Where to Go This Summer

The Summer months are upon us, with loads of leaves for kids and working adults wanting to take off to some place cool, as in really weatherwise cool.

This is January and better to plan in advance .

So here are a few places you can plan on heading out to, especially with kids, and the whole family.

If you live in Bangalore – There are many places to plan to, one is coorg, with its lush green coffee estates, cool temperatures and loads of places to visit it could make a perfect family vacation. There are plenty of home stays to chose from which makes it great for a family, as you get healthy home cooked food, some tips on what to do around the place and also a few hiking options along with white water river rafting, camping in the open and more.

Another place close to Bangalore that is an absolute must visit is Chickmagallur, with similar USP as Coorg, it also gives you the pleasure of viewing or even climbing a little bit of the Baba Budangiri and Mullayanagiri hills, there are water falls, winding roads and more for kids and family as a whole to enjoy. 

Sunset At Chikmagallur

Other places to visit close by would be Agumbe, Ooty, Munnar, Kodaikanal and such. Also a good thing to do to avoid loads of tourists is go to lesser known hill stations, especially in Andhra Pradesh. Andhra is barely explored and in many ways than one is good for anyone living in Southern India to go. Some of the places to check out are Anantagiri Hills and Araku valley.

If you would like to make a long trip or you live in the northern parts of India, then some of the best places to go during summer would be Mount abu, Manali, Nainital, Musoorie, Rishikesh/haridwar and Shimla.

Sikkim

These are the very well known places and you could see throngs of people heading there for the summers, if you want to avoid the crazy influx of people and try to relax in a cabin someplace quiet with your family nothing like Sikkim. Sikkim is safe, beautiful and awesome weather conditions , and loads of activities and places to go. There are loads of Festivals that happen between march and may in Sikkim which could prove to be an amazing experience, it is also a superb place for shopping artifacts, clothing, trinkets and other items. 

Another place that would be perfect is Bhutan, it doesn’t cost much to get there or stay there, easy permissions available , very safe for families and loads of places around to go to and also an amazing cultural experience for children.

Trashi Choe Dzong - Bhutan

                                                                                                                  Parinitha Konanur

Travel Books – The Must Reads

For most avid travelers the very act of traveling becomes an integral part of their lives, if they have full time jobs they look forward to that trip with bated breath , for travelers who are also photographers or writers their work gets infused into the travel experience or vice versa. Most travelers are inspired, by people , their friends who travel, by movies that show destinations with ardour and spirit, or most often than not by books. 

In this blog I am trying to give you the names of books that have more often than not inspired many a traveler to look outside his existent box and leave with a backpack and a vivid day dream, wandering into different places, locales, cultures and destinations.

Some of the best books are a must read for the traveling heart.

1. Jack Kerouac’s – On the Road 

   This is a beat generation cult classic describing in detail and on the go depictions of their journey. Of what they saw felt and experienced. This beat generation book is a must read for travelers as it opens up a new vista of possibilities, and a wonderful way to experience travel.

2. Ernesto Che Guevara’s – The Motorcycle Diaries

   This is a beautiful book and a memoir of the revolutionary Che Guevara and his journey with his friend Alberto Granado riding around in South America on a motorcycle. 

3. John Steinbeck’s – Travels with Charlie – In search of America

     This is a travelogue written by Steinbeck  , It recounts the trip Steinbeck took with his French Poodle – Charlie. It is their story, their journey through United States in a camper truck.

4. George Orwell’s – Homage to Catalina

    This is a travelogue, political history and also partly autobiographical. It is a warm story with English humour about the Spanish Civil War. 

5. Jon Krakauer’s – Into the wild

    An absolute must read this book recounts in true form and content the journey of a young lad Christopher Mc Candless who leaves all his possessions and goes into the wild to live in the Alaskan wilderness with the bare minimal luggage. His death , his views and his philosophies all etched into this book, it will surely prove inspirational.

Parinitha Konanur

    

Mysore – The Land of Maharjas, Mythology and More

Mysore is one of the oldest cities in India, and has had its share in the history of the country. This old city houses many historic relics, monuments, places of interest, art and architecture, legends and more. 

Situated about 150 kilometers from the capital of Karnataka Bangalore, Mysore has been for long known for being the capital of the Kingdom on Mysore, and has also been the cultural capital of Karnataka for centuries and continues to be so till date. The most renowned Mysore Dasara , has become well known throughout the world which takes place in the Mysore palace. The Mysore fort was built by Charamaja Wodeyar III in the 16^th Century, what was then called the Mahishuru Fort, now anglicized to spell “Mysore”. 

