Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 03 Dec 2014 09:49

bade saar, you need to get a pass for the vehicle (pvt vehicle allowed most definitely) and its driver issued by the DC office. if you give 200 odd rupees to your driver he will arrange it himself. takes one day.

the road isn't all that bad, considering you will use a SUV anyway. if you have other q's plz drop a line at rahulmDAWTbrfYATjeemaleDAWTkom

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 03 Dec 2014 15:46

Thanks, Rahul_M. As long as it does not snow and roads are in decent shape hope to have a fun time.

I have booked through makemytrip and they outsource to third parties. So looks like I have little control other than to make payments upfront, which I already did as I am leaving tomorrow for India. Let me see if I can push my luck with the driver when I get there. I have a two night stay in Tawang.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 03 Dec 2014 19:12

Bade saar,

Let me know how it goes. This is one of the last chunks of India I have not visited. Want to see how makemytrip works.....

girish.r · Post by **girish.r** » 03 Dec 2014 20:26

Dear Admin Please delete this post if not in correct Forum.

How the wife of my French co-worker remembers India now

Usually i read through these forums and take pride in sharing things about 'India' to all fellow colleagues (Thanks for making me look knowledgeable

). Just this afternoon a colleague came knocking at my office door and said "Hey do you know what happened during my wife's travel to Mumbai"?

Oh..no not that same western typecast rant about "Spicy food" or some "gastro infection" or worse..

. Al right shoot.....i say (hoping he gets over with this and i can get back to my work).

"My wife called me before boarding the flight last night to block all her cards and inform local authorities of her lost national ID card and bla bla. She said her purse was stolen.."
I quickly asked him if he did mean "LOST". "Oh excusez-moi, yeah she lost her purse and had no money no card no nothing (Its obvious isnt it? Thats what usually happens when we lose our wallet or purse)

".

Wow, it is not a rant about 'India', aah makes me feel better already.

He continued.. "The reception at the hotel was so friendly, that they said you want money? No problem, we can send the invoice to the company in Belgium directly. My wife felt better, and she went to her room to pack and call me......."

So he is telling me how the staff at the hotel (who get a lot of business from the financial major in EU) was nice to his wife who is an Auditor? Cmon man sum up and leave, i need to finish some work.

"While i was on call trying to block the cards, i see my wife calling me again......I had to end the call by saying to the call centre executive, that please give me a moment to return the call and in the meanwhile do not block the cards yet. I picked up my wife's call which was on-waiting and heard her scream in excitement --je l'ai trouvé"

"The purse was left by her in the taxi, and the driver returned it to the security at the hotel entrance."

"I came to tell you this story because all the things you speak about India, and this would have not been possible in Belgium."

"My wife could not thank the taxi driver in Mumbai, but she asked me to share this story to you - she landed just now."

"I also want to visit Taj mahal." .. he concluded and with a smile he just pat me on my shoulders and said "see you tomorrow "au revoir".

I did not know how to react, so thought to post it here on..

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 03 Dec 2014 21:11

girish.r wrote:Dear Admin Please delete this post if not in correct Forum.

......

I did not know how to react, so thought to post it here on..

girish ji, great you shared this experience. Good that the lady found her purse and yeah felt nice reading the positive story.

I guess the nation is in the throes of a positive atmosphere and hope it continues. Loved the way you kept the suspense going till the end.

nandakumar · Post by **nandakumar** » 04 Dec 2014 12:52

Bibhas wrote:saip ji: all foreign passport holders need to obtain RAP for Andaman. I do not know if there is any recent relaxation for PIO/OCI card holders. However if you look like a pakka desi, present some kind of Indian ID cards while you do flight check in, walk smartly, border control at Port Blair airport is likely ignore you thinking you are an Indian. RAP is a must if you are a foreign passport holder. Without this, if you are caught you will be in really big trouble.

nandakumarji: I have no much idea about Thomas Cook. I thought they are good at Forex and flight booking. I know how some of the bigname online travel agents deal with guests in Andaman. But I guess that is their business model. Their and our customer base/segment is entirely different. Hence the experience is also different.

