Hey guys! How’s the weather treating you? Is it too hot or too wet? Well, here in Delhi we are waiting for the monsoon to arrive anytime soon and get some respite from the scorching heat. To escape the ever rising temperature, we planned a short road trip to Rishikesh last month. Our 2 days stay at Shaantam Resorts & Spa was great but I can’t say the same about our road travel. Check out my recent travel posts on Instagram to know all about it. I’ve also written about how we kept that trip within our budget. Ok, this post is not about Rishikesh, it’s about the monsoon trip we took last year with our toddler.

Last year in July we planned a monsoon weekend getaway to UDAIPUR from DELHI and it was awesome. If you are looking for any nearby destinations for a quick getaway but don’t want to go to the hills do consider Udaipur.

How to reach Udaipur?

There are 3 ways to travel to Udaipur –

• By Road
• By Train
• And, By Air

I know weekend getaways are more about road trips but we wanted less travel time and more time to relax and enjoy. So we decided to take an overnight train from Delhi to Udaipur and planned our return by flight. That overnight train saved us a full day of travel. We reached Udaipur early morning and we used that day to explore the city.

If you follow my travel stories then you must be knowing that we keep our itineraries free from city travel. But, it was not possible when we were visiting a city for a vacation. So, we kept it flexible which means we made no itinerary!

The good thing was we had recommendations from our Insta Family which helped in planning our day. We had booked Amantra Shilpi Resort and had requested for an early check-in which was quick and smooth. The room was big, spacious, comfortable, had a king size bed and also a big balcony.

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The weather in Udaipur in mid-July was amazingly pleasant, it kept drizzling every now and then. Even when it was sunny, it was not that hot. Below are the 3 places we visited in Udaipur and the first 2 are highly recommended.

A Day in Udaipur with a Toddler during Monsoon

• Fateh Sagar Lake

Udaipur is famous for its big, beautiful, artificial lakes and Fateh Sagar Lake is one of them. Our driver told us about boating in the lake but we were not too interested. Boating with a toddler sounded too boring but what we saw there changed our minds. We immediately booked the tickets and waited for our turn. The lake was huge and it was not peddle boating, there were speedboats circling around the lake. Now, that sounded thrilling!

It was sunny but we could see clouds in the distance & as soon as we stepped inside the boat, it started raining. The boat driver said it’s just drizzling so we are good to go. But as we took off, it started raining heavily. This speed boat ride turned out to be one of our best experiences in Udaipur. I also made a video of our boat ride, it was crazy. Don’t miss the expression on Nemit’s face in the video.

Oh, by the way, we waited quite long in the queue to get the front seats in the boat. So, either you rush, wait or request to get the front seats which guarantee extraordinary thrill & view.

• Sajjangarh Palace

Our next stop was Sajjangarh Palace situated on the top of a hill, an hours drive from the lake. The weather was amazing, although the rain had stopped the whole city seemed to be covered under the clouds. Taking a ride to the hilltop in such weather sounded perfect. Another reason to visit this palace was its name.

Sajjangarh palace is popularly known as Monsoon palace since it was built chiefly to watch the monsoon clouds.

So, how could we not visit it and watch the clouds from the top? Nemit decided to take a nap on the way which gave us time to enjoy our couple time.

Nemit was still asleep when we reached the palace and we did a very stupid yet daring thing which I would not recommend to anyone. We trusted our driver and left Nemit with him. We told him to call us in case he wakes up or cries. He was a good man, he took care of Nemit and when he woke up, he climbed up to the top and brought him to us.

The view from the top was breathtaking, we could see the whole city from there once the clouds scattered away.

Nemit with our driver

• City Palace

After lunch, we decided to visit the City Palace. We thought walking in the rain would be fun. But we forgot to consider the walking distance and didn’t even think about the number of stairs.

So, we started with full of energy and by the time we reached the first floor of the palace we were out. We had to literally drag ourselves from one passage to the other. At one point, it felt we were lost!

Not a very great idea to take infants and toddlers with you, strollers are not allowed beyond a point. And, carrying a child up and down and through the narrow passages is just a waste of energy.

We decided to go back to the lake to relax our senses. One of my friends on Instagram had suggested a great place to hang out in the evening and that was our next stop.

