Get The Ecstasy Feelings While Paragliding At Gangtok

PARAGLIDING IN GANGTOK

Paragliding in Gangtok is becoming an increasingly popular adventure sports. And why not. Who would not love to see the magnificent Himalayan range and the snow peaks from the sky as you fly like a bird and the look below to see the stunning mountain landscape of Sikkim and Gangtok. 

Actually there is no experience or training required to enjoy paragliding in Gangtok. Because the operators here offer Tandem Flights. Which means that an experienced and certified pillot will accompany you. Both pilot and the passenger sit safely and comfortably in harness which is attached to the paraglider. The pilot takes care of the entire flight and its navigation. So after an easy take off, you will only enjoy the flight with breathtaking views. 

  

However you should be physically fit and within normal weight limits (90 kgs). While the pilot does the bulk of the job, you will need to participate in take off and landing. So wear sneakers, jeans/trousers etc. 

Paragliding location and flights in Gangtok 

There are two types of paragliding flights you can enjoy and both are offered with Tandem Flights which means there will be a certified pilot with you. 

The first type of Paragliding flight is known as Medium Fly. As the name suggests, you will fly at a medium altitude of about 1300 - 1400 meters and will get a lovely aerial view of Gangtok township as well as that of Himalayan snow peaks. The take off location for Medium Fly Paragliding is at Baliman Dara near Gangtok. The flying time is 5-10 minutes. Landing takes place at a stadium field at Reshithang Sports Village. 

The second type of paragliding flight is High Fly where you will fly at a higher altitude. The take off location is at Bulbuley Dara further up from Reshithang village in Ranka (near Gangtok). The take off location altitude is 2,200 meters. 

The landing zone (the stadium field) is at an altitude of 1,150 meters, about 4kms from the take off point. Among amazing views of the mountains, you will also see Taktse International School at Pangthang, Bojoghari village and Tashi View Point. The total flying time in high fly is 20-30 minutes. 

Note that Baliman Dara and Bulbuley Dara are the only two certified paragliding take off locations in east Sikkim (both are near Gangtok). 

Indicative Rates 

Medium fly: Rs. 2,500/- per person. 

High Fly: Rs. 4,500/- per person. 

You should make advance booking. The operators can arrange hotel pickup and drop at additional cost. It can take up to 2 hours for the entire paragliding trip including flying time and ground movements.  

Paragliding Operators in Gangtok 

There are several of them. Here are the most well known ones: 

1) Sikkim Paragliding Adventure Sports Cooperative Society Ltd. 

They started paragliding operation in 2010. They have all Sikkimese pilots who have been trained by the Sikkim Government. The operator is affiliated with Paragliding Association of India (PAI) and is the state representative of PAI in Sikkim. Other than usual tandem flights, they also offer Paraliding tours for visiting experienced paragliding pilots and also para trekking expeditions to explore and discover Sikkim from the sky. 

Booking Office: 

Reshithang Sport Village, Ranka 

Near Banjhakri Water Fall (about 100 meters ahead) 

Phone: 03592 - 649053, Mobile: +91 9547116119 

Email: fly@sikkimparagliding.org 

Head Office: 

Kazi Road, Gangtok 

Mobile: +91 9547116119; Email: fly@sikkimparagliding.org 

2) Fly Sikkim Adventure 

They are the first Paragliding operator in Sikkim and have certified pilots trained from Paragliding Association of India. 

Booking Office: 

Reshithang Sport Village, Ranka 

Located next to Sikkim Paragliding Adventure Sports Cooperative Society 

Phone:  +91 9197207767 (O),+91 98515 88593, +91 97350 17094 

Email: flysikkimadventure@gmail.com 

Kalimpong Hill Station - It Is Very Well-Known For Its Wide Range Of Exotic Vegetation, Orchids And Cactus.

KALIMPONG HILL STATION

AT

WEST BENGAL

Situated on the lower ranges of the Himalayas, Kalimpong offers panoramic vistas of the Teesta Rangit Valley in Sikkim. Kalimpong is situated on the northern edge of West Bengal in East India. It is about 53 km from the hill station of Darjeeling.

Kalimpong is located at an altitude of 4,100ft. Because of its relatively lower altitude compared to Darjeeling or Gangtok, the weather is milder and pleasant for most part of the year. And therefore it suits all tourists who are looking for such pleasant weather combined with magnificent views of Kanchenjunga and other Himalayan snow peaks, sweeping landscapes and lush greenery. 

Numerous view points to get lovely sight of the Kanchenjunga snow peaks, monasteries, temples, tourist complexes, heritage buildings, parks, flower nurseries, heritage schools, charitable institutes and more. 

There are standard local packaged tours available. Take a taxi from the market stand and get set for local sightseeing tours. You can plan east Kalimpong in about 4 hours and west Kalimpong in another 4 hours. On other days make day trips to some lovely places like Lava, Loleygaon and Pedong, enjoy the drive and see the attractions & view points around those places. 

