Hey guys, I know you have been missing us! We missed you too. But now we are back, Yay!!! I want to thank you guys for being here even when I was not around. I am quite surprised to see how well the blog is growing now. We got a little more than ‘15800 Reads’ last month which is so amazing. Thanks to all my dear friends and readers. If you follow us on our social media then you must be knowing that currently, I am doing a series of travel posts on Instagram & Facebook covering our Rajasthan Road Trip. And the same I’m going to share on my blog now.

During Valentine’s week last month (Feb 2020), we did an unplanned road trip for 9 days across Rajasthan with Nemit & it turned out to be the best of all our road trips so far. We just had 2 major destinations in our mind which we wanted to cover i.e. Jaisalmer & Jodhpur but we could explore 5 different destinations.

Rajasthan Road Map

The only reason to keep the trip unplanned was the uncertainty.

We were not sure if we could go that far in our i10, we had no idea how Nemit was going to take it & I highly doubted if I could drive such long distances with cervical & lower back pain. We knew just 1 thing that we were gonna enjoy every moment of the journey. And we were also prepared mentally to deal with any kind of situation. I’m sure that’s what got us through this adventure.

You may also want to read – Road Trip & Car Safety (when traveling with kids)

I got some DMs asking for a detailed itinerary, so here I’m doing day-wise posts of our Rajasthan Road Trip. Because writing about 9 days in a single post won’t do the justice to the whole expedition. So, here it is the Day 1 of our trip.

Rajasthan Road Trip – Day 1

9 Days – 5 Destinations – 3 Travelers

(Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaipur)

🔺Day 1 – Noida to Bikaner
🔺Distance covered – 542 Km
🔺Total Time – 11 Hrs
🔺Stay at – Hotel Sagar, Bikaner @hotelsagarbikaner
🔺Place visited – Explored nearby places in the evening

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When we started off from Noida we were not sure where to stop for the night & we wanted to cover as much distance as possible. But we also wanted to enjoy the journey so we decided on a time. If we could reach Jaipur before 1 pm we would continue the trip & stop at Bikaner. If not, we would stay at Jaipur.

We started at 7 am from Noida & crossed Jaipur around noon with 3 quick pit stops. Later we stopped around 2 pm at a local restaurant for lunch. We reached Bikaner at 6 pm with just 1 pit stop.

The roads are good but we found some crazy traffic till Jaipur, there were countless trucks on the road which were blocking all the lanes so it was a tricky drive but a thrilling one for sure. We had packed some veg sandwiches & masala idlis for snacking on the go, worked like magic to keep Nemit calm on the first day of the drive.

What else worked to keep our kid happy? Talking & Talking!

Check out this post on Instagram to watch some videos – Click Here!

After driving for 11 hrs we just wanted to hit the bed but Nemit was ready to roll. So, we freshened up & headed out for a quick drive around the place. There was a fort nearby but it was already closed so we drove around for some time & came back to the hotel. We stayed at Hotel Sagar which is a beautiful property with the heritage feel & a modern touch. So, we spent some time exploring the place before heading for dinner at their restaurant.

Hotel Sagar, Bikaner

Here’s a quick review of Hotel Sagar, Bikaner – Click Here!

The last thing I remember from that night was Sumit in a deep sleep & I was about to pass out too while Nemit was happily lying between two of us playing with his toys with no sleep in his eyes. I don’t remember what happened after that.

Overall, it was an extraordinary day! Here’s to a memorable Rajasthan road trip, 9 Days – 5 Destinations – 3 travelers, we did it!

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Have you done an unplanned road trip with your little ones? How would you describe the experience in just one sentence?

The post Rajasthan Road Trip Day 1 (9 Days/5 Destinations) – Traveling with a Kid appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hey guys, am back with yet another travel post. And this one is for adventure junkies, who thrive on thrill & adrenaline rush! Mommies and daddies, if you think that after having kids you can’t plan adventure trips with your children, think again! Well, having kids doesn’t mean you have to kick out adventure from your travels. Stay put as I will be sharing the 7 amazing family adventure trips you can plan with your toddler in India! All based on our experience.

In recent times, India has emerged as one of the best adventure travel destinations in the world.

Many people from around the world come to India to seek adventure & explore the astonishing locations. But the sad part is, we the people of India, are unaware of the treasures of our own beautiful country. Our Incredible India has so much to offer to every kind of traveler including the adventure lover families.

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7 Family Adventure Trips to plan with a Toddler

I am listing down 7 places in India which any adventure lover would love to visit. We have visited all these places with our toddler during the last year.

1- Explore Baratang Caves in the Andamans 

Plan your family adventure trip to the caves in the Andamans. The Baratang island lies between the South & Middle Andaman. And, it is famous for the mangrove creeks & limestone caves. I would say more than the caves, the whole journey towards the Baratang caves is what makes the experience more exciting.

