Why I'd Never Wish To Return To Museums!

Museums are a good reminder of the past that tell us of how we have evolved, where have we come to, and why: as to begin afresh, and begin a new place from what we can learn and carry from the old, for the creation of the new. There may be something that holds in seeing the well- known places and things with your own eyes, and carry forward the inspiration from them.

There I was in the Paris city, a city that holds million stories, told through its people, its culture, its vibrancy, its monuments, its art and architecture, and its rich heritage. In the midst of this beautiful city stands one of the epitomes of history, heritage, culture and art, the Musée du Louvre, or the Museum of Louvre as it is popularly known worldwide. On the banks of the river Seine, straight down from the Champs-Élysées, stands this grand structure of The Louvre, which houses history of thousands of years in its artefacts, paintings, architecture, sculptures, antiques and archives. 

The Lourve museum holds a long history, which is as known to have been built not for the museum per se, but as a fortress for King Philip II back in 12th century. After years of sculpting around its building it was opened as a museum in 1793. Coming to talk about it in the present day, the museum has millions of visitors each year, one of the most visited museums across the world, housing Leonardo Da Caprio's most widely known painting "The Mona Lisa".

A visit to this huge museum, unfolds many pages of art and history as one starts from one corner lurking into the years that have been spent in the cultural treasures which recite stories to the all the visitors of the times that have long gone by. Paris in this way is by far one of the most attractive cities that I have been to which holds humongous amount of charm and romanticism, right in its wind. Through the rich colours, the differences in the styles of art, the diversity in cultures, you are sure to enjoy the Musée du Louvre as you glimpse lives and times of people who have created artistic wonders. 

Having traveled for quite some years now, I have been to number of museums and often end up thinking as to what I have been doing there and there is this feeling that drowns in me that have I been dragged into this place forcefully. Not doubting the information that these museums hold, but they definitely do not  fit my travel quotient. More often when I am asked about my visits to these information storehouses, I render myself speechless rather than imposing my views of disliking my visit to them.

It takes me efforts to walk through the halls of the museums in queues admiring art one after the other. It’s one of the things I despise and if possible, I shall avoid all museums ever. I m aggrieved by the thought as to how much admiration one can hold and keep looking at it. I would not disagree and I do understand that there are people who love art and spend days looking at one object or paining but I just cannot.

I’m quite an impatient person and there is no way I can hold myself looking at a painting more than 5 seconds. Once I have seen it, I have seen it. So what I have found is that there are people who either love museums or hate them. And with the above walk down, I guess you can hold of the view to which category I belong to? I just can’t bring myself to walk slowly around for hours while admiring art.

- Hardik

I Love Bratislava - Here's To Why?

The great affair is to move. It was time and there came my first solo venture at one of the most lively places in Europe. Bratislava it was, the capital of Slovakia. And to begin with my conscious traveling, being honest as I must admit, this was the first time I had heard the name of this city and I was amazed by the people over there, crazy I must say.

Being the centre spot of Europe, holding unique history, attractive sights, rich cultural life, excellent local gastronomy, quality wine and modern shopping centres make Bratislava an ideal city- break destination.

I took flight from London to Bratislava, which was around 2 hours flight, and I reached there by late evening. Here, what I had heard of this city held true that one minute when I was enjoying the view of the majestic Cathedral, the next moment I was enjoying the cuisines, which was then followed by a freshly brewed espresso in one of numerous cafés in picturesque  narrow streets and squares. The ancient  wine cells, scattered across the city centre, offer wine tasting definitely with a difference.

I had put my bags in the room and just ran out to the roads like a crazy wanderer. I so wanted to shout like a crazy ass, "Yay, dude I'm in Europe". 

After sometime, I straight away went to explore the night life of this place. Till then, I had no clue about Bratislava, it was just a part of my itinerary. I went around hoping cafes, sipping beer and meeting people, I encountered some Irish Guys, some Polish and a few more and had really amazing conversations with them. This is the best part of travelling solo, one gets to meet people of different places and holding various viewpoints and experiences. I partied whole night and when I returned to my room it was already 5 in the morning. I still did not want to sleep. I wanted to explore more, but my body had to take some rest for the upcoming fun.

