Travel Guide | CSTCTD.org

A country surrounded by the towering Himalayas in the midst of forests on one side and snow capped peaks on the other with breath taking sunsets and sunrises. An artist’s delight and a visitor’s paradise, this small town is dotted with Hindu and Buddhist temples. Katmandu is the capitol of the mountain kingdom of Nepal.

Visitors to this valley can get a glimpse of the olden world of the monarchs and the rulers who lived in large mansions called bhavans and were attended on by a retinue of servants. This is still so in many households in Katmandu, who are descendants of the royalty. The opulence of their life style is to be seen to be believed.

The town has many interesting spots to visit and the temples and Buddhist monasteries are worth visiting. Spin the prayer wheels as you walk along and you will be on another plain in your thoughts, mingling spirituality with your vacation. Katmandu has many artifacts made by the Nepali people in brass and bronze and embedded with semi precious stones. Step into the by lanes of Patan and you will be dazzled by the shops here.

Katmandu has many activities to keep you occupied during your holiday with the many casinos that have sprung up and are doing roaring business. A daredevil’s experience would be to go down the river in you dinghy. This apart you can travel to all the smaller towns of Nepal and get closer to the mountain peaks. While flying into this valley you can see the complete Himalayan range which is orange during sunset and dazzling white at noon.

You can get into Kathmandu by air from any of the major airports in India like New Delhi, Patna and Kolkata. Going by road takes a long time and the mountain passes could prove to be not too safe. However, one could reach the foot hills by train or road and then go into the valley.

Bangalore is the capital of the state of Karnataka which is in southern India. A high tech city which is growing at a fast pace, Bangalore still retains its charm with its numerous parks and gardens. A pleasant weather all through the year makes it easy for people from all over the world to acclimatize themselves to. This multi lingual, multi cuisine town has become home for people from all over the country and also for many foreigners.

The numerous cultural activities that Bangalore has become home to because of the settlers from other states and cities, gives it a cosmopolitan air. Visitors to this town can catch a glimpse of many cultures of India. There is much to do and see for persons with varied interests. Those who are interested in historical monuments can visit the neighboring towns where there are palaces and temples which would take one’s breath away with the carvings that are unique and cannot be found in any other part of the world. Belur, Halebidu and Hampi, the monuments in Mysore, Tupu Sultan’s palace in Srirangapatnam, to name just a few of these wonderful sites!

Wild life sanctuaries are not too far from Bangalore and there are tourist buses running every day on these routes that take the people out for site seeing on one day trips and also slightly longer excursions. The visitor can take pictures; buy postcards and shop to their hearts content. They can sample the local delicacies and see the village sites while they travel by the bus. For the more adventurous there are rock climbing expeditions which they could participate in.

For those who are interested in artifacts and silks this is a town that has a lot to offer. The emporiums are filled with exquisite mementos to take back with you and the silks are what no one can resist. Night life is something that the visitor can have in small doses as it is available only in the exclusive hotels and restaurants.

Bangalore can be reached by air, road and train. Hotels of various categories cater to every class and this is truly a must visit once in a life time place.