This city of wonder has been the center for art and literature for centuries , Mysore also gives its name to the splendid “Mysore Silk Saree” a specific smooth silk saree variety. Mysore was also ruled by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, when it reached its peak of military Power.

When travelers go to Mysore, there is a lot to see, if you happen to go there during the Dasara festival the which is the “Nada Habba” or the festival of the state of Karnataka, one can witness the splendid festivities go on through the ten days of the festival. One can witness the happenings in the palace and the procession in front of it. Also do try and befriend a localite and visit their house, the “Dasara Gombe” is an arrangement of dolls during the festival and most localites will have it arranged in their house, till date. This is the most splendid sight, with new additions and old traditions mixed and juxtaposed to a lovely rhythm. 

The places to visit are – 

Apart from the palaces – are – The Chamundi Hills where legend has it that the Demon Mahishasura was killed by goddess Chamundi after a battle. The legends of Chamundi and the history of Mysore have always been interlinked and is therefore a must visit place.

The other Near by places of interest are –

The Brindhavan Gardens, KRS dam, along with this there are loads of places near by for a days visit like Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta which has a temple on a hill top with a splendid view , Then there is the “Somnathpur Temple” a magnificent temple with Hoysala architecture, it is situated about 35 kilometers from Mysore. 

Bylakuppe , the Tibetan Monastery in Kushalnagar is about 85 kilometers from Mysore. 13 kilometers away is Srirangapatna – a must go place when you visit Mysore, which has a fort, the Daria daulat Bagh and a museum. 

Parinitha Konanur

Shravanabelagola – The Magnificent Monolith

 Karnataka is a place to visit, for people coming from all walks of life. Those of you who want to see the beaches, the mountains, the rain cladden roads, villages, heritage sites, cultural hot spots, food specific people, all kinds of travelers will find something to match their taste in the this vast and wonderful state.

Shravanabelagola is the place any traveler would want to visit. It is one of the most important heritage sites of Karnataka and has been well known for centuries for its magnificent Monolith of Bahubalai also Known as Gomateshwara. This place has the spiritual aura, magnificent architectural memoirs signifying the rich history of the place. Bahubali was a jain “Arihantha”[ someone who has reached the stage just before the state of “Siddha” ]

The Monolith was built in 981 AD in the Vindyagiri Hill, it is a gigantic 57 feet tall, it was built by “Chavundaraya” who was a military commander and minister in the court of the western Ganga Dynasty of Talakad. He was also known to be a poet. 

Shravanabelagola has two hills, Chandragiri and Vindhyagiri. Chandragiri is known to have been the place where Chandragupta Maurya did penance, and the great king Asoka built Chandragupta Basadi to commemorate it, on this hill. Chandragiri is also known for its other memorials of several Sravakas [ Disciples]  who meditated there from the 5^th century AD.  It is considered as one of the most important Jain pilgrimages.

The “Mahamastakabhisheka” is held every 12 years , where hundreds of liters of milk, honey, saffron, KumKum and turmeric is used to wash this gigantic sculpture, it’s a spectacle and definitely should be experienced once in a life time. 

Many inscriptions can be found here, dating back to the 600 AD, most of these inscriptions are in Haleganada – or Old Kannada, describing the rise of the Western Ganga Dynasty, the Hoysala empire, and the Wodeyar Dynasty.

This place is filled with such historical relics and would please an historian, traveler or a person with interest in art and history.

Sharavanabelagola is about 158 kms from Bangalore, and can be reached by Bus, or own transport easily. The bus you will have to take in case you decide on a bus is the Hassan City bus , Shravanabelagola will be the next stop after Chennarayanapattina. The place can be visited in all seasons but best season is between October and February. 

Parinitha Konanur

Palolem - The beauty of South Goa

The first time I had been to Goa I was expecting unbearable seaside heat, dry climate and people filled beaches, thronging with commercialized  hot spots. But to my pleasant surprise it was not as hot, it had a lot of greenery and vegetation  even though the north beaches were commercialized it wasn’t enough to wrinkle my nose. 

