Chopta - Mini switzerland of Uttrakhand (India)

                           

Chopta

If there’s one love story that never ends in my life, it’s me and the mountains. Every time I think I’ve seen it all, the Himalayas smirk and say, “Beta, abhi toh party shuru hui hai.” So, one fine midnight, me and three of my long-lost friends decided to embark on a road trip to a mysterious, not-so-touristy place called Chopta.

Google had whispered that Chopta is also called the Mini Switzerland of India, and honestly, that was enough to get us packing. Located about 450 km from Delhi via Rishikesh, Chopta is the base point for the famous Tungnath Temple (the highest Shiva temple in the world) and the Chandrashila trek. Basically, this was going to be part road trip, part spiritual cleanse, and part “let’s test our car tires against Himalayan roads.”

Alwar - The Gateway to Rajasthan, India

Most people plan roses, gifts, and candlelight dinners for Valentine’s Day. Me? I looked at the calendar, realized the 14th was around the corner, and thought, *“Well, love might not be in the air for me, but diesel fumes surely are!”* 🚗💨

So, instead of sulking, I called up my equally single friends (our WhatsApp group is literally used to be called “Forever Aloners”) and within hours we had a plan — a road trip from Delhi to Alwar, one of the quirkiest yet charming weekend getaways from Delhi.