Category: Travel

Rovaniemi — The hometown of Santa Claus | Exploring Lapland by public transport

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Rovaniemi is undoubtedly the most popular destination in the Finnish Lapland. It sits right on the Arctic Circle, around 900 km north of Helsinki. It is the most convenient place in Finland to get to watch the midnight sun in summer and the auroras in winter. Rovaniemi also happens to be the “official” hometown of Santa Claus and you can meet him at his office throughout the year. As of July 2022, I made two visits to Rovaniemi — first during the mid-summer weekend in June 2021 and then again in December 2021 a week before Christmas and I had a contrasting experience either time. Not only because of the contrasting weather but the vibe of the place. During my June visit, the town was literally empty like most other Finnish cities during mid-summer. The Friday I reached there and the Saturday next, only a few restaurants were open and most stores closed early. Even the public transport was not operational on Saturday which threw my plans in jeopardy. In December however, I could hardly find cheap accommodation thanks to the high demand. There were tourists all around. For the first time in Finland, I saw and travelled in a crowded city bus where many passengers had to go standing. Enough of my experiences! Let me show you Rovaniemi from my perspective.

How to reach?

Rovaniemi has its own international airport and is the third busiest airport in Finland after Helsinki and Oulu. The majority of the traffic is due to international charter flights. While there are a few direct connections to some European cities, you can fly in from anywhere via Helsinki. Rovaniemi is also connected to Helsinki by train several times a day including an overnight sleeper train known as the Santa Claus Express. It is also possible to carry your car on the overnight train. The cheapest option however might be to take the bus. It takes about 13 hours for the trip. Tickets for trains can be purchased from www.vr.fi and for busses from www.matkahuolto.fi or www.onnibus.com. To be noted, Onnibus does not list connections outside their partner operators while Matkahuolto does and may help find busses in Lapland. The Matkahuolto app can be used to find inter-changeable connections between trains and buses.

Where to stay?

Being among the popular tourist destinations, Rovaniemi has no dearth of places to stay. All sorts of options are available for all budgets. During my trips, I stayed at the Wherever Mini Hostel and the Guest House Arctic Heart and I would recommend them both if you are tight on budget and/or travelling solo. The other cheaper option would be the Hostel Café Koti. All three places are at a distance of 1 – 1.5 km from the railway station, bus station and the city centre. During the summer months, it is also possible to pitch a tent at the Ounaskoski Camping site on the banks of river Kemijoki across the city centre. Pitching a tent is actually a cheaper option for accommodation in Finland. Arctic Snow Hotel, as the name suggests, provides a unique experience of staying in a room made of ice and snow. Don’t worry you would be sleeping in warm sleeping bags. The Arctic Snow Hotel and several other places also have options to spend the night in a glass igloo or rather glass-domed cabins watching the auroras from the warmth of your bed.

What to do?

Visit the Santa Claus Village (SantaClausVillage.info): Let’s start with the primary crowd-puller of this city. The Santa Claus Village is located around 8 km away from the city centre. Here you can meet Santa Claus in his office throughout the year, have a chat and get a picture clicked. Around Christmas, there are a lot of visitors and you might have a lesser time to share your wishes. I met him during my summer trip and had a nice chat with him about my stay in Finland and about India. The interesting part was when he told me he did visit my hometown, Tura. I got into the flow and was about to ask him when but I soon realised it must be during Christmas. Apart from meeting him, you can also cross the Arctic Circle and get a certificate (though you have to pay a price of EUR 5 or so) or post a postcard to your loved ones. All posts made from Santa Claus’ official post office bear a special postal mark. In case you or any of your close ones cannot make it to meet Santa himself, you can arrange for a video call or request for a personalised letter from Santa himself to be sent during Christmas.

See the midnight sun and the auroras: The two trips I made to Rovaniemi were mainly due to these two natural phenomena. For around a month from June to July, the sun literally never sets and there’s daylight throughout. On the other hand, during the winter months, it is mostly dark with only about two hours of daylight around noon. At night, however, the sky lights up with the aurora provided there are no clouds. In Rovaniemie, both phenomena can be observed from the vicinity of the city centre, the best places being Arktikum Park/Arboretum, Jätkänkynttilä (“Lumberjack’s Candle”) Bridge and Ounasvaara Fell. For the auroras to be visible from the city centre, it has to be of sufficient intensity so it would be recommended to go outside the city where there is less light pollution. I would recommend the Arctic Road Trips with whom I had gone hunting. Read more about my experiences of seeing the aurora and how to hunt them in my other blog posts here and here.

Hike, bike, or ski in Ounasvaara Fell: The Ounasvaara Fell on the other side of the river Kemijoki is the hub of sports activities. There are hiking and biking trails maintained throughout the year and ski trails maintained in winter. Just as I mentioned, the top of the fell is one of the best places to see the midnight sun and the aurora. The top has a watch tower and a fireplace and can be reached easily from the city centre by walking for about 4 km. The trail to the top starts on the left after crossing over the Jätkänkynttilä Bridge.

Know more about the Arctic region: The Arktikum Science Centre and museum provide ample information about the nature, culture and history of Rovaniemie and Lapland. It tells the story of how Rovaniemi was almost reduced to the ground during the Second World War and its rise back. The science exhibits are an eye-opener about how we have been degrading the Arctic region. The arboretum outside has a collection of plants found in the region.

Admire the art at Rovaniemi Art Museum: Rovaniemi Art Museum located within the Korundi House of Culture exhibits art inspired by life in Lapland. The Rovaniemi culture pass acts as a discounted single entry pass to Korundi House of Culture, Arktikum and Science Centre Pilke.

Sleigh rides: One of the major touristic activities in Rovaniemi and in other parts of Lapland is to try the reindeer or husky-pulled sleighs. Several companies offer rides at farms in and around Rovaniemi. The Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park organises such rides within the Santa Claus Village. Not only do you get to enjoy the ride but also meet and maybe cuddle them afterwards.

Snowmobiling: As with the sleigh rides, this is another touristic thing in Lapland. The Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park and other operators organise snowmobile trips around Rovaniemi. The trip can also be arranged at night and include aurora hunting.

What and where to eat?

