I had always wanted to travel, but as a single woman I had no idea how to go about it. Then I saw a post by WeGoBondin a Facebook group regarding an all-women tour to Andretta, Himachal Pradesh. The funny thing is, I have never travelled before, and had never even heard of this place Andretta! But I got this positive gut feeling about this tour, so I immediately booked my spot. My excitement grew day by day as the date of our departure neared. I would be travelling with a group of other women travellers, and the idea of this all-women trip sounded so much fun!
And finally it was time to leave! There is no doubt that there was magic in the air the night we left. I got my favorite berth–the side upper—in the train from Delhi to Pathankot. Yeah!! Andretta is a four-hour drive from Pathankot and there were Innovas booked to take us there. The atmosphere had a feel-good element to it, and of course I was happy and excited… But when we reached the home-stay booked for us, I was left breathless…
It was drizzling lightly, and everything looked so bright and fresh… The cheerful chirping of the birds… Dainty cottages set in the foothill of a small hill… The narrow footpath leading to the cottages lined with flowering shrubs on both sides… The air heavy with the scent of spring blossoms and the fragrance of the wet earth… Wow!! Just how surreal everything was! I felt as if I had walked right into some children’s fairy-tale!
I kind of went into the real-life mode at the meal time. I am a vegan, and how convenient would it be for me to get a decent vegan meal? I need not have worried! To my surprise, the kitchen staff, and even the owners of the cottage took extra efforts to ensure that I felt at home. Over the course of our stay, they actually made many special vegan dishes for me in addition to what were by default vegan–ratatouille, apple crumble with coconut flakes, raw fruit cake with spicy ginger syrup, banana ice cream with choco sauce n almonds, vegetable pie, and sandwiches with home-baked vegan bread!! Wow!!
Andretta’s such a beautiful place, all calm and peaceful—away from the hustle-bustle of city life. I went for long walks and discovered a couple of streams, trekked over a small hill, observed the greenery and flowers, watched the birds, and took a lot of pictures. WeGoBondhad also booked pottery classes for us.
Andretta’s such a beautiful place, all calm and peaceful—away from the hustle-bustle of city life. I went for long walks and discovered a couple of streams, trekked over a small hill, observed the greenery and flowers, watched the birds, and took a lot of pictures. WeGoBondhad also booked pottery classes for us.
The highlight of the tour was the paragliding. I will never forget the drive to Bir-Billing. Those narrow, precariously winding www.viagrasansordonnancefr.com mountain roads… The light drizzle, the wispy white clouds floating by… The Rhododendron trees in full bloom, studded with blood red flowers–a pop of color in the dreamy, misty atmosphere of the hills… The excitement kept on building until it was time to actually paraglide—what an awesome experience it was! Floating above the green hills, with snow-capped mountain ranges glistening silver in the background, the huge Rhododendron trees looking like rose bushes below you, the cool mountain air caressing your face… So exhilarating-totally out of the world!!
By the time we boarded the train back to Delhi, I was totally exhausted but deeply fulfilled. The experience was so rejuvenating and spiritually uplifting. I sincerely feel blessed to have been on this trip, and am eagerly looking forward to travel with WeGoBond again.