Must try food joint – Vinod’s Cafe

It’s one of the open fast food cafes on the Fateh Sagar road opposite Fateh Sagar lake. They offer a variety of fast food options and are famously known for their ‘Kulhar coffee’. If you ever plan a trip to Udaipur, you can’t miss this place. It’s a heaven for food lovers. You get good food and an amazing view of the lake just across the road.

So, that’s how we spent our Day 1 in Udaipur. I’ll soon write posts on how we spent our Day 2 & Day 3 in Udaipur. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Do share it with your friends and family.

Now, a special announcement! My blog growingwithnemit.com is turning TWO this July and to make the celebrations grand, I am hosting a #BirthdayBlogTrain along with my friend Gunjan whose blog also completed two years this June. And we both invite you to be a part of our celebrations and join our birthday linky party.

40 Bloggers – 30 Days – 5 Picture Prompts – 1 Party

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

The post Monsoon Weekend Getaway – A Day in Udaipur with a Toddler appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hello to all my lovely readers! Today, I am going to write the last post of our Kausani getaway. And as I mentioned in my Part-2 post, I will be telling how we discovered the caves at Nainital. Also, what all we did on our way back from Kausani.

Kausani is a hill station and village situated in Bageshwar district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is famous for its scenic splendour and its spectacular 300 km-wide panoramic view of Himalayan peaks. –Wikipedia 

In my previous post, I had shared some of the exciting things one can do in Kausani with lots of pictures of our splendid time there. After spending two memorable days in Kausani, it was time to bid adieu to this heaven. 

We decided to take the route from Bhimtal and Nainital so that we could have a view of these beautiful places as well.

Kausani -> Almora -> Bhimtal -> Nainital -> Bazpur -> Moradabad -> Hapur -> Noida

You can catch up on our whole journey through our Instagram stories, here!

Weekend Trip to Kausani (Part – 3)

On our way to Nainital, we found some picturesque locations while crossing through Almora. We made pitstops to bask in the beauty of the surroundings and take some pictures to add to our memory box.

It was a beautiful morning not too hot in the month of May, just perfect. The highway road was smooth and made for the perfect long drive.

Pit stop on the way to Bhimtal

It was not just my husband and me, who were having all the fun, our little man was as exhilarated as we were. For a 2-year-old, it was all mesmerizing and perfect.

Pit stop on the way to Bhimtal

Just when we were about to reach Bhimtal, we saw a billboard that had an advertisement about paragliding, organized by Sky Track Paragliding. We thought of adding a pinch of adventure to our leisure trip.

However, upon reaching there we find out that they had halted their activities due to the strong winds around that time. Moreover, they were not sure when the activity would resume.

So we dropped the idea of paragliding and started on with our journey without wasting much time there.

Paragliding spot

Just a couple of kilometers ahead, we saw the Bhimtal viewpoint area. It was well maintained, had tables & chairs to sit, relax, and enjoy the Himalayan view.

On the opposite side of the road, there were a couple of tea stalls. We ordered Maggi and tea for us and spent some 30 mins there before resuming our further journey.

Clicked this picture from the Bhimtal viewpoint

Finally, we reached Nainital at around 1 pm. Although it was a Monday, the mall road was jam-packed with people and vehicles. It was too noisy with the chatter babble of the uncountable number of tourists swarming the only famous road.

The whole scenario was a setback for us. We were coming from a place that was filled with nature’s magical flora and fauna. And here, nature was all hidden behind commercialization.

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The temperatures were soaring high, we were in no mood to even get out of the car. But our driver wanted to have lunch before moving on with the drive.

So, we decided to take a stroll on the road towards Bazpur to breathe in some fresh air.

About 1 km ahead of the mall road, we saw a small entrance on the left side of the road alongside a ticket counter. There was a curved board above the entrance which read ‘Eco Cave Park‘. We thought it to be a small garden and decided to take a walk inside.

The entrance of Eco Cave Park

As soon as we stepped inside, we realized it was not any normal garden park. In fact, it was a house full of adventure. Exactly what we were looking for. The caves at Nainital!

