Sunset at Netarhat, Jharkhand

Netarhat is a popular hill station in Latehar district of Jharkhand.It is loacted at a height of 1071 metres and is referred to as the "Queen of Chotanagpur". It is famous for it's Magnolia sunset point, sunrise point, Netarhat Residential School and a breathtakingly beautiful view of the hills all around.

We visited Netarhat during our short winter trip to Ranchi at the end of December. We started from Ranchi at about 9:30am and reached our hotel, Ravi and Sashi Lodge, Netarhat by 1pm. The journey  from Ranchi to Netarhat through the roads with eucalyptus trees on both sides takes away all the exhaustion and tiredness caused. After having lunch at the hotel of Netarhat, we decided to start for the sightseeing of the places at about 3pm in the afternoon. At first, we reached the Koyel View Point, a serene hilly place, from where the beauty of Netarhat can be seen.

Then, we went for the Upper Ghagri waterfalls, which turned out to be a complete disappointment as the source of water could only be seen and the rest of the waterfalls was hidden beneath the huge rocks and boulders.The road to the waterfalls at the beginning is through the naspati garden on its both sides with a great view,but as one gets near the falls, the condition of the road detoriorates becoming dangerous with numerous potholes and puddles.

After our futile to and fro journey of Upper Ghagri Falls, we finally reached the Magnolia Sunset Point at about 4:40pm. The huge crowd which had gathered there to experience the sunset made me realise that we were too late to find a good spot in watching the sunset. Though we managed to get a suitable spot, to add to the misery, some people had climbed up the railings of the sunset point and gathered in front of a tree,thus blocking the view of others.

Nonetheless, we were able to experience the beautiful sunset amidst all the odds. The sky was filled with different colours of blue,yellow and light orange. But as time passed by, the yellow ball of fire which was shining bright had become soothing to the eyes and painted the whole sky with its hues of orange.We could feel the temperature going down and the weather becoming chilly as the biggest star in our solar system merged with the sky and disappeared slowly in front of our eyes.It was one of the most beautiful picturesque sunsets I had seen in my life.
 Netarhat is located about 156km from Ranchi and is well connected by roads.It a place of beautiful sunrise and sunsets in the middle of the hills. Summers are pleasant here but winters can be quite chilly. If you looking for taking a break from the monotonous life or planning a short trip away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, then you can definitely give it a try.

Alleppey Backwaters

Kerala is blessed with one of the most hyped tourist destinations; the city of Alleppey or Alappuzha, which successfully satisfies the thirst of a nature lover.

Located 62kms to the south of Kochi and surrounded by the Lakshadweep Sea on its west,lies Alleppey, comprising of several canals,rivers,backwaters and lagoons,through which one can take a boat ride; and hence the city is popularly known as the "Venice of the East'. This name was given by Lord Curzon;thus Alappuzha is called the "Venetian Capital" of Kerala.Malayalam is the most spoken language.Hindi,English and Tamil are also widely spoken by the people here.

The sole purpose of visiting Alleppey is to experience a relaxing and soothing boat ride through the backwaters of Kerala. The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes which are separated from the main river by small islands.Here the water remains stagnant as there is no current.These backwaters are a network of rivers, canals,lakes,etc. which has formed a system of waterways.The freshwater from these backwaters meets the seawater of the Arabian Sea.

If you want to spend your vacations with the green beauty surrounded by different waterbodies,then you must take the boat ride of the Alleppey backwaters. The serene journey through river canals provides a picturesque of the isolated islands,paddy fields and coconut trees along with a wide variety of birds like kingfisher,waterfowl,cuckoo,water duck as well as Siberian cranes. On either side opf the backwaters,there are simple dwellings,eateries,shops and stores; where one can have a cup of tea or buy some articles as souvenirs to take home.

One can also see the lifestyle of the village people from the boat or enjoy a walk through the paddy fields and have some cocconut water.. ;) 

You can either hire a canoe,country boat,launch for the water ride of stay in the Kerala houseboats or Kettuvallams.The country boats are relatively cheaper and provide a 2 to 3hours ride with sitting arrangements both at the lower and upper decks.The houseboats,on the other hand, provide a lavish experience with all the modern amenities. 

For accommodating tourist,these houseboats have been converted into floating cottages with a sleeping area,western-style toilets,a dining area and a sit-out on the deck. Food is cooked by the accompanying staff and has a flavour of Kerala.

Regular ferry services are also available for both passengers and tourists,connecting most locations of the backwaters. 

Another popular attraction near Alleppey is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race,held in the Punnamada Lake,which is conducted on the second Saturday of August every year. It is the most popular of the boat races in India.

Other tourist destinations include the long stretched peaceful beach of Alleppey,which has an old pier of 150 years old extended over the sea. The view of sunrise from the beach complements the tranquility of the place.

 The beach also offers views of the Laccadive Sea, Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple, St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal, Mannarasala Temple, Chettikulangara Devi Temple, Haripad Sree Subrahmanya Swamy temple, Thakazhy Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, Mullakkal Temple, Edathua Church, Alappuzha CSI Christ Church (oldest Anglican church in Central Kerala) and Champakulam Valia Palli. Krishnapuram Palace Kalavam kodam temple where Sree Narayana Guru installed Mirror is at about 30 km north of Town. The tasty ambalappuzha payasam is a popular dessert.

The Cochin International Airport, located at a distance of 75 kms is the nearest airport to Alleppey. From the Cochin International Airport, one can book a taxi or a cab to get to Alleppey.The Alleppey Railway Station lies within the city limits and is well connected by rail to Cochin and Trivandrum. From the railway station, one can board a bus, hire a taxi or get in an auto-rickshaw to reach the main city. Alleppey is accessible by National Highway-47, which goes through Ambalapuzha and Cherthala cities. Alleppey is well connected to other cities such as Kochi, Kottayam, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Chennai, Bangalore and Coimbatore by road.

Travel agencies generally devote only a day and half for Alleppey along with other places in the 14days long Kerala tour. But one must spend atleast two or three days here to have an alluring experience of houseboat cruise amidst the backwaters and have the real essence of the nature's beauty of Alleppey.

For information related to booking details of houseboat or canoe,go to the link below:

http://keralacanoetourism.com/

For more photos click on:

https://plus.google.com/collection/QChekB
For backwater videos go to the links below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXwbZGbax-4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-D-MpUnHdY