Tag: Travel

Kiilopää — the hidden gem of Finnish Lapland

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Moving past the tree line on the way upto or down from the Kiilopää fell.

I do not know if this is still a hidden gem, but when I visited in December 2021, it seemed like an oasis amidst the overcrowded, touristy towns. Having come from Rovaniemi, the place gave an utterly opposite vibe. While there were black and red or blue winter suit-clad, penguin-looking tourists everywhere in Rovaniemi, there were hardly any people there. Saariselkä, about 15 km north of Kiilopää, is where you would find most winter tourists visiting this region. So, if you ask me, ‘How did I end up here?’ it was thanks to a nice hostel that was part of the Hostelling International network and one of the few in Lapland accessible by public transportation. Additionally, it provided affordable accommodation for one person, even during the peak tourist season. Read on to know more about this hidden gem of Finland.

Why visit Kiilopää?

Before we move ahead, I should clarify this: I will probably not be able to categorise Kiilopää as a village or town. It is rather a fell in Finnish Lapland. At its base is a hiking centre operated by Suomen Latu, the Finnish Outdoor Association, where I spent a few days of winter. Kiilopää is one of the gateways to the wilderness of Urho Kekkonen National Park. So if you are seeking wilderness adventures, irrespective of the time of the year, this might be the place to visit. The rolling hills here are a distinct geography that you can experience in Finland.

How to reach Kiilopää?

Kiilopää is located close to the European route E75, which runs vertically through Finland. At the time of writing this blog, at least three buses on their way further north to Ivalo and Karasjok from Rovaniemi take a detour from the highway to visit Kiilopää. It takes about 3.5 hours to cover the 250 km distance from Rovaniemi. The updated schedules for the buses can be found on Matkahuolto.fi and Perille.fi. The nearest airport is located at Ivalo (45 km), which happens to be the northernmost airport in Finland. It is serviced by year-round FinnAir flights from Helsinki and seasonal (read winter) flights from other European cities.

Where to stay and eat in Kiilopää?

The Suomen Latu Fell Centre offers both hotel and hostel accommodations. As mentioned, their Hostel Ahopää is part of the Hostelling International network and has shared dorms for up to eight people in each. For food, you can cook at the shared kitchen in the hostel or enjoy local delicacies at the Fell Centre restaurant. I still remember having one of my best traditional Finnish Christmas dinners in this restaurant. The Fell Centre also has a small store from which you can purchase snacks and canned food; however, the nearest full-stocked grocery store is located in Saariselkä.

Apart from the Suomen Latu Fell Centre, several other resorts and cabins can be found in the area, including the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. It is one of those places you might have seen on Instagram reels, with rows of glass igloos. These resorts usually have a restaurant that you can drop by for food. While exploring the area on a bike, I came across the Laanilan Savottakahvila, which seemed like a nice pitstop to warm up in the cold weather. Another cafe that I discovered while writing this blog is at Luulampi, a junction for several hiking and biking routes in the area. Located inside the Urho Kekkonen National Park, the cafe can only be accessed on foot or by cycle and is open only outside the winter season.

What to do in Kiilopää?

Hike – Bike – Ski – Sauna!!! I suppose that sums up the things that you can do here in Kiilopää. According to the Luontoon.fi website, Finland’s centralised information source on outdoor activities, the Saariselkä, Kiilopää and Kakslauttanen area has approximately 200 kilometres of hiking trails, of which approximately 80 kilometres are located in the Urho Kekkonen National Park. Although these trails are primarily accessible in summer, at least some of them double up as ski and snowshoeing trails in winter. The hike to the summit of the Kiilopää fell would be one of my recommendations if you are visiting Kiilopää. On a clear day, the summit offers great views of the rolling hills that form a vast expanse of the national park. The hike is part of the 5.7 km Kiirunapolku Circle Trail and is usually considered an easy hike. In winter, however, a snowshoe might be essential as the latter part of the trail is not as frequented as the climb to the top following an anti-clockwise direction. Besides hiking trails, the area also has several marked cycling routes, including those that are also maintained in winter. You can ride a fat-bike all the way to Saariselkä and back through the snow-covered forest. The Kiilopää Adventures rental shop, located on the premises of the fell centre, rents out the necessary equipment/gears for hiking, biking and skiing. They also offer guided tours and are the point person for ground-level guidance for planning your own adventures. During my visit, they helped me chart out my snowshoeing and biking routes, and to date, it was one of my best winter experiences. However, there was one thing that I missed experiencing and would not recommend others make the same mistake. The Kiilopää Smoke Sauna is mentioned to be ‘one of the five must-experience saunas in Finland’. After you have soaked in all the adventures for a day, you can rejuvenate yourself by relaxing in the sauna, followed by a dip in the river Kiilopuro. The autumn and winter pictures I have seen of the sauna and the pool are one of the reasons that would take me back to this place, even if for a day.

  • A random view while fat-biking in the winter wonderland.
    A random view while fat-biking in the winter wonderland.
  • Fatbiking through the snow covered forests.
    Fatbiking through the snow covered forests.
  • Chasing the auroras.
    Chasing the auroras.
  • Back into the forest.
    Back into the forest.
  • Moving past the tree line on the way upto or down from the Kiilopää fell.
    Moving past the tree line on the way upto or down from the Kiilopää fell.
  • Snowshoeing along the Kiirunapolku Circle Trail.
    Snowshoeing along the Kiirunapolku Circle Trail. The wind speed rose and the visibility dropped low just as I reached the top of the Kiilopää fell.
  • View along the Kiirunapolku Circle Trail.
    View along the Kiirunapolku Circle Trail.
  • View from the top of the Kiilopää fell.
    View from the top of the Kiilopää fell. I made a second attempt on my last day there and was rewarded with a better view.
  • Luckily spotted some reindeer roaming in the wild.
    Luckily spotted some reindeer roaming in the wild.
  • The Hostel Ahopää (Kiilopää) building
    The Hostel Ahopää (Kiilopää) building

For more pictures from this trip and my other trips in Finland, please visit my Instagram and 500px.com pages.