I remember three years ago being absolutely fascinated by the place, feeling that the reverence for the place from variety of people was neither over hyped nor misjudged due to less exposure to unknown beaches. I was ecstatic to find curving roads lined with trees and small Portuguese influenced colourful and quaint houses. Happy and friendly people walking by, though the restaurant owners at the beaches were more clichéd than the most popular Bollywood movie, with their fake accents and their poor imitation of what they thought of the west. Though the only disappointing part was that I was of the belief that this hippie heaven would have retained some of its classic rock and country music feel, I was heart broken to hear trance everywhere, except a very few shacks and restaurants playing a few Bob Marley numbers. 

Sunset at Palolem ...

This time we decided on south Goa , Palolem and its surrounding beaches. A good choice, if I say so myself. We left Bangalore on the Chennai Vasco Express, to be dropped at Margao station. Margao is 45 kilometers from Palolem, so we hired a bike at Margao for 150rs a day, a nice active, new and all. Then we started our ride, even though I expected good roads, I was pleasantly surprised at how nice these roads were, clean, new tar, without humps or cavities to mar our pleasure of riding. The 40 odd kilometers flew by without a glitch. We arrived at Palolem roughly around 3.30. Got a shack on the beach for 200rs per day, You can get for cheaper rates in off season. But this one had an attached bathroom and a small little sitting area in front. We unpacked and ate a lot, to satisfy a hunger that was caused by not eating in the night and morning. The sunset was just spell bounding. Very little people scattered around, mauve and pink painted skies, reflected immaculately on the surmounting waves. 

The next day we left to Agonda which was an easy 8 kilometers away. Agonda is even less populated than Palolem. It was more popular with the localites, than with tourists. That is always good, because you get to see local habits and behavior and probably even mingle with them. There were large families that had gathered around trees, with food supplies and Frisbee. We just laid down under a tree and spent the hot afternoon in the cool breeze reading and sleeping under it. After a good meal we sat down to experience another sunset. Here the sunset was more golden with a crisp silhouette of the hills. The way back was equally enthralling with non lit roads and a cool breeze.

sunset at Agonda ....

The next day we thought of going to Vasco, but that turned out to be about 65 kilometers, we started of late so that would be too late, so we thought of Old Goa. This a man told us would be 25 kilometers from when we reach a particular spot on the highway. We took the superb road again, the hot sun not bothering us with the thick vegetation providing a superb feel and a cool air. Then we reached a spot where we saw a board going to Cabo De Rama to our left. We asked how far Old Goa was from there, they said it would be another 25 kilometers, we had already traveled a cool 20 kilometers by then. So we made an impulsive turn to Cabo De Rama. The road was almost empty throughout. Whomever we asked for directions, dint know there was such a place at all near by, we had a feeling that we weren’t pronouncing it right. Because when we aksed for Palolem – they pronounced it as “Palll-o – llim” , we still headed on, then we found this large clearing, with a stench, my friend told me it must be the fish drying area, it turned out to be so too. There were hundreds of Cranes and Herons perched on the stone bricks, obviously attracted by the number of fishes available easily. The smell was over whelming. There was an old lady who explained it all to us, what they did , how they got the fish and how they dried it. Then we headed to Cabo De Rama. There the road just ended on to a church and fort, or so we thought. The Santo Antonio church was perched amidst the fort structure. The Glass covered shrine for Mary was beautiful with over hanging Bougainvillea. 

Mary's Shrine in Santo Antonio Church in Cabo De Rama ...

Then we went up the fort, the view is so splendid that everyone needs to go there to experience it. Then we did a little bit of exploration and found our own secret passage. The place has an amazing aura, a feel that is hard to describe. The green waters below lashing, huge eagles soaring above the rocks, the fort menacingly looking down. We spent quite a lot of time there and headed back. We had seen a board that said this way to Agonda, I guessed that would be a nearer route back and we took it. Now this road was immeasurably pleasurable even more than the roads we had already taken, some parts of the road were caved out of eart and green vegetation over hanging it, just pure beauty. And in parts of the route one can see the shimmering beach below, the view is exquisite. That was our last day at Goa so we ate to our hearts content, with a sunken heart that dint want to leave. 

Parinitha Konanur

Must see places – No matter what

There are a few places you will see there are a few places you ought to see and there are those places that you ought not miss no matter what .

This is my own personal must see places, it is by no means a universally accepted list , you guys can read acknowledge and even add your own “Must See” places in the comments section …

1. Machu Pichu – The 15^th Century Inca site in Peru, a must visit , due to absolute enthralling natural beauty, history and more.

2.  Tuscany – Tuscany in Italy is a sure shot must see for all those who love gorgeous landscapes, amazing art, culture and heritage and those who just love food and celebrate life.