Kalimpong offers a wide range of accommodations. There are several heritage hotels and lodges, all inclusive tourist complexes, luxury hotels & resorts, as well as budget hotels, homestays and guesthouses.

The above link would give a glimpse and my reviews of a select set of such hotels. However use the search box below to find all the good hotels in Kalimpong. You can then sort the list by price, property type etc, go through the amenities, guest reviews & scores and book a hotel at attractive low rate. This service is provided by World's no.1 online hotel booking site.

By Air

The nearest airport is Bagdogra near Siliguri, The taxi fare from the airport to Kalimpong is about Rs 1,500. This airport is connected to Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati. International travelers can get connecting flights from Kolkata or Delhi. Both are well connected with many cities in India and abroad.

By Train

The nearest rail is New Jalpaiguri. This is well connected to most of the major cities in India.

By Bus

The Kalimpong city is well connected to other cities in Sikkim and the neighboring states by bus services.

LTC Port Blair Tour Packages

LTC PORT BLAIR TOUR PACKAGES

Cost Includes

• Return airfares & airport taxes
• Meet & assist at the airport
• Arrival & departure transfers in post blair
• Return airport transfers
• 03 night hotel accommodation in port blair
• 01 ac standard double bed room in the hotels as per the package.
• Daily breakfast, lunch & dinner at port blair & havelock.
• All transfers & sightseeing on private basis
• Full day tour & sightseeing on all days (as per the program).

Bonus Inclusions:

• 02 night hotel accomodation in kolkata
• Breakfast, lunch & dinner at port blair
• Only breakfast at kolkata hotel
• 01 half day sight seeing of chennai
• Half day sight seeing madras
• All applicable taxes.

Cost Excludes:

• Snorkeling charges, fun/joy rides at parks & camera tickets
• Personal tips, laundry charges, additional tour charges and extra food charges

Itinerary sample

Day 01
Jaipur – Bombay (Flight # 9W 2052 0810Hrs – 0945Hrs)
Bombay – Kolkata (Flight # 9W 217 1020Hrs – 1310Hrs) 
On arrival at Kolkata Railway station, you will proceed you to your Kolkata house. Overnight stay

Day 02
Kolkata 

Today proceed for the Half day sightseeing of Kolkata . Visit Eden garden, Howrah bridge , Victoria Memorial & Marble Place Evening return back to the hotel and. Overnight stay

Day 03
Kolkata – Port Blair  (Flight # 9W 7095 0910 Hrs 1110 Hrs)                                
Today morning pickup from your residence and drive to Kolkata Airport for connecting your flight to Port Blair On Arrival at Port Blair and our representative will receive and escort you to the Hotel with our envoy and stay-rest till afternoon. After lunch starts the breath-taking trip to Carbyn’s Cove Beach – One of the most picturesque, coconut palms fringed Beach, 7 km away from Port Blair town. After this we visit the Science Center and Cellular Jail – a place of pilgrimage for all freedom loving people in the evening the history of the heroic freedom struggle which is brought alive in a moving light and sound show at the Cellular Jail. Overnight stay in Hotel. 

Day 04
Port Blair        - Havlock Island         - Port Blair

    
Today take an excursion to Havelock Island. Overnight stay at Port Blair Hotel
            
Day 05
Port Blair        -Ross Island –Northway (Coral Island) - Harbour - cruise (viper island) – Port Blair      

 
After breakfast, start the voyage begins in a boat towards Ross Island – the erstwhile capital of Port Blair during the British Régimes. The Island presently houses the ruins of old building like Chief Commissioner’s house, Government houses, Church, Bakery, Press, Swimming pool, etc. and then for an enthralling journey to North Bay Island (Coral Island) offering exotic coral and underwater marine life which can be viewed through Glass Bottom Boats . After this we can visit in Harbour Cruise (Viper Island) over night stay in Port Blair Hotel. 

Day 06 
Port Blair –Madras (Flight # IT 3632  0645 Hrs –  0845Hrs) 
Madras   - Bangalore (Flight # 9W 2727 1415 Hrs – 1510 Hrs) 
Bangalore – Jaipur (Flight #  6E 152 1910 Hrs – 2230 Hrs)

After breakfast check-out from the hotel, Proceed for airport to board your flight back to Madras and on arrival proceed for the Sightseeing of MAHABALIPURAM . Later to Bangalore and to Jaipur with beautiful memories to cherish.

Head Office

Memorable Vacations & Holidays Pvt Ltd
A 266, 3rd Floor, 
Prashant Vihar, Rohini,
Behind PVR Prashant Vihar, New Delhi 110085
Toll No : 7827734555 

Email: contact@tti.co.in

Garden Of Five Senses - To Energize Five Senses Of See, Smell, Touch, Hear And Taste

GARDEN OF FIVE SENSES

AT

NEW DELHI

The twenty-acre site, located at Said-Ul-Azaib village, close to the Mehrauli heritage area in New Delhi, is spectacular.The Garden of five senses is developed by Delhi Tourism department and it is a breadth taking and enamoring experience. 