Three hostels to visit Finland on a budget

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The Hostel Ahopää (Kiilopää) building

Hostel Cheap Sleep (Helsinki)

Assuming you enter Finland through Helsinki, Cheap Sleep can be where you spend the first night in the country. It is part of the Hostelling International network and is probably the cheapest hostel in Finland, with prices starting from EUR 20 per night in a 24-bed dorm. The number 24 here might scare off people, but unlike in several hostels, you get a better space for the price. Also, it usually fills slower than the lower-capacity rooms. The dorms have bunk beds with personal lockers, reading lights, and plug points close to the bed. In most of the rooms, each set of bunk beds is separated by partition walls for privacy. If you are into cooking your own meals while travelling, they have a well-equipped common kitchen. Alternatively, you can always grab a snack from the 24-hour grocery store located on the ground floor of the same building or the restaurants nearby during their opening hours. The hostel also offers ample common areas to sit and relax. You can browse through the books available on the common bookshelf or enjoy a session of board gaming. They also host board and arcade gaming nights as part of their weekly activities which also include a movie night and a party night. If I remember correctly, I also saw a couple of massage chairs in one of the corners of the hostel. This might be something you would like to try after a day of exploring the Finnish capital. The bus and tram stops are located within 100 m of the hostel. The bus route 600, which runs between Helsinki Central railway station and Vantaa Airport throughout the day, passes through this stop. Thus making this hostel a perfect base to start and end your Finnish adventures.

Hostel Cafe Koti (Rovaniemi)

The Finnish word ‘Koti’ translates to ‘home’ in English. I suggest making Hostel Cafe Koti your home during your visit to the ‘Official Hometown of Santa Claus’. But beware, Rovaniemi has two faces — it is a tranquil retreat during the summer solstice but a bustling tourist town in winter. The Santa Claus village and the northern lights are a major tourist magnet of this town, located close to the Arctic Circle. Thus, it is advisable to book early to secure a cheap stay in this town. The Rovaniemi railway station and the bus station are located less than 2 km away from the hostel. The local bus number 8 might be the best option to reach the hostel from either place if you hate walking. The bus connects the railway station to the Santa Claus Village and has a stop near Koskikatu, which is the most important shopping street in Rovaniemi. The hostel is just a few hundred metres from this bus stop. The price of a dorm bed in this hostel starts at EUR 30 but can double during peak season. The dorms are composed of bunk beds with access to personal lockers, reading lights and electric sockets. Here you would be sharing the room with nine other persons; however, there are curtains between each set of bunk beds for privacy. The hostel has a common kitchen and TV lounge for use by the guests. There is also a sauna, but it may be accessible only during specific hours. As the name suggests, the hostel operates a cafe on its premises, offering buffet breakfast and lunch. If you are staying at the hostel, you can enjoy a hearty breakfast at the cafe at a discounted rate before heading out to explore the most popular destination in Finnish Lapland.

Read more about Rovaniemi in my other blog post: Rovaniemi — The hometown of Santa Claus

Hostel Ahopää (Kiilopää)

This was a real hidden gem I discovered during my 2021 winter trip to Lapland. Kiilopää is located 200 km north of Rovaniemi and 15 km before the more touristy ski resort of Saariselkä. The hostel is part of the Hostelling International network and is one of the northernmost hostels in Finland, easily accessible by public transport. Two buses from Rovaniemi on their way further north in Lapland take a detour from the highway to make a stop at the Kiilopää Fell Centre. Hostel Ahopää is conveniently located at one of the entrance points to the Urho Kekkonen National Park, making it an ideal base camp for wilderness adventures throughout the year. If you are familiar with Finnish folklore, you might have heard of Korvatunturi — a fell along the Finnish-Russian border where Santa is believed to have his secret workshop. Korvatunturi is part of the Urho Kekkonen National Park and is on the opposite side of where Ahopää is located. So if you happen to get lost while exploring this vast wilderness area, you might end up meeting the real Joulupukki himself. The hostel has dorms that can accommodate up to eight people and is priced at EUR 30 per bed. Here, you would be sleeping on cosy wooden bunk beds housed in a traditional wooden building. The dorm building has a common kitchen and a few toilets, but no showers. The shower is located in the main building, which also houses the Fell Centre reception and restaurant. The area has no grocery store, and the nearest one is located at Saariselkä. However, the Fell Centre has an equipment rental shop on its premises that can satisfy your hunger for adventure. You can easily rent the necessary equipment, including fat bikes, skis, and snowshoes and set out on an adventure of your own along the vast marked trails and routes or go on a guided excursion. Also, while you are here, try their smoke sauna followed by a dip in the Kiilopuro River (especially in winter). It is recommended as one of the five must-experience saunas in Finland due to the scenic landscape that surrounds it.