The following day started with an awesome breakfast in the city center, I walked the city wandering around, looking for places, food and the ice creams. Here one can not resist with just a single scoop of ice cream. Even though I could not explore much of the city as I was so engrossed in the city centre, the main attraction here is the Bratislava Castle. The massive rectangular building with four corner towers stands on an isolated rocky hill of the Little Carpathians directly above the Danube river in the middle of Bratislava. Because of its size and location, it has been a dominant feature of the city for centuries. 

The location provides excellent views of Bratislava, Austria and, in clear weather, parts of Hungary. Many legends are connected with the history of the castle. 

Another touristic place is the gateway to the Old Town Bratislava, The Old Town Hall. The Old Town Hall is located in the heart of the city center, between the Main Square and the Primates square. It is next to the Jesuit Church and near the Greek and Japanese embassies. It is easily recognizable by its colorful tiled roof. The building was used as a town hall from the 15th century through the late 19th century. At times during that period, however, it also served other purposes, including housing a prison and mint, and being place of trade and celebrations. It was also used as the city's arsenal depository and municipal archive. Today it hosts the Bratislava City Museum, displaying exhibitions of Pressburg's history. Exhibited items include torture instruments, the old town dungeons, antique weapons and armour, paintings and miniatures. 

My curiosity of finding new adventures brought me to the One cart arena for go karting. Go Karting was so much fun, even though I stood 4th out of 8 guys, still the experience had been worth penning down.

Tripadvisor had suggested me to take the wine tours in the city centre. Then, I got to know about an old wine shop which offers wine for tasting. The guy took me two floors in the basement, they had renovated the old jails used during the medieval time and it looked really artistic. I had never developed liking for wine till now, but this place totally changed my taste for wine. He offered me 5-6 different types of European Wines, and that totally changed my views for wine. 

If one is a beer person, Bratislava has so much to offer. Cheap beer is available everywhere and one often feels like sipping beer and hopping around cafes in the city. Here, I also tried a 90% alcohol shot which was seriously crazy.

Being in a party destination in Europe, one can not miss the strip clubs. Bratislava had so many strip clubs and one can try them for their pending share of fun of this city, it’s worth an experience. 

The following day, I got to know about the free walking tour of the city. It is quite common to take the free walking tours in different cities of Europe, though it's not allowed in Italy as they do not believe in anything for free. Starting with the tour, there was this girl who was guiding the group of around 50 people from all parts of the world, taking all across the old town to the new town explaining the history of the Slovakia and showing all the touristic spots in the city of Bratislava. A tip of 10 Euros is considered good as this is something to appreciate their effort of guiding so many people.

No wonder Bratislava feels like  so much of energy, with a frenetic mix of old and urban, classic and contemporary.

- Hardik

When I surrendered myself into the laps of the ranges of Sikkim!

The wind struck squarely on my face, and I knew I was in Yumthang Valley, the valley of flowers, with Rhododendrons all around, And I was all ready to wrap my arms around this beauty. 

Yumthang Valley, Sikkim

The thin branches of the trees was stooping down on either sides, laden with fresh snow. The sky was crystal clear all around, giving me the views of the truest blue I had ever seen. It was like the sheath of snowy mountains rose all around to greet me silently. Yumthang Valley was unfolding in front of me in all its majestic splendour. The mountains were flanked by thick forest cover, the lush green trees were visible beneath the white canopy. Wherever I looked the sheer beauty of nature numbed my senses.

Lachung, Sikkim

Heaven is not the place where one would land when one dies; for me it is that moment when I feel alive and fresh with myself, and Zero point in Sikkim has been one such place for me. I was looking forward with each passing moment to have those fascinations come to realization where I would be seeing the last point for civillians. 

The landscape throughout the journey to this point is mesmering to the core and one cannot be spared with the awe of the amazement that this place offered. Through the curves in the mountainous areas here amidst the rugged piece of terrain of this splendid geographic region and has been a lifetime experience.