If you are really planning for Mainland to Andaman Voyage, please do so only during winter (calm sea), from Chennai or Vizag and NEVER EVER from Kolkata. Try to stick to good ships like MV SwarajDweep etc. Not all ships are bad. Some are bad. My employees frequently travel on those ships. But I have never myself took the voyage From Mainland to Andaman. These are all I have heard from them.

Thanks for the information. Wasn't really considering the sea option all that seriously. Not sure I could stand a a three day voyage with the same ease as doing Chennai New Delhi by Rajdhani! Of course, no immediate prospect of another trip to Andamans. Lets see. But this much I can say. Andamans gives you a sense of calmness that I had not experienced on any my other trips including those abroad.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 03 Jan 2015 01:22

Theo_Fidel wrote:Bade saar,

Let me know how it goes. This is one of the last chunks of India I have not visited. Want to see how makemytrip works.....

Makemytrip just outsources it to local travel companies. So it is a pot-shot. I got lucky to get two good driver/guides rolled in to one. The vehicle for one trip to Shillong/Cheerapunjee/BD border was a new one. The trip to Tawang was in a beaten up Sumo, but then the roads were kaccha ones so cannot complain. If you contact the local driver or agency directly you can shave off Rs10,000 off what makemytrip will quote you. I had local Assamese (3 gen) speaking drivers but of Bengali and Bihari extraction. No complaints on the whole experience. Wish Arunachal was a bit more cleaner...was expecting a pristine environment but it was not so.

Cheerapunji was dry and dusty...not the wettest place on earth. They have anomalously low rainfall apparently the last many years.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 03 Jan 2015 03:01

i was told if you have lived in kolkata, then you should never complain about other places you visit for cleanliness.

btw, i have never been to NE above AP. went up to rohtang pass onlee all N!

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 06 Jan 2015 00:14

Bade wrote:Makemytrip just outsources it to local travel companies. So it is a pot-shot. I got lucky to get two good driver/guides rolled in to one. The vehicle for one trip to Shillong/Cheerapunjee/BD border was a new one. The trip to Tawang was in a beaten up Sumo, but then the roads were kaccha ones so cannot complain. If you contact the local driver or agency directly you can shave off Rs10,000 off what makemytrip will quote you. I had local Assamese (3 gen) speaking drivers but of Bengali and Bihari extraction. No complaints on the whole experience. Wish Arunachal was a bit more cleaner...was expecting a pristine environment but it was not so.

Cheerapunji was dry and dusty...not the wettest place on earth. They have anomalously low rainfall apparently the last many years.

Bade,

Somehow I missed this. Thanx for taking the time. So how are the lodging/food facilities? Daruu? The problem with locals of course is the quality is so uneven. You can get a good vehicle or total rubbish, no way to know upfront.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 06 Jan 2015 00:26

Lodging is dodgy at best. There is no power in the grid in ArPr. I had power for 2 hours each day. Hotels are more like lodges in homes. So do not expect much. Like all things in India these days the costs do not reflect the quality of service. Besides large swaths of ArPr closer to the arterial "highway" is an army cantonment largely so photography or videography is at your risk, and I kept it to the minimum to be on the right side of the law.

Haresh · Post by **Haresh** » 07 Jan 2015 00:52

India tourism fears after latest rape
Indian authorities are considering how to reassure female visitors about safety in the country following the rape of a Japanese tourist

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/desti ... -rape.html

Rishirishi · Post by **Rishirishi** » 07 Jan 2015 06:14

Haresh wrote:India tourism fears after latest rape
Indian authorities are considering how to reassure female visitors about safety in the country following the rape of a Japanese tourist

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/desti ... -rape.html

What about reassuring the average whomen in inida.

One idea could be to have hony traps. Hire some 200 models and make them walk arround in delhi in unsafe places. Once the rapist make the move, catch them. I think the jail term in 7 years.

Haresh · Post by **Haresh** » 07 Jan 2015 20:35

[quote="RishirishiWhat about reassuring the average whomen in inida.

One idea could be to have hony traps. Hire some 200 models and make them walk arround in delhi in unsafe places. Once the rapist make the move, catch them. I think the jail term in 7 years.[/quote]

True, however I think that some punitive sentencing is needed and a change in attitude.
Why do you think this would require models? Rape is never about sex or attractive women being more attacked. Unattractive women get attacked as well.

