From the category archives:
This is the only ‘quality’ hotel located in Mahendranagar, located near the Indian border. Unless you have a business interest or need a night halt, you usually visit this town to go to the Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve. [continue reading…]
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The Kaziranga National Park is one of the best forest reserves in the world – and you have to stay at the Wild Grass Lodge for a truly satisfying and wholesome experience. [continue reading…]
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Why don’t they make more properties like the Old Inn at Bandipur?
It is a charming property, with some of the best interiors I have ever seen. Each nook and corner seems to be a labour of love and great taste. It is like an aesthetic exposition of Nepali / Tibetan handicrafts. And the place has character with wooden steps going all over, walls beautifully painted and decorated and furniture to match. You can see albums of actual photographs of those who have been adventurous in Nepal and want to follow their footsteps. With the property overlooking the village and the valley and peaks around, you have the perfect recipe for not wanting to leave. [continue reading…]
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If you are looking for modern comforts when visiting the Kaziranga National Park, Iora is the place you should choose to stay. The property has all the comforts you can ask for, with high quality furnishings, satellite TV, a fully functional restaurant and more. The problem is the property could be anywhere in the world; it has little to show that it is at the world heritage site of Kaziranga National Park. [continue reading…]
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The Almond Villa in Srinagar in Kashmir is literally a jewel in the crown. Or the crown itself for Mahindra Homestays. [continue reading…]
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Few properties in the world can match the setting of Fish Tail Lodge in Pokhara in Nepal. With the Fewa Tal (lake) on one side, and a forest cover on the other, it is an island of delight. Accentuated with the imposing Machhapuchre (meaning Fish Tail) peak almost at touching distance towering over it. [continue reading…]
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Is it Shoja or Sojha? Both spellings are used but let us use Sojha as marked on a milestone. Let the Government have the final word.
Like the Banjara property at Sangla, I have visited their property in Sojha twice: August 2007 and recently in May 2009. The main difference between then and now: the apple trees in the gardens were blooming with the red colour of the fruit waiting to be harvested, so was a bed a sunflowers each the size of a big man’s palm. Go back in August and you will see the apples, but they might not grow the sunflowers again.
Want to read my piece on Sojha? Click here.
This is how my experience was when I stayed on the two occasions: [continue reading…]
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I stayed at Banjara Camps’ Sangla property two years ago and visited the same recently. Did anything change during this period? Yes, they have come up with their 12 room Retreat which is not tented accommodation but a built up structure. There was a flash flood that took away some of the land – including the original bonfire area – as the Baspa river changed course. You can see signs of trees being swept away on some of the slopes in the valley as the tributaries of the Baspa also decided to take a different path than normal. These minor changes apart, the Sangla Valley remains as beautiful as ever and the Banjara Camp the ideal place to enjoy it.
Rajesh Ojha and Captain Ajay Sud, the folks behind Banjara, created a new category of accommodation in the country when they set up the Sangla property in 1994. It is comfortable yet gives a feel of the rough, is luxurious without your needing to sell your car to stay here. And located far from the madding crowd where few would know exist – and want to go to once they hear of it.
This is how my experience was when I stayed there in June 2007 and then again in May 2009: [continue reading…]
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Inaobi Singh behind the counter at Desert Rain in Leh
How many coffee bars do you know of where you are invited to sit around, read books kept on the shelves, even sleep off if you want to and not be obliged to even order anything? Can’t think of any, other than Desert Rain in Leh town serving the best coffee in the whole of the Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas. If you love your coffee, continue reading…
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When my travel consultant booked me at Hotel Whispering Willows for my stay in Leh (located in Ladakh in the Indian Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir), I was a bit disappointed initially. It was located in the village of Shey, the ancient capital of Ladakh before it was shifted to Leh, 15 kilometers before Leh when driving from Delhi. I would rather have stayed downtown than drive up and down all the time. Continue reading about this great place
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If the idea of a surprise visitor in the form of a giant spider under the quilt covers does not bother you, plan a trip to Abbott Mount and stay in Abbott Mount cottage. It is nearly as perfect a get-away as you can imagine, and your experience of staying in this cottage will only leave you desiring for more (not spiders!!) when it is time to head back. Continue reading the review
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As far as first impressions go, the Wayfarer Resort in Munsiyari in the Himalayan state of Uttrakhand (Uttranchal) flatters – but it does end up deceiving you a bit on the service front. What works for it is its setting: its perfect. The view of the Panchachuli peaks and surrounding mountain ranges leaves you with no option but to keep looking at them for hours on end as long as the cloud cover allows you to. Read on if you are planning a trip to Munsiyari
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If you are looking to stay in a warm, friendly family run place, the Kunga Guest House located in the Himalayan town of Mcleodganj (where the Dalai Lama runs the Tibetan Government in exile) may be tough to beat. Especially after Hollywood stars too have endorsed it. Continue reading for the review
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The Easter weekend (March 21-24) of 2008 saw me staying at a small family owned property in Dehradun, the capital of the Himalayan state of Uttrakhand. The city itself located in a valley, it turned out to be an ideal getaway for a spring weekend at what turned out to be an good choice of accommodation.
To view images of the Birdhouse on Flickr, click here. This will also enable you to better visualize what is given below:
Here is a review of the Birdhouse. Like every review, there can never be a consensus amongst all those in a position to do so. Here is my take:
Overall Kunzum Rating: **** (out of a max 5 stars) [continue reading…]
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When you have organizations like Banjara Camps and Retreats to give you a choice of options to stay at, you can forget everything else and just think of the comforts and fun awaiting you.
Click here to read the review.
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