All posts filed under: Destinations

Things to do in Darjeeling, West bengal

Published by MovingShoe

Darjeeling is a small town, which is part of the West Bengal state of India. Although it became part of news headlines recently due to the demand for a separate state for the Gorkha people who are the natives, Darjeeling still remains one of the beautiful and popular tourism attraction in the North East. The town is the terminus of the narrow-gauge Darjeeling-Himalayan mountain railway which got completed in 1881. It is popular for its unique black tea with one of the oldest tea plantations. Mt. Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak can be seen from most areas of Darjeeling. Some of the must go places in Darjeeling are mentioned here. Tiger Hills Darjeeling Tiger Hill is located around 11 KM from Darjeeling town and above Ghoom. It is the highest point in Darjeeling at an altitude of 2590 meters. The beauty of tiger hill is that both the Mount Everest and Mount Kanchenjunga can be seen if you are lucky enough. Though it can be visited any time during daytime, Tiger Hill is most famous for …

Marmala Waterfalls Kottayam

Published by MovingShoe

Kerala,the god’s own country is famous the world over for its breathtaking scenery, beautiful lagoons, superb lush mountain regions,carpets of spice and tea plantations, excellent sandy beaches and the irresistible charm of its cascading, gorgeous waterfalls. The forests of Western Ghats are punctuated with large and small waterfalls that gurgle and splash down the mountain side. The important waterfalls in Kerala are Athirapally, Vazhachal, Palaruvi & Tusharagiri.The picturesque places around the falls are popular trekking and picnic spots, with the greenery and landscape infusing freshness into any tired soul. To this collection I thought of adding one more little explored waterfalls Maramala, Which is also known as Marmala Aruvi. Marmala Waterfalls Marmala Waterfalls lies on the Vagamon – Erattupetta route near Teekoy. It is just 7 km away from Erattupetta town and 16 km away from Vagamon. Marmala waterfall can be easily clubbed along with tourist spots in Vagamon since the nearby places like Elaveezhapoonchira and Illickal Rock (Illickal kallu) are not very far from this spot. Though not much popular, Marmala Waterfall offers a …

Anjengo Fort, Monument for the history buffs

Published by MovingShoe

For the history buffs and experience seekers I have a place in mind in Trivandrum, The Anjengo Fort. Anchuthengu, formerly known as Anjengo, is a place situated about 12 km from Varkala en route to Kadakkavur. It is another coastal town in Trivandrum district and is known as an old colonial settlement. The island is very small in area, sandwiched between the sea and backwaters, but it has high relevance in the history of India, with various colonial powers. The Portuguese, Dutch and the English tried to occupy the place. The major landmark at Anchuthengu is Anjengo Fort, which is situated between the sea and backwaters. Travelers can also see some ancient tombstones and a garden on the fort premises. Preserved under the National Heritage monuments, the fort was constructed in 17th century. Where did the name come ? Anchuthengu, literally means five coconut trees, and as the name indicates the whole land is cultivated with coconut trees. Some historians are of the view that the name was derived from Anjingal, which was the original …

Agasthyakoodam, A journey which remains in you forever

Published by MovingShoe

Agasthyakoodam (Agasthyarkoodam), the second highest point of the Western Ghats is a must visit place for a traveler who seeks adventure, and nature at its most pure form. Once you complete the journey, you will understand that it’s not the mountains that we conquer, it’s our heart and soul. Agasthyakoodam trekking is certainly not the difficult of all, but it gives you the perfect start to go for more. Agasthayakoodam is one of the best trekking places in Kerala and have significant role in the Kerala tourism map. The warm rays of sun through the cold breeze greeted us as we rode towards the Bonacaud forest office from Vithura. Till Vithura, though there are some risky curves, the road is generally in good condition. After the Vithura town, the road towards Bonacaud, which is precisely indicated by the Kerala Tourism Department, requires more attention to the drivers. The roads become steeper, curvy and rough as you move towards the forest office. On the way, there is a check post (which is generally opened during the …

