A memorable road trip to Uttrakhand

So, about a week before, on April 1st, 2017, my three friends and I decided to go on a road trip, and the destination was finally agreed to be Uttarakhand, which is also my hometown.

On April 7th, we set out from Mumbai around 4:00 a.m. (so that we face less traffic issues). We stopped for breakfast at a common highway side hotel in Vadodara at 8:15 a.m

We decided not to waste time with in-between stops, so washroom breaks and meal breaks were combined. The roads in Gujarat are relatively straight and well-maintained, but we witnessed some reckless driving by locals. We kept listening to music and talking about everything along the way, and our next stop was for Lunch in Ajmer of a delicious Rajasthani thali.

We decided on our second lunch stop in Ajmer around 4:00 p.m. We ate a mouthwatering Rajasthani Thali. Following that, we continue our journey to Delhi via the Rajasthan-Delhi NH.

We did stop in between for a 5-minute tea break from a local roadside tea stall. While my friend (Anil) and I were watching the sunset, my sister and another friend in the car were snoring like pandas. Throughout the trip, their only job seemed to be eating, sleeping, and having to repeat the two task.

We kept going on our journey! We'll know how memorable any trip with our core group is. This is one of those trips for me. We had some fun on our drive through Rajasthan, which I'd like to mention here. We were driving at our own pace on the Rajasthan-Delhi NH when we noticed another group in an Innova driven by a male, and we had no idea when the other group arrived.

The two men began competing in driving until people in both cars were jumping, falling left and right, and shouting to slow down. I admit that I enjoy fast and reckless driving, so this was a fun experience for me. This went on for an hour until the Innova had to turn right at one point for their path. They were Rajasthani teenagers. It was a healthy and enjoyable competition on the National Highway that no one will ever forget. After all, this is how strangers meet, have fun, and continue on their journeys. Our third break is for dinner. We pulled over to a local highway side Dhaba near the Delhi border. We ordered Chinese, which was tasty and reasonably priced. Around 9:30 p.m., we ate dinner.

And now we've arrived in Delhi. There was traffic, mostly trucks and tempo vehicles, which was annoying, but music kept us entertained. By this point, Anil and I were both tired from being the only ones awake since 4:00 a.m. without taking a nap. But it was fine because I worked in the event industry and had a habit of sleeping less, and he was a frequent traveller who knew how to stay awake. We were about to enter Uttrakhand at 4:30 a.m. when we decided to sip hot tea, take a quick 10 minute nap, and continue our drive to Rishikesh. Day 1 concludes here.

The next morning, we arrived in Rishikesh at 7:00 a.m. Because this was a budget trip  we chose to stay in a local lodge or hotel.

As you cross the Triveni Ghat bridge, on the right, there are small lodges with nightly rates of 1200/- per room that comfortably accommodates 4 people. I'd like to point out that this arrangement is not suitable for only the female groups. We had a minor mishap, but because we had a male member travelling with us, it was quickly resolved. Our stay was Shiva Palace Lodge.

The breakfast, especially the Aloo ke Parothe, was out of this world! Toh alag hi baat aur swaad hai, North ke khane!

We went to this area opposite Parmarth and booked a rafting slot for four of us through a local tour operator. Rafting was the primary reason we planned this trip in the first place.

We had to wait nearly 45 minutes after booking to begin the adventure. So, while we waited, we took a lot of pictures, selfies, ran around, threw stones in the water, fed the fishes, and relaxed in the heat. Everyone was ecstatic up until this point, and we had no idea what we were in for.

So, now what? Finally, it was our turn to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. While the guide was giving us instructions, he said, "If anyone has a breathing problem or Asthma, they should quit!" I have Asthma, and my friends have graciously agreed not to reveal the truth. I was both excited and nervous at the same time. There are two types of rafting available in Rishikesh: 32 and 18.

The raft began, and it was a lot of fun! This kind of fun can never be described in words. Adventures like these only stay with us and grow deeper with the passage of time. The first two rapids were fine, and it was fun, but then came the third, and our boat guide said that 50% of the team would have to jump down (5/10 rafters in the boat) holding the rope or else the boat would flip, resulting in an unwelcome accident. Of course, deep down in my heart, I decided to take my chance and opportunity, while Anil gave me an eye look and said, "You won't jump," and before anyone could notice anything, the 3rd rapid arrived, and before anyone could grab hold of me, I jumped. I was lost in the Ganges for a few seconds before realising I was fine.

