India Today Travel Plus 2012-11

Men’s heal h ealth th Digital Magazine

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f   d,  . md md.m/dm .m/dm 

Men’s heal h ealth th Digital Magazine

on sale now!

+

inDia’s largest-selling Men’s Men’ s Magazine with nutrition special anD an exclus exclusive ive 32-p 32-page

gyM-free Muscle guiDe

Now available on iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire, Android, PC & Mac

Tap To download download

f   d,  . md md.m/dm .m/dm 

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S

L A W R A G G A T A R A H b

T Ii

fAmILy HOLIdAy

perIzaad In corbeTT

sushmITa In dIsneyland

O my fRIend Kalpaa has low all th wa ro bagalor with hr kis or a holia i Cortt natioal Park. Th ar willi craz a sh ls it’s ot ough or th to hav  trailig th tigr ol i nagarhol locat closr ho i Karataka. A,  rothr is lig all th wa south ro Luckow to giv his girls a vacatio i Krala urig th stiv rak. yar o ar, th woul co to dlhi a w woul riv up to th hills: Raikht, Kasauli, mussoori… ut this ar th ci it was ti to o irt. Th ig at ail holia is alost sacrosact i ost hos with as i Iia, a is l  th sur rak wh schools shut shop or a goo two oths a also  th stiv saso, Octor to dcr. Popl tpicall travl with chilr a ot with th ail lrs as wll. but o logr o th just ha to th hills, or pack th kis o to th graparts’. I act, or a or Iia ailis ar ow vrig towars custois, th vacatios as th go ratig, trkkig, aglig, ivig, a ach uig or so togthr ti. Tur th pags to iscovr what is trig i ail holias. W giv ou isights ito how Iia has  holiaig so ar. A w giv ou so oat ias o what to o xt. Curious to kow th top thr placs Iias googl or i 2012? Ra o. Tak our ail to th Krugr natioal Park i South Arica or th ost stuig willi xpric vr. Or sp gtl ti strollig i th hills, pickig wil lowrs a picickig arou a urqut hosta i dalhousi. Is thr a ail that ca rsist th lur o shoppig? W hapick th 15 st shoppig citis o th worl ap a tll ou whr to go or what. W also rig ou a xclusiv look ito actor Sushita S’s holia i disla with aughtr R, to clrat th chil’s 13th irtha rctl. rctl. A or ou start worig i  thr is li li  o ail i this issu, thr is th rilliat sig-l Awa Spa at th W Hotl i bali, th thr is th Juirah Gol estats i duai. m pick o th oth is Gaikota, i Ahra Prash, a ort which lis ar th gorg or  rivr Par with th erraala hills. Chck out our Photo essa to s this stuig lascap lik th Gra Cao o Iia. I our oo sctio iscovr th ti tow o diigul ar maurai i Tail nau or so o th st irai vr! I a ot a hug o or quotal quots. but still goig to lav ou with o  mark Twai i this fail Holia spcial o ours: I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them. them .

abhIshek In chIcago chIcago

RITU AGARWAL ROHATGI

S i our ack to ritu.rohatgi@itoa.co Join us on Facebook: www.acook.co/TravlPlus IiaToa Follow us on Twitter: twittr.co/ITtravlPlus Editor’s Blog: http://logs.itoa.i/ Travel Plus Photo Gallery: http://iiatoa.itoa.i/sit/gallrlist/travl/1/17.htl

iNdiA todAY trAVel PlUs . NoVeMBer 2012 .

1

[ PROMOTION ]

Dance To The Divine Tune

KonarK FesTival

M

odelled after te floating cariot of te mtical Sun God, te Sun Temple, Konark is a quintessence of imaginative craftsmansip of ancient Odisa. Te Annual Konark Festival, wic is eld in an Open Air Auditorium sowcases a magical parade of India’s classical and traditional dance forms. Te festival is organised for 5 das from December 1-5. Eminent dancers deligt visitors wit dramatic coreograpies. Besides te dance performances, visitors can also attend te artists’ camp—an exibition of Odisan temple sculptures wic are often described as poetr transcribed on stone. Conceived as a festival of Classical Dances of India, te objective of te Konark Festival is to promote Konark and Odisa as a tourist destination. Among popular events is te International Sand Art Festival tat is eld at te nearb Candrabaga Beac.

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BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. BEAUTIFUL PLACES.

[ PROmOTION ]

The lAnD of folKlore The Hornbi Fetiv enore inter-trib intertion n proote the tr herite of Nn

I

N NagalaNd, musIc Is n inter prt of ife; fok on eoiin netor, the brve ee of wrrior n trition heroe; poeti ove on iortiin nient tri ove torie; ope on tht toh yor o or oern tne renere exqiitey to et yor feet tppin. N re fn ovin in ntre n on re n inter prt of  their fetivitie. One h fetiv i the nn Hornbi fetiv ornie by the governent of Nn tht tke pe between deeber 1-7 in Kohi. Hornbi Fetiv i he t the N Herite Vie in Ki, 12k fro Kohi. a the tribe of Nn tke prt in thi fetiv. The i of the fetiv i to revive n protet the rih tre of Nn. It i  ret event for viitor to nertn the peope n tre of Nn. The fetiv i ne fter t he bir hornbi, whih i ipye in the fokore of ot of the tte’ tribe. drin the week-on fetiv, peope enjoy oorf perforne, rft, port, foo fir, e n ereonie. Trition rt h  pintin, woo rvin, n ptre re o on ipy. The fetiv hihiht ine Trition N morn Exhibition n e of rt n rft, eiio trition N foo, herb eiine t, fower how, tr eey—on n ne, trition rhery, N wretin, inieno e n  i onert. In Nn, eh tribe eebrte the fetiv with eition n pion.

PERMITS: Before trvein to Nn, qirin the entry perit i  t. doeti torit ho obtin the Inner line Perit ie by the foowin thoritie: depty Reient coiioner, Nn Hoe, New dehi; depty Reient coiioner, Nn Hoe, Kokot; aitnt Reient coiioner gwhti n shion; depty coiioner of dipr, Kohi n mokokhn. FoREIgn TouRISTS: Forein torit no oner reqire  Retrite are Perit (RaP)/Protete are Perit (PaP) to enter Nn in 2012. The new re reqire foreiner to reiter theeve t the o Foreiner Reitrtion Offier (FRO) of the itrit tht they re viitin, within 24 hor of rriv. Thi i  teporry hne in effet for one yer. RaP/PaP i ti  reqireent for Pkitni n chinee ntion. HoW To gET THERE: By Air: T is a aipt i Dimapu, wic is guay

svicd by maj aiis. T city is ikd t Kkata by ai. Idia Aiis ad Jt Aiways y t Dimapu. T distac btw Dimapu ad Kima is 74km. By Rad: T stat is w cctd by ads. Kima is

ikd t Sig ad Guwaati. Pcd t Dimapu ad t tav t Kima wic is 74km. By Rail: Dimapu is a maj aiad i t stat tat is

ikd t Guwaati. Mst  t cuty’s imptat aiads a cctd t Guwaati.

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70 disNeylANd 92 the plus list 15 Best shopping Cities

78 HiMACHAl

shma sn ha h

PRAdesH

aghr Rn n hr 13h

Vanana Mahra rcn h an

brha a a pca ra

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72 soutH AFRiCA

bnng fr hr ma fam

R Agara Rhag cvr ha Krgr Nana Park  a

82 tAMil NAdu

pcacar a   harh an h

A Nrhrn Ha n Manag,

Afrcan bh can rn an a

dp Nar har nrgng f

n an arck ch

a h fam an frn

cElEbrITy TrAvEl NEWS… 14

86 switzeRlANd 16

NEWS & UPDATES Arn, hppng, nan, ra an bn rav n

28

PAckAgES & DEAlS VFM ffr, h a

32

gooD bUyS C pck fr h ravr

A h cnr ca h ar  ‘ar’, Aja Khar xpr f bn h s Ap an cvr  nnng ak an arb

58 photo essay ANdHRA PRAdesH th Ganka fr, snhja Parhaarh f,  bn  hr h ravr h abrnh an nrn ban f h hr an avnr oN tHe CoVeR Malaika arora khan PHotoGRAPHeR Farrokh Chothia loCAtioN Jordan CoVeR CouRtesy harper’s Bazaar india

Lalit Modi loses libel case against Cairns 2G: Court issues notice to CBI on Kanimozhi's plea Pakistan's acid victim commits suicide in Italy Anna Hazare losing relevance: Bal Thackeray Shutdown in Telangana over suicides for separate state Indian student jailed in Australia in visa scam Don't want Akali help on clemency, says Beant Singh's killer I'm ready for another innings in action: Akshay Kumar Who will save the Indian Army? Don't want Akali help on clemency, says Beant Singh's killer Lalit Modi loses libel case against Cairns 2G: Court issues notice to CBI on Kanimozhi's plea Pakistan's acid victim commits suicide in Italy Anna Hazare losing relevance: Bal Thackeray Shutdown in Telangana over suicides for separate state Indian student jailed in Australia in visa scam Don't want Akali help on clemency, says Beant Singh's killer I'm ready for another innings in action: Akshay Kumar Who will save the Indian Army? Don't want Akali help on clemency, says Beant Singh's killer Lalit Modi loses libel case against Cairns 2G: Court issues notice to CBI on Kanimozhi's plea Pakistan's acid victim commits suicide in Italy Anna Hazare losing relevance: Bal Thackeray Shutdown in Telangana over suicides for separate state Indian student jailed in Australia in visa scam Don't want Akali help on clemency, says Beant Singh's killer I'm ready for another innings in action: Akshay Kumar Who will save the Indian Army? Don't want Akali help on clemency, says Beant Singh's killer Lalit Modi loses libel case against Cairns 2G: Court issues notice to CBI on Kanimozhi's plea Pakistan's acid victim commits suicide in Italy Anna Hazare losing relevance: Bal Thackeray Shutdown in Telangana over suicides for separate state Indian student jailed in Australia in visa scam Don't want Akali help on clemency, says Beant Singh's killer I'm ready for another innings in action: Akshay Kumar Who will save the Indian Army? Don't want Akali help on clemency, says Beant Singh's killer Lalit Modi loses libel case against Cairns 2G: Court issues notice to CBI on Kanimozhi's plea Pakistan's acid victim commits suicide in Italy Anna Hazare losing relevance: Bal Thackeray Shutdown in Telangana over suicides for separate state Indian student jailed in Australia in visa scam Don't want Akali help on clemency, says Beant Singh's killer I'm ready for another innings in action: Akshay Kumar Who will save the Indian Army? Don't want Akali help on clemency, says Beant Singh's killer Lalit Modi loses libel case against Cairns 2G: Court issues notice to CBI on Kanimozhi's plea Pakistan's acid victim commits suicide in Italy Anna Hazare losing relevance: Bal Thackeray Shutdown in Telangana over suicides for separate state Indian student jailed in Australia in visa scam Don't

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IN THIS ISSUE

[

NovEmbEr 2012

travel 34

Lara Dutta and her nine-month-old daughter Saira Bhupathi were spotted at The Great Wall in China 14

food+drink

SHoPPINg colUmN wr n a Bag b Qn dh

35

HAPPENINgS evn  ach  fr

37

cITy UPDATES Jran h MAlAiKA ARoRA KHAN

40

ITINErAry

100 106

Paaa, Pnjab

42

SHorT brEAk Mr, Karnaaka

44

golF Jmrah Gf ea, dba

RestAuRANts

Food & tRAVel

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f h mnkr f Bran C an g n m nf  f

99

FooD NEWS

105

locAl FlAvoUrS

Prc, vn, n pnng

car & Bike

an h a bzz n h grm

NAKuul MeHtA

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n h favr n uapr

103

WINE colUmN spr travr b srh Bhaachara

end notes 110

DrIvINg HolIDAy

116

th Knkan Ca

112

Rv: Jph Ann

rEvIEW

118

BMw 328 Par 200Ns

gADgETS oN THE go Gra b fr h av ravr

. INDIA ToDAy TrAvEl PlUS . NovEmbEr 2012

cArTooNS B Pa Frnan

114

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120

globETroTTEr Acr AKsHAy KuMAR

]

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CONTRIBUTORS

Drifter by choice and dreamer by habit, Chumki Bharadwaj currently works for India Today Spice. Defining the stasis between her travels as an occupational hazard, she hopes to do nothing one day. Read about her Bali spa break.

