Imagination – China

Known for its scenic beauty, the city is the local political, economic and cultural center of the country and is also the capital of Zhejiang Province. Hangzhou defines beauty and is usually called has “Heaven on Earth.” The major attraction of the city is the west lake which  was created after Chinese love for garden-style parks for recreation. The lake has an amazing view of the horizons and mountains near and far surround it on the other three sides. Walking around the lake or taking a short cruise on the lake is worth a while.

Besides, the country has many other attractions like The Potala Palace in Lhasa, Giant Pandas in Chengdu, The Yellow Mountains in Huangshan, The Li river in Guilin and many more.

Chinese Cuisine – Food you must try

With these amazing attractions one of the known thing China is also famous for is its yummy scrumptious Chinese cuisine. Chinese make countless delicious and scrummy dishes. The food of China varies from the Northern China to southern minority food and much more. Noodles and dumplings of China are a must try while also the other flavours of the country re to crave for!

A Destination of Dreams

China has pleasant climate all over the year. So can be visited anytime that best suits you while applying for Chinese Visa isn’t a difficult ask either.  You can apply for the visa through Chinese Visa Application Service Centres through cities New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

So don’t wait! Go book your China tickets now!!!

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Looking for a holiday? Still wondering  which place to visit?  Why not a place where you enjoy and experience new things from shopping to architectural sites and modern constructions too? Stunned? Wondering which place am I talking about?

China Calling!

Why not visit China? The place with years of culture and history where you can enjoy the natural beauty with a fascinating atmosphere and visit both new and old phenomenal architectural sites. Yes, We know china has a really huge population and is the World’s most populous country but the place is too attractive not to visit. With huge population the place also has a huge diversity and this huge diversity makes China a really appealing tourist destination.

This captivating country has many cities to explore from Beijing to Shanghai to Chengdu and many more while these cities are also diverse in their own way. They include everything museums, gardens, architectural designs, modern technologies, global centres etc plus shopping is also one of the main attraction of the country.

Hello China!

So, If You’re Convinced Enough And Planning To Visit China Here Is A List Of Cities You Should Not Miss

Beijing 

You should definitely start your trip with Beijing. Beijing is an enchanting place usually known for its present day architectural style which is just astonishing. The city also includes more places to explore like Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Imperial Garden, the Great Wall, Prince Gong’s residence etc which depict the Chinese culture and are just worth visiting.

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Shanghai

After Beijing try visiting Shanghai. Shanghai is the biggest city of China and has a really huge global centre. If you’re interested in studying and knowing about financial, commerce, media centres and more of it you should definitely visit this city. The city also include other attractions like the famous river cruise, the ancient art Shanghai museum and the popular Jinmao Mansion etc.

Guangzhou

Near to Shanghai is Guangzhou. This city has grand architectures like the museums and the opera houses but the main attraction of the city is shopping. Every other alley in the city has huge shops and large malls with great good looking collections. Don’t  miss this place if you’re a hardcore shopaholic.

Let’s Go China

Also, the country has many other fetching cities like Wuxi, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Nanjing etc and they all depict their  traditions and cultures in a unique style.

You know the best part? You can visit China anytime of the Year!!! The summers here are pretty good while the winters are quite pleasant and it all depends on what time is the best for you to visit. While you don’t need to worry about the visa either visa to China is not a tough task. You just need to apply for visa through Chinese Visa Application Service Centres present near you.

So what are you waiting for? Go talk to your families or friends and book your tickets now!!!