Travel Guides

Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in striving for Indian independence and even today he remains a worldwide symbol of peace. His name is something we all recognize, but few people know who he really was.

Recently, Gandhi’s home was sold in Johannesburg and after a French company managed to purchase the famous property, it was widely criticized.

The good news is, it looks like they will convert this rather historical building into a famous museum in the name of Mahatma Gandhi. It was here after all, in Johannesburg, South Africa where he spent a great deal of time pondering and formulating his philosophies on life.

Bombay was renamed Mumbai in 1995, after the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, and is one of the many urban areas in the world that combines great wealth with desperate poverty. Although Mumbai’s economy is growing year after year, over 50% of its population still live in slums, which is one of the highest percentages in the world. Alongside grand old colonial buildings and beautiful temples and mosques are smart new offices, industrial factories and vibrant markets, and the streets and roads are heavily crowded for much of the day, creating a chaotic, noisy atmosphere (it feels like all 14 million inhabitants are constantly on the move at once). Emissions are barely regulated throughout much of India, and the levels of pollution in Mumbai (especially in the hot, humid summer) will surprise and dismay many visitors. However, despite all of its faults this city has a lot to offer tourists, and is undeniably an energetic, exciting and friendly place.

Delhi is a vast and hectic city, with a massive population that seems to be constantly on the roads and streets, making the whole place seem chaotic and overwhelming. This makes Delhi a challenging city for visitors, and the pollution, seething crowds and the stark evidence of poverty can make your trip seem more educational than enjoyable at times. However Delhi is also a city of history and vibrant culture, and makes the perfect base for visiting some of India’s greatest architectural and colonial treasures, including the rich sacred temples and holy mosques, the forts of Rajasthan and of course the iconic Taj Mahal. Delhi is also a delight for shoppers, as there are numerous markets and bazaars that offer thousands of wonderful goods from the finest silks to freshest spices. Food is also a delight here, as not only are there restaurants serving India’s finest cuisines, but also many international establishments serving everything from Sushi to Italian dishes.

India is the 7th largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. The country is also blessed with a very rich and varied flora and fauna. India boasts a total of 88 National Park and 490 Wildlife Sanctuaries, sheltering over 390 mammals, 455 reptiles, 210 amphibians, 1,230 bird species and 30,000 species of insects, which make it a perfect destination for wildlife tourism.

India is very rich in terms of wildlife animals. To experience 1,36,000 species of plants, and some of the world’s rarest animals on the verge of extinction promise undulating adventure, India becomes one of the biggest attractions to tourists from around the world. Among many WildLife parks in India, following are some of the most popular

Bandhavgarh National Park

For most people a holiday is a time to really treat themselves, and this means that there is a huge market for luxury, top quality hotels and resorts around the world. What better way to make a honeymoon or special holiday memorable than staying in a lavish 5 Star hotel, and treating yourself to all the extravagance and opulence that they have to offer.

I think everybody of you heard about Mount Everest(or Chomolungma). If you want to know more about it, please read this post.

Mount Everest is a legend. World’s highest mountain with its 8848 meters. Imagine only to run, or to walk, almost 9 km. It means already an effort, and not many people will do this.

Climbing these almost 9 km is much worse! You need equipment, you need oxygen, you need intermediate camps and logistics. But a wider philosophical question emerges: why some people climb mountains? Maybe they seek the Gods. The legends about the Gods on Mount Everest are an explanation for the fact that no local conquered this mountain! The New Zealand born Sir Edmund Hillary was the first to realize it, together with a frightened local sherpa Tensing Norge.

Reinhold Meissner conquered Mt Everest without oxygen mask.

In the indian state of West Bengal you can find Darjeeling, a wonderful small town. It has a story, and I would like to unveil this story for you.

Supposing you are a british colonist from the XiXth century living in the dirty dusty hot Calcutta. In order to escape the big city, you need sometimes to go out. Where? You guessed, in Darjeeling!

Darjeeling is a little town surrounded by the hills announcing the high Himalaya. On all those hills, simply everywhere, there are tea plantations. The Darjeeling tea is one of the world’s best, and is very much beloved and appreciated in U.K. and other parts of the former British empire.

The most of the former residences are now hotels. You can enjoy a cheap luxury, pretending again being the british lord.

Bangalore is officially called “Bengaluru” and is the capital of Karnataka State and the story behind the naming of the city is great too. Bangalore, according to state historians, got its name from Bendakalooru (the town of boiled beans) after a king strayed into the area during a hunting trip in the late 14th century. A woman offered him a meal of boiled beans which the king enjoyed so much that he named the town after the dish. Bangalore is the 3rd most populous city in India with close to 6 million people living here. Bangalore is one of the fastest growing cosmopolitan cities in Asia. It is called as “Silicon Valley of India” with thousands of IT Companies and lots of outsourced jobs; it is an outsourcing hub where many of the critical projects from Fortune 500 companies are done here. Bangalore is also famous for its climate and is also called “Garden City of India” for its many parks and trees.
Bangalore is a mix of both old and new, with its palace, museums, parks, pubs, restaurants and many shopping malls. “Bangalore Palace” is one of the attractions; it was built by Wodeyar King in 1887. It was inspired by Windsor Castle. This palace was built keeping in mind the Tudor style of architecture with fortified structure, battlements and turrets.
If you are interested in nature, you can always go to “Lal Bagh” which is a well known botanical garden in Bangalore. It was constructed way back in 18th century by ruler Hyder Ali and the plants from various countries were brought by his son Tipu Sultan and planted in this 240 acre garden. It houses close to 1000 species of rare flowers and plants and it has trees well over 100 years old. It is place visited by lot of people everyday mostly joggers and nature enthusiasts. The Glass House which has many of the rare flowers is a center of attraction in “Lal Bagh”. The Lal Bagh Rock, one of the oldest rock formations on earth, dating back to 3000 million years is another attraction that brings in crowds. Cubbon Park is another famous park in Bangalore among joggers which is in the centre of the city.
There are many other attractions in Bangalore like “Vidhana Soudha” which is a seat of Karnataka’s State Legislature, “Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum” which attracts close to million visitors every year, “Bull Temple” which is a temple built in 1537 and has an idol of “Nandi the bull” and is a sacred place for many people.
Bangalore is also very famous for its pubs and nightlife; it has various pubs and discos which are pretty much in demand on weekends among the youngsters. Even though pubs in Bangalore close at 12.00 am, restaurants are open till 3-4 am. If you are interested in shopping, it is home to many shopping malls which have great offers running all through the year. Bangalore is growing up to be a great city but it also has its problem like high traffic, costlier than other Indian cities and lack of Infrastructure. But it is a great place to visit with its perfect blend of history and modernization.