My father built a large house in Punjab, which we are going to turn into a guest house. I have explained to my cousin who will be running the show that they have to protect not just the female guests but also female staff and all females in general.
Attitudes have to change.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 07 Jan 2015 21:14

Bade wrote:
Theo_Fidel wrote:Bade saar,

Let me know how it goes. This is one of the last chunks of India I have not visited. Want to see how makemytrip works.....
Makemytrip just outsources it to local travel companies. So it is a pot-shot. I got lucky to get two good driver/guides rolled in to one. The vehicle for one trip to Shillong/Cheerapunjee/BD border was a new one. The trip to Tawang was in a beaten up Sumo, but then the roads were kaccha ones so cannot complain. If you contact the local driver or agency directly you can shave off Rs10,000 off what makemytrip will quote you. I had local Assamese (3 gen) speaking drivers but of Bengali and Bihari extraction. No complaints on the whole experience. Wish Arunachal was a bit more cleaner...was expecting a pristine environment but it was not so.

Cheerapunji was dry and dusty...not the wettest place on earth. They have anomalously low rainfall apparently the last many years.

the wettest place is now mawsynram, which is some distance from cherapunji. which hotel/lodge did you stay in while in tawang ?
did you get to do the bumla trip ?

Theo saar, daaru is very cheap in ArP but quality can be a little worse than ROI, IMHO for IMFL.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 08 Jan 2015 00:21

Yes mawsynram is also the cleanest village in Asia apparently. Well it was well kept from what I could see. Cheerapunji was dusty and dry, not sure if it was so just due to the unfinished roads kicking up all the dust and the multitude of landslides both controlled and uncontrolled from the looks.

I did not get to bum la, as it snowed and roads were closed. Even had to miss PtSo lake and Sanghestar lake. Also got under the weather a bit while there, so would not have tried going up in any case.

Best is not to drink the first few days when moving to a high altitude location. Hotels were all booked by agent, it was some no name place with no web presence. No heating to speak of either when the lights went out for the night. ArPr is quite under developed from a tourism point of view.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 08 Jan 2015 18:56

mmm, seems to me you have been fleeced a bit by makemytrip.
tawang has quite a few modern and comfortable hotels.

I could probably have made a much better plan and arrangement for a BRFite.

chilarai · Post by **chilarai** » 08 Jan 2015 19:31

Rishirishi wrote:
Haresh wrote:India tourism fears after latest rape
Indian authorities are considering how to reassure female visitors about safety in the country following the rape of a Japanese tourist

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/desti ... -rape.html
What about reassuring the average whomen in inida.

One idea could be to have hony traps. Hire some 200 models and make them walk arround in delhi in unsafe places. Once the rapist make the move, catch them. I think the jail term in 7 years.

probably belongs to internal security but long back in India today i had read that Delhi police used to have women constables in plain clothes roaming and arresting anyone attempting eve teasing and molesting . It was actually a very good move . Dont know why it stopped.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 08 Jan 2015 23:50

Rahul M , yes I know. I get fleeced in India anyway, only consolation is that it is spent on my long lost cousins.

They provided for a space heater, but with no electricity in town when it is freezing does not help. Anyway, they did not even have a fireplace in the room. Wonder how people live there during winter months...i mean in that hotel which also doubles as residence for the caretaker/owner/manager.

I stayed at Dirang at a hotel with a web presence, and there too it was the same situation. Nice from the outside, location was great overlooking the valley and river, but no amenities to speak of.

sampat · Post by **sampat** » 09 Jan 2015 16:37

Delhi police used to have women constables in plain clothes roaming and arresting anyone attempting eve teasing and molesting . It was actually a very good move . Dont know why it stopped.

It was stopped because police started harassing innocent people. Women constable would ask for lift from men and then blackmail them to pay up or go to prison. This should be started again but with hidden cameras, so innocent are protected from police.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 09 Jan 2015 19:01

bomdila would have been a better place to stopover than dirang. net connection is quite steady as well.

the decent hotels in tawang have gensets. there's one being made with helipad and all that.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 09 Jan 2015 21:05

I did have a stay at bomdilla on the way down. Hotel was good with all wood interior...except here the problem was excess heat with the blower right onto the face. Thankfully they have provided for a switch to turn it off conveniently from the bedside...only problem is you will need to wake up to do that...how thoughtful. Indian jugaad is laughable. So from extreme cold in the room I was thrown to extreme warmth more like inside an oven.