3. Bali – An Indonesian Island , a Must see for its rich green, beautiful locales, rich culture, temples and more.

4. Bhutan – Beautiful places , mesmerizing Dzongs, and an amazing way of life that ought to be witnessed.

5. Norway – For its compelling landscapes, mountains, and gorgeous natural bounty along with quaint and beautiful houses. Also never to miss are the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis.

Kolli hills

This  is the water falls at Kolli Hills, a hill station in Tamil Nadu, it is around 300 km from Bangalore. a Superb weekend destination with a number of activities to do , pleasant climate and not that far from town. Take the Hosur road , pass Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri and Salem and You can ask for directions once you reach Rasipuram.

Activities - Mild treks, walk to waterfalls
Good place to lounge and relax
Climate is very pleasant

Parinitha Konanur

Kodaicanal – A Good Getaway

Kodaicanal is a place I had visited long ago , like many people in Bangalore, during school days. I quite remember it well, as a cool place with lovely weather and awesome flowers. It had been ages since I went there last and on a long weekend me and two of my friends decided to try it out. Taking a bus to Kodai, we reached there in the morning around 9.30, a lovely stretch of Ghat section woke us up, as soon as we got down there we were surrounded by travel agents, cab drivers and such.

The cab drivers informed us that place has no auto rickshaws, which came as a disappointment as we love autos for many reasons, best way to see a place, its airy, cheaper than cabs and not as suffocating as buses. My experience with auto rickshaw drivers away from Bangalore has always been fun, with their personal experiences colouring my travel experience, their preferred “Chai Kadas” their stories of how they came there and started work, even where they live . I think these stories are what makes a trip worthwhile.

We took one of the taxis and asked him straight out for a place that had a view, with shoe string budget and that we dint require luxury inside the room what so ever. We were shown some fancy places with a decent view and options of having a private bon fire, but all that came at a cost we weren’t happy with. Hence we pushed him to move more away from the main city area and show us a place that was more suitable to our nature loving tastes. Finally we did arrive at a nice little place, with a decent view. There was a homely feel to the place especially with the food being prepared at home. The view was of trees and some floral plants blossoming . We relaxed a bit ate well and it was late afternoon by the time we were actually ready to go out to check out the place. We walked to “Bear Sholay” falls which was less than 15min away from our room. It being summer there was very little water, but the walk to the place was enchanting. The roads that lead us to the falls was really good, with quaint houses, enthralling gardens in front of the houses, loads of flowers in bloom everywhere and the most pleasant weather , with a chill in the air and a warm sun.

When we reached the gated area through which we were to walk towards the falls we were more than happy to see the thick woods surrounding us, the evening light upon us we walked on, there is a stretch of the walk that is bar wired, and we thought that would be to keep some animals away, wondering what kind of animals though. There were absolutely no other tourist or soul in the vicinity which suited us well, and soon we were at the dry falls. Spending some good time there we headed back to the main town , walked around the lake and headed to our room, where good food was waiting for our time under the stars. We picked up a few bottles of sweet wine to go with it. 

The next day started early we walked towards the main town and took a taxi and cut a decent deal for the whole days visits, the route up was awesome, like most hill stations was filled with rich green growth and curving roads. We first reached the “Pine Forrest” which was unfortunately buzzing with loud and garish tourists, the driver loved his knowledge of movies, his explanation of any place had something to do with which song, which film was shot there, or which actor walked down which path and such. 

He did tell a number of songs that were shot there but the shouting tourists drowned his voice. The place was beautiful but noises don’t compliment such beauty and hence we were off to our next destination without much time lost, the next destination as told by our driver was called” Guna Caves” where the “Guna” was shot, the story goes that it was earlier called “the Devil’s Kitchen” as a lot of deaths had been witnessed there, who ever went in got into fatal accidents and such. But later the movie was made there, they actually constructed some temporary wooden staircases and barriers for the shoot. The famous south Indian Actor “Kamal Hassan” acted in the film. As soon as we got to the place all I could see were huge number of monkeys and vendors selling dry flowers, etc . There wasn’t much to eat and we hadn’t eaten anything since we left our room. We got a few bajjis which were promptly taken away from me by monkeys that intimidated me to throw them. I then learnt from a localite that I should intimidate it back to save my bajjis. I learnt the trick quite well and used it again on a trek. I assure you it worked. We were so exhausted by all the tourists and monkeys that as soon as we saw another path that lead to some nice growth of trees where there were no tourists we took the opportunity to explore the place and relax. We don’t know how long we sat there, then we headed to the Guna Caves. 

