Travel Joven

Archive for the ‘Panorama Mountain’ Category

Steep mountain range, green verdant of tea plantations and splendid backdrop of the Himalayan panorama are premier tourist draw-card of the Darjeeling. It is one of the most important and organized hill resorts in Eastern India perched on the Lesser Himalaya at an average elevation of 2128 meters. Apart from the natural scenic beauty, this place is known for its colonial mansions and churches, Buddhist and Hindu temples, botanical gardens and a zoo of Himalayan fauna. Another internationally known attraction of this place is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and tea plantation industry.

Fascinating Attractions:

Kalimpong:

This is a sleepy town situated on the slope of lush green mountain at an altitude of 1200 meters. The quiet atmosphere, peaceful ambience and natural vistas are the striking features of this place. It is known for the Durpin Dara Observatory which is situated at an altitude of 1402 metres. This observatory offers breathtaking views of the snow capped Himalayan Ranges. It also provides awe-inspiring view of sunrise over the Mt. Kanchenjungha. The well known tourist destinations of this place include Orchid flower nurseries, Mangal Dam, Pedong Monastery and many more. It is a major centre for traditional handicrafts, known for its wood curving, thanka paintings, metal crafts, Tibetian and Leptcha jewellery.

Ghoom:

The indistinguishable attraction of this hilly boondock is the world’s second highest railway station situated at a height of 2,225 meters and the Ghoom monastery. This monastery is one of the holiest places in Darjeeling. The prominent attraction of monastery is the15 ft tall gold polish statue of the Maiterya Buddha (coming Buddha) embedded with precious stones.

Batasia Loop:

It is interesting track-loop on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway between Ghoom and Darjeeling. Steep turn of the Toy Train over hill slopes excellently attract tourist’s attention. This is an engineering splendour where the train corkscrews through a tunnel. During the turn slow puffing Toy Train gives breathtaking view of the lush green valley, which is the most awaited moment of this joy ride. The picturesque beauty of this place makes it a photographer’s paradise. Other attraction of this place is the War Memorial which was constructed in memory of the brave sons of Darjeeling who died for the country. This place also has a very good market where tourists can buy purses, bags and other decorative items made by the local women at reasonable price.

Jotted beauty of Darjeeling honoured this place with the title of ‘Queen of the Hills’. Some of the other places of tourist delight are The Mall, Lover’s Road, Chowrasta, Lloyd’s Botanical Garden and many more.

The best time to visit Darjeeling is from April to mid June, and September to November.

Gulmarg

There are several skiing places like Kumaon, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeastern states of India, which have become favorite ski hideouts for skiing enthusiasts. Gulmarg in Kashmir is the ultimate place tourists choose for winter sports. Gulmarg in the western part of Himalaya is an appropriate place for skiing. At 2700m, Apherwat Mountain sits at 4100m above sea level. The gondola stretches to the peak, offering a staggering 1400m of vertical. Gulmarg is the lone option in Asia that has amenities for heli-skiing. Dayara Bugyal in Garhwal provides excellent ski slopes rendering a charming view of the breathtakingly magnificent Himalayas. A small lake in that area makes for an excellent camping site

Auli

It is another major adventure sport destination in Uttaranchal. The reason for its popularity is because the mountain slopes are perfect for skiing and are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. Another place by the name of Mundali tenders an unforgettable view of the snow-covered Himalayas. The place offers some great slopes ideal for skiing.

To promote this sport skiing festivals are also conducted at Auli. National Championships in the months of February and March, organized by the Winter Games Federation of India also take place in this region. The snowy slopes are ornamented well to make them a spot for national and international skiing festivals and competitions. While skiing is the chief attraction at Auli, there are other attractions like cable car rides and rope lifts or even spending the day outdoors playing in the snow for that matter. The snow coated gorges underneath when you move about in the cable car are reason enough to convince tourists to try this sport out.

Kufri

Kufri in Himachal Pradesh is well known for skiing. In order to propagate skiing, skiing festival takes place in Kufri in February each year. Narkanda another ski destination is a must do for seasoned skiers. Skiing races add charm to the festival that is held in Narkanda. Manali on the other hand also offers great skiing slopes for both the professionals and beginners.

Bamburi Beach Beach Resort Guide

Introduction

Bamburi Beach is an unpretentious resort that is wholly devoted to tourism. Its host of hotels, restaurants, clubs and tour companies ensure that visitors are well catered for over a stay of a week or two. While the beach may not be Kenya’s best, it is still attractive, and it lies close to the well-protected coral reefs of the Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve. This stretch of the Indian Ocean appeals to watersports enthusiasts, with great sailing, snorkelling and diving opportunities; there are also first-class big game fishing sites within easy reach.

Who goes there?

Bamburi’s 6km (4-mile) shoreline is lined with relaxed, middle-market beach hotel complexes catering to package holidaymakers, along with a couple of high-end resort hotels. There are also a few mid-priced lodges consisting of relatively simple chalets or apartments.The type of accommodation on offer means it mainly attracts older holidaymakers. Overseas visitors tend to be from Europe, in particular Germany and the UK.