Seetharkundu Viewpoint Nelliyampathy

Published by MovingShoe

Seetharkundu Viewpoint is situated at a distance of 8 Kms from Nelliyampathy. This view point should be there if you are compiling a list of places to visit in Nelliyampathy. When I heard the name of the place for the first time, even I thought of the relation of Ramayana (The Ramayana is a Sanskrit epic poem ascribed to the Hindu sage and Sanskrit poet Valmiki). It is said that Lord Rama, Goddess Sita (She is King Janaka’s daughter and Rama’s beloved wife) and Lord Lakshman rested at this place in the period of their exile. One of the prime attractions here is the waterfall. A stream runs down from here to form a small lake. Sita took bath in the stream here and hence the place is called Seetharkundu, the legend says. One of the breath taking view point Seetharkundu view point is inside Poabs Tea Estate, which is spread in hundreds of acres in Nelliyampathy. We need to walk for around 10 minutes to see the waterfalls which was pretty distant but worth …

Badami Caves, A hidden gem of Karnataka

Published by MovingShoe

Badami Caves by all means is a hidden gem of Karnataka. It is a spectacular architectural wonder from 6th century AD. These caves are located in Badami town in Bagalkot district of Karnataka. As far as history is concerned, Badami was initially known as Vatapi and was the capital of the Regal Chalukyas who ruled much of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh between the 6th and 8th centuries. Badami was founded in 540 AD by Pulakesi I (535-566 AD), an early ruler of the Chalukyas. His sons Kirthivarman and his brother Mangalesha I constructed these spectacular cave temples. The song ‘ek lo ek muft’ form famous Mani Ratnam directed Hindi movie ‘Guru’ had been shot here. Badami Caves constitutes of four cave-temples. Three of them are dedicated to Hindu Gods and the fourth is dedicated to Jain religion. Cave 3 is the largest of the lot and it is dedicated to Vishnu. Cave 2 is the smallest which is again dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and Cave 1 is dedicated to Siva. The Jain cave-temple is the …

Here you will never find 51 best places of Trivandrum or The must visit places of Trivandrum, but I can assure you some feel good places in Trivandrum

Feel good tourist places in trivandrum

Published by MovingShoe

When someone is panning for a vacation or weekend outing in Trivandrum definitely they will look for some of the famous tourist places in Trivandrum. Mostly they will hear the usual beaches and dams in Trivandrum for hangouts. Sometimes the native people of Trivandrum surprised me by saying that most of them doesn’t even visit some of the great places which I had traveled in Trivandrum. Traveling never demands a long distance journey, you can even travel to nearby places also. Exploration is the real spirit of a nomad and this is the main reason why I thought of writing a post for the travelers who wants a different ambience rather than a much crowded destination. Trivandrum is really blessed with wonderful beaches and amazing hills stations unlike other tourist destinations in gods own country. Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) is one of the best destination for domestic and international tourists. There are many tourist destinations which have their signature in the word tourism map which includes Kovalam beach, Poovar, Varkala Cliffs and many more. Napier museum and …

Ponmudi hill station, cooling the coastal capital

Published by MovingShoe

Imagine you are in a beach in Kerala. Having experienced the cools and blue waters , you seem to think of going to a hill station and enjoy the coolness. Though the first places that might come to your mind would be Idukki or Wayanad, both of these places doesn’t have the luxury of beaches and hills. Thiruvananthapuram (or Trivandrum), the capital city of the God’s own country is the best place for this wish. Trivandrum already has its mark in the tourism map of the world for the famous Kovalam and Varkala beaches. Though the district is not showered with nature’s beautiful places, it has the uniqueness of having hot and blue arabian sea and the tiny but remarkably pleasing hill station, Ponmudi. Ponmudi hill station If anyone thinks about best time to visit, the immediate answer that comes to the mind will be during the monsoon and winter. This is simply because although Kerala has a moderate climate throughout the year, the lowest of it would be in that period. However, Ponmudi season cannot …