You must visit Khajuraho & Orchha.. Here’s why..

The second part of our heritage trip across MP took us to Khajuraho and Orchha.

This stretch can be covered by road if coming from Gwalior. Orchha is a 2-3hr drive from Gwalior via Jhansi. Khajuraho is another 3hrs away. We had originally not planned for Khajuraho, but our driver for the Morena trip offered to take us there and said we can do it, it could be a bit of a long day, but will be worth it! And boy were we glad we stretched a bit.

Day 1 – We started early and headed for Khajuraho. Khajuraho is a 5hr drive from Gwalior. We reached there around 1pm. Khajuraho houses some amazing temples and is a UNESCO heritage site. It is visited every year by millions of foreigners who come to admire its architecture. Khajuraho set of monuments are clustered on the Western and Eastern side. If you are short on time, visit the Western side which has most of the prominent ones. Set in a beautiful, clean complex, surrounded by greenery, the temples are a photographer’s delight. There is an entry ticket to be purchased – ASI has a QR code which can be scanned to purchase them online. If you have time, a guide is highly recommended to understand the significance and intricacies of the carvings. While Khajuraho is known for the erotic sculptures, these comprise less than 10% of all the sculptures in the temples. The Lakshmanan temple is the major one, whose pics you would have seen. As you walk around stop and admire the detailing on the sculptors. The temple right behind it is the Mahadev temple which is the second most important one. You will see a few other temples which resemble the Lakshmanan temple in structure. The temple next to the Lakshmanan temple houses a Shivaling which is said to grow everyyear. It will easily take 1-2hrs to see the entire complex; more if its with a guide.

We pit stopped for lunch at Badri Seth Bhojanalay for their thali. The food is sumptuous and tasty.

Eastern side – this set of 3 temples (Vamana temple, Dulhadeo and Chaturbhuj temple) are not in the same complex and are about a 5mins drive from each other. Having a car is helpful. You don’t need a guide here as there are ASI people who manage the place and are happy to give you some understanding of the sculptors. Some of them have very unique figurines like Narasimha depicted as a lady and Ardhanarishwar (Dulhadeo temple), sculpture with face of Shiva, body of Brahma and legs of Krishna (Chaturbhuj temple) etc.

Vamana temple

Chaturbhuj Temple

Orchha – we left Khajuraho around 5pm to head to Orchha, straight to our hotel to crash since it was a long day. We stayed at the MPT Sheesh Mahal which is located in the Orchha fort complex.

MPT Sheesh Mahal

MPT Sheesh Mahal

Day 2 – Orchha sightseeing.

The best thing about Orchha is that being a small town all sights are accessible by foot. You can walk around or take a electric auto (some even driven by women). Both Khajuraho and Orchha cater to a lot of foreign tourists so it’s very well organized and safe. Here are the top highlights of Orchha –

Orchha Fort Complex –

The biggest attraction in Orchha is the Fort complex comprising of 3 forts – Raja Mahal, Jehangir mahal and Rani Pravin Mahal. We bought our tickets at the entrance to the fort; an audio guide is available near the counter for those who want to explore it leisurely. Started with the Raja Mahal. Be prepared to be blown away by the size and intricacy of this fort. This is one of the best preserved fort in the country and is a stellar example of Bundeli architecture. This fort doesn’t have domes which is a significant piece of their architecture. Climb up to the top of the fort for a stunning view of the Chaturbhuj temple on one side and the Chattris and betwa river on the other. Infact from one of the windows you can see the deity of the Chaturbhuj temple. This was done so that the King and Queen can get a direct view to worship. Proceed then to Jehangir mahal built by Raja Bir Singh Deo for Jehangir whom he considered a friend. This is similar in structure to the Raja Mahal. Behind the Jehangir Mahal (or rather, near the main entrance) is Rani Pravin Mahal. This is a bit remotely located and we chose to see it from outside only.

Raja Mahal

Chaturbhuj temple –

This magnificent temple is the home to Gods Vishnu, Krishna, Ram and Sita. While you should go in to offer prayers, look to the right to see stairs to climb up to the top. This is actually called a Bhulbhulaiyya (Maze). You will realise since there are multiple stairs which lead to dead ends. Also the stairs are very high to climb so wear appropriate shoes and clothes. There are small kids who take the tourists through this maze to the top. Ask the guard at the base (near the deity) and he will guide you.

View of Chaturbhuj temple from Orchha fort

Orchha Chattris –

This was my highlight in Orchha. Had seen so many pictures of the Cenotaphs that I was looking forward to this. Cenotaph (Chattris) are memorials built for the rulers of Orchha. These are not burial places but memorials. The unique shape of the chattris adds to their majestic feel. Recommend viewing the Chattris at sunset against the bank of the river Betwa. There is a bridge which crosses the river and its a great photo point to view the Chattris with the sun at the back and reflection in the river. Walk a few meters from the bridge to go explore the chattris from inside.

View of the Chattris from the bridge

Raja Ram Temple –

This is perhaps the ONLY temple in India where Lord Ram is worshiped as a King. Legend has it that he was coming from Ayodhya and decided to rest here. The main aarti at the temple happens 4 times a day and it ends with a Gun Salute. Sometimes the gun is fired sometimes it isn’t. Check with the hotel for the timings. The temple is also well guarded with police.

Raja Ram temple

Places to Stay –

Khajuraho – while we didn’t stay at Khajuraho, there are a number of hotels available. MP Tourism has 2-3 properties, Ramada and another 7 star hotel ( incase you want to break the journey and rest).

Orchha – has 2 MP Tourism (MPT) properties. We stayed at MPT Sheesh Mahal to indulge in royalty. This is located in the fort complex and was the King’s Guesthouse, now converted into a hotel. The room was spacious and beautiful and service very good too! Not too expensive either! Number of rooms are limited though to 5-6 and get sold out on weekends and holidays.

The other option would be the MPT Betwa retreat located near the Chattris and betwa river. We chose the Sheesh Mahal since we wanted to experience the royal stay and it is located in the center of all tourist attractions.

Places to eat –

Khajuraho – Badri Seth bhojanalay – try their thali. Can be shared by 2.

Orchha – the restaurant at MPT Sheesh Mahal – the food is quite good.

Cafe No-mads – for a hippie vibe and continental and italian food incase you want a change from Indian. The pizza and cold coffee is good. Service is a little slow given the laid back vibes.

Orchha darbar restaurant – we had the Indian food and it was good. Try the daal roti and paneer. Again service was slow but food was tasty.

Pro-tips –

1. Get your tickets at the Orchha fort and that can be used for all the sights at Orchha. Make sure to keep it safely.. for a fee of Rs 10, it is definitely a steal.

2. Most sites close by 6pm and last entry is around 5/5:30pm. They have summer and winter closing times so do check before you go.

3. The Orchha fort, Chaturbhuj temple have a LOT of climbing in terms of stairs. So wear comfortable shoes and clothes. Some passages are narrow and the stairs are quite tall in height.

4. Food service in restaurants is slightly slow so do account for it. Orchha is a laid back town so do expect things to move slowly.

5. We did find Khajuraho and Orchha to be quite safe and people were around on the streets until about 8/8:30pm. But do exercise caution and not go towards the bridge or Chattris post sunset since it gets lonely.

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Madhya Pradesh in 7 days – the Itinerary

Hindustan ka dil dekho tagline kept ringing in my ears for years.. I was met with a lot of questions on holiday in MP? What’s there to see.. my answer to them .. you’ll be surprised!