  • The Hostel Ahopää (Kiilopää) building
    The Hostel Ahopää (Kiilopää) building
  • Dorm room in Hostel Cafe Koti (Rovaniemi)
    Dorm room in Hostel Cafe Koti (Rovaniemi)

For more pictures from these hostel cities, visit my Instagram or 500px.com page.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. The content is based on my personal experiences in staying in these hostels, although not on a single trip.

A border town with two castles: Narva-Ivangorod

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Herman Castle

Have you ever visited a place where castles/fortresses from opposing groups face each other? If not yet, then you might want to add Narva to your bucket list. Narva is a town along the Estonian border with Russia. Geographically, it is the easternmost town of Estonia. The Narva River separates the two countries here before draining into the Baltic Sea. On either side of the river are two impressive buildings — the Narva Castle and the Ivangorod Fortress. The Narva Castle or the Hermann Castle was established in the 13th century when the area was part of the Danish Realm. On the other hand, the Ivangorod Fortress was established in the 15th century by the then Grand Prince of Moscow Ivan III. However, archaeological findings indicate that the earliest settlement in this area was in the 5th to 4th millennium BC. Today, Narva is the third largest city in Estonia after Tallinn and Tartu. Narva is connected to Ivangorod in Russia through a ‘Friendship Bridge’ making it possible to visit the two historic buildings in one trip, provided you have the necessary documents and the borders are open.

How to reach Narva?

Narva lies on the European route E20 that connects Shannon Airport in Ireland to Saint Petersburg in Russia. From Tallinn, the Estonian capital, Narva is 216 km towards the east and is connected by both busses and trains. The buses, which ply more frequently than trains, take about three hours while the latter takes a half hour less. Tickets can be booked on the T-pilet and Elron websites for the buses and trains respectively.

What to do in Narva?

Visit the Herman Castle: The obvious thing that you would do if you are drawn to this town is to visit the castle which is currently a museum and presents the detailed history of this area. My favourite part was the audio-visual presentation of how the earliest settlements came to be in this place and how the place developed to be the town we know today. You can also climb up the castle tower to have a look at the Ivangorod Fortress on the other side of the river.

Walk along the Narva River: The Narva Riverfront offers the best places to put the two castles in a single frame. The promenade, which is in the immediate vicinity of the international border, stretches between the Narva Harbour in the north and the Narva Joaoru recreational area in the south. The northern stretch of the promenade is overlooked by the walls of the Bastion Victoria on the Estonian side while the southern stretch follows the walls of the Ivangorod fortress on the other side of the river. It is along this stretch where you can find the remains of the oldest known fortified settlement in Estonia dating back to 1000 BC.

Explore the Narva Bastions: The 17th-century Narva fortifications consisted of seven bastions that protected it from enemy attacks. When I visited, only six of them were preserved and could be visited. Of these, the Victoria Bastion was the most powerful one with a 16-metre-high front wall facing the river. It is today possible to explore the interiors of the Victoria Bastion on guided tours but must be pre-reserved during the off-season. An unlikely attraction that you might encounter inside is the bats. These local bats including some rare species call the bastion casements their home, especially during the winter months. The top of this Victoria Bastion and the nearby Pax Bastion has been converted into a public park and is accessible at all times.

Where to eat?

I would like to specifically mention two places that I visited during my trip. The first one is Ravintola Petchki-Lavotchki at the Fama Keskus which serves traditional Russian food. I had seen some recommendations for this restaurant on the internet but it was the interestingly decorated exterior that attracted me inside. If I can recall correctly, I tried stroganoff for the first time here and it definitely did not disappoint. The other was a cosy cafe called Bublik. Cafe Bublik is recommended for its pastries and mouth-watering dumplings. Here, I tried Pelmini and would recommend you too. If you haven’t heard the name before, it is a meat-stuffed dumpling of Russian origin and is often regarded as the ‘heart of Russian cuisine’.

Bonus:

Rakvere castle: If you happen to be visiting Narva from Tallinn or heading towards it, you could potentially make a stopover at Rakvere midway and visit another medieval castle. The Rakvere Castle is ideally a small theme park representing everyday life in the 16th century. Among other things, here you can explore a medieval torture chamber, a death room and even hell.

  • Herman Castle
    View of Herman Castle from Bastion Pax. In the background is Alexander Lutheran Church.
  • Ivangorod Fortress
    Ivangorod Fortress as seen from Herman Castle.
  • Friendship bridge as seen from Pax Bastion
    Friendship bridge as seen from Pax Bastion
  • The view of the castles from Narva Joaoru
    The view of the castles from Narva Joaoru
  • Narva art museum
    Narva art museum
  • Narva town hall
    Narva town hall
  • Rakvere castle
    Rakvere castle
  • Rakvere castle
    Rakvere castle courtyard

For more pictures, visit my page on 500px.com or Instagram.

Disclaimer: This post is based on my weekend trip to Narva in November 2023.

Šiauliai — a day trip from RIX

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Hill of Crosses

This is one of the day trips that is made possible due to the free travel agreement within the Schengen area. A day trip that takes you across the border. From Latvia to Lithuania. From Riga to Šiauliai. Šiauliai is located in the northern part of Lithuania and is about 220 km from the capital city of Vilnius. It is the fourth-largest city in the country and the sixth-largest in the Baltic states. While the Vilnius-Trakai-Kaunas axis might be the most popular tourist destination in Lithuania, Šiauliai has found a place due to a unique attraction just outside of the city called the Hill of Crosses. It is located on the highway from Šiauliai to Riga making it closer to Riga than Vilnius. In addition, it was the timing of the available public transport that made it feasible to visit the Hill of Crosses from Riga during my 20-hour stop-over at RIX (Riga International Airport) while flying with Air Baltic.