I was pointed to some 5-star

hotel in the making by who else but a local politician. The ex-CM hotel is in half-built state too after his demise in the accident. Arunachal is as corrupt as any other state with all the central money pouring in and nothing visible on the ground.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 09 Jan 2015 23:15

it's actually far more corrupt than most other states, led by (who else) the GOP. I have posted on that in the past.

vsunder · Post by **vsunder** » 10 Jan 2015 07:06

I must have missed this, but there is the inner line, outer line, Mcmahon line, this line and that line, what sort of documents are needed to go to ArP? Who issues this document and upto where can one go without special documents other than a passport and OCI etc.? I keep meeting students at summer schools I ran from some place called NERIST in ArP and they keep telling me to come to ArP and sing its praises. I am also quite impressed at how hard they work in the summer schools. Also I meet students from the Cashmere valley but somehow I have never had much of a chance to talk with them. Usually I hold office hours from 6-9pm at night and students will drop by and talk. It takes a while though, they are not used to it( asking questions in a free way), but I am learning about India from these kids from all over India and their aspirations and I dont mind one bit reaching home at 11pm after Bangalore traffic mess.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 10 Jan 2015 08:39

you will need an inner line permit, the AP bhawan in your city would issue you one for a 100 odd bucks. some people even get it on the spot from bhalukpong which is the border of Assam & AP.

there was a chopper service from guwahati to tawang but DGCA has discontinued it due to safety reasons.

vsunder · Post by **vsunder** » 10 Jan 2015 09:23

Thanks. Rahul M. This is helpful

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 10 Jan 2015 21:16

glad to be of help. if you think of going feel free to give me a ping, might have some pointers.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 10 Jan 2015 22:48

In any case do not use makemytrip, they outsource the whole thing to someone, and that someone further outsources it to the vehicle owner/driver. I was hoping for good hotel stays at least, and they cut corners there significantly. So as for Arunachal trip I give them a major thumbs down.

The trip to Shillong was good with a stay at the Tripura Castle hotel next to the summer palace. Nice place with a dated look and reasonable amenities. Meghalaya women are the most stunning looking of the North-east.

jamwal · Post by **jamwal** » 29 Jan 2015 23:43

Did anyone visit SATTE in New Delhi or planning to ?

The whole event is getting smaller every year.
For a change, J&k pavilion had something about Jammu instead of 65% Kashmir and 34% Laddakh like it was previously.

SBajwa · Post by **SBajwa** » 30 Jan 2015 00:42

My father built a large house in Punjab, which we are going to turn into a guest house. I have explained to my cousin who will be running the show that they have to protect not just the female guests but also female staff and all females in general.
Attitudes have to change.

Punjab is very safe when compared to Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh. 2 years ago I had to take an auto rickshaw from Chandigarh (10:00 pm) to Mohali when I stopped one it already had a girl (20 or so years old sitting) sitting there., she had no problem (reduced fair for her). So! she kept totally quiet and as soon as we entered Punjab she called her parents and told them " I am safe now". I asked her how so? she replied that generally women feel safer in Punjab as compared to Chandigarh, Haryana or Delhi.

jamwal · Post by **jamwal** » 30 Jan 2015 19:29

LOL what ?

Chandigarh is a great city, I spent a lot of time there. The girl probably reached her own place/city and then called to inform.

member_28978 · Post by **member_28978** » 02 Apr 2015 21:04

Can anyone suggest a place near Kolkata, Westbengal for bird photography ? Desired travel time 2/3 hours.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 02 Apr 2015 21:30

^^
http://weekenddestinations.info/2011/da ... r-kolkata/

santragachi jheel is a very good spot in winter but I'm not sure about this time of the year.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 07 Apr 2015 18:31

Interesting issue: Capitalist Imperialist vs. Tourism vs. Commies vs. Guvrmand vs. Labor Unions vs. Mafia vs. Labor Laws vs. Exploitation of the Masses vs. Anmolization Effect on Commies

So how does this compare to, say, Convention Centers in the US of A? I once tried to ship a box containing a 13-inch monitor from the Anaheim Convention Center, to a point some 1800 miles east. Back in the early 1990s when the US Dollar was worth about 10 of today's dollars. The buggers charged me $165, and I had no choice because all shipping from the Exhibition Floor HAD to be done by the Contracted Union.

