Allahabad

Allahabad, a city in Uttar Pradesh (India), has strong historical, political and religious backdrop. Originally called Prayag, the city is located on the confluence of river Ganga and Yamuna.

When to go: The best time to visit Allahabad is from October to March.

How to go:  If you are coming by plane, then prefer Varanasi Airport or Lucknow Airport. Allahabad Airport is a military base. It has one-room passenger terminal and only one flight by Air India run per day. This flight comes from Delhi via Kanpur.

Allahabad is well connected to other cities of India by train. It is situated on the Delhi-Kolkata route and Mumbai-Kolkata route. The city is well connected by road also as it is on NH2 and NH27.

What to see: Sangam is the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. It is an important place for religious travellers. After every 12 years, it hosts Kumbh Mela. Allahabad Fort, constructed in 1583 by Akbar, is an important place to see. Tourists are allowed to see only Ashoka Pillar, Saraswati Kup and Jodhabai Palace. Patalpuri Temple, an underground temple, is located inside the fort. Akshaya Vat, a religious tree of Hindus, can also be seen within the temple. Anand Bhawan, ancestral home of the Nehrus, has now become a museum. Swaraj Bhawan, built by Pt. Moti Lal Nehru, is the place where Indira Gandhi was born. It is situated just next to Anand Bhawan. Allahabad Museum will surely attract history lovers. Here they can see stone sculptures and coins from the 2nd century BC till date. Jawahar Planetarium will be of interest to you if you love astronomy. Its timing is from 11 am-4:30 pm and ticket price is Rs 20. Children below 7 are not allowed and the planetarium is closed on Mondays. Company Bagh is the place where you can get the experience of British era of Indian history. It is the place where Chandrashekhar Azad (freedom fighter) was gunned down.

Food: Allahabad is heaven for food lovers. You can find very good Mughalai cuisine along with other North Indian dishes here and Loknath area can be the best place for this.

Shopping: You must get the water of Ganges. You can find them in brass pots near Sangam. Guavas of Allahabad are very famous so do not forget to eat.

Where to stay: If you want to stay in a budget pace then you can find a lot of dharmshalas at negligible charges. Hotel Kohinoor in 10 Noorulla Road, Hotel Samrat in Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Hotel Yatrik in 33 Sardar Patel Marg and Valentines Hotel in Clive Road are some of the mid range hotel. Hotel Ajay International in Elgin Road, Hotel Grand Continental in SP Marg, Civil Lines, Hotel Kanha Shyam and Hotel Milan in Strachey Road, Hotel Allahabad Regency in Tashkent Marg and Hotal Samrat in Civil Lines are some of the luxury hotels in the city.

Ajanta- Ellora

Ajanta-Ellora, located near Aurangabad in Maharashtra (India), is famous for caves. They are World Heritage Sites listed by UNESCO. Though they are two different tourist destinations, they are often mentioned together because of similar type of rock-cut cave monuments. The Ajanta Caves are located 107 km from Aurangabad city while Ellora cave complex is just 30 km from the city.

When to go: The best time to visit Ajanta and Ellora is from October to March.

How to go:  The nearest airport from Ajanta and Ellora is Aurangabad airport. This airport is well connected to Delhi, Udaipur, Jaipur, and Mumbai. Jalgaon, which is around 60 km from Ajanta, is also developing its airport and very soon will be ready to welcome the tourists.

Jalgaon railway station is the nearest railway station to reach Ajanta by train. For Ellora, Aurangabad railway station is the nearest. This station is well connected to Mumbai, Delhi and several other important cities of India.

Aurangabad is connected to other cities via road. If you want to go to Ajanta by road then you must go via Jalgaon. 

What to see: The Ajanta Cave complex comprises 29 cave monuments. The caves were constructed in two phases. The first group of caves were built in around 200 BC and the second group in 600 AD. These caves are famous for beautiful sculptures and paintings.

Ellora cave complex comprises of 34 caves which were constructed between 5th and 10th century. Out of 34, caves 1 to 12 are Buddhist monasteries, caves 13 to 29 are the Hindu temples and caves 30 to 34 are the Jain temples. 

Ajanta and Ellora caves are open from 9am until sunset. The Ajanta caves are closed on Mondays while Ellora caves are closed on Tuesdays.

Shopping:

You cannot do a lot of shopping in Ajanta and Ellora as you can find mostly government shops near the bus stop. However Aurangabad can be a perfect nearby place for shopping. Himroo shawls and Paithani sarees of Aurangabad are famous.