What is the Hill of Crosses?

The history of the Hill of Crosses is believed to date back to the Polish–Russian War of 1830-31 although its first mention could only be traced back to writings from 1850. The first cross was supposedly placed at what was earlier the Domantai hill fort by the relatives of the victims of the rebellion. The number of crosses is understood to have increased further during another rebellion in 1863. Over the next few decades, the site became a symbol of the peaceful endurance of the Lithuanian people. This was however seen as a sign of resistance against the totalitarian government for the years following the Second World War when Lithuania was under Soviet occupation. During this period, the crosses at the hill were destroyed several times in an attempt to suppress any uprisings. When Lithuania finally regained its independence in 1990 and following the visit of the Pope in 1993, the place became a world phenomenon and the number of crosses exploded. Today there are an estimated more than 100,000 crosses on the hill with more being added every day and some withering with time.

How to visit the Hill of Crosses?

As mentioned earlier, the Hill of Crosses is located along the European route E77 in the direction of Riga from Šiauliai. From Šiauliai, you can take the bus that goes towards Joniškis and get down at Domantai bus stop. The Hill of Crosses Information Centre is 1.5 km from the bus stop. The bus runs at roughly one-hour intervals with possibly fewer trips on weekends. You can check the updated schedule on the autobusubilietai.lt website. It is possible to purchase tickets for some trips online while for others you will have to buy them from the driver with cash only. It is also possible to cycle from the city to the Hill of Crosses. There is a separate cycle and pedestrian route to the Domantai bus stop. City bikes can be rented from the Šiauliai Tourism Information Center located at the Šiauliai Boulevard.

The best and cheapest way to reach Šiauliai from Riga would be to use the FlixBus. There are usually a couple of departures every day and takes about two and a half hours. I took the one that left Riga Airport at 12:10 and returned from Šiauliai on the 21:40 departure. An alternate way to reach Šiauliai from Riga is on the LTG Link train service. However, there is seemingly only one service per day and is an expensive option. The train can be a better option if you are visiting Šiauliai from Vilnius as it takes about an hour less compared to the bus which takes about three and a half hours. The schedules for the trains and busses are available on the LTG Link and autobusubilietai.lt websites respectively.

A note of caution. If you are required to cross your border during your trip, it might be a good idea to carry your passport or other identification documents as there might be a random check.

What to do in Šiauliai?

I visited Šiauliai on a Saturday and had a few odd hours between 18:00 and 21:30 to explore the city exclusively. This, as you might guess, is not the best time to go sightseeing in a small city. Yet there are two things I could suggest doing to spend the hours before hopping on the bus to Riga.

Walk along the boulevard: The website of the Šiauliai Tourism Information Center mentions Šiauliai as the third city in Europe after Rotterdam and Erfurt to reclaim a part of street from the vehicles and turn it into a pedestrian boulevard. A short walk from the bus station, this is the part of the town where you would expect to see most people on a weekend. The nearly 1.2 km stretch of the Šiauliai Vilniaus Street, built in the 18th century, is today a place of leisure, recreation, entertainment and trade. The street has several cosy cafes and restaurants to explore.

Eat traditional Lithuanian food: Straight up I would like to recommend Restaurant Žemaitis if you are looking to try traditional Lithuanian food. This was one of the few places that was recommended to me by Google search and was open during my visit. If I had to rate it, I would give it 10/10 on all three aspects — food, atmosphere and service. I tried their soup kharcho and apkepti cepelinai. Cepelinai is regarded as the national dish of Lithuania. It is a grated or riced potato dumpling filled with ground meat and is served boiled or fried. Either way, it is a must-try when visiting Lithuania.

  • Hill of Crosses
    Hill of Crosses
  • Hill of Crosses
    Hill of Crosses
  • Hill of Crosses
    Hill of Crosses
  • Hill of Crosses
    Hill of Crosses

Check out more pictures from this trip on Instagram.

The only three places you need to visit in Copenhagen

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The colorful houses of Nyhavn

Nyhavn

This is the place from the classic picture of Copenhagen on Google search. The street with colourful buildings and canals and boats in it. Nyhavn is the Danish word for new harbour. The area dates back to the 17th century and was built as a gateway from the sea to the old inner city. Today, except for the sightseeing canal cruises no big ships enter this area. However, as a reminiscence of the old days, several historical wooden ships are harboured here. The other thing that adorns Nyhavn are its colourful buildings including one where the famous fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen lived. Most of these buildings now serve as restaurants and cafes spicing up the Copenhagen food scenes.

Reffen

Talking about Copenhagen food scenes would be incomplete without Reffen. Reffen is the largest street food market in Northern Europe. It is a true melting pot of world cuisine. The spices have literally turned the old shipping containers and warehouses into a delicious must-visit place in Copenhagen. While in summer, you would be naturally attracted to the waterside open sitting area, in winter you can still enjoy the tasty foods inside its newest indoor sitting hall. Reffen is easily reachable from Copenhagen Central Station by bus number 2A. My top pick here that I would recommend to others is shish kebabs from a Kurdish stall called Gosht. Apart from this, the momo from Everest, BBQ and Bao from Manila Street and parmesan fries from Quick Bites were also worth a try. These were just four of the several stalls that I could taste during that one afternoon while leaving the rest for another trip.

