Exploring the Yoga capital of the World- Rishikesh

They say there is an intricate charm of unplanned trips because they rarely happened.A plan made overnight and successfully carried out, was definitely a rare rare chance indeed, but somehow we did manage to reach Rishikesh and it was one of the best decisions of my life!

Rishikesh has a retro charm to it- the city of traditions and culture amidst the beautiful Ganges flowing through it. The ghats are almost at par with those at Varanasi and it is indeed an Incredible India destination which is a must visit.

Journey Time - We started our journey from New Delhi and it took us about 4 and half hours to reach this magical destination.It is advised to leave early morning to avoid unnecessary traffic and rush hours.However you are bound to meet a congestion in Haridwar and Meerut regions no matter the timings. Haridwar also makes for a quick stop enroute Rishikesh, if you want that holy dip at Har-Ki-Pawri.

Travel Tip - I also strongly recommend to book the hotel/home-stay in advance . We arrived during the International Kayak festival and there was an inflow of tourists .We managed to somehow find a home-stay overlooking the beautiful Laxman Jhula and the magnificent Ganga river in Tapovan, near the Laxman Jhula.

Rishikesh is also famous for it's yoga retreats, ashrams and has become an International hub! You will find it buzzed with tourists all time of the year. We went in March and was greeted by pleasant weather and winter chills.The water was still ice cold and the ghats as charismatic as ever.

Contradictory to popular belief, Rishikesh is not just about YOGA and River Rafting.These are ofcourse the main attractions, but this place offers its own calm and serenity missing elsewhere.

Here are some must visit places which you can sojourn during a trip to Rishikesh -

Laxman Jhula - Its a spectacular sight! You will be stunned by it's beauty and marvel. It is one of the most iconic landmarks of Rishikesh and a grandeur sight indeed! At night it is LIT up and the beautiful refection is mirrored by the Ganges river. It is indeed a sight to behold. It is held by rope suspensions and it was indeed scar yet exhilarating experience while crossing the bridge. There is a famous German Bakery just on the starting point of the bridge, where you can enjoy the view and delectable food.

We decided to gorge on food by crossing the Jhula and entered the other side of Tapovan. I had heard raging reviews about Little Buddha Cafe and decided to have lunch there. It was a dainty little Cafe with a breathtaking view of the River Ganga, the Ghats, Laxman Jhula and the oh so calming ambiance indeed! Point to note that food in Rishikesh is pretty bland, only vegetarian and it's an alcohol free town!

The Ghats - Just below the Tapovan is the area called Ghats of Rishikesh.wake up early and you can enjoy the Aarti here. It has beautiful graffiti walls and you can take a river ride as there are boats to ferry you for a ride and take you till Ram Jhula. The sunset from this point is just hypnotic with the sun shining down on the River Ganga.

Neer Waterfall - After eating our hearts out, we searched on Instagram for beautiful Instagrammable places near the town.We came up with Neer Waterfall and Instagram does not do justice to this amazing place. It is a 10 KM trek up to the waterfall and we went only halfway and were mesmerized. Tip - Carry swimmwear or extra clothes because the waterfall is just too beautiful, you will feel obligated to take a dip in.The water was cold as ice yet so transparent blue, it is a magical place indeed.You can also eat some hillside maggi and tea while enjoying your dip in the waterfall!

River Rafting - The reason Rishikesh is most famous is the white water river rafting which we went for next day early morning.It is advised to carry extra clothes as you are bound to be drenched by the end of the rafting. It is not important to know swimming to enjoy this experience but listening to your rafting guide is. I have done river rafting in Manali and Tatta Pani Shimla, which were nothing compared to this adventure in Rishikesh. The rapids were 4th Grade, the water flow was high, twice our raft was threatened to be toppled over by the strong rapids. It was a bone chilling experience.

Tapovan - We ended the day with some coffee and snack at the Tapovan market.There is a Honey Hut on the main road where we stopped over for some coffee and desserts.in this cutesy little cafe. You can also feast at local Dhaba's which serve local food.The nearest liquor shop is half and hour drive from the main town. Everything shuts down by 9 PM. We also got ourselves souvenirs from a local shop.

Once a devout pilgrimage spot, it now more of a commercialized touristy place flocked with tourists who are here to find their 'spiritual -self' in this holy town!