When in Rovaniemi or Lapland in general, one thing that you must try is reindeer meat. Sauteed reindeer meat with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam is probably the most sought-after dish. I tried my first plate during my summer trip at the Frans & Chérie, restaurant in the city centre. Another restaurant that I would recommend is Lapland Restaurant Kotahovi in Santa Claus Village. While at Santa Claus Village, you can also try salmon cooked traditionally on an open fire and hot berry juice at Santa’s Salmon Place. The interesting thing about this place is it is located within a cone-shaped traditional Lappish teepee or shelter. The fire cooking the salmon is at the centre and you sit surrounding it.

How to get around?

While you always have taxis to move around, walking or biking might be the best way to see the city since most things are close by. You can rent a bike from the hotel or hostel you are staying at or from the places mentioned here. Also to be noted, not all taxi operators are available across Finland. Lähitaksi is said to be the 100% local taxi in Rovaniemi. To visit Santa Claus village, you can take the bus no. 8 which starts its journey from the railway station and passes through the city centre. The timetable for this bus and all other city buses can be found on rovaniemi.digitransit.fi. Else, like me, if you happen to be in Rovaniemi around midsummer when there are limited city busses, you can take the long-distance busses that go towards Ivalo-Inari and get down at the Napapiiri bus stop (tickets are more expensive than the city bus).

Next stop?

Rovaniemi is the hub of all other destinations in Finnish Lapland. From here you can get connecting busses towards Kilpisjarvi and Nuorgam, the two destinations in the two northern extremes of Finland and places en route like Levi, Enontekiö, Ivalo, Saariselkä, Sodankylä, etc. However, there might only be a couple of services per day and usually leave in the morning, so better reconfirm on the Matkahuolto website. Interestingly, while writing this post (July 2022), I also found out that there are direct busses to Karasjok, Tromsö and North Cape in Norway. Beyond Rovaniemi, there is a single train service to Kemijärvi.

How much would you end up spending?

From my trips to Rovaniemi and other cities in Finland, I have observed that I end up spending about EUR 100 per day including travel, accommodation and food. Rovaniemi, like any other tourist place, tends to get expensive during the peak seasons around Christmas and the new year. The cost will also proportionally increase based on the type of activities you choose during your stay here. It is also advisable to get the travel tickets early as the train ticket prices skyrocket as the travel days get nearer. Comparatively, the bus ticket prices do not change as much, but limited seats are available.

Before ending the post, there is one thing that I would like to mention if you are visiting Rovaniemi to meet Santa Claus. There are actually two Santa Claus in the village — you can meet one at his office and the other at the Christmas house building (check the second pic). I suggest you meet both of them and decide who is the real one! Till then do check out the pics from my trips to Rovaniemi on Instagram.

  • Santa Claus Village during mid-summer
  • Santa Claus Village during Christmas
  • Meeting reindeers at Santa Claus Village
  • Arktikum science centre and museum
  • Ounaskoski Camping
  • Ounasvaara fell
  • View from Ounasvaara fell
  • The mid-night sun as seen from Ounasvaara fell

My stories of chasing the aurora in Finland

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“Because it is not only about the lights, but the stories behind it that excite me”

28 August 2021: a sudden stroke of luck

Back then, I had never expected to see the northern lights in Kuopio. Though I had heard about these rare sightings, I never expected to be that lucky to see the lights so close to my home. It was a Friday night and I had gone out with my bike to click the sunset (late summer sunset at around 8.30 pm), but by the time I could negotiate a hill and reach the other end of the town, it was already dark. However, the darkness had a surprise for me in store. Like every other day, I halted at the Särkilahti bridge to catch up on my breath from the 30 km ride. I was about to ignore a man thinking he was just out with his dog, but he had his camera and eyes fixed towards the sky. I would have missed the faint aurora but thanks to him it was my first encounter with the northern lights.

25 September 2021: a failed attempt

The September equinox is one of the times when the solar activity is at a peak and the chances of seeing the auroras are higher. It was also in the news about a certain day or days when the aurora might be visible — the start of the season. I decided to improve my chances by travelling further north to Oulu and was accompanied by a friend. At Oulu, we also put up at a place close to the beach which is among the best places to see northern lights in Oulu according to the Oulu Aurora Spotters group. But this trip taught us yet another lesson about travel and hunting auroras — be humble, keep your expectations in check and enjoy whatever comes your way. Every night might be not yours. It was overcast for both the nights we spent there and only cleared just a few hours before we were about to travel back to Kuopio. Even though our target remained unfulfilled, we ended up exploring the city amid the autumn colours.

19 December 2021: the year-end trip — a revisit to Oulu

Not one but the start of three shows. Due to changes in COVID-related travel rules, I had to cancel my trip to home in India and I ended up exploring Finland over two weeks. My first destination on the trip was Oulu. Hoping to catch up on some aurora this time, I again took an apartment close to yet another better aurora viewing spot a bit farther away from the city centre. But just like the previous time, it started getting overcast as soon I reached the city — the curse of Meghalaya. Clouds wouldn’t let me miss home. Cut to the second night. At around 9 pm, I got a notification on the Oulu Aurora Spotters FB group that the auroras were visible. Immediately I reached the Meri-Toppilan puisto which at that time glittered under the white full moon. On the far end of the Gulf of Bothnia, I could feel some strange lines amid the dark sky. My camera was much better at picking up the colours than my eye. Not much of a great show but definitely my first successful Aurora chase! I returned after staying there for over an hour.

20 December 2021: the year-end trip — with the real hunters

After spending two nights in Oulu, I reached Rovaniemi — the capital of Lapland. This is where most people visit Finland during winter — for just two reasons: Santa Claus and auroras. The office of Santa Claus is located just a few kilometres outside the city, right over the Arctic Circle. Being on the Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi also happens to be the place where you could start seeing the auroras. It is said to be visible every other night during the winter months. The town has several companies that offer aurora hunting tours and one among them was Arctic Road Trips. I had been following them on Instagram for quite some time and their pictures made me determined that I had to take a trip with them. Thankfully I found a seat in their car for that night and we started the chase around 7.30 pm. After driving for about an hour outside the city, we started seeing the auroras. Still faint but understandable. We halted at a place close to a lake to get some pictures till the auroras started getting further faint and also as more people started coming in. Next, the chase took an adventurous turn as we decided to hike up a hill to get some better views. Though at the end we couldn’t see much of the aurora from the top, I would remember the night for the hike under the moonlit sky through the magical snow-covered alpine forest and an amazing barbecue.