Where in the world?

Bamburi lies on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast, 12km (7.5 miles) north of the nearest city, Mombasa, which is in turn 487km (303 miles) southwest of the capital, Nairobi. Many of the beachfront hotels have east facing views of the Indian Ocean, which fringes the resort.

When to go?

The best months to visit Bamburi Beach are January to March when the chance of rain is low. Temperatures are fairly consistent with temperatures fluctuating between 27-31°C (81-88°F) during the day and rarely dipping below 22°C (72°F) at night. April to June are the wettest months with frequent and often heavy rainfall.

Beach

The beach at Bamburi is a strip of pale sand, backed by palm trees and flowering beach convolvulus and lapped by shallow turquoise water, kept calm by an offshore reef. Narrow in places, particularly at high tide, and strewn with seaweed from time to time, it has a relaxed, ungroomed feel. Watersports on offer include snorkelling, sailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing and sea kayaking. Many resort hotels have their own watersport centers where certified dive courses, windsurfing and fishing may also be available.

Beyond the beach

The Baobab Adventure (at Baobab Farm, 8km/5 miles from Nyali Bridge) is the area’s main inland attraction. It is a complex of nature trails, wildlife sanctuaries and game farms. 

Offshore, scuba-divers can explore the interesting wreck of the MV Dania, planted on the sea bed by a local diving outfit in 2002; it is now populated by groupers, jacks, lobsters and lionfish. There is more good diving 5km (3 miles) north at Mtwapa. December to March is big game fishing season; a number of outfits organise trips to bag impressive species such as sailfish, marlin, kingfish and wahoo.

Family fun

Bamburi’s relaxed resort hotels welcome children; many have good swimming pools and offer play sessions and babysitting services. Kids will love visiting The Baobab Adventure (see Beyond the Beach above), where they can get close to giraffes, hippos, ostriches and crocs and watch the animals being fed. 

Also popular are the waterslides at Pirates (Kenyatta Beach) and glass-bottomed boat trips into the Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve. Here, among the coral gardens, you may spot turtles, sea cucumbers and colourful butterflyfish.

Retail therapy

Bamburi’s resort hotels all have curio shops where you’ll find local crafts, such as soapstone sculptures, shell and bead necklaces, sisal baskets and wood carvings. Beach sellers also offer souvenirs, including brightly coloured kangas (sarongs printed with Swahili proverbs), kikois (stripy cotton wraps) and shukas (red Maasai-style blankets).

A night on the town

The area’s bars and nightclubs are a mixed bag, ranging from the glitzy to the downright sleazy. Bars and clubs also tend to get rowdy at weekends. The nightly disco at Pirates (Kenyatta Beach) is legendary amongst Bamburi revelers. Another good partying option is the huge Tembo Disco (Mombasa-Malini Road). Most resort hotels have after-dark entertainment aimed squarely at tourists, featuring African dance shows, acrobatics and discos.

Eating out

Outside the top-end hotels, most of Bamburi’s eating options are mediocre, but there are plenty of them. As well as the many mid-range hotel restaurants, there are numerous tourist-friendly eating places lining the main coast road, which runs south to Mombasa and north to Malindi. Typically, these serve local favourites such as grilled fish or nyama choma (barbecued goat or beef); the more imaginative restaurants serve good-quality Swahili dishes, such as snapper with coconut, cloves and cinnamon. You’ll also find Indian, Chinese and Italian food here.

Getting around

Most locals travel by bus or matatu (shared minibus), which often get extremely crowded. They run along the main coast road between Mombasa and Malindi, passing through Bamburi. Hotel staff can book local taxis and airport transfers for their guests. International car hire firms like Avis have offices at Mombasa Airport and in Mombasa itself, driving in Kenya though is hair-raising at best and at worst downright dangerous, with car-jackings occurring away from the main highways.

Exploring further afield

Many visitors to Bamburi build a safari into their stay. With a few days to spare you could head inland to Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks, which together form one of the largest game-viewing areas in the world. Far less crowded than Kenya’s more popular parks, they are home to lions, hippos, elephants, zebras and a great many species of antelope and gazelle. Alternatively, to experience another side of coastal life, travel north to the beaches and marine parks of Malindi and Watamu (great for snorkelling and diving) or immerse yourself in Swahili culture on the island of Lamu.

Splashing out

To enjoy the beach in peace and luxury book into one of the top hotels, such as the SarovaWhitesands Hotel or the Severin Sea Lodge on Bamburi Beach, or the Mombasa Serena Beach Hotel up the road on Shanzu Beach. All these hotels offer comfortable suites, gorgeously designed swimming pools and first-rate service including waiters to bring you drinks as you relax on your sunlounger. At the Mombasa Serena you can indulge in a little hard-earned pampering at the spa.