Preeti Rajput's Blog, page 7

Neemrana Fort Palace: Stay at a fort, like Royals

Neemrana Fort Palace

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During the lifetime everyone must have visited at least one royal fort as a spectator. While moving through the palaces and forts, we always visualize what sort of splendid lifestyle royal legendary must have lived. Most of us wish to undergo a royal life of these heritages and has a fantasy of living like a King or a Queen. This dream can come true at Neemrana Fort Palace, Alwar. 

It is a perfect place for a memorable vintage experience. Every section of this palace is filled with royal culture and feel of kingship. We recently stayed at a room in the Neemrana fort palace where kings and queens used to stay.





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The Fort is not in its erstwhile form now. It has been renovated and reconstructed to be used as a hotel.

The best way to enjoy the fort is as a RESIDENT with your loved one (opt for a day or two-day package ). For  VISITORS, majority of the fort in inaccessible.





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How to Reach

Distance from Delhi: 110 Kms

We visited Neemrana in the month of August from Delhi. Roads are smooth, and we experienced a constant and easy ride because of the short distance from Delhi.

When we reached Neemrana city, we first thought we must have reached a wrong place as it starts with a local market and tight streets. The palace was nowhere to be seen. We started google navigator and followed its direction. It led us to narrower lanes. Again, we thought it has misguided us until we saw the direction board indicating the route. It was a sigh of relief when we finally reached the fort. We had not expected something so peaceful amidst a small, tidy city.

Majestic Mahals

The staff gave us a nice and warm welcome. Before the booking, we had done a lot of internet search to find the best room in the Neemrana Fort. We had finalized the Gagan Mahal since it was the highest Mahal. As Gagan Mahal( INR 6000) was under renovation, we got an upgrade to Parvati Mahal(Costing INR 12000). First bonus for us !!.





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Parvati Mahal

Our first thought on entering the Mahal was that for this amount we could have got a luxurious room in some good hotel in the city as the interior looked ordinary. All the rooms in Neemrana Fort are of the 17th-19th century. As we were actually living in royal heritage, the historical feel was worth the money. A very old wooden bed (but very well maintained one), metal statues, metal weapons at the door used by gatekeepers in history to guard to Mahal, gave us the perfect illusion of being the royal rulers.

In this Mahal, there is a spacious balcony to savour utter peace and chirping of birds. At the night, i.e. after 8 pm, a pin drop sort of silence spread everywhere. Neemrana Fort looks extremely beautiful with the lightning giving the feel of Diwali.

Radha Mahal

The second day, we stayed at Radha Mahal. It is also a beautiful secluded Mahal. However, its location is not so good. The door of Mahal opens in the veranda(Aangan) surrounded by other Mahals. To have fresh air or a good view, you have to walk up the stairs. There is a  very small window to peep outside, but not an amazing view like Parvati Mahal.





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What to do (Activities)

There are two swimming pools in the Neemrana Fort, one for kids and one for adults. Even if you are not a swimmer, we would suggest bringing a swimming costume along. This is because once you will see the pool and people enjoying it, you would definitely get an urge to have a dive. Since it is compulsory to have a costume for swimming, you would be left with no other option than buying it from Neemrana shop located near the reception. It cost us around 600 Rs for female and 350 Rs for the male costume. 

Other activities include:

A ride in a vintage car at Neemrana: costing approx Rs 1200 for 5 km.
Walk in the Neemrana fort: There are many good spots in the fort to relax and have a good view including a nice amphitheatre.
Book reading: Neemrana has a library where you may find some good books.
Photography: Entire Neemrana fort is meant for photography, so don’t forget your camera.
And most import is zip lining tours: Its cost is not included in the package, you have to take a separate package. You can have breathtaking views of the fort, hills and ridges as you fly down.

For more info read: Flying Fox in Neemrana





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Also read: 5 Adventurous activities that you can plan over weekends

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Breakfast is generally included in the room cost and they serve a variety of food items. For lunch and dinner, you have to take a paid buffet, served in the most spacious Mahal named Jal Mahal. It would cost you around Rs 1300 per person. Also, there is a fixed timing for lunch and dinner. So you will not find anything to eat at any odd timings and there is no restaurant outside the fort also.

We looked for a cheaper alternative for buffet and find out a restaurant inside that serves snacks if you don’t want to have dinner. The menu is limited and the average cost of items is Rs 250- Rs 300. Quantity is sufficient to satisfy the appetite.