There are 2 ways to reach Baratang island, by ferry & by road. Take the road for that adrenaline rush which you will feel while crossing the tribal (Jarawa) forest area in a convoy with armed policemen. I don’t have any pics of that since clicking pictures was not allowed there.

Speed boat from Baratang Jetty

After you safely cross the Jarawa Forest Reserve, you have to take a vehicle ferry to reach the Baratang jetty. And then from there, one has to take the speed boat which will take you along the mangrove forest to a creek.

Finally, a small trek from the forest & fields to reach the limestone caves. The whole experience was exhilarating. Our 2 year old loved every bit of the journey.

Nemit pulling his grandmother to go inside the Baratang caves

2- Trek to the mesmerizing waterfalls in Cherrapunjee

We planned a trip to Meghalaya last year on Diwali. There’s no doubt, Meghalaya is one of the most sought-after travel destinations for nature and adventure lovers in India. And if you happen to plan a family adventure trip with your kids to this beautiful place, you must include Trek to Wah Kaba Falls in Cherrapunjee.

Trekking down at Wah Kaba Falls

Now, if you want to witness the majestic falls, the best time to visit is definitely during monsoon. But I would suggest, if you are going with kids, plan before or after the monsoon. It will be easier to hike down towards the falls otherwise the whole trail will be slippery & not safe for kids.

3- Ride the World’s highest cable car at Gulmarg, Kashmir

We were so lucky to plan a trip to Kashmir last year. Looking at the current situation in Kashmir, I really hope that everything gets back to normal soon. Kashmir is truly a heaven on Earth. It’s difficult to describe the beauty of its charming landscape, it just hypnotizes you & embraces you in its beauty.

Crossing Phase 1 – Gondola cable car

If you plan a trip to Kashmir, do visit Gulmarg & experience the Gondola ride. The cable car takes you to the top of Apharwat. It was one thrilling ride for us. The cable car operates in 2 phases, one from Gulmarg to Kondoor & second from Kondoor to Apharwat. A must visit if you are not afraid of heights.

4- Camping at Dawki, Meghalaya

Every kid loves camping, even if that means setting up a bed sheet/blanket camp at home. Why not give your kids a real camping experience? Plan a camp night at Shnongpdeng, Dawki.

Nemit sitting in front of our camp

It was our first camping experience, we had so many doubts considering we were the only family with a child there. It was scary but too exhilarating. The camps were set up by the riverside & all we could see was the river on one side & the jungle on the other.

 

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A post shared by Neha & Sumit (@life.in.clicks) on Nov 24, 2018 at 2:06am PST

We woke up the next day to the chirping of birds & gushing water and we felt a sense of accomplishment. If you really want to experience the adrenaline rush, do visit Dawki for camping with your kids.

5- Jungle safari at Jim Corbett National Park or Kaziranga National Park

Jungle safaris are a great adventure option to try with kids. There are numerous options of Jungle safari in India, be it jeep safari or elephant safari. We have done 2 jeep safaris with Nemit.

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit) on Mar 18, 2018 at 7:56am PDT 

One at Jim Corbett National Park when Nemit was 2 yrs old. Not a good option to look for wild animals if your kids are young & can’t sit quietly for a long time. But, just take them to experience the fun.

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit) on Nov 4, 2018 at 4:43am PST

The other jeep safari we did was at Kaziranga National Park, Assam which is famous for one horned rhino. We had a great time at Kaziranga, even Nemit had a lot of fun while spotting rhinos, deers & elephants.

6- Crawl through the hidden Arwah caves of Cherrapunjee

If you ask us our favorite adventure activity with Nemit, it is definitely the caving expeditions. And exploring the Arwah cave is the best one till now. It was like we entered an underground world where not even a single ray of sunlight shines.

Exploring the Arwah Cave

The best part about the cave is that it is relatively a new discovery hence not many people know about it. Also, Arwah cave is huge & an interconnected network of various caves branch out of it.

Once inside, the natural light diminishes & you will feel the need for a guide & a strong hiking torch. We were on the mercy of our mobile lights. However, not having a guide and a torch made the whole experience quite raw & thrilling but I would still not suggest to try it out when traveling with small kids. When you go on an adventure, go prepared!

7- Hidden caves of Nanital

Last year, while returning back from Kausani, we made a pitstop at Nainital. While taking a walk on the mall road, we saw a signboard of Eco Cave Park. Thinking it to be a normal park we decided to spend some time there. However, as soon as we stepped inside the park, we realized it was not any normal garden. In fact, it was a house full of adventure.

There were 6 natural caves all with different dimensions & named after various animals on the basis of resemblance to their natural habitat. One has to bend down and crawl to pass through the narrow passage of the caves. It was a full-on adrenaline rush activity for us.

Click here to watch the videos.

I can keep on adding many places to this list but these are the 7 best adventure activities we enjoyed with our 2-year-old toddler. Hope you liked the post & found it helpful. Don’t forget to share this post & do leave a comment below.

The post 7 Best Family Adventure Trips to Plan with your Toddler appeared first on Growing With Nemit.