Come Fly to India

India has several Hill Stations for a quick weekends gateway for a middle class honeymoon or whatever you want. You can visit darjeeling in the east to various beautiful destinations like Shimla, Mussorie, Dalhousie etc. And now with traveling to singapore and Malaysia becoming so cheap, the Hill stations also have attractive offers from which to cose from..

If you are visiting the southern part of India, you would not like to Tamil Nadu.
You might want to visit Mahabalipuram, and Thirukadalmallai temple at Mahabalipuram

If you are fond of Hindu Temple architecture you just want to visit temples, then you would love places like Rameshwaram, Kanchipuram, Chidambram, Aragalur and Choalpuram .

There are also several Hill stations Including Ooty , Kodaikanal and Cunoor.

You can also visit The Gulf of Mannar, the Mudumalai National Park and The Mundathurai Tiger reserve.

The moment you land in Goa, panaji will catch your eye. It is a town set in a medieval setting and it basically flows from the alrinho hill to the Mandovi River. You can make a visit to a long list of places in panaji.

The first and foremost, according to me should be a visit to the fort aguada (meaning ‘water’ in Portuguese), which is home to the first light house in Asia. Today it is converted into a jail. Then you can take a cruise in the Santa Monica.

Then you can take a stroll at the anjuna beach, sipping a coconut drink or just slurping over a can of beer or fenny at the most popular ‘hippy’ hang outs of goa. There is a flea market at the beach towards the southern end and almost a km long stretch of white sand towards the northern end. You can get here via buses from panjim and mapusa. The accommodation here is mostly in the form of small private houses and some resorts.

Don’t forget to savor a moment at the Dona Paula beach where two of goa’s most famous rivers meet into the Arabian Sea. The Dona Paula bay area also provides certain motor sporting facilities such as water scooting. You can get here by a bus or a motorcycle-taxi from panaji or take a ferry from the maramagao port.

Other places of interest at goa are St.Augenstine’s tower. This 46 m high tower happens to be the only remains of a church that once stood atop a hill in Old goa. The chapel of our lady of the mount is also an interesting place to see. Other churches and famous catholic landmarks of Goa are The church of St.Monica, The Church Of our lady of the Rosary, The Churches of St. Francis Of Assisi and St. Francis Xavier. Perhaps, the most famous of the cathedrals of goa is the SE cathedral or St. Catherine’s Cathedral, draping in the Portuguese architecture and grandiose. And if you think you have had too much of the frenzy, and you just want to relax in the middle-class Indian set up, then head towards condolim beach, a quiet beach, towards the southern end of calangute beach.
Now, this brings us to calangute beach, which is predominantly the most hyped, frenzied and commercialized part of goa, and is a meager 45 min drive from the capital. The motto of survival here is … “bargain hard, shop harder”.
Calangute has everything a tourist wants, bars, cafes, restaurants, shops, hawkers, loud music, parties and tito’s, a place of fun and merry making. Calangute house goa’s best hotels, guest houses and stay homes, so one has no problems is finding accommodation a this place. And if you have any steam left, visit the Archeological museum and portrait gallery at Old Goa. The museum has many items on exhibition including shikaras, architectural and archeological pieces, stones and reminiscent of the Portuguese rule.

Almost every hotel and resort stated below offers water sporting facilities like the “banana-boat race”, paragliding, Para sailing, water scooting and motor boat cruises.
Here is a list of top hotels in Goa.
5 star hotels in goa-
The leela palace,
Aguada hermitage
Taj exotica
4 start hotels-
Taj holiday village
Dona Sylvia
Sun village
Club mahindra
3 star hotels and beach resorts –
Nnu resorts
Whispering palms resorts,
Heritage village club
Colonia santa maria
Resorte de goa

Domestic and international flights come into Goa from all major cities across the globe. When in panaji, you can hire a motorcycle taxi, local bus or a cab, according to your adventure levels and budget.