Q Last family holiday

After 21 years as a print journalist, diPTi Nair has found a new passion in radio. She is writer, producer, news & documentary at Radiowalla.in, where she is putting together a travel talk show. For this issue she reviews a homestay in TN.

My last family holiday was to Agra because my daughter wanted to see the Taj Mahal and the forts. I had no leave so we went for a day!

SiNdhuja ParThaSaraThY is a freelance travel photographer. Gifted with a high restlessness quotient, she pursues many interests including travel, theatre, writing. We feature her photoessay on a less-know fort in Andhra Pradesh.

Art A dec Syed Salahuddin depy A dec & Phgaphe

Deep Pahwa Sen desgne Sukumar Das

ProduCtioN S. dtP cm Lay desgne Arun Marwah Chef Pcn Gajendra Bhatt depy Manage Pcn

Shovan Banerjee Asssan Manage Pcn

Mithilesh Kumar Sen Pcn Cna Ravi Kant

We went to Nainital this summer for 4 days. My son really enjoyed activities like boating and ropeway.

vaNdaNa malhoTra’S love for travel started in school with little trips across Rajasthan, decidedly her favourite in the country. Her wanderlust continues to take her away from the cacophony of Delhi, this time to discover a homestay in Dalhousie.

Editor-iN-CHiEF Aroon Purie CHiEF ExECutivE oFFiCEr Ashish Bagga CHiEF oPErAtiNG oFFiCEr Mala Sekhri E Ritu Agarwal Rohatgi Eece E Kalyani Prasher Asscae E Ajay Khullar Asssan E Harsimran Shergill Eal Cna Neelu Sharma

team Sen Geneal Manage (Nh, Eas & Wes)

Gauri Damodaran depy Geneal Manage (Nh)

Poonam Hukku depy Geneal Manage (Nh)

Mary Mehrunnisa Geneal Manage (Sh) Shveta T.M. Asssan Geneal Manage (Wes)

Jaya Oberoi PriYa Bala is a Bangalore-based journalist and a food and wine writer. Having edited a popular city supplement for several years she is now venturing into new media and setting up a website devoted to eating. Read her feature on Sri Lanka.

ouR expeRts & Columnists CaR & bike Ydr pr Editor of Auto Bild , he is the first one to drive the Golden Quadrilateral and one of India’s best in automotive journalism.

golf R nr Once India’s national champion and Asian Games gold winner, he now runs the Rishi Narain Golf Management.

hotels pry p One of India’s leading women entrepreneurs, she is the brain and force behind the hotel chain, The Park.

the spiRiteD tRavelleR sr bcryy Executive Editor of Mail Today is a wine enthusiast who has served on the juries of several wine challenges.

shopping Q Ddy Globetrotter and jewellery designer, she is a shopaholic ideally placed to bring you up-to-date information.

tRavel log J sry Called our very own Art Buchwald, the popular column by this well-known satirist continues to pack a punch.

CaRtoons p frd Illustrator and avid people watcher, he adds zing to the magazine with his sharp wit and inimitable style.

fooD C sy He is the man who rustles up the delicious fare at acclaimed restaurants like ai, Olive Bar & Kitchen and LAP.

Geneal Manage (Wes) Suman Sharma Banch Hea (Eas) Gurjeet Walia

We went to Bahrain last year to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s.

MArKEtiNG Asssan Geneal Manage Aanchal Sharma depy Manage Nitin Chand

CrEAtivE desgn dec Sachin Stephen

trAdE CirCuLAtioN Chef Geneal Manage D.V.S. Rama Rao Sen Geneal Manage (Nanal)

Vinod Das Sen Manage (Nh) Manish Shrivastava Sen Manage (Eas) Joydeep Roy Geneal Manage (Wes) Rajesh Menon Geneal Manage (Sh) Deepak Bhatt

oPErAtioNS Geneal Manage Rakesh Sharma

CoNSuMEr MArKEtiNG SErviCES Head-Consumer Services Poonam Sangha Senior Manager: Subscriptions & Customer Care Rajeev Chawla Senior Manager Direct Distribution & Operations Gurpreet Singh volum e IX number 9 for nove mber 2012 eDITorIAl offICe: LIVING MEDIA INDIA LTD., INDIA ToDAy MEDIApLEx, 3rD fLoor, fc-8,

sEcTor-16A, fILM cITy, GAuTAM buDh NAGAr, NoIDA-201 301, uTTAr prADEsh; phoNEs: (120) 4807 100; cAbLE: LIVMEDIA, NEW DELhI. ● for SubSCrIpTIon ASSISTAnCe, wrITe To: ThE INDIA ToDAy cusToMEr cArE, A-61, sEcTor-57, NoIDA-201 301, uTTAr prADEsh; ToLL frEE No: 1800 1800 100 froM MTNL & bsNL LINEs; phoNEs: (95120) 2479 900 froM DELhI & fArIDAbAD; (0120) 2479 900 MoN To frI, 10 AM To 6 pM; fAx: (0120) 4078 080; E-MAIL: [email protected] ● ImpACT offICeS: 1201, 12Th fLoor, ToWEr 2A, oNE INDIAbuLLs cENTrE, (jupITEr MILLs), s.b. MArG, LoWEr pArEL WEsT, MuMbAI-400 013; phoNE: (022) 6606 3355; fAx: 6606 3226. ● INDIA ToDAy MEDIApLEx, 3rD fLoor, fc-8, sEcTor-16A, fILM cITy, GAuTAM buDh NAGAr, NoIDA-201 301, uTTAr prADEsh; phoNEs: (120) 4807 100; cAbLE: LIVMEDIA, NEW DELhI. ● fIfTh fLoor, GuNA coMpLEx MAIN buILDING, 443, ANNA sALAI, TEyNAMpET, chENNAI-600 018; phoNE: (044) 2847 8525; fAx: 2436 1942; cAbLE: LIVMEDIA, chENNAI. ● 202-204, rIchMoND ToWErs, 2ND fLoor, 12 rIchMoND roAD, bANGALorE-560 025; phoNEs: (080) 2221 2448, 2221 3037; fAx: 2221 8335; cAbLE: LIVMEDIA bANGALorE. ● 52, j.L. NEhru roAD, 4Th fLoor, KoLKATA-700 071; phoNEs: (033) 2282 1922, 2282 5398; fAx: 2282 7254; cAbLE: LIVMEDIA. cALcuTTA. ● 6-3-885/7/b,rAjbhAVANroAD,soMAjIGuDA, hyDErAbAD-500 082; phoNE: (040) 2340 0479, 2340 1657; fAx: 2340 3484. ● 39/1045, IsT fLoor, KArAKKAT roAD, cochIN-682 016; phoNEs: (0484) 2377 057, 2377 058; fAx: (0484) 2377 059. ● 2c, “suryA rATh bLDG” 2ND fLoor, bEhIND WhITE housE, pANchWATI, off. c.G. roAD, AhMEDAbAD-380 006; phoNEs: (079) 2656 0393, 2656 0929; fAx: 2656 5293. ● copyrIGhT 1996, LIVING MEDIA INDIA LTD., ALL rIGhTs rEsErVED ThrouGhouTThEWorLD.rEproDucTIoNINANyMANNErIsprohIbITED. ● pubLIshED AND prINTED by MALA sEKhrI oN bEhALf of LIVING MEDIA INDIA LIMITED. prINTED AT ThoMsoN prEss, INDIA LIMITED, 18-35 MILE sToNE, DELhI-MAThurA roAD, fArIDAbAD121 007, hAryANA. pubLIshED AT K-9, coNNAuGhT cIrcus, NEW DELhI-110 001. ● INDIA ToDAy TrAVEL pLus DoEs NoT TAKE ThE rEspoNsIbILITy for rETurNING uNsoLIcITED pubLIcATIoN MATErIAL. ● ALL DIspuTEs ArE subjEcT To ThE ExcLusIVE jurIsDIcTIoN of coMpETENT courTs AND foruMs IN DELhI/NEW DELhI oNLy. ● reGISTereD offICe: 9, K bLocK, coNNAuGhT cIrcus, NEW DELhI-110 001. eDITor-In-ChIef: ArooN purIE

For epnt gts and synctn enquiries, contact [email protected] or call +91-120-4078000

10

. INDIA TODAY TRAVEL PLUS . NOVEMBER 2012

.synctnsty.n

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Mail Box away from your publication, I just wanted to share this thought with you. —Jay Jasani, Akron, Ohio

TOP5 LETTERS

oF THE MoNTH

1

Honeymoon travels

“10 Offbeat Romantic Escapes” (ITTP September 2012) is quite different and a good guide for couples who would like to enjoy more of nature! Though my personal opinion is that honeymooners should not spend more time outdoors than indoors! Otherwise the very purpose of a honeymoon is defeated. Also after the honeymoon there are more memories of time spent together rather than places seen or visited. I think one should revisit the honeymoon destination after a few years and relive those memories and experience the destination in a more ‘touristy’ manner. —Mahesh Kapasi, New Delhi

2

Kudos for tHe se asia issue

Of late I have started reading your magazine and find myself looking for a copy each month. Your insights on travel are intelligent and practical as well. The Southeast Asia Special Issue deserves a special mention because we as Indians have moved away from the usual Switzerland, US, UK vacations and are exploring more affordable yet exciting holidays. Keep up the good work. —Tannavi Kumar, Mumbai

3

our reply Actors are travellers too! It is unfortunate that this part of our magazine doesn’t work for you, however we hope you like the rest of the content and will continue reading. —Editor

4

tHe plus to travel

5

tHe road less travelled

Have to admit, your magazine definitely adds t he ‘Plus’ to travel. The places you pick, the experiences are all truly amazing, but it’s the extra bit of information that you give—where to stay, eat, see…that makes travel easier, accessible and fun. Plus the information on new hotels and restaurants is also handy for someone like me who travels to different cities frequently. —Rajat Bhatia, New Delhi

These days travel is about t he road less taken, and sometimes the places you write about in the magazine are out of the way and yet you still manage to make us want to travel there. In the October issue, you did a good job of showcasing some out of the way places like the Cameron Highlands and Vietnam. It’s good to get off the beaten track. —Vicky Singh, Chandigarh

Write to us & be a Winner! We love your feedback and are always hungry for suggestions & comments. So keep them coming readers as your letter might just win a gift hamper worth 2000 of ecofriendly clothing from Do U Speak Green?

WHy tHe stars

I love your magazine and use it for ideas to travel whenever I come to I ndia. However, the concept of movie stars talking of a place doesn’t seem palatable to me. I feel researchers and writers will know better than some of the stars, who would probably not be able to give as good an idea of a place and location. Do your issues sell more if you link travel locations to movie actors? Does it make me want to go there just because a movie star has been there? I think we (your readers) are a bit more intellectual than you think we are. However, this has not swayed me

12

. iNDia ToDaY TRaVEl PlUS . NoVEMBER 2012

Letters to the editor should be sent with the writer’s name and address to: tHe editor, india today travel plus, India Today Mediaplex, Lifestyle Group, 3rd Floor, FC-8, Sector-16A, Film City, Gautam Budh Nagar, Noida-201 301, Uttar Pradesh; e-mail: [email protected] and [email protected] Letters chosen for publication may be edited for reasons of space and clarity. To subscribe to India Today Travel Plus online, log on to www.indiatodaygroup.com

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travel

CELEBRITY nEws

Lara Dutta wth daughter  Cha She’s among the mommies who are not into wasting any of that precious time when it comes to travelling. So Lara Dutta and her tiny nine-month-old daughter Saira Bhupathi were spotted at The Great Wall in China while hubby Mahesh Bhupathi remained missing in action. Lara twitted: “Star baby or not, attempting a diaper change on the Great Wall of China is no mean feat!”.

