Around the World

The Kamakshi Amman temple is one of the five temples we visited during a trip to Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. This temple, dedicated to Goddess Kamakshi, has, over the centuries, acquired architectural features unique to various dynasties, including the Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas, those of the Vijayanagara Empire, etc.  About seven years ago, the temple complex underwent renovations to maintain its traditional characteristics and continues to draw lakhs of devotees with its aura.

One of the major highlights of our trip to Sri Lanka was a boat cruise across the Madu River, referred to in the tour operator’s itinerary as 'Delightful Madu River Safari'. It was indeed delightful, and truly marvellous, something that you should not miss out on. It is not some kind of luxury cruise that you may have enjoyed in, say Goa. It is a cruise in a motorboat and as you ride along through lush mangroves, you will be enchanted in many ways.

One of the many, many plus points of staying at Hotel Gautam in Porvorim, Goa is the in-house restaurant. There is absolutely no need to go elsewhere to dine unless you crave non-vegetarian food since this is an only-veg restaurant. The food and service are excellent by all standards and really yummy😋 What's more, they are willing to customize food and lend an ear to a request for something specific. The restaurant is also one of the best we've ever dined in with its bright yellow cheerful interior, flooded by natural light, with sketches on the walls that will bring an instant smile to your face. 

We had a fabulous stay at Hotel Gautam Porvorim last month. A charming hotel with comfortable rooms and delicious food - all that a guest would wish for!  You can choose between a Standard room, a Superior room, a Deluxe room, and a Villa. The tariff is for two persons for the standard and superior rooms, while for the deluxe room and the villa, it is for four persons. There is an additional charge for an extra person in the same room/villa. You can opt for a package that includes the meal plan, but if you plan to travel around and dine out somewhere, you can take the package without the meal plan.

Hotel Gautam, Porvorim, Goa is the place to stay if you are seeking homely, vegetarian food with, naturally, comfortable rooms. Not only is it an ideal place for families with kids, but it is also a 100% safe place for ladies travelling solo or in groups. The tariff plans they offer, with or without meals as per your choice, are value for money, so don't hesitate to book a stay here. As mentioned in my initial post on the hotel location , it is beneficial to book a minimum 3-night stay so that you get free pick-up and drop-off service from the airport/railway station and complimentary sightseeing. 

On a recent trip to Goa, we stayed at Hotel Gautam, Porvorim which is located in North Goa. It was a wonderful 3-night stay in comfortable rooms with absolutely delectable customized vegetarian meals served in their in-house restaurant . Overall, excellent hospitality and a stay worthy of multiple visits. In this blog post, though, I would first like to focus on the location and travelling to the hotel.

One of the most common tourist spots of any tour package to Madikeri in Coorg, Karnataka, is Raja's Seat. On looking up feedback on Raja's Seat, most people say, "There's nothing much to do" or "It is basically just a garden where you can't really do anything" and other such inane stuff. What beats me is why on earth it is necessary to do something each time you visit a nice place. Why on earth can't people simply enjoy relaxing and doing nothing at all?! That is what Raja's Seat is meant for - relaxing, simply enjoying the lovely greenery and the beautiful views.  So here's feedback on this lovely place in Madikeri from somebody who visited some years ago, and loved it for what it is - one of those rare green environments where you are not expected to do any of the usual touristy things!

Having visited the Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur , we also visited the equally well-known Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikondaicholarpuram in Ariyalur District. Here, too, there is a parking facility.

Ask anyone who has visited the city of Thanjavur (the earlier name of the city was Tanjore) in Tamil Nadu about which places they visited, and it is highly likely that one of the first they will mention is the Brihadeeshwara Temple (Peruvudaiyar Kovil) or the  Brihadisvara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. While there are many magnificent temples in the District, and, indeed in the State as well, this one is, for many, the most awe-inspiring. Dedicated to the Hindu God Lord Shiva, the temple complex is vast and beautiful.

As mentioned in the general review , we had a very comfortable stay at Fortune Park Hotel Ahmedabad (March 2019). The Standard room that we stayed in was spacious enough for the three of us. There were twin beds, and, as requested, we got a roll-out bed that was placed between the twin beds and the seating area. Mind you, the space did not get cramped as a result, and there was enough place to move around comfortably. The washroom area was also spacious, and, like the room itself, clean and hygienic.

When visiting Daman, don't restrict your itinerary to visiting the beaches and just going around the outside of the Moti Daman Fort or entering and exiting through the gates. You must explore it properly inside as well. There is quite a lot that will interest you within that vast space, including charming churches, well-maintained gardens with truly magnificent flowering plants, monuments, and, generally, the remarkable layout of various administrative offices within. There’s a really charming and quaint blue-and-white lighthouse, too.

