Author: nomadicnitin

Bir-Billing : Paragliding Site and BackPacker’s Nest in Himachal Pradesh

Published by nomadicnitin

If you are thoroughly searching and keen to visit a place with pleasant weather, not very far from Delhi, some adventure, some backpacking, some trekking, some peace time, some yoga and meditation, some cycling, some cool cafes and what not – Head straight to Bir in Himachal Pradesh. Bir and Billing are two different but adjoint places in the state of Himachal Pradesh. As most of us already know, this place is famous for Paragliding (highest in India) : Billing is the Flying (take-off) site and Bir is the Landing site for Para-gliders, together it is known as Bir Billing – the Paragliding capital of India. Billing is situated at an approximate distance of 14 kms uphill from Bir. Bir is a home to many Tibetan Refugees and Monks. It has numerous magnificent  monasteries and Buddhist stupas. There are a lot of people in metro cities who practice Buddhism – Bir can be an ultimate travel destination for those people if they want to practice and experience the next level of salvation. But this place …

Benefits of Bicycle Riding (Physical, Mental and Environmental) On World’s Bicycle Day

Published by nomadicnitin

I am sure we all remember that joyful day – When we learnt riding a bicycle and had our First solo ride without using Pedal Support, Human Support etc. The Joy, the Happiness, the Self-Proud feeling and the Confidence was extremely immense. This sense of merriness and joviality continued for a few years and then we lost the balance.  I think, the generation born after 1995 in India is deprived of this asset of bicycle riding. On the Occasion of World’s BiCycle Day today i.e. 3rd June – I, along with my fellow rider mates, went for an awareness ride to discuss the great perks of bicycle riding. This event was organised by Audacity Riders Group in collaboration with Embassy of Turkmenistan.     We all have heard of this beautiful and motivational quote – Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. When we are attaining such a great life lesson from the simple art of riding a bicycle, we should not neglect and always keep in mind the …

Barot Valley – The Hidden Gem of Himachal Pradesh

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People tend to throng to touristy places and why won’t they –  they are the tourists 😉 But there are some wanderers, Backpackers, Nomads who always try to find a place of Solace and Peace to visit. The outskirts of Barot Valley is the one of those places. Barot Village, situated at a distance of 66 Kms from the town of Mandi in Himachal Pradesh is not a very famous or a well know destination among people right now. But I must say, it is an under-rated place. Placed beautifully in the lap of Nature and surrounded by Dhauladhar Range from both sides, Barot village has a population of around 2000 people. This valley comprises of Uhl river and lush green forest area. So these lines from a famous poem are very apt when we talk about Barot Village –  When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass, And the river flows like a stream of glass.   How to Reach Barot –  By Bus – Take an overnight bus from Delhi to Mandi. After …

Prashar lake (trek OR no-trek) – Weekend Destination from Delhi !

Published by nomadicnitin

Don’t have a Long weekend coming ? Can’t afford enough leaves from work ? Prashar Lake is the destination for you.   Situated at about 50 kms from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh – Prashar lake is actually a religious destination but not for all. It is believed that Bhim(Mahabharta) created this lake and it is named after Sage Prashar as he meditated there for a long time. A temple is created along this lake where people (generally Himachali) come to express their love and seek blessings from the God. It is believed that the depth of Prashar lake is still not known. How to reach Prashar lake Take a overnight bus or Drive from Delhi/Chandigarh to Mandi,Himachal Pradesh enroute to Kullu/Manali. From Mandi, there are 3 options to reach Prashar Lake :- Trek – The trek to Prashar lake starts from Village Baggi which is 7-8 kms from Mandi. You can take a bus from Mandi bus stand till Baggi or Hire a taxi. From Baggi, you can trek to Prashar lake which is about 8 …

Village Choj : Best Getaway at a walking distance from Kasol

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Finding Kasol over-crowded but wish to stay in vicinity ? Smile please, Because I have a good alternative for you Choj, a beautiful yet small village in the neighborhood of kasol in the state of Himachal Pradesh, has it’s own rituals and customs followed by the locals there. In my vision, this village tops in the list of places to stay near kasol, because of its view and stay options. Katagla is another option if you want to adhere to the river (Check out my Blog on Katagla here). Out of many, the most superior advantage about choj is – no vehicular population at all. It is due to the fact that – one has to cross the mighty Parvati river in order to reach this village. No, you don’t have to swim across. There is a small hanging bridge on which you can only walk and reach choj. How to reach Choj You can take a bus from Delhi to Kasol OR Manali to Kasol OR from ‘wherever you are’ to Kasol. If you …