25 December 2021: the year-end trip — Ahopää Kiilopää

The northernmost point of my trip was Kiilopää. Given its location, I was hoping to see some nice aurora and had planned to stay at least three nights. Even as I reached the place, the weather looked beautiful with the crimson hue over the horizon at noon marking the polar night’s sunrise/sunset. But soon the curse started haunting me again and the weather turned bad to the extent that there were strong winds and snow on the second day. I tried hiking up to the fell but had to return from mid-way as I could hardly find the trail. However, for the next five days, the overcast conditions actually helped me by maintaining the temperature around -10°C else it would have been difficult for me to bike and hike in the fells of Kiilopää. Christmas finally brought in some presents — the night was clear and indications were high. I along with another South Korean guy ended up hiking halfway to the fell. But soon we realised that the winds were too strong to stay there for long and the blowing snow made it difficult to take clear pictures. We descended to a spot where the wind was comparatively low but the auroras were not that strong. The camera could just manage to capture a starry sky with a flat greenish background. Also, though Kiilopää is an isolated place with minimal inhabitants, it is the lights from Saariselkä in the north that prevented a nice view.

12 February 2022: at home

It was another uneventful Friday night and I was not expecting much. Just before I was heading to bed, I saw an Instagram story about the lights visible further south in Tampere. I cross-checked in the Aurora live cam and it was seriously there. The next thing I did was to go out to the balcony and check the skies — clear it was. Yet without much excitement, I went to the lake and started checking if my cam could see anything. There was something green. I now had to see where I see them better. From all the pictures I had previously seen, I knew it was usually visible in the direction of Puijo tower, so I found a nice place and pointed my cam there and started a time-lapse shoot. The auroras were pulsating in the sky. But for some reason, I had to turn to the other direction and realised that the actual show was going on there and was getting better so that I could capture it on my mobile camera as well. At this moment I knew I had to call someone who couldn’t afford to regret not having seen the aurora — for the first time — so close to home. We spent the next two or three hours enjoying the show as it got crazier. Even for me, I would like to mark this as the first real show and I am glad I saw it with some good company.

13 March 2022: all over the sky

At around 7-8 pm when I was enjoying some home-cooked biriyani, I saw an Instagram story that the auroras were visible over Kuopio. Either I had to skip enjoying the biriyani and head out for the aurora or vice versa. I chose Biriyani as I knew I had missed the show already. Yet, after dinner, something in me was telling me to go out as auroras get better towards late night, but then there was a cloud cover prediction. I reached the same spot from where I had seen it exactly a month earlier. Nothing much visible to the naked eye but my camera got a bit of a green hue. I spent almost three hours there from 9.30 pm to 12.30 am with my camera pointed towards the sky hoping for the auroras to get a bit crazier and get a nice video of it. Unfortunately, nothing much happened except a few sparks in the sky and the passing of haze over the frozen lake. A bit disappointed and having almost drained both the camera batteries I started heading back. Just as I came outside the forest, I couldn’t believe the entire sky was lit up. I wasted no time redeploying my camera but was not sure which direction to point to. It was all over the sky, getting greener bit by bit even on a full moon night and easily visible. Even here I spent another half an hour or so. I was by now already about five hours outdoors in the cold and decided to head indoors — warm up, get my batteries recharged and come out again. The real surprise awaited me close to my apartment. Just as I took the turn to reach my building, I saw the greenest aurora ever with my eye. But by the time I could take out my camera and shoot it, it was off. LOL fact: The brightest aurora I saw was just over the apartment where my friend ‘who couldn’t afford to regret not having seen the aurora’ stayed, but unfortunately she was not in town.

My take on seeing auroras. Spotting aurora is like spotting a Royal Bengal tiger in Sundarbans. You might be tricked into believing a patch of cloud is aurora, just like you might see the black stripes of a tiger among the tall mangrove grass. You need both a keen interest and understanding to track them. Also, the best things come when you least expect them. There were a couple of other times I headed out with high expectations but returned home with an empty memory card.

Stay tuned! With more aurora chases more exciting stories to come. Check out the timelapse videos on YouTube.

  • Kuopio, 28 August 2021
  • Oulu, 19 December 2021
  • Rovaniemi, 20 December 2021
  • Kiilopää, 25 December 2021
  • Kuopio, 12 February 2022
  • Kuopio, 13 March 2022

Kuopio — a tourists’ perspective | Finland beyond Helsinki and Lapland

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Where is it?

Kuopio is a town around 400 km north of the Finnish capital Helsinki in the Northern Savonia region. This region is also called Lakeland due to the numerous lakes present here. Kuopio, the seemingly capital of Lakeland, almost seems like an island with water bodies on all sides.

How to reach?

Kuopio is connected to Helsinki by European route E63. Busses and trains are also available at regular intervals. Finnair flies in at least once a day from Helsinki.

Where to stay?

Airbnb is a popular option to find accommodation here in Kuopio. There are quite a few hotels in the town. For budget or solo travellers, Hostel Hermanni and Hostel Matkustajakoti are also an option.

What to see?

Kuopion kauppahalli (kuopionkauppahalli.fi): This translates to market hall. It is a beautiful yellow building that represents the centre of the town. The hall and the surrounding areas used to be places where local farmers came to sell their produce. Even today, the hall offers some truly local products.

Kuopio city hall: Located just opposite kauppahalli in the city centre is another impressive old building built in the 1880s. It is currently the administrative centre of Kuopio. In 2009, the building was voted as one of the three most beautiful municipal buildings.

Kuopion tuomiokirkko: It is a stone Neoclassical-style Evangelical Lutheran church dating back to the early 1800s. The cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Kuopio.

Kuopio Museum Center (kuopionmuseo.fi): The Kuopio Museum of Cultural History, the Kuopio Museum of Natural History and the Kuopio Art Museum together form the Kuopio Museum Center. (Tip: if you plan to visit multiple museums in Finland over up to one year, get a museum card to save on entry fees.)

Puijo Tower (www.puijopeak.fi): The highest point of the town is the Puijo hill and on top of it sits the Puijo Tower. One can get a panoramic view of Kuopio town and the lake that surrounds it. Apart from Google Maps, this is where you can understand what Lakeland is all about. The tower also houses a cafe and a restaurant.

Kuopion korttelimuseo (kuopionkorttelimuseo.fi): If you are particularly interested in the lives of people of Northern Savo during the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries, this is the place to be. The museum was created to preserve some of the old wooden buildings of the city. In fact, several buildings have been moved from other parts of the city to form this museum cluster. Among the eleven structures here, the oldest dates back to the late 1700s.