The actual shipping charge (the thing came beat up and unusable) was about $20. Ground. Came in about 3 or 4 weeks, and it WAS "ground" as in "grinded".

Should Indian laborers get paid orders of magnitude less than Americans? Shouldn't the CPI(M) stand up for the Rights of the Toiling Laborer rather than the Capitarist Impeliarists and their Lunning Dogs and Camp Followers? Inquilab Zindabad!!!

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 09 Jun 2015 11:42

Modi government planning to build hi-tech Ram museum in Ayodhya to promote Ramayana

The government plans to develop all sites related to Ram in and around Ayodhya and revive the town as a major cultural centre. When asked about the political ramifications - the museum may near completion in 2017 when UP elections are due - the minister said, "Tourism we can develop. We are not saying we are going to make a Ram mandir there."

The government is already working on a chain of five circuits, he said. "For every year we will declare a different circuit. Ramayana circuit will start with the centre somewhere in Ayodhya and Chitrakoot and definitely we go to Makohda in Basti, then Janaki kund in Unnao and nearby areas and places relevant to the life of Ram...that is our idea," he said.

As part of the plan, the government will also host what it calls are cultural activities centred on Ram and Ramayana at events abroad, including Festivals of India and travel marts. Ministry officials said the government has already asked Uttar Pradesh to send a proposal for the project under the Centre's Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme. The culture ministry, also headed by Sharma, will be asked to work on the museum and other cultural content related to Ram and Ramayana.

There will be a huge psychological impact on visitors who visits the museum. They will probably know destruction of Sri Ram Mandir by Babur clan and Congis duplicity on this issue.

I think once Ayodya circuit is complete, it will be a part of every Kashi Yatra of South Indians.

I wish Govt constructs choultrys with 500 or 1000 rooms, so that pilgrims can rest (a nidra/sleep) a day, have a proper bath, do darshan/poojas and move on. In fact, every big temple should emulate TTD model in that regard.

vipins · Post by **vipins** » 24 Nov 2015 18:53

IRCTC to launch semi-luxury trains on desert and heritage trips

"Desert Circuit" will cover Rajasthan's famed cities of Jaisalmer and Jaipur, while "Heritage Circuit" will take the passengers to Varanasi, Khajuraho and Agra.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 25 Nov 2015 21:57

Jishnu wrote:Can anyone suggest a place near Kolkata, Westbengal for bird photography ? Desired travel time 2/3 hours.

Park street

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 08 Jan 2016 02:39

Singha wrote:
AkshayM wrote:Singha, any update on the weekend trip to Hampi? Any changes for the better?
the NH13 from chitradurga to hospete is in passable shape but very narrow and lot of trucks. we witnessed the aftermath of a head-on between 2 trucks and the smouldering fire of another cotton truck that had fallen over and its cotton was still burning. we used this route only on return trip. get tiring to constantly nose out from behind trucks and overtake in the face of oncoming traffic for 150km. truck drivers drive very safe though...its the taxis & buses one has to be scared of.

while going we drove fast to hubli-dharwad , had late lunch, then took interior state highways (good condition, almost no traffic) upto badami....via navalgund...impressive crops of barley, wheat, corn, sunflower, chilies doing gods work feeding our hungry nation. its possible to stay overnight there now due to clarks inn opening. just dont expect it to be the taj but passable. our tata sky subscription had run out but we didnt complain as it was 10 hr drive incl halts for breakfast near tumkur and lunch@dharwad. wanted to buy thakurji peda but no parking near the shops on main street. google thakurji peda for history. had lunch at a 100% veg ripoff of bbq nation called Sigri we found by accident. clarks inn staff is bengali and cooked some good chicken tikka lababdar and tandoori murga. feel asleep at 8.30pm on dec31. at midnight people burst some crackers and it was quiet again.

next day saw the badami cave temples, bhootnath temple, buddhist cave(islamic types had broken its face as also many other statues there) and climbed to badami fort. then on to pattadakal which took a while as interior roads are small. then reached the NH13 150km north of hospet which is fully 4 laned and uber smooth now. some of the construction work and hilly climbs reminds of the SFO-LA highway where it climbs the mountains before entering the LA metro area - some pass is there. huge concrete ramps.

