Sikkim’s first airport in Pakyong to be operational from December 2016

Sikkim’s first airport is expected to be operational from December 2016, with provision for direct connectivity to the land locked state thereby boosting tourism. The airport is coming up at Pakyong, 35 Km from Gangtok. Currently, the nearest airport is Bagdogra in West Bengal from where one has to drive down to Sikkim.

The airport, spread over 400 ha (990 acres). It is the first Greenfield airport to be constructed in the Northeastern Region of India and the only airport in the state of Sikkim. The airport is being built by the Airport Authority of India featuring a 1,700 m × 30 m (5,577 ft × 98 ft) runway and a 116 m (381 ft) long taxiway connecting it to an apron measuring 106 by 76 metres (348 ft × 249 ft) that can accommodate two ATR 72 aircraft at a time. Also under construction are a terminal building measuring 2,380 m2 (25,600 sq ft) with a capacity of 100 passengers, a car park for 80 vehicles and a fire station cum Air Traffic Control Tower.



#Pakyong
 Pakyong is a small town situated in the foothills of the Himalayas in the Eastern district of Sikkim. It is well connected to Gangtok and Rangpo and lies almost midway, approximately 28 km from either side. Recently the place has come into the limelight due to the first Greenfield Airport for Sikkim which is likely to be completed by 2013.  The existence of old British bunkers at British Killa suggests the intervention of the British in this site. Being one of the Sub Divisional Headquarters of the East District, the place has many well know educational institutes and salubrious climate which promotes floriculture and horticulture. The "National Research Centre for Orchids", (NORC Institute) is also located here facilitating extensive study and research on orchids.

The other places of attraction in Pakyong are the Shivalaya temple, Pacheykhani cave, Changey monastery, Devi Mandir, Karthok monastery and Monks’ Retreat Centre. Wednesday Bazaar 'hart' is a popular local attraction for visitors.

information resourced: google.co.in

Must Know Information for Every Indian Traveler

Countries which Indian Citizen Can Travel Without Visa It is however important to note that there is usually a time limit to how long you can stay in each country which varies significantly. Also, depending on the purpose of travel and how long you intend to stay, you could be eligible to apply for visa or an extension if you were issued one on arrival as the case may be. Before you travel consult embassy  or consulate of the country you are planning to travel to at a time very close to when you intend to travel to confirm that there has not been any recent changes that may affect your travel.

♦ Hong Kong-  Visa not required valid till 14 days

  ♦ Cape Verde- Visa on arrival

♦ Comoros Islands–Visa on arrival

♦ Djibouti-Visa on arrival

♦ Ethiopia– Visa on arrival

♦ Madagascar -Visa on arrival  valid till 30 days

♦ Maldives– Visa on arrival  valid till 30 days

♦ Saint Lucia– Visa on arrival  valid till 6 weeks

♦ Samoa–  Entry Permit for a max. stay of 60 days on arrival.

♦ Jordan– Visa on arrival valid till  2 weeks, must hold US$ 1000

♦ Kenya–   Visa on arrival valid till 3 months

♦ Indonesia– Visa on arrival  valid till 30 days

♦ Laos– Visa on arrival  valid till 30 days

♦ Seychelles – Visa on arrival  valid till  1 month

♦ Palau- Visa on arrival  valid till 30 days

♦ Dominica- Visa not required

♦ Ecuador– Visa not required

♦ El Salvador- Visa not required

♦ Fiji –  Visa not required

♦ Haiti – Visa not required

♦Micronesia- Visa not required

♦ Nepal– Indian citizens may live and work freely in Nepal under the terms of the 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

♦ Bhutan – Visa not required

♦ Grenada–  Visa not required

♦ Mauritius- Visa not required

♦ Réunion –  Visa not required valid till 15  days

♦ Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Visa not required

♦ British Virgin Islands-  Visa not required valid till 30 days

♦ Montserrat-  Visa not required



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Oops!!! Spice Jet did it Again

#SpiceJet is India’s #2 low fare airline that has made flying more affordable for more Indians than ever before. SpiceJet operates 250 daily flights to 40 destinations, including 34 domestic and 6 international.

