Candolim Beach, Goa

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

When we were planning a family trip to Goa last year, we kept searching for the right place to stay and finally we arrived at a decision to stay at the Santana Beach Resort at the Candolim Beach looking at the reviews and ratings in Trip Advisor.

I have to say that we were not disappointed. We did have a fantastic time! The resort was right on the beach and we could just stroll down to the beach after our lunch and spend as much time, strolling and lazing around at the beach, picking up shells and just being in the water and enjoying the waves to our hearts content. It gave us an opportunity to really enjoy and feel the essence of being in Goa!

The service was decent, the breakfast was varied and had a good spread of continental and Indian. We had Goan fish curry at lunch which tasted good. The rooms were clean and bathrooms tidy with clean towels when we checked in. We were lucky to get a room with a kitchen attached, though we did not use it as we were out most of the time. It has a separate swimming pool for adults and children with beautiful lawns, properly trimmed and maintained with lots of coconut trees and other plants. It looked beautiful even at night.

Another thing that we really liked about this place was that it was really close to Fort Aguada and we could take a tour of the Fort by taking a short walk through the beach. We saw people indulge in para sailing and other evening sports at this beach. It has a great beach shack too. This place is also very close to the famous Kingfisher villa and Vivantaby Taj – Fort Aguada.

The price is very decent for the facilities that are on offer. We would definitely like to go back and stay there once more if we get a chance!!

How to get there

We can take a taxi either from the Goa airport located at Dabolim which is 46 km from Fort Aguada or any of the two Railway Stations – Margao and Vasco Da Gama.

Santana Beach Resort on Google Maps

Chandni Chowk of Delhi, India

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

Going through chandni chowk and it’s various little gulley’s is a favourite pastime for me and my husband. We would hop on a Delhi metro and shoot off, the moment we find we have a day to ourselves and are not needed to do some errand for the family or go the kids school or run to some other event.

We prefer taking the Delhi metro to this place because one we cannot dream of getting our car into the unmanageable little roads and get stuck in traffic for endless hours. It also gives a breather to my husband who is the only one in our family who can drive right now.

So, on a nice sunny winter day, we set off to be part of the busy streets, hawkers, vendors, chai wallahs, the street food guys. It is an interesting mix of people and buildings, old and new, all intermingled with each other that they still maintain an individuality yet look so distinct.

A person probably visiting for the first time might not find this place interesting at all. I used to be like that. I hated going there amongst the dirt and the chaos, amidst people jostling with each other to get ahead, people screaming at the top of their voices, a mayhem of cycle rikshaws, auto-rickshaws, car, scooter and hoards of people all getting into each others way and nerves.

I only had to make 2 or 3 visits with my husband to really understand the depth of these places. Once you get into a gulley or a lane, the varieties of a single aspect displayed was simply mind boggling. Now, I sometimes simply go there to open up my horizon, of my understanding of what all things are available there.

There is a lane dedicated to only gems and stones. Another lane would be selling only buttons and embellishments. On one lane, you will simply find laces, rows of shops selling different coloured, different styles of laces. There is a lane for bicycle parts, one lane for clothes, one for sarees, one for dry fruits and nuts, spices….. The list just goes on.. Everytime we go, we choose a different lane to explore.

This old Delhi used to be the only Delhi people knew some 30 to 40 years back. By now though the boundaries of Delhi has expanded to beyond Gurgaon on the south and Noida on the west, Rohini on the north, etc. But when you visit old Delhi, you would not imagine that Delhi has expanded so much. Life goes on as it used to couple of decades before. It is as if time stood still somewhere in those periods for Chandni Chowk while the others moved on!

The Hill Station of Kerala – Munnar

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

A visit to Kerala is incomplete without visiting the famous hill station of Kerala called Munnar. It is part of the Western Ghats falls in the Idukki district. The name Munnar actually means three rivers. This is a place where 3 rivers (Mudhirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly river) come and join together.

During one of our annual vacations to Kerala, we made this journey to Munnar by renting a car. It takes about 3.5 hours from Kochi via Adimali. It is an uphill drive through a natural forest with a view of the most picturesque valleys and waterfalls.

As you climb up, you can see the clouds on top of the mountains enveloping the peak and then slowly as you keep going up, you can feel the clouds kind of settling in on you as well. It is a wonderful feeling when you realize that you now are part of the clouds that you saw when you were down. As you come closer to Munnar, you can see the landscape has changed into smooth slopey mountains, trimmed and parted in columns and squares. The tea gardens are spread wide across mountains and as you inch closer to Munnar, the temperature dips and you start feeling a little cold.

