by s preet kaur
Fed up of mundane city life? Plan this weekend at Dum Duma lake, two hours from Delhi, camping, para sailing & boating in the lap of nature.
The routine life of office and home can get to you. When parties and dinners offer no respite and peace is what you seek, then Dum Duma Lake is just the place for you. Located near Gurgaon, Dum Duma lake is barely two hours from New Delhi. It offers a number of options such as camping, boating, rock climbing, para sailing, amidst jungles, at affordable prices.
Reaching the lake
Hop on a bike or get in the car and be ready to have a great time. As you leave New Delhi and cross the Gurgaon region, you see skyscrapers and tall buildings that tell the story of the country's development. Drive another ten minutes and you begin to see a steady contrast. The images of fast paced city life, from which you wanted respite, start to dwindle away and soon you feel you are in a small town out in the country. After a two hour drive, on the Delhi- Alwar highway, you see a sign that says "Dum Duma Lake", and you know the excitement is just around the corner.
Destination Dum Duma
Enter the village and you find fields, cows and goats, huts and people carrying wood to burn on their stoves. Two hours drive and you seem to have travelled back in time. After passing through villages and riding on mud tracks, you reach the lake. Around you are the Aravalli hill range, a jungle and the lake . Park your vehicle here and get on the boat. These boats take you to the camp site and are very safe. Row the boat yourself for a while, it's fun. The skill can be picked up easily.
In the Aravallis, you will spot villagers with their grazing goats, peacocks on the land, cranes on the lake, standing on one leg - fishing and seeming to keep an eye on you, and maybe a flying kingfisher to add to your delight. No honking of cars, just the chirping of birds and the noise the water makes when the oar hits the calm surface of the lake. Music to the ears. You don't want to talk, only listen to the silence. And soon, your boat reaches the bank. Go and unburden yourself in your cottage or camp. The facilities here are good.
Activities at the lake
So after a nap and lunch, gear up for some fun. Activities here, in and around Dum Duma Lake, include rowing, fishing, bird watching, nature walks in the nearby Aravalli mountain ranges, rock climbing, trekking , air rifle shooting, para sailing, Burma bridge, spider web, trampolin jump, zorbing, zig zag bars, barrel crossing, jumps, tarzan swings, fishing, flying trapeze, paint ball game and so on. So what's your pick?
One day and night at the camp along with these activities and food and drinks can cost you around four thousand rupees(around 40 dollars). You may have to make your own arrangements for activities like para sailing and zorbing, as they may not be available at your camp site.
Bonfire under the stars by the lake
The night here is equally exciting. The best time to visit the lake is from October to March as the temperature is cool. The sky is clear, unlike the city sky, and you enjoy seeing the stars. Set up a barbecue and make sumptuous tikkas, an Indian snack, yourself. Keep warm with a bonfire and drinks and in between, munch your snacks.
Well, if you have not planned any trip or party, you can plan your New Year here. The camp will have a DJ for your dance party, bonfire, snacks and drinks to welcome the New Year in a perfect way.
Calling it a day
Even when voices die down as people start returning to their tents, you may want to take a stroll and enjoy the silence of the night, all by yourself. Go for a walk, hear the animals calling in the jungle, see the trees silhouetted against the sky, feel the cold wind pinching your cheeks, and maybe you'll take a trip down memory lane. Only good memories will flash by. You will feel all rejuvenated and fresh. You have left the city's hustle and bustle far away. Enjoy and feel positive about life!
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The routine life of office and home can get to you. When parties and dinners offer no respite and peace is what you seek, then Dum Duma Lake is just the place for you. Located near Gurgaon, Dum Duma lake is barely two hours from New Delhi. It offers a number of options such as camping, boating, rock climbing, para sailing, amidst jungles, at affordable prices.