Freetown Christiana

Between Nyhavn and Reffen is a place quite unlike the rest of the city. The Freetown Christiana is an independent commune that was started by a group of anarchists and hippies by taking over an abandoned military base in 1971. The Christianshavners, as the residents of this area would call themselves, are guided by their own rules and flag. Though this ‘social experiment’ was legalised in 2011, it has always remained in controversy due to the growing crime in the area. The commune is one of the largest tourist attractions in the city partly owing to the creative architecture of the houses here and partly due to Pusher Street, an area infamous for its open trade of otherwise illegal cannabis. However, as of April 2024, Pusher Street has been closed by the actions of the residents in an attempt to bring down organised crime. While visiting Freetown Christiana, you can opt for a guided tour of this alternative society by one of its resident members or go about a self-exploration of the creative housing, workshops, and eco-restaurants in the area. Please refer to the Visit Copenhagen website for more details of the guided tours.

Bonus:

If you feel that you still have an appetite to explore more of Copenhagen, then here are another three sets of places that you could visit.

Bakken and Tivoli: Copenhagen boast of some of the oldest still operational amusement parks in the world. Bakken has been in operation since 1583 while Tivoli was founded in 1843. The Tivoli Gardens is located right next to the Copenhagen Central Railway Station while Bakken is about 15 km from the Tivoli and can be reached by the C route of S-trains. Bakken operates on a pay-per-ride ticket. On the other hand, you will also need to pay to enter the Tivoli Gardens besides the tickets for the rides. The main attraction of Bakken, as far as I could say, is the nearly 100-year-old wooden roller-coaster. Would you dare try it?

The Royal Triangle: Denmark is a constitutional monarchy and Copenhagen has been its capital since the early 15th century. Over its thousand years of history, it has grown from a small Viking fishing village to a modern metropolitan city of today. Traces of this long history are scattered around the city, especially in the form of its two palaces and a castle that I can call the Royal Triangle. The Rosenborg Castle built in the early 1600s as a pleasure castle is currently the home of Danish crown jewels. The 18th-century Amalienborg Palace is the official residence of the Danish royal family. The more recently constructed Christiansborg Palace is the seat of the Danish parliament. While each of these three places has a primary official function today, they also house a museum that tells the story of this historic city. Adjacent to the Amalienborg Palace is the iconic Marble Church whose blue dome is a distinct feature of the bird’s eye view of Copenhagen. If you are at the Amalienborg Palace at noon 12 o’clock you will be able to witness the changing of guards ceremony.

7-Eleven: I might have bragged about Reffen a bit too much here. I must admit that it is not just Reffen that has good food in Copenhagen. Even the humble 7-Eleven stores that can be found in every corner of the city have great baked delicacies to offer. During my stay, I tried a couple of different items from a couple of different 7-Eleven stores and each pick was a hit even though now I cannot recall the names of the things I ate. So if you are looking for a quick snack while exploring Copenhagen, head to your closest 7-Eleven store. (Note: this post is not sponsored by 7-Eleven!)

Pictures from my visit to Copenhagen are available on 500px.com and Instagram.

  • The colorful houses of Nyhavn
    The colorful houses of Nyhavn
  • Reffen
    Reffen
  • Gosht at Reffen
    Gosht at Reffen
  • Stalls in Reffen
    Stalls in Reffen
  • Colorful housing in Freetown Christiana
    Colorful housing in Freetown Christiana
  • Marble Church
    Marble Church
  • The Danish crown
    The Danish crown
  • Christiansborg Palace
    Christiansborg Palace

A solo trip to the Valley of Flowers

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Flowers along the VoF trek

To visit places within the Garhwal circuit, including the Chota Char Dham, Haridwar is the starting point. The Haridwar Jn. (HW) on the Delhi-Dehradun route has direct trains to major cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Madurai, etc. The Jolly Grant Airport, 44 km from the city provides air connectivity to the rest of the country. Ample bus services are also available from the neighbouring states — Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab — to reach Haridwar.

As I was based in Allahabad, I took the 14163 Sangam Link Express, the only daily train between the two stations. This is a bit slower train and one can also board the tri-weekly 14115 Prayag Ghat (PYG) – Haridwar (HW) Express. The scheduled arrival time for Sangam Express is 10:48 hours while for the PYG-HW Express is 14:15 hours. Taking either of these trains allows enough time to explore Haridwar before heading to the higher altitudes. Additionally, with Indian Railways being well known for their punctuality, the time can be kept as a buffer to avoid delay in further plans.

At Haridwar, hotels that fit all budgets can be easily found outside the railway station and they are also available online through MakeMyTrip, GoIbibo, etc. I had put up for the night at the IRCTC retiring room at the station compound. As per the rule, it has to be booked online and there are no provisions for offline booking (₹155/-).

Haridwar to Govindghat

Govindghat is 295 km from Haridwar on NH-58 to Badrinath. Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) and Garhwal Motors Owners Union (GMOU) Ltd. operate daily bus service on this route. Tickets for UTC buses can be obtained online (₹560/-) while for GMOU buses it has to be booked from their office near ISBT Haridwar in advance (₹460/-). An alternate option, in case no tickets are available, is to break the journey at Joshimath. UTC bus to Joshimath leaves Haridwar ISBT at 5:30 am. I took the GMOU bus that leaves at 2:30 am (₹400/-). After about 13 hours of journey on the mountainous roads, passing through the panch (five) Prayags — Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Nandprayag and Vishnuprayag — the bus dropped me at Joshimath at 3 pm. From Joshimath, bolero on a shared basis is available to reach Govindghat (₹50/-). As this place has better hotels than in Govindghat, people often prefer to spend the night here and then continue the next day early morning. However, staying at Govindghat can save some precious time and stress the next day. Govinghat has few decent hotels besides the grand Gurudwara where I stayed. It is the preferred stay for most pilgrims and solo travellers like me and is provided on a first come first serve basis.