we had got a good deal in hyatt place hotel in jindal steel township around 30km south of hospet. the road from hospet-jindal-bellary is still the nightmare it was and hospete has hardly changed in 4 years - unruly, pigs running around (lot of pigs in north KA!) http://hampi.place.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

the hotel had given us a pkg of breakfast, dinner, one day taxi to hampi .... the township and the hotel are uber-AMAZING. high class airbnb HQ type construction, very spacious, huge pool, great open kitchen dining area, massive soothing high ceiling lobby , (rickety) cycles to explore the town, huge tv with all channels, fast wifi. highly recommended. just search for hyatt hampi. its some 30km away from the sites.

we used their complimentary taxi to visit hampi sites the next day and then on to the pool and exploring the township.

the township itself is uber-amazing and best township I ever seen...my wife grew up all her unmarried years in PSU townships and agreed. I crawled on the ground - yep tight iphone and lexus type material selection and panel gaps in the roads, gardens, sidewalks....

- there is one kaladham center with a huge garden and fabindia type shop which has a 3d hampi show at night. ticket is rs 40, free if u stay in hyatt right next to it. the show narration is by a live employee and could be better. but well worth for the gardens and decor with murals on walls and beautiful
backlit photos of hampi. 5pm-8pm. I have been to the Met & Nathist in nyc and all smithsonians in DC but in chi-chi factor this place is a notch above. http://www.jsw.in/steel/kaladham
- there is big north indian style 3-dome temple thats serene and heavily surrounded by woods
- a lake and childrens play areas which have ducks and peacocks
- a museum to the jindal empire founder, his life, sayings covered under a grass laid concrete dome - again very neat, very polished
- township has huge sports facilities, shopping center and green tree lined roads to walk romantically in
per a engineer who I met near the lake they were charging him rent of Rs2400 for his apartment and Rs1200 for his kids school. said he developed a red rash everytime he went to Hyd due to the traffic vs the township. kids looked disciplined achievers like most township kids - playing hard (football, volleyball, martial arts I could see), studying hard. parents all of same educated class - no rich slackers there to spoil the mood.

a hotel employee told me that ludhiana, sivakasi and bellary were the richest districts in the land with lots of people (mining barons here) roaming in bentleys and roll royces.

while returning, we took tornagallu(township) -> sandur -> kudiligi -> NH13 -> chitradurga. the route to NH13 has been recently widened and very smooth now except sandur town where its narrow.
there are two ranges of green hills and a rather beautiful lake with a island the road winds around
https://www.google.co.in/maps/@15.11688 ... .98z?hl=en

the hampi sites - the ASI has managed to complete the demolition and relocation of all shops in bazaar street to kamalapur 4km away. so no more israeli coffee, german bakery mess. behind the virupaksha temple they have cleared out the riverside as well and trying to clean and recover the temple tank.

the parking lot is the same old shambling earthen yard with vendor stalls around it. paid toilet was functional and ok.

for the vittahala temple I suggest you walk the 2km or so rather than approach from behind by road which we did due to kids. from roadhead parking lot to temple is another long bazaar street around 1km long. electric buggies ride but long queue. a KSRTC volvo also does the loop and you need to be alert to get on it at both ends . ticket = rs 10 one way.

if you can try to climb matanga hill for the sunset view and if u have another day, cross the river behind veerupaksha temple and make tracks for the high hill with hanuman temple on top. its said to be his birthplace and anegondi on other side is deserted , its a older city...nice romantic for a couple to walk around with occasional kissy kissy.

the royal palace area looks the same from 4 years ago, vast, sprawling, fairly neat, no vendor shops to muddy the place but disorganized way of car parking.

we skipped aihole as I knew the std was less than pattadakal and we ran out of time. dont miss the malprabha river ghat behind the pattadakal nandi temple. its co-located.

suggested route would be blr - tumkur - hiriyur - bellary bypass - jsw - hospet. preferably avoid hospet. but check how the hiriyur-bellary road is now - it was uber smooth 4 yrs ago.royal orchid hotel in hospet is good also and has a pool to have fun with your woman.