Goa is the smallest state, area wise in India. This coastal state lies along the western coast and in surrounded by maharashtra and Karnataka on the northern and southern sides respectively and by the Arabian sea towards the western coast. Western coast of India is accredited to be a bio-diversity cynosure. Some of the most famous cities of goa are panaji (or panjim), which is also the state capital, vasco d gama happens to be the largest city and the antiquated city of maragao. Goa was one of the longest held Portuguese colonies and therefore you can experience a strong hold of Portuguese art, culture and language on the goan face. Goa was liberated in 1961 and has since been under the government of India.

‘Goa’, the name literally has supposedly many origins. Some claim that it is derived from the Portuguese language, yet some others claim it is derived from certain hindi and Sanskrit words like ‘gopakapattanam’ and Gomantak. The locals here prefer to call goa as Gomantak in their native tongue.

Goa has a coastline which stretches to almost 65 miles or roughly 110 kms, and most of this tiny state lies on the coastal region of India, popularly known as ‘konkan’. This region (konkan) is basically the western coastline of India, separated from the deccan plateau by the western ghats. The highest point in goa is sonsogor, which lies 1600 m above sea level. Goa boasts of more than a hundred natural springs, having medicinal properties. The main rivers of goa are the Zuari, Mandovi and Betul. Zuari river also has the one of the world’s best and most convenient to operate natural harbors- the Mormugao harbor.

The climate here is mostly warm and humid, with slightly cool temperature during the months of December and January. The hottest month(s) are May and June with temperatures soaring well above 35” with high humidity.

Goa is mostly covered in forest and is discussed as being a well off bio-diversity destination in the world. The national geographic magazine has even compared it to the Amazon and the Congo basins for the diverse vegetation and numerous animal species it houses. Goa is home to ‘gaur’ the endangered Indian bull, which also happens to be the state animal of goa. The bondla wildlife sanctuary, Netravali wildlife sanctuary and mahavir sanctuary are homes to other wild animals like foxes, wild boars and snakes. Snakes are in abundance in goa though! Goa also experiences fresh groups of migratory birds and fish. Most common birds found here are the kingfishers, different varieties of parrots and the ruby throated yellow bulbul (also the state bird). Sea food is an intrinsic part of the goan way of life and hence, crabs, lobsters, shrimps and other edible varieties of fish are also caught off the goa coastline and in the rivers, therefore, it is a wonderful fishing spot as well.

There are more than 2 million tourists who flow into goa every year, no doubt the beaches including the Miramar beach, candolim beach, baga beach and vegator beach are one of the most revered, relished and sought after the world over! Besides, you can pay a visit to temples like shri mahalasha, durga devi and Gomentashwar temple. And last but not the least, you can take a look around the churches, dating back to the Portuguese time.

What is the first thing that comes to you mind when you hear the word Kerala?

Well, the case with me is- ‘backwaters‘! The first and foremost attraction for any tourist, domestic or foreigner is definitely the backwaters of Kerala. Backwaters, as the name suggests , are actually water bodies on the mainland of Kerala. The Kerala Backwater are actually interconnected networks of lagoons, lakes and canals. The backwaters of Kerala were formed by the beautiful hand of Nature.

The activities of ocean currents and waves have created certain barriers type of land masses or “barrier islands” along the mouths of many rivers, and because of this, the water that once seeps in, is retained, and you get a natural wonder, all yours to be experienced!!

The size and magnitude of the backwaters is also aw-inspiring, they stretch to a total of around 900km!! It would take you days if you want to traverse the whole stretch of the water bodies, on the long boats. And, yes, the boat rides are just too awesome, and you can view the whole rural life along the banks.

So, as a tourist why should you visit the backwaters?
Well, firstly, these are the only of their kinds, at least in India. This is eco tourism at its best and, if you are going to Kerala, you just can’t miss them. The back waters boast of a myriad types of species of animals, rainforests, sea creatures like crabs, frogs and mudskippers and a score of species of birds like the kingfisher. Actually a treat for for an eco tourist.

Other than eco tourism , the best part about backwaters of Kerala, is that you get to live in the backwaters, yes, I mean in them. You can actually live on House Boats. These are nothing spectacular, and not like your usual cruise, but you can experience basic living in these boats which often houses a couple of room, perfect for outdoor living and sleep to the sounds of nature.