Govindghat to Ghangaria

The hike to Ghagaria starts after crossing over to the left bank of Alaknanda. The initial 5 km to Pulna village has a motorable road and can be covered on TATA Sumo (₹40/-) available near Gurudwara. As there is limited parking at Pulna, it is advisable to leave your vehicle at the paid parking lot at Govindghat. From Pulna, the path is well built along the right bank of Lakshman Ganga that flows down from Hemkund and merges with Alaknanda at Govindghat. Horses and baskets can be hired from here if needed to avoid walking. The path to Bhyundar village is a mix of highs and lows and allows for a comfortable hike. After crossing over to the other side of Lakshman Ganga at Bhyundar, the hike is extremely steep and tiring. It took me about five and a half hours to cover the 9 km distance between Pulna and Ghangaria. An alternative to this tiring hike is a helicopter ride from Govindghat. The Ghangaria helipad is approximately 1 km before the village. For hikers, the same helipad offers a nice spot to relax before the final ascend. Between Pulna and Ghangaria there are several pit-stops where one can buy food and drinks. Provisions for toilets are also available. One thing that might be kept in mind during this trek is, that things get costlier as you go higher on the hills, often double or triple the MRP.

Ghangaria (10,003 ft) is the base camp to visit the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib. At Ghangaria, I stayed at the GMVNL tourist rest house dormitory (₹ 300/-). Hotels are also available here but no online booking facility. The Gurudwara also has accommodation for visitors. For food, numerous eateries are serving all varieties of taste. Recommendation: There is a man selling hot gulab jamun just after crossing the Gurudwara.

Valley of Flowers (VoF)

The VoF opens for tourists on the 1st of June and closes around October/November end every year. The time for the visit is 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. No one is allowed to stay/camp inside VoF as it falls under Nanda Devi National Park. At Ghangaria, start your day early to reach the checkpoint by 7:00 am. After getting out of Ghangaria, the road bifurcates into two — the way up straight to Hemkund Sahib and the one going left leads to VoF. Permission for entering VoF can be obtained from the checkpost on furnishing ID details and a fee of ₹ 150 per person. This permit is valid for three days.

From the checkpost to the starting point of VoF is 4 km. The path initially follows the left bank of the Pushpawati River for some time and then crosses over to the right, after which is a steep climb. However, the dense forest and the chirping birds have a soothing effect. This zone is a bird-lover paradise. After reaching a certain height, the forest clears up bringing into view the snow-clad peaks and the valley below. Two glaciers on the trek are particularly challenging and pump up the adrenaline.

The peak season for flowers to bloom is between mid-July and mid-August. This is also the time when tourists are plenty. When visited in June last week, there were very few flowers and fewer people. In fact, I only encountered 8-10 people on the trek. The months of May and June are high time for pilgrims visiting Hemkund Sahib.

There are three main points on this trek. The first point, nicknamed picnic spot is a sloping grassland, which is at the start of the valley. According to staff, most people on a casual visit return from this point. As you go further along the marked path, it divides into two. The second point — Grave of Joan Margaret Legge, is on the track that goes down from here. She was one of the first who came here to document the flowers of this valley. However, before her work was complete, she met with a tragic accident that took her life. Surprisingly, when I visited, this was the only spot with dense blooming flowers. The Pushpawati river bed is the last point on the trek I could reach. From here, the Tipra Khark glacier, the origin of the Pushpawati River can be seen. As there are no eateries within the national park, visitors are advised to carry their food for the almost 5-hour walk one way. However, I request everyone not to litter this pristine place and bring back everything you took in.

Hemkund Sahib

The 6 km path to Hemkund Sahib is steep throughout. However, unlike VoF, horses and baskets are allowed on this route and have eateries. In June, the final 2 km had thick layers of snow and the lake was mostly frozen.

Hemkund is a picturesque glacial lake surrounded by towering mountains. It is also the starting point of Lakshman Ganga. At 15,197 ft, the star-shaped Gurudwara is one of the highest in the world. It was at this place the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Govind Singh meditated in one of his earlier births. Though this place is known to be revered by Sikhs, it is also a place of religious importance for Hindus. A temple dedicated to Lakshman is located just beside the Gurudwara. He is believed to have regained his health by meditating on the serene banks of Hemkund.

Once the ice melts, a clear reflection of the gurudwara, temple, and surrounding mountains can be seen on the lake. Apart from offering prayers at the gurudwara and the temple, things to do include taking a dip in the frozen lake and tasting the hot khichdi langar.

Mana and Badrinath

Start your descent early from Ghangaria. If you are planning a return to Haridwar on the same day, you have to be at the Govindghat bus stand by 7:00 am. Still, there would be no surety of getting a seat in the packed buses that come from Badrinath. I took it a bit easy. Started my descent at 6:00 am from Ghangaria and reached Govindghat by 9:30 am. I was again in the clutches of my mobile phone. Forgot to mention before, that only a patchy (in fact no) network of BSNL is available beyond Govindghat. For three days, I was totally out of contact but it felt amazing.

Heading to Badrinath might be trivial. Limited public transport ply on this route and often they come full from Joshimath. Taxi (TATA Sumo/Alto) can be hired or if sufficient passengers are available an arrangement on a sharing basis can be made. After waiting for some time, I got a Sumo that was headed to Mana (₹ 130/-). Mana is 50 km from Govindghat and takes two hours to cover the steep roads with sharp hairpin bends.

