Year: 2015

Places To Stay, India

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Probably one of the most frustrating things about travelling in India on my own was having a limited budget to spend on accommodation.  With two people and two budgets I could have stayed in some fabulous places. Accommodation was hit and miss in India and planning only a few days ahead at a time had its advantages and disadvantages as I discovered.  To save you some time trawling through Trip Advisor and various accommodation websites, if you’re looking for mostly mid-range accommodation, here’s where I stayed and who I recommend and which places you need to avoid like the plague. Chennai The Golden Fruits Business Suites.  This was my first experience of accommodation in India and it was fine by Indian standards.  I did struggle understanding the staff but I think this was due to acclimatising to India and their accents!  The breakfast buffet was average and there weren’t many restaurants close by and I found it hard to get my bearings around the area.  Its clean and tidy but I would recommend to hire a driver …

A Touch Of Taj

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After two glorious months in India, my journey was coming to an end.  I was about to venture back out again into the unknown.  India had almost become a security blanket for me and I had become use to all of its quirks, delights and annoyances, it was starting to feel like home. I can understand how people are drawn to the place and never want to leave. The North was on my agenda at the start of the trip, however I never made it that far, there was too much to see and experience in the South. Feeling accomplished for travelling on my own, knowing that at times I had to sacrifice experiences because it was “just me” I felt that I deserved for my last night in India some pampering and a bit of luxury.  And since I hadn’t travelled up North to visit the real Taj Mahal in Agra I thought what could be the next best thing? Staying at the Taj Mahal Palace of course! So I booked a room online and was very …

The Gateway To India

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I will forever have a lasting memory of my first sighting of Mumbai formerly known as the city of Bombay. I was flying in from Goa, it was mid afternoon on a beautiful sunny day and I was unable to see the landscape below sadly due to a heavy layer of smog.  The approach into Mumbai felt similar to flying into Queenstown in New Zealand, out of nowhere appeared rocky formations outside the plane window giving you the sense that they were too close!  But what really struck me as we descended low enough to see what was on the ground below, was the extensive rows of slums, falling on top of each other. It is believed that over 50% of Mumbai’s population are living in slums. Once on the ground however you discover a bustling cosmopolitan city which I loved experiencing what culturally they had to offer with their museums, restaurants and shops putting them on par with other great cities around the world. You could sense the Bollywood revenue infiltrating its way through parts of …

Under The Goan Sun

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It was time to head north to relax and enjoy some time on the beach.  I had ten days to experience the beaches of Goa and I was planning on splitting my time between Arambol, Vagator and Palolem.  All had been recommended by friends to visit. Known for their party vibes, I was warned Arambol and Vagator wouldn’t be quiet destinations, however the beaches were very quiet everywhere, but it was still nice to see more foreigners around. It was now April and with the season starting to wind down, each day resorts would dismantle their properties in preparation for the monsoon season ahead.  It was quite eerie to watch especially when the restaurant I had dined in Palolem the night prior, had disappeared the next day. Arambol with its long stretching coastline was an idyllic spot to rest for a few days. It was windy making it a popular destination for kite surfers, but it was nice to walk along the beach and enjoy the warmth of the sun.  I was greeted with the Buddha …

Old Versus New

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Goa was one of those intriguing places I wanted to visit.  I had heard so many mixed stories about it, from people loathing the place and it’s trance party night life, to others who never wanted to leave.  For me, my purpose was purely to relax by the sea. I was warned it would be quiet as it was heading into low season, but that didn’t bother me.  It had been quiet generally everywhere anyway. My first stop was in Panaji, in central Goa.  I arrived late on Good Friday evening, and I spent three nights there.  With it’s Portuguese influence, it was a great place to wonder and admire the architecture. Being Easter places were closed, but there was enough to do and see to keep me occupied.  I spent my first day walking through the streets of the new town and my second day visiting Old Goa.  I stayed in a fabulous guest house in a great location which made my stay that more enjoyable. NEW You can catch a bus from Panaji to …