Zero Point,   Sikkim

Lachung is one of the remotest destinations in India and offers stunning views of the Himalayan beauty. majestic snow-covered mountains all around that tempt every tourist. It is one of the most beautiful town I have ever been to, which has several streams, peaks, amazing waterfalls and much more on its platter to offer to everyone who comes to this idyllic destination.

Gangtok, Sikkim

The splendid scenic beauty warmly greeted me at every bend on this serpentine road. While crossing the roads, my eyes and my lens captured the glorious view of the majestic Himalayas. I was watching the time pass by me in the paradise.

Yumthang Valley, Sikkim

It is quite difficult to imagine such a beautiful lake cut out of this size situated in the middle of this majestic cold desert. Once I captured the sight of this lake, all my fatigue of traveling several kilometres vanished.

Gurudongmar Lake, Sikkim

The snow- fed milky water of the lake was evidently and clearly visible. To the back, I saw kanchenjunga Range which was encircled all around by snow-clad mountains.

Gurudongmar Lake, Sikkim

Memories stocked at Pangong Tso Lake!

A drive to this beautiful lake has lent me some of the most wonderful experiences. It was this time that I realized more than ever, I shall never be contented with the sedentary lifestyle, and that I shall always be haunted by thoughts if someday I had to drench myself for the rest of my life under a roof. Nature has its own ways of instilling peace within an individual just as it infuses life within streams, trees, etc; and here I was at Pangong Tso Lake.

There are huge monasteries around the region that reside in the vastness of the huge spread of the mountain range, where the topography is so rich that it provides clearance into lots of scientific phenomenon that so far I'd studied in books such as mirage, iridescence, amongst a host of others.

Having been to this place, I wondered how minute particle I am in this world.

My time there was just getting more enriched with each passing moment, and I did not want to bid adieu to this paradise. This lake may be saline, but the experiences that it instills one with are sweet, rather pleasant and to carry them with oneself for lifetime. The journey to this lake had been through a rough terrain with scenic and picturesque mountainous roads throughout.

The migratory colourful Himalayan birds with richness of their vibrancy are pure delight to give you company all along the stay and throughout the way.

Most of us exist for most of the time in worlds which are humanly arranged, themed and controlled. One often forgets that there are places which do not respond to the taps on the screen, flicks of a switch or the twist of a dial, and which have their own rhythm and orders of existence. Pangong Tso Lake, for me, corrected me on this amnesia. By speaking of greater forces of nature than we can possibly invoke, and by confronting us with greater spans of time than we can possibly envisage, lakes such as this refute our excessive trust in the man-made.

The essence that icy cold water had and the crystal clear bottom sent a thrill up my spine. It was definitely like one of those moment when the closest I have ever felt to God, and the very air in the atmosphere was so pure.

The first glimpses of these serene and bright blue sheet layers of waters and the rocky lakeshore is for sure to etched in your memory for a lifetime.

The lake is nothing short of heaven symbolising peace and serenity in the finest way. I have never even seen as many shades of blue at one time as I saw here. The scene was almost as if God had taken his hands on the paintbrush with a blue palette, spraying colours, and in those moments a spell had been cast and I was rendered speechless, may be they knew the secret. There was no attention to any boundaries of the spread of vastness.



This spectacular lake view has been an experience for which I would say that some dreams should just not be dreamt but felt.

- Hardik

Wandering into the Tirthan Valley!

As a kid, I used to look up in the sky and ask for wings to fly up to the mountains and wish they will call me one day to make me feel alive and on top of this world and Today , here I am standing at the top of the mountains and appreciating the majestic panoramic view of mesmerizing Himalayas and believing in a quote that Yes " Dreams do come true". Undoubtedly, I was living my dream standing amidst the mountains, wandering into the mystified and beautiful landscapes, walking into the woods, besides the Tirthan river.

It was the moment when after hoping around the world, my eyes were gazed looking at Tirthan Valley and it gave me the feeling that my dream has been sketched and nature is my artist putting  everything alive right in front of me in more wondrous ways than ever. I witnessed things what ancients would have called miracles, but unfortunately they are not miracles, It was a product of my dream and this only happens when you crave badly for it. Undoubtedly I was just a molecule around those tall sheltering trees  but I am reliving the best days of my life.