H A H S N E G O Y

14

. InDIA TODAY TRAVEL PLUs . nOVEMBER 2012

steve Job wax fgure at Madam Tuaud HK Marking the first death anniversary of the Apple whiz, Madame Tussauds Hong Kong revealed a new wax figure of legendary businessman and inventor, Steve Jobs. The co-founder of Apple Inc and brain behind the iPod, iPhone and iPad has been portrayed in his trademark relaxed style, wearing a black cotton turtle neck, Levi 501 jeans and New Balance trainers. The professional team of Madame Tussauds had also replicated a pair of Lunor spectacles which was custom made for Jobs. The figure will remain at the museum till November 26, before travelling to Madame Tussauds Bangkok and Shanghai.

Ahwarya appoted the UnAiDs Ambaador  new York Joining the likes of Angelina Jolie and Sean Penn, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was appointed as the UN Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS. In her new role, Aishwarya will help raise awareness on issues related to HIV/AIDS for children and advocate for increased access to anti-retroviral treatment. Aishwarya said, “I will initially be like a student, holding the hand of the organisation which will lead me to the real picture on the ground. I don’t want to be just a poster girl, don’t want to be just part of a platform that will have my face, H quotes and voice. This A H S N is a turning point in my life. E G Y O I wanted to be associated with the UN at a time when I could actually contribute to the work and the causes.”

Abhhek Bachcha goe golfg  Chcago While wife fulfilled her commitments as a UN ambassador, Jr. Bachchan took some time out to test his golfing skills at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois just outside of Chicago right, before the Ryder Cup, 2012. The actor has been in Chicago shooting for his upcoming film Dhoom 3. He also met Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps and legendary golf coach Hank Haney. The Ryder Cup is one of the most anticipated events on the golfing calendar.

Da Mrza vt the Taj Mahal

P R O C O T O F

Brett promote Autrala He may have retired from international cricket but former Australian cricketer Brett Lee’s association with India keeps getting stronger. He joined Tourism Australia’s ‘Friends of Australia’ advocacy programme to promote the country’s tourism. Lee said: “Having travelled to India some 60 plus times, I now look forward, as a Friend of Australia ambassador, to encouraging Indians to visit this wonderful country and experience all that Australia has to offer.”

Mixing business with pleasure actor Dia Mirza was spotted in Agra to launch Jaypee Palace Hotel and Convention Centre’s new, chic and stylish Tamaya Spa. And while she was in the vicinity, she also took some time out to visit one of the three most Googled destinations in India this year— The Taj Mahal of course. Mirza also spent time clicking pictures with students from the Operation Sadbhawna Group.

N I A T B I S R A M A Q

InDIA TODAY TRAVEL PLUs . nOVEMBER 2012 .

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travel

HOTEL nEws Starwood Hotels open Sheraton Macao sd h & r wdd d   s m h, c c. c f  k  vk  c s,   k    . t s sky t ’ d dy, f 1,829 , s c l d  K gd b. o  d p l,  d’  lk s     y,  x s p  v f, s s d s  f f fy     d f , s F d  dd xvy f s . t ’ d , s e t,  y x y, d  ff  dd 2,067 ,      d ,  ff  v f  c s. t   d sd     m. .d.

Banyan tree opens in Kerala

welcomheritage noor-us-sabah

by t h d r d     v y  id. ld  ndy   ay d f K,  f  ’  59 v f  v  d xv v. t v   d  d  k ,  d v d Kk . D  d  id     dy d fy. t sff  f t , y d d  d v d, d d vd d. c d f  d     vy ,    f  ky d     ff. v-k@y.

PLUSPICK

palace bhopal is all set to eXpanD bY aDDing 100 rooms anD 20 luXurY suites APPOINTMENTS

mvk h & s b d bj cky  g m f  . cky   v      25 y f x  d  k t l d t o. ◗

m ajk   d  D f s d mk   w ◗

16


p K pk d pv l   d   D f F   w p K pk. l md K d sj J  g m f l md. sj j  v 16 y    dy. i     vd  gm, t l p, h d r    d  gm f  y y h id. ◗

The private island resort of Song Saa now offers chopper transfers t s s d  sf p p pk  d v  f f   f  y f p p f  90- d dy   d. t f   f dy  k (m/wd/F/s) f $688  y d  d f sf p p pk’ d  f p p i a. g y f v 7-12   v y -y   f. ..

AD

Asian Art Exhibition at Mandarin Oriental Miami sv   d  a b m b,  md m    x f y d k y   m  d. i    dy    y  nv. t x  f   20 k  , d d  f,   c k    ’ a . t kk ff  x,      v    nv 3. g y d  d   v  md o  k    f y  . r    us$ 359  . F v,  (+1) 305 913 8288;  v .d./ 

travel

DEsTInATIOn nEws A different side to Czech Republic g yd p   vy x cz r. i’    fd  y y. hd   f ld-V cx  s mv,  unesco’ wd h ,   d d v k. t x  dd     dd   e. t V c    100  d 17     . t       fd   f  cz r  v     f cz . F  dv k, ’ l p— q x f y   f    ld V cx d l a. i  fv y  . D  dff  .

Resorts World Sentosa all set to open r wd s (rws)    d   d  D 7,    f  d f    — m lf pk     100,000   f v 800 dff , k   d’  . i  v  k , v    f     y dy. ..

Britain for the literature buffs t e   2013   vy f pd d pjd, D w d Jk  r (200, 50 d 125 vy). t   j      v  f  y . w sk dv  d f sfd--av d Dk f  v K— ’ dd  d  f y f  v,  f a dv v   y: F h  J  ,  b   vd.

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DEsTInATIOn nEws Get up close to the elephants in Thailand F    f   u y,  j   vu   ,  f     k    v,  Fu s td c gd t v  u  e w pk   yu       td. sy  uxuy  d jy  v   d f , u k d é x   f   ruk v d  . .fu.

New Zealand beckons r  uy k f  uy tu n zd (tnz), ud  PLUSPICK PLUSPICK   my a (mh) d aukd i a (aial). t   d    id fv d dd  d  ff id v  v f fy  aukd f id  my a f 58,717. bk bk d k f  d  v  nv 15, 2012 f  v d vd u  D 15, 2012; .y.. .y..

Villa Villa escapes escapes is is oFFering oFFering 7-DaY staY at pool-siDe Villas Villas in ital italY Y, France, France, spain spain anD inDon inDonesia esia at at 99,000 99,000 .v.

Carnival time in St Moritz c nv d s. m’   fd   v d v. t  f  u   a,   kk    s. m cy r f nv 30– D 2 (.y.) d  sk o Dy (D 1-2),  qu   ffd  u. i  v,  k    fd   d  f  cy r (. d..). d..). rud ff   sf ( D 28–30)    u f b, Dd, bd-bd, zu, m d b; .f-d.

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g g e r e D n o s . c / m s i r u o t D n a l r e z t i w s

travel

A I RL I NE N E ws

Direct flights to Male from Mumbai mv a      m  mu  nv 15 . i       k;  u     v   k     . e,    m  u tuvpu  b .

m o c . s e g a m i y a d o t a i d n i . w w w / l a w r a g g a t a r a h b

Air Arabia increases Delhi flights to double daily mk    Uae-u v, a a u  v  n d       s. t  u  7 k   d. dp  s i ap,    14  p k  07:45  23:20p. ru  p  d i ap   13:05p  04:40. f  v ..

qatar airways has been elected a member of oneworld alliance, becoming the second airline from the middle east after royal jordanian BA starts automatic check-in trials t k v  v   u, ba  xp    u k- v. t       v  u  p  f. t-u u   , u   u k ,      v    p. t u k-   x   v   p. i     u,     k  v  p   u     2013. fu   p p v    g exuv cu u   uk   h t 5  uu. m,      vu     jp a (jal)    eup  jp. t   v  v  eup  jp  19 k    UK  jp. V ..

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. INDIA TODAY TRAVEL PLUs . NOVEMBER 2012

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A I RL I NE N E ws Qatar Airways begins inflight chef service ge op he ke rz choue, Vee bh, to ake  nou muh oo, he e h ee he ‘q ay cuy wo meu’— oeo o ue he o  pee. the e eu  ve o  h o  o doh ieo apo. the e o oue e h o n h  e eeve o juy 23, 2013. thee  e 12 h pe eek o i  he e  opee ou e h  eek o n v doh.

IndiGo launches four new flights luh ou o h o mu, igo  opee  h y  e h eee mu  ahe  mu  go. aoy, he e  o oe ahe  go o chh v mu. boh opoe  e  eue vee o mu  o hve he oppouy o expeee he-ee oeo. fo h heue, v .oo.

International flights from Vizag spoe ae eo , ska h e e h eee Vkhp  spoe. fh  opee hee e eeky, ep o weey, fy  suy, h eu h he oo y. the e eve  e opee h au a319  a320, eu oh ue  eooy  . Vz  he e’ ehh eo  i  oehe h spoe ae oh e  o opee o 11 e o he ouy. fo h heue v .k.o

Fly with IndiGo and avail the ‘get packing’ offer with Shangri-La Hotel, Kathmandu for 15, 952 per night. The package includes return airfares, accommodation, breakfast and sightseeing. To book packages call (0) 99103 83838. visit www.goindigo.in

Compiled by harsimran shergill

24

. INDIA TODAY TRAVEL PLUs . NOVEMBER 2012

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PackaGes & Deals

Great value-for-money offers! M O C . S E G A M I y A D O T A I D n I . w w w / E E j R E n A B M A T I R

TAJ SAFARI, KAnhA nATIOnAL PARK WHAT:

Campig ad safaris i the Kaha ugle DURATION: 2 ights/3 days PRICE: 221,000 per perso/ight (twi sharig) PACkAgE INClUDEs: Accommodatio, meals, two scheduled safari activities daily, forest guide fee, emergecy medical evacuatio isurace VAlIDITY: April 15, 2013 CONTACT: Grad Travel Plaers Pvt. Ltd, S.C.O. 55-56, Sector 17-C, Chadigarh; tel: (0172) 4687 777, 2703 059; gtp@gradtravelplaers.com www.gradtravelplaers.com

AnDAMAn & nICOBAR ISLAnDS WHAT:

For beach ad water sport lovers, soak i the su at Port Blair ad Havelock Islad DURATION: 5 ights/6 days PRICE: 227,990 per perso ITINERARY: Port Blair, Havelock Islad ad sorkellig at Elephat Beach PACkAgE INClUDEs: Airfare, accommodatio, meals, trasfers ad sightseeig. VAlIDITY: December 19, 2012 CONTACT: e[email protected]; tel: 1800 2093 344 (toll free); www.sotc.i

TRIDEnT, MUMBAI WHAT: A

weeked of reuveatio i a restful ad soothig eviromet of the Tridet Spa ad Fitess Cetre DURATION: Friday/Saturday PRICE: 212,000 for two PACkAgE INClUDEs: Accommodatio, breakfast, Baliese massage, complimetary iteret, pick ad drop aywhere i Mumbai VAlIDITY: Till March 2012 CONTACT: Tridet Hotels; for reservatios call (011) 2389 0555 or toll-free 1800 11 2122; www.tridethotels.com

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. InDIa toDay travel Plus . novemBer 2012

The Best of East offer explores Kalimpo, Gagtok, Tsomgo Lake, Rumtek Moastery, ad Darjeelig for 15,500. The offer icludes accommodatio (twi sharig), breakfast, trasfers ad sightseeig. Valid till March 31, 2013. Visit www.arzoo.com

MARRIOTT COURTYARD, GURGAOn WHAT:

The hotel offers special rates ad package for the guests who stay for 5 days or more DURATION: 5 days PRICE: Betwee 27,10029,500 per perso PACkAgE INClUDEs:

Accommodatio, airport trasfer, breakfast VAlIDITY: December 31, 2012 CONTACT: For reservatios call (0124) 4888 444; www.marriott.com

