Road Trip to Bath, Cardiff and Snowdonia

Place: Bath - England, Cardiff & Snowdonia - Wales
Mode: Car Trip (London Heathrow - Bath - Cardiff - Dolgellau - Snowdonia - London Heathrow)
Date(s) of Travel: May 29 - 31, 2010

You can read more about the place(s) here:
Bath - England
Cardiff - Wales
Dolgellau - Wales
Snowdonia - Wales

My Experience:

1. Since it was a long weekend we decided to do a roadtrip to wales. We started at 10 AM and after initial glitches with tomtom (GPS) we finally hit the motorway around 11.30 AM. It takes some time to adjust to use GPS. Finally we reached Bath around 3.00 PM and it was little bit cloudy.

2. I should say Bath is a very beautiful city. The landscapes before entering the city and the central city was so good. We went to the roman baths which is a natural warm water spring and its been well preserved till date. The early engineering used by romans were just amazing to see.

3. Then we left for Cardiff. We reached cardiff around 8.00 PM and we stayed in a youth hostel. The hostel was right before the Wales millenium stadium and it was a too good experience. We did pub hoping and it was so much fun drinking till early hours.

4. Next day we went to local market and had some breakfast. In the local markets you meet lot of countryside people and its nice to meet new people. We started at around 11 AM to Dolgellau. The drive from cardiff to dolgellau through lot of hills was simply good. Finally reached dolgellau around 7 PM and we stayed in a country side hostel. Actually it was a camp site with some dorms.

5. We decided to do some walking around dolgellau town and we dint see anybody in the road. Then we went to a pub which had live music and it was so much fun. The whole people in the town was in the pub.

6. Next day morning we started to snowdonia one of the highest mountain in wales. We saw lot of tourists on snowdonia and lot of people were hiking. Mountain railway is a famouns thing in snowdonia but there were no tickets for the whole day. We did the electric mountain trip which is a visit to one of europes biggest hydroelectric powerstation. That experience was so good and thrilling.

7. In the afternoon we started to London and reached in the evening.

Thought of Day:We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. - Jawaharlal Nehru

Trip to Dover - Kent, UK

Place: Dover - Kent, London, England
Mode: Train Trip (London Bridge Station - Dover Priory - London Victoria)
Date(s) of Travel: May 23, 2010

You can read more about the place(s) here: Dover - Kent

My Experience:

1. In the office some of my colleagues and myself decided to go to some place in the weekend and we zeroed in to Dover. We started at morning around 10 AM from London and reached Dover after an hour. The scenery during the train journey towards dover was so good and the sea at the last 5 minutes is so beautiful.

2. After having Brunch in the city (which is pretty small) we went to the dover castle. The view from the castle towards the sea is too good and one shouldn't miss the underground wartime tunnel guided tour.

3. Inside the castle there were people enacting as the king, prince and princess. We interacted with them and they looked like wax figures for me initially. The prince gave me some tips to woo girls. Yay.

4. Dover is very famous for its white cliffs and we did a small trek on the cliffs. From the cliffs, the view to the Dover port was amazing. Some people were even mountain biking. I envy them, coz they are damn fit. From the cliffs, you can the see the france.

5. After spending some time on the cliffs we went to the beach. In england, there are lot of pebble beaches, so not good. The view from the beach towards the white cliffs are good. It was worth time spending one day in dover.

Thought of Day:A picture is worth a thousand words. - Napoleon Bonaparte

Bike Trip to Yelagiri

Place: Yelagiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, India
Mode: Bike Trip (Bangalore - Krishnagiri - Vaniyambadi - Yelagiri)
Date(s) of Travel: March 06 - 07, 2010

You can read more about the place(s) here: Yelagiri Hills

My Experience:

1. I decided to go by bike for the office party which happened in yelagiri. Since its a 170 km (one way) ride, I lended a Apache RTR 160 from my friend.

2. Since the summer started, I started around saturday 3 PM from bangalore. It was so freaking hot these days. Since the whole journey is on highway I was able to push the bike @ 80s constantly.

