May 6, 2018 : Namaste! | Gozo cabs journey across India

May 6, 2018June 2, 2018

Hampi: One day trip planner

Hampi is an ancient village in the Karnataka state of India. Located on the banks of the river Tungabhadra, Hampi was once the kingdom of Vijayanagara, now only the ruins are left.

If you have only a day’s time to spend in Hampi, you can visit the following sites.

Vijaya Vittala Temple

It is the ruins of a chariot shaped Hindu temple. People believe that during its time, the chariot wheels used to move. It has musical pillars, which when tapped gently produces musical notes.

Address: Hampi, Karnataka 583239, India

Time to spend: 1 hour

Next destination: Queen’s bath, 20 minutes drive

Queen’s bath

It is a huge bathing chamber used by the king and his wives. It is enclosed with four walls and uncovered ceiling.

Address: Hampi, Karnataka 583239, India

Visiting time: 08:30 AM to 06:00 PM

Time to spend: 30 minutes

Next destination: Hazara Rama Temple, 10 minutes walk

Hazara Rama Temple

It is a temple built during the 15th-century within the same kingdom.

Address: Hampi, Karnataka 583239, India

Time to spend: 30 minutes

Next destination: Zenana Enclosure, 5 minutes walk

Zenana Enclosure

It was the walled compound for the royal women.

Address: Hampi, Karnataka 583239, India

Time to spend: 30 minutes

Next destination: Lotus Mahal, 5 minutes walk

Lotus Mahal

It is a stone palace with tranquil gardens and arches depicting the shape of a lotus.

Address: Hampi, Karnataka 583239, India

Time to spend: 30 minutes

Next destination: Elephant Stable, 5 minutes walk

Elephant Stable

It was a stable for pet elephants of the kingdom built in the Indo-Islamic style of architecture.

Address: Hampi, Karnataka 583239, India

Visiting time: 09:00 AM to 05:30 PM

Time to spend: 30 minutes

Next destination: Hemakuta Hill Temple, 15 minutes drive

Hemakuta Hill Temple

It is a temple complex built on a hilltop. It is a picturesque location for photography and shooting.

Address: Hampi, Karnataka 583239, India

Time to spend: 1 hour

Next destination: Virupaksha Temple, 10 minutes walk

Virupaksha Temple

It is the icon of Hampi and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built during the 7th century.

Address: Hampi, Karnataka 583239, India

Time to spend: 1 hour

You can also rent a car in Hampi for sightseeing and onward journey.

Route plan

Useful Links-

5 amazing getaways from Hampi

How to reach Hampi

What is special about the Hampi group of monuments

May 6, 2018May 18, 2018

4 places to definitely visit on one day Gangtok trip

Gangtok is the capital city of the Indian northeastern state of Sikkim. It is filled with natural beauty and anyone can get tranquilized by the peace of the city. If you are covering the most of the North-east and have only a day’s time to spend in Gangtok, here are the amazing places you can visit.

Nathula Pass

Nathula pass is a Himalayan mountain pass connecting Sikkim and Tibet (China’s autonomous province). It is also an open trading border post between India and China.

Address: Nathula, 737131, Sikkim, India

Time to spend: 1 hour

Next destination: Ganesh Tok, 1.5 hours drive

Ganesh Tok

It is a serene old fashioned temple with the hilltop views and relishing traditional cafeteria.

Address: Gangtok, Sikkim 737103, India

Contact: +91 97171 75530

Time to spend: 45 minutes

Next destination: Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, 25 minutes drive

Namgyal Institute of Tibetology

It is a museum, library, and a research center devoted to the Tibetan culture. The foundation of this institute was laid by Dalai Lama in 1957.

Address: Deorali, Gangtok, Sikkim 737101, India

Visiting time: 10:00 AM to 04:00 PM, Sunday closed

Time to spend: 45 minutes

Next destination: Rumtek Monastery, 1 hour drive

For more information, you can visit the official website of Namgyal Institute of Technology here.

Rumtek Monastery

Rumtek Monastery is a colorful Buddhist monastery built during the 17th century. It is also known as Dharmachakra. Many peace seekers come and stay in this place, it is such serene.

Address: Tsurphu Labrang Pal Karmae Sangha Dhuche, Dharma Chakra Centre, Sikkim 737135, India

Time to spend: 1 hour

Here is a beautiful Northeast travel insight from an avid traveler. You can also book a cab in Gangtok for sightseeing and onward journey.

Route plan

Useful Links-

5 quick getaways from Gangtok

Gangtok: A food tour

Gangtok: A cultural tour

Easy options to reach Gangtok

May 6, 2018December 3, 2018

Fall in love with these amazing food of Srinagar

Srinagar caters to the Kashmiri cuisine. The natives here are voracious meat eaters and the meat dishes are usually accompanied with rice. Saffron, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon are integral in almost every Kashmiri dishes.

Next, we will discuss the traditional food of Srinagar, which you should definitely try on your trip.

Dum aloo

Dum is a cooking tradition in which the food is cooked under pressure. Dum aloo is a gravy-based potato dish and is named so because of this style of cooking. Among the vegetarian dishes in Srinagar, Dum aloo holds the up most position. People eat this dish with chapati or rice.

Nadir yakhni

Nadir Yakhni is a dish made from lotus stem. The lotus stem is soft and brittle and is cooked in milk and yogurt.

The non-vegetarian variant of this dish is simply Yakhni, which is a lamb dish cooked in almost same style. The Kashmiri tea- kahwa is usually served after this meal.

Gushtaba

Gushtaba is a slow cooked lamb dish. The traditional spices including saffron are added which incorporates a unique flavor to this dish. Gushtaba is the name derived from Gosht, meaning meat.

Rista

Rista is simply the meatballs in red gravy. The local take on this dish includes hand grinding the boneless meat in mortar and pestle.

Kashmiri Guchi

It is a mushroom dish. The speciality of this dish is that it is prepared with minimum possible spices. Kashmiri Guchi is definitely worth try when you are in Srinagar.

Here is an interesting information about Guchi.

On your Srinagar visit, try Kashmiri Rajma chawal and Rogan Josh (again a meat dish) as well. Although these are available in other parts of India, they have a distinct flavor here. You can also rent a car in Srinagar and enjoy hassle-free food tour.

Useful links-

Find a quick way to reach Srinagar

Exploring Srinagar in one day

5 places near Srinagar that will keep you awestruck

Gozocabs take on festivals of Srinagar

These things you can shop at Srinagar while spending less

Srinagar: These pictures say it all