AVARI hOTEL, DUBAI

l a n o i t a n r e t n i

WHAT: Avari

Dubai Hotel provides couples a chace to eoy their romatic getaway i a private, luxurious apartmet with a umber of special complimetary services. DURATION: 3 ights PRICE: 222,500 PACkAgE INClUDEs: Accommodatio, breakfast, trasfers, complimetary aroma therapy ad a full body massage for two VAlIDITY: november 30, 2012 R E n CONTACT: Avari Dubai Hotel, PO Box: 50400, Dubai, UAE; R E w reservatio[email protected]; tel: +971-4-295 6666; D L www.avari.com O H T R E B

hOnEYMOOn PACKAGE

ITALY WHAT:

joi team Ferrari for a tour aroud Rome ad Florece ad drive their latest models. DURATION: 4 ights/5 days PRICE: Starts at 26,18,000 per perso ITINERARY: Rome, Val D’orcia, Florece ad Orvieto (Umbria) PACkAgE INClUDEs: Accommodatio, breakfast, airport trasfers, full car isurace, wie tastig, spa treatmets VAlIDITY: Throughout the year CONTACT: C-7, Paschimi Marg, Vasat Vihar, new Delhi; i[email protected]; tel: (0)98118 71888; www.lushescapes.com

SInGAPORE WHAT:

nAM hAI, VIETnAM WHAT: A

spa destiatio package for three restorative days of massage ad yoga classes DURATION: 2 ights/3 days PRICE: Startig at 221,400 per ight PACkAgE INClUDEs:

Accommodatio, breakfast, airport trasfers, Vietamese dier for two, Baliese massage, complimetary shuttle to Hoi A Heritage Tow VAlIDITY: December 20, 2012 CONTACT: reservatios@ theamhai.com; tel: (+84) 5103 940 000; www.ghmhotels.com

Stay at the Reef Villa & Spa, Sri Laka for US$ 440 per ight ad ejoy US$ 250 credit i the Spa, herbal oil ad floral bath. The offer is valid till november 15. Visit

night safaris, close ecouters with the uderwater world ad plety of quality momets to sped with family ad frieds. DURATION: 4 ights/5 days PRICE: 247,550 ITINERARY: Setosa Islad Tour (icludes admissio fee, uderwater world, dolphi lagoo, sky ride, luge ride, sog of the seas), Uiversal Studios, jurassic Park rapids adveture, ight safaris PACkAgE INClUDEs: Airfare, accommodatio, breakfast ad dier, city tour, airport trasfer, Sigapore visa charges VAlIDITY: December 29, 2012 CONTACT: makemytrip.com; tel: 1800 1028 747; www.makemytrip.com

www.reefvilla.com M S I R U O T E R O P A G n I S

InDIa toDay travel Plus . novemBer 2012 .

29

tr t r av ave e l

PackaGes & Deals

m i l y

Fa

H BAnDIPUR, KARnATAKA WHAT:

The ildlife at Badipur Tiger Reserve i South Karataka is both spectacular ad abudat. Go o a eep safari, ature treks ad visit the eighbourig eighbourig Magala dam. DURATION: 2 ights/3 days PRICE: 25,000 oards PACkAgE INClUDEs: Accommodatio, breakfast, trasfers VAlIDITY: jue15, 2013 CONTACT: arzoo.com; tel: (022) 6713 4444; .arzoo.com

PUShKAR RESORTS, RAJASThAn WHAT:

Special packages for the aual Pushkar Camel Fair held betee november 20–28. DURATION: 2 ights/3 days PRICE: 229,999 per perso ITINERARY: Camel rides to the mela grouds, hot air ballooig, cycle routes, hikes up to the Savitri Brahmi Temple, shoppig trips to Pisaga Fort i Kishagarh. PACkAgE INClUDEs: Accommodatio, meals, yoga yoga ad meditatio sessios, puppet sho, magic sho, Qalli sessio i the eveig, ight safari VAlIDITY VAlIDITY:: november 20-28, 2012 CONTACT: Seara Hospitality & Developmet, T-210 j, Shahpur jat, near Pachsheel Club, ne Delhi; tel: (011) 2649 4531/32; .seara.com

M O C . S E G A M I y A D O T A I D n I . w w w / n A R D n A H C A M A R y A j n A S

KhAJJIAR, hIMAChAL PRADESh WHAT:

S I R A P , D n A L y E n S I D ©

DISnEYLAnD, PARIS WHAT: A

special offer to celebrate the 20th Aiversary of Diseylad, Paris DURATION: Oe day PRICE: 116 per adult PACkAgE INClUDEs: Oe ight accommodatio, a ticket for Diseylad Park or walt Disey Studios Park) for every family member ad breakfast VAlIDITY: november 6 CONTACT: For loger stay, cotact (+33) 1 6417 9038 or mail o [email protected]

Camp out at the Baerghatta natioal Park, Bagalore for 2 ights/3 days ad ejoy tiger safaris, ature walks ad late ight bofire. The package icludes all meals. Valid till Jue 15, 2013. www.arzoo.com

Exquisite vies of the Dhauladhar rage, this package takes you through Maali, Dharamsala, Dalhousie ad Khaiar DURATION: 8 ights/9 days PRICE: 220,999 (ti sharig) PACkAgE INClUDEs: Accommodatio, breakfast, sightseeig ad trasfers VAlIDITY: March 31, 2013 CONTACT: makemytrip.com; tel: 1800 1028 747; .makemytrip.com

G I n I R S

COmPIlED bY HARsImRAN sHERgIll

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. InDIa toDay travel Plus . novemBer 2012

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taiinment news c e l e b r i t y i n t e r v v i ei ew s ce lw eoo br dity cric cr icke kett up upd date tes s mag aga azin ine e st sto orie ies s boll llyw ywoo ood d and hol olly lyw ood new ews cele leb bs rit ity y in inte terrvie iew ws inster v vce w magazine stories movie reviews images and videos movie reviews images and videos news articles breaking news cricket updates magazine stories movie reviews im ages and videos bolly lyw wood and holly lyw wood news cele leb brity interviews enterta taiinment news cricket updates movie reviews images and videos breaking news cele leb brity interviews magazine stories movie reviews images and videos movie reviews images and videos news articles breaking news cricket updates magazine stories movie reviews images and videos bolly lyw wood and holly lyw wood news cele leb brity interviews enterta taiinment news cric cr icke kett up upd date tes s mag aga azin ine e st sto ori ries es boll llyw ywoo ood d and ho holl llyw ywoo ood d new ews s ce cele leb brit ity y in inte terrvie iew ws magazine stories movie reviews images and videos movie reviews images and videos news articles breaking news cricket updates magazine stories movie reviews im ages and videos bolly lyw wood and holly lyw wood news cele leb brity interviews enterta taiinment news cricket updates movie reviews images and videos breaking news celebrity interviews

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good buys

cool & quirky products sCENT oF A WoMEN

While sifting through duty free stores, check out the elegant 58 Avenue Montaigne Montaigne by S.T. S.T. Dupont. Price: 2,500 approx

celeb style

hookEd

These belts from the British luxury brand Bucks are understated, chic and classy. Price: 2,600

T N O P U D . T . S : Y S E T R U O C

iT’s A WRAP

iN ThE bAg

This new Speedy Bandouliere, from the Louis Vuitton stable, is a smart anytimeuse bag. Price: On request

An ode to the traditional craft of Gulabdar, these mosaic scarves from Ahujasons make a prefect gift. Price: 50,000 onwards.

high TiME

This eye-catching nabucco Intenso by Raymond Weil is inspired by the famous opera by Giuseppe Verdi. Price: 3,20,760

Miranda kerr    h v. sh’  g h EyE CATChER

For the bold and the beautiful, these red Cat Highs from Esprit bring back the retro look like none other. Price: 5,400 onwards

 c g  wh  h f h.

Bucks belt is available at Bucks store at Eros Hilton, Nehru Place, New Delhi. Louis Vuitton bag is available at all their stores across the world. Visit www.louisvuitton.com to locate a store close to you. Avenue Montaigne by S.T Dupont is available at all duty free stores across the world. Mosaic scraves are available at Ahujasons exclusive stores in Main Market, South Extension-II, Karol Bagh in New Delhi. Visit www.ahujasons.com to find a shop close to you. Pick up the Nabucco Intenso from Raymond Weil shops across the world. Visit www.raymond-weil.com to locate a store close to you. Ray Ban wayfarers can be bought from leading stores in the country. Visit www.ray-ban.com to locate a store close to you. compiled by harsimran shergill

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. iNdiA TodAy TRAVEL PLus . NoVEMbER 2012

[ PROMOTION ]

TOERISME MECHELEN

FAMILY FUN

iN EUrOpE Fom keeng factous toddles busy and engagng the had-to-lease teens to eassung the eldely and ndulgng n the hgh lfe, a Euoean holday has somethng fo eveyone. Thee s always somethng to do and somethng wondeful to see. Hee ae some actvtes that met beng at of you famly’s vacaton exeence n Euoe Nature aNd theme parks: With numerous theme parks in Europe having exciting rides and exhibitions, every member of your family will surely have a blast. For example in central Europe, Germany has over 50 theme and amusement parks, like Europa Park in Rust and Freizeit-Land Geiselwind in Bavaria to name a few. Even nature lovers will take pleasure in exploring the flora and fauna of the region while visiting any one of the famous national parks in the region like Schleswig-Holstein Mud Flats National Park, Germany’s largest national park. vsteuoe.com/Dscove/Themes/Natonal-aks www.vsteuoe.com/Dscove/Whee-To-Go/Cental-Euoe

sightseeiNg aNd shoppiNg: Europe has a lot to offer when it comes to family holidays loaded with sightseeing and shopping. From art and architecture to beautiful cities, top-class museums to renowned galleries, Europe has it all. If you are travelling during winters, don’t miss the beautifully decorated Christmas markets, where you could see the world’s biggest nutcracker or a huge Christmas pyramid. And for shoppers there are bound to be some great deals on merchandise and gifts with a traditional touch. www.vsteuoe.com/Dscove/Themes/Sghtseeng www.vsteuoe.com/Dscove/Themes/Shong

escape from your busy lives: If you are planning a quiet family vacation then northern Europe is the perfect place for you. For instance, a country like Latviaalso known as the pearl of Baltic States, will mesmerize you with its rich heritage and multicultural environment. Old

1 TSUM O TO N . M A

Riga will impress you with its vivid art nouveau buildings 2 while Latgale with its picturesque lakes is a haven for nature lovers. The latter also is an abode of numerous beautiful churches including one of the most noted sanctuaries in the world—Aglona Basilica. To get a taste of its heritage you must visit Gauja National Park in Ligatne region which has more than 500 cultural and historical monuments such as hill forts, stone castles, churches, manors etc. And while you are in Latvia you should not miss Jurmala—the largest and most popular seaside resort in the Baltic states as well as a popular spa town. It is a delightful way to experience other aspects of European culture—seaside holidays and spas. vsteuoe.com/Dscove/Themes/Hstoy---hetage www.vsteuoe.com/Dscove/Themes/Beaches www.vsteuoe.com/Dscove/Themes/Wellness---sas

to experieNce the eNtirety of europe: Belgium seems to offer something for everyone: with over 200 museums, 300 art nouveau buildings in Brussels, 35 UNESCO World Heritage sites, 650 different types of beer and 2,000 chocolate shops! Let yourself be captivated by this multilingual and multicultural country which is considered to be Europe in a nutshell. Perhaps the best part about this country is that it offers a lot for children such as Children’s Museum, Comic Strip Centre (the kingdom of the Smurfs, Tintin and Lucky Luke), the Mini-Europe Park, Museum of Musical Instruments, Toy Museum, Scientastic Museum, Océade and a planetarium. You will also be enamoured by its beautiful castles, gardens, peaceful abbeys as well as historic battlefields. Don’t miss The Royal Palace, the official home of the Belgian king and the Atomium, a towering 102m structure, Brussels’ answer to the Eiffel Tower. vsteuoe.com/Dscove/Themes/UNESCO www.vsteuoe.com/Dscove/Themes/Museums To get moe detals on Euoean holdays lease go to: euoa.eu/ eadyfoeuoe/ O vst Facebook age: facebook.com/Euoe. wheneve.youe.eady

5

3 NE B A R B A R A

UM A N N

1. There are over 2,000 chocolate shops in Belgium 2. Grand Place by night 3. Children with TV figure Little Sandman 4. Europa-Park 5. Gauja National Park

4

T S U R k R A P A P O R U E

M S I R U O T N A I v T A L

travel

Shopping column

WORld IN A bAG quEENIE dhOdy

SINGAPORE SECRETS

T

he sales girl ook t u, xmn m wtn mnut, fu tt i v  dut  t  m nd tn know wt to y. “i v omtn fo you wc wn you u you w ook k you dut,”  d. i nod  nd ttd bown tou t comtc. “Wn indn u mk up wtout un t t b, ty ook k Mc Jckon,”  d  ptc  tn bfo. s d cut my ttnton. i ookd t  pfcty md up fc   cd out fo two poduct. ‘T mc p ttmnt’ cd lo nd sct Po rc Bm o by t m bnd. By t tm i d ft  to t t Far East Plaza Mall i d pd  fty b. Uuy i don’t fnd t   v n snpo, but t on took t ck! T F et Pz M   fun m nd f you  n  mood fo om nttn oppn t   mut vt. it  tutd on Ocd stt nxt to t gnd hytt hot. som of t op wc  fun  Rara nd I love Mystique. T  to tt  fk hv l d but i commnd you ty wy fom tm  ty cy don’t ook k t  tn. howv f you  ookn fo on bnd, omtm dffcut to cqu, t   to tt  t hv, Bkn, t Cn PsT nd t Bu Tubo wtc. a on but you v to py  pmum bcu uuy t t t to t   wtn n fo t. T  tutd on t  ound foo nxt to n ty tt  dcou wm.

