My parents love travelling, but with growing responsibilities, they barely found time to go on long trips. So, when their 25th wedding anniversary came around, my sister and I decided to surprise them with their dream vacation.
Even though we had travelled to the mountains before, our parents always wanted a classic Uttarakhand tour. Our only problem was that Dad would only get a maximum of fifteen leave days from his office, so we had to plan accordingly.
PLANNING WITH THRILLOPHILIA
Time was limited, and destinations were too many. After some intense googling, we stumbled across Thrillophilia’s ‘Sacred Paths of Uttarakhand’ package. It covered all our desired destinations, that too, within 10 days! For a moment it looked too perfect to be genuine, so we consulted Thrillophilia reviews for some affirmation.
Honestly, when we contacted the team, we did not expect the all-round support we got from them. All we had to do was tell them our preferences and requirements, and they did everything for us. From bookings to planning itineraries, we had nothing to worry about. When the anniversary finally came along, our parents’ happiness on seeing the tickets was worth all our late-night discussions and detailed budget plans.
GOING FROM HOLY SIGHTS TO HEAVENLY HEIGHTS
It is kind of wild that even after living in Delhi NCR for so many years, we had never been to Haridwar. But that changed on the first day of our trip as we drove into the holy town. Just like reviews of Thrillophilia had mentioned, there is something different in the town’s vibe, a feeling that got intensified as we drove closer to Maa Ganga.
There was a lot to see and do in Haridwar, starting from the cable car rides to Chanda Devi and Mansa Devi temples. The views from up top are simply unparalleled. But the best experience in Haridwar was definitely the Maa Ganga Aarti at Har ki Pauri. As the chants echoed in the evening air and the crowd prayed together, it was enchanting to feel the spirituality around.
After the temples of Haridwar, our next day was for the stunning views of Rishikesh. My sister and I loved the views from the Ram Jhula, while our parents loved visiting the Gita Bhawan, Sivananda Ashram, and Parmarth Niketan Ashram. And if you are in Rishikesh, the Triveni Ghat aarti is something you should definitely go for before wrapping up your visit.
The mountains were calling from the third day onwards as we headed to Dehradun. We started at Sahastradhara and then went to the iconic Robber Caves for a fun adventure. The thing with Uttarakhand is that Gods and their temples can be found anywhere. So of course, we wrapped up our day by visiting the Tapkeshwar Temple and then enjoying an evening cup of tea.
If you feel Dehradun is beautiful, you are not ready for Mussoorie. They call it the Queen of Hills, and it truly lives up to the title. My dad and sister had an absolute blast at the Kempty Falls, while my mom and I loved the incredible panoramic views from Gun Hill. The one thing we all loved was shopping and walking down the Mall Road. As we saw our parents sipping on tea and admiring the mountains, it felt like they were reliving their youth together.
The next two days were for Jim Corbett, as we all had always wanted to go for a safari experience. For the first day, we simply admired the beauty of the green forests, tall mountains, and the Ramganga River from Kalagarh Dam. But the safari day was definitely one of the top highlights of the trip. We actually spotted two tigers and even a herd of deer, along with elephant footprints!
Our final destination was Nainital, where we had two days. Honestly, I could have just lived on the banks of Naini Lake for those two days, even forever. The blue lake, the colourful boats, the mountains surrounding it, it all felt like a dream. The town is enchanting in the best way and we went to every attraction here. We prayed at Naina Devi Temple, shopped at Mall Road, and admired the views from Tiffin Point and Snow View Point. Keeping the best for the last, we spent our final evening boating across the beautiful Naini lake.
As we drove back to Delhi the next morning, we didn’t feel like coming home. The mountains had always been a family favourite, and exploring them with a spiritual touch in Uttarakhand made us love them more. However, even if my sister and I had managed to plan this, we couldn’t have made it as smooth as Thrillophilia did. Definitely planning our next vacation with this incredible team!
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