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When we started to plan our winter vacation, North East of India seemed to be the obvious choice. I had never been to this region before, and I had heard so many stories about this dynamic and unexplored part of India. I wanted to take my daughter to Kaziranga National Park which is located in Assam (“Awesome Assam“). During our planning stage, we came across an amazing river cruise on the Brahmaputra river.  As the second half of our journey was already planned, we joined the upstream departure for 3 nights only instead of the regular 7 nights program.   Unlike river cruises around the world which are about enjoying sonic beauty, river cruises in India are about experiencing unique elements and seeing unexplored and unseen places. The North East of India has so many hidden gems and exploring Assam on a river cruise is an amazing idea as you stay in comfort , enjoy good food and the best part- you don’t have to pack and unpack on a daily basis. River Cruise Experience We were received at Guwahati airport and transferred to the riverfront where our boat awaited. Enroute we had an option to visit the Kamakhya Temple. The Temple is dedicated to the goddess of desire whose name is Kama Khya. She is believed in Hindu mythology to be the granter of desires. From here we continued to the port to embark on the cruise. When we arrived at the Port, we walked across a massive bamboo walkway to reach the vessel. The cruise staff was very welcoming, we were offered a welcome drink and escorted to our cabins. Bamboo bridge leading to the Boat It wasn’t long before we saw some adorable river dolphins hopping in and out of the water. You have to be patient and need to wait for the perfect moment when they pop out for just about a second. Unlike ocean dolphins, which are blue in color, these river dolphins are brown in color. Looking out for River Dolphins As we started to cruise on the river Brahmaputra, we witnessed the calm and bold river and the serene life on its banks. The Brahmaputra is a fast-moving river and is known for its moving and changing sandbanks. There are a number of  tiny sand islands created by the river and they all disappear at some point in the year. The islands are free for nomads to use and cultivate on. When the islands’ flood during the rainy (monsoon) season they are vacated by the nomads. As the water retracts, these nomads return and find for themselves a new island. Due to the shifting sandbanks of the river, our boat had a smaller pilot boat traveling ahead of it checking the water for sandbanks and clearing the way for the bigger boat. River Island created by Sand-Banks On our first afternoon, we visited a unique island known as the Peacock island where we saw the Golden Langur. It is believed by the locals that whoever visits the Kamakhaya temple, must then visit the temple on peacock island to fulfill the prayers. The peacock island is the smallest inhabited island in the world with only the priest and his family living on it. There is one Golden Langur on this island and he is clearly the celebrity of the place. Golden Langur at Peacock Island The following day was at ease and we visited a local village where Bangla community stays. We visited the fields, a village home, silver jewelry shop, barbershop, and had ample opportunity to engage with the locals in the village. We also saw a number of vegetables grow. This was the livelihood of people in the village. The was a school, which was closed for winter break. Inside a village home at the Bangla Village in Assam Mustard fields at the Bangla Village in Assam For our visit to the village we were transferred from our cruise to smaller boats. It was very interesting to see how the boat navigated through the sandbanks on the river and reached the banks of the village. The cruise crew then made make-belief steps by carving the sand on the banks so we could reach the village and return to the boat with ease. Children seeing of the boat after the Village Tour. Village tour of Bangla Village, Assam The following day we cruised all day. The day was warm but the night was cold. Due to heavy fog in the morning, our cruising was delayed and our scheduled program for today had to be adjusted . The staff was very professional and experienced and knowledgeable. They did what was best to make our journey comfortable and safe. They made sure we didn’t miss any experience or excursion due to the delay. Our third night on the cruise was short. We had to wake up early for our excursion. We woke up at 2:30 am and departed the cruise by 3 am. A 45-minute drive from the dock took us to Kaziranga National Park. Here we enjoyed pre-breakfast at a resort before continuing to visit the national park. Our first experience at the National park was on elephant backs. We  experienced the beautiful sunrise as the elephants glided