It is not just a park - it is a celebration of aesthetic expression and appreciation, a seamless dialogue between the creations of man and nature that invites interaction and exploration.

The garden of five senses comes across as a welcome breadth of fresh air and serene quietude. True to the imagery suggested by its name and with its beautiful, lush green landscapes.

The Garden was inaugurated in February 2003. Majestic rocks stand silhouetted against the sky, others lie strewn upon the ground in a casual yet alluring display of nature's sculptural genius.

Soaring stainless-steel birds mounted on slate-clad pillars welcome you into the park. An expansive plaza, set on the natural slope of the site, invites you up the spiral walkway. Across, a troop of elephants, cut in stone, regaling in a water bath, tempts exploration.

The garden itself is divided into distinct areas. On one side of the spiral walkway is the Khas Bagh, a formal garden patterned on the lines of the Mughal Garden. Slow-moving water cascades in channels along its length, while flowering and fragrant shrubs and trees line its paths.

The Central axis leads to a series of fountains, some of which are lit up by fibreoptic lighting systems. Encapsulating the expression here is the sculpture of 'A Fountain Tree".

Secluded, away from the heart of the garden, on the other side of the walkway is the food and shopping court. A series of terraces provided with seating arrangements face the food court.The heady Trail of Fragrance leads away to a rocky ridge to the north, where elevated amongst the rocks, a sculpture in stainless-steel, inspired by a pin-wheel, dances in joyous abandon.

Wander down the meandering paths to Neel Bagh, a pool of water lilies encircled by pergols covered with climbing plants of different colours and textures.

There are Colour Gardens - beautiful compositions of flowering shrubs and ground covers that have you looking at familiar plants with new eyes. The Courts of Specimen Plants display not so frequently seen species - of bamboo, for instance, or cactii, or herbs.Nestled amongst the natural slope of the site is the amphitheatre with blocks of sandstone to serve as seating. At the rear of the garden is an open exhibition area for displaying art and for holding art workshops.

Almost two hundred varieties of plants are introduced. In addition, there are large areas where the existing vegetation, consisting mainly of trees such as the local Kikar and the thorny Ber bush, has been left untouched.

The Garden has been designed to the imagery suggested by the name Garden of Five Senses. Colour, fragrances, texture and form all come together in an evocative bouquet that awakens the mind to the beauty of life and invokes a grateful prayer for the gift of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.

Most of the works of art are dynamic, making it more interactive to the visitors. About 25 different sculptures and murals have been set up in the Garden making it one of the largest collection of public art in the country.

This Garden is located near the first city of Delhi i.e. Qila Rai Pithora and while following the approach road to the Garden from T point of MB Road one can see the massive walls of this fort. The Garden of Five senses depict the architecture of the first city including the stones used in the constructions of boundary walls and dome shaped office complex.

The walk begins with a description of trees which are planted in the outer area of the garden i.e. from the steps which you take, for moving in the garden complex. The details of the trees which fall in this area have been described below with their common name, botanical name and description for the benefit of the common man who can take a walk

VISIT MORE PLACES IN DELHI

Kerala Tourism Wins PATA Gold Award For Muziriz Heritage Project

Kerala Tourism’s Muziris Heritage Project wins 

PATA Gold Award

Kerala Tourism has bagged this year’s prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Awards for its Muziris Heritage Project in the 'Heritage & Culture’ category.

The award, sponsored by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), was bestowed on the Muziris Heritage Project for its conservational aspect, uniqueness and impact on local community.

"This award is recognition of the Muziris project, aimed at restoring the historical and cultural significance of the ancient town that stretches across North Paravur in Ernakulam to Kodungalloor in Thrissur,” said Mr. A.P. Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism, Kerala.

“This flagship project of the Government of Kerala is one of the biggest heritage conservation projects of modern India”, he added.

Supported and sponsored by MGTO for the last 20 years, this year’s PATA Grand and Gold Awards recognise the achievements of 25 separate organisations and individuals.

“Being a part of the Spice Route Project, which is supported by UNESCO, the Muziris project already has a key status in the cultural tourism map. The award further highlights its prominence in international heritage tourism,” said Mr. G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, Secretary, Kerala Tourism.

There were 269 entries from 83 organisations and individuals worldwide for this year's award, the highest number since 2007. The awards will be presented on September 8 at the PATA Travel Mart at Bangalore.

"The list of PATA Gold Awards 2015 winners unveils once again the very best of Pacific-Asia tourism practices," said Ms. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, MGTO. She added that the excellence and innovation revealed by the works and projects awarded are impressive and can provide inspiration to raise the standards of tourism industry stakeholders in the region.

Noting that no other tourism department in the country could win this much-admired award this time, Mr. P. I. Sheik Pareeth, Director, Kerala Tourism said that the PATA award acknowledges Kerala Tourism’s excellence in heritage conservation.

PATA had honoured Kerala Tourism for the Responsible Tourism initiative in Kumarakom and Kerala Tourism's popular e-Newsletter in 2014.

Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region.