VB Photographic Centre (vb-valokuvakeskus.fi): This was the first regional photographic centre in Finland. It hosts several national and international photographic exhibitions throughout the year.

RIISA-Orthodox Church Museum of Finland (www.riisa.fi)

Kuopio automobile Museum (www.kuopionautomuseo.fi)

What to do?

Sauna: Finland is synonymous with the sauna. In Kuopio, the Kuopion Saana and Spa Hotel Rauhalahti offer a public sauna. A more traditional smoke sauna is also available at Spa Hotel Rauhalahti.

Nature trails: In today’s world where forests are inside cities, Kuopio is still a place surrounded by forest. It is said that there is a forest just 500m from your doorstep and that is true. The Finnish everyman’s right allows anyone to explore this forest at any time provided they do not harm them. The nature trails are accessible throughout the year. Find maps and more info here.

Water sports: Being surrounded by water, Kuopio offers a variety of possible water sports including kayaking, rowing, SUP boarding, etc.

Cruise: During the summer months, one can explore Kallavesi on a cruise. The short cruises for about two hours take a trip around the archipelago. Longer cruises all the way to Savonlinna are also available from Kuopio.

Skating and skiing: In winter when the lake freezes, Kuopio hosts the Finland Ice Marathon – one of the first ice-skating events on a natural rink. About 12 km of track for skating and skiing are maintained on the lake. Apart from this, there is a wide network of skiing tracks within the city with the Puijo area being one of the favourites. A map of maintained ski tracks can be found here.

Snowboarding: Kasurila, 18 km from the city centre is a snowboarding destination. It can be easily reached by bus 31, 35 and 40.

Equipment rentals for outdoor activities

Where to eat?

The region of Northern Savonia and Kuopio has been adjudged the tastiest province in Europe for the year 2020-21. So there is no dearth of food to try. The market square and kauppahalli are the best places to start experiencing the food Kuopio has to offer. Especially during summer, the market square is filled with numerous eateries offering the best of Kuopio. Yet when asked about what is unique to Kuopio, you might be directed to Kalakukko. This is a fish rooster. Apart from this muiku fritter, deep-fried small fish from the surrounding lakes is also a great snack option. Another place to try local food would be the Puijo Tower restaurant. According to its website, it sources all its raw materials from the area that is within the range of sight of the tower.

How to get around?

Kuopio is a really small town where you can get around walking or cycling. Separate pedestrian cum cycle paths are available throughout the town. During summer, app-based cycle rent is available for the commute. If you are not fond of either of these or have to cover a longer distance, public buses are the best option. Hop-on-hop-off buses and ferries connecting the major sites in Kuopio operate in summer. Last but not least, taxis are available on-call or through app booking.

Next stop?

Tahko (www.kuopiotahko.fi)
Koli national park
Jyväskylä

Check out my clicks from Kuopio on Instagram. If you are a history buff, you might also be interested in some before and now pics from Kuopio. Click here to see them.

  • Kuopion tuomiokirkko
  • Kuopio city hall
  • Puijo tower
  • Scenes from bike trails in Kuopio
  • Scenes from bike trails in Kuopio
  • Scenes from bike trails in Kuopio

Finland: first travel experience and tips

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Hello from Finland!

I have relocated to Finland to join as an Early Stage Researcher (ESR) at the University of Eastern Finland. And this would mark my first travel outside India. After 3 years of getting the Indian passport, it finally got stamped at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi on 3rd December 2020. I started my journey from my hometown in Tura, Meghalaya early morning on 3rd December for Guwahati – the nearest operational airport. From Guwahati (GAU) I flew to Delhi (DEL) and from there onward to Kuopio (KUO) via Frankfurt (FRA) and Helsinki (HEL). My flight exiting Delhi was in the early morning at 3.35 a.m (IST) on 4th December and reached Kuopio the same day at around 9.00 p.m. (IST). Here I present a summary of all the preparations, experience, and tips for first-time international travellers like me or someone who would like to come to Finland. Apart from my experiences, I have also listed some other resources that will be helpful while travelling in Finland and international travel as a whole.

Permit

As mentioned earlier, I am in Finland to join as an ESR and hence was issued a residence permit for researcher for two years. I applied through Migri (https://migri.fi/en/home) way back in July 2020. As the Embassy was closed due to COVID-19, nothing materialized initially. But suddenly in October, I received an email directly from the Embassy to visit them for biometric and document verification. Usually, the appointment has to be taken through VFS Global but due to covid crisis and probable backlogs, the Finnish Embassy directly scheduled the appointments (probably only for students, researchers, and other work permits). After this, within one month I was ready to relocate to Finland. Again, it should be mentioned here that according to Migri, issuing a residence permit requires one to two months depending on the rush but in my case, it was accepted within a week. Also, they directly send the residence permit card instead of first issuing a temporary visa and then the permit after entering the country as in several other European countries.

Flight

Guwahati (GAU) – Delhi (DEL) : Indigo 6E-2158 (₹5,897/-)
Delhi (DEL) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Helsinki (HEL) : Lufthansa LH761/LH848 (₹35,946/-)
Helsinki (HEL) – Kuopio (KUO) : Finnair AY643 (€82.98/-)

Transit

Persons on EU/EEA-issued residence permits can avail of the bubble flight via Germany/Netherlands and for both these countries, no transit visa is required.

Border control

Literally, no questions were asked except in Delhi where the officials were unsure of Finland issuing residence permit cards without even visiting the country once.

Corona

Finland mentions the requirement for COVID test to be either carried by the passenger or be done at Helsinki airport. I had a negative report but was not asked at any point during travel. At Delhi airport, I was given a declaration form by a Lufthansa official to be filled and submitted at Frankfurt immigration but it was not collected. In Finland, it is recommended to self-isolate for 10 days which can be shortened by taking a second COVID test 72 hours after arrival.

Currency exchange

At Delhi, Punjab National Bank and Central Bank of India seem to offer better rates than Thomas Cook and Exycash. All these counters are in the departure area in Terminal 3 of Delhi airport. Still, it is better to exchange beforehand at banks as airport rates even in bank counters are higher.

Forex card

Using State Bank Foreign Travel Card. Issue charge ₹105.
Problem with reloading online. Option temporarily unavailable on onlinesbi.com.

