Showing posts with label How To Do. Show all posts

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Camping in India – Sleep under the canvas

If embarking on a journey to India, gather up all your adventurous spirit as the country is going to throw an array of experiences at you! Be it the cultural milieu, diverse festivals and cultures, the palate tingling food, the variety of wildlife or some serene places amidst valleys and clouds. Get prepared to be consumed by the multiplicity of experiences.

Camping in India

Apart from the cultural perspective which fascinated most travellers in India, the country offers a wide range of adventure activities as well. The different kinds of topographies in the country present vistas of a unique kind. For the adventure lovers, this gives them an opportunity to explore destinations by foot and find shelter under the canvas. Here are some fabulous options to camp out and feel the wind in the open expanses of India.

Camping in Rishikesh

One of the first few destinations which popularised rafting as an accessible adventure activity in India also made way for camping by the River. Ganga and Tons are the two rivers that flow in the region and make for a great companion after pitching a tent at night. Many camp sites have come up in the last decade, which offer basic to luxury camping facilities. This is a great way to get the kids outdoors in a safe and well equipped facility. Also enjoy the gurgling waters of the river for a thrilling rafting expedition.

Camping by the river Ganges

Camping in Spiti

The lush green hills of Himachal Pradesh are an extremely inviting option for trekkers and outdoors enthusiasts. Most small villages make great base camps for off-beat hiking trails. Spiti is one of the more unexplored regions of Himachal, owing to its pleasant isolation from air connections. This dissuades many travellers so only the interested ones make an effort to get here. The raw beauty of Himachal lies in the high passes, mighty mountains and extremely untouched villages. Camping here is a delightful but not an easy option.

Spiti - perfect Camping site

Camping in Binsar

Based in Uttaranchal, Binsar and other villages of Garhwal and Kumaon, are the first steps who are inspired to venture close to the Himalayas. Lying in the foothills of these glorious mountains, Binsar and adjoining villages are also not too easy to traverse. It has lately become a bikers’ paradise who want to rough it out and pitch their stays enroute to mountain tops and remote villages.

Camping on Mountain top , Binsar

Camping in Wayanad

The south of India is usually wrongly represented by only temples or sunny sandy beaches, whereas, parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are replete with undulating mountains and lush green expanses of vegetation. One such delight is Wayanad, based in the North East of Kerala. Wayanad is known for its abundant wildlife and forest cover, thus naturally becoming a good choice for hikers and campers.

Camping in North East Kerala

Camping in Nilgiris

Like Wayanad, the Nilgiris range of mountains in the South West of India is a haven for tea and coffee plantations. Recently, places like Sakleshpur, Coonoor, Ooty and Masinagudi have gained an adventure status for weekend goers from Bangalore. These are great places to pitch yourself a comfortable stay.

Camping in South West India - Nilgiris

Camping in Rajasthan

Another destination with an unexpected camping tag, Rajasthan has infact, provided luxury camping options for ages. These camp sites are mostly in the middle of the desert but are well equipped with food and water along with attached bathrooms. Cultural shows are organised by these camp sites.

Swiss Tent Camping in Rajasthan

Camping in Ladakh

This region offer some of the most scenic landscapes to its visitors. There are numerous trekking trails and plenty of places to camp out and experience the wonder of the natural landscape. The region is bound by mountains and popular camping spots include alongside the river banks, fed by the mountain glaciers. Camping is only advisable during the summer months.

Camping by mountain and glaciers

How to arrange your camping trip

Many homestays will be able to assist with camping arrangements and may be able to help with tent and equipment hire and arrange a guide or porter if required. They can send you on your way with a delicious packed lunch and look after your luggage while you spent a night in the wild, before welcoming you back with a hot bath and hot dinner!

Camping Homestays

Some homestays, such as Citrus County in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, offer luxury tents as part of their accommodation.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Fifty(50) Things Everyone Should Know How To Do

Self-reliance is a vital key to living a healthy, productive life. To be self-reliant one must master a basic set of skills, more or less making them a jack of all trades. Contrary to what you may have learned in school, a jack of all trades is far more equipped to deal with life than a specialized master of only one.

While not totally comprehensive, here is a list of 50 things everyone should know how to do.

1. Build a Fire – Fire produces heat and light, two basic necessities for living. At some point in your life this knowledge may be vital.

2. Operate a Computer – Fundamental computer knowledge is essential these days. Please, help those in need.

3. Use Google Effectively – Google knows everything. If you’re having trouble finding something with Google, it’s you that needs help.

4. Perform CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver – Someday it may be your wife, husband, son or daughter that needs help.