Mana is the last Indian village on this side. The China border is 25 km from here. Apart from this, Mana has its own place in Hindu mythology. Mahabharat is said to have been written here. Cave temples dedicated to Ved Vyas and Ganesh are important attractions here. A rock bridge known as Bheem pul is said to have been built by Bheem on their way to Swarg or heaven. 5 km from Mana is Vasundhara Falls, another crowd puller to the village and another hike.

Mana is 3 km from Badrinath. The beautiful landscape literally compelled me to walk on the empty roads with my heavy backpack enjoying the view. The first thing I did on reaching the Badrinath bus stand was to secure a seat in Haridwar for the next day. At Badrinath, I stayed at the GMVNL Yatri Niwas dorm (₹ 300/-) and the evening was spent visiting the Badrinath temple and the nearby markets.

Return journey

The GMOU buses leave for Haridwar early at 5:30 am. With pit stops at Pipalkot for breakfast, near Devprayag for lunch and coping through a tyre burst, I reached Haridwar at around 6:00 pm. Next up was another challenge on how to reach Allahabad or at least Lucknow. With calculated risk, I booked a waiting list ticked on 12370 Howrah SF Express till Lucknow. On chart preparation, my WL133 luckily got converted into RAC. The next morning I was on time at Lucknow and by noon back to the 40°C of Allahabad.

This post is based on my trip to the Bhyundar Valley in June 2019. More pictures from this trip are on my Instagram profile. Do give them a visit.

  • Haridwar
  • Ganga aarti at Haridwar
  • VoF trek
  • On way to Ghangaria
  • The route map
  • VoF trek
  • VoF trek
  • VoF trek
  • VoF trek
  • VoF trek
  • Flowers along the VoF trek
    Flowers along the VoF trek
  • Pushpawati river bed
    Pushpawati river bed
  • Hike to Hemkund Sahib
    Hike to Hemkund Sahib
  • Hemkund Sahib
    Hemkund Sahib
  • Hemkund Sahib
    Hemkund Sahib
  • Hemkund Sahib
    Hemkund Sahib
  • Restaurants at Mana
    Restaurants at Mana
  • Badrinath temple
    Badrinath temple

Siddhnath Ki Dari – A weekend getaway from Varanasi/Allahabad

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Siddhnath ki Dari, a waterfall with a plunge of about 100 ft. is one of the scenic waterfalls on the Vindhya range. It is named after Siddhinath Baba who is supposed to have used this serene place for meditation. The waterfall is located in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh, about 20 km from Chunar. The falls can be accessed easily by road from both Varanasi (30 km) and Allahabad (120 km). Alternatively, one can also take a train up to Chunar Jn. or Mirzapur railway station, both of which lie on the Delhi-Howrah main line. Compared to Chunar Jn., Mirzapur railway station has more train stoppages. From Mirzapur to Chunar one can take an auto or bus (33 km, ₹30/-) and then from Chunar continue by bus till the falls (20 km, ₹25/-).

The best time to visit the waterfall is during monsoon when there is a high volume of water gushing down. However, it is advised to keep a safe distance to prevent any untoward incidents. Being popular among local tourists, this place often remains crowded on weekends and holidays. There is ample parking (paid) space for vehicles near the waterfall. Small stalls have sprouted up in the otherwise deserted area selling foodstuff. For adventure-seeking tourists, the area near the waterfall has some small hiking trails. The rock where Siddhinath Baba meditated is now a small temple across the river. One can take a walk along the rocky stairs beside this to reach below the falls.

Apart from Siddhnath ki Dari, there are several other waterfalls, forts and caves that are worth visiting if you are in this area. Chunar Fort, just 3 km from Chunar Jn. can be a short pit stop on the way. It offers a wonderful view of the river Ganga taking a swift turn. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to be here. The fort is currently under UP police and only a part is open to the public. It remains open from morning 7 am till Sunset.

If you are using Mirzapur for transit and Maa Vidhyasini temple in Vindhyachal, 10 km from Mirzapur may be of interest. Raj Dari, Deo Dari, Wyndham Falls, Salkhan Fossil Park, Panchmukhi caves, Kauva Khoh, Vijaigarh fort and Shakteshgarh fort are all nearby. Details on these places will be published once I manage to visit them. Till then please check out the links below for more information.

Additional reads:

  • Siddhnath Ki Dari
  • Siddhnath Ki Dari
  • Siddhnath Ki Dari

Walking through the temples of Khajuraho

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The 19th to 22nd of October was a long Diwali weekend. I was by then well settled in Allahabad and was eagerly waiting to make a trip to the 17th Indian state on my list — Madhya Pradesh. I planned this two-day trip to Khajuraho.

Since no direct trains were available on the 19th I got a current reservation ticket to Mahoba aboard the 11108 Bundelkhand Express. The train was scheduled to arrive at 10 pm but was an hour behind in Allahabad. I reached Mahoba at around 4 am the next morning. From Mahoba I continued my journey on 22448 UP Sampark Kranti Express. The slip route from Mahoba to Khajuraho takes one across the beautiful Bundelkhand plateau. I reached Khajuraho station at around 7 am. I hopped onto a shared auto that would drop me near the Western group of temples 10 km away(auto fare is usually rupees 10 per person for a shared ride).

Khajuraho is located in the Bundelkhand region of the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The town is situated within a picturesque backdrop of the Vindhya Mountain Range and is surrounded by the Khodar River in the south and the Ken River in the northeast.

