Raindrops are falling on my head…and I am having coffee on the road to Chikmagalur – where coffee was first grown in India. About 350 years when a seer is believed to have smuggled a few seeds from Mecca in Arabia. For the first time in weeks, the beautiful world I was in turned even more so. I was on [...]
Wherever you are in the world, there is no dearth of something or someone to attract your attention – and impress you, or make you wonder in amazement, to make you ponder, or to humour you. Here is something from the roads of Karnataka. Enjoy! Ajay Jain is currently on the Great Arabian Sea Drive, starting from Delhi and following [...]
Turning out to be quite a long day – reached the beautiful temple town of Sringeri with the drive to Chikamagalur still to be done after this. Not much time to hang around at the beautiful temple complex unfortunately. Sringeri is famous for being the first of the four centres of Advaita philosophy founded by the 9th century saint, Adi [...]
When you go to a forest, it is very important to be in good hands. So you can explore and appreciate the life in the jungle the way it should be. This is where Asian Adventures scores over others – after all, they are naturalists who also understand what hospitality is all about. And they are very good at both.
Many an entrepreneur knows how to set up a great resort or hotel, but few know how to address the needs of their guests. Rann Riders gives you no reason to complain. Owned and managed by the descendants of the former rulers of Dasada, you know it has been set up by someone with taste.
I left Agumbe for Sringeri, but with a longer detour via Theerthahalli. To look for a man who make travellers like me look like kids out for a joyride in Disneyland.
If you have not read R.K. Narayan’s Malgudi Days, or seen its brilliantly televised version by Shankar Nag, there is something missing in your life.
I am not kidding when I say this – Agumbe is the home of King Cobras. Go at the right time, and you could well be face to face with one.
After a long day, I finally reached Udupi on the coast – only to spend a few more hours looking for a well ventilated clean not-too-inexpensive hotel. Settled for one on Malpe beach.
The drive to Kollur took me off the boring national highway back into the Western Ghats – the low traffic, winding hilly roads with forest cover on both sides sure are a roadie’s delight.
It sure has been turning out to be a long day – with some spectacular sights and some disappointments.
If you are backpacking around, you can often find a place to sleep – under a tree, in an abandoned boat on a beach, by the roadside, in a cave, on someone’s verandah, in a rice field (heard of water beds), under the open sky, on a hill, the berth of an overnight train – the options are unlimited (even [...]
Forget your religious affiliations or beliefs, visit the Murudeshwar temple town, with its picturesque setting – it is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on three sides. As I drove into the town, I was dwarfed by the 249 feet high Rajagopuram, or tower at the ancient temple entrance. This was inaugurated in 2008. And standing next to the 25 year [...]
For the second year running, I was on the road on Holi, the festival of colours. The previous year I was driving through Assam and Arunachal Pradesh – and in Gokarna this time. Holi is not a big festival in the south – it is not even a compulsory holiday here unlike the north where everything is closed. I was [...]
Left Gokarna finally – could have stayed on much longer. Especially when you are at Swaswara, a CGH Hotels property. First stop was Mirjan Fort – and a 15 minute halt turned out to be a comedy of Indian bureaucracy. First I couldn’t find the entrance gate – I went all around till I spotted it, all secured. Eventually found [...]
Yana came recommended for its natural rock formations, some of them resembling human faces. My hotel concierge in Gokarna was not sure if it was worth my time, but I headed out anyway. Located about 53 kms (33 miles) from Gokarna, the drive took me through villages, with the last 10 kms (9 miles) on a half mud track, half [...]
Some rate Gokarna as the Pushkar of the south – where western backpackers and latest versions of hippies come seeking spiritual peace by getting a high. If you are looking for those ‘flower power’ crowds, you will be disappointed. What you have is a wound-down version of the 1960s. Small groups, fully coherent. The shacks on its beaches serving seafood [...]
Karwar is another pretty beach town – one of those places you want to laze around in if you want to. You can stay on the beach side, or head out to some islands on a boat. The state tourism brochures rate its beach as one of the most beautiful in the state – I would differ. It is just [...]
Turned out to be a day of mostly driving. Left Ratnagiri in the morning, with the intention of reaching Gokarna. I would eventually stop at Karwar. But first an anecdote: I went to a fuel station to get my car tyres pumped up. This is a free service but I tipped the attendant Rs. 10. He asked me to wait; [...]
Finally the water is blue! Yes, the Arabian Sea I had seen so far was brown coloured. In Ratnagiri, I saw the postcard perfect hues of blue and green. Life is good! My first stop was Ganpatipule – a small coastal town popular with pilgrims for its Ganesha (Elephant God) Temple. It also has an interesting museum called Prachin Konkan. [...]
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