SpiceJet connects its network using next generation fleet of 20 Boeing 737 and 1 Airbus A319 aircraft, along with 14 Bombardier Q-400 aircraft. The majority of SpiceJet’s fleet offer SpiceMAX, the most spacious economy class seating in India and perhaps the world, as an additional fee option.

SpiceJet, the country’s one of the favourite low-cost carrier, today announced that it achieved the highest Passenger Load Factor (PLF) yet again for September, as per the DGCA statistics. The PLF figure for the month of September stood at 93%. PLF is a measure of aircraft seats utilization, it measures the percentage of seats filled.

This is the sixth month in a row the airline has topped the charts in terms of PLF. It is also the fifth consecutive month SpiceJet has maintained a PLF of over 90%, a feat unparalleled among its peers.

SpiceJet, the country's favourite low-cost carrier, has announced that it has yet again achieved the highest occupancy rate of 92.1% for the month of October, 2015, according to data published by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The airline has set a new benchmark in Indian aviation by achieving over 90% occupancy rate for six consecutive months. It is also the seventh successive month that SpiceJet has registered the highest occupancy rate among all airlines in India.

The airline has also improved its On-Time Performance (OTP) which stands at 86.9% for October. At Mumbai Airport, considered to be one of the busiest airports in the country, SpiceJet has topped the departure OTP charts with 87.8%.

Flight cancellations for the airline have also declined consistently in the past few months, with the rate of cancellation for October, 2015 being just 0.1%, the lowest among all airlines in India. 

With FareHawker Find SpiceJet Airlines offer & book flight tickets at lowest airfares. With FareHawker Get cheapSpiceJet airways air tickets online at FareHawker India.
SpiceJet provides booking for large and small groups, with special discounts and offers. Contact us today for more information. FareHawker Group Booking center helps flyer to booking groups in very lowest possible fare with airlines. Its like for multiple airlines there is single groupdesk has been developed by FareHawker only.

The Facts for Airlines Discounted Fare Offer

From Last Couple of Weeks; AirAsia India and GoAir became the latest domestic airlines to offer discounted tickets for the coming lean season, following SpiceJet, which launched four such offers in July and August. An analysis of such discount sales, where the number of tickets on offer was mentioned by the airline, shows that for all the visibility they generate, most of the time, the pool of tickets on offer is small. From a passenger’s perspective, it turns the proposition into a luck of the draw. From the airline’s perspective, in most cases, it’s about positioning itself as a price player without conceding too much from its profits.


In seven out of 10 offers, the number of discounted seats on offer was less than 10% of the total seats the airline sold during the same period; four were under 5%. There was one offer in which SpiceJet put up about one-third of its ticket block on discount. That same year, SpiceJet posted its largest-ever loss of `1,003 crore and, six months later, its existence was in question. Even after revival, SpiceJet remains the most active on the discounting front, though with a significantly lower percentage of seats.

Above article is sourced by Google Search.

Airlines Group Booking Available

Airlines Group Booking at discounted fare in Spice Jet/Indigo Airlines/ Air India/ Jet Airways/ Air Arabia/ Go Air/ Air Vistara/ AirCosta / Air Pegasus / trujet airlines, booking for group, small group or large group on etc. airlines, any flight group booking query you may directly send to FareHawker GroupDesk

Airline Group fare in india is presently available for below mentioned airlines with best fare. If you have less than 10 passengers and above than 5 passengers travelling together then also you can send us query we will provide you special fare for the same too. also you can email us your details at groupdesk@farehawker.com
Air India Group Fare	Indigo Group Fare	Air Vistara Group Fare
Jet Airways Group Fare	Go Air Group Fare	Spice Jet Group Fare

 

In Group reservation airlines gives discount to the customer but the group booking should be made for more than 10 passengers, Group fare can be obtained by us if you will mail us the exact details and just provide us 4 hours maximum so that we can talk with the airlines like goair, indigo, Vistara airlines, jet airways, SpiceJet regarding the best group fare.