There were beautiful clouds below and above me, and there were mighty mountain peaks emerging from those clouds all around. The peaks shining in blue sky among the white clouds looked like glittering diamonds. The view of the large lush green meadow surrounded by mountains under blue sky circling the horizon has put me in a state of tranquility. As the sun started drowning in the horizon, the sky had began to boast of its mystical colours. The beautiful mix of pink, orange and red looked like creating a perfect twilight saga. And there I opened my both arm and took a deep breath to entwine myself with the nature.

Raising myself towards the moon made me to sense the flood of memories which I wanted to long unleash. The cool breeze around the valley lifted me up. I closed my eyes and breathed deep as if I wanted to let myself know that I was finally there. I was in joyous mood for I was living my dream. The feelings kept rolling up and down within me while I was waiting to unleash the memories that I was storing within me. 

It’s not a usual feeling when you wake up to a breath of fresh air gushing through your face after tiring overnight journey in the bus from Delhi. But that was the moment when I left all the fuss behind and entered a different world altogether. What I see is that how tiny place I occupy in this world, and this Tirthan valley jaunt is widely turning me into a storyteller. 

To enter the Tirthan Valley one deboards the bus at the Aut tunnel. Here on, one might want to worry about the world that one leaves behind or one might want to miss the pizzas that fattened the tummy, or maybe one might want to search for networks in their phones, but it’s not for long before one forgets all this. Sooner one finds oneself in the orchards of trees, apricots, almonds, streams of fresh water along the way, and fields lush with the cereals and vegetables that have touched sky high prices in the city where one comes from. The entire route is quite panoramic, with Tirthan river and Beas river flowing along the road. There also comes a point where both the rivers meet each other, and the magical views is a must do when coming to Tirthan valley.

One can do a Tirthan Valley home stay, like at the Mudhouse experiential hostels at Jibhi that I stayed at, a popular mode of accommodation in this beautiful valley. It is like an experience where most of us aspire to have a home in the hills, along a beach, in a remote village, a small cottage with a lawn and a kitchen garden to feast on, an open space for our pets to run around. The homestays in the Tirthan valley offer that very experience of unwinding in a lovely setting as guests to warm, friendly people, who have opened their traditional as well as modern homes to guests. They are scattered in various parts of the Tirthan Valley and they are a great way to mingle into the culture of a region, explore nature in its raw form, and a great option for an extended budget stay.

So this valley definitely assures one to be rich and a free bird for the next few days.

If one really stands for the crazy ventures on the trip one is onto, here in the Tirthan Valley one can try fishing here, which requires taking a permit which costs 100 INR, a fishing rod that one can rent for 500 INR, and tons of patience, most importantly. It took me approximately 4 hours and still was unable to catch any trout. Here, I started from upstream and walked all the way downstream searching for fishes. It took me a lot of energy and patience, but nevertheless, I’ll have another experience to share in my bucket list. Jumping over the rocks, standing still amidst water and watching for the fishes patiently, is worth an experience I gained at Tirthan.

The visit to the waterfall is a must do for all coming to this valley. It’s half a km walk as one feels majestic gazing at the panoramal sceneries, feeling the air gushes crossing the body, hear the chants of the animals and birds around, and moistened one's skin in the water vapours erupting from the waterfall. This waterfall is definitely one of the many highlights of the trip to Tirthan Valley. The magical walk is steep at places though one is bound to be rewarded with the hidden jewel.

Exploring the Tirthan Valley further, there is Jalori Pass comprising of a drive and a trek. The drive to Jalori pass crosses the quaint villages of Jibhi & Ghyagi. Though only 10 km from Tirthan the drive easily takes around 2 hours as there is a steep incline towards the pass. From here one can either venture into the depths of one of the biggest oak jungles towards Serlosar Lake or trek to the highs of Raghavpur Garh.

I ventured towards the Serlosar lake from Jalori Paas, the most amazing adventure is the 5 km trek to this beautiful lake. Serolsar lake is also a pilgrim site for the people local people as they pray over there, located at about 3,050m. This lake offers tranquility and has been known for being the seat of local goddess Budhi Nagin. Pilgrims walk around the lake, pouring an unbroken line of ghee. This is one of the good camping ground with small caves to explore. The area is surrounded by dense forests interspersed with meadows of wild flowers and tall pine trees. 

