Bishnupur- Not only City of Temples but also a gastronomical destination too

 Usually, when I head towards any destination I look for things that I can eat. Yes, a holiday is not only about going around but also filling up my tummy. We reached Bishnupur during the Pujas. Durga Puja is the time when you can cheat and eat every day. Trust me, you can. On the second day of our visit, we found a restaurant or pice hotel to be specific- Monalisa Hotel and Restaurant. It was Dashami. The place was crowded during lunchtime. We managed a 3seats for ourselves. Before we could order anything there were 3 plates in front of us. Rice, curry, dal, alu bhaja, postor bora. So, this is compulsory. The option that you will get is in the non-veg items. There are varieties of fish, chicken, egg, and mutton. You need to decide quickly and order. Trust me all of the items were delicious. And the postor bora is to die for. Most importantly all of these came at a pocket-friendly price too. 

We stayed at a hotel- Hotel Annapurna where we were offered a buffet breakfast. The usual part of a continental breakfast was nice as usual but the additional specialty was the sweetmeats that we had. Penra from Chatna, Monohara, Misti Doi, Murki, Mihindana- it was an array of sweets. Leaving aside luchi and bread we dived into these items every day. 

Last but not least on our way back we packed a bunch of these delicacies. 

Our 3 days trip was gastronomically satisfying :-) 

Kashmir - The paradise on earth

After planning for almost 20 years at last I made my first trip to Kashmir. This was a second visit for my parents but first visit for me. There are numerous blogs/vlogs pertaining to Kashmir tour plans. So, I am not thinking about making another. But there are a few tips I would like to share. Please keep in mind, prepaid SIM card doesn't work there. You have to take a post paid Sim card. Airtel, Jio and BSNL are pretty good. You will also not receive any OTPs, so plan all your payments etc. accordingly. Everything you buy or rent is charged high , so you need to brush up your bargaining skills. There are different types of scenic beauty throughout the year and unique in its own way. You can decide before hand which scenic beauty you would be interested in and plan your trip accordingly. If you are interested in witnessing snow fall then winter ( December, January, February) is the best season. For the Tulip 🌷 garden and flowers Mid March to Mid April is the season. If you are interested in Apple or Red Chinnar 🌲 then visit between October and November. And Kashmir being a hill station receives rainfall through out the year. So, you need to carry umbrella ☔, shades and winter clothes simultaneously. The scenic beauty of this place is one of its kind and mesmerizing 

Chandraketugarh

Chandraketugarh is approximately 2 hours drive from Kolkata. The place is located at Berachampa and site is maintained by Archeological Survey of India. You can see the "Dhibi" of Khana and Barahamihi. It's the best to follow Google Maps direction for reaching there. The drive through Kharibari is smooth and scenic at the same time. You can spend an hour or so, at the place. But there are no eateries at Berachampa , so you need to head back towards Kolkata for your lunch. Locating a restroom can be tricky too. But luckily there is one.  If you have interest in history  then this place can be definitely be a day gateway for you.