Please Note: Airlines do not accept group enquiries on Sundays and on other public Holidays, and on Saturday after 1300 hrs (01:00 PM) but FareHawker do accept all day all time. 

Helicopter & Air Charter Scope in India

The charter market in India is hovering to expand as big infrastructure projects are being undertaken by the Indian government and private companies, domestically and internationally together. The use of air charter services through helicopters has a clear-cut benefit over scheduled operators because it offers the fastest available mode of transport on short notice, the quickest accessibility to distant areas, requires no waiting time at check-in counters and at airports for connecting flights and thus is an advantage to the time-concerned customer.

However there’s a lack of awareness amongst customers that the premium price of the service saves management time that is otherwise lost in travel. As a result, the cost sometimes turns out to be the limiting aspect for using charter services. But with the changing society, time awareness is rapidly moving along with Indian executives plus the rising demand for connectivity to small cities and distant places is growing daily. These developments will surely originate a demand for the swift mode of transportation to these areas, making the growth of private charter operators inevitable.

Broadened roles of helicopters like fire-fighting, surveillance, road traffic control, e-media reporting, law and order, construction work aids, shuttle services linking airport to city are well-known. The endurance and progress of the air charter market in India will greatly depend on high utilization of the existing fleet which would allow operators to reduce rates and hence make these services affordable to a larger segment of our population and encourage the use of helicopters for various tasks. Additionally, vital improvement in infrastructure, more players entering into this market with an ample fleet, airport charges, relaxation on taxes and broad-minded policies by government agencies will endorse investments in this sector.

FareHawker is India's one of the comprehensive and efficient Private Jet Brokerage Company. With access to operators of the largest networks of luxury flights, we arrange access to the ideal private jet for any given charter flight to any destination in the India as well as internationally, with as little as four hours notice. We felt that there is an urgent need of competent facilitators who are not only alive to these requirements, but also understand aviation in its entirety and thus are qualified to provide suitable means of India travels. We are the team of X-airliners, Helicopter Company & air charter expert professionals, where you can rely for all your aviation needs.

FareHawker - India's Leading Airlines GroupBooking Provider

GROUP FARES

One such special category of airfares is – Group Fares
FareHawker group desk works round the clock providing group fare deals through hundreds of routes across airlines including scheduled carriers & LCCs. As a result of our Ultimate Travel Jockeys efforts to provide best group fare deals, The FareHawker GroupDesk has achieved remarkable success with many large Tour operators, TMCs, MICE agencies, managing their fixed departure program & group travel programs.

FareHawker can fetch you the best & lowest group rates for any sector, irrespective of the destination, group size & budget.

We are specializes in the below group packages :

• Leisure Travel Groups
• Business Travel Groups
• Domestic Travel Groups
• Student Groups
• Charity Groups
• Missionary Groups
• Wedding Groups
• Sports Groups
• Defense Groups
• Government Groups
• Religious Groups
• MICE Groups
• Round the World Groups
• Customized Groups
• And more

Why do the best tour operators rely on the FareHawker Group Desk?

• FareHawker Group Desk :Your Single point partner to manage flights for all your group series movement right from the planning stage to the landing stage. It relieves your product team from time consuming tasks with high level of efficiency and overall cost savings.
• 
  
• They interact with multiple airlines to offer the most economical airfares.
• The dedicated group desk consultants are available round the clock to manage all ticket issuance and itinerary changes.
• The group desk consultants are stationed at different time zones with the respective Product & Tour Managers throughout the process to provide the required assistance with respect to airfare content.

For more information on group air fares call us on +91-95 60063434 or mail us at groupdesk@farehawker.com.

Bhang, Benaras and I Ultimate Travel Jockey @FareHawker

Videshi Baba In Varanasi 

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Varanasi is a holy city for Muslims and Buddhists, and the most revered pilgrimage place for Hindus. Shiva, according to one legend, is supposed to have laid down, and where his body was, where the river Ganga now flows.

It is a city of narrow streets and ancient buildings, perfumed and acrid smells. In Varanasi there are 365 holy days a year and a temple exists to commemorate each. For Hindus, a pilgrimage to Varanasi and a bath in its waters liberates the soul forever from returning to human form.