What struck me when we started planning a trip across MP is the sheer size of it! Obviously given its one of the biggest states in India! You can look to have a lot of different kind of experiences –

Heritage and Culture – trace the history of Rajputs and Bundelkhand; exploring some stunning forts and temples – Gwalior, Orchha, Khajuraho, Sanchi, Ujjain etc.

Nature and Wildlife – some of the best wildlife sanctuaries to spot tigers and other wildlife is in MP – Bandavgarh, Kanha, Pench, Satpura etc. Some amazing waterfalls like Bhedaghat, Marble rocks, Dauladhar etc and hill stations like Pachmarhi.

We chose to do a culture and heritage tour from the north to south of MP. The route we finalised – Gwalior-Khajuraho-Orchha-Bhopal. We wanted to cover Indore and Ujjain (for the temple) but were short of days.

Here is how our 7 days were distributed across MP –

Day 1 – landed in Gwalior and covered the Gwalior fort. Its huge!! Easily takes 4-5hrs. Other sites to see – Tansen’s memorial, Jaivilas palace museum, Sarafa bazaar, Sun temple etx. Stay: Clarks Inn. You can also explore the MP Tourism hotels, we stayed at a few in other cities and it was great.

Gwalior Fort

Day 2 – Day trip to Morena – we hired a car for the day through a contact from the hotel to drive to Morena to see temples of Miatwali, Padavali, Bateshwar and a Shani temple. We returned around 4pm and even covered a few sites in Gwalior like the Sun Temple.

Bateshwar Temples

Day 3 – Gwalior to Orchha via Khajuraho – We continued with the same car and driver to visit Khajuraho and a drop to Orchha. Gwalior to Khajuraho is a 4-5hr drive. Khajuraho to Orchha about 2-3hr. Mind you, this is a long day. Stay: MPT Sheesh Mahal, Orchha. Its located in the Orchha fort complex and was awesome. Another option is to stay at Khajuraho for a night and drive to Orchha the next morning. MPT has multiple options in Khajuraho as well along with other properties like Ramada.

Khajuraho

Day 4 – Orchha – explore the fort(s), Chaturbhuj temple, Raja Ram temple (the only temple where Lord Ram is viewed as a King and gets a gun salute), Chattris – and their gorgeous view!

Orchha Chattris

Day 5 – Orchha to Bhopal – This would be a long drive if you take a car (7-8hr drive). We instead explored train options from the nearest station which is Jhansi. Being at the border of UP we took a taxi from Orchha to Jhansi – easily available and costs 800 Rs. Autos also available and cost 400Rs. Then a train from Jhansi to Bhopal (~3hrs) to see sights around Bhopal. Stay: MPT Palash Residency, Bhopal.

Day 6 – Sightseeing around Bhopal – From Bhopal you can do a day trip covering Sanchi Stupa, Udaygiri caves, Bhimbetka rock shelters and Tropic of Cancer. You can also split this into 2 days since Bhimbetka is to the south of Bhopal and Sanchi and Udaygiri to the east. If covering this in a single day, start early (max 9am) to end by 7pm. We took a taxi from the MPT booking office located on the same premises as our hotel.

Sanchi Stupa

Day 7 – took it a bit easy and explored sights within Bhopal. Upper lake, lower lake, new market, Van Vihar National Park.

Van Vihar National Park

Check out the other MP blogs for a day wise log at the various cities to see what all to explore, what to miss, and places to eat!

Planning Tips –

1. Some days can be hectic but you do have the option to break it up. If a day seems hectic, take it easy the next day.

2. Most places – forts and temples across MP have a lot of history behind the carvings and inscriptions. If you would like to hear the story, a guide is recommended. However it would easily take 2-3 hrs so it is a trade off of time.

3. The forts and temples are full of staircases which are high and narrow. Pack clothes and shoes accordingly.

4. To travel to some places like Morena, Khajuraho, Orchha etc it is convenient to hire a car for the day. It optimises on time but may cost a little more.

6. The drive from Gwalior to Khajuraho has a newly built/in construction highway and the road is good. Takes lesser time. However, If taking long drives between cities try to reach the hotel by sunset if travelling solo or in a small group. The highways get lonely post sunset.

7. MP Tourism is very well organized and has multiple stay options in every city. The properties are well maintained and the food and service is good too! They also offer taxi for day trips around. Rates are reasonable.

8. Digital wallets like Paytm and Phonepe/GPay worked almost everywhere including autos and taxis. You just need to ask 🙂

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Srinagar to Doodhpatri – A day trip

Day 4, we wanted to take it a bit light. We were exhausted from the adventures of the previous days and visiting Doodhpatri was perfect.

Translating to the Valley of Milk, Doodhpatri is a hidden gem and hasn’t yet been discovered as a tourist heaven. It hence provides some un-matched views of lovely landscapes against the back drop of the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas.

Situated at a 2hr drive from Srinagar, we started around 9:30 am and the plan was to get there and roll around on the meadow. The road to Doodhpatri isn’t the best and it took us a while navigating the potholes. We reached around 11:45am to see a huge cultural function organised by the Army – Doodhpatri 2021. We were invited, very warmly, to come watch the show. We got chatting with a few of the jawaans and found out that this was organized to promote the destination among locals and school kids to come visit and enjoy nature.

We got a front row seat to watch the various dance and music performance, many of which were performed by the jawaans. We had never been to any Army function and this felt like our moment of being on Jai Jawaan. We thoroughly enjoyed the show, clicked a few pics and then headed off further inside Doodhpatri.

We drove down the winding mountain path to another section, where you can take a horse and ride up to a waterfall. We were done with our share of horse rides especially after Pahalgam and just walked around absorbing the sheer beauty of nature and the place. It just felt so serene, so open and free. The side of the valley is also dotted with huts called Dhoks where the tribes reside. They move down to the town once the winter sets in.

After spending a while there, we got back into our car and started back to Srinagar, biding our good-byes to the jawaans we had be-friended.

We stopped at the base or entry point of Doodhpatri and grabbed lunch. There a few shops that we saw as soon as we entered the Doodhpatri checkpoint while coming and we had decided to stop there for our meal on our return.

Got back to Srinagar, shopped a bit and then called it an early evening to get back to the houseboat and enjoy the sunset at Dal Lake; reminiscing a really great day. We were thinking of dropping Doodhpatri, but we were so glad we went. Be it the Army program or even if it wasn’t there, the purity of the place is something you should experience.

Things to keep in mind –

1. There is no mobile network or places to eat/drink at Doodhpatri.
2. Eateries are only at the entry point at the base of the mountain. Not even small tents serving food on the meadows.
3. There are no washrooms available either.
4. It is an ideal place for a Picnic – Bring your own food and spend a morning or afternoon here.

Tomorrow, our last day, to check out Srinagar (will cover the places we shopped in that).

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Srinagar to Pahalgam – A day trip

Day 3 was a trip to the beauty that is Pahalgam. Pahalgam is situated at an altitude of 8900ft and is a 2 to 2.5hr drive from Srinagar. It is also the other starting point for the Amarnath yatra. Its not just in Pahalgam, but there are some amazing things to experience en-route.

Don’t miss on the Highway – We started around 9:30 am (we were late, recommend starting earlier) and an hour away drove past Saffron fields. Kashmir is known for its saffron and if you are visiting around end october/november you will see the purple bloom of the saffron flowers on either side of the highway NH1. This is the main highway that Our Ex-PM Mr Atal Vajpayee had built to connect Kashmir to Kanyakumari. You will also see the highway near Pulwama dotted with multiple shops selling dry fruits and saffron. We stopped here on our way back to make some purchases.

Saffron fields

As we sped further away from Srinagar and towards Anantnag district, you will notice a lot of Cricket Bat Shops and Factories on either side of the highway. Another specialty of Kashmir is the Willow Cricket Bat made from the willow tree wood. These bats are manufactured at these factories.