The sight was a mixture of disappointment and wonder, the climbing and walking lead us to a “Large Grill” which was the biggest disappointment ever because I thought a cave actually meant a cave and not grill. Then we realized that for the safety of tourists this was placed and there was no way of crossing over but only the view from there was to be had. When I went real close to the grill is when the wonder happed it was an exact replica of a “Chinese Painting” mist everywhere, sloping hills with protruding trees and branches, view stretched real far with tiny houses at the far end, we stood there in awe for a long time clicking photographs and with earphones plugged in tight to drain out the nasty, loud jumping tourists who wrent even bothered with the view but seemed more than content just with photographs of themselves being taken in front of a tall strong Iron Grill.

After all this we headed back to find our driver blowing steam from his ears running to us and yelling in Tamil, that he was worried we were lost and its dangerous and everything and a long drawn to and fro of words ensued with my broken Tamil and his fast Tamil. We cleared our differences and headed out, after all that we were in no mood for more touristy places, so we instead stopped to buy plants. Some small “Chadi” as they call it in Tamil, we had some food to keep us from dropping dead and headed right back. Stopping at some view points and shopping places. The driver unfortunately never understood our craving to see a nice place and non enthusiasm for shopping , but well we did shop for chocolates – home made delicious ones at that, spices , oils and all of that.

We headed back to our room with stomachs filled with chocolates and Dosa. The next day all we did was relax and not move an inch, sat in the open and just enjoyed the breeze.

The place has a lot to offer, but it is better to go by your own vehicle to be at ease, there are many places to see and some are called the “Valley tour “ and some are called “Forrest tour” with hell a lot of places jammed into the itinerary. If you don’t go by your own vehicle then make sure you have one person on the gang who knows some Tamil and explain your preferences before boarding the taxi.

Parinitha Konanur

Waterways of Kerala

The water ways of Kerala are a living culture, their lives revolve around them. From bringing food supplies, to crossing people across, to even bricks for building. The back waters arent just the gorgeous naturally but splendid rich in culture. Spend one day going around these back waters, ride from Alapuzzha to Kumarakom in a ferry instead of the plush house boat and you will be sitting amidst such splendid cultural diversity. As wonderful and luxurious a House Boat can be , but the true travel experience comes from these ferries, kids going to school. dogs and cats even taking a free ride, a really cheap ticket, or you could even go on those streamlined thin boats, that precariously float about the smallest of canals without loosing balance. The experience can be exhilarating ...

Indian Food Hot spots for the Hungry Traveler – North East

North Eastern parts of India is known for it absolutely enthralling locales, exquisite natural beauty, extreme cultural richness, amazingly hospitable people, and awesome delicacies.

Starting with Assam, Assam is known for its rice consumption and most savories are made of rice. They make lovely food items with puffed rice and such the must haves are “ Chira” “Komal Chaul” and there is very little oil and spices used. They have a wide variety of delicacies with fish and Duck’s eggs for the non veggies. You will always find most meals with a combination of “Khar” and “Tenga” the Khar is normally done with raw papaya , pulses etc, the Khar is usually a number of preparations with a key ingredient and will be called so “Kola Khar” is with banana in it.

“Tenga” is a sour fish dish, and the side dishes are called “Pitika” eg – “Aloo Pitika”. The famous sweet dishes are “ Pitha” which is a rice cake.

If you were to go to the gorgeous locales of Arunachal Pradesh you must not miss the rice beer there called “ Apang”.

Then if you were to go to the culturally rich Manipur you must have their “ Eromba” which is a stew with boiled vegetables and potatoes. You must also try the “Chamthong” which is a preparation with boiled vegetables and onion and ginger, along with a topping of dried fried fish.

In Meghalaya the non veggies get more options than the veggies, their favourite meat is pork and the must have dishes include “ Jadoh” a spicey dish , with pork and rice. And do not miss the “Kyat” which is a brew made with rice and every celebration in Meghalaya is followed by having this.

Mizoram also is predominantly non vegetarian and the absolute must haves are “ Bai” which is a dish with pork and spinach and eaten with rice. Another must have is “Sawchair” which is made of rice cooked with chicken or pork.