I'd arrived with no place to stay but quickly found a cheap room in a ramshackle hotel, and then headed out into the thick of it. I wound through streets and alleys in a slightly downhill fashion, and in perhaps an hour or two I'd reached the ghat. The sun was setting and the river was golden and shallow. I could see rows of people and small boats congested on a sandbar in the middle of the holy river.

In no time I arrived at a row of little wooden shacks that were locked up for the day. I could smell the cannabis and knew I was in the right place. Down the street I could see a dozen or more boats moored to poles at water's edge. I decided to come back at dawn then headed back to my room through the bustling streets. The next morning, I was right there, to my surprise most locals were fairly open about talking about chillum than one would expect in an Indian town. The problem and the humor however, came in the form their fantasized stories about the cannabis and the bhang. Funnily enough, each one of them have their own stories to narrate about how the cannabis became so popular in one of the most religious places in the country, and all of them were rife with fantastical details about Lord Shiva and how he loved to have cannabis. This narration, although mystical is also quite interesting, some of them not to mention hilarious as well…  Arun Mishra, our boatman while we traversed across ghats, had one such anecdote to narrate

“In a battle between the Gods and the demons, the Gods had lost. It was then that Lord Vishnu, suggested to churn the ocean for the nectar of immortality and consume it among themselves, the gods and the demons both. It was during this time that Halahal was unleashed- a dangerous poison that could’ve wiped out the entire world. It was then that lord Shiva, in an act of sacrifice swallowed this poison and this is when his neck turned blue. And that is precisely why we call him Neelkanth. We celebrate this deed by consuming ganja or bhang or both.” 

According to another legend…  “Lord Shiva, while upset over some familial row, took to the fields to cool off. There, he took refuge under the shade of a tall cool Marijuana plant. Curious about the plant he ate some leaves from it, and he instantly adopted them as his favorite food.”

Right when we reached the banks of the Kedar ghat, Arun grinned and told in a rather patronizing voice, “Don’t forget. Shiva lives here. Welcome to my city.”

Lowest Air Fare Tickets To or In India

A glorious parade of resplendent charms awaits besotted souls who get hold of flights tickets for the miraculous country called India With a splash of cultural conundrums, a dash of panorama and a burst of historical vestiges, India remains the greatest enigmatic forum on the face of earth, captivating the vacillating attentiveness of even the most judicious of tourist who looks for cheap tickets on flights to travel to the Indian shores.

With its contrastive diversity – from sophisticated cities to petite lantern lit villages, calm temples to bustling bazaars, sun kissed beaches to snow capped mountains, glittering skyscrapers to jarred edifices – it's unsurprising why India is dubbed as one of the most fascinating countries in the world with millions stampeding to bag those flights tickets to this kaleidoscopic land of multihued shades. 

The iconic Taj Mahal alone lures tourists in droves on those cheap flight tickets and then there are other draws which leave them with a problem of plenty - mystical Varanasi, Golden Temple, tranquil Kerala, royal Jaipur, sensual Khajuraho, virginal Andaman and Nicobar islands and the paradisiacal Kashmir are just few places that beckon one and all to book flights tickets to India.

Indeed, spending on those cheap tickets and flights for India is nothing but a chance to grab a colourful smorgasbord of riveting prerogatives – be it adventure, cultural, spiritual, family friendly or solo holidays!

For those booking flights to seek spiritual and cultural nurture, Indian cities pack in oodles of consecrated sites, stimulating traditions, colourful festivals, museums and art galleries; while history lovers may explore India's enthralling historical parade of grand old forts and palaces.

Those netting tickets for an extravagant dose of adrenaline may rush to ride soaring waves or just amble along the many beautiful beaches or head for heart thudding wildlife safaris in its verdant nature reserves.

And then there are traditional charmers like yoga and ayurveda that append another remarkable facet to India holidays. Unveiling perhaps the finest concoction of old and new, tickets on flights landing in India are keys to the golden box laden with blocks of spectacular experiences! 

