Asra
Asra Shakir Adeni Joined: January 19th 2006
Logged in: September 19th 2010
Logged in: September 19th 2010
Travel Blog Posts
RGI Airport, Hyd
They say life begins at forty or almost - that’s what we made believe when a bunch of my friends and I set off from Hyderabad to Ooty as part of a three day retreat to the ‘Queen of the Hills’. With hubbies at home, kids taken care of, the home and hearth in order; it was time for some ‘ladies time out’! And so on a beautiful summer day we assembled at Hyderabad’s RGI airport to embark on what was to be my ‘first of its kind’ vacation sans family…If there were any apprehensions before; they became a thing of the past and as we boarded our Coimbatore-bound flight, all those feelings were allayed - tucked in along with our seat belts! Coimbatore’s airport was a far cry from Hyderabad’s swanky one - nevertheless it ... read more
Mehrangarh fort, Jodhpur Rajastan
Delhi’s infamous fog, delayed flights and dropping temperatures were the highlights of our trip to destination - Rajasthan. With the fog and the smog playing spoilsport, we weary travelers were left at the mercy of the weather gods who were not smiling or shining upon us. A gamut of emotions ranging from anxiety to helplessness culminated in despair as we were informed by the airlines that our connection to Jodhpur was cancelled for the day and “any inconveniences were deeply regretted”. Our flight was not the only one and scenes of histrionics erupted amidst the chaos that was the departure lounge of Delhi’s IGI airport. We made it to Jodhpur by road after a marathon twelve hour journey to Khimsar fort, our retreat for the next few days. The falling Hg (Mercury) did little to ease ... read more
Lake Palce, Lake Pichola, Udaipur
Udaipur, the city of lakes is a saga about the Ranas of Mewar, their valor, their values and their vibrant lives entrenched in the rich cultural legacy of their imposing forts and palaces. The city attracts tourists from all over the globe, each seeking a piece of its cultural pie for posterity. Located in the desert state of Rajasthan it is renowned for its folk dances, the ethnic attires of its people, their jewelry and more. Visitors to Udaipur get more than they bargain for and the ones with deep pockets are sure to have a holiday of a lifetime. Historic palaces are now heritage hotels catering to the needs of a growing economy powered by the influx of local and foreign tourists scrambling to accommodate Rajasthan in their vacation plans. Those who stay at the ... read more
Munnar teagarden
A casual glance out the airplane window is all that’s needed to fall in love with the natural beauty of this south western state of coastal India and you don’t have to be a nature enthusiast to do so. The star shaped tree tops of coconut groves, while dwarfing their neighbors n a tropical labyrinth capture your rapt attention leaving you enthralled and asking for more; telltale signs of a visual feast ahead in store! It was on my second visit to Kerala that I realized how much more captivating and luscious the vegetation was. With a generous sprinkling (read lashing) of manna (monsoon) from the sky, the drive uphill to Munnar county from Kochi airport was gorgeous albeit a bit treacherous. All along the route tropical trees and plants provided a lush green cover and ... read more
RECOVERED
There couldn’t have been a better day to visit Chennai! The ubiquitous, humid signature weather of the city was overshadowed by a cloudy sky and a gentle breeze on a mild day in late December. Unlike my previous trips which were solely family visits, this was purely of the holiday kind! Although Chennai was home, I’d seen greener pastures(!) and often wished and hoped it would go back to being the ‘Madras, nalla ooru Madras’ ( great city of Madras) that it was; again from my memory of a very old Tamil film song that I’d seen on the television as a child! And as the early morning flight landed, I noticed some green cover - some luscious coconut palms swaying like as if in a trance, that seemed to be in sync with the holiday ... read more
sunny days and colorful umbrellas, Goa
Why Goa? As I stood outside the airport waiting to catch a cab to the hotel, I couldn’t help but wonder why. The airport itself was small and dingy, seemed unwelcoming yet was teeming with local and foreign tourists, most of who were unperturbed by the strong stench of urine emanating from the parking lot. If Goa was one of India’s hottest tourist destinations there surely must be a better reason for these planeloads of arrivals - as I was soon to learn first hand. They say, first impressions are the best impressions and my first impression of the drive through the city left much to be desired. The place itself seemed to be in neglect in spite of all the revenue pouring in from tourism. It took us an hour to get to the resort ... read more
airport lounge
Mauritius: The very name conjures up an image -- white sandy beaches with swaying palms, turquoise blue lagoons bordering deep blue seas, clear blue skies and a favorable climate, in other words, a picture perfect dream getaway! Our flight from Mumbai landed one mid morning in late September in what could pass off as a remote corner of a quiet field, so unlike the airports of bustling metros around the world. Driving from the airport, one could not miss the well laid highways and country roads flanked on either side by sugarcane plantations, the crop being cultivated extensively across the island. The resort we were headed to was in Pamplemousse, an hour’s drive from the airport. One look at the place and we knew it was worth the drive. The resort with its open air lobby ... read more
Entrance gate, Old Jaipur
From Fatehpur Sikri, it was a bad and bumpy road to Jaipur. NH 11, as it was called was anything but that and I just hoped and prayed that we reach our destination in one piece, as there were heavy vehicles on the single lane road driven ruthlessly by careless drivers. It was sundown when we reached Jaipur and checked into the JaiMahal palace hotel. The hotel was swarmed with foreigners and we were perhaps the only local Indian guests there! The next morning we met our tourist guide Mr. Vijay all dressed up in a suit who spoke very highly of his hometown. He took us first to the Jantar Mantar observatory built by the erstwhile Rajput ruler, Raja Sawai Jai Singh the Second, also the founder of the city of Jaipur, which has the ... read more
Musamman Burj
Our day started young and after a quick breakfast we found ourselves at the gate of a real fort! It was the Agra fort built by Emperor Akbar in 1565 and continued by his successors. It was regal, imposing and impregnable with its double layer of walls on the periphery, the outer wall being 40’ high and the inner one being 70’ high. According to the famous historian Abul Fazal, the fort had about 500 stone buildings, but only a few still exist today. Perhaps the most palatial of all today is the Jehangir palace which was the principal zenana palace (palace for women belonging to the royal household), the Khas mahal built by Shahjahan overlooking the specially laid Angoori Bagh (Grape garden- a simple formal Mughal garden). flanked on either side by residences of his ... read more
Akbar's tomb in Sikandra
Today is the 11th of January 2006. Our driver had arrived with a Toyota Qualis for our drive to Agra.. The road was good and had a wide median landscaped with flowering plants like the Nerium Oleander, which is a commonly grown plant here. It was a comfortable ride and by the time we reached Sikandra it was 2 30 pm. Sikandra, being the place where Emperor Akbar was laid to rest. The monument was beautiful and impressive - left one thinking about the legacy of the great secular statesman. He was indeed a man born before his times, a true leader and a clever strategist, its no wonder the kingdom flourished during his reign, when the subjects were happy with their king. From Sikandra, we moved on towards Agra and the Taj. In order to ... read more
