Take a trip to Guwahati now, instead of one of the mainstream places, just for once try and experience the serenity and feeling that a small town or in this case less known place gives you.
Travelling is surely something in itself, and while one should definitely visit the major cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, etc. but you should also not forget that there are so many other places in our country that are still yet undiscovered and untraveled by many.
Fortunately, though, tourism is rising for more of these unexplored cities that boast of a rich culture and history. Hotels, both chain ones and small family run type are popping up in these places. One can easily find a multitude of hotels in Dehradun, Lucknow, Mysore, Udaipur, Jhansi and more without much hassle.
This time is perfect to take a visit to the city of Guwahati, the largest city in Assam and yes there is another city in Assam apart from its capital Dispur.
Why Guwahati?
Guwahati is somehow the perfect blend of modern concrete and the olden ancient flavours of India. Even if you are not particularly religious, this ‘City of Temples’ is not one to miss out on for the many ancient Hindu temples that it houses. You can marvel at the wonderful architecture and build of these temples and even take a peek at the colonial-era mansions that still exist in the city.
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How To Get To Guwahati
One would be wrong to assume that like a select few north-eastern, every city in that area is hard to reach. Instead, and it might surprise you but you can reach Guwahati by a wide range of transportation such as road, air, and train.
Guwahati has an airport about 20 kilometers away from the main city called Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Borjhar that is also the 13th busiest airport in the country.
It receives flights from practically every major city like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and even Bangkok and other destinations.
You can catch a flight from Delhi using either Jet Airways or IndiGo that are straight non-stop and are priced at INR 3,921 and 3,765 respectively. There are other major airlines too flying here and back like Air India, SpiceJet and more.
You can even catch a train from Delhi to Guwahati that will take you to the Guwahati Junction that is located at the Paltan Bazaar. You can take the Guwahati Rajdhani or the North East Express whose tickets are for less than a 1,000 bucks.
However, a word of caution is that while travel time by air is only 2 and a half hours, by train it is a slightly longer journey of almost 10 hours on one side.
Where To Stay In Guwahati
If you want to splurge and have a nice luxurious stay then the obvious choices would be either the Radisson Blue Hotel Guwahati or the Vivanta by Taj Guwahati. The price for Radisson per night is around 7k and Vivanta is priced around 8k. Which is really not that much if you want to take a short extended weekend trip to this city.
Apart from these are various different and varied hotels in Guwahati in all kinds of price ranges, one being the Brahmaputra Jungle Resort that is much more in budget with one-night pricing being 3k and you could also look online for any discounts on hotels.
All of these hotels have free WiFi and airport transportation.
What To Do In Guwahati
If one goes to Guwahati a must visit place, Kamakhya Temple. This temple built in around 7th or 8th century is house to about 20 temples within it and is one of the oldest of the 51 Shakti Pithas.
The Kamakhya Temple is located in the western part of Guwahati on the Nilachal Hill and this one is the main temple that is built in the name of the ten Mahavidyas.
Apart from this, one must also visit the ISKCON Guwahati that is located near the Ulubari Junction. The temple along with the scenic beauty it is surrounded by is truly something to experience.
Also, there is the Saraighat Bridge, Guwahati Planetarium, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and much more.
You can also take a boat cruise at the Brahmaputra river and do mountain biking.
For shopping, and especially traditional Assamese garments one must visit the Paltanbazaar.
So don’t wait too long and take a trip over to this beautiful and bustling with life and culture city.
Image Credits: Google Images
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