Caper Travel India Blog

Delhi, the wonderful city impressed me to the hilt with its striking attractions. There was a combination of both, modern and traditional. With a heart filled with joy and contentment I drove to Jaipur, my next destination. I started early morning at 6 and reached Jaipur at 10:30 am. Now I was all set for delving into the glories, history and culture of Rajasthan.

Rajasthan is a land of raja-maharajas and I always had a wish to experience their lifestyle so I decided to stay in a heritage hotel. Caper Travels Pvt Ltd had booked me in Alsisar Haveli hotel in Jaipur. It is a heritage hotel where once lived the raja-maharajas. Its royal ambiance and world class facilities transported me back in time to the royal era.

As it was already afternoon so we decided to go to Chokhi Dhani first. I was elated to see this unique and beautiful Village Resort which makes you feel as if you are in a traditional village. Its typical rural ambiance, peaceful environment, beautiful surroundings and delicious traditional food served in a traditional style captured my heart. I also saw traditional Rajasthani dance. It was fabulous and lively.

My guide Umaid Singh gave me some information on the city while on our way to the attractions. Jaipur is a tourist destination which pulsates with royalty and rich cultural heritage. Popularly known as the ‘Pink City’, Jaipur, the princely city, boasts of a rich cultural heritage which majestically reflects in its palaces, forts and monuments. It was established by the king Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727. One interesting feature about this city is that it was planned in accord with the Hindu architectural principles of Vaastu. Quite interesting!

I first visited the famous ‘City Palace’. The jewel of Jaipur, this palace is a huge structure which encompasses refreshing gardens, great museums, magnificent halls, huge courtyards and stunning apartments. It was great to explore this place which speaks volumes about the kings who lived here.

My next halt was the Jaigarh Fort which is famous for housing the largest canon in the world. It was built for defense purposes and is also known as the ‘Victory Fort’.

Next, enjoying an elephant ride I reached the most famous attraction of Jaipur, Amber Fort. It is huge, majestic and stunning. Built beautifully in Rajput and Mughal style of architecture, the fort has a history that dates back to 1592. I was overwhelmed by its size, cravings, mirror work, mosaic work and architectural design.

After treating my senses with the beauty and royalty of Jaipur forts and palaces, now was the time to pamper my stomach with some delicious Rajasthani food. I gorged on dal bati churma with a big glass of lassi. I loved it. Then I went on a shopping spree and bought some wonderful handicrafts from the bazaars.

Next day I was slated to explore Agra and again I was excited to know something fascinating about India.

Bookmark In Your Favourite List !

Traveling has always been my passion as it fills me with unsurpassed joy. In fact, it would be more apt to say that I love to be a traveler. It gives me an opportunity to be in rhythm with Mother nature, to explore the richness of various cultures and also to expand my horizon as a human being. There is so much to experience and explore in this world.

When it comes to traveling India has always fascinated me. Although I had not traveled to India before but I had heard and read a lot about it. I had whole one week in my hand so I thought of coming to India for the famous Golden Triangle Tour. So I began my search for the right Tour company which can provide me an enjoyable and hassle free tour. After browsing the Internet for quite some time I came across Caper Travel Pvt. Ltd. which offers a variety of India tours. To ensure its authenticity I checked whether it is government authorized or not. It is and I was completely satisfied when I saw that it is also a National Tourism Award Winner inbound travel company. Then I mailed my requirements to the company and withing a few hours the reply came. Prompt action! I was impressed. So finally I booked my Golden Triangle Tour.

Finally I landed in India to begin my affair with it. My experience began at the car that picked me up. The young chap escorted me to hotel Ramada where I was booked. On the way he told me that the Golden Triangle Tour is the most famous tour among foreigners as it offers glimpses of richness of Indian culture. It is a four-star property located in the center of Delhi. After dinner I retired to bed as the next morning I had to start the Delhi sightseeing tour at 9.

Delhi, Jaipur and Agra are the three enchanting destinations covered in the Golden Triangle Tour. We began with Delhi sightseeing tour. Post breakfast, I along with the guide named Shankar headed towards Old Delhi, a 17th century walled city of Shah Jahanabad. The first attraction I saw was the famous Jama Masjid built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. With history dating back to 1656 AD, it is the largest mosque in India. It was nice to see the mosque.

Enjoying the rickshaw ride we reached Chandni Chowk near Red Fort. It is a wonderful bazaar area( established in 1648) which is famous for a variety of dishes. I tried rabdi( a sweet dish made of milk) with jalebi( a sweet dish). It was yummy.