Cricket Bat Factory

Apple Valley – the thing you must-do at Anantnag is visiting the Apple Orchards and having the freshest apple juice ever. The entire place is called Apple Valley and we were delighted just at the sight of the apples hanging from the trees. We spent a sometime in the orchard, managing to pluck an apple from the tree and eat it – so fresh, so juicy! Most orchards have a small stall making fresh juice and selling apples. Highly recommend trying the apple juice – its delicious – very sweet and refreshing.

Apple Orchards

Fresh Apple juice being made

Pahalgam – We left from the apple orchards and an hour later reached the main Pahalgam market and parked at the tourist taxi stand. There are a number of things to do at Pahalgam and you can cover it in a day (provided you reach Pahalgam at 11am) or even spend a night at a hotel on the side of the Lidder river, giving you 2 days to take it all in.

Pahalgam

Here is what all you can do at Pahalgam –

Baisaran – This is a beautiful meadow situated at the top of a hill. You can hire a horse near the tourist taxi stand and go there; takes about 2-2.5hrs round trip. Remember to bargain hard with the guides. The climb up to Baisaran is VERY steep and it had rained the previous two nights so the pathway was extremely slushy. The incline that the horse has to climb is also very steep … honestly, it was quite scary. The horse slipped a number of times in the slush and loose gravel. If I had known this earlier, I wouldn’t have signed up to do this. Bharath decided to walk instead and the slush wasn’t helping. He slipped and his foot went into the slush and he lost his shoes! Returned bare foot down the hill while I continued up the hill with the help of the guide. After a lot of heart stopping escapades and prayers, reached the meadow of Baisaran to be greeted by some gorgeous views! Lush green meadows, pine and deodar trees dotting the mountains, simply breathtaking. Also, this was one of the sights where the movie Bajrangi Bhaijaan was shot. I spent some time absorbing the views, clicking pictures and then started the even more scarier descent. If that guide (Prince bhai) didn’t help me down all the way, couldn’t have made it. Finally reached the base to find Bharath waiting without shoes and half his trousers covered in mud; but overall he was okay. Thank God! What an adventure this was! Tip: No one tells you how the path is – its quite a steep climb and if it has rained the previous night, wouldn’t recommend the climb.

Ride a horse to Baisaran

Baisaran

We came back to the taxi stand to grab lunch and calm ourselves down after that adventure. The Punjabi Rasoi is a popular place and even at 2:45pm had a long queue outside the restaurant. We waited for 15mins, but still weren’t close to getting a seat. We were famished and went to another place called Hotel Palestine. The food was good and the quantity was a LOT. Two of us couldn’t finish the Veg Biryani. By the time we wrapped lunch it was a little past 4pm; leaving us almost no time to explore other places. We chose to give it a miss and decided to start back to Srinagar.

Other sites to explore in Pahalgam – Aru Valley, Betaab valley and Chandanwari – At the tourist taxi stand of Pahalgam market you can hire a taxi to see all these places starting at 1800 Rs. There are set rates for the various sights irrespective of the time duration for which you take the taxi. Aru and Betaab valley would have taken us about 2hrs to cover and hence we gave it a miss. Aru valley is the starting point of many treks and said to offer some views as you drive across. Betaab valley’s name comes from the movie Betaab which was shot there. Going to the valley is a 12km trek, however the view is from the top! Ask the driver to stop at the Betaab valley view point; you can skip going to the valley itself. Chandanwari also offers some great views.

Since we decided to start back to Srinagar giving Aru valley etc a miss, we stopped at multiple places along the Lidder river to get some great pics of the mountains and the landscapes. You can ask the driver to stop at the view points you want to see or he would also know spots which are good. It was a 3hr drive back to Srinagar along with the pit-stop to buy dry fruits and saffron at Pulwama highway, leaving us exhausted but carrying some great memories of the adventurous day!

Tomorrow, we got to take it light at DoodhPathri!

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Srinagar to Gulmarg – A day trip

Day 2 was a day trip to the most awaited town of Gulmarg. While I had just planned to ride the gondola and back, we were in for an awesome surprise ahead.

Gulmarg is a 1.5hr drive from Srinagar and we left around 9am. Our houseboat owner has recommended to take a guide (their own person) at the tourist taxi stand and we were hesitant given our experience with the horses in Sonmarg turned out to be expensive. He also mentioned to ask the guide to take us to a lake, if we were okay to trek. Being the curious us, we spent the previous night reading up about the famous lake of Alphatar (that he was mentioning) but we couldn’t go there. Read on and you will know why.

Gulmarg

Things to do in Gulmarg –

1. TREK – We reached Gulmarg around 10:30 am and met our guide Mansoor bhai at the stand. He quoted 900 Rs for the entire day, to take us to places around Gulmarg and we agreed. (Also being conscious that Kashmir runs only on tourism and all their livelihoods had been impacted with covid). At the entry point of Gulmarg, we were asked to take a covid test, but with the help of our driver Tahir bhai and Mansoor bhai, we showed our RTPCR reports and we were good to do. Mansoor bhai then got into the car, turned to us and said, “ Ajaz bhai (The Houseboat owner) told me you guys can trek”. We said yes and 10 mins later he stopped the car and told us we would be trekking from there to the ticketing office of the Gondola. I looked up at the rudimentary path and steep incline and wondered.. how??

The view of the road from where we climbed

We started the steep climb, slipping a bit, catching my breathe due to the altitude and lack of fitness and finally reached a point where there was a flat path. We walked on it, climbing around fallen trees, with some amazing views of the valley, and about an hour and a half or so later reached the ticketing office. We were the only ones on that path and it felt so serene.. so peaceful.. just the trees and us.

Trekking views

Trekking views

Tip – this trek wasn’t a known trail. We would have never found it on our own if it wasn’t for a local. We were the only ones on that path and hence this truly was the off-beaten route. Wouldn’t recommend it if you suffer from breathing difficulties. This needs some level of fitness since the distance is almost 3-4kms.

2. BUTA PHATRI We reached the gondola ticket centre around 12:30pm to find it highly crowded and long queues to ride it. Mansoor bhai then recommended visiting Buta Phatri which was another site. We hadn’t planned for this but it did sound quite cool and decided to see it. One thing to note – all the taxis from Srinagar or anywhere else only go to the entry point of the town eg: Gulmarg. To sightsee within Gulmarg you need to hire their local taxi. All the taxi drivers have a union and quote rates of 4000-5000Rs for the 15mins drive to Buta Phatri. We bargained with our guide and kept a final price of 3000 Rs. He got us a cab and we set off.

Why visit Buta Phatri? Buta Phatri is the last village on the India side situated about 3kms from the LOC. This is completely controlled by the Army and was closed for tourists for almost 22+yrs. It has recently opened up and invites a lot of tourists coming to Gulmarg. You will continue to see heavy army presence through the hair pin turns unto the entry point. You need to deposit a Govt ID proof at the entry point and collect it on your return.

Buta Phatri

When we reached Buta Phatri, the view that meets the eye is indescribable! Stand aside Switzerland, this place this sheer, untouched beauty. To go around Buta Phatri you can hire a horse; they will tell you it’s 3km etc; but we just decided to walk and its hardly 1or 2kms round about. The natural beauty of Kashmir is here – the green meadows, the pine trees on the mountains, simply magical. You will see the landscapes dotted with huts of the Gujjar tribes. Across the mountain is Pakistan and we could see a station on a mountain and were told Pakistan starts from there. Given Buta Phatri is an army training area you can also hear the firing of gunshots echoing through the valley. Pictures are prohibited close to the army base. Any Mobile network does not work in Buta Phatri.