34

. inDiA ToDAY TRAVEl pluS . noVEmBER 2012

Ion Mall

Old favourite Tkmy  t m wc  upmkt nd ou mot euopn dn bnd. i pony don’t commnd you buy t -nd dn bnd fom snpo,  t dut mk t poduct mo xpnv tn ot ct n t Wt. T local brands, wc you cn buy t itn, mk t wk tou to t m nttn. On t wy t  om oc to w you t fun cu cot fo  on. T  o fun ttony op wot  top. a t m v ubwy tton wt t tnpot conncton wc mk oppn . T   butfu 7 tt mutpx n itn f you wnt to ctc  quck fm.

Popular with locals T Ion Mall  on of t mot popu m on Ocd stt  t   mx of t -nd  w   tt oppn. T Tanglin Mall wc  off Ocd stt  on w you cn fnd funtu  w  nttn knck-knck fo t ou. T Salaam y   butfu cpt nd u. T ot two dtnton to

Only in Singapore Oxford Street has a Royce chocolate stand-alone store. Earlier these famous chocolates, which are exclusive to Singapore, were only available at a counter at Takashimaya or at the Raffles Hotel.

op nd v fun  t snto ind nd t pnkn nw Mn By snd M. snto ind  f n ou cb d fom t cty. it  pckd wt nttn tunt wt  t cun you cn tnk of. T oppn m  u wt vy to mnb. T   buy cno  w. T Mn By snd M  butfu nd  pu to vt. T fmou Cut tkou  octd . T -nd pc   tt k n t obby wt bot n c you f k  d on t wt w wndow oppn! Former Miss India, Queenie Dhody is now a jewellery designer who has adorned famous people. She loves shopping and travels the globe.

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EVENTS WHAT’S ON WHERE AND WHEN

N A Y L A K S

O T N J ©

A monastic festival of the beautiful mid-17th century Chemrey Monastery, the 2 Ch Angchk 1 Fstival in Ladakh, celebrates Ladakh’s O T diverse culture. Witness 1 colourful parades and 1 A dance performances V I portraying stories from D O N Tibet.

The Chandahaga Fai , held at Jhalarapatan in Rajasthan, commemorates the auspicious time during the Hindu month of Karthik. The devout believe it is propitious to take a dip in the holy Chandrabhaga river on a full moon night.

Shichi-g-san, that literally means sevenfive-three, is a traditional rite of passage celebration for 3 and 7 year old girls, and 3 and 5 year old boys. Children dressed in kimonos visit shrines and also wear Hifu, a padded vest for three-year-old girls.

Gaze at the surreal sight as thousands of banana leaf floats lit with lamps on Thailand’s rivers and waterways during the Li Kathng festival. Held on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month, the floats are decorated and set adrift. It is one of Thailand’s oldest festival.

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5 1 N V A P O A J N

9 2 O T 7 2 A V I D O N I N

D N 8 A 2 L I V A O H T N ComPILeD by ANITA rAo KASHI

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city updates what’s New iN the big cities

New york LoNdoN Homely atmosphere prevails at La Vara (268 Clinton Street, Verandah Place, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, 718 422 0065). Clean and well-lit, the place has an attentive and genial staff. Go for the spiced chickpeas, fried artichokes, crispy marinated skate, cheesy eggplant, tuna salad and roasted lamb breast. Pizzeria: Nicoletta (160 Second Avenue, 10th Street, 212 432-1600) is a charming and popular pizzeria, with an atmosphere resembling an eatery in a Midwestern college town. Yet, it is a calm place. Try its popular dishes, apart from a wide range of pizzas, such as cucumbers in white balsamic vinegar and suppli with ragu. Theatre: Opening to great reviews, Forbidden Broadway: Alive and Kicking (47th Street Theater, 304 West 47th street, 212 239 6200) is a parody that takes goodhearted potshots at AS Evita, Spiderman, The Book of Mormon and Death of a Salesman . Runs till January. Exhibition: The Museum of Modern Art (11 W 53rd St, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues) explores ‘Tokyo 1955-1970.’ that shows Japan’s recovery from World War II into an economic superpower. On display are nearly 300 painting, sculpture, drawings. Runs till February 25. Restaurant:

Exhibition: A

Bigger Splash: Painting after Performance Art (Tate Modern, Bankside, 020 7887 8888), a group show explores the relationship between performance and painting from 1950s to today. It covers artists who have been exploring the MUSTSEE politics of identity by using themselves as a canvas such as Cindy Sherman, Yves Klein and Karen Kilimnik. The show opens in mid November and runs till April next year. Wine: The lively Camino (15 Mincing Lane 020 7841 7335), with an Iberian theme and rustic furniture is bringing people into the bar in droves. What’s endearing is the amazing food with the pan-fried black pudding, deepfried baby squid and globe artichoke hearts stuffed with chickpea purée. More versatile is the wine list. Bite of Peru: At Lima London (31, Rathbone Place, 020 3002 2640) it’s Peruvian food all the way. Potato dominate the menu. There are also chillies to enhance colour and flavour. Try the scallops, suckling pig and some quirkily named desserts. Restaurant: The name Sushisamba (Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, 020 3640 7330) should give adequate indication of its restaurant’s Japanese-Brazilian-Peruvian fusion. The décor is bright. Getting rave reviews are dishes like moqueca, ceviche, robata grilled eggplant and sashimi and sushi.

Las Vegas By far the hottest and most enduring shows, O by Cirque du Soleil (Hotel Bellagio, The Strip, 866 906 7171) is an amalgamation of acrobatics, synchronised swimming, and high divers in a flamboyant show. Named after the French word for water, eau, this show is all about water and stresses on the relationship between land and water. Pub: The Public House (The Ventian, 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard, 702 407 5310) is unlike a pub. It is large and rambling and has one of the few certified beer cicerones, like a sommelier but for beer . With over 200 beers, it’s a staggering task to choose. The food suits the spirit: there’s Welsh rarebit, Bouchet mussels, foie gras parfait, spiced pork rinds and roasted bone marrow. Restaurant: China Poblano (3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South, 702 698 7900) is inspired by Chinese-Mexican cuisine, but juxtaposed in such a way that the familiar and alien combine. There’s dimsums, pit barbecue pork and many options for vegetarians. Music: The legendary Eagles will perform at the MGM Grand (Garden Arena, 3799 Las Vegas Boulevard, 702 891 7777) on November 17, as part of their ‘Long Road Out of Eden’ tour. They will perform hits like Hotel California, Desperado, Take It Easy. Live show:

iNdia today traVeL pLus . NoVeMber 2012 .

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travel

city updates

H A H S N E G O Y

siNgapore deLhi Store:

Carpenter & Cook (19 Lorong Kilat, 6463 3648) is every wood worker’s dream come true. And if you are foodie, the pleasure doubles. A vintage furniture store with a lovely bakery-café on the side, you can spend hours here. Run by t wo friends, a carpenter and a cook, it offers fresh baked goods, packaged jams and marshmallows. The furniture is largely European vintage and is handpicked. Exbton: Opening to rave reviews the show Islamic Arts from Southeast Asia: Highlights of the Asian Civilisations Musuem (I Empress Place, 6332 7798) showcases works of art drawn exclusively from the collections of the Asian Civilisations Museum. On show are objects such as Qur’ans, calligraphy, and tomb markers, along with textiles, and pottery from Indonesia and Malaysia and Chinese porcelain and enamels made for local Muslim patrons. The show runs till late January. italan: Located high above ground, Zafferano (Ocean Financial Centre, 10 Collyer sQuay, 6509 1488) thrills with its sights. Set to a contemporar theme, the bar, lounge and eatery is sprawling and offers a wide choice. But where food it concerned, try the bruschetta, minestrone soup, oxtail ravioli, beef cheeks, and gorge on the dessert platter including tiramisu and raspberry panna cotta.

Restaurant:

Said quickly, it could sound a bit slow, but Dum Affairs (E-12, 3rd Floor, South Extension II, 8826808855) relies on its food to counter any slip of the tongue. Small and elegant, with warm lighting, comfy seating and open kitchen, things not to be missed include the galouti kabab, Awadhi haleem, nelli and nehari, firni and malai gulla. Café: The 1970s Café (Hauz Khas Village, 2652 1970) is a charming Italian lunch kind of place with 70s music. It is bright and cheerful, and serves pleasing sangrias. As for dishes, try the ham, chorizo and mortadella slices, the steak, chorizo and gorgonzola pizza and end with desserts like baked mascarpone, tiramisu and strawberry crème brulee. Café: The dusty lane outside is not a great advert, but once inside Rose Café (2 Westend Marg, Said-ul-Ajaib, Saket, 2953 3186) it’s an entirely different feeling. Done in bright and colourful shades, with generous, if not kitschy knick-knacks, the place does make an impression. The food is delicious be it the bruschetta, jacket potatoes and pizzas. Restaurant: At Tres (17, Main Market, Lodhi Colony, 2462 5520) the focus is on classical style with deep wood interiors and simple furniture. The menu is European, leaning towards the Mediterranean. Feast on baked camembert, lamb chops, Spanish chorizo, chicken liver pate, t enderloin, ratatouille, crispy cod and cajita cake. COMPILED By ANITA RAO KASHI

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. iNdia today traVeL pLus . NoVeMber 2012

jordaN WiTh

Malaika Arora Khan

Malaika is a leading model, actor & reality TV show judge I consider myself a spa junkie and when I got the opportunity to travel to Jordan for a magazine shoot, I knew the experience would be like a dream come true. The Dead Sea is known to be the source of a wide variety of health products including balms, bath salts, cosmetics and herbal sachets. It was an G I E V unreal but a very N A relaxing experience. R It also has some of the world’s best spas on its beaches. According to legend it is believed that Cleopatra loved the Dead Sea so much that she ordered cosmetic factories and resorts to be built along its shores! Food is huge high point of any trip to Jordan. I gorged on falafels, shormas, light salads and the traditional musakhan (bread topped with sweet onions and roasted chicken). If you are not worried about calories, then a must-try is Jordan’s national dish, the mansaf , which is made of lamb cooked in fermented dried yogurt sauce. It is served to honour a guest. Also don’t forget to finish your meal with some lip smacking sweet baklavas. l

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ITINERARY

PATIALA There’s more to Patiala than the peg, the city that is home to the last example of Sikh architecture in the world, the Qila Mubarak By HArsImrAn sHergILL

Day 1

While on the historic Grand Truck Road, make a pit stop, about an hour before Patiala, at Shambhu to visit the Mughal Caravan Sarai. Constructed by Sher Shah Suri, the Sarai was built as a resting ground for Mughal emperors and their entourage while travelling between Kabul, Delhi and Kashmir. Sadly it is the only remaining sarai that is looked after. Most around the state are in shambles. At Patiala, check into the Rajindra Kothi (now known as Neemrana Baradari Palace), that was once the residence of Patiala’s ruler, Maharaja Rajinder Singh. Built in 1976 in colonial style, the palace is located around Mughal-style Baradari Gardens, an open pavilion with 12 arches. Before being converted into a hotel, it was used as a repository of the Punjab State Archives. The morning after, head for a walk to the Baradari Gardens that has trees some 200 years old. A complete delight for both nature lovers and those interested in horticulture, look for one of the many friendly gardeners and ask for Shimla Gardens and the ferns house. A lesser known fact about these two is that, they were assembled by Maharaja Yadavindra Singh to replicate the flora of the hills. The gardens also have an Italian Cararra-marbled statue of Maharaja Rajinder Singh. Then there is the Yadavindra Kothi (now converted into t he DSOI) and the Maharani Club located within the premises. Both are a short 10 minute walk, however you might need to take due permission to enter the premises.

