We visited McLeod Ganj and Dharamkot as if we were on a foreign trip - good thing we did! [COMPACTIDEA]

This trip a few days ago was different from the domestic and foreign trips that I've done so far. No more miserliness. Not worrying about high taxi rates [worrying about paying high taxi rates spoiled my mood a lot during our Singapore trip in 2019]. Eating at the best restaurants and cafes and not worrying about menu prices. Staying at one of the topmost hotels there. Ordering lots of food via room service, and not worrying about the prices of items. Not negotiating with taxi drivers. And so on.

We spent with the silent background assumption that we were on an international trip, and this extra spending decisively multiplied the joy and satisfaction we received from our trip.

To be honest, McLeod Ganj and Dharamkot are both already not-so-expensive places. Aside from local cab / taxi rates, hardly anything else is more expensive there - with Ludhiana prices as the benchmark / reference. This itself helped a lot. But even if McLeod had been somewhat more expensive than it is now, we would've still spent without the miserliness associated with my previous travels within or outside India - because this time I had told myself that I'm gonna spend during this trip as if it were a foreign trip. The focus here is primarily on the new way in which we spent, and not primarily on McLeod's relative inexpensiveness.

The generalization here is that even intra-India leisure trips should be made as if you're on a foreign trip. If you keep trying to save money here and there on your Indian trip - and this I'm saying from several of my personal traveling experiences within and outside India - then you'll end up enjoying much less.

Summary of our wonderful McLeon Ganj plus Dharamkot trip in October 2022 [COMPACTIDEA]

1. 8.10.22.
1. MakeMyTrip Cab from Ludhiana.
2. Reached Dharamshala, saw lovely mountains and cloudy weather ahead.
3. Reached hotel. Lovely cloudy / foggy weather again on the way to hotel.
4. Satish's taxi to Main Square. Roamed around the market, roadside momos, etc.
1. McLeod is really Little Lhasa / Mini Tibet of India. There are so many Tibetan people here, that you get a partial feeling as if you're outside India.
5. Dinner at McLlo restaurant.
6. Taxi back to hotel.
7. Room service dinner.
2. 9.10.22.
1. Breakfast buffet at hotel.
2. Rahul's taxi to Guna Devi temple trek starting point. Bad road.
3. 10-15 minutes of trek - up to crossing the river bridge.
4. Noodles at the cafe there.
5. Enjoyment at the river - sitting on stones, seeing Tibet people, playing with river water.
6. Taxi to Bhagsunag temple. Trek to the waterfall. Ate, drank and enjoyed at the waterfall.
7. Came down and visited temple.
8. Taxi to Main Square.
9. Food at House of Tibet + roaming.
1. Overall, MG is a nice melting pot of different ethnicities and cultures. This is visible in two ways - via the wide variety of people visible there, and also via the various cuisines available there - North Indian, Tibetan, South Indian, Bhutanese, Israeli, German, Mexican, Nepali, Korean, etc.
10. Taxi to Dharamshala local market.
11. Taxi to hotel.
12. Room service dinner.
3. 10.10.22.
1. Breakfast buffet at hotel.
2. Omkar's taxi to Main Square. Dense fog on the way.
3. Walk towards Dalai Lama Temple + Namgyal Monastery.
4. Visited Dalai Lama Temple + Namgyal Monastery.
1. We probably also visited Tsechokling Gompa. Probably another name or a part of the complex. Or did we visit the Tsuglagkhang Complex?
5. Walk back to Main Square.
6. Jackie's taxi to Dharamkot [Mini Israel]. Such a peaceful place compared to McLeod.
7. Morgan's Place cafe - some eating.
8. Khanabadosh cafe - more eating.
9. Walk in the village, met Israelis.
10. Trek & Dine - more eating.
11. Swings in the open.
12. Taxi back to Main Square. Was a wonderful mini-trip to Dharamkot, including its Israeli aspect. Now I feel that any trip to McLeod Ganj must include Dharamkot, or else it would be incomplete. I also feel that maybe close to 99% of people who visit McLeod Ganj do not visit Dharamkot [especially Punjabis], and perhaps don't even know about it, despite the distance being merely 1-2 km. Thankfully we did know and we did visit this Mini Israel / Little Tel Aviv.
13. Juniper Cafe - yet more eating.
14. Taxi back to hotel.
15. Room service dinner.
4. 11.10.22.
1. Woke up and saw snow-covered mountain tops from the room window. First snow of the season according to hotel reception.
2. Breakfast at hotel.
3. Check-out from hotel.
4. MakeMyTrip Cab to Ludhiana.
5. Places we didn't go to / things we didn't do.
1. Kareri Lake
2. Tibet government-in-exile.
3. Dharamshala cricket stadium.
4. Spa.

Superfoods - a list compiled using quick reading of high-quality sources - Harvard, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, John Hopkins, Cambridge [COMPACTIDEA]

//Non-vegetarian superfoods such as salmon excluded.

//Each superfood has its own strengths. Diversified consumption essential.

Eggs.

Nuts [peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachio, cashew, etc.].

Extra virgin olive oil.

Beans / legumes / lentils [e.g., kidney beans, peas]. Pulses / dals / chane.

Soy / soybean.

Yogurt / Greek yogurt.

Curd / dahi / lassi.

