Travel: Planning a winter trip? Here's all you need to know

Road trips can be spontaneous and fun but they can also quickly get tiring if you dont take at least a little time planning them Making things easier for wanderlustfilled travellers is a new website called ScoutMyTrip which aims to simplify road trip planning in India All you have to do is enter your start point and destination and the site takes care of the rest giving you not only refuelling stops but also washrooms and eateries along the wayIf youre thinking about setting off on your very own road trip but are unclear about where to go here are three itineraries we have created mdash based on what you might be looking for mdash to help you alongFOR A CULINARY INDULGENCEDestination Udvada 190 km 4 hrsA mere 200 km north of Mumbai lies Udvada a sleepy coastal town in Gujarat that is home to a predominantly Zoroastrian population Most visitors come here to marvel at the Iran Shah Atash Behram a fire temple that bears the sacred flame that has been burning for over a thousand years However not being too far away from Mumbai makes Udvada perfect for a weekend getaway filled with delicious Parsi delicaciesTuck into authentic Dhansak while youre in Udvada Begin your culinary pilgrimage right on the NH8 at Ahura where you can indulge in a hearty breakfast Here you must try the akuri a scrambled egg dish similar to yet runnier than a bhurji Once in Udvada hop over to Globe Hotel which claims to be the towns oldest hotel having been established in 1924 If youre spending the night here tuck into the mutton pulao dar at the hotel for dinner The aromatic riceandmeat preparation is served alongside a rich creamy dhansak Early next morning ask locals where you can try some freshly made doodh na puff mdash chilled milk froth with nutmeg and cardamom sprinkled on topWhen youre heading back stop by at Parsi da Dhaba and dig into their kaleji papeto chicken liver with potatoes or kheema ghotala mince with eggsFOR A NATURE GETAWAYDestination Amboli 490 km 85 hrsThroughout the year you will find a carpet of lush green cloaking Amboli a small town in the verdant forests of Maharashtras Sindhudurg districtOwing to this abundance of natural beauty Amboli is one of the biodiversity hotspots in the Western Ghats During monsoon the area comes to life with vividly coloured frogs snakes and bioluminescent fungi However this doesnt mean this is a bad time to visitCommon Jezebel can be spotted in AmboliOnce winter sets in Amboli transforms into a land filled with hundreds of fluttering wings Among the butterfly species you will spot here are the Common Jezebel and the striking South Indian Blue Oakleaf The Western Ghats are also home to a variety of avian species and if youre lucky you might just spot the Malabar Pied Hornbill on your visitFOR A CULTURE BREAK Destination Aurangabad 430 km 8 hrsThe district of Aurangabad is home to the ancient Ajanta and Ellora cavetemple complexes both of which warrant a visitSince the distance from Mumbai to Aurangabad is fairly large this trip is best taken when you have a few days to spare Spend a day or two in Nashik 180km from Mumbai which is a religious centre Explore the intricately designed Naroshankar Temple here and wander through the ancient citys bylanes home to many a crumbling structureKailasa Temple at Ellora Caves Nashik also houses a number of wineries popular among which is Sula Vineyards Swirl some wine and stay the night at one of the resorts in the area and set out for Ellora 177 km from Nashik early the following day It is here that you will find the Kailasa Temple an architectural wonder that was hewn out of a rocky hill possibly back in the 8th century ADAlthough their names are usually clubbed together it is important to note that Ellora and Ajanta are in fact around 100 km apart Moreover the Ajanta caves are much older and comprise shrines dedicated to Lord Buddha as well as murals and sculptures depicting incidents from his life The caves are situated along an ancient trade route and used to provide shelter to wandering monks The monasteries here continued functioning till around the 8th century and the site was then forgotten until its rediscovery in 1819