Buta Phatri

Buta Phatri

We spent some time walking around, clicking pics and then started back to the gondola rocker centre. En-route we stopped to climb a small hill to find a lake on top of it. No one knows how the water got there.

Lake

3. Gondola ride – The gondola is a cable car which connects two mountains in phase 1 and phase 2. This 10-15mins ride to each phase provides some stunning views of Gulmarg. Unfortunately the Phase 2 was under repair and was closed. This meant we couldn’t go to Alphatar lake either. But that was okay! We now purchased our gondola ticket (740 Rs ) for Phase 1, got into the queue and into the car – and man are the views amazing! The Phase 2 tickets can be bought at the same ticket center and cost an additional 950 Rs.

We reached the end of phase 1 which is the top of Kondgori mountain and that opens into a lush meadow. I ran around the meadow like a cat finding an open area and made Bharath (the husband) click an abundance of pics. We were famished at the end of it and were happy to walk to the tents there serving hot maggi, tea, kahwa, pulav, chinese and what not. We had a kashmiri pulav, maggi and kahwa and it was divine! Especially with the view it came with! There is no mobile network on the top of Phase 1.

View from the gondola

At Phase 1

At phase 1

Maggi with a view

View from the gondola

We caught the gondola back to base feeling very content with how the day had panned out. We thanked Mansoor bhai profusely, including giving him more than the guide fee he quoted and he happily accepted the money without even counting it! We bid goodbye to the glorious landscape of Gulmarg and started back to Srinagar, taking back with us memories of one amazing day!

Tomorrow .. Pahalgam!

Tips – I would recommend taking a guide. Seeing a place from the eye of a local, is something altogether. Check if your houseboat has a tie-up; its the best way to ensure you get a good price. The Gondola ride is usually crowded in the morning and by afternoon the crowds reduce. Weather can change at any time and carry a jacket.

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Coastal Karnataka – A 4 day itinerary

Given covid, we have been quite careful about our travel plans. Instead out venturing far and out, we chose to jog memories and visit places in our Karnataka which we haven’t visited over the years. Before the scorching summer hits, we planned a trip to cruise across Coastal Karnataka; exploring the more pristine and unexplored beaches and backwaters.

The Route –

Bangalore – Karwar – Byndoor – Bangalore. There aren’t many resorts to choose from to stay along the beach (we were particular about a beach resort). We hence chose resorts in Karwar and Byndoor as our rest spots and it was a great decision. It was also optimally located for day trips across the coast touching coasts of Gokarna and Udupi and also for our return trip back to Bangalore.

Day 0 –

Bangalore to Karwar is a 9 hr drive and we wanted to break that up. Unable to take an additional day off, we decided to work from Chitradurga for a day! Chitradurga is about 3hrs from Bangalore and we started early on a Friday morning before the workday started! KSTDC has a very humble, clean and great place to work from (good wifi) and spend the night on a budget, overlooking the fort.

Day 1 –

Karwar and Devbagh Beach Resort

Saturday morning began with checking out of Chitradurga and hitting the road, bidding farewell to all the windmills along the way. Karwar is the last beach on the Karnataka coastline and is a very important Naval base for India. There is a completely different charm as you step into the Uttara Kannada district and it amazes me how our country’s landscapes, languages and food change every 100kms. Located at the mouth of the Kali river, Karwar used to be a major port during British rule for spice trading. It is this place where Rabindranath Tagore wrote his masterpiece Prakitirir Pratishoota, his foray into the literary space.

Devbagh Beach

Jungle Resort

In Karwar we chose to stay on the Devbagh beach – Run by the Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR; Govt. run), this beach resort is located at the estuary where Kali river meets the Arabian Sea. The beach resort is a 20mins boat ride from its Karwar office on main land, really well maintained and offers you stay with a delicious food package; since there is nothing else around – just like living on a desert island! Recommend a one night stay here – getting lost in the coniferous jungles, walking endlessly on the beach, spending the evening playing with the water and listening to the waves as they lap up and enjoying dinner on the beach with a bon-fire. The resort does offer a trek, bird watching or a boat ride into the sea to spot dolphins. We chose the boat ride, to go into the sea but unfortunately didn’t see any dolphins. Seeing how tourism has been hit, post covid, we have been choosing stay options which are Govt. run to help support the local community – Devbagh is one of them, managed and supporting the fishermen community nearby.

Day 2 – 

Majali and Tilmati Beach – After spending a day chilling, doing absolutely nothing other than appreciating nature, we checked out and headed towards our next stay destination of Byndoor, which was about a 4hr drive away. You can do a complete road trip from the north to the south of coastal Karnataka and be awed by each and every beach. We chose a few, the ones we haven’t visited before.

Majali beach

Getting off the boat from Devbagh at the Karwar jetty, we drove towards the Goa border to check out Majali beach which shares its border with Goa. This is a small beach which has a rock formation which you can climb to reach the black sand beach of Tilmati. Tilmati can alternately be reached from the Goa side as well.

Mirjan Fort – Post this quick pitstop we headed back towards the south of the coastline as we climbed the mountain towards Gokarna. If you are visiting here for the first time, would recommend a stop over at the famous beaches of Gokarna, Kumta, and the rock formations of Yana. You can stay at any of the beach resorts at Gokarna too. We had visited Gokarna many years ago and hence chose to skip it; but decided to visit the Mirjan Fort which was en-route. The Mirjan Fort was built by Rani Chennabhairadevi in the 16th century and was a major hub for spice trade. In fact she was known as the Pepper Queen. The sprawling fort is beautiful and offers a great view of the entire green forest cover. The view would be much better in monsoons, given the lush greenery which also grows on and around the fort. We spent some time exploring the fort and I went crazy , like a child running around the open spaces.

Mirjan Fort

Mirjan Fort

View from the Fort

Honnavar & Byndoor – as we drove towards our resort, we started getting hungry and decided to stop near the Honnavar backwaters at the Green Park River view restaurant which was located at a point where the Sharavati river flows into the sea. After a quick lunch we continued our drive towards Byndoor. Enroute, there were a few other places you could cover – Apsarakonda waterfalls, Shiva statue at Murudeshwar, Bhatkal beach and lighthouse etc. We reached Byndoor around mid-afternoon at our resort – Sai Vishram Resort. Run by SaiBaba devotees, this resort offers a multiple options for stay – a luxury tent right at the beach or cottages, a bit higher up. We chose the tent since we wanted to access the beach easily. The stay was amazing – great amenities, delicious and healthy food and staying in a tent where luxury meets rustic.. just felt like camping!

Sai Vishram resort

Byndoor

Byndoor

Honnaver

Day 3 –

Day 3 was dedicated to beach hopping! We decided to simply drive down from Byndoor to Udupi and hit as many beaches as we could! Post breakfast we started off toward our first beach:

Marvante Beach – this is the highlight.. Definitely! – as you drive towards Marvante beach you drive on a highway which has the Arabian Sea on one side and the backwaters of the Sharavati River on the other side! Awesome! So picturesque! Marvante beach is also starkly different from other beaches with black stones which you can walk across to view the sea.

Marvante

Trasi Beach – a beautiful beach near Marvante beach, lines with coconut trees and benches, giving you some time to pause and reflect while watching the sea waves crash against the boulders.

Trasi beach

Kodi Beach – by now you would realise most of the beaches have backwaters since multiple rivers run across this region. We spent some time driving though the coconut tree lined roads to Kodi beach and walking across the sea-walk unto the sea. You can also check out the tall Kodi beach lighthouse towering against the sky.