Where to stay:

Quality accommodations at Ellora are available while at Ajanta, it is not. The Maharastra Tourism Development Corporation's Holiday Resort in Fardapur can be a good option for you if you are planning to stay in Ajanta. Hotel Kailas, located right opposite the Ellora caves, is a very good option for staying in Ellora.

Ajmer

When to go: The climate of Ajmer is desert type. During summer the temperature rises very high so the best time to come to this place is between October to March.

How to go: The city is well connected to Delhi, Ahmadabad, Jaipur, Udaipur and other cities via train. You can also come here by bus or car. It will take around 2-3 hours to come from Jaipur and 4-5 hours from Jodhpur. There are government and private bus services operating from Ahmadabad, Delhi and several other cities of India. Jaipur Airport is the nearest airport to Ajmer and it is 135 kilometres from here.

What to see: Dargah Sharif-Tomb of the Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti is a major pilgrimage centre. Entry is free. Men and women must cover their heads. Women also need to cover their shoulder. Pick pocketing happens here so be careful. Nareli, a Jain place located near Kishangarh bypass, is a beautiful place to visit. It has a very big temple and also serves Jain food. Check the meal hours in advance as food will be served in those hours only. Ana Sagar is the manmade lake and near one of its sides, there is Daulat Bag, a garden. Shah Jahan's Mosque and Emperor Akbar's royal residence which now serves as a museum are the other places in the city which are worth visiting.

Travel within city: You can see the place by hiring cycle rickshaws or auto rickshaws. It is a walkable city and so you can also walk and see the place.

Food: Tandoor Restaurant will be the right choice for non-veg food. Mahadev ka Dhaba, located opposite to Daulat Bagh, serves delicious dhaba style food. If you are a vegetarian then Hotel Bhola can be a good choice for you.

Shopping: Mahila Mandi is the women’s market in Ajmer. It is closed on Tuesdays.

Where to stay: Hotel Pandit and Khadim tourist bungalow have rooms in economy range. Hotel Mansingh Palace is a 3 star hotel and is a good place to stay.

Agartala

Agartala, capital of Tripura (India), lies on the Haora River. It is just two km from Bangladesh.

When to go:

Agartala has moderate weather throughout the year. The climate is neither very hot nor very cold but still the best time to come Agartala is between October to March.

 How to go:  

Agartala Airport or Singerbhil Airport, located 12 km from the city of Agartala, is ready to welcome you if you are coming to Agartala by plane. The city is well connected to other major cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and Chennai. Several other cities are connected via Kolkata or Guwahati.

There are direct trains for Agartala from Silchar and Badarpur in Assam. There are also direct buses from Guwahati, Shillong and Silchar.

What to see:

Ujjayanta Palace: It is a two storied mansion built by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya and it has pools and Mughal style gardens.

If you are interested in history and historical things then Tripura Government Museum will surely be worth visiting. Sukanta Academy, a science museum will surely attract the lovers of science. A small planetarium in Sukanta Academy complex will attract students, research scholars and scientist.

Jagannath Temple and Lakshmi Narayan Temple are famous from the pilgrims’ point of view.

Venuban Vihar is a Budhha Temple. It is an attractive Buddhist destination of Tripura.

Nehru Park and Rabindra Kanan are two famous parks in the city which will attract people of every age.

Akhaura Check post, near the border of India and Bangladesh, handles the largest number of visitors to and from Bangladesh.

Travel within city:

You can travel in the city by taking Paddle Rickshaws as they are the main mode of travel within the city. In some specified routes, you can also find auto rickshaws. The government city buses also run but their frequency is low.

Food:

All varieties of food are available in any good hotel. You can find Indian, Chinese and Continental foods.

Shopping:

You can buy cane and bamboo artworks here. The traditional handicrafts made of wood, clay and palm leaves are famous. You can check out for tablemats, room dividers, lampshades, wall panels, floor mats etc.

Where to stay:

Though splurge hotels are not available in the city but you can find some very good hotels. Hotel City Centre and Welcome Palace Hotel in Hari Ganga Basak Road, Rajdhani Hotel in B.K. Road, Radha International Hotel in Central Road and Rjarshi Badsha Hotel near Circuit House are some of the good hotels in the city. 