through the tall grass of the Park. We saw a number of Rhinos, big and small, grazing in the Jungle. Sunrise during Elephant Safari – Kaziranga National Park, Assam Elephant Safari – Kaziranga National Park, Assam Elephant Safari at Kaziranga National Park, Assam We then returned to another resort for a full breakfast before returning to the jungle for a jeep safari. Our naturalist showed us a number of birds and wild animals including more Rhinos. Open Jeep Safari at Kaziranga National Park, Assam Jeep Safari at Kaziranga National Park, Assam Rhino spotted during Jeep Safari at Kaziranga National Park Rhino spotted during Jeep Safari at Kaziranga National Park Next on our schedule, today was visit to the beautiful tea gardens. We drove right into the middle of a private garden and enjoyed tribal dance

Precautions When you might be going for your safari holidays, you must take special precautions in way or at the browsing sight. Take a complete healthcare package, prevent sporting brilliant colors as bugs gets attracted, typically blue shade attracts tsetse flies, that have a nasty chunk, use lavender oil to minimize swellings and discomfort triggered by its bite. Throughout safari drink only bottled water and avoids consuming uncooked seafood or meat. Try to swim only in chlorinated/rock salt treated pools or the ocean and stay away from lakes, streams, waterfalls, and rivers as usually they’re contaminated with diseased plants and parasites and of course lethal crocodiles. Often hear carefully to what your guides are telling, as they are nicely acquainted using the regions and want you to possess the very best time whilst on safari. Do not forger to check your shoes, turning them the wrong way up, as there could be the possibility of any spider or scorpion.   If you are inside a temper to go for a stroll, wear lengthy pants and substantial gum-boots to stay away from picking up grass borne insects and also avoid sitting within the grass or on sandy soil. Try not to use strongly scented soaps, deodorant, and perfume as these entice insects. Visitors are advised not to get down from the jeep while on the safari. They really should try to maintain total silence as soon as inside the premises of your park and retract on their own and others from any kind of exercise that may well harm the forest ecosystem. If your prime reason for going on safari would be to take photos, don’t halt for longer occasions, as other sharing the automobile may well not accept it. Essential Skills When heading to get a jeep safari, prefer to travel in-group that is the way in which you can enjoy most. Normally, group of about 7to 8 folks are taken on 2 1/2 – 3hrs open-top jeeps in to the chosen sight. The accompanying naturalist will explicate the various sights and sounds in the jungles, deserts or mountain terrain and helps you absorbing in the essence on the wild. Wild animals, usually shy of humans, are tolerant to jeeps approaching them, you ought to preserve absolute silence to enjoy the additional nearer appear with the wilds in their pure habitats.   Elephants are very pleasant along with incredibly expressive mammals, they rumble, squeak, trumpet, ripple and talk with physique language, by shaking the head, spreading the ears, raising the trunk and so forth. Elephants possess a sharp sense of scent, frequently one elephant will place its trunk into another’s mouth to be able to greet it or reassure it in moments of anxiety. In case your main aim is to get photos then go for photographic safari, guide a non-public recreation drive at an extra cost. Gear Up Fleets of contemporary jeeps are equipped with robust, comfortable and dependable ride. Be it the fiery desert or frigid zones. All vehicles must be mechanized ones, preferably effective 4-wheel drive. The windows and doors of your vehicle ought to be appropriately barred to render security to site visitors. The Safari operator shall insure the door of your automobile boarding the website visitors invariably has safety lock to ensure that no site visitors can manoeuvre the locking arrangement. It needs to be possessed with supplementary gears for becoming employed in rough and rugged terrain, if vital. The car really should also be equipped with initial assist facility on it. From the travelers point of view not much is required, you need to carry together with you sun glasses, a cap, telescope, camera with spear rolls and a few thing to munch that provides to your charm. Camel Safari’s are such animal rides that will need both talent and creativeness to discover the mirages of desert. Common Terms Raikas: The Camel keeper. Safari: It is a term used for ‘journey’ in Swahili-local language of Africa. Four Wheel Drive: Normally used for power engine drive-Land-Rovers and Vans. 4 x 4 drive: The jeep is equipped with tyres that can be rotated in different direction when the jeep struck.