Day 2

M O C . S E G A M I Y A D O T A I D N I . W W W / I N A H A S S I V A R Y B S H P A R G O T O H P

Day 3

As the saying goes, when in Rome do as the Romans do—a trip to Patiala would be incomplete without shopping for the famous Patiala juttis, parandis, salwars and phulkaris. So head into the interiors and start with Adalat Bazaar to get taste of the bygone era. All along the old-fashioned bazaar, stop to taste mouth smacking pickles at Vaidji’s and chose between vegetables and meat pickles. For t he converted carnivores, a must-buy is the jackfruit pickle that tastes just like meat. A walk further down the road is the popular Datta Jutti store that boasts of selling juttis to the who’s who of Punjab. When buying juttis remember to always go for the soft sole that can be completed folded. The softer the shoe, the lesser trouble you’ll have while walking. This is also the place to pick up phulkaris, bhaags and those extremely popular Patiala salwars. The end of this roads leads to the historic Qila Mubarak that has been witness to many a great celebratory processions. A nominal entrance fee is small price to pay to witness the grandest years Patiala has seen. The main structure, Qila Androon (literally, ‘inner fort’) has a collection of chandeliers that can put most modern one’s to shame. Then there is the Darbar Hall and Baba Ala’s jyot , which has an intriguing story behind it. It is said, that the founder of Patiala, Baba Ala once proclaimed that as long as the jyot burns, the city shall exist, after which it shall be destroyed. Even today, the Royal House of Patiala employees people to keep it burning.

Day 4

Leave an entire day to go through the magnificent Old Moti Bagh Palace, (that was converted into a sports academy-Netaji Subhash National Institute for Sports), Sheesh Mahal t hat houses the single largest medal and miniature paintings collection in the world. In the same premise is the Laxman Jhula that is surrounded by statues of King Edward XIII and Queen Victoria constructed with industrial wrought iron. If time permits, then visit the oldest school in the area—Yadavindra Public School—founded by Maharaja Yadavindra Singh and those with a religious bent can head towards Gurudwara Dukhaniwarn Sahib.

A M R A H S M A R K I V

Day 5

While on your way back, stop by at Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib District to see the tombs of Ustad and Shagird and stop by at the Sarai Aam Khas Bhag, which were constructed for both the royal and the common people. It might be a good idea to see them once, for they might not exist in the next couple of years because of the condition they are in. AN SH UM AN SE N & TANU J AH UJ A

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short break

m S i R u O t a K a t a N R a K

1

MYSORE, KARNATAKA te y of pes onnues o enn vsors w s dbk r.

By NIRMALA RAVINDRAN

W

ith calm beufu rods, ree ned venues nd  pe  every sree orner, mysore, unke Bngore, s nged o ren s neren r. te y s bes experened s  sopover enroue o Kbn, Bndpur or Ngroe. a ree our journey w  ndory sop  mddur Junon o spe e rspy Maddur vade kes us srg o mysore. a e ore n   own nd  e ess n  busng y mysore 1. The grand Mysore Palace on a clear day 2. A verandah at Lalitha Mahal

2

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m O c . S E G a m i Y a d O t a i d N i . W W W / V G h S E E R i G

s sure o pu e sprng bk n your wered sep. te zy srees nve you o n fernoon sro nd e nerby s re wor  gene rek. i s owever e pes of mysore  ene nd pve. te evenng gs  e mysore Pe s kn o  ru w undreds of peope rongng e srees o w e  rnsforon;  oeve gsp goes up wen e pe gs up w ousnds of fkerng gs. cong bk o pes, os every we known oe n mysore ws one  pe. te grndes of e, e l m Pe bu ke n in Pzzo by e mrj of mysore o os e Veroy of ind, s bo qun nd degfu. te oe s sure o rnspor you o es bygone w s erge orse drwn rrge nd sweepng drvewy, e rbe bnsers nd e resurns overookng e grdens. You oud sy  e Veroy sue repee w sk nd sn nd experene royy  s bes. i even ouses n nque bub pored fro Engnd w vnge fngs.

The nearest airport is about 3 hours away in Bangalore Stay: The Lalitha Mahal Palace at 8, 000 per night; tel: (0) 8212 526 100; [email protected] The Royal Orchid Brindavan 4,500 per night; tel: (080) 4127 6667; [email protected] Must do: Try the famous Mysore Pak at Guru Sweets at Sayyaji Rao Road te Brndvn Grdens, were os every snge due n Sou indn ne ws fed, s os s r nd e ony wy o experene  s o ve  e (or sy)  e Roy Ord Brndvn, ye noer pe urned oe, oed wn e grdens. W e grdens ws w fowers of every ue s you sp your evenng e. i g be  good de o skp cund hs nd nsed wnder round Goku were os of e yog eners re oed. mysore s over e yers beoe e yog p of e regon nd n enre ndusry enred round Yog s sprung up. tere s yog spef usne e eners nd sps. afer  e dy spen wnderng round mysore e bes wy o rex s w n yurved ssge. i’s sure o keep e sprng n your sep, for noer dy of kng n e rs of e y.

travel

golf

DUBAI

Juma Golf esas a gof cou m F  dub w po fom  b cou w w   g vo.

W

ith ireland’s 23 y o up roy Mcoy jumpg bck o  Wo no 1 kg w  cv UsPGa Cmpop vcoy,    fg m  o c  copo m  roy v o pomy o  gof cp—t Jum Gof e. t  o o fm   vu fo  o g f of  euop PGa tou’ y-og kg compo  rc o dub. Jum o  euo 10 Mo dP Wo tou Cmpop wc  vy op k py o  euop tou comp fo o of  wo c pz   oy of gof. t dP Wo tou Cmpop     e Cou  Jum g by  fmou fom Wo no 1 au Gg nom. h o g  jog F cou wc   o w comm you py. t F cou w  po fom  cc  b

by rishi NaraiN

cou of au uc  roy Mbou  Kgo h w y w , g vo cg  og fwy. sg  poo v b cfuy pc o pov vy of g, co  vo. t g of  cou pov    fom o  of g   ou 6,500 y wc  comm u you   compv g fgu cp py  om. a 7,000 y  x  of  bcom xmy cgg. so  cmpop   7,500 y  b f o pofo. Gou g  c o ow fy, bu og bukg  b cfuy pc o cc wyw ok. a bcoy coff op, w ppo ock oom,  b   u  mk fo  g xpc. rmmb o book  vc   o- gof cmy, o v you wg y. t coc c    wo p fv ou 600 y bu o o, fouy you c g  bg p   w uck  o

cc  owop  p you by y 50 y. t m cg   gou  bukg wc f  p of  fwy   b ppoc  o  g. lg  p m  f you  o b comfob pyg  vy of  o—fu o fom  fwy buk, og  o   v “xpoo” o wc g  o of g  o’ v f.

At a Glance Green Fee

Green Fees: 5,720 (Weekdays), 7,551 (Weekends); tel: (0) 9714 3759 999 www.jumeirahgolfestates.com GettinG there

Jumeirah Golf Estates is sandwiched between Dubai Investment Park and the International Media Production Zone; 30 minutes from the Dubai Airport.

THIS MONTH’S TIP

The 40 yard sand shot is one of the most difficult shots to play. Choose an 8 or 9 iron, take a full swing and hit the sand two or three inches behind the ball. It will carry about 30 yards and roll 30 ft towards your target. The key is to accelerate through impact area. A little practice will help you gain confidence before trying it in a real game. You will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

dubai creek golf club s n G i s e d e s r U o C F l o G n a M r o n G e r G : y s e t r U o C s h P a r G o t o h P

Stay at the Park Hyatt Dubai for 52,000 per night and tee off at the 18-hole Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. The package includes stay, breakfast and a round of golf every day. Valid till October 30.

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Your affair with

Nature and Adventure Experiencing Uttarakhand is like reliving a million stories. The state offers a treasure trove of experiences for travellers—from trekking, river rafting and paragliding. And then there are its majestic jungles where Corbett’s legacy is still alive.

WILDLIFE Corbett National Park Named after author and wildlife conservationist Jim Corbett, the Jim Corbett National Park recently completed 75 years of existence and is one of the oldest forest reserves in India. There are more than 1,200 species of flora and fauna and it has the highest density of tigers with 20 tigers per sq km. Apart from the tiger, if you’re lucky you can spot elephants, leopards, deer, sambhar and crocodiles. Other species found here include the jungle cat, sloth bear, Himalayan black bear, Indian grey mongoose, ghoral (goat-antelopes), pangolin and owls. But for some real spotting, get yourself a guide and go for the early morning and evening safaris.

M O C . S E G A M I Y A D O T A I D N I . W W W / A L W A H C T N A M E H

Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary

M O C . S E G A M I Y A D O T A I D N I . W W W / D A M H A A R J A H

Binsar has the capacity to surprise you in a big way. Once the summer capital of the Chand kings, Binsar over the years has become a popular tourist destination and the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary—a haunt for birding enthusiasts. It has been declared an important bird area by Bird Life International. There are more than 200 bird species both resident and migratory in the sanctuary, including forktail, blackbirds, laughing thrush, khalij pheasant, nuthatches, parakeets and monal. If birding isn’t your cup of tea, then stroll down one of the many forest trails that can be covered on foot. Or you can visit the famous Zero Point and enjoy panoramic views of Nanda Devi, Nanda Spottng a tiger in the jungles of Jim Corbett is a thrilling experience. It is best done with a trained guide in the evening safari

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Kot, Trishul and Kedarnath, Kumaon hills and the town of Almora. Other nearby attractions include Binsar Mahadev Temple, Kasar Devi Temple and Golu Devta Temple.

ADVENTURE Skiing Quickly becoming the destination for winter sports, Auli at 2750m, has over the last couple of years become a popular destination for travellers. With some of the best ski slopes in the country, coupled with state-of-the-art facilities provided by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), Auli 14km from Joshimath is a perfect winter destination. The snowcapped slopes are flanked by the grand coniferous and oak forests, cutting wind speed to the minimum—perfect for skiing. And to top that there’s a 180 degree panoramic view of Himalayan peaks like the Nanda Devi, Kamet, Mana Parvat and Doonagiri. Skiers have clean stretches of virgin slopes to sport on. These slopes provide excellent

opportunities for cross-country, slalom and downhill skiing events. A major attraction for skiers is the three-kilometre long slope. To make Auli a professional ski destination, there is a 500m long ski lift that carries skiers back to the top. Three official National Championships are also held in Auli, apart from annual skiing festivals. For those interested in learning skiing, GMVN conducts ski courses between January to March. The courses are conducted in modules of 7-14 days by qualified instructors from Skiing and Tourist Resorts, Auli and Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, Gulmarg. To enrol visit www.gmvnl.com.

Rafting What better place to enjoy the thrill of rafting than in the waters of Ganga, Alaknanda, Dhauliganga and the Kali river. You can opt for a simple half-day tour or a four to five-day experience with a trained guide and choose between simple or expert levels. The most thrilling of them are the waters of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi, the main tributaries of the

The tourism department organises several skiing courses and equipment and ski gear is also available for first timers

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY: MINISTRY OF TOURISM

The Pindari Glacier trek, situated between the mountain ranges of Nanda Devi and Nanda Kot, is an 8-day trek

Ganga that meet at Devprayag. Rafting enthusiasts can opt for the tougher Grade IV to V rapids while beginners have the option to experience the thrill on easier rapids down Devprayag’s 70 km stretch meant specifically for amateurs. For non-swimmers, Uttarakhand Tourism organises self-bailing rafts with hand picked river guides. They also ensure pickups and drops from the nearest railhead to the camp site. Camps are equipped with spacious double/single tents, overlooking clear beaches on Ganga, making it a peaceful venue for rafters. Day treks, camp fire, beach-ball games and jungle walks are also organised at the site.

