A Day at Jurong Bird Park:

March 5, 2015:

 From My Journal 

Excitement heightens as we enter the bird park

A very bright sunny day and suddenly Sagnik  decides to visit Jurong Bird Park.This was a completely out of plan trip. He skipped work !! We did not have any clue where the  park was and also its timings.  Without being lazy, we hurriedly searched on google and found the  direction.  Weekdays are relatively better to choose for this kind of trip as the crowds are less.Within an hour we got ready.  we somewhat managed to charge our camera (used power bank to speed up the process) and started our Bird Park Excursion

Our checklist:

• Charged Camera
•  Extra SD card  and battery (  It will drain out for sure)
•  Power bank
•  Water bottles – (it's pretty hot in the morning so we carried empty bottles and refilled it as needed)
• Wore comfortable clothes –Shorts and tees. / comfortable  footwear  / sunglasses/ and sunscreen.
• Carried umbrella as it rain often specially in the afternoon.

Transport to Jurong Bird Park:

From Jurong  (place where we lived) we took MRT (metro) and reached Boon lay station. From Boon Lay Bus stop we took a bus 194 to Jurong Bird Park.

The cheapest way to reach Jurong Park is by Metro and then by bus. Avoid any other way if possible.

A Little About The Jurong Park:

The park has around 400 species of birds and they roam  freely in the man made habitat.Visitors get close to them  or rather the less shy birds and reptiles interact with the visitors.

When I said interaction with birds and reptiles I meant this close !

At the point of entry we collected the park map.

Busy With the Park Map

There are trams available but we decided to walk and enjoy the park at our own pace.

There are special facilities available like hiring wheelchair, which is free of cost, and stroller for toddlers.The later one needs to be rented.

Jurong Park Timings: 8.30 to 6.00 pm (cover it as much as possible)

Jurong Bird Park Entry Fee:

 We bought a composite ticket.  (Don’t buy single ticket it's a loss ) .You can buy 3 composite ticket or 4 …confused?The 3 composite ticket include entry to the  Jurong Bird Park, Entry to the Singapore Zoo and also the Night Safari.

The 4th composite ticket includes 3 of the above park and an Amazon River Safari.  We bought 2 tickets of 3 park as Amazon ride was under maintenance and  so we had to drop it. These composite ticket save a lot of money.  Each ticket cost SGD 98 for 3 parks and you need to visit them within 7 days or else your ticket would be obsolete.

We reached the park around 10am and got our ticket there was no queues.

Penguin Coast : Our First Stop !

The happy feets were kept in a glass enclosure. The place had African Penguins, Emperor Penguins  ,Humboldt penguins etc.The temperature outside was really hot and this place was such a relief.

Some of the  African penguins were roaming around  freely outside . We didn’t catch their feeding session as  we wanted to cover the entire park.

Flamingo Pool / Lake: 

 This was our next stop !

Flamingo Pool At Jurong

Heliconia Walk with Colorful Birds

Heliconia Walk

Dinosaur Descendant Birds:  

Jurong created a beautiful dinosaur descendant exhibit and keep some  flightless which includes ostrich, and emu  cassowaries and henceforth The 4th image is of  cassowaries.They are said to be the most dangerous bird on the earth.

Birds from Dino Descendant Exhibit

Lory Loft:  

In this part of the park you can feed lories.   $3 per cup is what it takes the bird to come up and perch on your head. They will be all over you. But it is not necessary to buy food. If you walk around the bridge they will come up and sit on you.One of the lory happened to get entangled on my curls.   This is the most cutest part of the park .Blue red green yellow  Lories  climbing your head shoulder arms  making your day memorable.

World Of Darkness : This place is about  nocturnal birds.Taking pictures with flash must be avoided here as it disturbs the night bird. Saw various kind of owl including  the snowy Owl here.Many people did take pictures but I wanted to maintain the decorum.

Waterfall Aviary :  

This place is a paradise. The birds roam freely here !  And the best part was  the 98 feet man made waterfalls. You need to walk around the rain forest to spot unique bird around the world. What a moment I had walking to this enchanted area. You will spot starlings everywhere, rollers feeding worms, Turacos variety of parrots, guinea fowl crowned pigeon etc. We were lucky as when we entered the water Aviary it was there feeding time as so all the birds were up close flying around everywhere.