if going to badami and working way back like we did (unusual) go via tumkur - chitradurga - davangere - haveri - dharwad as you can steadily cruise there at 100-120. huge numbers of windmills on this route with trucks carrying blades for more. make sure to have a 3G pack on phone and google maps loaded as its necessary to navigate inside dharwad and finding interior roads. google maps is hopeless inside hospet though...it nearly made me fall into a canal and I avoided it as I had been on that road before by taxi

and

Singha wrote:this should enthuse people to climb matanga hill and the hanuman temple on other side(600 steps). watch with sound. Saral sir in his youth went around that hill barefoot at night several times per a old post.

today its in ruins, but surely a dharmic and militant new Order will emerge from here again and rule the land. vijaynagara was a empire that spanned from north KA, both the coasts and down south to madurai and trichy. it had 60 seaports big and small for internal trade. every hindu kingdom in the south was its ally and coalition partner. because of this, the 5 daccani sultanates belgaum(the genius and wily asada khan), bidar, berar, bijapur(the most powerful adil shahis) and golconda(another powerful one) could not wholesale lay waste to the hindu traditions of the south like they did in north.

the sequence was
- tughlaqi turkic sultanates in dilli rule over deccan
- bahman shah breaks off and sets up his own shop in aurangabad
- later on his governors revolt and setup the 5 daccani sultanates
- in parallel vijayanagar consolidates the entire south india under one banner
- a series of inter-ghazi wars and vs vijaynagar in various combos. vijaynagar loses many times or has to pay some ransom, does soul searching and improves its artillery and archers. imports huge number of horses via goa portugese. krishnadeva raya finally deals a crushing defeat to adil shah of bijapur in the raichur doab region. after that ghazis never attack until he is alive.
- a coalition of ghazis from all 5 sultanates destroys the city under a declining line of rulers - the dynasty sets up shop in penugonda and their regional governors rule free (nayaks etc)...due to this no widespread rapine and chaos except in the main city and its environs. the temples of belur, somnathpur and halebidu and the monolith of bahubali in sravanabelagola would surely have been ravaged if the hordes had managed to move south
- dilli mughals destroy these 5 sultanates
- marathas take over and rule until madurai
- hyd nizam a regional governor of mughals starts the golconda nizam line

keep the faith in the nation.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 19 Jan 2016 11:04

Folks.. need some advice on the "vacation front". Last two years went without a vacation for various reasons. So planning to take a short break (4-5 days max) in March 2016.
As-Is situation:
1. Family trip planned (2 adults 1 kid). Kid has the habit of falling sick (mainly fever) so we really cannot go into the wilderness.
2. Need not be a place which has 100s of "must see" places. Looking for a place where there is time to relax, with perhaps a few spots to visit.
3. Generally I prefer a hilly area (a view of snow clad mountains is the ultimate), where as SHQ also prefers the sea & beaches. So I am open for all options.
4. Journeys by train are more enjoyable, but flights are okay (provided that there is a decent level of flying time, not like Chennai-Bangalore

).

One option which struck my mind is the Andamans. That kind of meets most of the requirements for the moment. But any recommendations about good places to stay, good local travel companies etc. would be helpful. I remember some one in BR having a business venture out there. Rough calculations indicate that I may easily lose around a lakh for a trip to Andamans.

I have not short-listed any places in "up Naarth" which may give a good of the Himalayas. What made me a bit hesitant was the cold weather which might make my kid fall sick. But even a few pointers in this direction would be of help

.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Jan 2016 11:21

south goa would be uncrowded and cheap during march. we stayed here right to a clean and pristine part of the colva beach away from the daily-tripper roadhead. tourist taxis in goa are quite expensive(if you dont drive there yourself...but a couple days trips should be fine). http://www.belezagoa.com/
there are some good beachside restaurants close by and winter EU/Rus crowds would have departed by then.
there is a huge warm pool to play in and a football ground of sorts with a kids play area.

andaman is also good, but you will need a ferry to havelock island hotel if you want to explore outside port blair. and travel and hotel there at equivalent level more expensive.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 19 Jan 2016 11:25

Singha wrote:south goa would be uncrowded and cheap during march. we stayed here right to a clean and pristine part of the colva beach away from the daily-tripper roadhead.

Forgot to mention that. We did make a trip to Goa in 2013. And so that is kind of fresh in memory

.