I have always wondered what has fascinated me about road trips, and each time I get into a little introspection, there are different answers to the same question. I have already given a detailed explanation of my journey to Rajasthan along Pushkar, Ajmer and Jaipur… but I had left the Jaisalmer part of my journey off for a little while, because there are so many several elements to it that I wasn’t sure where would I need to begin with. My journey to Jaisalmer was rather tumultuous and winding in the least to say. It began late in the night from Pushkar, on a rickety ‘luxury bus’ … I remember the night vividly as the desert winds were biting cold and I was cursing myself for the nth time for not taking my warm clothes along! Fortunately I had two Israeli backpackers along with me for company; they definitely helped me take my mind off the biting cold. Conversations and piping hot masala chai kept me going me for a while, till the brash horn of the ‘luxury bus’ driving cut through the silence of the cold desert night… strapping on my rucksack, I got on to the rickety and shaky bus. Here is the thing about bus rides, I simply love them, especially when I get the window seat… I love gazing out of the window and watch the world buzz past me…. This time on I got the window seat… but the window was shut and surprisingly I liked it that way!  Unfortunately this window had a small opening through which the cold air kept coming in… the night passed in with people filling the bus to its seams. There hardly was any space, people were lying down on the floor of the bus for the night… the journey went on and so did the night. The morning came with the rays of the sun trickling in through the small opening of the window, bright and shiny… and yet cold. We stopped at Pokhran, a village of the Jaisalmer district… the village is infamously known for being the site of the nuclear test. I would like to associate Pokhran as the land of five mirages… While I was set to head to Jaisalmer soon, I decided to spend the day at Pokhran, on checking with the driver I knew that there would be buses to Jaisalmer every hour or so. Surrounded by sand, rock and 5 salt ranges, the stark and raw landscape of Pokhran truly mesmerized me. The rugged and earthy peaks of Aravalli ranges and the sandy moulds of the Thar Desert can be a truly captivating scenery. Short shrubs and sandy terrain, there is a beauty in the desert that cannot be described in words. My half a day in Pokhran was possibly my first solo trip to an Indian village after almost 10 years… and there isn’t much that has changed in villages. There is this warmth and friendliness in the people that simply cannot be duplicated at any cost or circumstances, nor can it be found in any of the cities or towns. Sipping chai with villagers and enjoying the sun rise over the horizon. I silently watched the sun steadily rise up through the horizon and fill the quarters with golden light… for the first time in my life I had begun my breakfast with chai, hot jalebis and samosas! Till now I had only seen women carry pots of water on their head in movies, today I caught it all live… it seemed to be a day of many firsts. Time rushed past and it was soon time to take the evening bus and head to Jaisalmer… but I did not take the bus, there was this old lady I ended up talking to and her tale kept me intrigued through the evening and I spent the night at her hut… she was talking about her life and how much has changed in her small village. It was interesting to get a different perspective on something, till date, everything was restricted to my limited understanding of the village life… but her words shed new light on various different aspects. The effects the nuclear testing had on our own villagers, the change in life they have had since and how difficult it is to get by even with a day’s meal. Spending the night in a small hut, where I have been given all the wares, made me feel small and truly humble. I realised the true meaning of hospitality… the morning sun woke me up and after freshening up with little water and a breakfast of hot chai and poha I walked into the bus stop to take the next bus to Jaisalmer. I left Pokhran feeling completely at ease, another ride down and I hit the city of Jaisalmer… the early morning cold wasn’t helping me again. But I was lost in my thoughts and soon I saw the bright golden fort of Jaisalmer (one of the rare living forts of the country). Fortunately the hotel I was staying over at was just a few feet away from the Fort… I just rushed inside my room, after ensuring that hot water was available… after refreshing my stiff muscles and joints with hot water and hot chai (Rajasthan seemed to have made me an fervent tea drinker)… I decided to get a little sleep… considering I had choppy sleep over 2 nights. Awaking refreshed and energized, I walked up to the terrace of the Hotel, we had a roof top restaurant I simply sat watching the sights around me. I had coincidently chosen the perfect time to head to Jaisalmer – the annual desert festival was on! I decided to peacefully roam the regions of Jaisalmer; I was planning a desert safari that day, so I was in the mood to take things easy that and light that day. Roaming around the streets of Jaisalmer, I soon realised why it was called the Golden