Kodi beach

Kundapur backwaters – we drove a bit inland to see the backwaters at Kundapur. We just couldn’t get enough of the picturesque views of the tall coconut trees lines up against the river banks. indeed a treat to the eyes!

We then headed to Udupi for lunch. Bharath (The Husband) loves his fish and his main agenda was to head to Thimmappa for their fish meals. Being the vegeterian, I got some lunch nearby and we then headed out to explore Udupi’s backwaters.

Udupi backwaters & Kemmanu Hanging Bridge – Udupi, apart from being a temple town, has two other attractions. One of them is the backwaters. The road to the backwaters is quite narrow and complete lined with thick coconut groves and provides an incredible experience just driving through them. You will notice at most of the backwaters the banks on either side are connected by number of Hanging Bridges. These bridges are the lifeline of this area, providing a mode of transport to goods and people on either side of the river – Some of them so strong that they can withstand bike movements too. We decided to visit the main one which is the Kemmanu hanging bridge. The river is also a place for kayaking and you will see the horizon dotted with Kayaks. If you would like to Kayak, there is a adventure sports place right at the base of the bridge. Even if you don’t kayak, this is a lovely spot to enjoy the stillness and calmness that nature offers and take in its serene beauty.

Kemmanu hanging bridge

Backwaters

Malpe Beach – The second attraction in Udupi is the Malpe beach. As you drive towards Malpe, stop to catch a glimpse of a huge dockyard and number of fishing boats docked at the bay. Malpe is an important port and fishing harbour for Karnataka and you will see this at the place. You can park your car and then walk towards the sea on the sea-walk or just sit on one of the benches to enjoy the wind, the view and the sunset. You can also catch a boat from here to St. Mary’s island.

Malpe beach

Malpe beach

Day 4 – 

Thus commenced our return journey to Bangalore. This was a 8-9hr drive and we headed out post breakfast. The thing I love about road trips is that you can plan pitstops and one of them was the drive through Agumbe (which luckily falls en-route). Agumbe apart from being extremely picturesque and offerign some great treks and views, is also the place where the show Malgudi Days was shot. A small town, the entire town was turned into a set for one of the most famous TV series of the 90s. As you drive across, do stop by to admire the Dodda Mane where a large portion of the show was shot.

Agumbe

Post reliving some memories, we headed back towards Bangalore with a quick stop for lunch and tea. 

Covid has somewhere forced us to re-look at many of the places we had visited through our growing up years – but with a new found interest and perspective. With it forcing us to take smaller trips and closer home, here’s to re-discovering our India and all that she has to offer! 

Travel Responsibly & Mask Up! 

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Beijing & the Great Wall

This month of August marks two years since our epic trip to China and given the lockdown, time to travel down this memory lane.

A work friend and I had visited Shanghai in Aug 2018 and then decided to travel to Beijing over the weekend, to ofcourse see the Great Wall and other sights. We were to leave from Shanghai on Friday evening, but had the opportunity to advance this and with in-numerous permutations and combinations we had advanced our flight from Shanghai to Beijing by a few hours thinking we would get more time in Beijing. Where did we know that Murphy’s law decided that it was their day, infact their Trip!

Day 1: Woke up in the morning to a typhoon in Shanghai, hence heavy rains. Unsure if our flight would take off, we still proceeded to the airport. Checked in, boarded and 20 mins past ETD we hadn’t taken off. 😦 Again, everything in China happens in Chinese including flight announcements. The head purser then made an announcement which sent some irritation across the plane. On asking him, he responded in broken English – “Mechanical error, change flight”. Oh god! 1.5hrs of waiting, shifting to a new aircraft, and a 1hr wait at the baggage belt, irritated, we checked into the hotel at Beijing finally at 3pm!! We now had only 1.5 days in Beijing and we were determined to do the 2 main highlights – The Great Wall and Forbidden City and few other places.

Quirky things on a conveyor belt

Our first thoughts as we rode our taxi from the airport, Beijing is far more touristy than Shanghai and it looks like the capital city – huge, wide roads, maybe more populous as well. Beijing also has much more to offer from a tourist sight standpoint. But, in China, most tourist sights close by 5pm and the last entry is at 4pm = we barely entered our hotel, dumped luggage and sprinted hoping to reach Forbidden City before 4pm. This included, getting a metro map, understanding the stations to go to, buying tickets at the kiosk, running crazily across the station, using google picture translate to find our exit (yes even these are in Chinese!) , pushing and shoving our way through the queues to enter Tiannenmen square, sprinting for almost 1.5km; Phew! it was too close.

We did reach Tiannenmen square a little before 4pm and were blown away by the sheer size of the square. Everything in Beijing is huge and far apart! #PlanWell. We then started hunting for the entrance to Forbidden City – but we couldn’t find it – no sign boards, and no one to help. Misery loves company and there was this Turkish couple who were equally lost. After multiple futile attempts at getting directions, arguing with a Chinese guard who got sick of us and let us enter into one of the gardens, and playing google translate with another guard, we got to the entrance- but alas, we were late and it was shut! Damn Murphy! Disappointed and tired, but determined that tomorrow we will definitely make it!

Forbidden city gates

We then spent some time walking around the Tienanmen area, admiring the vast expanses, gardens etc and then left to visit Hongqiao market. This is one of the top places for shopping especially pearls. Go to the 3rd floor and you feel like you are in pearl heaven! An entire floor lined with multiple stalls selling many many designs, one is spoilt for choice! #Tip – bargain hard! The Hongqiao market sells anything from watches, to stoles, bags, tailored clothes, some silk etc. One really could spend an entire day wandering and shopping here. After spending about 2hrs there we came back to the hotel to plan our next day – The great wall of China, Ming tomb and Forbidden city. Phew! What a day it was!

Day 2: Next day dawned and as Murphy would like it we woke up to rains!! But we were determined come rain or sun we will see what we set out to see.

There are 2 modes to get to the Great Wall – You could book yourself onto a day tour which would take you to the Wall and Ming tombs including lunch and  a tour guide OR you hire a private car for the day. It isn’t recommended that you hail any taxi to go there as its fairly on the outskirts and stretches for the entire day. After a bit of dilemma, we chose the private taxi since it gave us the flexibility of times and we could spend as much time as wanted; anyway we were travelling and behaving like locals. He hired a private taxi from the hotel, yes negotiated for rates and set off to the portion of the Great Wall at Badaling. There are 2 popular sections of the Wall – Badaling and Mutiyano. We chose to go to the more popular and bigger section of the great wall, which is in Badaling. The Turkish couple we met the previous day had taken the tour to Mutiyano and weren’t happy at all and they recommended we do it on our own.

The Badaling section of the Wall is one of the longest sections open to public and is also quite crowded with Chinese locals. You will hardly see any foreigners (I guess they all go to Mutiyano – would recommend Mutiyano for a quieter experience). An early start at 6:00am and a 2hr drive from Beijing, there is a process to go up to the wall – long queue to board the bus to go to the cable car ticket counter, purchase cable car ticket, even longer queue to get to the cable car (includes pushing and shoving to jump ahead in the line), a 7mins ride up the mountain – all totally worth it!

From the initial views from the cable car to the time when you set foot on the wall, its marvelous. We initially wanted to climb up to the wall, but again, no one is willing to help with directions and no signboards, makes it difficult. Once up on the Great Wall you see why it has the name. Its an immensely majestic structure running across the mountains and a great sight to see. You can climb up the wall to any of the watch towers but be careful! The climb is steep and did I mention crowded! The Great Wall was meant to fortify China against the Mongolian and other invaders. Stretching across the country, there are only few sections of the wall accessible to public. Many sections of the wall has been destroyed in the past, some pieces been picked up by locals to construct homes etc. Hence only certain portions have been restored.