Agra

Agra, a city in Uttar Pradesh (India), has three UNESCO World Heritage sites and is worth visiting. The three UNESCO World Heritage sites are the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. If you come to India and do not visit Agra and see Taj MAhal, your visit will be incomplete.

When to go: In summer, temperature here is very high so it is advisable not to visit Agra during this time. The right time to visit is between September to March.

How to go:  Agra’s Kheria Airport has seasonal service. It is served by only Kingfisher Airlines and Air India Regional. Lateness problem is also so its better not to prefer flights.

The city is very well connected to other cities via train route. Everyday there are around 20 trains for Delhi and three to four for Mumbai and Chennai respectively. If you are planning to come via Delhi, then you must keep in mind that there will be very low temperature in Delhi during winter. There will be fog which will make trains late.  Driving in fog is risky so prefer trains and avoid coming via road. Agra Cantt, Agra Fort station and Raja Ki Mandi are three stations in Agra.

You can come to Agra via bus also. It takes around 4-5 hours from Delhi to reach here. If you are travelling towards Rajasthan/Madhya Pradesh, you will have catch bus from Idgah Bus Stand, 8 km from the Taj. ISBT at Transport Nagar is an interstate bus terminal. It is 12 km from the Taj. Except buses which start from Idgah Bus Stand, most of the othrt buses pass through this bus stand.

What to see: The Taj Mahal is a tomb made of white marble. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife. Every day it is open from 6:00 AM to 7:30 PM except Fridays. The entry fee is Rs 20 for Indians and Rs 250 (plus levy of Rs 500) for foreigners. Ticket counters at the west and east gate open at 6:00 AM while counter at south gate opens at 8:00 AM. The right time to see the Taj is during dusk and dawn to experience the full effect of changing sunlight on it. Security is very tight at the Taj and you must follow the rules. All electric goods except video camera, arms, fire, smoking items, liquor, food, chewing gum, knives, wire, mobile charger etc are prohibited inside the Taj Mahal complex. Mobile Phones must be kept switched off. Smoking and eating is strictly prohibited inside the Taj Mahal complex. Photography is prohibited inside the main mausoleum. The charge for video camera is Rs 25. Visitors should keep silence inside the mausoleum. Wheelchairs are available for disabled persons.

On the nights of a full moon and the two days before and after, night viewing sessions are held. But it is not held on Fridays and in the month of Ramadan. For these sessions, tickets must be purchased 24 hours in advance.

Agra Fort is again worth visiting.  The entry fee is Rs 250 (plus levy of 50 Rupees if not paid the Rs 500 fee for Taj Mahal). Audio guides are available at the fort. The rental charge for English and other foreign languages audio guides is Rs 100 and for Indian languages, it is Rs 60.

Fatehpur Sikri, a town near to Agra, was Akbar's capital for approximately 12 years. Diwan-i-Am, Diwan-i-Khas, Buland Darwaza, Jama Masjid, Panch Mahal and the tomb of Saint Sheikh Salim Chishti are the monuments within this area which are worth seeing. All these monuments are open on all weekdays. The timing is from sunrise to sunset. The entry fee for children below 12 is free and above 12 is Rs 5. On Fridays, the entry is free.

Travel within city: You can travel within the city by hiring a cab. Hertz, eCabs Enterprises and Car Rental are some of the companies which give cars for rent. The government authorized taxi stand is outside the railway station. It takes Rs 950 /day for 12 hours. Keep in mind that cars are not allowed near the Taj Complex.

Electric buses, tongas and electric tempos are also available. Auto-rickshaws are also available but fix the price before getting into it. Bargaining needs to be done for almost everything and especially for a foreigner.

Food: Other than the Taj, Agra is also famous for Petha and Daal moth. Petha is a type of sweet candy and Daal moth is a spicy lentil mix. If you love chaat then Agra is surely a heaven for you. Here you can find varieties of chaats.

Shopping: Here in Agra you can buy stone products and leather goods. But do bargain hard. While buying jewels, be careful of stones. The stones can be fake and you may be charged for the original. You can do some shopping at Sadar Bazaar.  

Where to stay: Dayal Lodge in Dayalbagh Road, Hotel Amba Inn near Raja ki Mandi Railway Station and Hotel Jaiwal in Sadar Bazar are some of the budget hotels in Agra. Hotel Mandakini Villas in Fatehabad Road and Laurie's Hotel in Mahatma Gandhi Road are some of the mid range hotels. You can also find five star hotels ITC Mughal, Oberoi Amarvilas and Trident Hilton. 