Khajuraho- The temple town of Khajuraho is famous for the erotic, sculptures and often connected to the Kama sutra. It is only when you visit the beautiful town and it’s temples, you realize that the temples of Khajuraho are much more than just “erotic sculpture temples”.   Khajuraho is a small town with 20,000 people . During peak season it gets almost 600 international tourist a day, in off season this number significantly reduces. That said , it was nice visiting Khajuraho in the off season as roads are empty, we had the temples almost to ourselves for exploring, we cycled on the boulevards without any problem and most importantly, hotel prices are really low!   We flew into Khajuraho by the midday flight from Varanasi. A short 40 minute flight later we arrived at the beautiful secluded quite town of Khajuraho. The airport is a 10 min drive from the “downtown” of Khajuraho – which is a 2 kms long circular boulevard with hotels on either sides of the boulevard and the Western Temples .Khajuraho – the name comes from the numerous Date (kharjur) tress spread around the region during the period it was built in. Now, there is not a single Date tree left in the region.    Boulevards of Khajuraho   All hotels in Khajuraho have only two floors- ground and first floor. They also do not have lifts. Please request for a room specifically on the ground floor incase you cannot climb to the first floor. The airport is a 10 minute drive away from the hotels and normally Khajuraho gets 1 flight a day during off peak season and 2 flights a day during peak season.   While driving on the boulevard, you do feel like you are in the 1990 or 1980’s . This is because the hotels (the only construction you will see as you exit the airport) were constructed during those years. However, when you enter the hotels , you feel more like you are in the 2016   Since it was a nice and cloudy day, we choose to visit the temples in the afternoon. We visited the Western Temples with our guide and learnt about the history and architecture of the temples. The temples of Khajuraho were built between 950 and 1050 by the Chandela dynasty. There were originally over 85 temples which were constructed. About 25 temples are said to exist now.   Western Temples of Khajuraho   The western temple compound consist of 6 temples; the temple of Lord Vishnu is considered the main temple. We learnt about different theories of science and physics used to built the temple. From the angles the windows were placed at and the theory of ecology in the design to the depiction of all elements of a life, the temples were an extraordinary example of great architecture.   Khajuraho Temples   Later we walked around the compound and visited the other temples before returning to our hotel for some rest. In the evening we visited the temple site again for the Sound and light show. The show was nice with the temples light up in different colours. Shikhar Travels always recommends its client to do the Sound and Light show after guided sightseeing of the temples so it is easy to keep up with the story .   The following morning , we relaxed at our hotel before departing at 3 pm for Panna National Park. We were excited and hopeful to view a Tiger. The National park is a 45 minute drive from Khajuraho. Our naturalist and driver , both came with a lot of experience and made the journey very exciting. We spotted one tiger, three crocodiles , numerous white spotted deer’s, peacock , peahens, Gray Langur, Sambar Deer and some beautiful birds.   The best part of our journey in Khajuraho was cycling- we hired cycles from our hotel and went on ride on the boulevard. The roads are always empty during off peak season and it was simply a beautiful experience, specially since we do not get to cycle at all in cities like Delhi. We visited the Eastern Temples during our ride, which were not half as exciting as the Western Temples. We skipped the Southern Temples entirely! But the experience of cycling on the boulevard was just fantastic.    Cycling in Khajuraho   Shikhar Travels recommend Khajuraho as a two day destination. So you can enjoy the beautiful Ancient Temples and witness the Tigers at Panna National Park.