Honeymoon – It’s that time of your life when you are pumped full of love and to visit a place truly blessed by the cupid is all you need for a perfect post-wedding-cum-romantic getaway! While some newlyweds like the hustle-bustle of the crowd, others prefer a cosy silent place meant just for them and India with its huge diversity caters well to those diverse needs! From breathtakingly beautiful places that can make you fall in love even on your tenth honeymoon to the isolated peace bathed areas where you rejoice with your soul mate in silence, India offers a wide ranging options and you won’t be disappointed.

So, sit back with your better half as we tell you about some honeymoon destinations that will ignite the spark:

Goa

Be it winters or summers, Goa is a place you can visit anytime of the year! Watching the sun dip into the ocean while holding hands with your loved, the reassuring hug after a thrilling experience at water sports or the lingering touch as you talk a walk beside the ocean under the stars are some moments that will make for a perfect honeymoon! Goa has it all – from its unique blend of Indo-Portuguese architectural magnificence to the absolutely awesome sun-kissed beaches, come here to experience true bliss!

Agra

Agra, situated in the state of Uttar Pradesh is home to the Seventh Wonder of the World and the most exquisite symbol of love- The Taj Mahal. The city is adorned with architectural marvels of the Mughal era, each one impeccably beautiful. A romantic candlelit dinner while overlooking the glistening white Taj Mahal under the moonlight is all you need to make that everlasting promise of love and begin your new life.

Udaipur

Also known as the “The City of Lakes” or “The Venice of East”, Udaipur is standing with arms wide open for you lovebirds! You’ll be blown away by the hypnotising beauty and charm of the royal palaces as you tread those paths with your queen/king. City Palace, Lake Palace, Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Gulab Bagh are some places that are major tourist attractions especially during the honeymoon season!

Lakshadweep Islands

The Lakshadweep islands are situated far off the south western coast of India. The islands provide the much needed isolation from the hustle-bustle of daily routine life. The island consists of exotic, jaw-dropping beautiful beaches that will leave you and your loved one absolutely mesmerised. What’s more? You could witness ethereal beauty of oceanic life while deep sea diving! Hear, hear all you adventure lovers! Here, at Lakshadweep Islands you can experience nature at its best and celebrate this new beginning of your life. Kavratti, Minicoy, Agatti, Kadmat and Bangram are some places you should checkout while you’re here!

Kerala

Kerala or God’s own country is one of the top honeymoon places in India. The state is equipped with sunny beaches like the Kovalam’s beach, hilly regions of Munnar and Wayanad and the most famous backwaters of Kerala! Yes well, here is where you get a full package of natural beauty as you make your way with your mate. To make your stay even more romantic, you can hire a houseboat (instead of a hotel), which are just as luxurious and experience love amidst the charming backwaters. Cochin, Munnar, Kollam are a few places that will leave you stunned.

Kashmir

Surrounded by the mighty Himalayas and set atop as the crown of India, Kashmir is known as “heaven on earth” and indeed it is. The state is decorated by snow during winters and even during the summer months it offers respite from the hot humid weather down south. Kashmir with its awe-inspiring natural beauty and magnificent architectural monuments will provide the right setting for fairytale romance! The lush green valleys, sparkling lakes and the heavenly mountains will make this trip a memorable experience for you. Visit the Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar city, Leh/Ladakh to make your stay a blissful experience!

Karnataka

The Kodagu region or the Coorg town is a particularly famous honeymoon destination in India. Often known as the Scotland of India, this place is known for its picturesque beauty. The place is bustling with the aroma of coffee, orange orchards and vast stretches of greenery-all of these adding up to make for a perfect romantic getaway! India, thus offers a wide range of choices to make your honeymoon a memorable experience. And it’s even budget friendly!

When choosing a holiday destination, a number of things are taken into consideration: the amount of money you’re ready to spend, the free time you have and the time of the year when this trip will take place. These are, as it always turns out the night before departure, the easy questions – it’s the hard ones that make you crazy: how much clothes and sunscreen to take with you, do you need another pair of shoes, should you buy another bathing suit. But, when it comes to picking which exotic island you wish to visit, pay attention to its history, geographic location, climate, local customs and activities to enjoy. Here are some details concerning the very beautiful and exciting island of Koh Samui.