Airports

Guwahati – North East India connector
Delhi – Connecting India to the World
Frankfurt – hub
Helsinki – one of the most beautiful
Kuopio – small and limited

SIM card

In Finland, prepaid mobile SIM cards can be easily purchased without documents from store chains like R-Kioski, K-market, etc. At Helsinki airport, it can be purchased from the R-Kioski at arrival terminal 2A. There are no stalls at Kuopio Airport. I purchased from a departmental store (K-Market) near my residence. As I had to be in self-isolation I took the only available one – DNA for €4.9 with €5 balance. Other operators here are Elisa and Telia. There are two major types of prepaid subscriptions here. The unlimited subscription pack (e.g., DNA Rajaton) offers unlimited calls, SMS, and internet for a fixed amount that is charged every day irrespective of whether you utilize them or not. The flexible subscription (e.g., DNA Super Prepaid) on the other hand charges as per use. There are provisions for add-on packs with unlimited internet/calls.

Indian number

Airtel and BSNL prepaid (NESA numbers) could not latch to any network in Finland and Germany despite Airtel promising it would. As per two different Airtel sources, I was told to maintain a balance of ₹200 monthly or ₹1000 yearly. A monthly recharge of ₹49 would keep the number active and can receive incoming SMS.
BSNL and Vodafone told me to shift to postpaid.

Tips

  • Carry a travel adapter for Indian plugs while in Europe. I forgot to bring one and facing a huge difficulty. It’s difficult to get one in Kuopio. Online charges get almost doubled due to the delivery charge.
  • If you are required to open a bank account in Finland, do not expect a walk-in and walk-out service. Opening a bank account takes time. So while relocating to Finland bring sufficient money as cash or a forex card or keep a valid international debit/credit card. Also keep your bank informed of international transactions or else they may block your card, just as SBI did mine.

Here are some of the YouTube channels that have helped me a lot in understanding Finland and making relocation easier. Also, the Tourist Helpline group on Facebook has always been a source of first-hand experiences regarding travel. I hope these resources will help you too.

Pictures from the journey are available on my Instagram.

  • GAU-DEL
  • DEL
  • FRA
  • FRA-HEL
  • HEL
  • HEL-KUO

24 hours in Panchgani

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Before the Covid pandemic struck I was fortunate enough to make two trips in 2020 – Pune and Panchgani in February and Chennai in March. I have written about my Chennai trip in a story earlier as a part of Tripoto’s contest my last trip before lockdown. This is the story of my first trip of 2020 or the second last before lockdown. I was actually in Pune for a conference organised by CDAC and held at IISER. After the conference concluded I had kept on hand an extra day to explore this region. Not to mention that there are numerous hill stations in this region that serve as weekend getaways for Punekars. But the best time to visit the region is during or after the monsoon when the landscape is at its best green. Unfortunately, I was there at a time when there were only dry leaves and grasses on the hills.

After a lot of consideration about where to go, I narrowed it down to Panchgani. Panchgani is a small hill town near the more touristic Mahabaleshwar. The choice of ‘small’ was good because I was looking for a place to explore on foot. In hill stations, it is best to hire a taxi or rent a two-wheeler to go around different points. Panchgani is no different but also has a set of places close to the town that can be explored on foot and for a bit distant places one can take a shared jeep that plies along the main road. So on the 2nd of February morning, I boarded a bus from Pune’s Swargate that would drop me off at Wai. From Wai, I took another bus to Panchgani. Panchgani is a hundred kilometres from Pune and takes about 4 hours to reach by public bus.

Zostel Panchgani was yet another reason to come to this place. The hostel is unique because the dorms and rooms are made from shipping containers stacked over one another along a hill slope that offers a panoramic view of the valley below. Check out this video on YouTube that made me say yes to this location.

If you are from Wai, you would cross Zostel about three kilometres before reaching Panchgani town. However, due to a wrong interpretation of Google Maps, I had assumed it to be after crossing the Panchgani bus stand. By the time I realised this, the bus had reached the bus stand and I had to walk back. After having settled down I had 24 hours to explore this place. The good people at Zostel helped me prepare an itinerary for the day. I started with a walk again to the town to have lunch. The central place in Panchgani is not too big with just a few hundred shops around the bus stand. Post lunch I headed to the first viewpoint in my itinerary, the Sydney point. I literally have no idea why this place is named after an Australian city. While entering Panchgani from Wai, a road branching right near the toll gate goes spiralling up to Sydney Point. The place offers an amazing view of the Dhoom Dam. But the best part was the amazing breeze that came from the lake in the hot afternoon, which helped soothe the tiredness from listening to a continuous session of talks the day before. I happily spent an hour or two in the sole sitting area here. Lucky enough to find it empty.

As it was closing at 4 pm, I had to head back to the hostel to join the Zostel organised hike to a sunset viewpoint. From the hostel, we were first taken to the base by car and then walked over a kilometre to the viewpoint that again offered a superb view of the sunset taking place over the hills surrounding Dhoom Lake. This was the point I felt, it was worth coming to Panchgani even in the offseason. It was just magical to see the hills surrounding me turn to gold as the rays from the setting sun fell on the brownish-yellow dry grasses. To experience this magic, you have to stay at Zostel as the location is private and not frequented by others.

Once I was done with this, along with a few other hostellers, I headed to Mapro Garden. This is another recommended place to be while in Panchgani or Mahabaleshwar. Panchgani and the surrounding areas is famous for their berries. In season, you would find different types of berries being sold all along the road in Panchgani. The area also houses several food processing companies and Mapro is one of them. The food court at Mapro Garden offers a wide range of food starting from pizzas to soups to beverages. But what beats all others is their speciality whipped strawberry cream served over fresh strawberries and strawberry-flavoured ice cream. Besides, the food court, Mapro Garden also houses a store that sells locally processed fruit-based products like juices, syrups, jams, candies etc.

The night had another great planned activity – a star-gazing hike to the famed tabletop of Panchgani. Again, this was organised by Zostel for its members. The tabletop is a flat land above Panchgani town. We were first taken by the car and hiked through the dark to the top where a bonfire was arranged to keep warm.

Day 2 and the last few hours in the town. I woke up early expecting to get a glimpse of the sunrise. But unfortunately, it was cloudy. I freshened up and headed back to the Centre for breakfast, followed by another walk towards Parsi Point. Again the views here were blinded by the clouds. What can be better than a cup of strawberry cream to clear the bad luck? Hence, I headed once again to Mapro Gardens. When I had gone the day before, it was pitch dark outside and nothing much was visible but today, it was amazing to see the stretches of berry farms around. I was also able to shop for some strawberries directly from the farm. And this was the end of exploring yet another small town in India. I returned back to Zostel, collected my bags and headed to Pune via Wai from where I had a train to Allahabad.