With its brilliant salmagundi of spiritual appellatives, India packs in impressive celebrations that range from epical fests with scores of entertainment events to pint-size funfairs observed to offer homage to local deities. With so much on offer, it remains quite unsurprising why heaps of visitors are often found scrambling for those cheap deals on tickets for flights bound to India.

October to March is the best time to board flights and unravel the varying shades of colourful Indian canvas. Availability of cheap flights tickets for the destination could be scanty during the time. Book your tickets on flights to India as early as possible to save more and to avail the cheapest available prices!

Ways to Reduce Air Fares for Group Booking

You don’t have to have access to a corporate travel program to save money on group air fares for an annual meeting, incentive trip, leisure groups or weddings.

Although airline tickets continue to account for a greater share of event expenses, it’s possible for event and meeting planners to obtain discount air fares for their group events. Of course, most people know that there’s a long list of small print items to disclaim discount fares associated with an event.

1.  Book 10 or More Travelers

To receive a group discount on air fares, events require a minimum of 10 or more people traveling to a common destination. Airline requirements will vary their terms as it relates to whether or not the travelers must be booked on the same flight. However, much more flexibility will be extended to group events for association meetings, incentive trips and weddings.

2.  Book 11 Months Prior to Travel

It is debatable as to when the most cost effective time to book airline travel may be, but many airlines will allow planners to book as far out as 11 months prior to the date of travel. The earlier when airline tickets are booked, most airlines will still have their more cost effective classes of seats still available.

3.  Name Your Program as a Business Event

Business events are more likely to have attendees who are traveling on multiple flights to the same destination, so airlines offer group travel programs that may be attractive for association meetings and incentive trips. Airlines may offer discount air fares of about 25% off published fares for domestic travel, and the savings may be even more significant depending on the zone where flights originate. These discounts don’t require attendees to originate from the same location.

4.  Request FareHawker for Group Discounts

Many airlines may also offer a discount for site inspections performed by FareHawker Group Consolidator, depending on the potential business associated with the event, so it’s important to find out which airline may offer this option to help offset a portion of your travel expenses. And in order to lure more business, some airlines will also extend staff tickets for event and meeting planners that have several programs (possibly even upgrades).

FareHawker GroupDesk for Airlines Group AirFare 
FareHawker is not a travel agency, we are travel service consultant that specializes in airfare search & group fare arranger. So, we are top accounted with several of the major airlines across the pan India. This means that the airlines know us for high volume of group tickets.We have assigned specific Jockeys to handle all our customers’ needs from airlines. In addition, due to the high volume of group flights we book, we have secured consolidator contracts with many airlines across the India & world.

This recognition allows us to be an effective advocate for our clients, negotiating discount airfares & securing favours when other agencies or travel company can’t. Since we work with so many non-profit organizations, travel agents & travel management companies, we know that every penny counts. Our goal is to provide you with the best value on group airline tickets‚ as well as other additional services.

(10 or more passengers on the same travel itinerary)

Please advise your travel jockey if your dates are flexible or if you can fly from a different city to reduce the cost. Group travel rates are based on how full the flights are. So, checking another date, time or airport may open up flights with more availability, & thus, lower airfares.
It is also helpful to let us know if you’ve already received other group quotes. Airlines will not allow us to offer you a quote if another travel agency is holding space for you.(When our price is lower, they’d be losing money.) In addition, your farehawker travel jockey can use that information to have more negotiating power when approaching competing airlines.

No01 Airlines Group Booking Provider in India

GroupBookings

We know that organising a trip for a group can be challenging that’s why; we at FareHawker have a dedicated team to make it easier for you. Whatever your reason for travel, being a stag/ Leisure Travel, wedding, sports club event, corporate event, golfing trip or a skiing trip, contact one of our experts to help arrange your trip.

If you are ready to make your booking or have a query, give us a call or alternatively mail us at groupdesk@farehawker.com, fill in our online form and one of our experts will be in touch

Click here to complete our online enquiry form or alternatively contact us on +91-9560063434.