Our next halt was Raj Ghat, a memorial to Mahatama Gandhi. It was quite peaceful there. Then we further moved on to the picturesque and historic India Gate which was built in memory of the Indian soldiers who died in the World War I & the Afghan Wars. Then we visited President’s House (the official residence of the President of India). It is a magnificent structure.

Post lunch, we visited Humayun’s Tomb, memorial of Mughal Emperor Humayun. I found it really fascinating. The architectural beauty was arresting. Also it is a World Heritage Site. Now was the time to visit the bewitching Qutub Minar. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built in the year 1206 and is the tallest minaret in the world. This was the end of my Delhi sightseeing tour and the next day I was slated to leave for the princely city Jaipur-Day 2 tour.

Bookmark In Your Favourite List !

Chirping of birds on rooftop always captivated my attention and often leads me to follow it hopping. Since my childhood days, birds the colorful flying creatures always remained close to my heart. For me birds are among the best creations of nature. They are small, colorful with melodious tune of expression.

In order to have the best glimpses of this mystic creature I visited the Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan. It is one of the world’s best wetland eco-systems that supports over 350 species of birds out of which every third one is a migrant. This rich collection of bird species makes this place a paradise for birds lover, research ground for Ornithologists and perfect place for birds photographers.

I booked a room in the Bharatpur Forest Lodge in order to enjoy this mystic place at its best. The lodge is located in the middle of the bird sanctuary which provides mystic views of the surroundings. Next morning after having my breakfast I took my camera and went deep into the woods.

No vehicles are allowed here so this place can be visited by the approved cycle-rickshaws that ply inside the park or by electric van. But for me the best way to explore is on foot following jungle trail. Amidst jungle the calmness of nature is shattered through bird’s cacophony. It is really tough to identify any particular bird’s sound among these.

I wandered here and there following one bird but soon it was out of my vision and I started following another. I enjoyed this colorful and lively hide and seek game with birds. Every time I tried to concentrate on a particular bird species, soon the consistency was broken by another colorful bird which flies overhead making a peculiar sound.

The Bharatpur National Park houses wide varieties of birds. Some of them are Pelicans, Spoonbills, Wheatears, Flycatchers, Larks, Buntings, Ibis, Cranes, Hawks, Eagles, Pipits, Hawks, Larks, Shanks, Grey Herons, Warblers and many more.

Amidst this National Park there is a pond which is among the main attractions because it is the center stage of bird activities. This was the most fascinating place I had ever visited in my life. Here one can see several bird species involved in different activities like playing, eating, singing and dancing. Until the day drew to a close I stayed back at the pond so that I could enjoy birds roosting. It is the time when birds return to their nests in evening and in groups they make loud noise. It is the perfect time to watch several species of birds at a time.

After enjoying my long cherished dream I returned to the forest lodge from where I checked out and left for Delhi. During my return journey I continuously scrolled images in my camera which I had captured during this enchanting trip.

Bookmark In Your Favourite List !

Staying as a bachelor & working in a firm that provides offs on every Saturday & Sunday certainly has amazing benefits. The best among those is you can plan a short weekend trip with your friends, without having any prior notice! I enjoyed such a trip last week with two of my friends. On Friday morning, we made a plan to visit Shimla and surprisingly, we left for it the same evening! Shimla is about 370 km from Delhi and after a relaxing overnight journey we reached there Saturday morning comfortably.

A guide there told us that this beautiful hill station derives its name from ‘Goddess Shyamla’, who is supposed to be an incarnation of Goddess Kali. Like most of the hill stations in India, Shimla was also discovered by the British and it used to serve as their summer resort. I was completely amazed to see that the city still retains its age old colonial glory in its buildings.

Our exploration started with the Jakhu Hill that is located at 2 km from the town. Serving as the highest peak of Shimla, Jakhu Hill offers panoramic views of the town and the nearby mountains. The holy temple of Lord Hanuman is established on the same hill. Summer Hill is again a picturesque suburb of Shimla, located at a distance of 5 km from the heart of the city. It houses the esteemed Himachal Pradesh University.

We stopped for a quick bite at the Coffee House in Shimla, which is now run under a cooperative society. With simple decors and a few framed pictures, the Coffee House serves original flavours of coffee picked from the plantations. Our next halt was the State Museum at Shimla, which showcases various miniature paintings, costumes, textiles and jewellery of the region.

Lastly, we paid short visits to the Kamna Devi Temple, Tara Devi Temple, Kali Bari Temple, Christ Church etc. that are some of the highly revered pilgrimage centres in Shimla. I was not aware of the fact that this superb hill station could offer such beautiful theme based tours until I visited the same.

Bookmark In Your Favourite List !