Katagla: the new Kasol

Published by nomadicnitin

Katagla is a small serene village, in the state of Himachal Pradesh, with a very less settlement of people. As we all know that Kasol is a lot thronged and commercialized now, so the main motive of backpackers is not accomplished there. Therefore, they have started moving to nearby Villages and Katagla is one of them and also the most beautiful, as per me. So, katagla comes first in the list of places to stay near kasol. How to reach Katagla – Katagla is located just 3 kms before kasol and 7 kms before manikaran ( kasol is 4 kms before manikaran). So take a bus to kasol and just take a drop at katagla, just before kasol. Katagla is not a settled along the road to kasol, but you have to cross a river bridge to reach katagla. So, just take a little descend from the point where bus drops you, to find the river bridge. Crossing that river bridge will lead you to Katagla.   Where to stay in Katagla – Katagla has …

Lansdowne: A perfect weekend getaway from Delhi

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When you have serious craving for mountains and can’t wait for a long weekend – head to Lansdowne. Located at just 250 kms from Delhi, Lansdowne is a small hill station in Uttarakhand. (It is at a distance of 40 km from Kotdwar, 106 km from Haridwar, 131 km from Rishikesh, 158 km from Dehradun and 250 km from Delhi) How to Reach Lansdowne from Delhi – Most preffered way to reach Lansdowne is by Road. Drive your Car or hire a taxi maybe. The best route to drive from Delhi to Lansdowne is Delhi – Ghaziabad – Hapur – Meerut –  Bijnor – Najibabad- Kotdawara – Lansdowne. It is a  7-8 hours journey including 2-3 small tea breaks. You will find some lush green farms after crossing Meerut , where you can take small tea breaks. After Kotdawara, the uphill to mountains begins. In Lansdowne, do not expect huge mountains as in Himachal Pradesh or Upper Areas of Uttarakhand. But, in all, it is a good visit place when you want to relax for 1-2 …

Jaisalmer: The desert destination of India

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If you want to experience and witness the great grand sand desert in India, Jaisalmer is the place to be. Thar desert has covered almost all of Jaisalmer, very beautifully. 3 nights would be sufficient to explore and do enough travelling around Jaisalmer. There are 3 ways to travel from New Delhi to Jaisalmer – Road – Approximately 800 kms which will take not less than 15-16 hours. Rail – There are majorly 3 direct trains from Delhi to Jaisalmer : Howrah Jaisalmer SF Express – runs only on tuesdays, travel time 13.40 hours Delhi Jaisalmer Express – runs all weedays, travel time 18.10 hours Ranikhet Express – runs all weedays, travel time 18.45 hours Air/Flight – takes 1.20 hours   I (along with 5 friends) travelled to Jaisalmer via train (Delhi Jaisalmer Express). It was a long but enjoyable journey. Travelling in trains has always been exciting for me. You get to talk to different people, walk around, sleep for long hours, play cards if travelling with friends. Good trains in India also offer delicious …

A well planned Spiti Road Trip

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There are some Road trips which manifests you to breathtaking views everywhere you look. A road trip to Spiti valley is one of those. Well, for some, travelling solo is the ultimate contentment but for others, travelling with a group takes the preference. I went to Spiti (by Road) with a bunch of 12 friends so as to make it a budget trip (since the cost of travel and accomodation would be well shared among all). It costed us 10-12k INR per head for a 9 day trip (Delhi to Delhi) with all the luxury(almost) accomodations. We hit the roads in 1st week of June,2017. Day 1 : Delhi to Narkanda ( via Shimla) ( Approximate time of travel : 12-14 hours) We stared from from Delhi at around 9 PM in volvo bus to Shimla > Reached Shimla in the morning .We had our traveller vehicle ( which can accomodate 14 people) booked for the next 8 days. Bybassing the main shimla city center, we directly stared our fun ride from Shimla to Narkanda …

How was my first solo trip/trek experience

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My Story of First solo trip/trek  It was back in January 2013 when i switched my job and took an intentional break of one week in-between so as to travel and have a good time with friends. But, out of my surprise , nobody (group of people whom i used to travel with) was allowed to take a time-off from their work places. I was a little sad and confused at the same time ,when a close friend of mine who was in Mumbai  and also professional trekker advised me and literally ordered – just pack your bag , step out of your home and then give me a call . He motivated and suggested me not to give it any other thought and just leave right then . I followed him. He directed me to go  for Triund trek in Mcleodganj, Himachal Pradesh. Triund is quite a famous trek now, but not at that time. I boarded a Volvo bus from Majnu ka tilla, Delhi. While in bus, I was sitting alone and listening …