Way to Cave

There were 6 natural caves named after the animals on the basis of resemblance to their natural habitat. These were tiger cave, panther cave, porcupine cave, bat cave, ape cave, flying fox cave, all with different dimensions.

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.

Cave Entrance

We couldn’t take proper pics and our videos came out a little hazy since it was quite dark inside. However, I still want to show you how much we enjoyed the caves at Nainital. Check out the videos below.

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The 3 hours spent at the caves at Nainital made our visit to Nainital worthwhile! To watch all our pics and videos from the Kausani getaway, check here! If you happen to visit Nainital, don’t miss trying out the adventure at Eco Cave Park. You will have a great time for sure!

Part 1 of Kausani Diaries – When to visit? How to reach? Where to stay?

Part 2 of Kausani Diaries – 7 exciting things to do in Kausani!

Have you been to these caves at Nainital? How was your experience? Tell me in the comments below!

Don’t forget to share this post!

‘I am taking my Alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter’

The post The caves at Nainital, Eco Cave Park – Kausani Diaries appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hey guys, many of you know that we took a weekend trip recently, to Kausani, which is a beautiful hill station in Uttarakhand. And, if you have followed my stories on Instagram and Facebook, you have a fair idea of how much we enjoyed and what all we did during our weekend getaway. And if not, you can still check out those stories on my Instagram in Highlights – Travel.

This post is part of the blog train where 24 awe-inspiring bloggers are going to share their story of ‘Summer’. Hop on the train to read some amazing blogs. Today is Day 1 of the blog train and my topic is ‘Summer Weekend Trip to Kausani’. And in this post, I am going to share my first-hand experience of an unplanned weekend getaway. I hope to provide as much information as I can to help you plan your trip.

Hosted By: Neha Sharma

This trip was a sudden plan, and we finalized everything in just one day. We wanted to go on a road trip in our own car to some nearby hill stations like Lansdowne, Shimla, or Mussoorie and spend a couple of days there. However, due to our last minute planning, we couldn’t find a satisfactory place to stay. Of course, we were going on a leisure trip, and we wanted a place close to nature, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. A place where we could feel like resting in the lap of nature with no distracting noises around us.

Morning Family Selfie on the way

You may also want to read Road Trip & Car Safety – Things you must know when traveling with kids!

We got the shock of our life when we couldn’t find a single decent hotel for our stay. Every hotel/resort we were checking was full. I feel that’s the saddest part of living in Delhi/NCR since every other person is planning a weekend trip to the nearby hills in summer. Now, we had to decide on a new place and it was then when my hubby, mentioned this hill station, Kausani, which is also known as the ‘Switzerland of India‘.

Image Source – Wikipedia

I searched on google frantically about this place and was mesmerized by its beauty. The next thing I remember was, Sumit booking a cab and a hotel for us. Ya, we had to travel by cab, since Kausani is quite far from Noida, 393 Km, and 10 hrs, to be precise.

Kausani is famous for its scenic splendour and its spectacular 300 Km-wide panoramic view of Himalayan peaks

-Wikipedia

Due to the lack of information, not many people know about this place. Also, it’s quite far from Delhi, hence, it’s not at all populated with tourists. And this is exactly what we wanted.

You may also read  – How to travel with pets!

Best Time to Visit Kausani –  Summer (March to June)

Summer months in Kausani starts from March and go on till June. And the temperature during these can range from 11 degrees to 28 degrees Celsius, which is quite pleasant. If you are visiting in June, you can also get to experience pre-monsoon showers. It’s always better to pack some light woollens if traveling to any hill station even in Summer months. You never know when the weather changes on the hillside.

On the way fun

How to Reach Kausani from Delhi NCR?

Car – Hire a cab or drive yourself, it can take up to 12 hours to reach there.

Train – The nearest train station is Kathgodam near Nainital and from there you can take a cab or bus for a further journey of 4 hours to Kausani.

Air – The nearest airport to Kausani is Pantnagar. Book a flight from anywhere to Pantnagar and take a cab for your further journey.

Our Weekend in Kausani

We visited Kausani in the last week of May and it took us around 12 hrs to reach our destination. We started in the morning around 5 am and made 2 stops of an hour each, one for breakfast and the other one for lunch. Our 1st stop was near Jim Corbett National Park and the other one was at Ranikhet. After reaching the hotel, we spent the rest of our evening at leisure, basking in the beauty of the surroundings.