Location

Over the course of the past several years, this island has gained much popularity and has been attracting a constantly rising number of tourists every year. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise knowing how exotic and cared for it really is, but also bearing in mind that its unique location has a lot to do with this rise of attraction. Being on the eastern coast of Thailand’s Malay Peninsula, Koh Samui is this country’s second biggest island, but its population of about 63 thousand is drastically outnumbered by the annual arrival of tourists which surpasses one and a half million every year. What most of them find extremely interesting are not just the sandy beaches, corals, coconut and palm trees, but also the island’s central part – this tropical jungle hasn’t been fully explored yet and therefore attracts those of more adventurous spirit who aren’t satisfied with being on the beach the whole time.

History and Climate

Even though it has been inhabited for over a thousand years and present on world maps since the 17^th century, Koh Samui hasn’t gained international notice until quite recently. Only in the past several decades has it been connected to the aforementioned peninsula and, due to established roads, can it see economic prosperity, positive changes in the cultural and environment spheres. Much of the island’s fame within international tourism today is owed to the warm climate that is present all year long. With only one dry month, Koh Samui is, despite being in a predominantly tropical monsoon climate region, relatively dry and much more pleasant than the rest of the country. Moreover, the temperatures are always between 29 and 33°C, so it’s actually possible for those who rent a place in paradise to spend the entire day on the beach.

Activities

Speaking of the beach, here is the fun part about Koh Samui – the activities you can enjoy on this beautiful island. First of all, there is the standard offer present in all similar places worldwide – swimming, diving, snorkeling, deep sea exploration around the coral reefs, jet skiing, etc. – but have in mind that it’s the environment and surroundings that separate this place from all the others. It’s not too hot nor is it too humid, so the conditions for a full day in the sea are quite perfect. However, for those who are into something else, there is the already mentioned exploration of the jungle in the central region of the island, with hiking, climbing and mountaineering. Finally, if you are in the festive mood and want a bigger celebration, there are several festivals held in Koh Samui and they cover different ranges of activities, from buffalo fighting and parading, to sailing and triathlon and even cultural and art activities.

Finally

Thailand has been in the top ten tourist destinations for the past several years on the global level and actually a runner-up in the Asia and Pacific region, right after China. Many of its visitors spend time in Koh Samui and have a strong tendency to return to this “paradise island” soon after leaving and relive the days of fun and games in a great climate.

A guest post from a good friend who recently visited Akshardham

In my other business, Interim Business Solutions, I am fortunate to have a lovely helper from Mumbai, India. Lata has been a wonderful helping hand since March 2013 and we have become good friends – virtually! She was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit Akshardham and a number of other wonderful travel destinations which of course made me green with envy. She has been kind enough to share her experience with us.

It was a “maybe” trip on our list of places to visit due to the short time we had in Delhi…but then later became ”THE highlight” of our Delhi visit! It was an one of a kind experience. It’s very difficult to encompass all that we saw and felt in mere words… and more so because it’s all captured within our mind and heart literally as there are no pictures to fall back on (photography strictly forbidden).

Akshardham Temple in Delhi, is a brilliant example of the modern day architecture having its roots, rooted deep in the past. It is one of the modern monumental wonders of India, a specimen of rich Indian architecture much famous for its minute carvings and magnificent sculptures. It has been heralded by the Guinness World Record as the World’s Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple.

Akshardham means the eternal, divine abode of the supreme God, the haunt of eternal values and virtues of ‘Akshar’ as defined in the Hindu texts where a heart of devotion, purity and peace forever perches.

As soon as we entered the temple premise, we were overwhelmed to see immense beauty sprawled all around us in exquisitely carved pillars, ornate domes, quadrangle shikhars, reincarnated in a pink and white attire. (The pink stone symbolizes bhakti in eternal bloom and white marble that of absolute purity and eternal peace).

When we entered the ‘Mandir’ (temple), standing with its head held high at 141 ft. to reach the sanctum sanctorum, it took us time to appreciate the impressive pillars, hauling the colossal alcove on their shoulders. They are beautiful. We could see the consummate artistry – flora, fauna, dancers, musicians and Gods – crafted on their surfaces from top to bottom! They are just awe inspiring! The Garbhagriha (Inner Sanctum) reminds one of the Gothic architecture, standing like a silent spectator of divine divinity, where one can even hear one’s heart beat!