The house boat is popularly known as ‘kettuvallams’ in Kerala and initially they were made to tow the rice harvest from the rice and fertile land mass around the backwaters and later, by the British , they were turned into houseboats. Kettuvallams come in different shapes and sizes, according to your needs and budget, and they can be up to 30m long on an average but mostly all the house boats have a living room, a dining area, an English type seating toilet and an open area on the dock, besides a kitchen and some staff consisting of cooks and cleaners usually accompany you.

These houseboats are made in such a way, so as to provide maximum view of the grandeur to you and soothe your senses. One noticeable point about these is that they are on the move most of the time, and stop only at the time of the meals; this ensures that you explore new territories and new avenues, giving you maximum value for money! If you want to know how these house boats are made, then, you need to visit the houseboat making yard near kollam (alumkadavu). Most of the house boat trips are pre planned, one or two night trips, during which you are picked up from a starting point, taken for a cruise overnight (or two nights) on a pre planned track and brought back to your destination. Some of the most famous houseboat cruises can be found at places like allapuzha and surrounding areas and beylore- a small fishing town in the backwaters of Kerala.

If you find a good travel agent, they also arrange nature tourism packages, where you get to live in the real homes of some people here. These houses are untarnished by anything modern, and you get to live in the simple ways of natives, complete with an outdoor latrine.

Hope to see you in Kerala next monsoon- happy sailing!!

Remember when you last heard the phrase “God’s own country”? Exactly, Kerala is what I am talking about, but have you ever wondered as to why this place, and only this place in India, where you have thousands of diversified cultures, is given that title??

Let me elaborate on this.. Well, Kerala is situated on the south-eastern coast of India (also called the Malabar coast), which falls in the tropical region, and it lies along the Arabian sea, plus it has the western ghats surrounding it, which, according to a study makes it one of the most bio-diverse places on this planet. it shares its borders with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. and the Andaman and Nicobar islands are also just around the corner.
Kerala is considered to be one the most social and non-corrupt states in the world, and has more than 90pc literacy rate, which means, it is one of the safest states for non-resident tourists coming to Kerala.

Coming on the main story, why Kerala?

Kerala hosts the snake boat races (officially known as the Nehru Trophy boat race), which are one of its kind in the world. Then you have the mellow backwaters of Kerala, which are networks of interconnected lakes and rivers, nowhere in the world will you be able to find such lush environment and guess what, you can actually live in a house boat for as long as you want at affordable rates and enjoy the scrumptious cuisines of Kerala, composed mainly of sea food and coconuts. Infact, after tourism, it’s the coconut industry that’s is most vital in Kerala.All these attractions can be found out around the areas of Alleypey, Kumarakom and Punnamada

You get to see places like kochi and thiruvananthpuram, which are thriving markets and kochi is known specially for its spices, which are famous the world over(Christopher Columbus was coming to kochi only when he “discovered” America).

Have you ever seen the festivals consisting of elephants and other animals on the discovery channel? Well, that festival is officially known as the Thrissur pooram!!it is an annual festival usually held around April and May every year.

Kerala gave birth to an ancient dance form, known as mohiniattam, meaning dance of the enchantress in literal terms.. and trust me , it is enchanting. Keralite culture includes other dance and theatrical forms such as kathakali( story telling) thullal,padyani and theyyam( all three are art forms).Kerala also boasts of a martial art form, native to Kerala itself, known as kalaripayattu, meaning practice of the battlefield. And if you think Kerala lags behind in sports, just to give you an idea, well it is home to football clubs like Viva Kerala and FC cochin .

Other popular attraction of the state include the world famous Kovalam and varkala beaches, the sunset , specially at varkala beach is an eye soothing site for all. Besised, as mentioned , Kerala is home to many wildlife sanctuaries like the ones at periyar and eravikulum and if you are lucky, you might even be able to spot the Bengal Tiger, which inhibits the eastern coasts of Kerala.Ayurveda and holistic healing methods are also something the foreign visitor expects out of Kerala, and mind it, Kerala provides the best ayurveda healing techniques and services such as natural spas and acupuncture in the whole of India.

If oceans, backwaters and beaches don’t impress you, you can scale certain peaks, ranging from 1500m to 2500m on an avg. in Kerala. Most famous hill stations of Kerala are devikulum, munnar and Kottancherry Hills.

