Discover India Plan - July 2018;
Learning to create a travel charter:

“One's destination is never a place, but always a new way of seeing things - Henry Miller”

Introduction:
The ensuing story and the ones i shall post going forward is to bring to life the wonderful experience any travel enthusiast would like to record out of his fulfilling experience from the travel. Creating a travel charter was result of a recognition that an organized and disciplined plan is necessary to complete the travel within the available time and cost envisioned.

How my travel is being planned, researched, and executed in the coming July will form the crux of the episodes planned here.

Travelling is always a sole fulfilling experience and it is always a dream for the one who want to explore. India is a great destination of interest to all and it never seizes to amaze. There are hardly any other countries in the world that can match India in its complexity and diversity. There is no dearth of tourist themes in India, whether it is beaches, wildlife, hill stations, pilgrimage centers, or others. The country's vastness and its remote corners is always a fine mix of things that evoke any travel enthusiasts dreams. Kashmir to Kanyakumari, India is a destination par excellence.

Journey in isolation:
Last few years my travels in india have been mostly solo to the chagrin of my family. I have made visits to Ahmedabad, Amritsar in Punjab, Jaipur in Rajasthan and Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, traveling solo. Package tours are not my interest as that takes exploration away as you are led from one place to the other.

Family could not be taken along due to the work holidays not matching the children's school vacations. This time, the tour has been planned in such a way that the family will accompany me on the journey so that they do not feel left out from my relentless pursuit of distant Indian destinations. The reason for my focus in India is simple; India has everything and i do not plan to look elsewhere till i see and understand my country well.

India's not so well connected smaller cities:
While planning and researching the trip, it is the north India that often become the consideration. It has something to do with the fact that i hail from the southern tip of the country from a state known as Kerala and south Indian destinations being closer to home remain overlooked. That leaves as a yet to visit some of the world renowned destinations of my own state of Kerala.

Kullu Manali with a visit to Rohtang pass (Rohtang pass is a high mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around 51 km from Manali - Wikipedia), Shimla, Mussoorie are destinations that came to mind being a hill station fan. However, Amritsar in Punjab where i recently witnessed the majestic Wagah border ceremony was considered priority.

North India is a tough call as all visits need to start from Delhi since in India, rail or flight connections between smaller cities is still quiet patchy. If you need to visit the tourist centers in Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh, you often couldn't travel between those destinations quickly and directly unless you went through the capital, Delhi. Although Delhi falls in the center and is not a detour, when the time is of essence you just like to reach the next destination with utmost speed.

Reminiscing from the last trip to Amritsar of Punjab:
The last time i went solo, in August 2015, Wagah border ceremony has been the topmost attraction. The lowering of the flags ceremony at the Wagah border is a daily military practice that the security forces of India and Pakistan have jointly followed since 1959 as per Wikipedia. It is such a brilliant display of the two countries forever at hatred with each other. You will begin to wonder whether they are displaying the ill will while the ceremony grows into a full blown display of strength. However, the fervor and emotions that is visible while at the scene is tremendous. Such a program conducted by two neighbouring countries militaries is by all means unique around the world.

I have a photograph and a video (apologies for the amateur video work). This time I am trying to carry a tripod so that i can stabilize the video. Last time it was very hard to even find a seat and i was mostly standing and shooting with great strain. People fill the galleries well ahead of the scheduled time to watch this world famous and unique military ceremony.

If you are planning a visit, please remember to carry nothing except your wallet and camera as the security is by the military and you are thoroughly searched before the entry  to the gallery.

Here I am standing with my beloved India’s soldier at the Wagah border ceremony area.

Video: Ceremony in progress;

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Finalizing the 12 day plan and 2018 route:
Everyone has a favourite. My favourite is Hill stations during winter. However, when you need ample bank balance to remain a constant traveler, you have no option but to remain tethered to the pursuit of a mirage called financial freedom.

It was a tough call since for a travel freak, when ready for travel, does not know where and how to limit his destinations.  Money was not a big deal as the expected expenses were not so high in India especially if you take the train route.  Even the cost of flight travel is rapidly becoming inexpensive owing to a growing economy putting more money into middle class citizens pockets. However, the time was of essence as one employed in the middle east i had a maximum of twelve days to assign to the tour before going home to Kerala as part of the trip.

The Plan as things stand:

• LEG ONE - SHIMLA, AMRITSAR
• LEG TWO - AGRA, UDAIPUR
• LEG THREE - RISHIKESH, HARIDWAR, RAJAJI NATIONAL PARK, DEHRADUN
• LEG FOUR - DELHI
• LEG FIVE - CHENNAI, COIMBATORE

Regrets this time:
Kulu Manali, Nainital, Jodhpur, Jaipur

Idea of a Travel charter:
When you want to visit  a major part of north India with a limited time in hand, one thing was clear. I had to document and stick to plan with discipline. Especially when family might slow you down as there are more people to get ready and move. 

The execution needed precise planning to succeed and as travel on extensive scale required proper reservations done for transportation and stay, everything had to be documented to the hour so that arrangements are meticulous. Hence i started with a word document and ended up with an excel document as seen below.

Other research and aid tools:
In the era of the smartphone, i have used the following apps that aided me in deciding how and where to go.

• Google map to find the distance and best route.
• Tripadvisor to research the final destinations at each location.
• Goibibo for flight bookings.
• Oyo for the hotel bookings.
• Youtube travel videos for the virtual exploration.  
• IRCTC app for the train reservations.

I shall come back to give you an update and a new episode of this story as my plan and execution progresses.

Thank you.