Check out more pictures from the trip on Instagram.

  • Views from the view points of Panchgani
  • Views from the view points of Panchgani
  • Views from the view points of Panchgani
  • Zostel Panchgani
  • Strawberry ice cream at Mapro garden
  • Mapro garden
  • Views from the view points of Panchgani
  • Views from the view points of Panchgani

Chennai: My last trip before the #lockdown

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So my last trip before #Lockdown was to Chennai. Not a leisure trip but to attend a conference at IIT-Madras. I was to leave Allahabad on the 4th March early morning by train and on the 3rd evening a piece of news flashed in Times Of India that visas for people from a few countries had been suspended. This was probably the first major step taken by the Government of India to prevent the outbreak of Corona in the country. Over the previous few days, I had seen big conferences including those of the American Physical Society getting cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The IIT conference starting on the 6th was to have several speakers and participants from Japan and I feared should the event get cancelled. With some hope, I boarded the train on my way to Chennai. While on board, I received an email that the event would go on as planned except that the Japanese participants would join in via video-conferencing.

I reached Chennai on the 5th afternoon and put up at the Youth Hostel in Adyar. The hostel is just 2 km from Besant Nagar beach. Over the next four days, I spent quite some time at the beach watching the sunrise or enjoying the cool evening breeze with some seafood, bhajis and roasted bhutta (maize). During the first visit on the 5th, I ended up exploring something that is marked as Broken Bridge on Google Maps. This place towards the north of Besant Nagar Beach and near to Theosophical Society is where the Adyar River meets the Bay of Bengal. The sunset from this place is something very memorable I got to watch on this trip. This part of the beach is very less frequented.

The next two days were mostly spent inside the IIT campus, a little forest within the bustling city. On the 8th I headed further down south of Chennai to visit the Madras Crocodile Bank. This is a research and breeding centre for reptiles and amphibians. They probably have the most number of crocs I have seen to date. Besides the different varieties of crocodiles, they also house snakes, tortoises and iguanas. The Irula Snake Catchers’ Industrial Cooperative Society is on the same campus. They work towards snake venom extraction for anti-venom production. For tourists, they held awareness programs including a demonstration of how snake venom is extracted. That same day evening, I ticked off one more destination of Chennai from my list – the Chennai Light House. This place gives a panoramic view of the Marina beach with the endless Bay of Bengal on the right and the Madras city on the left.

Finally, I was scheduled to exit Chennai on the 9th afternoon. As I had some time to spare in the first half of the day I went about searching for some snacks to carry back home. Thanks to suggestions from Quora and Facebook members I was able to get some of the finest banana chips and murukkus from Ganga Hot Chips, A2B and Grand Sweets & Snacks in Adyar. I reached Allahabad on the 11th and within another 11 days, Janta Curfew happened. Thankfully I am still safe. #StayHomeStaySafe

Pictures from this trip are on Instagram. Do check them out.

Note: This post is a part of my submission to a contest run by Tripoto on the topic “Experience: My last trip before the lockdown”

  • Dogs chilling at Besant Nagar Beach
  • Besant Nagar Beach
  • Besant Nagar Beach
  • Madras Crocodile Bank
  • Madras Crocodile Bank
  • Madras Crocodile Bank
  • Besant Nagar Beach
  • View of Marina beach

Destination Garo Hills

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After being in oblivion for years, Garo Hills has started to open up to a new era. An era of TOURISM. When one talks of Meghalaya, Shillong, Cherrapunjee or Mawsynram are the probable names that come to mind. But around 300 km west of Shillong lies this hidden gem. It is only lately that tourism has started gaining pace in the hills with better road connectivity and the opening up of homestays and hotels. Frankly speaking, having been born and brought up here even I haven’t yet explored this place.

Garo Hills is one of the three hills besides Khasi and Jaintia Hills that make Meghalaya. Apart from clouds, these hills are home to the Garo Tribe. The blue-green hills are rich in biodiversity and house two national parks and two wildlife sanctuaries besides several other protected areas. The National Citrus Gene Sanctuary within the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve is also the home to Citrus indica or Indian wild orange which is considered to be the most “primitive” citrus.

Garo Hills is divided into five districts with Tura being the most important/central place in the region. Politically speaking, Garo Hills is home to former Lok Sabha Speaker and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and National People’s Party (NPP) founder Shri Purno Agitok Sangma.

With so much packed in this little place, Garo Hills definitely has a lot to offer to travellers and tourists. I here try to create a collection of what to do in Garo Hills and also provide a link-out to some other resources on the internet that may be handy while travelling to Garo Hills. But before we begin, I would like to request you to practice responsible tourism. Let this untouched beauty remain as it is forever and not turn it into next Shimla or Nainital or Darjeeling or Ladakh where excess and irresponsible tourism is taking its toll. Bon voyage!

Accessing Garo Hills

The National Highway 217 (formerly NH 51 and 62) is currently the primary road link that connects the major towns in this western part of Meghalaya. It branches out from NH 17 and runs from Sevoke in West Bengal to Guwahati in Assam making a loop along Garo Hills. Another proposed highway NH 127B running from Srirampur in Assam to Nongston in Meghalaya would also pass through Garo Hills. This proposed highway also includes a 19.2 km bridge over the river Brahmaputra between Dhubri on the North Bank and Phulbari on the South Bank. Currently one can avail ferry service to cross the river here to enter Garo Hills and I can bet this would be a different experience for many as it takes two to three hours to cross the river on a boat.

Though Garo Hills has its own railway station at Mendipathar (MNDP), it is not a recommended one yet as a single-passenger train runs between Mendipathar and Guwahati (GHY) daily. Instead, one can take a train to Guwahati (GHY) or Kamakhya Junction (KYQ), both in Guwahati city, and then continue to Garo Hills by road. Scheduled buses and shared taxis are available from Guwahati to reach different parts of Garo Hills like Tura, Williamnagar and Baghmara. They can be availed from Paltan Bazar and Bharalumukh in the morning and afternoon and from ISBT at night. The Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (GAU) in Guwahati is the nearest airport to reach Garo Hills. A helicopter service from Guwahati to Tura provides an aerial route to enter the blue-green Garo Hills. In addition to Guwahati, New Bongaigaon (NBQ) can also serve as an interchange point for travellers coming by train as there is a daily bus/taxi service from Tura. Daily buses are also available from Tura to Shillong, Siliguri and Coochbehar.