The Only Way Is Up

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After leaving Amrutham Ayurvedic Village Resort refreshed, revived and rejuvenated, I was getting ready to head back up the continent with the view to visiting Hampi, Goa and Mumbai.  But before I made my way there I wanted to visit Madurai and Thanjuvar for their magnificent temples. Logistically it was a large area to cover on my own and I was having a dilemma of how to travel to each destination as I didn’t want to miss anything. But because I had diverted slightly at the start of my trip to meet a friend in Bengularu, I was going to have to zigzag my way back up which was proving to be difficult due to long train journeys, and flights weren’t flying directly to where I wanted to be.  In the end with another recommendation from a friend, I hired a taxi and looped from Kovalam down to the very bottom tip of India to Cape Comorin and then on to Madurai. Kovalam was my least favourite place and I couldn’t wait to leave.  I felt like I was on set …

Hitting Rock Bottom

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After travelling for over a month on my own I was ready for some company, and with the indulgence of a house boat all to myself and some time relaxing on the beach in Varkala I was looking forward to the week ahead.  I had booked into Amrutham Ayurvedic Village Resort based near Kovalam.  It was a short taxi ride from Varkala to the retreat, and being slightly out-of-the-way, we were greeted at a junction by a resort escort to guide us to what was to be my home for the next week. After experiencing the five-star treatment at Shreya’s Retreat I knew it would be a tough act to follow, but I had searched for hours trying to find the perfect retreat that would suit what I was looking for.  It had to have yoga and meditation, I wanted to try ayurvedic treatments and it needed to offer the flexibility of free time by a pool and be close to a beach.  All was going well, I had made it safe and sound, I was blessed on …

Sweet Varkala

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Varkala was an idyllic place to stay in Kerala. It was recommended to me by a friend and I wasn’t disappointed by adding it to my itinerary. My only regret was that I couldn’t stay longer due to a retreat I had booked near Kovalam.  I spent three nights in Varkala and I could easily have spent a week.  With its beautiful red cliffs, it’s long stretching beaches and the sound of breaking waves, Varkala had a vibe where you could park up and lose yourself day after day. Varkala was my first beach experience in India and having read about the warnings of some of their beaches, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Being a beach lover, I was ready to enjoy sinking my toes into some sand and thankfully it was like spending time on any other beach I’d been too.  The water was clean and the beach was predominantly clear of rubbish. Sure there were roaming eyes and walkers, but there were patrols whistling them away and I was able to really relax …

Chasing Tona

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I was buzzing when I discovered the graffiti artist Tona on arrival in India, it was an unexpected surprise.  My first glimpse of the artist was in Puducherry.  I was captivated by the images in front of me, hidden amongst the stunning architecture of the French Quarter.  So much so was my captivation that when I caught a glimpse of the artist again while on a tuk tuk in Bengaluru, I made my friend walk the streets at night in search of this mysterious artist. Sadly we didn’t have any luck that evening in finding Tona, but we did stumble across the Ritz Carlton! To my delight when I saw his art again in the Fort Cochin area I really got excited, they were everywhere. From there on in as I continued to travel through India I was on the look out for Tona.  I discovered more in Varkala (on a boat), and again in Cape Comorin.  From what I can find Tona is a stencil artist based in Hamburg. Sadly I didn’t find anymore …

The Backwaters Of Kerala

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The serene backwaters of Kerala are now a distant memory for me, though every time I look at these images I’m taken back to India and wishing I could be there steering into the warm still air.  There’s something very mesmerising about the backwaters.  There is a state of calm and tranquility as the landscapes blend and reflect into the water, locals bathe and wash in the abundance of water surrounding them, children ride their bikes (which seems for miles) to get to school and farmers walk the rice paddy fields. Anyone who’s researched about visiting Kerala will know that the backwaters is a mandatory stop on the itinerary and I was not going to miss the chance to see these stunning landscapes. Travelling on your own has its disadvantages and I was about to experience it first hand when I went to book a house boat tour in Alleppey.  My only option to experience a night on the backwaters was to book an entire house boat to myself.  Surely there must be other people …