Now moving to the most beautiful state of Sikkim, known for its gorgeous mountain ranges, lovely trekking routes, travelers heaven a photographers delight this heaven also gives a lot for the culinary enthusiasts, of all the things that you just must have in Sikkim the unmistakable numero Uno on the list is “Tchang” a beer that is made from millet and usually served in a bamboo mug. The food must haves are “Thupka” and “Momos”

Tripura has a lot of Bengali influence when it comes to food and has many varieties od delicacies for the non vegetarians mainly.

Indian Food Hot spots for the Hungry Traveler – North India

As we have been talking about the food hot spots of the South now lets turn our attention to the North. When I say North I am basically going to cover the entire North.

We had stopped at Andhra for the south, Lets start the north food Hot Spots with Maharashtra Bombay or Mumbai as its known today has always been known for its street food, its vada pavs, its pani puris and such … But what actually is the thing that you shouldn’t miss when in Maharashtra ? “Batata Vada” and “Kande Pohe”.

 Okay now moving a little to the east and Northwards, many of you might not know is that oriya food is one of the best in India, though it isn’t as hyped as Andhra food, Rajasthani or Bengali food, it has its charm and some of the best delicacies are found here. Whether you are going to the Puri Jagannath Temple or to Bhubaneshwar or to Konarak make sure you eat some of these “Mitha Dali” which is cooked Toor Dal in Jaggery , ghee and bay leaf, and non vegetarian delights like “Chungdi Malai” which is fresh water prawn cooked in coconut milk and added spices. And along with these do have some famous Sherbaths like “ Bel Pana” made with the pulp of Aegle Marmelos along with milk, sugar and black pepper. 

Lets go to the west side of the country to Gujarat, whether you have those famous Thalis or not make sure you eat enough and more Guajarati Snacks the best of them are “Khandvi”, “Dhokla”, “Dhahi Vada” and “Kachori” and the sweets you should hve after all this is “ Sutarfeni” and “Basundi”.

Now moving on to the centre or the heart of India , state wise atleast, Madhyapradesh, when you plan your visit to Khajuraho, the ancient city of “Ujjain” or even to “Bhandhavgargh National Park”you make sure you taste these “Sabudane ki kichiri”, and the non veg must haves are “Rogan Gosh” “Biryani Pilaf” and “Keema” and Ujjain, Indore and Ratlam are known for their “Samosa” and”Kachoris”.

And now going to the wonderful Rajasthan let me tell you it is the vegetarian heaven. There is so many varieties of food , that you will not be left wanting more. But here are a few things that you just must have “ Lassi” in Jodhpur, a very spicy version of “Bhelpuri” and don’t miss having a wholesome Rajasthani Thali, and if you do come across “Mewaa Roti” do try it it’s a sweet tasting roti that is absolutely delicious when hot and with ghee on top, sinful ? yes…

Okay who doesn’t know that Delhi is a foodie’s Mecca? So the obvious things you just must do are go to Chandni Chowk and have “Jalebi” and “lassi” and have the famous Mughalai Style Biryani anywhere in delhi, also try a variety of milk teas that you get there , if you are there in winter you will remember having it all your life.

And now we are at UttarPradesh the yummiest concoctions are “ Zamin Doz Machli” and “Shami Kabab” for the Non Veggies and “Paneer Pakora” for the veggies, it is known that Chaat has its roots in UttarPradesh.

And going all the way to the Northmost and one of the most beautiful places on earth Kashmir, the must have veggie delights are “ Ladyar Tsaman” and “Nadeir Yakhean” which is lotus stem in yogurt base, and the simply must have non veggie food is “Rogan Gosh” and “Syun Qaliya”.

That is the slurpy list of must have in the hopt spots for a hungry in India in the North, the next blog will cover in detail the eccentric varieties in the North east …

Parinitha Konanur

Summer Time is Beach Time ...

As the summer sets in, the heat rises and the need for a beach becomes higher. What better than Alappuzha Beach in Kerala at a time like this ... Its a pristine beach with very very less crowd. Though it might not have the night life and restaurants of Gokarna and Goa if its a peaceful hide out you want ... This is it ...
The Coffee house Over looking the beach makes it a must visit ...

Indian Food Hot spots for the Hungry Traveler – South India

We are all visual creatures and hence we travel and most of us visual creatures are also big foodies. India is known for its cultural variations and with cultural variations comes a huge variety of food. Every state has a unique cuisine and what is better is that even the smaller towns and cities have their own versions of food.