Travelling within Garo Hills

The major towns within Garo Hills like Tura, Williamnagar, Baghmara, Ampati etc. are well connected with each other by buses plying during day time. However, it might be difficult to find transport after sunset. For moving within the town, autorickshaws are easily available. Tura also has its own public transport system (TPTS) plying within the town.

As mentioned above, tourism in Garo Hills has just started growing and hence no conducted tours are available yet like those in Shillong to visit Cherrapunjee and Dawki. Hence, it is advisable to hire cars to get around.

Places to visit

  • Mapta Dare
  • Rongmeram Falls
  • Asanangre
  • Pelga Falls
  • Tura Peak
  • Nokrek Biosphere Reserve
  • Chibragre
  • Imilchang Dare
  • Siju Cave
  • Balpakram National Park

Accommodations

Additional resources

Here is a list of resources that may help in planning your trip to Garo Hills. I must also mention that these are the primary sources of information for writing this post.

  • A’chik Heritage Pursuits
  • The Official Website of Meghalaya Tourism
  • Travel blogger Harish Bali (Visa2Explore) explores Garo Hills
  • West Garo Hills district portal
  • WGH through the eyes of DC Shri Ram Singh, IAS

Easy locate: This MAP can be useful to locate the places mentioned above.

P.S: Suggestions on improving this blog post are always welcome. With new incoming information, this blog post will be updated. So keep rechecking once in a while to know more about Garo Hills. Till then, enjoy this beautiful film on Tura by Mr. Will Sangma.

Your guide to walking around Darjeeling

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Darjeeling is synonymous with tea all over the world. No other flavour is believed to be finer than those grown here. Darjeeling, also called the queen of the hills, sits like a crown over the sweetest part of India a.k.a Bengal. The name Darjeeling has been derived from the Tibetan language and it translates to ‘land of the thundering bolt’.

For a budget traveller who loves walking around, Darjeeling is heaven. Supplemented by cheaper travel options at certain zones, this hill town has a lot to offer to a thrifty traveller. In this guide, I have tried to compile a walking circuit of the places to visit in Darjeeling. This is based on my own trip in February 2019.

Darjeeling can be visited almost throughout the year. However, it is better avoided during monsoon when landslides are frequent. Winters are pretty cold with occasional snow and excessive tourism has brought in a water crisis, especially during summers. Hence a humble request, whenever you visit a beautiful place like Darjeeling, be a responsible traveller/tourist.

Siliguri, 63 km, is the main entry point to Darjeeling. The Hill Cart Road connects the two cities. Taxis (TATA Sumo) are easily available on a sharing basis (₹ 200/- per head) from Siliguri to reach Darjeeling. The cheaper option (₹ 103/- per head) is to travel by North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) buses that ply every hour in the morning from Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminus in Siliguri. It takes almost three hours by either means to ascend the hills provided there is no traffic. Besides roadways, Darjeeling has its own railway head — a part of the heritage Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR). The New Jalpaiguri (NJP) Jn. near Siliguri is a major railway station that has connectivity to the rest of India. The 52541 NJP DJ Passenger is the only train connecting NJP to Darjeeling daily. The journey on this narrow-gauge heritage train takes nearly seven hours (minimum fare is ₹ 1420/-). The Bagdogra airport is for those who prefer taking the aerial route.

At Darjeeling, the buses/sumos drop off at the Hill Cart Road taxi stand. In this guide, this will be the starting point of the walk for each circuit. With tourism booming, there are plentiful options at all budgets for staying in this hill town. Hotels on Gandhi Road are probably the most popular among tourists due to their central location.

Circuit #1:

Starting from the taxi stand, walk towards Jorethang along the Lebong Cart Road for about one kilometre. The first stop on this circuit will be on your left. The Happy Valley Tea Estate is the second oldest tea estate in Darjeeling. From the Lebong Cart Road, a narrow road looping through the vast tea estate would take you downhill to their factory. The estate offers a guided tour of the tea-making process at their factory along with a session of tea tasting. The guided tour is chargeable at ₹ 100/- while it is free to go around the plantation. As a souvenir, you can buy the best of their teas from the factory outlet.

Climb back up to the Lebong Cart Road and continue a few steps forward. On the right will be the Darjeeling Old Cemetery. This cemetery is often regarded to be one of the hidden gems of Darjeeling. Rarely frequented by tourists, the cemetery is the resting place of early British settlers. The place offers a wonderful view of the Happy Valley Tea Estate below and on a clear day the snow-clad Himalayas. It is open daily from sunrise to sunset and entry is free.

Another 500 m down the same road is a tri-junction where the Robertson Road running downhill joins the Lebong Cart Road. Climb up the incline of Robertson Road and you will reach the gates of Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park or what is commonly known as Darjeeling Zoo. This zone also houses the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) and the Bengal Museum of Natural History (BMNH). A combined fee of ₹ /- is charged for entering this place. The zoo, spread over an area of 67.56 acres, is the largest high-altitude zoo in India and specializes in breeding animals adapted to alpine conditions. The HMI was started back in 1954 following the first ascent of Mt. Everest by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hilary the previous year to promote mountaineering as an organized sport in India. Today, HMI has become the hub of mountaineers aspiring to capture the heights of the Himalayas. Tourists can access only a limited area of the institute that includes a museum, activity zone and a theatre. The museum houses memoirs of Indian expeditions to several heights across the world besides mountaineering artefacts. The BMNH, as the name suggests, is a collection of flora and fauna samples from all over the state of West Bengal. From what it started in 1903 as a small museum, today it houses numerous bird and animal specimens, including skulls, horns, head mounts and skins.

After exiting from the zoo keep walking straight towards the Mall. The Shrubbery Nightingale Park is about one kilometre from the zoo. Situated in the Richmond Hill area, this oval-shaped park provides a picturesque view of the Eastern Himalayas. The park also houses a giant statue of Lord Shiva along with an associated temple.