As a bonus to our stay at Neemrana, a shooting of video song was going on by singer Sidharth Mohan and team. They had to shoot a scene of a concert and for this, they actually organized a musical concert for the residents. Amphitheatre looked amazing with the lights and mashaals.  It was an amazing show with really good music and lots of enjoyment.





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Not everything was great

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On the second day of our stay at Neemrana, there was some confusion regarding the Mahals. We had two separate bookings for both days and the Mahal, we opted for, was under renovation. Without checking the records, the staff called us to the reception and said that we had no booking and should check out.

They bothered to check the records and offered us an apology when we showed them the booking printout. We were ill-treated at that time, might be because they thought it was checkout and we were no longer their guests. Written feedback about the incident that we submitted, never reached the right place as we did not get any response.

Moreover, we complained against the person managing the check-in and check-out. And he was the same person collecting the written feedback. So he, for sure, had not forwarded our complaint to officials.





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This was the only incident that spoiled the mood for a while, but otherwise, it was a royal retreat for sure, a wish come true.

The post Neemrana Fort Palace: Stay at a fort, like Royals appeared first on InertiaSpeaks.

V Resorts Sattal: An Offbeat Destination for Serenity.

Sattal – We visited Sattal on 24th December, a time of chilling winter in North India. It wasn’t extremely cold there so we could enjoy the weather rather than just shivering. It’s a beautiful location surrounded by seven lakes, that’s why named as Sattal. The weather remains pleasant but doesn’t get any snowfall.

We chose V Resorts to stay with. It was perhaps the best decision of the trip. They truly made the trip unforgettable for us. At first glance, we find it just another holiday resort, but there was much more to it. After reaching the resort, a very humble staff of theirs greeted us. They lead us to our room from where we could see the breathtaking views. The room had many windows and a small balcony with a sitting area. We could see the mystifying beauty of Sattal from there.

Experience with V Resorts

Apart from the impressive views, the USP of this resort is its generous and humble staff. The hospitality that we got from Mr Tyagi  (manager of the resort) is remarkable. He seems to make a personal investment of his efforts in making the guests happy.

On the first day, we checked in early. We wanted to have breakfast in the garden. The staff arranged the same with no hesitation. Although, it was a buffet breakfast, yet they brought all the menu items to our table that too in the garden instead of a restaurant.

After breakfast, one of the personnel, Dheeraj, accompanied us to the waterfall and lakes of Sattal. He told us about the location and activities. We didn’t feel that he was just doing his job. It felt as if we were going with a friend who wants us to savour the trip and was making every effort for it. The lake was not very far away from the resort, but because of the difficult trek, we were driven by their jipsey to the destination. There is a total of 7 lakes there which are collectively called Sattal and all are majestically beautiful.

Waterfall and Bird Watching

You can do activities like boating and kayaking. Also, the charges are very nominal, about Rs 220. From the lake, we walked towards the waterfall. We just loved the silent and serene path. Fallen leaves filled the pavement and chirping of birds filled the air. Nature lovers sit there for hours for bird watching. We saw the beautiful kingfisher bird on the way.

To explore more visions, you have to be patient. People wait there impassively for hours to see different varieties of birds. After walking for 10-15 minutes, we reached the waterfall. We relaxed there and appreciated its sound for long hours before moving back to the resort. 

If you are here with a large group then they can arrange lunch and various activities near the waterfall. There is open ground on the way where bonfires and other activities are arranged by the resort.

We had lunch at the resort, and it was more like home-cooked food. So you need not worry about having restaurant food for a few days. In the evening, they provided bonfire and music.

Candle Light Dinner

Over very casual talk with Mr Tyagi, we were discussing activities available for the following day. Other than paragliding, most of the activities like karaoke and bonfire were group activities. Therefore, he suggested that since we might not take part in these activities, he could arrange a candlelight dinner for us. It was totally unexpected and unplanned and we became enthusiastic about it.

And when he actually arranged it, we were speechless. We were amazed by their efforts and humbleness as we came to know that this was the first time they did something like this for a guest. They arranged dinner in the garden with twinkling dim lights and soft music. We cannot thank enough Mr Tyagi for doing this and making the trip unforgettable for us.

Next day, we commenced to the much-awaited activity – Paragliding. Know about our experience here: Monolith Bhimtal: A Spellbinding charm

Note of Thanks

On the day of checkout, Mr Tyagi walked us till the exit to bid us goodbye. As a note of thanks, I am expressing my gratitude towards the staff of V Resorts:

Mr Tyagi for being so humble and nice towards the guests.

Dheeraj, for being generous and helpful every time we took a ride with him.

Rest of staff, to always greet and serving us with a smile.

