Hop-skip-Jump | Getaway from Delhi

By Upasana Gupta

If there’s one thing which temporarily transforms a blackberry addict into a happy camper, a reserved someone into a daring cliff-jumper, and a realist to a dreamer, it is travel. Take a break from your choc-a-bloc schedules! Here’s a list of a few destinations, just a hop-skip-jump away from Delhi

The Super Quick Three

For the adventurous you | Cliff jumping & Paragliding- Rishikesh

If you’re looking for fun in the sun with surges of water to blow you over or throw you under, book a camp in Rishikesh right away. Depending on how adventurous you’re feeling, you can ask your guide to take on an easy level or up the ante by rowing away in rapids called ‘The Wall’ and ‘Golf Course’. Test the waters and your own limits by cliff-jumping! Apart from the adrenaline rush, you’ll find a reward of homely chai and maggie nestled on rocks right next to the cliff jumping spot. Weather reports or Clairvoyants – check with either one before you go paragliding though because the skies can be temperamental.

Getting there

Train {4.5 hours http://erail.in/}
Drive {5 hours from Delhi}

Stay

Glasshouse on the Ganges {pricey, but hey- you’re on a holiday!}
Snow leopard Camps

Eat  

Chotiwala in the main Rishikesh Market
German Bakery {near Laxman Jhoola}

For the busy time-saver | Samode Palace, Rajasthan

Adorned with the heritage of its glorious past, go back in time at the Samode Palace which is just an hour ahead of Jaipur. Words can do no justice to the majestic hallways, and the extravagance strewn across the expanse. Its short distance from the capital makes it the perfect weekend getaway! You don’t need to step out of  the hotel or attempt camel-back riding and exploring Jaipur’s forts. Stay in, unwind and let time stop even if it’s just for a few days.

This may not be a budget holiday, but if money grew on trees this is where we’d spend it!

Getting there

Drive {4 hours from Delhi}
Train {Ajmer Shatabdi to Jaipur, Jaipur to Samode- 1 hour drive}

Do

Camel & horse safaris to the sand dunes
Jeep Safari around the village
Enjoy the beautiful property, lazing in their rooftop infinity pool or in the outdoor jacuzzis

Can’t get enough | Mussoorie

Plenty of our Hill Stations have been criticized for being commercialized, dirty and boring. But if there’s one destination that has managed to hold on to its heritage despite overwhelming popularity, it would be Mussorie- the Queen of the Hills and incidently a second home to me. The doon view reminiscent of a tumbled night sky, omnipresent waterfalls, a ‘Lovely Omelette wala’, horse riding and the old book shops, Mussoorie has an aura like no other. And coming from someone who frequents Mussorie, I can safely say a three day getaway is enough for you to get a whiff of the town, explore its known and unknown nooks and corners, and breakaway from the monotony of your life.

And you don’t need to empty your accounts to enjoy what this town has to offer. You’ll be fine within Rs. 10,000.

Getting there

• Drive : 7 hours if you leave early
• Train : Mussoorie Express/ Dehradun Shatabdi} till Dehradun, a bus ride to Mussoorie thereafter

Stay

• Fortune Resort Grace : very well located at Gandhi Chowk
• Tullahmore Suites : a beautifully restored colonial property, close to the Lal Bahadur Academy and 2 Kms from the Roadways and Taxi Stand of Mussoorie.

Eat

• Chick Chocolate- the absolute best {try the red jelly ice cream}
• Lovely omelette- be prepared to wait a while before your turn
• Le Chef- Sweety Aunty, the owner, serves amazing Indian food here
• Char Dukan at Landaur {read more here}

For those willing to go the distance, we have a few recommendations for which you might need to hop on to a plane from Delhi

The Quick Three

For the drifter in you | McLeod Ganj

McLeod Ganj is one of those rarities which has so much more to offer than what meets the eye. India’s ‘Little Tibet’, Mcleod Ganj welcomes you into its narrow hilly roads, grand churches, beautiful panoramas & understated cafeterias. Its immortal charm pulls many away from their monotony and it’s easy on the wallet.

Getting there

• Drive {8 hours from Delhi}
• Train {Jammu Mail- till Hoshiarpur}

Eat

• Mc’ello {Pierce Brosnan’s favourite & frequented by Richard Gere}
• Jimmy’s- Big Chill style {believed to have been started by a Big Chill ex-employee}
• Common Ground- Authentic Chinese Tibetan food
• Shiva Café- Our favourite for its view, among other things…
• Look out for the Himalayan Marmot, an adorable fat wild guinea pig-like animal, off the turns in the hills

Damage to wallet- More or less 15,000 for a weekend

The Wild Wild South | Bandipur {near Bengaluru} 

The jungles, the space, the hills, everything here seems pristine unlike other wildlife reserves in India. The open jeep safaris, experienced naturalists and the beautiful weather made me fall in love with Bandipur. I was fortunate enough to have spent half an hour watching a beautiful tiger on a rainy evening, as it sat twenty feet away from our jeep right in the heart of this wildlife reserve. The time between June and September promises pleasant rain which tends to drive hoards of elephants towards the paths in the forest. So for all wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers, you never know what might surprise you here!

Getting there

Fly- Delhi to Bangalore, thereafter a 4 hour drive to Bandipur via Mysore

Stay

Jungle Lodges {for details, click here}

Do 

Book your jeep safari in advance and make sure it is an open jeep

For those with an extra day, drive to Kabini, another beautiful jungle, not too far from Bandipur

Damage to wallet- 20,000 including flights

A ‘Tea’-rrific Escape | Glenburn Tea Estate

A 1500-acre distance of green, away from the helter-skelter of city life, is the Glenburn Tea Estate. With endless expanses of tea plantations, glimpses of shy tea picker villagers and a duo of river valleys being overlooked by a cosy bungalow, it is perfect for the discerning traveler.

Stay

At the Glenburn Estate {click here to see their fantastic options from bungalows to suites}

Do

Experience the Tea-making process {everything from the factory right up to a tea tasting session!}

Go fishing at the Rangeet River- Catch your own Trout!

Hike- Walk over the Manjitar Suspension Footbridge, leading the way across the River Rungeet into the old royal kingdom of Sikkim

Damage to wallet- Be ready to splurge a little more {though they might have off-season discounts right now}

With amazing forests down south, cotton sprinkled skies kissing the beautiful mountain tops up north, the wind so strong that it blows urban tensions away & all of this not too far away, who needs a lifetime! All you need, is a weekend. 

Buenos viajes!