Spinach.

Broccoli. Cauliflower. Cabbage.

Radish. Turnip. Carrot. Beetroot. 

Turmeric. Ginger. Garlic. Onion.

Tomato. Amla. 

Sweet potato.

Seeds [chia seeds, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, etc.].

Fruits [avocado, apple, orange, banana].

Berries [blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries].

Green tea.

Whole grains [oatmeal, quinoa, barley, ragi].

***

SOURCES.

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-super-are-superfoods
2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/sizing-up-superfoods-for-heart-health
3. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/12-superfoods-you-should-be-eating
4. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/superfoods/
5. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/10-superfoods-to-boost-a-healthy-diet-2018082914463
6. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/true-superfoods
7. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-most-nutrient-dense-foods-on-the-planet
8. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/multimedia/health-foods/sls-20076653
9. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/superfoods-why-you-should-eat-cruciferous-vegetables
10. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/flaxseed-tiny-nutritional-powerhouse
11. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-a-superfood/
12. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/publications/johns_hopkins_health/summer_2014/superfoods_to_the_rescue
13. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-spices-with-healthy-benefits
14. https://www.robinson.cam.ac.uk/college-life/catering/superfoods
15. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801

Abandoning Costa3 with sadness - the total cost is much higher than what I can spend today - some day... [RAWDUMP]

Had found this great cruise with Costa, for me, my wife and my daughter. Total would've been EUR 790, or about INR 63K. Add about INR 67K for flights [sub total INR ~1.3 lakh], and I had [wrongly] thought that - add other expenses such as food, taxis, 3 nights in Dubai hotel, etc. - us three will be able to do this ~11-12 days trip in roughly INR 1.75-1.9 lakhs. I was so wrong. UAE multi-entry visa is very expensive. Add Qatar and Oman visa costs. Add costs for going to Delhi and coming back to Ludhiana. Add costs for Burj Khalifa and desert safari for the three of us. The total would've been at least INR 2.7 lakhs, and quite possibly INR 3 lakhs. Can't spend this amount, at least now. Abandoning it with sadness. Money is the barrier. Need to earn more. Much more. Only then can I enjoy these things. Already I had chosen the cruise which was so much cheaper than regular cruise prices. If I can't do a trip with an already-discounted cruise, how will I buy regularly-priced cruises in the future?

Copying below the Google online document I had created to plan this trip. It's of no use now. Some day...

Air tickets.

To Dubai. Air India AI-915 [B787] 17.1.23 DEL 4-30 PM to DXB 7 PM. ~39K.

From dubai. Indigo 6E-1836 [Airbus A321neo] 28.1.23 ABU DHABI 00-25 AM to DEL 5-05 AM. ~28K.

Dubai hotel [prior to cruise] + pre-book only a few excursions/activities [try to do mostly free ones like Jumeirah beach] - Burj Khalifa top, desert safari [+barbeque dinner, dance, camel], burj al arab, atlantis free area + metro ride to one palm, mall of the emirates [ski dubai entrance?], dubai mall + fountain show + free outside view of aquarium, palm Jumeirah taxi ride [underground tunnel?].

---

Abu dhabi free places. 1 day and 1.5 hours. Emirates palace. Grand mosque. Corniche + Corniche beach. Yas Mall / Marina Mall.

---

Doha free places. 7.5 hours only. Al Hazm Mall. Villaggio. Souq waqif. Corniche [beach?].

---

Muscat free places. 10 hours. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Mutrah Corniche.

---

Dubai business visits?

Visas - suitable dates and types

• UAE multi-entry type probably needed [more than twice maybe?]

• Qatar 

• Oman

Also check COVID entry requirements - UAE, Qatar, Oman.

Mobile connectivity in UAE, Qatar, Oman and also onboard Costa.

Medicines. Spectacles. Goggles. Bank cards. Cash.

---

26 Free Things To Do In Dubai In 2022 With Your Loved Ones! (traveltriangle.com) https://traveltriangle.com/blog/free-things-to-do-in-dubai/

THE 10 BEST Free Things to Do in Dubai | Tripadvisor
https://www.tripadvisor.in/Attractions-g295424-Activities-zft11292-Dubai_Emirate_of_Dubai.html

THE 10 BEST Free Things to Do in Abu Dhabi | Tripadvisor
https://www.tripadvisor.in/Attractions-g294013-Activities-zft11292-Abu_Dhabi_Emirate_of_Abu_Dhabi.html

15 Best Places to Visit in Abu Dhabi for Free in 2022 (thrillophilia.com)
https://www.thrillophilia.com/places-to-visit-in-abu-dhabi-for-free

THE 10 BEST Free Things to Do in Doha | Tripadvisor
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g294009-Activities-zft11292-Doha.html

Free things to do in Doha: 50 things that won’t cost you a single riyal | Time Out Doha https://www.timeoutdoha.com/things-to-do/81253-48-awesome-free-things-to-do-in-doha

THE 10 BEST Free Things to Do in Muscat - TripAdvisor
https://www.tripadvisor.in/Attractions-g1940497-Activities-zft11292-Muscat_Muscat_Governorate.html

20 Best free attractions in Muscat - Wanderlog
https://wanderlog.com/list/geoCategory/131125/-best-free-attractions-in-muscat