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 w [View Full Entry]

---

---

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 [View Full Entry]

---

---

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) [View Full Entry]

---

---

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 [View Full Entry]

---

---

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 [View Full Entry]

---

---

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 is [View Full Entry]

---

---

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 [View Full Entry]

---

---

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 [View Full Entry]

---

---

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 [View Full Entry]

---

---

The face of Vijay Mallya graced the in flight monitors as our Kingfisher Airlines flight took off from Mumbai on Tuesday the 10th of Jan 2006. We were on our vacation to Delhi as part of the Golden Triangle package. It was my maiden Kingfisher flight and I was already beginning to get an inkling into his flamboyant personality. The 'wow' level of customer satisfaction provided by an Indian run airline was commendable. We checked into the hotel and soon left to see the Qutb Minar constructed close to a 1000 years ago. The construction of the ornate tower was started [View Full Entry]

---

---