The Great Wall

View from the cable car

We spent a good few hours climbing up and down the wall and then decided to begin our descent. there are 2 ways to get down – back through the cable car or walk down. We wanted to walk down but couldn’t figure out the path. We just decided to follow some signs and finally found one English speaking local who confirmed the path to us. It took us about 30mins to descend, however we ended up at a different place from where we started #Facepalm. Retracing our steps, we were finally able to reach back to the spot where we bought our cable car tickets – though 45mins behind schedule!

We then quickly hurried to our next spot – Ming Tombs. This is where the last emperor and his wives were buried and this has been constructed bang in the middle of nowhere, amongst nature and yes its the only underground palace in the world. Its worth a visit purely to absorb the nature and admire the location. After spending a short while there we then headed back to our final spot which was Forbidden City again. It was 1:45pm by the time we left Ming tombs and it takes about 1.5hrs to reach Beijing. But it took us a bit longer given that Beijing’s traffic situation is worse than Bangalore!! It was 3:30pm and we were still 2.5km from Tianenmen square.

Ming Tombs

The underground tomb museum

View from the top of Ming Tombs

We decided to then rely on our feet – hence raced a bit of the distance, hailed a tuk-tuk for some portion of it, even got conned by the tuk-tuk driver who extracted more money from us and reached the beginning of Tianenmen square around 3:45pm. To enter the square and further towards Forbidden City you need to navigate the crowds, go through security clearance and walk close to 1-1.5km to the entry gate – we were so late, we sprinted – me ahead and my friend close behind. Sprinting, I could see the gate of Forbidden city ahead of me, turned around and my friend wasn’t there! I rushed and entered the gate at 3:55pm, still no friend in sight. I then spotted her running towards the gate, and while I tried explaining to guard to give it a minute he started closing the entrance. With an extra boost and a long jump, my friend leapt and made it to the other side, while the guard closed the gate behind her! Woah! That was close!

The garden and path to Forbidden City

We caught our breath and then proceeded to the ticket counter, bought the tickets to enter into this magical Forbidden City. The Forbidden city is the palace complex housing the Palace Museum and was the former Chinese Imperial palace and state residence of the Chinese emperors from the Ming to Qing dynasty. This HUGE complex has about 980 buildings spanning 180+ acres. It looks exactly like in the movies, with all the grandeur, impeccable architecture and intricate designs. We were completely awestruck, not knowing where to start. We had a little over an hour and realised we wont be able to see the entire place – it really is a city! We picked a few highlights of the Museum like the Hall of Supreme Harmony, portions of Front Court, Meridian Gate etc and spent the rest of the time just walking through the complex – from the north gate to the south gate exit. I was particularly intrigued by the design of the roofs – just amazing!

Hall of Supreme Harmony

The roofs

You can easily spend an entire day in the Forbidden City and still have places left to see! The complex is very over-whelming by its sheer size and expanse and could be quite tiring to walk across – so plan well and stock up on some water and food.

It was around 5:30-6pm when we exited the Forbidden City, tired but exhilarated that we could accomplish what we set out to do. We spent a bit of time walking back and figuring out how to get back to our hotel to crash after a long, exciting and adventurous day!

China is a very different country to visit as a tourist. Beijing has so much more to offer and you can easily spend more than a week in this city. Yes, getting around as a tourist can be difficult, but this trip definitely builds a lot of confidence in yourself – in a country with a major language barrier, being able to navigate and start surviving the way they do, getting into the Chinese way of life..

Finally, some Tips to survive a trip in China –

• NO ONE speaks English – People are very hesitant to even try and help you, give you directions. All signboards are in Chinese too – Have all your apps in place – Maps, Translate, Search etc.
• Commute within city – traffic is usually high and that would mean negotiating (trying to) with a taxi driver. We ONLY used the Metro – the kiosks have English as an option, very easy to use and NO human interaction.
• Bargain – Chinese vendors quote really high prices and they know you will bargain. We have in some cases bought things at a price 60-70% reduced from the quoted price.
• Navigating crowds – concept of queues, waiting in line, patience – not so much – its a survival of the fittest -so be ready to push and make your way through crowds.
• Food – if you are a vegetarian, please carry enough food for the trip – adding the complexity of language barrier, finding veg food is very difficult.
• Cash – its largely a cash economy (or Chinese e-wallet) and ensure you have cash on you – withdraw from ATMs at your hotel.
• Check Closing Times – Plan well and check opening and closing times of all sights. Many places shut early.

Hope you enjoyed the Read.. Do drop in a comment, appreciate it!

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5 Hidden Gems of Singapore

Singapore was the first country I visited, making it very close to my heart. My eyes twinkle every-time someone talks about SG. During this lock-down, I caught up with an old friend who had made my stay in SG a lot of fun and we got to reminiscing our good ol’ days.. Thus getting me all nostalgic and turning to wordpress 🙂

When ever I travel to a city, I try and ensure I learn to navigate and make my way around independently. I used to spend many weekends simply walking around or riding the bus or metro to many parts of this city, discovering the nuances and the multiple small joys this city has to offer.

SG has a LOT of touristy things to offer – Sentosa, Marina Bay Sands, the zoo, chilling/partying at Clarke Quay, Universal studios, luxury shopping and so on.. But apart from these SG has a few hidden gems! Having lived there a bit, here are my top 5 things to do, apart from the popular ones… Discover them on your next visit to SG!

1. Shopping @ BUGIS STREET! Any visit to SG is not without a trip to the famous Orchard Street – hub of all the Louis Vuittons of the world. SG can be a bit expensive, especially when you do the conversion to INR. But don’t fret! You can manage to do the Indian equivalent of Janpath and Commercial Street shopping right in the heart of SG. Head to BUGIS STREET. Bugis Street is an arcade of multitude shops selling everything from socks, to t-shirts to souvenirs to dresses, bags, shoes and many quirky things. Very easy on the pocket, you can shop for some great dresses, tops, shoes for 20$ each! Bugis Street also has some good food option, for those who get peckish while they shop.

Top buy reco at Bugis Street: I found these toe socks – like gloves, socks with a covering for each toe.. so cool! Tiny umbrellas, which can fit into any hand bag.. a great purchase, been using them for years now! Bottle Jackets – Cuz even your wine bottles feel cold 🙂

The most popular reco one will get is “Visit Musatafa in Little India” for cheap shopping. However, I have found Bugis to be much more appealing. But if you are looking for some cheap perfumes, and electronics, head to Mustafa.

Did you know the brand Charles & Keith originated in SG.. That means it is way cheaper here than in India. I happened to discover the factory outlet of Charles & Keith 😀 Located in Anchorpoint Shopping Centre on Alexandra road, it has a fairly decent collection and some Discounts and Sale too! The shopping centre is the factory outlet for a few other brands as well. But a visit to the C&K store, worth the while!

2. FOOD! – SG offers a lot of options in terms of cuisines – entire South East Asian to Indian to continental etc. I do have a few favourites which I keep turning back to on my visit there..

Zenso – located near Bugis, this small, quaint restaurant offers some great choices in SEA and European cuisine. I highly recommend the Thai green curry here – one of the best I have had. Also there was this person who used to sing Shah Rukh Khan songs when he meets someone from India 🙂

Madurai Idli Shop – I know what you are thinking. Indian in a foreign land.. But trust me when the stomach craves for some home cooked food, head to Little India to this restaurant for their cottony soft idlis with the myriad colour chutneys and finish off your meal with their signature Jigarthanda!

