Spiti – What's Next?

11 places in India to enjoy your bowl of Maggi!

1st September 2015Posted in Coastal Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Local food, Maharashtra, SaffronStays Diaries, SikkimTagged coorg, Kerala, Ladakh, lakeside, Lonavala, Maggi Ban, Manali, Matheran, Meri Maggi, monsoons, Murud, Pangong Tso, Remote places, Sikkim, Spiti, Tiger point, Uttarakhand, WeMissYouTooMaggiLeave a comment

Reluctant as ever, my Grandpa refrained to eat noodles, until one day, we were both home alone, rest of the family was busy attending a family function, and how he hated outside food! So, to avoid going to bed with an empty stomach, he gave in to the pop culture and asked me to share my bowl of Maggi with him. Surprisingly, one spoon after the other, slurp..slurp..and slurp! He finished his first ever bowl of Maggi! This yellow colored packet had some magic I tell you, even my Grandpa couldn’t resist the 2 minutes miracle! Yes #WeMissYouToo Maggi, hoping for a comeback, or else you will only be heard of in our memories and be seen in our Maggi Selfie’s to our future generation. Below are the places across India where you can have unique encounters with Maggi.

#01 Matheran

Glide over the mesmerizing beauty of Matheran, while you hear the clippety cloc-cloc of horses. This is one among the very few pedestrian hill stations in India! Enjoy the view of forest from the top and munch on your Maggi meals.

Don’t know where to stay at Matheran? Click here!

#02 Murud

Murud, a city in Raigad region is fast becoming a favorite tourist destination because the only sound that disturbs the peace is that of the sea waves crashing on the shores, barely 50 meters away. Because of the land across, the sea here is quiet and tranquil. Wouldn’t it be amazing to spend some time in isolation with your favorite dish i.e., Maggi?

Don’t know where to stay in Murud? Click here!

#03 Lonavala

Let the gentle breeze at Lonavala sooth you, enjoy the warm maggi, a cup of hot chocolate and some corn bhajiya’s at Tiger point. Cuddle up with your friends, gossip about your school days, or take your kids for a drive and share your good old days with them!

Don’t know where to stay while in Lonavala? Click here!

#04 Munnar, Kerala

Kerala is blessed with a lot of beauty, water bodies, beaches, culture & art! So why not indulge into multiple elements and savor your taste buds with a bowl of Maggi which soothes your sense, mind, body & soul! Sip on the soupy noodles and let the waves wash away your stress.

Don’t know where to stay in Kerala? Click here!

#05 Kullu-Manali

After a long drive through the beautiful ghats, relax with your friends or family in the balcony and peep into the nature and come alive while you fight with your friends for the last spoon of Maggi in that bowl!

Don’t know where to stay in Manali? Click here!

#06 Coorg, Karnataka

The old structures and monuments in Karnataka come alive to tell you tales from the past, hear them out on your visit, and on your way back to home, living amid the jungle, let the monsoon showers hinder outside while you enjoy with your delicious bowl of Maggi!

Don’t know where to stay at Gulmarg? Click here!

#07 Srinagar

Remember your Mom waking you up by bribing you a bowl of hot Maggi? Imagine you are on a holiday and you get a home cooked delicious Maggi with added flavors from the hills, nothing like it, right?

Don’t know where to stay at Srinagar? Click here!

#08 Lahaul & Spiti

Out of nowhere amid the magnificent Spiti Valley, when you finally take a sigh & want to fill in your stomach, a two minute Maggi would be a saviour, isn’t it? Settle yourselves under a tent, glance at the mountains right in front of you & let the breeze bring you a homely feeling!

Don’t know where to stay at Lahaul & Spiti? Click here!

#09 Pangong Tso Lake

The deep blue lake reflects the sky and the mountains around. With a falling temperature, this is the perfect location to be your share buddy for a bowl of Maggi! The clouds are just handful away, thin air, silence, you and your Maggi!

Don’t know where to stay in Pangong Lake? Click here!

#10 Sikkim

Do you like trekking in the Himalayan range? Often come back to the base camp with memories from the hills? Ever cooked your own food at the base camp? A two minute break would be such a relief from the long hour cooking procedure! Enjoy the hot Maggi dish with your trek mates and bring back home #MeriMaggi stories.

Don’t know where to stay in Sikkim? Click here!

#11 Marchula, Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand, an originating point of significant Indian rivers, also known as a land of spirituality, offers breath taking views of mountains to the visitors. This region has multiple options and Marchula, is one among the many! It is a small yet beautiful and famous tourist place. Spend some time observing the running water from the banks of Ramganga and sip on your Maggi soup!

Don’t know where to stay while in Marchula? Click here!

P.S. Cover Photo Credits: http://www.hourdose.com

About the Author:

Keenjal Patel

A reader at mind, a writer at heart, a believer at soul and an achiever overall, is what she want to be. She loves to express through words. She’s a firm believer that imagination rules the world and the day this world absorbs the essence of her words, that would be a day of pride for her!