Roller_Water Aviary

 

Birds in -Waterfall Aviary

The 98 feet Waterfall at Jurong

Guinea Fowl crossing the road at Waterfall Aviary

Birds from Window to Paradise

Window to Paradise :
 I have seen these birds in Nat Geo documentary film  -Birds of Paradise. Now I am seeing this right in front of my eyes. So you can imagine my reactions.
Here is the link of the  Birds of Paradise

 We missed all the show they had in the park. You cannot the entire park as well the shows. One or the other you need to let go.

By 6pm we were done with the tour ( at least that's what I think). My feet were killing me. By the time we thought to get out of the park it started raining. We sat near a small pool for some rest as well as the rain to stop. Saw beautiful Koi fishes and a very different looking turtle .

A white Turtle

Once the rain stopped we came out of the park with memories captured in our camera. :D

Do share your views about the park in the comment space below. I enjoyed a lot being a bird lover. Are you planning to visit Jurong Park anytime soon?

Lakhota Lake Jamnagar :

View of the Lake

When bored visit Lakhota Lake ! Yes this is what we do in the weekends. Lakhota Lake or Ranmal Lake in Jamnagar  is located right in the middle of the city. Currently Lakhota lake is under beautification and therefore you cannot visit the fort.The entry fee to this place is 10 rs for adult and 5 for children. Musical fountain show cost 25 for adult and 15 for children. There is a student discount too. It is an ideal place to spend lazy evening near the lake and enjoy cool breeze. There are many sitting areas where one can enjoy a good adda with friends ( bongs!):P. The place is well maintained, neat and clean .There are many small shops inside where one can have (light snacks) panipuri  ice cream , cold drinks and henceforth

I have heard that this place is best during the winter when the migratory bird  visit the lake. Some of them includes Flamingos, Pelican,Terns etc. I have spotted few resident bird and I am so eagerly waiting for the winter to come. Ill soon post  Lakhota Lake in Winter.

•  Easily accessible by auto
• There is a huge parking lot, so parking is not a problem
• Donot chew pan masala or you will be fined

Knobbed Billed Duck_Resident Bird Gujarat

Mukteshwar Temple -Near Nainital

Around 60km from Nainital is  Mukteshwar. A sleepy hilly town in the midst of nature. The place is known for  Shiva Temple and a decent view of Nanda Devi Himalayan Peak.The shiva temple  at Mukteshwar is more than 200 years old. It was set up by a saint who took samadhi here at Mukteshwar.The temple is  nestled right on a hilltop.

 You need to climb a lot of stairs to reach the temple premises. Climbing can be tough for people who have arthritis pain. It is a quiet place  surrounded by oak trees.You will not see many tourists here, except locals.Mukteshwar temple is very close to the beautiful KMVN hotel. If the weather is clear, you would surely see the Himalayan range Trisul and Nanda Devi. I got a glimpse but weather was not good. 
Tips: Don't forget to try out "  Pears and Ram fhal (fruit)"  sold by the locals right outside the temple. They are sweet juicy and aromatic and definitely worth a try.
While returning back to Nainital stop by at Nirvana Organic Kitchen for lunch or a  coffee break.

A perfect place to relax  and enjoy the dreamy view while sipping hot coffee.

Read More:Mukteshwar

Hotel Gangaur ,RTDC Jaipur

We recently visited Jaipur, and our experience with this Jaipur hotel was excellent. I read few negative comments on Trip Advisor and  many blamed it for its poor services,as it is a govt hotel.But we didn't face any problem like that.The person in the reception  were very helpful. we booked our entire city tour with them.The Jaipur Sightseeing tour by RTDC cost Rs300 INR and therefore we didn't opt for  private vehicle for sightseeing. With RTDC we knew that they won't charge unreasonably. 
The rooms were clean, spacious and airy. They have 3 restaurant and 1 bar. The food was delicious and less spicy. You can try out their Rajasthani Thali, Tandoori  Mughlai  @ Gaurandh restaurant. Ming for chinese and Gauri for South Indian dishes.The stay includes complimentary breakfast.
We thought of booking  Ajmer tour with them. Its is a day trip and cost around 300 Rs per person. As we had planned for 2 night stay at Jaipur time was our constraint and so we dropped the plan.  The hotel is 10min from railway station in a very good location, less crowded yet close to some of the best street shopping area of Jaipur. The hotel's travel desk  provide you with brochure upon request. The brochure and the city map will be helpful for travelers who likes to explore the city on their own.

