Delightful Gorubathan, West Bengal

The Fascinating splendor of Gorubathan in West Bengal took me by surprise, I wasn`t expecting such a unique and lush green place. One can enjoy varied activities like Riverside camping, hiking, Jungle Safari to nearby forest of Sakham, visit Dalim Fort, experience tea tasting at organic ta gardens, take a dip at Chhangay Falls, witness the sunrise and sunset at Jhandi, eat homecooked meals at homestays etc.

Landscape around Gorubathan

I was going to Assam for my best friend`s wedding and thought of utilizing the time in exploring nearby places. Enroute to Assam, I took a halt at New Jalpayiguri from where I took a private taxi to Gorubathan, a small and humble place in the district of Darjeeling. I took a train from Delhi to NJP in West Bengal. North East Express that starts from Anand Vihar Railway Terminal was my choice of train for the journey which I ultimately regretted. A piece of advice never ever take the North East Express instead take Guwahati Rajdhani or Karamabhoomi Express.

Gorubathan Tar

Once there, I stayed at a homestay which is owned by Pawan Thapa who runs Himalayan Media Welfare Society(Voluntary NGO) in Gorubathan. He was kind enough to show me around the town and treated me with home cooked authentic food. I could only spare a day for this wonderful town. But if you decide to come here then my suggestion will be that you spend atleast four days in Gorubathan.

Some pictures from my trip:

Railway Bridge enroute to Gorubathan

Landscape at Jhandi

 

Sunset View at Jhandi

 

With my Host Family

Coronation Bridge

Tamang Monastery

Teesta River

If you ever decide to go to Gorubathan then do contact the following person:

Pawan Thapa

Contact no. 08801926294

Happy Travelling!!!

Chandra Taal: The Moon Lake

Straight from my heart:

“I stood silent looking at the seamless depths of the landscape that was in front of me. The ever inviting water, the calmness of the area, the deep blue sky coupled up with the silence echoing inside my heart made all the difference in my life at that point of time. I could hear my heartbeat as fast as a train. I tried to numb my mind from all these fluttering thoughts that haunts me in vain. I stood there and the day went by, evening turned into night and the night seemed endless and bottomless, still I stood there, waiting for a miracle to happen. ”

 

 

 

Read detailed travelogue of my Chandra Taal trip on:

http://blog.nomadicshoes.com/2013/09/the-moon-lake-chandrataal-spiti/

 

 

Unforgettable Ladakh

Three months after my First Solo Trip to Ladakh, I am sitting on my desk at work and recalling the beautiful landscapes I witnessed while I was on the road. The pristine water bodies, snow clad mountains, friendly people and a lot of culinary delights makes my solo trip worth remembering. I am restless now and want to go back in the lap of nature, away from the noisy city streets. On 28^th May, 2013 I started my solo trip. When I told people about my plan, a lot of them raised their eye brows and questioned my judgment. Even I doubted myself at one point of time but where there is a will, there is a way. My motivation to go solo to Ladakh was more of an impulse than a well thought out plan. I just wanted to get away from Delhi`s heat wave. I couldn’t resist myself from taking this step in life where I wanted to feel liberated and free to do as I wanted.

Posting some unforgettable pictures from my First Solo Trip:

How To Select A Good Travel Camera

Any novice can take a picture but clicking an aesthetic picture is not everyone`s cup of tea.. There are many types of photographers, some click the nature whereas some go for abstract things, and then there are those who hog on the limelight by making a beautiful model look all sultry and sexy but there is one more kind, a travel photographer. Clicking a picture by a basic camera is a great skill and not all of us are born with the sense of framing and composition, though we might like to think otherwise.

Let us find out some key pointers one should keep in mind before buying a travel camera:

• Battery Life

While travelling go for a camera that gives you a good battery life, instead of going for replaceable AA batteries buy a digital camera that comes with rechargeable battery. It is easier to charge anywhere in the world; all you need is a plug point and an adapter.

• Lens

Most people get swayed in by the body of the camera and underestimate the importance of the quality of lens. Travelers should go for a camera with shorter focal lengths as it will squeeze more area into a photograph. Wide angle cameras usually have a focal length of 28 mm which covers a large landscape you have been meaning to capture in its full bloom. Also keep in mind the optical zoom range of a camera before you burn a hole in your pocket. 3 or 4 x optical range is usually good enough except for travelers.

• Megapixels

Don’t get fooled by the megapixels gimmick, it confuses a lot of people because most camera companies takes pride in their higher megapixel cameras but the plain truth is that it is not significant. Anything above 8 mp is good enough for a traveler, so don’t pay a bomb for a camera with higher megapixels.

• Zoom

Go for a camera with optical zoom as it will give you better quality photographs as compared to a digital zoom camera. A digital camera will just adjust the image in the camera itself whereas optical zoom will get up close to the image by making adjustment to the lens.

• Usability

Most travelers prefer to buy a basic point and shoot camera, being said that it is important to go for a camera that is weather resistant and water proof. Depending upon your needs go for a camera with high ISO levels if you like taking pictures at night, it should have a macro mode if you are a nature lover and lower shutter speed for capturing moving objects.

So before you buy a high-end camera for yourself for travelling make sure you keep the above-mentioned points in mind. Make the smart choice Mr/Ms. Shutterbug!!! Happy clicking.