Now I thought I will map out the food Hot spots for all the “Hungry” Travelers –

If you were to start from Karnataka – If you were to go to North Karnataka don’t miss the “Jolad Rotti” which is Roti made of maize, If you were to go to Hassan side then do drink those tender coconuts in a countryside and ofcourse eat the “Ragi Mudde” or the Ragi Balls with Chicken or Mutton Curry, for the veggies Ragi mudde is awesome with “Soppina Saaru” which is a curry with greens, then if you were to go to Mysore then have the “Mysore Masala Dosa”, and “Pineapple KesariBath” and yeah how can I forget “Davangere Benne Dose” in davangere ofcourse though it is available even in Bangalore.

Then there is Coorgi specials like “Pandi Curry” which basically an awesome pork curry.  Mangalore, Udupi  and its surroundings are known for their lovely vegetarian food remember the “Udupi Krishna Bhavan” ? and do not miss the “Gud Bud” ice cream in Mangalore. 

Now if you go to Tamil Nadu you got to try out as many varieties of “Rasams” as you can, it is also known for Dosa , let me tell you the Tamil Nadu Dosa tastes quite different from its Karnataka counterparts. Then there is the famous “kotthu parota” that you get in most parts of Tamilnadu. And then there is the very very famous spicy “Chettinad” food from TamilNadu.

Then moving a little more down south if you go to kerala , it is mostly a non vegetarians heaven, the must tries are “Neer dosa and Prawn curry” or even fish curry, sea food is major here for obvious reasons and they are delicious.

Now let us map our way up a little to the North and enter  Andhrapradesh, now this is a state that satisfies both vegetarians and non vegetarians equally so you will do yourself good if you order a “Andhra style” Biryani, Andhra style Chilli Chicken or even a wholesome South Indian Thali that comes with chutney pudi, papad, rice, roti, sambar, rasam and loads of “Pallya”/ side dishes . Hyderabad as most of you know is a hot spot for Biryani and it has a lovely mixture of both Andhra spices mixed with Nizam or the Muslim influences.

Now moving a little more to the west coast is the world famous travel destination Goa. What most travelers do is that they prefer to lie back on the beach and eat at the restaurants adjacent to the shacks, this is a good idea, but you need to remember to have that “Cashew nut Fenny” and along with this a must not miss is eating a “Pav bun along with chicken curry”, this is usually not available at shacks, and you might want to spend an evening at Mapusa for that. It is totally worth it. Goa is also known for its “Pork Vindaloo”.

My Next Blog will be about all the delicacies of Northern and Eastern Indian ... slurp Slurp !!!

The Folk Culture of Rajasthan ...

Rajasthan is known for its rich traditional history its cultural uniqueness and for its folklore. We experienced it all first hand, but the most spectacular of this all, is in Jaisalmer, we had just witnessed the best sunset of our lifes amidst the dunes, and had just ridden a camel on the sands. The beauty of it all capturing our mind heart and soul, after this what were we to expect , a lovely evening with the Rajasthani folk music and dance performers. We not only sat back and saw this awesome performance, we decided to even join in on the fun, with our own down south special "tappanguth" done along with the spectacular beating of the drums. The male performers were full of energy, cracking jokes, telling stories, performing music, all at once. The female performers were elegant and so graceful were their moves, especially as it got accentuated by their bright and colourful attire.

Speaking of which, let me just tell you a little about Rajasthani folk dances. There are many folk dances in Rajasthan , "Gowari Dance" is a dance drama done mostly by the "Bhil" tribe, they usually perform around a central point which is of a deity, and then a "Madal" and "Thali" is always there while performing. The performing troupe usually travels from village to village doing performances. Then there is the "Ghoomer Dance" which is probably the most well known and famous dance form of Rajasthan, it is a comunity dance done mostly during festivities and fairs.

Then there is the "Chari dance" - if you have ever wondered why they do these dance moves along with brass pots on their heads, is it only to display their balancing skills ? no it is done to rejoice the fact that they found water, the women of Rajasthan had to walk miles just to find a pot of water, and when they did find it they would dance with these pots on their heads and add graceful hand movements along with this.

The other dance forms are " Kalbeliya dance", "Gair Dance" and "Bhawai Dance".

If you are planning a trip to Rajasthan do not miss the dunes in Jaisalmer and do not miss the dance and music performance in the desert under the stars.

Parinitha Konanur

Tips on what to carry for Travel Photography

All travelers love to travel - to see, feel, experience and also capture what they see. So travel photography becomes pretty much part of the travel experience be it a DSLR user who is an amateur/pro or a point and shoot user wanting to take back home memories.