Jaipur Trip

Jaipur -The Pink City is India's prime tourist spot. Foreigner throughout the world visit Jaipur city for its  rich heritage and culture. It would take a minimum of 15 days to  see entire Rajasthan (if not more) So rather than just rushing through most cities we decided a trip to Jaipur  for 2 nights (weekends).
From Mathura to Jaipur there are plenty of trains available (superfast trains)

Day 1 : Our train was early in the morning

Train Name : Mathura -Jaipur Special : It reached Jaipur  at 1.30 pm.

We checked in to Hotel Gangaur  RTDC | you can take auto from the railway station,takes around 15min and the charge was 60 Rs.
We made booking in advance as it is very tough to get RTDC rooms in Rajasthan specially this one.

 Gangaur had resturant service too named as Gauri.There food was very simple and delicious. After checking in  we went for lunch! 
As we didn't have any plans on that day (evening ) we decided to  visit Choki Dhani.

Chokhi Dhani: 

This place will take you on a journey through Rajasthani culture.  It is about 19km from Jaipur city. We booked a car from the RTDC help desk.They charge around 800-1000 rs .

Opening time for Choki Dhani -6.00 pm -11pm
 It is a must visit place for  people who is visiting Rajasthan for the very first time.

You can enjoy rides on camel and elephant, get glimpse of how bangles are made , Rajasthani Art and culture and the famous Rajasthani Dance! You can also shop for beautiful Rajasthani Souvenir but the items were extremely pricey!!!. You can get the same thing at the  local Rajasthani Market at half the price but yes you need to have good bargaining skills. Johari Bazar,  Choti Chopar and Badi Chopar  are the best street shopping area in Jaipur.Dont forget to gift yourself  some precious stones when you are at Jaipur.

The main thing you need to do at Chokhi Dhani is to  try out their mouth watering Rajasthani Food. 
The Traditional Rajasthani style dining  cost around 500 rs Adult   and 350 for children.
Royal Rajasthani Dining in An AC room cost  around 700 rs Adult and 500 for children (  depends on the height of the children)
  We got the ticket for the dinner (the Royal Rajasthani Dinning), I dont know how much ghee and butter I consumed on that day. I could see ghee and butter driping from every single food and it was heavenly!!! You will surely get a foodgasm ! The people who were serving the food will  serve you as many times you want to so dont be shy! It was 10 when we completed our dinner. The day was well spent, and as we have more sightseeing to be done the next day we decided to go back to our hotel .
.

Read More... DAY 2 

Beautiful Prem Mandir , Vrindavan

Fill your mind with me, Love me, Serve me, Worship me always. Seeking me in your heart, you will at last be united with me - Lord Krishna

Prem Mandir 

If you are in Delhi and planning for a trip to Agra and its surrounding areas, keep some time in your hand and make sure you visit the Prem Mandir in Vrindavan. This beautiful temple will make you forget Taj Mahal. Trust me, I am not exaggerating !  This Incredible temple is known as the Temple of Love.It is located in Vrindavan. As I was living in the holy city of Mathura (near Janmabhoomi)  weekend visit to the temple was a must for me! I was so much in love with Prem Mandir. It was about 12 km from Mathura and my  " Dhanno" (scooty ) was always ready for such road trips.

Lord Krishna and Radha with Gopiya

 Who says that fine artists were only found during the Mughal era?This temple will prove you wrong.Made up of Italian Marble, Prem Mandir was built by 1000 of artisans working for 10 long years. The whole temple depicts the story of Lord Krishna engraved beautifully on the marble walls.