5. Drive a Manual Transmission Vehicle – There will come a time when you’ll be stuck without this knowledge.

6. Do Basic Cooking – If you can’t cook your own steak and eggs, you probably aren’t going to make it.

7. Tell a Story that Captivates People’s Attention – If you can’t captivate their attention, you should probably just save your breath.

8. Win or Avoid a Fistfight – Either way, you win.

9. Deliver Bad News – Somebody has got to do it. Unfortunately, someday that person will be you.

10. Change a Tire – Because tires have air in them, and things with air in them eventually pop.

11. Handle a Job Interview – I promise, sweating yourself into a nervous panic won’t land you the job.

12. Manage Time – Not doing so is called wasting time, which is okay sometimes, but not all the time.

13. Speed Read – Sometimes you just need the basic gist, and you needed it 5 minutes ago.

14. Remember Names – Do you like when someone tries to get your attention by screaming “hey you”?

15. Relocate Living Spaces – Relocating is always a little tougher than you originally imagined.

16. Travel Light – Bring only the necessities. It’s the cheaper, easier, smarter thing to do.

17. Handle the Police – Because jail isn’t fun… and neither is Bubba.

18. Give Driving Directions – Nobody likes driving around in circles. Get this one right the first time.

19. Perform Basic First Aid – You don’t have to be a doctor, or genius, to properly dress a wound.

20. Swim – 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. Learning to swim might be a good idea.

21. Parallel Park – Parallel parking is a requirement on most standard driver’s license driving tests, yet so many people have no clue how to do it. How could this be?

22. Recognize Personal Alcohol Limits – Otherwise you may wind up likethis charming fellow.

23. Select Good Produce – Rotten fruits and vegetables can be an evil tease and an awful surprise.

24. Handle a Hammer, Axe or Handsaw – Carpenters are not the only ones who need tools. Everyone should have a basic understanding of basic hand tools.

25. Make a Simple Budget – Being in debt is not fun. A simple budget is the key.

26. Speak at Least Two Common Languages – Only about 25% of the world’s population speaks English. It would be nice if you could communicate with at least some of the remaining 75%.

27. Do Push-Ups and Sit-Ups Properly – Improper push-ups and sit-ups do nothing but hurt your body and waste your time.

28. Give a Compliment – It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give someone, and it’s free.

29. Negotiate – The better deal is only a question or two away.

30. Listen Carefully to Others – The more you listen and the less you talk, the more you will learn and the less you will miss.

31. Recite Basic Geography – If you don’t know where anything is outside of your own little bubble, most people will assume (and they are probably correct) that you don’t know too much at all.

32. Paint a Room – The true cost of painting is 90% labor. For simple painting jobs it makes no sense to pay someone 9 times what it would cost you to do it yourself.

33. Make a Short, Informative Public Speech – At the next company meeting if your boss asks you to explain what you’ve been working on over the last month, a short, clear, informative response is surely your best bet. “Duhhh…” will not cut it.

34. Smile for the Camera – People that absolutely refuse to smile for the camera suck!

35. Flirt Without Looking Ridiculous – There is a fine line between successful flirting and utter disaster. If you try too hard, you lose. If you don’t try hard enough, you lose.

36. Take Useful Notes – Because useless notes are useless, and not taking notes is a recipe for failure.

37. Be a Respectful House Guest – Otherwise you will be staying in a lot of hotels over the years.

38. Make a Good First Impression – Aristotle once said, “well begun is half done.”

39. Navigate with a Map and Compass – What happens when the GPS craps out and you’re in the middle of nowhere?

40. Sew a Button onto Clothing – It sure is cheaper than buying a new shirt.

41. Hook Up a Basic Home Theater System – This isn’t rocket science. Paying someone to do this shows sheer laziness.

42. Type – Learning to type could save you days worth of time over the course of your lifetime.

43. Protect Personal Identity Information – Personal identity theft is not fun unless you are the thief. Don’t be careless.

44. Implement Basic Computer Security Best Practices – You don’t have to be a computer science major to understand the fundamentals of creating complex passwords and using firewalls. Doing so will surely save you a lot of grief someday.

45. Detect a Lie – People will lie to you. It’s a sad fact of life.

46. End a Date Politely Without Making Promises – There is no excuse for making promises you do not intend to keep. There is also no reason why you should have to make a decision on the spot about someone you hardly know.

47. Remove a Stain – Once again, it’s far cheaper than buying a new one.

48. Keep a Clean House – A clean house is the foundation for a clean, organized lifestyle.

49. Hold a Baby – Trust me, injuring a baby is not what you want to do.

50. Jump Start a Car – It sure beats walking or paying for a tow truck.