Shree Badrish Hotel

Get most things locally

by David&Pauline

This really depends on the time of year, it does get very cold in winter but snow is rare. We were here at the end of the rainy season, hot and wet, so a folding umbrella would be useful. Sandals make for sensible footwear; it saves you ringing out your socks on a daily basis, as the rainwater can get quite deep. We didn't take much in the way of sun protection, as it tends to be cloudy for the most part. Most kinds of clothing, to suit your time of visit, are available in the town and much cheaper than in your hometown, wherever that may be. No special medication though we'd all had a hepatitis A jab a while ago and kept our tetanus dosage topped up. The local doctor is brilliant at flushing out any impurities you may have picked up on your journey here; Rishikesh is very clean by Indian standards.

Kempty falls

by shobhanaj

This was an unexpected sight. The drive to the falls is breathtaking. And if you are there at a time when there are only clouds in the sky with rain, it is magic. The water of the falls is ice cold - so much so that the local cold drink sellers put crates of bottles in the pool and let it cool!!

Tera Manzil Temple

by RAJASTHANBYCAR

A multistory temple complex of idols of hindu Gods, and Goddesses. Very popular among the domestic pilgrims. One can have an excellent view of the entire area from the top floor of the temple complex. Sunset view from this place in winters is a excellent option.

Rishikesh

by verasingh

"God's place on earth"

This is one place in India where you will find as many foreigners as Indians. Quite favourite with them. People generally go there to take a dip in Ganga and some go there to find spiritualism. I am practically in love with Rishikesh because this place actually makes you spiritual. There is something in the air that makes you peaceful!

There are people coming from all walks of life, some go there just to have fun around weekend, with rock climbing and rafting, some seek fun by putting up in tents. But to me Rishikesh holds serenity that no other place can offer.

If you want to the character of the place, attend ganges' aarty in the evening! A completely transforming experience. You will find everyone behaves like one big family at this congregation.

The mountains and ganges emerging from these mountains takes you another height of consciousness.

I generally go there to get in touch with myself, to

"Haridwar"

If you make Rishikesh your base. There are many places you can touch upon like Haridwar, where again there are many places to see like Har ki paidhi and other famous ghats, Mansa Devi.

This is the place where river Ganges touches the plane for the first time, hence place is considered to be very significant in Hindu mythology

"Dehradun"

Rishikesh

by David&Pauline

"Back to the Sixties"

We never really believed in time travel, until we found ourselves transported back to 1967, the moment we arrived at High Bank auto rickshaw stand and hiked the last mile across the Lakshman Jhula Bridge into a place where time has almost stood still. Motorcycles and the odd shared jeep are the only motor vehicles allowed into Lakshman Jhula and Swarg Ashram, the pilgrim centres of Rishikesh. What were probably Milk Bars in the sixties are now Internet Cafes but the shops are selling more or less the same things, as the first wave of hippies would have bought in 1967. The new wave of designer hippies, mostly from Israel and France, look very well off and enjoy posing but the sixties visitors were pretty much an elite too. At least Rishikesh is no longer the exclusive holiday destination of pop stars and Hollywood soap actors. What was unobtainable for Pauline and I in 1967, is now quite easy on the pocket. It?s a fine world we live in, we never thought we'd get here and if we did, we were sure we'd be disappointed, not a bit of it. We'd been given our youth back and Sam, who's the age we should have been, had the chance to see the beauty this place has to offer. Our challenge was to survive eight days in an alcohol free town and did we miss it? Certainly not, we were high on the atmosphere here all the time and blown away by some of the finest vegetarian food we have ever tasted. Forget a couple of weeks on a so-called health farm in the wilds of Wiltshire, for the same amount of money you can come to Rishikesh. Detox here, tune in to the temple chanting and turn on to one of the most relaxing spots on Earth. Welcome back to 1967!