1) We are planning
to go to Chitrakoot in January. Is there any direct train from Chitrakoot
to Piparia?
There is no direct train from Chitrakoot to Piparia. You have to
go via Katni or Jabbalpur. It is easier to go from Jabbalpur. 1450
Mahakaushal Express starts at 4.32 a.m. from Chitrakoot and reaches
Jabbalpur at 10.30 a.m. Trains leaving from Jabbalpur to reach Piparia
are: Verabal, Janashatabdi, Narmada and Amarkantak Express.
2) When is the 2006 Bikaner Camel Festival Going
to be held?
In 2006, the Bikaner Camel Festival will take place on 13th and
14th January.
3) Eager to plan a tour in the month of February,
to start from Kolkata then go to Bangalore cover Pune, Shirdi, Goa
, Mumbai and back to Kolkata. How do I go about the whole tour?
First go to Bangalore from Kolkata and then to Pune by train (6217
Mahisurnijzamuddin Golden Jubilee Express and 6530 Bangalore-Mumbai
CTC Udayan Express). The later mentioned train is more favourable
for the Bangalore-Pune journey which leaves at 8 p.m. to reach Pune
at 3.45 p.m. the next day. From here it’s best to take a bus
to Shirdi 195 Kms away. Your next destination should be Goa by the
2780 Nizamuddin Vasco-Goa Express which reaches Vasco-da-Gama station
in Goa. The 1097 Pune-Ernakulam-Pune Express reaches Margao station
only on Saturdays. Plan to go back to Mumbai from Margao (Goa) by
0104 Margao-Mumbai CTC Mandvi Express and 0112 Margao-Mumbai Konkankanya
Express. Return to Kolkata from Mumbai.
4) Want to plan a tour to several destinations
in Rajasthan like: Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Barmer, Kiradu,
Mandor. How can I go about it so that the tour is covered in 15
days?
Take the direct Jodhpur or Bikaner Express to reach Bikaner on
the third day. Stay in Bikaner the next day as well and leave for
Jaisalmer on the 5th day. After sightseeing at Jaisalmer the next
day, check out the Sam Sand Dunes in the evening and start for Khurigram
on the 7th day. On the 8th day, start for Barmer from Jaisalmer.
Barmer and Kiradu can be covered on the same day i.e. on the 9th
day so that you can reach Jodhpur on the 10th day. On the 11th day,
take a tour of Mandor and Jodhpur and keep the entire 12th day for
touring the Oshian village. Next day, board the return train from
Jodhpur (Jodhpur-Howrah Express). You will reach Howrah early in
the morning on the 15th day.
5) I want to know about the Kaibul Lamzao National
Park in Manipur
World’s one and only floating national park, Kaibul Lamjao
lies 32 Kms away from Imphal and is famous for its dancing deer.
However, provisions for tourists are yet to be made. It’s
better to go around in a dingy boat from island to island. There
is a rest house in Sendro and Fubala. For booking, please contact:
Divisional Forest Officer
Wild Life
Kaibul Lamzao National Park
P.O. Khatimunge
Manipur
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End June, I wish to visit Leh. From
here I would like to hire a car and visit Pangong, Tso Moriri and
Nubra. Do I need inner line permit to go to Pangong from Leh? If
yes, where do I procure it from? Is it possible to visit Kargil
on way to Leh? How do I go? What is the most convenient route to
Leh?
There are some fixed rates from the Leh taxi union for the Pangong-Tsomoriri-Nubra
route. A 2 day one night trip to these locations would cost Rs 4,908,
Rs. 6077 and Rs. 4,139 respectively. Since the places are on the
border of Tibet, inner line permit is necessary. You can acquire
permission from any travel agency at Leh against proof of citizenship
and 3 copies of photographs.
You can visit Kargil on way to Srinagar. You can take a Kargil
bound bus or Tata Sumo which takes 8 hours to cover 204 kms. Travelling
in a Sumo costs Rs. 300 per head. For touring Leh: Starting from
Kargil and ending at Manali is the best route.
I want to visit Lepchajagat.
What kind of accommodation will I get here, what are the rates?
West Bengal’s Forest Development Authority’s Nature
Resort is the best accommodation available at Lepchajagat. While
all the cottages are double bedded, the dormitory has four beds.
Charges for suite are Rs. 800-900, Makelia Rs. 600, Camelia and
Magnolia Rs.600 and dormitory is Rs. 600. You can book the Nature
Resort from Kolkata at:
West Bengal’s Forest Development Authority Limited
6A, Raja Subodh Mallick Square,
Kolkata- 700 013.
Ph: 2237 0060/ 0061
Where will I have to procure permission
from in order to visit Simlipal Reserve Forest in Orissa? How to
book for reservation, where do I procure entry permit from?