To enable our team to deal with your request as efficiently as possible, please have to hand the following information:

§  Preferred date, time and routes you would like to travel on

§  Flight numbers

§  Group size

§  Reason for travel

The benefits of a group booking:

§  When you obtain a quote for your booking, we will save it for certain days, giving you time to decide whether you would like to go ahead.

§  Pay just a deposit of 25% per person from total.

§  Pay the remaining balance up to 21 Days prior to travel.

§  No need to confirm the passengers’ names until 7 Days prior to travel.

§  Free name changes up to 7 days prior to travel.

§  For Tour Company tour manager ticket will be free of cost. 

Our group desk Jockeys team consists of some of our most experienced consultants who are highly knowledgeable and offer impeccable customer service. With access to the widest choice of airfares on sale in the India, discounted accommodation throughout the world, tours and travel extras, we promise you to save your money as well as time. So, whether you have a conference or sales incentive trip to arrange, sports team, school group, special interest club or a large group of friends and family, FareHawker Group Desk can help with any flight fare and accommodations.

Unto the Caves: Trek to Amarnath with FareHawker

 The Amarnath shrine, is a beautiful cave situated at an altitude of 3888 m (12,756 ft) in the Sonmarg valley, Kashmir. Accessible from Baltal valley to its east and Pahalgam to its south, the trek to the cave is rife with snow clad mountains, deep endless valleys, and glaciers. Our Ultimate Travel Jockey, Parth Thakkar went onto the trek last year looking for a surreal experience in the middle of this crowded pilgrimage trek, as opposed to the isolated Himalayan vistas that he is otherwise used too. Here are some excerpts from our chat with him.

Q. Tell us something about your trek to the Amarnath cave? 

            
I trekked up to Amarnath last year as a Travel Jockey for FareHawker. It was quite different             from other treks that I have done in the past to Himachal and Uttarakhand. The weather to,                   begin with, was too fickle. It takes minutes to change a sunny afternoon, into overcast weather             with cold breeze    flowing rapidly. That apart,  it is quite a beautiful trek. The view of the                   Machoi glacier is nothing short of spectacular. Also, thev trails along the sind river is rife with a very interesting terrain particularly during the autumn. It stroked the photographer in me, and I was able to capture some brilliant images.

 Q. What about the trails? Are they well defined?

Yes. The trails are very well defined. It is quite a different experience to trek alongside a crowded yatra, as opposed to an isolated trail. But all the pathways, and trails leading upto every point from Chandanwari to the pissu top to the cave, are fairly well defined. Besides, you know you are going to be safe when the BSF and the CRPF jawans are in charge of looking after the security of the whole yatra.

 Q. Any difficulties in reaching Chandanwari?

None whatsoever. The people at FareHawker are professionals and they know the terrain fairly well. They took care of everything. But that apart, you can still find a number of cab services  from Pahalgam throughout the Yatra season.

Q. Generally it is a two day trek. Tell us what was your itinerary like?

Like you said, it was a two day trek. I started my trek from Chandanwari to reach Panjtarni and stayed the night there. The one thing I was surprised to see was that there was ample of food all throughout, from Pahalgam to Panchatarni and even further uptil Sangam. I hadn't seen that in any of my treks earlier. The weather however, helped a lot. The hues were clearly visible, and I saw           the glaciers as clearly as I could. The entire panorama was beyond serene, it was blissful! I reached Panchtarni by the evening and decided to stay there overnight. The next day in the morning I began the ascend to the holy cave and then finally up to the Maha gunah top by afternoon. After spending some time there I began for my trek back downwards.  

Q. But how about the initial climb from Chandanwari to Pissu Top? That one is quite steep.

Yes, it is. This part of the journey, although not very difficult, is quite arduous. It is perhaps, a 65-     75 degree steep climb, which can take a lot of energy out of you. But the saving grace is that the         stretch itself is not very long... You can accomplish it within 20-25 mins. Even if  you take longer breaks in between, it would still not take you more than 40 mins.

Q. Are the trails well- etched all along?

Oh yes, completely. Amarnath Yatra, as we all know is a major pilgrimage center of the country. The very fact that people have been climbing upto the cave since decades now, means that the trails are well etched. Besides, like I said- The BSF and the CRPF jawans are always present in case you loose your way.

