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Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Port Douglas June 7th 2007

Geo: -17.9451, 145.67Port Douglas, Queensland, AUSTRALIA 7th - 15th June 2007 Arrived in Sydney at lunch time and had a 5 hour layover which was fine as we had to collect the bags to put them through security for the domestic flight to Cairns, so there was time to look in book shops and eat and drink latte's and read (trachy magazines in my case). Qantas flight (service better in International) to Cairns after no sleep for 30 hours would've been better without a load of American spring breakers majoring in loudness but the movie was 'Picture Perfect' ??? which was grand (E Norton, N Watts). Finally got to Cairns at 11pm and my sister had arranged a limo to come get us for the hour long drive to Port Douglas which seemed to take forever. ... read more

Sydney

Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Sydney June 7th 2007

noideagirl

Geo: -33.9195, 150.676... read more

Bombay

Asia » India » Maharashtra » Mumbai June 1st 2007

noideagirl

Geo: 19.0621, 72.7734Maharista - Mumbai (aka Bombay) 1-6th JuneStaying in a 5 star hotel Le Royal Meridien which is lurvely with gorgeous quiet pool which we made good use of before the pre monsoon showers that kick in at 16:30 ....Well Mumbai is exactly as the book 'Maximum city' (S. Metha) says it is. We are just back from an autorickshaw trip to Juhu beach which was a real white knuckle job plus I had my eyes closed a lot, the driver was so mental it was like being in a computer game and people were crossing the road everywhere in the middle of nuts traffic, I dunno how we didn't hit someone, and the traffic is mad for making 1 lane into 2. The guy knew what he was doing though and had a newer ... read more

Chennai

Asia » India » Tamil Nadu » Chennai June 1st 2007

noideagirl

Geo: 12.9831, 80.332... read more

Madurai

Asia » India » Tamil Nadu » Madurai May 30th 2007

noideagirl

Geo: 9.96885, 78.2227Madurai, TN 30th May - 1st JuneAfter night of living dead cottage we were up at the crack of dawn and got taxi to temple town Madurai, 3hours and 115km away. The scenery on the drive down the mountain was spectacular. Staying in Hotel Rathna Residency which was basic and clean and fine bar the floor polishing in the middle of the night in the room above us. Its located in old town which contrary to what LP says old town is perfectly fine.Madurai is a small city, same population as Dublin. The big temple is called Sri Meenakshi and is baroque dravidian architecture style with 12 gopurams (images of gods, mythical creatures & animals) everywhere, designed in 1560 and covers 15acres, there are 4 main gopurams which you can get a great view ... read more

Elephant Valley, Vilpatti 20km from Kodaicanal

Asia » India May 26th 2007

noideagirl

Geo: 11.3557, 77.405926th - 30th May Elephant Valley, VilpattiGot a taxi 20km down to the mountain to a valley village Vilpatti to a jungle farm resort called Elephant Valley (not in guide book www.elephantvalleyhotel.com), which is in the middle of nowhere and has no other form of tourism or no phone coverage or internet (which I forgot to tell my family who were a bit worried as to where we were by the 9 texts I had when we got coverage) and millions of bugs especially if it doesn't rain. On our river walks we saw leopard tracks, a dead rat & porcupine, loads of monkeys and I got attacked by leeches (twice), yucky blood drawing tenacious little buggers. At the night there's loads of gloworms and fire flies and something small and furry visited our ... read more

Kodaicanal

Asia » India May 22nd 2007

noideagirl

Geo: 11.3508, 77.6953Kodaicanal, Tamil Nadu 22nd-26th22nd overnight bus from Pondy to Kodaicanal via Trichy & Dindigul - only 30 mins late starting off at 23:30 arr. 08:30 I finally managed to fall asleep 3.30-5.30 and then dosed on and off during the noisest rockiest part of the drive up the mountain (naturally being me I like to sleep through the good scenery), while C. only slept 23.30-3.30 so we took it in turns for some reason. Bus looked rickety and had no a/c but all windows open so it was grand with reclining seats and more room than in an air plane, and defo better than the Supabus from Hollyhead to London. Had booked Lily of the Valley hotel in Kodaicanal village from 23rd. and it's a fecking dump so we are actually roughing it now!!! ... read more

Pudhukuppam (15km north of Pondy)

Asia » India May 15th 2007

noideagirl

Geo: 10.7583, 79.6004Pudhukuppam, Tamil Nadu 15th-22nd MayWell we discovered an Eco beach resort (not in guide book see www.thedunehotel.com) called The Dunes 15km north of Pondi in the village of Pudhukuppam, which A. Has a beach And a swimmng pool and B. Involves no complications on how to get there in the heat - as in is a 250rs taxi ride away and C. Has availability and a refreshing cooling breeze.The Dunes is set on 30 acres of organic farm and has a number of cottages both nature cooled and air conditioned. Nature cooled is nice but then theres risk of noctural furry creatures visiting you, so we have opted for a/c. which is a lovely garden cottage with sea view. All rooms done by different artists. There's 4 dogs on the premises: Griffou who looks ... read more

Pondicherry/Puducherry aka Pondy

Asia » India » Pondicherry May 12th 2007

noideagirl

Geo: 10.747, 79.8926TAMIL NADU - PONDICHERRY/PUDUCHERRYMay 12th-15th Staying in french colonial Hotel de Pondichery in Francois Martin Suite, oh la la, not as grand as it sounds but lovely and hotel is like the french version of The Fairlawn in Kolkata, colonial and no chintz.So Pondy is half French half Tamil with the french bit by the sea (suprise , surpise, not). It is roasting at 42 degrees and feels almost inland as there's no sand only rocks on the prom and you cannot swim there but there is a massive statue of Gandhi. According to the LP book the food is a revelation here but only if you think overpriced european food is I say (apart from the very indian veg. Thali's in Le Cormandale, yum).It is a bustling town or city as it would ... read more

Mamallapuram/Mahabalipuram - South of Chennai

Asia » India » Tamil Nadu » Mamallapuram May 9th 2007

noideagirl

Geo: 11.8674, 80.0684TAMIL NADU - MAMALLAPURAM/MAHABALIPURAM 9TH - 12TH MAY 2007This we have mostly been lying in hammocks on the beach of 'Ideal Beach resort' in Mamallapuram (public beachs no go area's in bikini's), also home to some great temples and sculpturer's..... but 39 degrees and humid.For anyone who told me they "hated" me before we left here's a funny image for you, I am now so brown and so fat I look like a roast chicken!So Mamallapuram is 1.5 hrs down the road southwards from Chennai (and 1 rip off taxi later thanks to bloody Ambassador Pallava hotel), and is tiny little fishing village full of sculpturers' workshops and temples and another tsumani victim which again seems to have recovered beautifully.We walked up along the beach from hammock-land 3.5 km til we got to Shore ... read more

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