Kerala has also been awarded accolades like “best performing tourism state” ,”best leisure tourist destination” , “most ecofriendly destination” by the world and Indian associations like the Outlook traveler and pacific asia travel writers, among other.

I hope you know now, why on this earth is Kerala called the god’s own country?? Where else would you find the natural wonders like the backwaters, the beaches and the mountains, gelled together with cultural gems such as mohiniyattam and kathakalli, surrounded by soothing and caring people who live in perfect harmony with the wildlife here?? Where else would you find a place on Earth, so complete, tranquil and inviting as the God’s Own Country – Kerala.

The best places to stay are the hotels run by KTDC( Kerala Tourism Department corpotation) at all major towns like munnar, ernakulum , eduki etc. and a unique facility called the “homestay” is offered, which provides you to stay at homes of local families of Kerala, which means that you are basically living in someone else’s home, who has been authorized by the Kerala govt. to look after you, fascinating, isn’t it?

Kerala is well connected by air, land and rail:
By Air-
Airports – Thiruvananthpuram – the major flights are to/from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai Bangalore, Dubai, Colombo, Sharjah, Maldives, Doha and Kuwait.
Kochi – Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Goa , Agathi, Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat
and Khozikode.- Coimbatore, Mumbai, Chennai and same international flight as those of thiruvananthpuram.

By rail and road – Kerala is connected to places within the state by a good rail and road networkd and outside of the state, it is connected to places like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata through railways.

When you hear of Karnatanaka, you would say that the name is familiar. That is because IT or computers made Bangalore famous, and Bangalore (now Bengaluru) is in Karnataka. But there are also a lot of places to visit in karnataka, like Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal, Bidar Bijapur, Srirangapatna, Mysore.

The topic of our discussion today, Hampi is not quite far from Bangalore. The nearest town, Hospet, is about 350 KMs by road from Bangalore and is connected by rail from Bijapur, Hubli and Guntukul besides Bangalore. You can take a flight to Bangalore and from there take a train and soak the beauty of Rural Northen Karnataka along the way. If you want to see India, you need to travel by train.

Hampi was once the proud capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, and it was ravaged by the Bahmani Armies centuries back. The ruins have stood the tests of time and today remains proud as ever, beautiful and majestic. The Vijayanagara Kingdom prospered between 1336 and 1565 AD in the Southern part of India.

The Vittala temple complex remains tall, and is a major tourist destination, and so does the Royal marketplace where once was traded stuff that the western explorers dream of, a few centuries later, Spices, Silver, Gold, Jewellery.

Four Dynasties ruled this once rocky terrain and transformed into the beauty that we still talk about today. Hampi entered its golden era during the rule of Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1539), when Art and Architecture flourished under this Warrior Poet.

Hampi is today a UNESCO world heritage site, and the end of the Hampi happed when the bahmani Kingdoms of Bijapur, Bidar, Ahmednagar and Golconda defeated the Vijayanaga Empire in the battle if Talikota in 1565 AD. It is believed that the conquering army plundered the kingdom for 6 months leaving it to ruins for fear that the beauty of the kingdom might attract other Kings of that time to attack it.

We can still see the ruins of Temples, palaces, monuments and a criss cross of Aqueducts built during this era. There are also Swimming pools inside the palace campus, which indicates the quality of living the kings had..
Some of the legacy that you will get to experience:

Lotus Mahal:This was a summer palace for the queen shaped like a lotus flower from top, this is a two-story palace with beautiful arcways. It was air-cooled using advance ventilation technology.
Elephant Stables: A huge elephant stable, that housed 11 elephants.
Pushkarini Tank: These is where pilgrims took bath before entering the temples.
Mahanavami Dibba: A wooden structure/platform from which the royalty viewed Hampi.
Mustard Ganesh: A single stone statue of the lord Ganesha, also known as Sasivikalu Ganesha.

Noblemen’s Palace: A recent excavation which was used for aristocrats and high-ranking officials.

This is a must visit if you are in Bangalore, or for that matter India.
For more information visit the official karnataka tourism site.

Here is the Hampi Map.