Simlipal’s buffer zone starts 30 kms off Baripada. You can
get the permission to visit Simlipal from Baripada’s Tourist
Office. One has to contact the Baripada office at least one month
in advance with a covering letter and an application stating the
name of every tourist. A self addressed envelope needs to be attached.
You have to get in touch at this address:
Simlipal Tiger Reserve
P.O. Bhanjapur
Baripada: 757 002
(06792) 252593.
For entry permit, get in touch with
Assistant Conservator of Forest
National Park, P.O. Joshipur (NH 6)
District Mayurbhanj,
Pin: 757 002
Or
Range Officer
Pithabata Check gate
(From 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
I want to take my aged mother to
a trip of Haridwar, Devprayag and Rudraprayag during the third week
of September. Is there any good/safe accommodation available for
Rs. 150-200? Can the booking be done from Kolkata?
Bharat Sevashram, Kali Kamali Inn and the Inn of Birla Mandir Niketan
are good accommodation options at Haridwar, Debaprayag and Rudraprayag
if you are taking your mother along. You can arrange for the bookings
from Kolkata. You can contact at this address:
Birla Mangal Niketan
Jayasree Charity Trust, Birla Building
9/1, RN MUkherjee Road
Kolkata 700 001.
Baba Kali Kamali Inn
Manohar Das Chak (2nd floor)
Mahatma Gandhi Road
Burra Bazar, Kolkata
Bharat Sevashram Sangha
211, Rashbehari Avenue,
Kolkata 700 019
Ph: 2440 5178
Is there any rail network between
Bilaspur and Haridwar? If not, how do I go there?
There is no direct train between Bilaspur and Haridwar. One can
go via Delhi or Bhopal. Bilaspur-New Delhi can be traversed in Bilaspur-Amritsar-Chattisgarh
Express and Bilaspur New Delhi Rajdhani Express. Apart from this,
New Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin can be reached by Bilaspur-Nizamuddin-Gondoya
Express. Direct trains from New Delhi to Haridwar are: Banda Dehradun
Express, New Delhi-Dehradun Satabdi Express, Okha-Dehradun-Uttaranchal
Express, New Delhi-Dehradun, Janasatabdi Express, Chennai-Dehradun
Express.
You can go to Bhopal from Bilaspur and then proceed towards Haridwar.
A direct train to Haridwar from Bhopal is Ujjaini/Indore Dehradun
Express. Apart from this, one can take a direct bus from New Delhi
to Haridwar 237 Kms away.
Travelling to Gujarat this January.
How do I go to Hingalgarh Bird Sanctuary?
One can travel to Hingalgarh Bird Sanctuary from Rajkot. Located
at a distance of 80 kms it’s a three hour journey from Rajkot.
You can rent a car from this city to reach the bird sanctuary.
When does the Winter Festival at
Mount Abu take place ?
The Winter Festival at Mt. Abu is scheduled to take place between
29th – 31st December.
Visiting Sri Lanka on January, 2005.
Are there any special festivals taking place in Sri Lanka around
that time ?
In Sri Lanka, the Duru Thuperahara Festival takes place in January.
The dazzling festivities commemorate the arrival of Lord Buddha
in Sri Lanka.
What is the best time to visit Meghalaya?
What are the interesting places to see there? Is it possible to
make bookings from Calcutta ?
One can tour Meghalaya throughout the year. But it is better to
avoid the monsoons as the roads are in bad shape around that time
of the year. Ideal seasons to visit this hill station are the winter
and the spring. Reaching Guahati via rail or air, one can drive
to Shillong. There is a direct Alliance Airways flight from Calcutta
as well. From Shillong, one can avail of the package tours offered
by the state tourism department or any government recognized travel
agency and visit the most attractive tourist spots of Meghalaya.
The government run conducted tour covers the Shillong Peak, Shillong
Golf Course, Wards Lake and the Botanical Gardens, Lady Hyderi Park,
Catholic Cathedral, Elephant Falls, Bishop Beadon Falls, William
Lake and the State Museum. The Cherapunjee tour covers the Ramakrishna
Mission and the Nahakalikai & Nangimiang Falls. For booking,
contact :-
Meghalaya Tourism
Great Eastern Hotel
Room No. 134
Calcutta – 700 001
Ph: 2248 – 2331
As a citizen of Bangladesh, is it
possible for me to visit tourist destinations like Sikkim, Ladakh,
Kashmir and the states of north-eastern India?
Tourists from Bangladesh require special permits to visit Sikkim.
Contact the Sikkim Tourism Office at the following address:-
4/1 Middleton Street
Calcutta – 700 001
Ph: 2281 – 5328
Or, you may contact the Foreign Tourist Registration Office located
in AJC Bose Road in Calcutta (Ph: 2247 –3301 )
Incase of visiting Ladakh, Kashmir and the North-Eastern states,
you would mandatorily require permits from the Home Ministry along
with your passport. Apart from this you need to collect permission
from the Tourism Department of each state separately. |