Pitstop at Doaba’s Punjabi Dhaba near Jim Corbett National Park

I would suggest if possible start early and reach Kausani by 3-4 pm. This will give you ample time to rest and freshen up and get ready to enjoy the evening. Also, you will not feel as if you have wasted your day just traveling.

Route we followed

Source – Google Maps

Noida -> Ghaziabad -> Hapur -> Moradabad -> Kashipur -> Ramnagar -> Ranikhet -> Kausani

Kausani -> Almora -> Bhimtal -> Nainital -> Bazpur -> Moradabad -> Hapur -> Noida

This way we covered all the other nearby famous places like Ranikhet, Almora, Bhimtal and Nanital.

Where to Stay?

There are many beautiful hotels and resorts in and around Kausani. You can search on Google and book them directly by calling on the numbers provided. However, we like to check and compare the prices on various sites before booking. And then opt for the one which is as per our requirements and also comes under our budget.

Hotel Chevron Mountain Villa (Source – Google)

We booked a deluxe room for 2 nights at Hotel Chevron Mountain Villa, which is a beautiful property at a great location and one can have a direct view of the majestic peaks of the Himalayas from there. It not just offers a serene view of the surroundings but is also close by nature, a little far away from the marketplace. One more reason to choose this hotel was the beautiful lawn and a play area within the premises so that Nemit could enjoy freely.

Our Ratings

Location – * * * *
Food –  * * * * *
Service – * * * * *
Value for money – * * * *
Rooms – * * *

How we spent our first day in Kausani?

We wanted to keep our stay at leisure since we had just one day to relax and enjoy. So, we decided to stay at the hotel and just laze around. When we reached the hotel at around 5 pm, we didn’t go to our room, instead, we checked out the property and took Nemit to the play area. He was so happy to finally have something of his interest, I know he was clearly bored in the cab.

Nemit enjoying the swing in the play area

And, he met some people there who definitely had a good time looking at his mischievous stunts.

Nemit having a good time with a new friend we met at the hotel

The next day morning, we went for a nature walk, strolling a few km uphill from the hotel. The weather was pleasant and the morning view of the Himalayan peaks was breathtaking. We had a fun morning and spent an hour exploring the nearby beautiful flora and fauna. There was a small tea garden nearby and we tried to get some Bollywood style pictures standing in the center of the garden. However, it was a little difficult to try some stunts with Nemit. We managed to get a few good shots though.

Sunrise from our room – Taking a shortcut – Nature Walk – Beautiful flora on the way

While on our way back, we saw a mother Langur (black face monkey) with her little baby, playing on a roadside tree. We had to wait for some time as we were terrified to cross that path, it was completely deserted and we had no idea how that monkey would have reacted to us. Luckily, we met a local there, who helped us reach back to the hotel safe and sound. That experience was thrilling, you don’t get to see such encounters in the city, right?

After returning back to the hotel, we had a scrumptious breakfast, sitting on the lawn overlooking the serene view of the peaks. We spent the rest of the day at leisure, played badminton and carom, relived our childhood with Nemit. It was so much fun just running around with Nemit and doing nothing. Check out this small video.

The weather took a sudden twirl post-lunch and it started drizzling. As the day progressed, the wind became chilly. We had packed our winter jackets and it was the right time to take them out. And then we decided to go out to the market area, enjoy the weather and have some more fun.

I will continue further in my next post where I will share the things we did at the main Kausani market. Stay tuned as I will also be sharing my experience of watching the planets live at the Kausani Planetarium. And our adventure in Nainital. I hope you enjoyed reading until here and have already started planning your weekend trip to Kausani.

And now, it’s time to move on to the next station where Priyanka Patwari will share her take on the theme ‘Summer’ on her blog Flavors of World. Visit her blog and show some love.

Lastly, do comment below and let me know how you liked this post. Don’t forget to share the post and spread the love, with your friends and family. Sharing is Caring! Till next time, take care.

The post Plan a Summer Weekend Getaway to Kausani appeared first on Growing With Nemit.