As of today, Khajuraho is well known for its ancient temples and erotic sculptures. Set within a dense forest of palm the group of temples were discovered by a British army engineer in 1830. Originally said to be 85 in total, only 22 have survived time. These temples were built between the 10th and 12th Centuries by the Chandela dynasty. The temples are dedicated to Hinduism and Jainism and have been divided into three groups: Western group, Eastern group and Southern group of temples. They are a part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

The western group of temples is the centre of all activities for tourists visiting Khajuraho. I got settled in a hotel at walking distance from the temple. Booking via GoIbibo gave me an instant discount of around 50% — a win-win situation.

It was almost 10 am when I set out to explore the town. Since it was Diwali people from nearby Villages had come in large to celebrate. They held amazing folk dances songs and acrobatic performances on the street. To be mentioned here the roads near the Western group of temples are a traffic-restricted Zone. Click here to see the video of the street performances that I shot there.

My first destination on the list was Matangeswar Mahadev Temple. Contrary to most temples here, this is still a living place of worship. The temple is a part of the Western group of temples but is outside the enclosed area. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has an 8-foot-high lingam; the highest I have seen to date.

From here I went into the enclosed area of the Western Group of Temples. This is a ticketed premise maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. There are eight temples within the complex spread over a well-maintained lawn. A guided path takes one to each of these temples. The first temple I encountered going through the left was the Varaha Temple dedicated to the Boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The body of the Boar statue is sculpted with numerous small figures. The Lakshmana temple is dedicated to the four-headed aspect of Lord Vishnu — Vaikuntha Chaturmurti. The Kandaria Mahadev Temple is the largest and the most ornate among the temples here. The chief deity of the temple is Shiva. On the same platform as Kandaria Mahadev Temple is the Devi Jagdambi Temple. Similar in architecture to the Devi Jagdambi Temple, Chitragupt Temple is dedicated to the Sun God — Surya. The next temple is dedicated to Shiva who is also known as Lord Vishwanath or “Lord of the Universe”. Facing the temple is Nandi Mandap with an idol of the Bull Nandi.

It was late afternoon when I completed the tour of the Western Group of Temples. Next, I headed to the State Museum of Tribal and Folk Art located around a kilometer from the Western Group of Temples. This place has a fine collection of tribal and folk arts and artefacts from across the state. A very few number of tourists are aware of and visit this place.

Light and Sound show is organised every evening on the lawns of the Western Group of Temples. The show takes one back to the times of the Chandela kings when the temples were first constructed. Spoiler alert: The voice-over has been done by the legend with the legendary voice Amitabh Bachan.

Later that night before settling down I went to have dinner at one of the popular restaurants in the town of Marwadi Bhojanalaya. The place, located near Shivsagar Lake is frequented mostly by tourists looking for some authentic Indian food.

The next day the turn was to visit the remaining temples. Though it is advised to take an auto or two-wheeler; I decided to the contrary and find my walk through these temples. I checked out of the hotel by 8 am and headed towards Chausath Yogini temple located behind the Shivsagar lake. This is among one of the oldest temples in Khajuraho and is dedicated to the 64 yoginis or the manifestation of the Mother Goddess Shakti. Set in an open courtyard the temple is composed of 64 small temples that are said to once contain idols of the 64 yoginis. As told by a watchman, due to the neglect over the years to the temple the idols relocated to Bhedaghat in the current Jabalpur district along the bank of river Narmada.

After this, I headed east towards the Brahma temple, a walk of 2 km from Chausath Yogini temple along the Jain Mandir road. This is a relatively small temple with minimum decoration and houses a four-faced lingam hence the name.

Around 400 m northward are the Vamana and Javari temples. Both Vamana and Javari Temples are dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Vamana Temple houses the Vamana avatar of the Lord.

From Javari temple making way through small alleys, I reached next to Ghantai temple which is a ruined Jain Temple dedicated to the Jain spiritual teacher Adinath.

The main cluster of the Jain group of temples formed by the Parsavanatha Temple, Adinatha Temple and Shantinatha Temple is another 500 m towards the east. The Parsavanatha Temple is dedicated to Parsavanatha. The entrance to this temple has an inscription of the most perfect magic square. As like the Ghantai Temple, this temple is also dedicated to the Jain spiritual teacher Adinath. The Shantinatha Temple is dedicated to Shantinath, another spiritual teacher in Jainism.

Dulhadeo Temple, the first in the list of Southern Group is around 1 km south on the banks of Khudar River.

Continuing along the road further south to the village of Jatkara where asking any local will guide you towards a farmland across which the Beeja Mandal Temple ruins stand.

From here facing south I could see Charturbhuj Temple, the last in my itinerary. The watchman there guided me a shortcut through the field track to the temple.

So my walk through the temples ended near sunset. I walked a bit more to reach Bamitha Road near the airport. My return journey started with an auto to Bamitha, then by bus to Satna and a final over-crowded general coach train ride to Allahabad.

For more pictures from my trip to Khajuraho, visit my Instagram profile and follow the hashtag #ag1805x_in_Khajuraho. The story was also published on Tripoto.

  • Entering the UNESCO World Heritage site
  • Matangeswar Mahadev Temple
  • Art at the Western Group of Temples
  • Art at the Western Group of Temples
  • Western Group of Temples
  • The white camel
  • Western Group of Temples
  • Chausath Yogini Temple
  • Ghantai Temple
  • Ruins of Beeja Mandal Temple