So if you are looking for a serene and offbeat destination, go to Sattal and if you are going to Sattal stay with V Resorts.

How to reach Sattal

To reach Sattal, you first need to reach Kathgodam, below are the options for it:

By Train:  The distance from Delhi to Kathgodam is about 250 km. Shatabdi express and Ranikhet express are two good options available to reach there.

By Flight: Nearest Airport is Kathgodam.

By Bus: You may reach Kathgodam by UTC buses or by private buses. The better option is to go with UTC Volvo’s.

By Road: It’s an easy drive from Delhi to Haldwani and Kathgodam.  You should only opt for it if you can drive in hilly areas since after this all the routes are hilly.

Reaching V Resorts, Sattal

To reach V Resorts Sattal we have two options available:

By Taxi: From Kathgodam or Haldwani, you can easily get a taxi. If opting for a taxi, you should ask the resort staff to arrange it for you. They arrange it at a reasonable price and it’s better and safe as compared to bargaining with local taxi drivers.

By local Transport: V Resorts arrange to pick up by their vehicle from local points. So you can take a local bus from Haldwani to reach a nearby point. You should stay in touch with the resort about it. They would tell you the exact location where you should reach and can send their vehicle for pick up.

If you are travelling in the odd hours like very early morning, then you should opt for a taxi only.

What to do in Sattal

Below are the activities that you can do in Sattal:

Paragliding
Trekking
Boating
Kayaking
Nature Walk
Bird Watching

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The best thing to do in Sattal

The best thing to do in Sattal is to do nothing. Just sit and relax in the lap of nature at this offbeat destination.

So, go for it. Plan a trip and share your experience.

The post V Resorts Sattal: An Offbeat Destination for Serenity. appeared first on InertiaSpeaks.

5 Adventurous activities that you can plan over weekends

For the adventure-loving people of Delhi, we are providing a list of 5 adventurous activities that you can enjoy over weekends. The best thing is that you need not plan anything in advance. Just pack your bags, take out your vehicle and reach the destination. The journey won’t take you more than 6 hours from one side.

1. 

White Water River Rafting in Rishikesh

A popular spot for white water river rafting is Rishikesh, in Uttrakhand district. It’s a drive of around 275 kms from Delhi. You may conveniently reach the place by public transport. Overnight buses are easily available from Delhi that are destined directly to Rishikesh.









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1. White River Rafting

Whether you enjoy water sports or are afraid of water, you should once give a try to whitewater river rafting on the Ganga. This would definitely be a lifetime experience and is certainly one of the best locations for the activity. While steering through the water and facing thrilling rapids, you are sure of experiencing the adrenaline rush.

Best Skiing Spots in New Zealand

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2.  Bungee Jumping

Imagine yourself falling from a height of about 80 meters freely in the air!! Even this thought is enough to make bungee jumping worthy to be called as a daring adventurous activity. The free-fall experience of bungee jumping in Rishikesh, nearest location for Delhi residents, is operated by a New Zealand owned company. They also provide the facility for photography and videos.

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3.   Paragliding in Sattal

There are many locations in India, where you can indulge in Paragliding. We chose Sattal because its weather is most suitable and is the nearest location. Paragliding gives you the real feel of flying like a bird in the sky. A fascination of looking down to get a view of the city while flying at such a height is beyond words. It is a little less risky because a pilot flies with you for controlling the glider.

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4.  Flying fox in Neemrana

If you are looking for a less risky but highly adventurous activity, than flying fox is perfect for you. Neemrana is approx. 120 km away from Delhi and can easily be reached within 3 hours. While at other locations, it is just an activity of 2-3 minutes that involves you slipping down from a height to ground with the help of a harness, Neemrana provides a complete tour. You can have breathtaking views of the fort, hills and ridges as you fly down.

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5.  Cliff jumping in Rishikesh

When you opt for river rafting, cliff jumping also comes as a part of the package. Water currents and level down the cliff is not very high and thus reduces the risk factor of this activity. Cliff height is about 20 feet. It will give you a combined experience of jumping from a height, diving deep in water and swimming. Because of the body weight and pressure, you dive deep into the water and comes out yourself within a few seconds. It needs courage at first to jump, but once you have stepped in, you would surely come out overcoming your fear of height and water.

So, Delhi people, the weekend is around the corner, plan it and have not just fun but some daring experiences also. Whether you are a swimmer or not, whether you have fear of height or not, whether you want to fly or not, just indulge in these adventures and boost your confidence.









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Best Ski Resorts in Georgia

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