The next I experienced was the trek to Balo temple which started from the Bahu Village, another 10 kms from Jibhi. Bus services are easily available to Bahu village. The 2 km trek is an amateur level trek, and provides a beautiful sight of the meadows. There are no directions and signs to reach the Balo temple in particular. There is just one deviation in the whole way from where one just has to move onto the right direction. 

On reaching the Balo temple, one can see several small temples with simple yet beautiful architecture and a tree surrounded with some tridents known as Trishuls. It is a clean grassland with a small lake and beautiful sight of the pine trees. One can sit over there and have a pleasant experience of the breeze.

For me to sum up, I would clearly stand right to the remark that the Tirthan valley is one of the most beautiful virgin valleys of Himachal & an amazing destination by the side of the amazing Tirthan river. Treks, bird watching , waterfalls, and a host of other adventure activities are a lot refreshing here.

- Hardik

Towards The Tirthan Valley- A Wondrous Getaway!

Have you ever thought that being lost is your destination?

Yes, I have. For me, the key to a wonderful life is to never stop wandering into the wonders.

The pollution in Delhi was beginning to get to me and I was aching to run away to the hills, breathe some fresh air and enjoy the slow paced life. The traveller inside me was in search of an offbeat place away from the hustles of the Delhi life.

So here I was at - Tirthan valley, the lush green forests, all covered with deodar and pine woods, the best decision I ever took, I guess, while knowing very little about the place, I embarked on a journey to uncover this lesser known paradise in the immediate vicinity of Himachal Pradesh. The closer I got to Jibhi, the fonder I grew of this hidden treasure, unadulterated by the outside world, it still breathes afresh.

Here in the wilderness I dare you, ofcourse with optimistic viewpoint, to walk where you have not yet walked and notice that life is as beautiful as the dreams that dance in our imagination. We don’t have to try in getting anything out of it, because we won’t, we don’t have to try to make use of it, because we can’t. And that’s the point I believe, to just walk, see, sit down, and be. Just be, whatever one is with, with whatever one has, and realise that there is enough to be happy. There is a whole world out there, right outside our window, and we would be a fool to miss upon it.

Mudhouse experiential hostels - Where life gets a meaning. When a housing structure is built in mountains, it definitely takes a toll on the ecology.  This pretty little homestay with an attic room seems to be straight out from a fairy tale book. Since it is not on any of the main roads, it is surrounded by trees and you can easily hear the water stream just behind this homestay. I walked near to the stream, near water, the most peaceful company and place I would ever know. There I sat and stayed, with nothing and everything on my mind, cleansing my head. Nature with its silences as offering, I learned, is sometimes the most beautiful sound. 

Mudhouse has given me memories of lifetime, the opportunities to explore a better side of myself in the laps of nature, mingling along with the alike minds, exploring the parts of self existence, with lots of offerings in form of activities such as bonfire, fishing, camping, trekking, walks and the live music time, amongst many.

The taught have often showed me that great things have to be done bit by bit. Nothing that means anything happens with the blink of an eye--we only think it does. The motion of drawing back a bow and sending an arrow straight into a target takes only a split second, but it is a skill of several years in the making. So is with the life, anyone's life for that matter. I may list things that might be described as my accomplishments in these last few years, but they are only the shadows of the larger truth, the fragments separated from the whole cycle of becoming. And if I can tell an odd-time story, it is because I have spent many years walking-wayfaring-wandering about myself, listening to voices that came not just from the people but from animals, birds, streams, trees, stones, and everything wild.

For nature lovers and art enthusiasts, this place can bring the best out of you as well as enrich you in the most unimaginable way. They also have a whole lot of games in case you are travelling with friends or kids and want to spend the evening playing ludo, jenga or monopoly. My favourite part of the homestay was the fireplace where one could sit through the evenings, curled up with a book or some music.