The most important part of photography is [ whether we like it or not ] the equipment. Travel photography needs depend on what kind of travel you do, if you love to go to sanctuaries and national parks dont travel without a telephoto lens. Though it adds to your luggage and weight there is no point in trying to capture a bird in the morning light with a 18-55 lens. And a telephoto will also help you get some close up shots of all those monuments and architecture details, or even the close up on faces. Telephoto lenses also give you a shallow depth of field and thus will help in bringing many of your subjects into proportion.
The next must have lens is commonly used 18-55 lens - these are good for pretty much everything you want to capture on your trip, from people to trains, to mountain top views. It not heavy and is less cumbersome. You could also take a 50mm lens along, its not heavy and could give you some great shots of people and happenings. It gives a very ethereal quality to all photographs.

The next you need to think of is you battery back up and storage. DSLRs come with a charger for their batteries, DO NOT forget to pack this [ should be first on your list ] without this all efforts are in vain. Then for the point and shoot users get a good quality rechargeable batteries, carry atleast one extra pair [ fresh unused ones] and a good quality charger for them. I would also suggest you to carry a multiple pin plug point . This is my personal MUST HAVE. This way you wont be worried what all to put to charge and fight for your turn to charge your phone, I-pod and camera Battery. This is important because most hotels and budget rooms provide only one Plug point. This is also good because in case the wiring is not good at your room or on your train, or waiting room, this will take the brunt.

Next is your camera bag, there are many options in the market the best thing to do is carry a not so conspicuous bag and keep your lens, may be your video camera and other accessories in it and then a sling kind of bag for your main DSLR. This helps you to take out your camera fast as soon as you see a subject of interest. Also lets you keep the other accessories from catching the public eye [ thieves and shy people who dont like to be photographed ] ...

The next is your storage, carry more than one memory card instead of one large sized memory card carry two to three smaller ones, that way you have no tension of a damaged card that will make you lose all your photographs, or losing it. You can also back up your photographs by downloading them and sending it to yourself via mail, or uploading it as you go onto Picasa. 

All this said the most important is to go with a clear head and a never ending enthusiasm to capture the best shots and to try something new every time and move away from your safety zone.

The other things you must carry are a soft cloth to wipe the lens in case it gets dirty and an absolute must carry is a lens blower. Most places have dust and it can prove fatal to your camera and lens.

Parinitha Konanur

Taking the Step into the Unknown :

Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger,
Or wonder,
till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
- C.S. Lewis

This poem by C.S.Lewis sets me thinking, isn’t this the most important part of travel? To take a step into the unknown and explore, to explore and wonder at nature’s beauty, the most important part is to take THAT STEP, and to make that move.  

Because if you always played it safe you would never discover a new path, a new route, a new hill. What drives a traveler is his heart, his heart that beats at the sight of a new landscape. This drive is what makes you talk to complete strangers on a train, listen to them and if they say that there is this ONE place that you ought to go to, even if it does not fit into your schedule, you do it. When on a trek, your on your safe known path , but the thrill is from the small route through the absolute thicket that might well just take you to the best clearing that not many other travelers have seen, it might give you the best view of the mountain range, or you might just get caught in the thicket with scratches and might lose your trail, but then, that is the risk you oughta take … aint it ?

When I think back on all the many trips I have done, the ones that went absolutely perfectly I remember, but the ones I remember better are the ones that I hadn’t planned, hadn’t expected, I had just listened to my heart and had set forth. Some of them failed and failed bad, but still its etched on my mind and I still sit back and reminisce that.

 So here is my tip of the month – As much as all of us would like to just “Take Off” without a fixed number of days for a trip and just follow our heart, how many of us can actually get to do that ? I don’t think many, all of us have jobs that need us there, we get a few leaves and so we plan out our trip in such a way that all the best places fit right into the schedule. Yes this is the best way to see the most number of destinations in the given time, but then there are these times when you saw a place and wished you could just stay there a little while longer … that is what this tip is for … When you apply for leaves or take time out of your busy schedule for a long trip, make sure you take two to three days more than your tight schedule plan, your boss might get a little more irked than usual but it would prove worth it.

Keep a few days extra on your long trips, when you like a place so much you don’t want to move use those two days, when you get to know there is a small village near your destination that needs a visit use those two days to visit that place. That way you can still catch your flight/train back as booked, and you will get that time to spend in that place that you want to. And trust me you will reminisce THAT the most …

Parinitha Konanur