On the lighthouse within the Moti Daman Fort you will see the words "Small is Big". This aptly sums up what Fortune Park Galaxy, Vapi is – a small hotel with a big heart (read that as warm hospitality). As mentioned in the review , a hotel does not need to impress as a multi-storeyed building or have numerous facilities. This one is small, with a spacious and beautiful lobby and the mat at the entrance brings a smile to your face when you step in. The in-house Orchid multi-cuisine restaurant is on the ground floor, and rooms are located on the first two floors. There is a gym on the first floor as well, and they also have a banquet hall and 'Daffodils' which are conference/business meeting rooms of varying capacity for corporate guests. In fact, it is described at their official website as a business hotel, and, perhaps their main source of revenue is from hosting business meetings, However, believe me, it is an excellent place to stay for just about anybody, whether

Surat is known to be the primary hub of fabrics, sarees, anarkalis , and the like and Valsad also has a huge market of retail stores selling materials and garments. Vapi, on the other hand, is referred to as an industrial city and corporate houses often schedule business meetings in the hotels here. Nevertheless, Vapi, too, has a buzzing marketplace and a walk around will spring little surprises if you are looking for fabric. On a recent visit, we did find some good places to buy fabric at reasonable wholesale rates. While the Bazaar Road that leads from Vapi railway station on the west side is the main shopping center, there are a few shops on the east side as well, on Koparli road and around Gunjan circle, ahead of Galaxy High Street.

The Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery, known simply as the Vadodara Museum, is located adjacent to the Sayaji Baug public garden. Commissioned in 1894 by Sayajirao with instructions to the architect R. F. Chisholm to have it on the same lines as UK’s Victoria and Albert museum, it showcases his collections from around the world.  You will thus see paintings and coins, dining sets and ivory miniatures, musical instruments and rare books. Various websites and reviews prominently mention an Egyptian mummy and a skeleton of a blue whale as the premier showpieces. Actually, there are other far more worthy displays than those. Let’s take a quick tour…

As reviewed earlier, our stay at Ishan Villa, Amritsar, Punjab was a really good experience. Here you will get a glimpse of the rooms and the food - two vital aspects of any hotel accommodation anywhere in the world! 

Looking for mid-range and not too expensive accommodation in Amritsar? Stay at Ishan Villa to have a nice, comfortable stay with fairly good food and extremely helpful staff. Note that this first-hand review of Ishan Villa is of the time when we visited the Golden Temple Amritsar, Punjab in  April 2014.  W e'll begin with the location and then talk about the hotel's lovely interiors (that's the entrance in the photo on the left side), and the facilities for guests, and finally, provide the contact details for booking a room at Ishan Villa, Amritsar.

The  Victoria Memorial ,  Kolkata  was creatively designed by  architect Sir William Emerson  as a tribute to  Queen Victoria . He combined Mughal architectural styles to make an Indo-Saracenic structure primarily from Makara marble. The Victoria Memorial was opened in 1921 as a tourist attraction. Besides the Royal  Gallery with portraits of the British royal family, the  Victoria Memorial museum  section contains a vast collection of exhibits that display maps, coins, stamps, weapons, and other artifacts related to the era during which Queen Victoria ruled as Empress of India and the later years of the British colonial rule in India.

When we visited the  Sneh Rashmi Botanical Garden in Surat, Gujarat our joy knew no bounds on seeing the toy train, especially since we had missed riding the one at the Sayaji Baug in Vadodara which we had visited prior to our trip to Surat. The toy train, named Tapi Express, was a real treat, both to look at and its comfortable journey. I'm sure many of us had a toy train during our childhood and even likely that it was red! 

The  Sneh Rashmi Botanical Garden in Surat, Gujarat is not just a garden where you can spend a couple of hours roaming around a beautiful landscape with a huge variety of plants and flowers. To entertain kids, there is a fun zone, too, called 'The Great Fun Amusement Park', and don't miss travelling on the Tapi Express !

A visit to the city of Surat in the State of Gujarat, India gives you the rare opportunity of enjoying a vast (and a I mean really, really, vast) expanse of open space that is lush with greenery meticulously laid out beneath the gorgeous blue dome above. The place referred to is the Sneh Rashmi Botanical Garden in Surat which we visited last year in November.  The image on the left reflects our sheer joy and heaps of satisfaction we got on our trip to this garden. Compliments to the Surat Municipal Corporation for maintaining it so well.