Further along, Robertson Road on the left is Raj Bhawan or the Governor’s house. Near the entrance of the Raj Bhawan is a four-point crossing. From here take the Mall road going left. This stretch of the road is a no-vehicle zone. There are a few viewpoints here where you can sit and relax along with some hot tea brewed by local women. Towards the Mall end of the road, is the entrance to Mahakal Mandir. This is one unique temple you can see in Darjeeling. Sitting atop the Observatory Hill, this temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is an amalgamation of Hindu and Buddhist religions. The sound of the temple bells along with the fluttering of the prayer flags provides a unique aura to this place.

Circuit #2:

If you have not taken a ride on the toy train yet, head to Ghoom early morning and catch the 52587 Kurseong-Darjeeling Passenger that leaves Ghoom at 8.35 am. Apart from the two daily trains mentioned earlier, DHR operates joy rides for tourists from Darjeeling to Ghoom and back with halts at Batasia Loop and Ghoom. Seats for these rides can be pre-booked online through IRCTC. The charges are between ₹ 1000/- and ₹ 1600/- depending on the type of train — steam engine or diesel engine hauled. If you are tight on a budget like me, take a taxi to Ghoom early morning and then return by the passenger train. The Ghoom railway station is itself iconic being the highest railway station in India.

After reaching back to Darjeeling start the main walk of circuit #2. Our first destination — the Japanese Temple and Peace Pagoda. Ask for the stairs to reach the road to the Japanese Temple or alternately look for St. Columba’s church near the station. This church was built in 1894. The stairs connect Hill Cart Road to Gandhi Road. On reaching the top, take the right and move up towards Hotel Villa Everest along the Lal Kothi Road. The temple is merely 1.5 km from here but the climb may make it a bit tiring. Peace Pagodas are Buddhist stupas built to inspire peace in the world. Most of these monuments were built after World War II and the one at Darjeeling was dedicated in 1992. The Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Temple or Japanese Temple is a two-storeyed Japanese-style building located near the Peace Pagoda.

Enjoy the downhill walk now. Take your steps back through the Lal Kothi Road, passing via Hotel Villa Everest to Gandhi Road. At around two kilometres from the Peace Pagoda, near the Gandhi Road and Laden La Road crossing, is Darjeeling Clock Tower. The clock tower is a part of the current-day Darjeeling Municipality building. It was constructed in 1850 and served as the Town Hall of Darjeeling before being converted to a municipality office. A few meters from the clock tower is another UNESCO World Heritage site — Darjeeling Head Post Office. It was opened in 1921 and is one of the oldest post offices in the region.

From here, follow the Nehru Road up to Darjeeling Mall. The Nehru Road and Mall are one of the most vibrant areas of Darjeeling and are popular among tourists for street shopping and food. Two of the iconic restaurants – Keventer’s and Glenary’s are located here. From the Mall, we head to Bhutia Busty Monastery. As you reach the flats of the Mall through Nehru Road, the C. R. Das roads run downhill on the right and lead to Bhutia Busty monastery. This is another beautiful place unfrequented by tourists. Along the way is the Deshbandhu Museum, a two-storeyed white building on the left. This is the house where Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das stayed during the last few months of his life.

Return to the Mall and take the NCC Road on the left of the stage to reach St. Andrews Church. This is an old Anglican church built in 1843. On the way, you will also see the Gorkha Ranga Manch (Bhanu Bhawan) on the left. The church is just opposite to it. Going further along the NCC Road would take you near the gates of Raj Bhawan.

Circuit #3:

A day for a long morning walk. Start early and head to Ghoom in a shared taxi. You would be dropped off at Ghoom Railway station. Start walking back towards Darjeeling. The first stopover en route is Ghoom monastery at nearly one kilometre. This monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Darjeeling and houses a 12-foot statue of Maitreya Buddha.

Further 1.2 km towards Darjeeling is Batasia Loop. Batasia loop is an example of an erstwhile engineering marvel. The height difference between Darjeeling and Ghoom was too steep for the steam locomotives to ascend, hence a double spiral loop was designed to negotiate the climb. The hill around which the railway track loops has a beautiful garden and houses the Gorkha War memorial at the centre. On a clear day, one can get a wonderful view of the Kanchenjunga range.

The third point on this walk is Dali Monastery, 1.5 km from Batasia Loop. The Sangag Choling Monastery (or Dali Monastery) is an ornate, colourful monastery built in typical Tibetan style along the steep hill as you enter Darjeeling. The monastery is open from early morning till evening.

Dheerdham temple, the final point on the walk is just below the Darjeeling Railway station. This temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is a look-alike of the Pashupatinath temple of Kathmandu, Nepal.

My trip:

The three circuits mentioned above are based on how I travelled over three days in Darjeeling. On day 1, I had taken the first bus at 6 am from Siliguri and reached Darjeeling by 11 am. After settling down it was almost 1 pm when I started my walk along Circuit #1. As it was an unplanned trip it took me some time to figure out the routes I should take. On day 1, I could visit only the tea estate, HMI and BMNH, Mahakal mandir and the Mall. Exploring half of the zoo is still pending. I visited Shrubbery Park on Day 2 after completing Circuit #2. On day 3, I started early and completed circuit #3 well before noon and took my return bus to Siliguri. Below is a list of several other suggested tourist places that I could not visit during my trip in February 2019 and hence could not include in the guide.

Other tourist spots:

Tiger Hill: Watching the sunrise from Tiger Hill is among the must-do things in Darjeeling. The changing colours of Kanchenjunga as the sunlight strikes the mountain is a visual treat. Tiger Hill is located 11 km from the town at an altitude of 8400 feet. It is advisable to start as early as 3.00 am from Darjeeling to secure the best spot at the watchtower.

Ava Art Gallery: The gallery established in 1965 showcases the works of one of the geniuses in the field of embroidery art, Ava Devi. It is located on the Hill Cart road between Dali Monastery and Darjeeling railway station and can be clubbed along circuit #3 walk. It is open from 8 am to 12 pm and again from 1 pm to 5 pm. There is no entry fee to visit the art gallery.

Rock Garden
Darjeeling ropeway
Rangeet Valley Tea Garden
Tenzing and Gombu rocks

Here’s a map of the tourist places and the circuit.
More pictures from the trip are on my Instagram profile @ag1805x. Use the hashtag #ag1805x_in_Darjeeling.

  • Darjeeling town
  • Toy train of Darjeeling
  • Happy Valley tea estate
  • Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI)
  • Peace Pagoda
  • Mahakal Mandir
  • Batasia Loop
  • Dali Monastery