I was thrilled that the wifi signal wasn’t great because I desperately was in a need of digital detox. I could feel my stresses just melt away and all those siestas, delicious food and restful sleep at night gave me the break I needed. I was happy, rested, satiated and felt ready to take on whatever life had in store for me.

I would suggest to not worry yourself, because as I started walking and kept walking until I no longer knew the road like the palm-lines of my hand, what I realised was that when we walk the same roads day in and day out, to the places in an outside world and back home and we often cease to understand the world around us. It is like walking in the sleep and teaching our muscles to work without thinking. Nature knows the secrets, it knows no boundaries.

The beauty of this property is that it feels like a ‘home away from home’ where you can have absolutely everything you want. The rooms were very comfortable. I was pretty upset about leaving this gorgeous place with all the warmth and hospitality that the host had to offer. 

Rahul and Anu - they stand true to their name 'experiential', the vibes of the hosts and the place around is unexpectedly amazing, the perfect host, very prompt, attentive and went out of their way to make sure all my needs were met. A truly unbeatable and unmatchable experience with the hosts. One is for sure to fall in love with the place and hosts.

I cannot wait to be back and highly recommend that you check out their soon to be opened property in Jibhi only for your next vacation with friends. It was a great place to connect with the fellow travellers. Everything is hospitable at this place and if ever you are around in this part of Himachal, do not miss out on this place.

They say Alexander- The Great slept with 'The Iliad' beneath his pillow. Though I have never led an army like him, but nevertheless, I am a wanderer. During the waning moon, I cradle Homer’s 'Odyssey' as if it were the sweet body of a woman. 

- Hardik

Dancing Lessons Onto "Songs Of The Sea" At 'Wings Of Time' At Sentosa, Singapore!

Traveling wide and across has always been important to me, second only to family. But then is there anything better than seeing the world with your family? Well, not! 

The stamped passports, plane tickets and the plans for adventure feels like the best gift that I can possibly either present them or receive from them, for I can believe traveling together is one of the best family investments that one makes.

There is this strong anticipation which keeps everyone happy for months, there are the experiences which can change one's life, and then there are the memories, which binds and sustains the family for years to come. After having experienced my first international trip at Singapore with my family, I arrived at an inference that there is no tv screen or wardrobe piece that has embarked upon that kind of effect.

We live in a beautiful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure, to which there is no end to the adventures we can have if we seek them with our eyes open. One of those mesmerising experiences for me has been that 25-minute show during the sunset at Sentosa Island known as "Wings Of Time" that tells a tale about two friends, a mysterious pre-historic bird and their  journey across several landscapes and time to find the bird’s home, which the combination of natural elements, water and fire, along with the pyrotechnics and lasers.

Until now those performances have been occupying a prime place in my memory as traveling sights such as 'Wings Of Time' are pleasant surprises, the colourful doors and windows to a wonderful display of the fireworks. The Wings of Time show at Sentosa is definitely worth watching with the family after a day out in Sentosa.

Going into the technical details of the show, it primarily features robotic fountains and pyrotechnics, which is seen to be projected against a backdrop of white, geometric panels, while the musical score of Songs Of The Sea featured familiar local oldies, the live talent performers of Wings of Time sing a modern English ditty which goes “When you’re far away from home”. The highly-precise laser beams which shoot out from behind the screen create an illusion and making the viewers to think that it could be daylight, or that the images are gasp.

For a person with little to no interest in history, it does not turn out difficult for one to understand the time-traveling concept as to why a “bird-like creature” resembling a scarlet macaw, with its polychromatic wings, is the main character of this spectacular scene. Here in the depiction, Shahbaz, awakens from a deep slumber and swoops across panoramic vistas from the Industrial Revolution of Europe to Chinese Silk Road and to African savannahs as it attempts to make its way home.

Thus, spending our one of those Sentosa evenings by treating our eyes to the Wings of Time show in Singapore, an award-winning night show that mesmerized all of us with its pyrotechnics, lasers, fountains and storyline has been supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, yes, and that means extraordinarily wonderful.

I would rather proudly say, such travel plans are my evergreen dancing lessons, on which I would anyday love to tune in with.

- Hardik