Beautiful Chandelier inside the temple

 The chandeliers will make you awestruck with enchantment and the idols of Lord Krishna,  and Lord Ram will make you experience the love of Lord- in the true form of devotion. They are beautifully dressed and heavily ornamented. 

Lord Krishna and Radha

Siya Ram

I usually stay back till 7 in the evening  just to see the aarti.  The temple has been maintained very well. You need to keep your shoes in the shoe counter before entering the temple premises. By dusk the temple gets brightly lit with different colors of light. They are no "Pandas"  to bug your life out. No one will bother you for donations. A soothing breeze and a quiet  humming of Hare Krishna Hare rama from the temple will bring inner peace to your mind.

Evening time-when the temple looks colourful

Beside Prem Mandir you can also visits places like Banke Bihari Temple, Vaishno Mata Temple,and  Iskon Temple.They are all lined up one after the another.

Mandir Timing :  Morning : 8.30 -12 noon
                             Evening: 4.30-8.30pm

Mr Egg -Non Vegetarian Restaurant In Jamnagar

Jamnagar is completely a vegetarian city. Infact it is very tough to get house for rent if you are nonvegetarian. For those who cannot live without non veg food like me ,need to hunt for house that do allow cooking nonveg food. I found few hotels and restaurant that serves non veg food in Jamnagar and I am  going to post them up on my blog page and Mr Egg Food Restaurant is one of them. 

Location :  second floor of the Apurva Plaza. Near NEO Square  PN Marg, Jamnagar 361008.

It's little tough to locate the restaurant as  there isn't much hoarding around. But 150 delicious egg is what they promise to serve their customer. It is open  7 days a week from 11am-11pm
The food was tasty and not too spicy, we bought  egg biriyani and egg fried rice which cost around rs 120 and rs 99.It also offers candle light dinner every wednesday.
 I would rate this restaurant 4 out of 5 and also planning to  try out there American Rabdi which is made with cheese and egg yolk. 
They also offer home delivery within 3 km 

Pavagadh Blog( Kalika Mata Temple), Gujarat

Crossing the Hills

Way to the mandir ( Image copyright: Sudeshna Sarkar)

Pavagadh Hill is about 45 km away from Vadodara City In Gujarat.  My Trip to Gujarat was simple due to my husband's emergency work at Dahej.  we decided to  make a trip to Pavagadh the day we had our flight back home.  We heard it is one of the oldest Kali temple built in the 11th century and draws thousands of pilgrims every year .  The place is Known to be UNESCO heritage site.

So, we set out for Kali temple in Pavagadh, Baroda. The monsoon was too much in Gujarat.It was drizzling  throughout. From the crowded city, we entered a quiet  hilly region.It was green everywhere ad surrounded with mountains. The roads were curvy and the scene was beautiful. 

The temple was up on the hills and one can either take a rope-way or climb the mountain which would take more than an hour. We got  the ticket. The rope-way was  enclosed and was pretty safe. It was pretty decent, compared to any other  rope-way in our country specially Rajgir. The temple was built in the 11th century and represent Mahakali.

The ticket Cost around 90 INR one way ride.  Some people preferred walking. But in the rain  the roads were extremely muddy.The kali temple was on the hilltop and on a ropeway ride it was a mesmerizing scene.It took 15min to reach the point. From there we had to walk again for another 15min. The roads and the steps were extremely muddy. Donkey’s poop was also quite annoying and it was everywhere.  We both managed a good darshan, the wind chill was making me feel sick as I was all drenched in the rain. Without any delay we returned back to our car and proceed for our journey back home I loved the  greenery but if I visit the place I will surely avoid monsoon season.

• 

Nirvana Organic Kitchen, Mukteshwar

An organic kitchen in the midst of  sleepy Mukteshwar  hill station serving delicious food.I ordered Pasta in white sauce and it was amazing.Infact their Indian preparations were also delicious.My husband ordered chicken and noodles and it was also lipsmacking. You can buy organic herbs from there little counter too...they are  good and fresh. I bought few of them. Apart from that, the sitting area was warm and cosy ,you can sit outside too for a good view of the mountains(if only you are lucky).

