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In 1889, Paris hosted an Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) to mark the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution. More than 100 artists submitted competing plans for a monument to be built on the Champ-de-Mars, located in central Paris, and serve as the exposition’s entrance. The commission was granted to Eiffel et Compagnie, a consulting and construction firm owned by the acclaimed bridge builder, architect and metals expert Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel. While Eiffel himself often receives full credit for the monument that bears his name, it was one of his employees—a structural engineer named Maurice Koechlin—who came up with and fine-tuned the concept. Several years earlier, the pair had collaborated on the Statue of Liberty’s metal armature. If you dare, you are allowed to walk on the 187-foot-high see-through floor found near the first floor’s 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant. Be forewarned: Even those without a fear of heights may find the experience a little intimidating.

Lagoon Fishing Lagoon Fishing: If you enjoy fishing, you can do so at the lagoons in Lakshadweep. What more! Some hotels even arrange night trips to these lagoons.

The ‘Chadar’ is a perfect example of this resourcefulness of the Ladakhis and their indomitable spirit, in the face of such daunting odds. The term ‘Chadar’ means blanket in the local language, thereby giving an indication to the nature of this whole experience. Large sections of the river Zanskar, which is one of the mightiest rivers in Ladakh, freeze over in the dead of winter and are covered by a thick blanket of ice. This frozen blanket or ‘Chadar’ is the only way in and out for Zanskaris in winter, when the road and various other caravan routes are closed due to heavy The icy wonderland of the ‘Chadar trek’ snowfall blocking the high passes. It has been their traditional trade route in winter for Centuries. The seven to eight days walk from chilling to Padum is both challenging as well as an incomparably exiting experience. The landscape aquires a pristine grandeur in winter as the trail enters into the gorge of the Zanskar,

Of the many experiences of scuba diving in Andaman, witness the heavy elephants swim along the sea waves. Every season divers and snorkelers from the entire globe are amazed by the weightlessness of these elephants while swimming in the azure waters. How much so every fancy it sounds, its true! You can walk under the sea and explore the exquisite corals and variety of fish species under water.Get high on nature as you dive down the purple corals on barren island. Go cave diving here and explore the beautiful rock structures, boulders covered in patches of multi-coloured fluorescent corals.Get high on nature as you dive down the purple corals on barren island. Go cave diving here and explore the beautiful rock structures, boulders covered in patches of multi-coloured fluorescent corals. Get high on nature as you dive down the purple corals on barren island. Go cave diving here and explore the beautiful rock structures, boulders covered in patches of multi-coloured fluorescent corals.

Taj Mahal  "a monument of immeasurable beauty".   Taj Mahal "the epitome of love". The beauty of this monument is such that it is beyond the scope of words. The thoughts that come into the mind while watching the Taj Mahal of Agra in India  is not just its phenomenal beauty, but the immense love which was the reason behind its construction. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. The very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance leaves one mesmerized. Taj Mahal, for numerous reasons, has been a muse for many poets and painters from the many past centuries.  It has been a center of attraction not only for Indian poets but for poets from foreign lands as well. Sir Edwin Arnold, an English poet describes The Taj in his words, "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passion of an emperor's love wrought in living stones. Before the time of Shah Jahan , most of the Mughal monuments were built only with red sandstone but it was during the reign of Shah Jahan that he encouraged the use of white marble encrusted with semi-precious stones. Along with this, the interior as well as the exterior of the Taj Mahal consist of othed work of art as well such as jail-work, inlay work, Herringbone, Plant motifs, Spandrel detail,ncised painting, Reflective tiles, Calligraphy of Persian poems as well as  Finial Floor Tiling. The call of the muezzin hung in the air, suspended for a moment in time….A timeless moment which recalled the past glory of the Mughal empire and the unsurpassed love of one of its architects, Shah Jahan, for his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal.  The Taj Mahal stood silent, an eloquent testimony of eternal love, etched against the perfect evening sky. As crimson rays tinged the flawless façade of the Taj Mahal, a delicate pink, the people bowed in homage as they recalled the poignant saga of love encapsulated in the annals of history. A lyric in luminous marble, the Taj Mahal stands on the banks of the river Yamuna.  Immovable and unsurpassed in its beauty, yet the Taj Mahal has moved thousands of people to an expression of eloquent emotion. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal was designed by a Persian architect named Ustad Isa, at the behest of the heart.-broken Mughal king - Shah Jahan – to fulfill the last wish of his wife.