Q. How is the view of the Sheshnag Lake? And also, what is the accomodation like for pilgrims 
    and travelers like yourself?

 It took me about 3 and half hours to reach Sheshnag, and when I did I was simply spellbound. The green meadows and the white mountains is the stuff that keeps me going in the first place. And Sheshnag Lake was just that. I got some amazing panoramas and time-lapse shots of the lake. Particularly, the time lapse of the snow sliding down the mountain and falling into the lake was special. As far as the accommodation goes, I pitched my own tent. It was overcrowded but still the they had made all the arrangements for blankets, and tents and sleeping bags... This was quite endearing to see. As far as the number of people are concerned, I knew I had signed up for that. So, I had made my peace with that.

Q. Yes, that is my next question. How is the Amarnath trek different from the other treks you've 
      undertaken. Is one kind of travelling better than the other?

That depends upon each individual traveler, as to what kind of experience he or she seeks. That will tell you if any particular kind of travel experience is better than the other. Personally, I do believe that you take something special with you, with each travelogue. Amarnath for me was too mainstream (for the lack of a better word), I am used to trek up the Himalayan vistas, on bare isolated trails, with nothing but my backpack and camera for company. That is not to say that Amarnath was not special, I learnt a few things here for which I am only glad that I went for this trek. Amarnath Yatra taught me not to be too snobbish about my treks. We love to trek up to the isolated trails and enjoy the Panoramic beauty and we keep doing that as we must. But just because others travel for different reasons than you, that does not make them any less of a traveler.

Q. So What are the kinds of amenities that FareHawker provided to you for the trek?

Well, all kinds! They took care of everything from essential permissions for photography and documentation, to my car ride from Srinagar to Pahalgam, to my stay at Panchtarani. It really is great experience being associated with them as a Travel Jockey.

Q. And what was your experience like in Panchtarani? It is supposed to be the most busiest spot of the whole journey?

Yes, it is! Since the Amarnath Caves are accessible from both, Pahalgam (from where the trek route begins) and Baltal (from where the Helicopter services begin), Panchatarni is where both these paths cross. It is quite literally the intersection point. So simply put, all the travelers from Pahalgam meet all the travelers from Baltal in Panchtarni from where they climb upwards for the final leg of the trek to the caves.

Q. And how about the final stretch to Mahagunas Top and later to the Cave? Difficult to trek or well balanced?

Definitely not well balanced. Generally you find a balance, when there is a flat plateau between two mountains, or between an ascend and/or descend. Here you find that there is a gradual ascend for a good 3000-3200 ft and then immediately, a 2000 ft descend. So, while it is not difficult it certainly is arduous and physically demanding.

Q. What kind of gears do you require for a trek like this? Particularly in terms of the water that you need to carry?

No, water is one thing you definitely don't have to worry about on this trek. Since, it is mainly a pilgrim route, amenities like water, washroom, light snacks are always what you will find along the route. That apart, your very basic gear... Trekking shoes, warm clothes, jackets. But try to pack light. As a thumb rule you should always pack light while on a trek.  

Q. Would you like to tell readers, why choose FareHawker?

FareHawker really serves as a one stop destination for all your travel needs. Apart from trekking up to the caves, they majorly provide helicopter services from Baltal as well. In fact, they were among the first to provide helicopter services in the region. So, when there are two routes to a particular place, and you cover both these routes, and that apart, when you have been dealing with tourism and air travel in Srinagar constantly, you familiarize yourself with practically all travel related activities around the region ... You really know everything there is to know! And that's why you should choose FareHawker. Cos they are experienced and knowledgeable

Q. Any advice to other potential trekkers?

Pack light. Respect the beauty of the mountains. Don't litter. Don't take foolish risks. Enjoy your trip. Keep travelling!

Parth Thakkar is the Ultimate Travel Jockey, associated with

Farehawker. He is a travel photographer himself and loves

mountains, jungles, desert and beaches (in that order).