Annalakshmi – I found the concept of this place very interesting. Established with the intent to provide food for everyone this restaurant provides great home-cooked Indian food without a PRICE on the menu. Run on the concept of “Eat how much ever you want, Pay how much ever you can” one can eat to their heart’s content and pay whatever the amount they feel is worthy at the end. This restaurant has all the cooks and keepers on a voluntary basis and people work here with the intent of “Seva”. Be mindful of 2 things – Do Not Waste food – serve as much as you can eat – the buffet is un-limited; Ensure you have a Reservation since the waiting times can be quite long.

3. Indulge in some Middle East! SG has an entire area dedicated to the Middle East. Spend an evening at Arab Street. Enjoy the delicious cuisines from Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey along side Turkish coffee. There are a number of small street markets selling a myriad of items. Shop for the famous middle-eastern lamps and light-shades, they are gorgeous! For those who love quirky things, head to Haji Lane, right next to Arab Street. A small lane, lined on both sides with boutiques, cafes, and other eateries has a lot to offer in terms of clothes, souvenirs, small quirky items and some great food options. I did pick up some fab designer dresses here!

4. An Evening at East Coast Park! East Coast Park is a popular area to do some outdoorsy activities – frequented by numerous cyclists, roller bladders etc, its a great place if you would like to spend an evening cycling around or just sit back, relax and enjoy the beach view with some good food and drinks. The park is on a beach front giving you the required dosage of sun, sand and sea. Head out there, rent a bicycle and cycle around, with the occasional pitstop at the vendors and grab some munchies. Its a great spot to catch up with friends, just sit around, chatting.. almost a mini picnic 🙂

5. Hiking Trails in the heart of SG!

Tree Top Walk – SG is known to be a city but, you can get the experience of hiking through a mini-forest right in the middle of this city. The Tree Top Walk is a suspension bridge situated in MacRitchie Park. The Park itself is a large Natural Reserve governed by the Singapore Botanical Gardens offering Singaporeans and tourists the green lung in the city. MacRitchie Park has a lot of natural hiking trails and you can easily spend a day amidst nature. You can also do some bird watching and observe the biodiversity in this Park. #Tip: Do check the weather and opening/closing timings before you head out there!

Henderson Waves Bridge – Another green lung in SG is the Southern Ridges which comprises of multiple trails and elevated walkways connecting parks, teeming with flora and fauna. One such elevated pedestrian walkway is the Henderson Waves Bridge – a wave shaped, undulating bridge connecting two hills, is Singapore’s highest pedestrian bridge. A great space to spend an afternoon or get there early in the morning, to avoid crowds; walk around, absorb the nature and ofcourse great spot for some beautiful Insta shots!

Hope you found this useful and discover these places in your next visit to SG.

If you have already been here, drop in a comment and tell me your experience.

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A drive to one of the corners of India, Dhanushkodi!

A long weekend is a very inviting option to go somewhere and 15th August, Independence day was approaching soon (not this year, last year,#StayhomeStaysafe in 2020). Bharath (The Husband) had been on a boys trip to Rameswaram and Kanyakumari the previous year and I had seen pics of Dhanushkodi and was itching to go there. So when we were looking for options in the middle of monsoon season, this popped up with him saying, “Let’s go to Dhanushkodi.. I want to eat fish (making the fish symbol with his hands)”. I am a vegetarian, so with a facepalm (and concealed excitement) we set about planning.

We had about 4 days in hand and hence decided to just visit Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi. Why these two places? The temple town of Rameswaram is situated on Pamban island connected to Indian mainland by the famous Pamban bridge. As per Ramayan, a bridge was built by Hanuman to Srilanka to rescue Sita. Rameswaram is one of the Char Dhams (holy pilgrimage sites) and the Ramanathanswamy Temple is considered to be very sacred. 30 kms from Rameswaram and the closest point to Srilanka is Dhanushkodi – an abandoned ghost town, at the tip of Pamban island, destroyed by a cyclone in 1964 post which the Govt. had declared it as un-inhabitable.

Planning this was simple –

• Transport – our little Ferrari aka VW Polo and we were the drivers
• Hotel – we scouted a few on Trivago, Booking.com etc and settled on Hyatt Place, Rameswaram. By the way, Hyatt Place and many other such hotels in Rameswaram offer only Vegetarian options since Rameswaram is a Holy place. You may want to check the cuisines offered prior to booking.

Travel is never without some surprises and unfortunately the twist came in late-July when I fell quite ill and we were advised against any form of travel. We immediately called the hotel to cancel and since it was non-refundable we were quite sure nothing could be done. Thankfully, the hotel offered us the option to move the travel to end of August/early-September at the same rate.. There are some silver linings after all!

It took me a month to recover from what I had contracted and had a number of restrictions/advisories on food and water.. Sigh! We had thought of cancelling the trip multiple times, but then felt we needed a break after all the hospital and doctor visits. So one last check with the doctor and she said the golden words.. go ahead, but be careful! Yay! #SoExcited

Day 1:

We were to leave on a Thursday morning and return Sunday night. Bangalore to Rameswaram is a 10.5 hr drive through Karnataka and Tamilnadu. Since I had been recommended only home-cooked food, that meant nothing from the myriad of restaurants on the highways.. Double Sigh! I love the food in Tamilnadu and usually look forward to the sponge like soft idlis, sambar, pongal, vada.. drool!

so plan B – call cook at 5am to make me some upma which I would consume for breakfast and lunch, packed a huge picnic basket of fruits, coconut water, biscuits and other healthy munchies and we were ready to depart by 6am. We quickly got out of Bangalore and headed towards Krishnagri – first stop breakfast (for Bharath) at Murugan Idli shop. He munched on, while I watched him with a frown. #SoJealous.

Murugan Idli’s offerings

We picked up our pace, taking turns driving, with some stops for lunch and tea, we made it to Rameswaram by 4pm in the evening. A smooth check-in, a bit of rest and then stepped out in search for sea-food for YOU KNOW WHO. He wanted to visit some places where he had eaten on his last visit, but we couldn’t find them. Chose another small restaurant and according to him, the fish was finger licking good! Content, we headed back to Hyatt Place, had dinner and settled in for the night.

Day 2:

The next morning, post breakfast, we headed first to Dhanushkodi.. One straight road, with not a hint of civilization, with sand on either side, Bay of Bengal on one and Indian Ocean on the other.. a view like never before – so serene, so un-touched. Such a beautiful drive towards the end of one of India’s corners, from where, with clear, un-polluted skies, one can see Srilanka. You know, the radio signals of stations in Srilanka are picked up at Dhanushkodi and we could hear it for the 10 km drive in the middle of the sea. Amazing! On our return, we stopped at the entrance of Dhanushkodi village, where Bharath found himself some lip-smacking fish with rice for just about 120 INR!! Whoa! #Tip: There is a lot of checking done by the local police enroute to Dhanushkodi. Ensure you have all the car documents on you at all times.

We then headed back to the city to visit some other sights. Rameswaram is also the birthplace of our ex-President Late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and this is where he grew up. His old house has been preserved and converted into a  museum of sorts to inspire generations to come and celebrate this scientific journey. A quick tour of House of Kalam and we the proceeded to the Kalam Memorial, which was built in his honor post his death. Rameswaram is fairly hot and humid and we were getting quite exhausted. Late Lunch at the hotel and a siesta later, we were ready for Sunset overlooking Pamban bridge. The rail and roadway constructed, serves as the main connection to this island. The rail-tracks laid pass through the sea and used to terminate at Dhanushkodi, until the cyclone destroyed it. Sunset overlooking the bridge is beautiful! #Tip, wait for one of the trains to pass and it calls for an Insta moment!