Trekking If walking along the Himalayas with a view of clear blue skies and snow capped peaks is something you have dreamed of, then Uttarakhand is just the place for you. With over a dozen popular routes, it is a trekkers’ paradise. Some of the treks organised by the Uttarakhand Tourism include Auli Kauri Pass, Tapovan, Lahajung Bedni Roopkund, Devaria Tal Tungnath, Madmaheshwar, Uttarkashi Kalyani Dodital, Gangotri Bhoj Kharak Kedar Tal, Valley of Flowers-Hemkund, Khatling Glacier, Har-ki-Dun, Kedarnath Vasuki Tal, Panwali Kantha, Nandi Kund,

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Kagbhusandi Tal, Mayali Pass, Panch Kedar, Nanda Devi, Roop Kund, Uttarkashi-Dayara Buggyal, Bedni Bugyal, Milam Glacier, Pindari Glacier and the Om Parwat. These range between easy to moderate and difficult treks. While some of them can be done in groups with friends and family, the high-altitude glacial one’s are best left for seasoned trekkers and should not be attempted without a local guide. The state run tourism corporations organise most of treks with special arrangements of a local guide, porters and accommodation. The best time for trekking is between May-August. For detailed itineraries and booking visit: www.uttarakhandtourism.gov.in

WELLNESS Rishikesh Known as the yoga capital of the world, Rishikesh is truly the place to experience spirituality at its best. Over the years, this quaint little town tucked away in the Himalayas has become a centre for pilgrims and tourists from both India and abroad. About 24km from Haridwar, the town is well known for both modem and ancient ashrams. Legend has it that when Raibhya Rishi undertook rigourous penance, God appeared before him and

that is how the town was named ‘Hrishikesh’ and subsequently the place came to be known as Rishikesh. A haven for spiritual seekers, the town also hosts the International Yoga Festival, organised by Uttarakhand Tourism. Held in the first week of March, it gives yoga enthusiasts the opportunity to learn and practise multiple styles of yoga like Kundalini Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Power Yoga, Hatha Yoga and so on. Many ashrams in Rishikesh offer stay and a great learning experience on religion, spirituality, yoga, meditation and ayurvedic practices. There are several ashrams where you can learn and practise yoga. These include Yoga Niketan Laxman Jhoola, Yoga Sadan Ashram Rishikesh, Shri Vithala Ashram and Transcendental Meditation Centres of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Shankaracharya Nagar (it is believed that the popular English band The Beatles visited the ashram and penned many songs here), Ved Niketan and the Yoga Study Centre.

Hot springs Sprinkled all across Uttarakhand there are numerous hot springs that are said to have healing powers. Most are located near popular temples and en route the

UTTARAKHAND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT BOARD Pt. Deendayal Upadhayay Paryatan Bhawan, Near ONGC Helipad, Garhi Cantonment, Dehradun 248 001; tel: (0135) 255 9898, 255 9987, 255 9900; Fax: (0135) 255 9988 www.uttarakhandtourism.gov.in

Chardhams. Some of the popular hot spots include: Tapovan: On the way from Rishikesh to Badrinath, near Joshimath is Tapovan, one of the most popular hot springs. Surya Kund/Gauri Kund: Are located at the site of the temple of Goddess Yamuna at Yamunotri. It is among the popularly known hot springs. Rishi Kund/Gangnani: Is located along the way enroute from Yamunotri to Gangotri. Sukhi: A hot spring in a tiny village near Harsil, this is one of t he places where you can take a dip in the holy water without prying eyes. Tapt Kund: A natural spring situated at Badrinath, in Chamoli district, this one is also believed to have healing powers. It is also believed to be the holy abode of Lord Agni. Pilgrims believe that a holy dip in this sacred pond relieves them of their sinful deeds and thoughts.

Each year, thousands of people come together to attend the International Yoga Festival

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Awa Spa, W, Bal By Chumki BhArAdWAj

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t is widely bv ha mva nobomn ao arnc an abb on ba’ boo o mprov hr compxon, h 18h-cnur Amrcan prz h arm urn of oung bo o ra hr frck. Nohanng h por of puchru, i am a fon of a go a h nx narc, bu i am no ur ha baufu hou aa qua bzarr. so hn i  “whavr, whnvr” mbazon a h moo of h Aa pa a h w Ho n

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smnak, Ba, i am a  concrn. Mrcfu, h pa managr, dna Anggran, pan aa m concrn b xpanng ha  mr rfr o h 24x7 naur of h pa; a fr of  kn i am o. Nn hour of compr cabn m, no ncung h o hour of aovr, ar nough o hp m apprca h fa of nuranc ha h maur of rvc ma nvok, an h uccor  ou rnr. thr 75-mnu raona Ban maag com pca rcommn for j ag. An   agr ancpa. Bfor h

maag, i am av o kck back n h am room, foo b a quck pung n h co Jacuzz an a oohng oak n h ho pung poo. i am ara fng uab o mb bu apparn i hav o o m n h ox chambr; nhang pur oxgn from a han  mak, foo b om hrba a. Afr h ghfu rua, i am  o m ramn room b m congna Ban hrap h h gn poon an h mo onrfu xprv bro. snc hr engh  hang, hr  o mo of h akng. th pru bgn h om wuhu brahng an rchng xrc—a chnqu npr b h Chn wuhu

mara ar. Onc h ng an h rchng hav Romance uffcn arm in Bali up m bo o 220,000 fr th lght aakn h fo of my Fr ups Ch, h maag trtt. iuds acua bgn. ttr dtt, A mum prur ttr ssg, srub d bubb maag (pcf bth. h gr of www.starwoodhotels.com prur n or an) u raona hang chnqu uch a acuprur, rchng, pam an humb prur o rv muc non an mprov crcuaon, combn h h appcaon of arm gngr pouch o va ara o oon up h r jon an ubborn kno. srang, a i mbr up, i f o gh on m f, h ha o a m. to ra our n aroun o a n ou, p a coo juc ma from frh pnapp, coconu mk an gngr a h Ch Bar po ramn. Opon ao ncu hmca cocka or n f ha’ our prfrnc. Apparn, hr’ nohng nconn h a bar a a pa. “Afr a, vn a h pa,  ar purung a ‘w’ f,” xpan h managr (w Ho ar a chan of or uxur ho). wh an xravagan pra of noor an om ouoor ramn, hr ar f m o xpor nor gh  agan vv coour, pafu cn, magnav oun, nrgng gh an oxfng poon. Choo from hr crumpou mnu—srn & soufu (for h qu paona ou ha gh n magnaon an ucon), Gamour & Gz (for h azzng va ha bak n mgh, pnour an romanc) or F & Fabuou (for h hah an x mora ha gh n ouh). Of cour, f ou ra an o go , xpor h “shhhhhh…” mnu of rar an xoc Ban

ramn: dvn dva or Ho Mama for h go go ung Ban pc an cannu crub o moohn h kn; amarn an m bo rap o ghn an coconu bur for ha cou afr go. whavr our b, an hnvr ou can mak h m o ox, -r or rfu, Aa prom o b h on-op hop o urban Nravana; n h cabra para; ach a ha a ubx.

At a Glance WHAT:

24x7 Spa and Salon: Three single treatment rooms; to double treatment rooms; to spa suites; one beauty room; hair salon and a bar. WHERE:

w Hotel & Spa, Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia WHEn: Anytime (open 24 hours) COST: Average massage (75 minute) ill cost approx 24,600 VERDICT: Total value for money and time.

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1. Te spa’s esgn s nspe b Bal’s ost sace eleents, wn an wate. 2. Te spa also feates a detox roo 3. Te Cll Ba as ts own ‘catwal’

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Sx Sss Sa at ja Gs Glf & Sa rst By pArvATi ShArmA

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no ach f of nary mpoymn,  m, om crvca ponyo mu fa. Havng bn agno h mn, i’v pn vra monh rong my nck from  o  cranky un—f ony o prov ha Go o car—i foun myf zppng on h dNd o o rv, of a hng, a pa.

SpA A ho 90,000 q f of pa, n fac; sx sn han’ n on pac, or any ohr uxury. th   fr inan vnur, an h tha chan an o mpr. w bgn h a conuaon. th Ayurva-ran dr. Avnah tar ak m o co my y. thn, h an bhn m, on han ju abov my ha, an bgn o chan. Normay, h ou mak m ggg, bu omhng abou h qu urrounng, h cn of mongra an for afng cry hrough  oon corror, mak h ocor’ nvocaon of -bng, pac an hon nrancng.

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TreATmenTS durng conuaon, dr. tar ofn mak arngy accura obrvaon, an h pa offr ramn, ary avc, vn hom-rm (cnnamon  gra for nomna, carro juc for pgmnaon) aor o your n. i ju an my nck fx, o i’m  o a room of huh on, hr i  on a b of jackfru oo for a maag-cum-foo-acuprur combo. to par of han ork my nrv no cam omnonc—i’m haf-ap hn  a n. Bu maag ar ony a ma—f cor—par of sx sn’ va mnu, hch ha anyhng from boy poh o mmng an ox an vn, hou you car for , coonc rjuvnaon. th pa’ hghgh   uxurou hamman—offr nvuay an for coup—an  ao offr a au (ar+hau) poo, maon, yoga an a gym. Gym A 7 h nx mornng, i’m a h gym h a prona ranr gung m hrough  array of ram, fn ba, vn a kn machn. i ao m i can’ u any of h hou propr ho, hch i on’ hav. i’m ryng no o  h ‘ha-ha!’ n my har ho, hn h ranr ugg a bou of boxng.

T Sa as b tgatd t atall batfl sdgs

reSTAurAnTS if i cou, i’ hav brakfa for unch an nnr; bu vn omon ho on’ orhp a h aar of gg an croan  fn  har o r eggpcaon. th poach gg hr, of an cramy,  h b i’v vr ha. (scr: no vngar). labrzza, manh, offr iaan fn-nng; an mo fn   n, pcay h tucan vgab oup, rv n mnaur urn, an h m-n-h-mouh Chan a-ba. roomS A h room a Jayp hav bacon, h v of hr h uh grn gof cour or h poo. Founan ou cra a oohng uon of ran, an h b ar cou o nk no afr a bou n h gym or a roun of gof.

At a Glance WHAT: The

Thai luxury spa’s first step in India. WHERE: Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort, Greater Noida. COST: Deluxe double rooms start at 29,500, while Presidential suites cost about 280,000. VERDICT:

Perfect for a holiday without the travel, even more so for golfers.