ALAPPUZHA

Alappuzha, also known as Alleppey, is a very good tourist spot in Kerala, India. The huge networks of lagoons, canals, and lakes along with the Arabian Sea in its West, the place is often called as "Venice of east". It is heaven for those who love nature and natural beauty. Alappuzha is famous for its beaches, marine products, houseboat holidays, boat races and coir industry. 

When to go: Kerala is a place where tourists can visit in any month of the year as the weather is never too hot and never too cold. Still April and May will be hot so better avoiding it. The best time to visit Kerala is from September to March.

How to go:  Alleppey is on the National Highway 47 and is well connected to other places by public state transport buses.  If you are travelling by air, Kochi International Airport is the nearest airport. It is around 85 km from Alleppey town. From airport, the best way to travel to Alleppey is by bus. There are frequent bus services and they will cost around Rs. 25. Alleppey Railway Station is there to welcome you if you are coming by train.  Auto rickshaws can be seen outside the station but travelers must insist on meter.  Alleppey is also connected through waterways. It is linked by boat and ferry services to Kevalam, Kottayam, Cochin, Changanassery and Chengannur.

What to see: Krishnapuram Palace, built in 18th century during the reign of Marthanda Varma, the king of Travancore, is the place which displays characteristics of Kerala architecture. Gajendra Moksham, one of the largest mural paintings in Kerala, is kept here. This palace is around 47 kms from Alappuzha.

Pathiramanal is a beautiful island in the Vembanad Lake. You can come here only by boat from Kumarakom and Muhamma.

Karumadi village is famous for Karumadi Kuttan. Karumadi Kuttan is a black granite figure of Buddha. It is said that this belong to the 9th or 10th century.

Kuttanad, also called the rice bowl of Kerala, is the place where farming is done 1.5 to 2 ms. below sea level. 

Alappuzha Beach is a good picnic spot. The pier extends into the sea here and is over 137 years old. An old lighthouse nearby is also worth visiting.

Vijaya beach park is a park which has boating facilities also. Its entrance fee is Rs. 2 per person and there is free entrance for children below 5 years. Boating charge is Rs.10 for 10 minutes. Here the camera permit is of Rs. 5 while the video permit is Rs. 25.

Chavara Bhavan, the ancestral home of Kuriakose Elias Chavara, is a holy shrine and spiritual resort. It is 6 kms from Alappuzha and is accessible only by boat.

Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple, famous for the Palapayasam, is just 15 kms, south of Alappuzha. The Palapayasam is a deliciously sweet milk porridge which is used as the daily offering.

St. Sebastian's Church, an important Christian pilgrim centre, is just 22 kms north of Alappuzha.

Edathua Church, dedicated to St. George, is situated 24 kms away from Alappuzha. This church was established in 1810. There is a faith that prayers and offerings at this church helps in healing all mental disorders and other ailments.

Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple, 32 kms south of Alappuzha, is a serpent shrine.

The annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race which takes place duringAugust-September in Punnamada Kayal is an important event and should not be missed.

Travel within city: If you know how to drive a car, then the best way to travel around the town is by hiring a cab. They are cheap and you can hire them through local agencies. Auto rickshaws can also be preferred as they run on meter.  But there can be special night fares.

Food: Sree Durga Bhavan Udipi Hotel on Cullan road and Hot Kitchen on Mullackal road will be a good place for vegetarians.  Kream korner on Mullackal road and Vembanad Restaurant on AS Main road can be good options for multi-cuisine.  There are bar-cum-restaurants also like Chakara Restaurant on Beach road and Royal Park Hotel on YMCA road.

Shopping: Tourists should buy coir products. They can also go for areca nut, cardamom, carpets, pepper and coconut oil.

Where to stay: In Alleppey, you can find all types of hotels suiting your budget. Muthoot River Escapes House Boat and Tharayil Tourist Home are some budget hotels. Kovilakam Lakeside Villa, Arcadia Regency and Penta Green (House Boat) are of medium range. Aquabliss, Akkarakkalam Memoirs Resorts and Muthoot Backwater Cruises Hotel are the names of some luxury hotels in Alleppey.

Other important details:

Weather: Summer 20-36°C, Winter 16-32°C

Altitude: 2695 m

Languages: Malayalam, English

STD code: 0477