The most awaited trip, we were planning from last year, was finally going to happen, we were five, May was a month, and we were all girls, it’s itself is an adventure, oh really?
“Pack your bags with full of energy and keep your comfort zone in the side pocket”.
The sequence was pilgrim-adventure-peace-hills, so pack and dress accordingly.
We started our journey from Ahmadabad, Gujarat, to Delhi Via train.
From Delhi, we took a car, which was pre-booked for our whole trip.
If you have a group, hiring a personal vehicle is the best way to save time and enjoy hilly roads with the music of your own choice.
“O Janu” song made our journey more fun, we kept chanting in different tones “o Janu o Jaun ooo Janu”.
We started around 12:00 am from Delhi and reached Haridwar around 4:30 pm. We checked into the hotel, freshened up and checked into “Har ki Pauri”.
HarKiPauri #GangaAarti #Haridwar
River Ganga was flowing in her own way, fully surrounded by a crowd. The water was frosty, and the sound of temple bells added grace to the ambience.
The whole surrounding was devotional, people came from everywhere, and sadhu-saints were in their own swag.
Everyone was holding earthen lamps (Diyas) in their hands and worshipping Ganga from all four directions. The ripples of the Ganga were mesmerising.
After Aarti, people floated earthen lamps in the Ganga, making their wishes along, what a view it was. A long river, full of lightning lamps carrying the faith of people along.
After that, we visited the local market near “Har ki Pauri” and took a taste of some Garma-Garam chaat, Kachori, and of course chai from street shops. We also bought the shell from there, which I am still trying to play, my bad.
High Tides and beginner sailors
The very next morning, we were all charged up for our adventure, #riverRafting
“Rishikesh jakar bungee jumping and river rafting nahi ki to kuch nahi kia”, quoted by one of my friends, and I totally agree.
We reached Rishikesh around 9 o’clock in the morning,
We all got ready for river rafting, wearing helmets, life jackets, and a sail.
- It costs you around 250/- per person, bargains exist
- They took a bunch of 10 in one boat.
- You can shoot your video for around 1000 rs, but it’s ok if you don’t want to shoot anything exciting in that, but video for bungee jumping “A big Yes”.
- A guide will instruct you on how to sail with some tips and tricks.
- You can carry phones, cameras, and cash with you, they will keep it in the waterproof bag and will return you at the end obviously.
Now, just imagine the moment when a boat full of beginner sailors in frozen Ganga is ready to chase adventure, fighting with high and low tides.
If you want to enjoy river rafting, put some effort into the sailing boat so you’ll have more fun and a real feel.
We passed from low and high tides. Sometimes our boat was really under the water, and a guide was shouting to sail hard amazing experience.
And the best part was yet to come when one very high tide came and we all sailed the boat very hard, and it really felt like you were in some adventure, and it’s a Do or Die situation.
Unforgotten Jump
River rafting is one part, and jumping into the Ganga is another. While your boat is exactly in the middle of the Ganga, you will tie a rope, and nothing is going to happen to you, but still, fear is in the air.
When the guide instructed us to jump, and without much ado, we just jumped. If you know how to swim, it will just add an advantage.
It was so adventurous, the water was freezing, but still, we didn’t want to come out of it.
After river rafting, we enjoyed some selfies in the raft pose.
We had lunch here, the place is quite cool, the ambience is like old school – full of creativity, an old phone, and a garden.
carom and other indoor games. The food was homely, and the hospitality was satisfying.
Tents stay at Rishikesh
Quick tips:
- Enjoy tents instead of luxury hotels.
- Pre-book your tents to get on a budget and near from city.
- Carry booze with you otherwise, it’s costly or may not be available in the campsite area, you’ll miss it hard when you enter in camp ambience.
way to the campsite
Staying in tents was best, first of all, you need to walk around 2 to 3 km to reach the camps downstairs, and if your luggage is heavy, you can hire horses.
When we reached, it was around 5 o’clock, the camp’s host warmly welcomed us, which is mostly run by local people, served delicious food, even the lunchtime had already passed, all camps were set up near the bank of the Ganga, surrounded by many trees, including ripe mangoes.