Munnar is a very small town with houses scattered across the mountains. You can have a good look at the entire town from one of these mountains. We stayed at the Mar Thoma Retreat Centre on the Mattupetty Road. It was a very comfortable cozy place and once we had freshened up, we were on our way to see the Mattupetty Dam, or as some call it, the Madupetty Dam. The dam is nearly 13 Kms from Munnar town. Further ahead is a beautiful tourist spot called the Echo Point. The river enveloped by mountains all around was a beautiful sight to behold.

Munnar on Google Maps

If you are making the trip from Kerala, the nearest airport is Nedumbassery at Kochi. The nearest railway station would be Ernakulam or Aluva. And then take a taxi or cab. It is about 110 Kms from airport.

Interesting tidbits on Munnar

The blooming of Neelakurinji. This tiny blue flower (Strobilanthes kunthianum) blooms every 12 years and spreads the entire mountainscape of Munnar and is a phenomenon worth clapping ones eyes on. The flower with 40 odd varieties bloom mostly in shades of blue, and thus the name. Neela in the local language stands for the colour blue and Kurinji the local name for the flower. The blooming of Neelakurinji usually starts from August and would last up to October. After 2006, we can expect another blooming in 2018. Book your tickets!

Humayun’s Tomb

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

The long Lodi road from Safdarjung Tomb ends rather tamely at the Sabz Burj right inside the roundabout, or what is now popularly known as the Neeli Chhatri for its spectacular blue dome. Take the second exit and you are already inside the Humayun Tomb premises. A short walk and an entrance ticket later, we entered the chirpy grounds. I was accompanying my cousin from Kerala on a tour of Delhi and were now at the famed Humayun’s Tomb.

The Humayun’s tomb is preceded by tombs of lesser known personalities, but the fun fact is that they are far better preserved. We were told that the Aga Khan Foundation along with the TATA trust had been engaged to restore the monument to its pristine past. And it was pretty evident.

The squeaky clean pathway that leads to the Humayun’s Tomb

Past the domed gate lay the Humayun Tomb.

The tomb stands on a terraced platform. You can climb up to the platform to enter the tomb. We went in October and the pleasant climate was perfect for viewing.

The tomb has two stories. But the entrance to the upper floors are closed. I am sure there was a time when these were open to the general public, but that day it was closed. 🙁

Humayun’s Tomb, apart from Humayun’s grave, also contains graves of other royal members of the Mughal family of the time.

There are gates on all four sides of the tomb, which gives it a unique quadrilateral look, something of a uniqueness with subsequent Mughal architecture, especially that contains tombs.

We enjoyed our visit and after packing our memories in an electronic plastic card, we made our way to the next destination. More on that later.

Bekal Fort in Kerala

Posted on July 24, 2018July 24, 2018 by indtr

Bekal Fort is one of the lesser known forts located in the northern part of Kerala. It is one of the oldest and largest forts of Kerala. It is part of the Kasargod district of Kerala.

We made a day trip to Bekal Fort from our home in Pathanamthitta District by taking an overnight train that left us at the Bekal Fort Station early morning. The station was right beside the Beach. It was very convenient for us to get to the beach and to the fort walking down from the station. However, since we were on an overnight train, we did not have anything to eat in the morning and therefore went out in search of Breakfast. This, being a very small town did not have too many options. There were roadside restaurants that served all Kerala dishes but it was off season. We went during the monsoon season and therefore the place was less crowded. We were told that this place is usually flocked till May end when the school kids in Kerala are on vacation!

Bekal fort is a protected monument. It is a key like structure. The fort was the citadel of the Kolathiri Raja’s of Kerala which finally fell into the hands of Vijayanagiri empire. It was then taken over by Tipu Sultan and the security features around the fort gives us the impression that it was built to keep an eye on the enemies coming in from the sea side as well as land.

After our Breakfast in the town, we took an auto to the main entrance of the fort. Inside the fort, there was an observation tower in the center of the fort with a ramp going up and down. The walls that surround the fort went on and on across the length and breadth of the fort.

The walls were approx 12 ft in height and were very strong built. We could see the holes that would have been used to keep guns and ammunition by the fort guards. There was a wider opening that was used to keep tanks. As we peeked in through these holes and the gaps, we could see the entire stretch of the sea around.

The fort is surrounded by sea on the west side. There was a lane that would take you down to the sea and beaches. The beach on the fort side was rocky. The waves lashed on them with so much fury that it was exhilaratig to look at the lather foaming up as they hit the big rocks.

The beach near the fort was beautiful and crescent shaped. It could be accessed by just walking down the fort. The view of the beach from the fort was also very nice. We had the whole beach to ourselves and we enjoyed the afternoon sun in the waters. There were coconut trees lined and a garden adjacent to the beach which also had interesting things for kids.

Bekal Fort on Google Maps