This beautiful place bears a very striking resemblance to Switzerland’s topography, the well-known romanticizing location. Khajjar is located at the foot of Dhauladkar, in the lap of Himalayas and is 2000 meters above sea level.Khajjiar (Hindi: खज्जियार) is a hill station in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh, India, located approximately 24 km from Dalhousie. Khajjiar sits on a small plateau with a small stream-fed lake in the middle that has been covered over with weeds. The hill station is surrounded by meadows and forests. It is about 6,500 feet (2,000 m) above sea level in the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges of the Western Himalayas and peaks can be seen in the distance. It is part of the Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary.Khajjiar can be reached from Dalhousie, the nearest major town and hill station, by bus in an hour or so. It has a rare combination of three ecosystems: lake, pasture and forest. The best entertainment in Khajjiar is to walk around the lake or to go for long walks in the thick pine forests. Children enjoy this place because of the freedom of movement and the sloped terrain which permits them to roll down to the lake without getting hurt. Another attraction is horse riding. Khajjiar Lake is a small lake, surrounded by saucer-shaped lush green meadow and a floating island. The dense growth of weed called vacha has made its earth spongy. Now the banks stand covered by a thick layer of earth, formed by the years of dust settling down on the weeds. Khajjiar offers numerous trekking opportunities. Khajjiar to Dainkund is a 3.5 kilometre easy to moderate trek. The trek starts 6 kilometres from Khajjiar on the Dalhousie-Khajjiar road and ends at Pholani Devi Temple at Dainkund. This trek with a well-defined trail and moderate ascent is an excellent trek for beginners and children. The trek offers excellent views and a beautiful camping site.

Imagine nothingness and then imagine it some more! Being one of the remote places in India and the largest salt desert in the world, the Rann of Kutch comes to life somewhere in October as the otherwise watered locale begins to dry up. Try making it to Kala Dungar (Black Hill) and experience a panoramic view from 458 meters above sea level. Located at the far Western edge of Gujarat, Kutch is not part of the usual tourist trail. Whilst many wander through Rajasthan for a view of the desert, far less venture over to the other side of the Thar desert to explore this spectacular region. This makes it the perfect place to be at. It isn’t just a desert you see, but rather a cultural celebration, something that the Gujarat Government has now tried to bottle in its annual festival of Rann Utsav.   The Great Rann of Kutch is a seasonal salt marsh located in the Thar Desert in the Kutch District of Gujarat, India and the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is about 7,505.22 square kilometres (2,897.78 sq mi) in size and is reputed to be one of the largest salt desert in the world.[1] This area has been inhabited by the Kutchi people. The name "Rann" comes from the Hindi word ran (रण) meaning "desert". The Hindi word is derived from Sanskrit/Vedic word iriṇa (इरिण) attested in the Rigveda and Mahābhārata. As early as 325 BCE, Alexander the Great was aware of the areaThe Great Rann of Kutch is a seasonal salt marsh located in the Thar Desert in the Kutch District of Gujarat, India and the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is about 7,505.22 square kilometres in size and is reputed to be one of the largest salt desert in the world. This area has been inhabited by the Kutchi people.

The ‘Mecca’ of all road trips in India, the Manali-Leh Highway has always been a favourite. Be it for the groups or solo travellers, this route outshines any other backpacking trips in India. All -you need to do: get geared up for some adventure, hit the road and reach nowhere! Passing mountains and villages, passing people who are going about their business in a more simple way what will get you appreciate both nature and simplicity. The Leh–Manali Highway is a highway in northern India connecting Leh in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir state and Manali in Himachal Pradesh state. It is open for only about four and a half months in a year in summer between May or June, when the snow is cleared, and mid-October when snowfall again blocks the high passes. It connects Manali valley to Lahaul and Spiti valleys and Zanskar valley in Ladakh. The average elevation of Leh-Manali highway is more than 4,000 m (13,000 feet)[1] and its highest elevation is 5,328 m (17,480 ft) at Tanglang La mountain pass. It is flanked by mountain ranges on both sides featuring some stunning sand and rock natural formations. The highway crosses many small streams of ice-cold water from snow-capped mountains and glacial melts without a bridge and it requires driving skill to negotiate fast-flowing streams. The landscape changes immediately after getting past Rohtang Pass and entering into Chandra river valley in Lahaul region that lies in rain-shadow. The greenery on the southern side of the mountain pass disappears and the mountain slopes on the leeward side become brown and arid. However, the mountain peaks are covered in snow and shine brightly in sun. Leh-Manali highway is generally two lanes wide without a road-divider but has only one or one and a half lanes at some stretches. It has over a dozen bailey bridges and most of them are in dilapidated condition. The highway has many damaged stretches and under-maintenance portions where even a little rainfall can trigger landslide making it very dangerous to cross that stretch of the road. The riding quality is not good at many places and fast speeds can cause discomfort.

Of the many experiences of scuba diving in Andaman, witness the heavy elephants swim along the sea waves. Every season divers and snorkelers from the entire globe are amazed by the weightlessness of these elephants while swimming in the azure waters. How much so every fancy it sounds, its true! You can walk under the sea and explore the exquisite corals and variety of fish species under water.Get high on nature as you dive down the purple corals on barren island. Go cave diving here and explore the beautiful rock structures, boulders covered in patches of multi-coloured fluorescent corals.Get high on nature as you dive down the purple corals on barren island. Go cave diving here and explore the beautiful rock structures, boulders covered in patches of multi-coloured fluorescent corals. Get high on nature as you dive down the purple corals on barren island. Go cave diving here and explore the beautiful rock structures, boulders covered in patches of multi-coloured fluorescent corals.