Day 3:

We woke up early, hoping to catch sun-rise at Dhanushkodi. We drove up-till the entrance to the town to find it closed. It turns out that Dhanushkodi closes everyday from 6 pm to 7 am due to high tide and gusty winds which cause a number of accidents. While we waited for the barricade to open, wandered around on the beach for a bit and at 7 am sharp, they opened the gate.. The vastness, the colour of the sea, the gusty winds, just adds to eeriness of this place – spooky yet serene. We did a quick drive around, captured a few photos then headed back. Rameswaram also has a number of other smaller temples and we visited a few on them in the morning saving the best for the last.

In the afternoon, hoping for lesser crowds, we visited the famous Ramanathaswamy temple. Considered as one of the holiest places for Hindus, this temple is an architectural marvel – the never-ending colourful corridors, the number of pillars providing an illusion of a curve, simply marvelous. #Tip – photography is not allowed inside the temple and one needs to leave their mobile phones outside. Hence no photos. Also dress modestly. Parking is a challenge given the small, crowded roads and that the entire periphery of the temple is a No-Parking zone. We then parked our car a little far away and walked to the temple.

We spent close to two hours marveling at the architecture, along with a darshan of the main deity and walking the entire round of the temple – its huge! It has 4 main entrances, that should tell you the size.

Post the temple visit, Bharath now wanted his last dosage of fish before we departed to Bangalore the next day. finding him his love, we crashed for the night, ready for another 10+hour drive back.

Day 4:

Madurai Meenakshi Temple

Early start to the day as we were heading back home. Got my breakfast packed by the hotel (5-star service for someone who was recovering) and we set off enjoying the sunrise across Pamban bridge. for our return journey we had planned a pit-stop at Madurai to visit the famous Meenakshi temple, a temple with a 1000 pillars. The entrance (gopuram tower) of the temple is colorful, curvy and leads into the immense temple complex where there is a small temple pool. Further is a hallway leading to the main deity goddess Meenakshi. After standing in the long queue and getting a darshan we moved to visit a few more shrines in the complex and then proceeded to see the hall with a 1000 pillars. It is definitely a sight to behold, all the pillars stand strong with intricate carvings, leaving us awestruck.

Post a quick lunch, Bharath ate, I stared at him, we then began our journey back to Bangalore.. Tired but happy faces..

India has a lot of hidden gems, Rameswaram and more particularly, Dhanushkodi is definitely one of them. The feeling of standing on a an empty stretch of road and sand, two differently colored ocean and sea on either side, the vastness all around, the sound of the wind blowing and waves crashing, you wonder.. is this really India?

Here’s to exploring more such gems of Incredible India!

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The magic of Prague… a 3 day itinerary

My fascination with the Czech Republic and Prague started with my dad’s stories of his stay in CzechSlovakia way back in the 60s and 70s. Hence Prague just had to be on my list! 

I took a early morning bus from Berlin (pre-booked on FlixBus) and landed in Prague around 12 noon at the main railway station. My German number decided not work as soon as I crossed the border and hence I had no internet. I enter the railway station to realize that everything is in Czech! With the help of some broken English and sign language managed to get a new sim (Vodafone was a recognizable name :P) and activate it. Phew! Now I was ready to take on Prahaaaaa… 

I had booked an Air B&B close to Wenceslas square only to realize it is a bit of a distance from the happening places around Old Town Square. Tip of the day: live closer to where all the attractions are and that’s in and around Old Town Square. Trust me, you will realize this when you have to walk back after a long day of sight seeing. 

I started the Prague adventure with Sandeman’s free walking tour (yes, learnt this from Berlin). Our guide Brandon took us through most of the sights and covered a bit of history and was also very entertaining! We were a group of 15 folks, of which many were from India, living in different parts of the world. We were 3 solo female travellers as well! I was amazed on how this is catching up! #WomenPower 

On the 2nd day, I decided to visit some of the places I had zeroed in on during the walking tour. First stop was the Jewish Quarter – the Old New Synagogue, Jewish Cemetery, Pinkas Synagogue etc. You can purchase a Jewish museum ticket which gives you access to all the sights in Jewish Quarter. After my well spent half day wandering the streets of Jewish Quarter, I decided to take the Sandeman’s Prague Castle walking tour (paid, but not so expensive). Starting off at the Jan Palace square, our tour guide, Jirke, a local Czech national, was able to give us a good perspective of the history and also a bit into the architectural aspects of the structures. First of all the Prague Castle isn’t really a Castle; its a complex housing various structures- St. Vitus Cathedral, Presidential Complex, beautiful and scenic gardens, Golden Lane etc. St. Vitus Cathedral is the main highlight and boy is it beautiful! The size of it does not fit into one photo frame! The inside of the Cathedral has amazing stained glass work which leaves one spell bound (I am a sucker for stained glass work). Towards the end of the tour you get to go to this view point from where you see the entire city of Prague.. breath-taking and yes DP picture taken 🙂 Incidentally met another solo woman traveller from India on this walking tour… #WomenPowerAgain

I then descended from the Castle through an area called Mala Strana..  I just cant help falling in love the with neo-classical architecture of this city… when you see Mala Strana, you will know what I’m talking about. With the day drawing to a closure, took a walk across Charles Bridge and ended my day with a nice big Chimney Cake (Trdelnik).. YUM!! You must try it! 

Day 3 in Prague was a bit more relaxed. On a recommendation from the friend who was with me on the Walking tour I decided to visit the National Library called Klementium. I’m sure when I mention library one would say.. ha! Boring!! Well think again.. the Klementium is a complex of buildings spanning 2 Hectares housing the Baroque Library Hall, Astronomical Tower and Meridian Hall. This place is totally undermined. Once you purchase your ticket, there is a guided tour which takes about an hour covering the library and astronimical tower.  The Baroque Library has books from the 1700s; a massive one with Biblical interpretations from around the world, well preserved in a temperature and light controlled room with eye catching frescoes on the ceiling. This will definitely leave you awe-struck. The Astronomical tower is another wonder; the guide details out how people used to tell time and also take you through the devices used. Its lovely to see some of the measuring devices we use today in their antique version from the 1800s like the Barometer, microscope   Etc. The tour ends with the last spot being at the veiw point at the top of the tower which over looks the city #DPspot. Tip of the day: wear appropriate clothing – the stairway to the tower top is a spiral and it’s quite steep; it also gets quite windy on top. 

I then decided to finish seeing the rest of the synagogues (since I had the pass for all).. out of all the one which caught my eye was the Spanish Synagogue. Its interior architecture is quite different from the rest.. has a bit of an arabic influence.. 

For the afternoon, I walked across Charles Bridge to check out the Lennon Wall- a very colourful wall dedicated to Lennon done up by street artists. #DPspot. Then went on to visit the Church of Lady Victorious and Infant Jesus of Prague. Another beautiful church with grand gold inlay work. After a quick stop for chai, went for a walk through Mala Strana, hunting for a miniature version of the Jawa bike as a souvenir for my BIL… Yes, Jawa used to be manufactured in Czech Republic but not anymore, so you can imagine how hard it must have been to get one. After a LOT of searching managed to find one near Charles Bridge. My last stop for the day was the Dancing House (the name caught my fancy). A 15 mins walk from the bridge its a building which is quite unlike any other. You have to see it to understand it 😛 

That wrapped up my Prague adventure.. a city just out of a fairy tale.. and oh yes! Souvenirs! Loaded up on Manufaktura products ( Czech personal care brand), some enamel goodies, magnets, a small wooden puppet and of course a shot glass! I still wish I could take back the Bohemian glass crystal 😭 

Anyhow.. moving from one fairy tale city to another.. Vienna you are next! 

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