There is much more to the place than just the temple…

The Akshardham parikrama (circumambulatory path) consists of 1,152 pillars, 145 windows and 154 samvaran shikhars; amounting to a total of 53,956 stones.

The Swaminarayan Akshardham parikrama is made of red stone from Rajasthan, consisting of 1,152 pillars, 145 windows and 154 carved spires; amounting to a total of 53,956 stones. Surrounding the temple like a beautiful decorative garland, every window and gallery in the lower parikrama provides different views and insights to the amazing Akshardham monument.

In the last 800 years this is the only and largest, intricately carved Mandovar in India, embellished with sculptured stone effigies of India’s great rishis, sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine incarnations. Walk around the temple premises to reach the tranquil Narayan Sarovar. In the evenings, the lake glitters like a sparkling diamond amidst floating lotus leaves . It is said that the lake contains holy waters from 151 rivers and lakes sanctified by Bhagwan Swaminarayan, including Mansarovar in Tibet.

There are three Halls that one can visit to experience the journey of the temple…

1: Sahajanand Darshan (Hall of Values) Universal values for mankind are presented from the life of Bhagwan Swaminarayan through films, light and sound shows with robotic figures. Everything here appeared so real, mainly in the robotic dramatizations.

2: Neelkanth Darshan (Giant Screen Theatre) Projected on an 85 ft x 65 ft screen, a large format film vividly portrays the true story of an 11-year-old child-yogi, Neelkanth Varni (The young Bhagwan Swaminarayan). With a cast of over 45,000 people and shot in 108 locations in India, the film takes the viewers on an exciting pilgrimage of India.

3: Sanskruti Vihar (Boat Ride) A spectacular boat ride through 10,000 years of Indian culture, which flourished on the banks of river Sarasvati. We sailed through the world’s oldest Vedic village and bazaar, through Takshashila- the world’s first university, the caves of Ajanta, and much, much more.

The huge Premvati Food Court serves fresh, pure vegetarian food, snacks and drinks.

Also the evening light and laser show are a must watch.

The Akshardham temple is quite serious about security, so if you plan to visit, do note that the only things you are allowed to carry inside other than the clothes you are wearing (cap/shawl/sweater, reading glasses, sun glasses/shoes are all ok – knees need to be covered) are your wallet (not purse) and house/vehicle keys. No food items, no mobile phones, no flowers, candles etc. Leave all these behind in your vehicle/hotel and you will be able to avoid the queue to deposit and retrieve non-permitted items at the cloakroom.

We were overwhelmed by the grandeur of the place. After our senses could absorb as much as humanly possible…we sat and let the beauty and serenity sink in…reluctant to let the real world intrude the feeling of calm and harmony within us!!

Top 10 Delhi (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE)

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Akshardham

One Great Reason to Visit Akshardham

One great reason to visit this travel destination is to experience the exquisite poetry carved in stone, it’s awe inspiring architectural geniuses and to experience supreme peace (sorry that makes it 3 reasons but it HAD to be mentioned!)

Akshardham, India

For More Information

• Wikipedia
• Official Website
• Delhi Tourism

 

Argos Hotel – A hidden gem

Back during 1996 I found myself travelling to Turkey, alone. I was away for a period of 3 weeks. After arriving in Istanbul, I headed south through Ankara and down to the coast. I spent a few days longer than I wished to in Antalya after getting caught up in a bus strike and I couldn’t get out. Well, that’s a whole other story – full of adventure!

During my meanderings through the streets and laneways of Antalya, I came across the hidden, boutique Argos Hotel. The afternoon sun was getting hot and I longed for a little bit of comfort – I had been staying at a cheaper pension. I decided to be cheeky and ask if I could, for a small fee, spend the afternoon by their pool and promised I’d buy a couple of drinks.

They kindly allowed this and after settling on a poolside lounge I settled in for the most gorgeous afternoon. There were few others around probably opting for local tours. So it’s nearly 20 years since I’ve been there and I wondered if it was still operating. A little Google search quickly confirmed it is!

 

 

Argos Hotel, Antalya

For More Information

• Argos Hotel