It was one of the best feelings of being lost in an unknown underwater world. We made it safely through the third rapid. My friends searched for me, and I was fine. As soon as we reached the water's surface, there were smiles of an unknown strange feeling of victory. WE Accomplished! I was pleased with myself, as were Anil and Didi. My other friend also wanted to jump, but she became preoccupied with listening to the world rather than following her heart. We took a break at Maggie Point + Cliff Jump Point after the fourth rapid. We decided to cliff jump because why not!

I had learned to swim as a child, so diving from the floor was something I was used to, but a cliff jump was my first experience, and after my first jump, I was unstoppable.

All we did for 20 minutes was jump from a height into the cold river, which is a must-do activity. The final rapid was a small 5th rapid that was easily cleared. What you read above is only a brief summary of 20% of the entire rafting experience. I wouldn't dare to sit down and write the whole thing. Some things in life must be experienced on your own. I would have loved for you to experience the remaining 80% at least once in your life.

We were all exhausted when we returned to the hotel from our rafting adventure. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! - We were all suffering from a low-grade fever. We ate at a nearby restaurant and brought a Dolo650 tablet with us. We quickly changed and went to bed. We slept for about 4 hours before deciding to go for a nice slow walk at the Triveni Ghat now that we were fresh and well-rested. It was dark, silent, serene, and peaceful! We were reluctant to leave the location. It had a vibe that would entice you so much that leaving would be difficult. We decided to return to the lodge after lurking and chilling there for 40 minutes. Our lodge was only a 5-minute walk from Triveni Ghat. On our way back to the lodge, we met a Panditji who told us that every morning at 4:00 a.m., there is a Ganga Aarti. - A thrilling and calming conclusion to the day

Today, we decided to drive three hours to Rishikesh to visit the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple. Here's the time twist: before we started, we checked maps and a few articles that said we'd be there in 1.5 to 2 hours, but a lot of the ghat turns were slippery, and we ended up having a minor accident despite driving at 30 mph. As a result, be cautious, and this trip would take almost an entire day if you started at 10:00 or 11:00 a.m.

When we get close to the temple, there will be a vehicle parking area about 1 to 2 kilometres ahead and you will have to walk. Because it is a temple, there will be many stalls selling Puja and Chadhava items in line. They charge from Rs.10 onwards. We took a Rs. 50 basket and went to the darshan. It was extremely crowded. While we were in line, I joked with my friends that I would drink half a bhang from the glass in the basket, and then out of nowhere, a monkey drank the exact half that I wanted to. What? Were they secretly recording my conversations? But this was an unusual coincidence.

After an hour in the darshan line, it was our turn to thank God for the blessings he had bestowed upon us. The second unusual occurrence that occurred here with me was that the small snake statue that was in the bottom of the bhang glass did not come out when Panditji poured the glass on Shivling; he tried, but it did not come out naturally, and they do not take it out by hand; it must slip naturally. I was upset about what had happened, but the panditji advised me to get a pooja done in Haridwar after Har Ki Pauri from a panditji there.

We then left and wandered around for a while, snapping photos and making our way back to the lodge. We return around 6:30 p.m.

We returned to the lodge for lunch and drank a cup of hot Kesar chai, and left for Parmarth's Ganga Aarti. It was, of course, my first time, and it was simply a breathtaking experience. The energy, vibe, people, performance, and shining eyes of the thousands of people attending the Aarti filled my heart with joy. We sat in a corner near the Hanuman Murti for a while after the Aarti, soaking in the air in that enthusiastic spiritual atmosphere.Day 3 has come to an end.

We decided to eat dinner, sit in our room, rest for the remainder of the evening, and go to bed.

Today, we embarked on our next adventure, a "Safari Tour Of Rajaji National Park, Haridwar." We awoke in the morning, drank our tea, and checked out of our lodge around 9:00 a.m. to spend the rest of the day on our safari tour and Haridwar visit. After checking out, we returned to Triveni Ghat and spent some quiet time soaking in the sun and dipping our feet in the water. Even in direct sunlight, the water was very cold. I'm curious how people manage to dip in Ganga Sanan at 4:00 a.m. in the winter.

We set out for the National Park Tour after spending some time at Triveni Ghat. We arrived at around 12:00 noon and it took us about 1.30 hours to get there. We reserved a safari jeep ride, which is ideal for groups visiting. They charged us Rs.2000/- for a safari ride for four people, including a driver and guide, that lasted three hours and began at 2:00 p.m. This is the safari's final departure time.