We did some activities in Ganga, ultimately, we again jumped into Ganga. After that, it’s totally your time, where I can say “Trip is a food for thought”, you can enjoy your beer with peace, and you’ll feel relaxed already.
You can also enjoy volleyball and a campfire set up in camp.
A tent shared by two, we enjoy a night, cool breeze, river, pin-drop silent, peace and relaxation.
You can spend two days there if you have the margin.
The very next morning, we were all ready for the most awaited thrill, yeah, “Bungee Jumping”
Thrill in the air
Quick tips:
- There are two or three centres for Bungee Jumping, we go with “Jumpin Heights”, one of the best.
- It costs you a fixed 3500/- per person and 750/- for video, 100/- for registration.
- You can take a ticket directly from there.
- Better to reach early morning to avoid a rush and to face the thrill in the morning, anyway, you are going to die, just kidding.
- There are also some other activities, but Bungee jumping is incomparable.
We reached around 9 o’clock at Jumpin heights, our ticket was pre-booked and I was the first girl for that day, they will tie you with belts around your waist and foot, meanwhile looking the expression of your face they will try to crack some jokes which will no way to reduce your fucking thrill.
You just need to have guts, and they will take you to the position from where you’ll jump. They will give you three chances to jump. If you fail, you lose, no refund.
But if you have guts, you’ll jump in the very first time, and that will be awesome. I did the same.
When I was standing at the edge of a bridge, I was really wondering what I was doing here, was it really important, and mixed feelings in my mind. He will suggest to you the way to jump, either you can dive or free fall and then he will say “Bungee”. I go with the free fall.
Oh my god. What an unexplained moment, just awesome, for that moment when you just leaned your body somewhere, it will be like “Gae ab to”.
I have just leaned my body down, and you will feel a slight jerk when you are hanged by a rope. All fear will go and now just enjoy your free-moving body hanging somewhere between in hills, yeah that’s it, bungee jumping done.
After some swings, two people standing down will hold you with the help of a bamboo and will lie you down, will remove all your ropes and give you a badge saying “You’ve got guts”, yeah, that was really a proud moment, now enjoy others’ fear.
Use that badge to take a selfie and pose. Check out the video here.
Yes, I’ve got guts
That was a really thrilling experience, and I want to feel that again. Everyone should go with this once in a lifetime, it was like” Maine maut ko bahut karib se mehsus kia hai”. lol!
We moved to our next destination, Dehradun, we booked a very pause hotel there because tonight was my birthday. We didn’t get time to explore Dehradun due to heavy rains but but but we celebrated my B’day very awesomely with wine, cakes, surprises, gifts, and balloons.
The very next morning, we reached Massourie. The view was awesome, the breeze was chilly, but we did enjoy on way, stopped our car at a good place and took some good pictures, I cut my cake on the way.
- Keep some woollen clothes at least for the night
- Enjoy the Mall Road market and try “The Tavern”
I celebrated my birthday there.
Our driver suggested that instead of checking into a hotel and going to the falls first, you could rent clothes for rent and also change rooms for 20 to 40 rs.
The lake was awesome, it feels like you are on the island, there are so many artificial swimming pools as well, I suggest not going with that and enjoy the natural one.
When we reached, there was a heavy rush and you found every kind of people, so just ignore them and enjoy the killer chilly lake and waterfall.
In return, we visited the company garden, and while entering that garden, there was a paratha wala, who offered hot parathas of different stuffing, good taste, and at cheap rates.
The company garden was the same as you must have seen before, but there is a wax museum you can visit as well and you can bargain the entry fee for the museum.
In return for our hotel, we visited a temple, a Jain temple, very famous for making your wishes come true,
The view from there is very nice and so peaceful.
We checked into the hotel around 6 pm.
And after a freshen-up, we went to the market. All shops are settled in a hilly area, you can shop and eat at street shops, the weather at night was very cool, and we checked into The Tavern, where I treated my friend for my birthday party.
We eat, we shop, we laugh.
The very next day, we returned to Delhi, and in the afternoon, around 3 pm, we caught a train from Delhi station