3. The Hosur-Chennai stretch is so superb that you would love biking. After reaching Vaniyambadi took a right turn which takes us to the yelagiri hills.

4. By around 5.45 PM I reached yelagiri since I haven't stopped anywhere. Yelagiri is a small hill station and its commercially growing. Having said its a hill, its not cold at all. Roamed here and there in bike and went to a temple which was nearby where I was staying.

5. Enjoyed the party and started the next day afternoon to bangalore.

Thought of Day:Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. - Russel Baker

Trip to Dandeli and white water rafting in Kali river

Place: Dandeli, Karnataka, India
Mode: Tempo (Bangalore - Hubli - Dandeli - Bangalore)
Date(s) of Travel: January 23 & 24, 2010

You can read more about the place(s) here: Dandeli

My Experience:

1. Me and my colleagues started at around 10.00 PM from bangalore to Dandeli. Till Tumkur the traffic was very bad since some bridge construction was going on. After Tumkur, our tempo van driver felt very sleepy and he took some power nap for 2 hrs :(. During that time we were playing some music in the portable speakers on the highways.

2. Next day morning just before Hubli we had breakfast and I forgot the place name. Finally we reached Dandeli only at 12.30 PM, since the distance between bangalore and dandeli is around 500 kms. (blame the driver)

3. We arranged for home stay which is after Kulgi Nature camp around 12 kms from Dandeli city. The stay was too good and water streams flowing behind our house. The home food they prepared was too good and we just went on a rampage.

4. Just outside our house we spotted a big squirrel in a tree. We also spotted some jackals. But we couldn't spot any other wild animals.

5. In the night we had campfire and some music and I should say it was a pleasant one. The walk on the moonlight in the road was an thrilling experience, but we didn't go very far.

6. Next day morning we reached Jungle Lodges and resorts where we took a jeep to the Kali river for white water rafting. The early morning drive from dandeli to Kali river was sexy. It was so cold and green everywhere.

7. Doing water rafting on the Kali river was so good. I have no words to explain the awsomeness we experienced while rafting. Floating on the water with life jacket was simply good. We spotted lot of wild birds.

8. In the afternoon we went to a place called Syntheri rocks which is a natural granite sedimentary rock. Then in the evening we had plans to do jungle safari but time din't allow us to do that. Finally reached bangalore next day morning around 5 AM with dinner break at Rani Bennur town.

Thought of Day:Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing. - Albert Einstein

Trekking in Kudremukh National Park

Place: Kudremukh, Western Ghats, Karnataka, India
Mode: Tempo (Bangalore - Hassan - Kalasa - Kudremukh - Bangalore)
Date(s) of Travel: December 5 & 6, 2009

You can read more about the place(s) here: Kudremukh

My Experience:

1. Me and my colleagues started at around 11.30 PM from bangalore to kudremukh. We arranged a tempo traveller as we were 10 of us. I would say it was very comfortable in the whole journey.

2. Reached a small village which is situated between Samse and Kudremukh. This is the starting point of our trek to Kudremukh National Park. From there to reach the base camp village we travelled by jeep and the travelling experience was good.

3. We have arranged for a home stay. There are some three homes and they provide food, take care of the forest permissions and guide for the trekking.

4. After having the breakfast and packed our food for the lunch we started to trek around 10.30 AM. On the way we found lot of water streams and vertical stretches. After some rest here and there, reached the peak around 3.00 PM. The peak was awsome.

5. Since we have no plans to stay at the top we started trekking down around 3.30 PM. It was getting late and we want to reach the basecamp before sunset. We spotted a bison in a long distance, hurray.

6. But I started having groin injury and one other member was unable to walk becoz of knee injury. So our phase started slowing down and it was complete dark and still we were only half-way through.

7. Then the fun started as we were having only one torch. But somehow managed to reach the base camp around 8.00 PM. After some hot bath had some good dinner.

8. Next day we went to Kudremukh town and Lakya dam. We went to the Hanumanagundi Water falls but we couldn't make it in time as it was closed. After some rest started back to bangalore and reached around 2.30 AM the next day.

Thought of Day:It is not talking but walking that will bring us to heaven. - Matthew Henry