We still had some time after making our reservations, so we went souvenir shopping near the ticket counter and napped for 20 minutes on Charpai, which was lying out under the banyan tree. It reminded me of my childhood days in Dehra, when I would sleep on charpai in the afternoon under huge shade-giving trees with my friends.

At 2:00 p.m., our driver and guide Shahrukh summoned us to begin our Jungle Safari adventure. I was beyond thrilled. A dog accompanied us in the jeep for the first 3-4 kilometres, but we had to drop him off because dogs are not permitted in the jungle. If you're wondering why, it's because if you leave your pet dogs in the jungle, any wild animal will easily kill them for their dinner.

Now that our journey into the jungle had begun more naturally, we began looking for wild animals such as hyena, leopard, lion, tiger, python, and others. In the first 1.5 hours, the only animals we saw were groups of deer and a Sambhar. Tigers are well-known for eating deer & Leopards staple is a Sambhar. Yes, seeing them was exciting, but when in Jungle Dil Maange More :D

After 1.5 hours, there is a break point in the jungle where you can take pictures, soak in the nature, use binoculars to possibly spot some animals that are too far away, drink chai, or simply relax.

After this break, we continued our safari into the jungle's steeps and ghats. We asked Shahrukh to take us to the path where we could possibly see the Tiger during our drive. "Madamji usi raste par hai, Tiger ko vaha kahi baar aaram karte hue dekha gaya hai," he laughed. This one statement piqued our interest, and we made a mental note to keep an eye out for Tigers from now on. But do you know what we left out? Observing the splendour of a jungle. Shashrukh then humbly reminded us that we were on a jungle safari, not a wildlife safari. The jungle, home to wildlife, has its own beauty and dark secrets. The air is different, the feeling is different every second, and that is how vast and all-encompassing a jungle is. He advised us to change our perspective not only for this safari, but for all future ones as well. I'm grateful for the perspective he provided us, as our satisfaction level remained at 100% even though we saw no wildlife animals. Jungle was truly breathtaking in its own right. After an hour of driving from the break point, we arrived at another location - The Government Cottage. During their visit to the jungle, government officials stay in this simple but clean cottage. Shahrukh showed us around the cottage, which was lovely.

We left that cottage after 10 minutes, nearing the end of our jungle safari. There was another path just outside the cottage that led into Jim Corbett's territory. From the cottage to the end of our safari, we talked a lot with Shahrukh about life in the jungle, his experiences, and, because it's a jungle, he also told us a lot of ghost encounter stories. It was an unforgettable ride and experience. After the safari, Shahrukh took us to a wild elephant rescue and caretaking area, where there were four adult elephants and a three-month-old baby elephant. We had a fantastic time with them. They were all so adorable, kind, loving, and entertaining. I'll remember this ride for the rest of my life.

It was time to leave the jungle and head to our next destination, Haridwar.

We drove an hour from Rajaji National Park to Haridwar, where we found a pay and park zone and proceeded to Har Ki Pauri - Ganga Aarti. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of that because someone advised us to keep our valuables safe since there are thieves and pickpockets around during the aarti. We heard a couple of people complain about losing their wallets, cell phones, cards, and money, so this was sound advice. They take advantage of the crowd and perform their duties.

However, this Har Ki Pauri aarti was a truly magical spiritual experience. Words fail to describe the magnificent Aarti that takes place every evening. The energy level was extremely high. The JOSH was extremely high! :) If you recall what happened to me in Neelkanth Mandir after attending the aarti, we sought out a genuine Pandit and explained the situation to him. He performed a small aarti on my name, and when he turned the glass, the naag murti slipped away into the Ganga, shocking me. How exactly? He then gave an accurate description of my life without even knowing who I was or what had happened to me. I must say that each of his predictions has proven to be correct to this day. Take note that there are hundreds of dhongi babas out there scaring you for money, but the genuine ones will not ask you for any dakshina. You pay them as you see fit. I gave Rs.1,100/- as dakshina. Following this pooja, we went out to drink masala milk, which is very popular, followed by some shopping, and then returned to our ride to drive to our dearest hometown Dehra (doon).

We arrived home in 2 hours. Day 4 ended with a bath, dinner, and bedtime.