Reaching the lake
Hop on a bike or get in the car and be ready to have a great time. As you leave New Delhi and cross the Gurgaon region, you see skyscrapers and tall buildings that tell the story of the country's development. Drive another ten minutes and you begin to see a steady contrast. The images of fast paced city life, from which you wanted respite, start to dwindle away and soon you feel you are in a small town out in the country. After a two hour drive, on the Delhi- Alwar highway, you see a sign that says "Dum Duma Lake", and you know the excitement is just around the corner.
Destination Dum Duma
Enter the village and you find fields, cows and goats, huts and people carrying wood to burn on their stoves. Two hours drive and you seem to have travelled back in time. After passing through villages and riding on mud tracks, you reach the lake. Around you are the Aravalli hill range, a jungle and the lake . Park your vehicle here and get on the boat. These boats take you to the camp site and are very safe. Row the boat yourself for a while, it's fun. The skill can be picked up easily.
In the Aravallis, you will spot villagers with their grazing goats, peacocks on the land, cranes on the lake, standing on one leg - fishing and seeming to keep an eye on you, and maybe a flying kingfisher to add to your delight. No honking of cars, just the chirping of birds and the noise the water makes when the oar hits the calm surface of the lake. Music to the ears. You don't want to talk, only listen to the silence. And soon, your boat reaches the bank. Go and unburden yourself in your cottage or camp. The facilities here are good.
Activities at the lake
So after a nap and lunch, gear up for some fun. Activities here, in and around Dum Duma Lake, include rowing, fishing, bird watching, nature walks in the nearby Aravalli mountain ranges, rock climbing, trekking , air rifle shooting, para sailing, Burma bridge, spider web, trampolin jump, zorbing, zig zag bars, barrel crossing, jumps, tarzan swings, fishing, flying trapeze, paint ball game and so on. So what's your pick?
One day and night at the camp along with these activities and food and drinks can cost you around four thousand rupees(around 40 dollars). You may have to make your own arrangements for activities like para sailing and zorbing, as they may not be available at your camp site.Bonfire under the stars by the lake
The night here is equally exciting. The best time to visit the lake is from October to March as the temperature is cool. The sky is clear, unlike the city sky, and you enjoy seeing the stars. Set up a barbecue and make sumptuous tikkas, an Indian snack, yourself. Keep warm with a bonfire and drinks and in between, munch your snacks.
Well, if you have not planned any trip or party, you can plan your New Year here. The camp will have a DJ for your dance party, bonfire, snacks and drinks to welcome the New Year in a perfect way.
Calling it a day
Even when voices die down as people start returning to their tents, you may want to take a stroll and enjoy the silence of the night, all by yourself. Go for a walk, hear the animals calling in the jungle, see the trees silhouetted against the sky, feel the cold wind pinching your cheeks, and maybe you'll take a trip down memory lane. Only good memories will flash by. You will feel all rejuvenated and fresh. You have left the city's hustle and bustle far away. Enjoy and feel positive about life!
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Taste of the day
We were a group of friends who celebrated new year this way at Dum Duma Lake. Though the article is over I must tell you what was superhit that day.So everyone got something from home. I decided to make "Soya Tikkas". Its a dish for vegetarian and soya chaaps taste like chicken, almost. Many of the Hindus are pure vegetarians. They really like soya chaaps which are high in protein. This dish has evolved to allow vegetarians taste and enjoy stuff close to chicken.Now how do we make it? Boil soya chaaps for about 5 minutes with salt. Drain, rinse in cold water and then squeeze the soya chunks.Now in seperate bowl take soya chunks, Tandoori masala powder, Red chilly powder, Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Garam masala, Ginger paste and salt. Mix well. Let is marinate for 2 hours. After marinating, in a pan take some oil and deep fry the soya pieces. Till you get rich red color. Take out soya and in pan,with left of oil, add the onions and then add the capsicums add the soya chunks and mix well. If you want you can grill and even go bar be que way like we went. Serve with freshly chopped coriander leaves, capsicum and lots of lemons and onions.