Stranded in the world’s worst road – Godsend and the Godlike

26th November 2014Posted in HimachalTagged Himachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh homestays, Indian family, Indian hospitality, Kaza, Lahaul Spiti, Road trip, Spiti, Spiti homestay, Spiti ValleyLeave a comment

By Elita Almeida

The predicament:

What if, after a ten hour intense journey through the ‘world’s worst road’, your driver turns around and tells you, “We may be a little lost as it is my first time here. I suggest we halt. We’re very close to running out of fuel too. So we may as well try to call someone and arrange for both fuel and accurate directions”

That’s exactly what thirteen of us co-travellers heard on Day 1 whilst en route to Spiti.

The back story:

We’d departed from Manali earlier that morning in a Tempo Traveller with destination Kaza (in Spiti) on our mind. For anyone who’s familiar with the route, the road from Manali via the Rohtang and Kunzum Pass is not called the ‘worst road’ without reason; especially if you have the privilege of being seated right above the rear two wheels of the vehicle; and definitely more so if you have a driver who’s driving skills demand more than a fleeting mention.

En route Spiti — Rock, Stone, Gravel – all along the world’s worst road. Photo by Elita

Now what?

Visualize the look on our faces moments after he (our driver i.e.) revealed to us the situation we were in.

It was close to 5 PM with no human life (or any life for that matter) in sight. The sky was blue with tufts of white clouds adorning it. The road was nothing but a dusty pathway. On the one side of the road there was a river. And on the other side of the river seemed a relatively populous village (read: human settlement that seemed to be comprised of about 50 houses from afar).

Stepping out of the vehicle tired, weary and hungry from the arduous journey we found that our driver seemed to have disappeared momentarily after his solemn announcement. Probably to locate some help is this barren deserted place, we reasoned amongst ourselves. With no mobile connectivity on our phones some of us decided to be brave and venture around in the hope of finding someone who could be of some help.

After a couple of minutes the driver did return letting us know that he had managed to establish contact with someone he knew and that fuel had been arranged for. We used his phone, as it was the only one that had connectivity, to reach out to our contact in Kaza (who also then assured us that she was on her way).

En route Spiti Valley — Lost – Kaza’s on the other side. Photo by Elita

Light ‘before’ the end of the tunnel…

While we were assured of both, fuel and directions, we were still a bunch of hungry travellers. Amongst the brave who’d ventured out knocking every padlocked door, someone struck gold. In a seemingly deserted village there happened to be a home that welcomed a bunch of thirteen strangers. It seemed unlike anything I’d personally experienced before but there we were being warmly ushered in by this man who could only be heard saying, “Aap toh humare mehmaan ho. Aur mehmaan to devta sammaan hote hain.

“Guests are godlike and so I have the honour of welcoming god into my abode…”

Little did he realize that he was our godsend.

The house was quaint and warm; a sharp contrast to the crisp wind that blew outside. Besides our host who had busied himself into preparing some chai (also known as ‘tea’) for us was a little kid – probably his grandson who kept stealing glances at us from the hinges along the door.

Before we knew it there was hot piping tea for all of us along with a lot of ‘sattu’ for us to eat (that we would soon learn was more than just an acquired taste). We’d spent a good half an hour to forty-five minutes inside sipping our chai and uncramping our bones from the journey before we received a call that both fuel and our directions to Kaza had arrived and we could finally begin to make our way for the destination we’d set out for earlier that day.

To open your home to a group of completely unknown people so wholeheartedly and unassumingly, to provide them with whatever you have no matter how little and to wish them well as they departed without the slightest hint of any expectation but goodwill is reminiscent of a part of India I miss experiencing in the cities.

Want to experience the unmatched hospitality of Himachal? Visit our website to choose from the 114 Homestays.

About the author: Elita is Nondescript. Nonchalant. Observer. Witty. Sarcastic. Skinny. Nomadic Thunker. Square Peg. Sporadic Blogger. Solo Traveller. Blogs at nomadicthunker.blogspot.in; skinnygenus.blogspot.com. Tweets @ellelogical.

Excellent host and fabulous stay in Spiti

6th August 2014Posted in Ninja ReviewsTagged Himachal Pradesh homestays, homestay review, Losar, Losar homestay, Spiti, Travel Ninja, traveloguesLeave a comment

I stayed here for 2 days. This is perfect place to halt on a 1st day when you are entering Spiti from Manali side. Lovely homestay managed by a rider from Delhi. Although it is located in a village, you will get all the luxurious facilities, much better than any other homestay or guesthouse or hotel in whole Spiti valley. Rooms are spacious and have all the amenities you need here. Perfect place for riders as well as tourists to stay. The property has a beautiful dining area with a typical Spitian sit-out. Food is prepared in local style & trust me you wont get such an amazing homemade food anywhere in Spiti valley. Property owner, Sahil, also organises treks to the beautiful ChandraTal lake and can help you plan your Spiti itinerary well.