Visit Mukteshwar temple early in the morning and while returning make sure you stop by Nirvana Organic Kitchen for a very cosy and a memorable lunch.

I would rate this restaurant 4 out of 5

Accomodation at Periyar ,Kerala -Carmelia Haven Resort

Our accomodation at Periyar was booked by Make My Trip. But if you choose to stay near the Periyar tiger reserve then this shouldn't be your choice. My husband and I both  wanted to stay near the reserve but as our trip was customized by Make my trip so we couldn't help  but  stay here.Our  entire KERALA trip was customized by them. Though it  came out costly and  we could have made a foreign tour out of that money, but it was truly memorable.
The resort had some Pros and cons. 

Carmelia Haven is 30km away from Periyar Tiger Reserve which is bad and therefore you need a car constantly with you.We had our cottage booked near the pool side.   The cottage was very comfortable, the room was luxurious and decorated with classy furniture. The  bathroom was stylish . Sitting in the balcony at night you can here the sound of wild animals which was very adventurous.  It was winter when we visited and therefore they arranged campfire and  cultural show. After the show we  played badminton and tennis .  Dinner was overpriced and not  that good in terms of amount,and taste. The hotel is located in such a place that you won't have option to hangout .  I think being a 4.5 star hotel , the hospitality was not up to the mark. Services delayed. The cottage had power problem. Ideal for honeymooners.

Hotel Class-4.5 /5

Birding in Kolkata Chintamony Kar Bird Sanctuary

Our visit to Chintamani Kar Bird Sanctuary was accompanied by  nature lover and close friend of ours SwarnamberChoudhury.

Chintamani Kar  bird sanctuary is actually a garden  (kayaler bagan). Growing up in kolkata, I never knew that there is a bird sanctuary in the busy streets of Kolkata.So with our gear ready we headed for the sanctuary-We reached there in the afternoon at 1pm.

Direction to Chintamani Kar Bird Sanctuary: This bird sanctuary is in Rajpur. You need to cross Narendrapur Ram Krishna Mission and at Rajpur Mor you need to turn  right .( ask any small shop at that point, they will show you the direction.)
Metro: Garia Metro
Auto is also easily available.
Ps.Small Pan shop can be a great help in asking  direction.

Entry time - 6 am -5pm
Ticket -50 rs

I feel that 50 rs for such a tiny  sanctuary ( rather Mango garden)for only  residential bird is not worth.The place is not maintained. The small pools and water area(pond) were dry, no one bothers to fill it with water for birds. The Guards were sitting and chatting around. Bird lovers dont mind  paying 50 rs for the ticket, but its complete robbery.
 Bharatpur Bird sanctuary charges 50 rs for their exotic birds and that is meaningful and well maintained with water and various grass and algae for their foreign friends.

The jungle was quiet dense, but full of Mosquitoes.  photography was impossible.  Odomos or something similar to it is a must to keep mosquitoes away
Its a tropical forest therefore spotting birds was next to impossible..Even with my binocular I could not spot them.
One of the rare bird I saw was Night Jar,
Lighting Condition was extremely poor , out of 20 shots, 2 came good of the Nightjar. Mosquitoes were the main reason.!!!
I could hear the birds but couldnt spot them.  At one point of time I gave up (Huge neck pain)


You might encounter with snakes too, therefore  its good to go during winter.
Monsoon should be strictly avoided.

By 4 pm  we came out of the sanctuary and on the way in my car I kept scratching my feet.  Finally returned home with sore red feet and  hand.

Some Common Bird  _

Bee eater
Barbet ( different kind)
Wood Pecker
Jungle Babbler
Owl
NightJar
Paradise Fly catcher (rare sighting)
Golden Oriole
 Sun bird
Drongo

One needs to have Minimum of  250 mm lense and a 50/50 binocular for birding in this kind of tropical forest.

Book reference for identifying the birds

http://www.flipkart.com/birds-ind-subcontinent-2-rev-ed-2nd/p/itmczyt8ck3x2ape