Continued from previous post - "At Delhi".
This is the last post in the ‘Trip to Auli’ series though I will be continuing with the rest of the trip later. Before I do that let me list out a few tips for people looking to visit Auli.
The first tip is to get yourself a good credit card that offers discounts on hotel and flight bookings. Saves you quite a few rupees. If you already have such a card, you are good to go.
We did our bookings (flight, train, hotel bookings) online atleast a month and half in advance, so I suggest you do the same. Flight and hotel bookings in Dehradun were done via makemytrip.com. We got hotel discount coupons when booking flight tickets so it again saved us some moolah. So do check if the offer is still there and book the flight BEFORE the hotel. If you are not planing to use the hotel discount coupons, book tickets at the respective airline website, after finding the cheapest deal @ ixigo.com. Booking directly at the airline website will save you the transaction charges that you would otherwise pay to sites like makemytrip.
Train bookings were done via irctc.co.in as the rates were a few hundred rupees cheaper than makemytrip.com.
The available options for hotels in Joshimath are GMVN, Hotel Dranagiri and Royal Village Resort. Dronagiri was the best option during the time we went. They did not have an online booking counter and hence we needed to book the hotel by email. A token amount, say 50% of the amount, needed to be transferred into Dronagiri’s SBI account. Ours was a ‘Deluxe’ double bed room for 4 days and 5 nights. They gave us a discount for staying 5 nights. So remember to inquire if they still have this offer when you book your rooms. You can get the other details from their website.
The adventure shop that we had done business with was Himalayan Snow Runners (I finally remembered the name). Once in Joshimath you can contact him if needed. His shop is near a junction after the taxi stand.
The weather is extremely dry, so pack your shampoos, moisturizers and sun screen lotions. Sun glasses also, if you have one. Do not forget the first aid kit though.
Pack all your warm clothing. Thermals are most important – buy a good quality one. Thicker thermals are not necessarily the best. Better to have more than one pair of gloves and umpteen pairs of socks (please change your socks often ;) ).
Have a big bottle of water with you at all times and drink it too – it’s extremely dehydrating. Carry good shoes – chappals/sandals are a big no-no.
Carry sufficient cash from the last city you leave behind before Auli so that there is no tension like we had.
Do keep in mind when packing that you can carry at most 20 Kgs per person on the flight.
Do not forget to eat Maggi at Gajendar’s shop :D . Did I mention it costs only Rs. 30 per plate?
Do check out these videos on Auli here and here by NDTV Seven Wonders of India.
And I know, like a good tourist, you will not litter the place and help keep the area clean and green. If and when you go to Auli, give my love to Sheru… Kidding ;) . If and when you go to Auli do share your experiences with me :) Happy Journey :)
Continued.
This is the last post in the ‘Trip to Auli’ series though I will be continuing with the rest of the trip later. Before I do that let me list out a few tips for people looking to visit Auli.
The first tip is to get yourself a good credit card that offers discounts on hotel and flight bookings. Saves you quite a few rupees. If you already have such a card, you are good to go.
We did our bookings (flight, train, hotel bookings) online atleast a month and half in advance, so I suggest you do the same. Flight and hotel bookings in Dehradun were done via makemytrip.com. We got hotel discount coupons when booking flight tickets so it again saved us some moolah. So do check if the offer is still there and book the flight BEFORE the hotel. If you are not planing to use the hotel discount coupons, book tickets at the respective airline website, after finding the cheapest deal @ ixigo.com. Booking directly at the airline website will save you the transaction charges that you would otherwise pay to sites like makemytrip.
Train bookings were done via irctc.co.in as the rates were a few hundred rupees cheaper than makemytrip.com.
The available options for hotels in Joshimath are GMVN, Hotel Dranagiri and Royal Village Resort. Dronagiri was the best option during the time we went. They did not have an online booking counter and hence we needed to book the hotel by email. A token amount, say 50% of the amount, needed to be transferred into Dronagiri’s SBI account. Ours was a ‘Deluxe’ double bed room for 4 days and 5 nights. They gave us a discount for staying 5 nights. So remember to inquire if they still have this offer when you book your rooms. You can get the other details from their website.
The adventure shop that we had done business with was Himalayan Snow Runners (I finally remembered the name). Once in Joshimath you can contact him if needed. His shop is near a junction after the taxi stand.
The weather is extremely dry, so pack your shampoos, moisturizers and sun screen lotions. Sun glasses also, if you have one. Do not forget the first aid kit though.
Pack all your warm clothing. Thermals are most important – buy a good quality one. Thicker thermals are not necessarily the best. Better to have more than one pair of gloves and umpteen pairs of socks (please change your socks often ;) ).
Have a big bottle of water with you at all times and drink it too – it’s extremely dehydrating. Carry good shoes – chappals/sandals are a big no-no.
Carry sufficient cash from the last city you leave behind before Auli so that there is no tension like we had.
Do keep in mind when packing that you can carry at most 20 Kgs per person on the flight.
Do not forget to eat Maggi at Gajendar’s shop :D . Did I mention it costs only Rs. 30 per plate?
Do check out these videos on Auli here and here by NDTV Seven Wonders of India.
And I know, like a good tourist, you will not litter the place and help keep the area clean and green. If and when you go to Auli, give my love to Sheru… Kidding ;) . If and when you go to Auli do share your experiences with me :) Happy Journey :)
Continued.
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