Day 5 was all about relaxing at home, doing laundry, cooking meals at home, and chatting. We did absolutely nothing. It was a day of rest at home.

We decided to go to the FRI - Forest Research Institute, Dehradun - and take a tour of the facility today. After 5 days of eating out, I finally ate home-cooked meals. Trust me, as you get older, you appreciate home-cooked meals more than fast food. We ate breakfast before departing for our Day 6 visit.

FRI became more well-known after appearing in the film Student of the Year. Yes, you guessed correctly, it was not a foreign college campus, but rather our FRI, Dehradun. As you enter the gates, you'll feel like you're entering a fancy movie set. We took a lot of pictures at the entrance and then began visiting the classroom museums, where there were live displays of wood, tree trunks, leaves, branches, types of trees, and forest holdings, and so on.

There is no admission fee, so you can visit and walk around the campus for free. We spent 3-4 hours exploring and then returned home in the afternoon after eating lunch, spending the rest of the day chilling and chatting and sharing stories about our hometown memories.

Today was the day we were all looking forward to. Today was spent exploring Mussorie and Dhanaulti. We left at 8:00 a.m. and arrived in Mussorie within 1 hour. Driving through the mountains while listening to travel bollywood songs with your best friends is an experience everyone should have at least once in their lives. A trip like this has a different effect on the soul.

When we arrived in Mussorie, we parked our car in a pay and park lot for Rs. 50 full day near the Cambridge Bookstore and decided to walk wherever we wanted to go. We began by visiting a chaat stall opposite the Agarwal Hotel, where all four of us ate three plates of Dahi Aloo chaat; had our stomachs been larger, we would have definitely eaten more. It's a must there, and I followed that with a large glass of buttermilk. We had finished our breakfast when I said this. The breakfast costed us Rs.100/- per person.

Then we began walking towards the mall road, taking in the fresh air from the hills and mountains and feasting our eyes on the breath-taking views of the Gharwal mountain ranges. The pahadi people are typically friendly and welcoming. We exchanged as many smiles with the elders as we could and made faces with the children in order to capture their adorable reactions.

We spent about an hour in the bazzar above Gun Hill Point, Gondola Ride station, before getting to the Mall road. Everything in each shop was one-of-a-kind and lovely. There were junk jewellery shops and stalls, particularly nose rings handcrafted in Jonpur and supplied for sale in Saharanpur, Mussorie, and other nearby areas. When shopping in Mussorie, there are two stalls that sell sweaters and sweatpants for Rs.100/- (what a steal), then junk jewellery and lingerie of good quality and reasonable prices. These are the top three most popular items in Mussorie bazzar. You will also find one-of-a-kind classic and vintage home decor items. We went to Mall Road after we finished shopping. We then discovered a touristy activity of dressing up in a Garwali / Pahadi outfit and taking pictures. The type of photos I saw in my brother's, sister's, and relatives' honeymoon albums. Ofocurse That's what I did, and I kept the picture as a sweet and beautiful memory. The rental outfit and photography copy cost us Rs. 150 from the owner. Following that, we ate lunch at a local restaurant while making reservations for adventure activities in Dhanaulti. It was delicious Chinese food (I love Chinese). We drove to Dhanaulti after lunch, which took about 45 minutes.

At 5:00 p.m., we arrived in Dhanaulti and at our adventure activity location. It was getting dark, and the temperature was around 14 degrees. We paid Rs. 600/- per activity, which could be Sky Bridge Walk, Sky Rope Walk, Rock Climbing, Cave Walk, or Rapelling. I only picked rock climbing because it was a 30-40 minute activity and it was already getting dark. Without a doubt, it was enjoyable and brought back memories of camp. We left at 6:30 p.m. and drove back home, our hearts overflowing. "Once you've lived in the mountains, you're a part of them."

We got home around 8:00 p.m. after eating our dinner outside and began packing because Day 7 was our last day of the trip and we decided to start our drive back to Mumbai at 4:00 a.m. to avoid any daytime traffic.

We left at 4:30 a.m., as planned, and our route back home took us through Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. We planned only four meal stops, but in Ahemdabad, Gujarat, we decided to take a night hault for rest because Anil was exhausted from driving so frequently and continuously throughout the trip. We arrived in Mumbai around 1:00 p.m. on Day 10.

This was the best start to the year. I wish you all a once-in-a-lifetime trip with your tribe.

Thank you for your time.