A Peaceful Budgeted Weekend To Chandigarh

Taking little breaks from the busy life has become more important now than ever. In our everyday life, we are so engrossed in our job that we don't find any time to explore something new. Same chair, same laptop, same place and a lot of work on the table. That is what life has become. So when I decided to travel more my major aim was catching a break and finding some peace. When we think of traveling we think of mountains, beaches or some historic monuments. These are the things that qualify our bucket list. In the midst of these came a little surprise in the form of this little trip to Chandigarh.

This time when I needed a break I wanted to make sure that I don't spend much on it. I wanted to spend the weekend having fun but I did not want to empty my pockets. So I decided to visit the city of gardens - Chandigarh. 

While traveling from the railway station to my hotel the first thing that stunned me was the greenery around. There were so many trees and the roads looked so beautiful because of them. At first, I thought that only this particular area was so green but when I enquired the driver of my cab told me the whole city is such, in fact, there are some areas which are greener than this area. 

Though I had limited time there, my aim was not to see everything possible. My aim was to just enjoy where I am. Here are the places that I visited and below them, I will also suggest a list of places that many people suggest you visit on your next trip to Chandigarh.

1. Rock Gardens: Number one on everyone's list is the Rock Gardens. Made of the waste from the construction of the city, this place is an epitome of creativity. It has sculptures, pottery work, waterfalls and so much more and all made entirely from waste. This garden is made as a replica of a kingdom with the phases of the garden being divided as different important parts of the king's city. though the city of Chandigarh is well organized this place is the reminder of the chaos that the world holds.

You will also find an open area in the garden with a food court and lots of swings that you can live your childhood on. Break free and enjoy swinging.

2. Sukhna Lake: The Sukhna Lake isn't that far from the rock garden. A peaceful place to walk around and a fun place to be with the family. There is also a kids zone so you can definitely engage your kids with various activities while you walk around the lake or just sit in peace. The paddle boats are not that expensive but the other types are pretty expensive. I actually did not want to go for boating and preferred sitting on the side of the lake just being in the moment. 

There is also a food court here though not very expensive but most of the things aren't that cheap too.

3. Rose Garden: Though it wasn't the season of roses this place still looked so beautiful. The birds chirping, the green grass and the variety of roses that one could see were so soothing to the eyes. It is spread over 30 acres and other than roses it is also home to many beautiful trees. The best time to visit is said to be February to April. it has more than 1600 species of flowers and around 50thousand bushes in the season.

4. Terraced Garden: The only reason for visiting this place was the chrysanthemum exhibition that was on. There were beautiful flower decorations but it was quite crowdy too.

5. Shanti Kunj: Another garden situated close to the rose garden was a great place for a morning walk. There is a natural stream that divides it into 5 islands. Though we did not have enough time to explore it but its a good place to spend some quiet time and come closer to yourself.

6. Japanese Garden: The most undermaintained garden that I saw in Chandigarh was this one. Though the initial design is beautiful but the maintenance is really bad. Also, the garden is divided in such a way that you may miss seeing an entire section if you don't find out somehow that it exists.

7.Sector 17 Market: If you love shopping this is the place to be. This place holds space for innumerable brands. We had our dinner in a place called Sindhi sweets and the food was yummy and affordable. There is a musical fountain show that goes on in the evenings and that's pretty nice too.

The overall trip to this city was a beautiful break from the rush in Delhi. Chandigarh isn't just the city of gardens for it has so many gardens but because the whole city feels like a garden. There is so much greenery and so many trees around no matter which road you are on.

Some Other Places That You Can Visit:

1. Elante Mall

2.Butterfly Garden

3.Pinjore Garden

4.Fun City

5.Garden of Silence

6.Cactus Garden

The list of gardens in Chandigarh goes on and on and on.

The total cost per person was under Rs.3000 and still, we had one of the best weekends. 

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Divya