[ PROMOTION ]

Legend of the Seas

Travlling to Singapor has got mor citing. Gt pampr lik nvr bfor onboar th Lgn of th Sas—Royal Caribban’s luurious cruis ship

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ddING exCITING PORTS to its itinrary, Royal Caribban Intrnational givs its travllrs a choic btwn th bauty an tranquillity of Camboia, th flavours of Bangkok, to worl class shopping in Hong Kong’s bustling opn-air markts. Othr thrilling ports inclu—Malacca, Pnang, Kuala Lumpur an Langkawi in Malaysia, Phukt in Thailan an nw stinations lik Banar Sri Bgawan in Bruni. OnbOard entertainment: Thr isn’t a ull momnt throughout th journy thanks to th Royal Caribban’s worl-class onboar ntrtainmnt options. Th cruis has a wll-quipp 6,500 sq ft Vgas-styl Casino Royal with 17 tabls for black jack, pokr, roultt an 117 slot machins whr you can try your luck. For thos who rlish th thatr of lif, catch liv prformancs an thatrical prouctions ach night at th ck. Th ship coms loa with ight chic an stylish bars an loungs that nvr hav a covr, incluing Anchors Awigh Loung, a Karaok Bar an th Champagn Bar. entrtainmnt is incomplt without shopping. Th uty fr shop on th cruis fatur top nams for jwllry, prfums, apparls an mor. Wine and dine: Incluing fin ining to th cruis princ, th Lgn of th Sas has Romo an Julit as th main ining room whr you can inulg in complimntary, multi-cours ining options. Passngrs also hav a choic btwn th Winjammr Caf which offrs a casual bufft almost aroun th clock, Solarium Caf an Caf Latt-tus that srvs Sattl’s Bst Coff an of cours room srvic. Chilrn can try lip smacking frozn trats at Bn & Jrry’s Ic Cram. For

Inian Travllrs, Royal Caribban has nsur that th Inian cuisin incluing Jain mals is a part of th princ. Som of th bst ishs ar srv aftr a carfully conuct rsarch by th culinary tam. GOld anchOr Service: Royal Caribban Intrnational acknowlgs that to mak th cruis vacation truly mmorabl, it is th srvic rnr by th onboar crw that will mak it stan apart. Th intrnational crw which is th frinlist an most att ntiv is focus on livring a grat vacation princ an prsonalising th srvic for gusts. Going th tra mil, th Gol Anchor Srvic is a uniqu styl of srvic that nhancs ach aspct of your stay. No mattr whr you ar—th pool, th ining room, th spa—rst assur thr will b somon to arss th smallst of quris, 24-hours a ay. It’s on of th rasons our gusts kp coming back yar aftr yar. You can choos btwn 2-7 night roun trip cruiss from Singapor btwn Octobr 31, 2012-April 2013. free Stay in SinGapOre:

You can now book a Royal Caribbean International cruise from Singapore between October 31, 2012 to April 1, 2013 in conjunction with round trip air travel from India to Singapore on Singapore Airlines or SilkAir (October 30, 2012 to March 31, 2013), and get a free night hotel stay in Singapore inclusive of airport transfers. Terms and Conditions apply. For information visit www.royalcaribbean.in or call India Representative, TIRUN Travel Marketing at (011) 4906 1000

travel

hotel breakfass are lgh e fulfllng, he lunch s sumpuous an he menu s rch h vare an he foo, h flavours. wh a eam of cooks specalsng n Asan an Chnese cusne, ou mus keep a a ase a he HHi Pune jus for he kchen o elgh ou.

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T hhi p By omkAr SAne

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n an era here musc, flms, people an hoels are grae h sars, ’s refreshng o sep no a bouque hoel. i’s a concep no man inans are famlar h (a quck surve shoe he hnk ’s a hoel h a bouque). inernaonall, here are hree efne characerscs one expecs hen ou sa bouque hoel: locaon, ambence an servce. thankfull, the HHi Pune elvers on all hese frons. LoCATion the HHi chan has chosen unque locaons across ina. you on’ fn an HHi hoel n Mumba or delh, bu ou can check no one a Varanas or Bhubhanesar an no, Pune. Havng opene n Aprl 2012,  couln’ have chosen a beer spo. Beng so close o he arpor an also rgh n he hear of he busness en of he laz c of Pune, HHi s ell connece; convenen an busnessfrenl from he or go. (tha s no o sa ’s no lesure frenl, bu more abou ha laer).

AmBienCe HHi Pune alks he ghrope beeen frenl e formal, casual e class. the saff unersans he fference beeen nerrupve an aenve. i has a small e spacous

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lobb because HHi Pune offers express check-ns. you are aken o our room as soon as ou alk n an check-n formales (haever lle here are) are complee here. the rooms are spacous an sophscae an e arm an nvng. deCor the ecor oo manans he unque balance ha’s he hallmark of HHi Pune— s slsh e suble, bu mos mporanl,  s conemporar e class. there are no nmang chanelers nor crocker ou oul be nervous o hanle. i’s no n our face an quel makes for a charmng backrop for haever s on our mn—busness or lesure. Rgh from he colours o he mofs, from acrlc chars o he choces ialan culer— HHi Pune s unoubel as moern as can be.

ServiCe the saff a HHi Pune almos ancpae ha ou nee an h a smle, a ha. Frenl, easgong, an alas happ o help—h jus abou anhng from ha o orer for lunch o geng a car for local sghseeng—he are jus as effcen as he are elegan. From a 24-hour kchen ha elvers o our room o a houghful aer ho replenshes our emp glass—ou are aken care of ever sep of he a.

At a Glance WHAT: A

luxury boutique hotel S.No. 33/1/1. Plot No. 2H, Neco Gardens Road, Viman Nagar; tel: (020) 6628 3535 WHERE:

COST:

starts at 210,000 per night A first rate business and luxury hotel well worth the money VERDICT:

CuiSine Rgh from he a-la-care o he buffes—HHi Pune elvers cusne ha s se o mel our hear, sen our ase bus n a zz an no o menon, make  ver ffcul o sa aake hrough a long meeng. the Chef’s sgnaure shes—pork rbs an mutton nihari eserve a specal menon—are bes ha on a a hen ou o no have an oher plans. the 1. rlax at t e Clb st-ba a lg 2. T c f t tl s casal t class

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rassn Bl rst & Sa, Albag By AjAy khuLLAr

i

urn m back on h c. An a  rov ou of Mumba i alo ron ou  no b h oun of mooh clac rock an hu m  an h h c uburb aa. Nohng pronal agan hrvng mropol, ju ha for m lf  lhr. An hour lar hn i opn m —i ml an m urrounng m o ml back a m. Grn, ran-ah, pr a h fr flor of prng. i a on h roa o Albaug—h plagroun of h rch an famou—hr nural an flmar har bounar all, an hch alo hou h Raon Blu Ror & spa—m currn naon. whl   ru ha h an 5 ar propr, ou oul xpc luxur an opulnc, hr ar prhap f ror ha m o amll mrg h hr urrounng. tha  fr mpron Raon Albaug ha on h vor. Bu hr oul b m o rflc lar—h journ ha bn long—havng rgr mlf, i rra o m room.

roomS A lo of pac an ampl comfor ar ha h room a h Raon offr. woon floorng a a ouch of

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grac an h room opn o a hug balcon ovrlookng h propr an n om ca rcl o h mmng pool. som of h vlla an op u n h 156 room ror ar o onrgh luxurou ha h oul lav ou flng gul for uch nulgnc. Hovr, h momn i ank no m p of b, i lp h an a mn. Food whn ou ar on a h coa, h choc of foo  a no-branr. From h o oprang rauran, h mul-cun Aparana an Kokum & spc, i cho h lar, a pcal rauran ha rv Malvan, Goan an Mangloran cun. An o h fa bgan h hr lcom rnk an arr uch a Bomba duck, Malvan shallo Fr Pran an Goan Pomfr. dlcou hough a a rch, i rqu for a lgh mal an h chf oblg h Pran Maala, Malvan Komb (chckn) an Kajuan shahala. SpA i oul b njuc no o mnon h onrful spa h ror ha. th Manara spa, rv from h sankr or manng gvr of lf, offr ffcv hrapuc an rlaxaon rm. you can choo

T st s sa v 16 acs an as ls gn lawns an wat bs

from a  aormn of ramn an maag rangng from inan, Far earn o wrn. A lgh mloou muc an h rn ambnc ooh our nrv, ou kno ou ar n goo han. The properTy wha h fr mpron a;  alo h la—h ror pra ovr 16 acr, h mo of h lan bng luh grn lan mak for an al faml gaa. expcl h urnou from Mumba an Pun  hug an h ror kno ho o kp  gu, oung or gron up, bu. thr  a mmng pool, loung bar, a pano room, lbrar, cohqu, confrnc room, gmnaum an gam room. Coul i hav ak for anhng l on m rp o Albaug? Mng Kng Khan a h bach  manon, prhap! Nx m, i gu.

At a Glance WHAT: A

luxurious spa resort WHERE: Alibaug, Maharashtra; tel: (02141) 227 7777; radissonblu.com COST: 215,000 onwards per night. VERDICT:

Set amidst acres of greenery, it makes for a perfect weekend getaway.

[ PRoMoTIon ]

The Peninsula Suite New York It’ cic, ti ad a a mdr amiti tat a t ca ffr. But at’ v bttr i tat ti i t vr bt f uxur i t art f n yrk

Peninsula Suite Living Room

T

T ivig rm xud bt cmfrt ad gac he hoTel’s newly rvatd Piua suit fatur tuig citcap vi f Fift Avu it art dc-ipird dtai it mdr udrpiig ad cmpri f ix rm, icudig a paciu ad a bab grad pia. A patt f dp gd t ad matr bdrm ad bat, diig rm it camig cram pa ic ff t a-t-a Frc marb frig ad Itaia ik drapr. had-craftd mta adjiig kitc, gat ivig rm, tud ad cd amp frm t rd Frc igtig u, Mai bdrm. Digd b n yrkr Bi R, t Piua suit giv t fig f a grad n yrk Car, digd pcifica fr t uit d a paig ridc it a mb f furiig ad fii ft igtig mt. T ivig rm a a a cuptur curatd t crat a civ, fr ad cfidt t. b Ccticut-bad artit Rai Kira. T ivig rm prvid t ptima trtaimt xpric, it a Ric d, pid marb fr, ad-tuftd carpt 80-ic lCD tvii icudig uimitd hD mvi-add t it gac. dmad, prmium cab ca ad a Bu-ra 3D par. T matr bdrm i arg ad prvid a tig rtrat frm t cit, it décr tat icud utra t Adjact t t ivig rm, t ibrar fucti a bt ad tuc f ptr ad cad. sik drapri a a ffic ad a atrat trtaimt pac. Ida fr t bu xcutiv, a uxuriu arg dk craftd frm fucti a backut ad, ida t rcvr frm jtag. crm ad maga ffr a ddicatd muti-fuctia T matr bdrm icud a arg drig ara pritr, car ad fax maci. digd it baat back marb ad Macaar d paig. A itimat ittig ara fac a 55-ic Suite perkS T bat a a arg id vrkig leD tvii tat i quippd it t • Airport transfers in the att i gamig tcg icudig wii Fift Avu ad dramatic fr-t-ciig hotel’s BMW 7-series ad Patati. T t bar, digd it baat back marb it itgratd radiat • Unlimited wine/alcohol bar crm ad d fii, i tckd it fr atig, a dub vait it Kaita • Complimentary packing, crm ad crta fiiig, tit it cmpimtar prmium iqur ad unpacking and ironing parat bidt, vrizd akig bat it bvrag, prfct fr trtaiig gut. • 24-hour check in/check out T uit i pricd at $24,000 pr igt a 26-ic leD tvii ad a parat pa • Sleep Menu with three (pu tax) ad ma a b bkd a r it tam ad ix atr fatur. choices of luxury linens, a tr-bdrm pti it t adjiig Ad tat’ t a. yu ca rax i t pillows and duvets gat vait ara r imp it b t Dux suit, pricd at $27,800 pr igt. • Dedicated iPad vrizd id—a prfct prc t tak i Fr mr ifrmati, pa viit .piua.cm/rk ad t cit vi. Gut ca ctr a fatur • Entertainment options including unlimited HD .cg.cm; T-fr Idia (000) 800 f t uit ik t drapri, igtig, ad movies-on-demand and 852 1388 r mai p@piua.cm tmpratur uig bdid ctr pa. premium cable channels • Twice-daily housekeeping service

travel

Gikot i itut i t mit of butiful  vlly, wil fot, imbl ill, miv  git boul   ocky ti. Wt you   itoy buff, citct, gologit, cologit, culto, cultu buff, ock climb, vtu o imly  tu lov you  u to fll i lov wit ti uxlo buty.

photo essay

andhra pradesh

guardian

o f time a l kow fot i out Ii,

Gikot will till t iti tvll wit lbyit  uto byl fill wit itoy  vtu tt o c xlo ov y.

By S indhuja ParthaSarathy

2

1

1. Gandi rfrs to th gorg tht is formd btwn th errml hills nd th rivr pnnr tht flows bout 300 ft blow. Kota, th fort tht surrounds th gorg. Th fort ws built by  Chlukyn king in 1123. 2. a mindboggling nturl rrngmnt of bouldrs, qurtzit stons nd rd grnit rocks cn b found ll ovr th comlx. Thr r quit  fw intrsting ths to th vlly through cvs; on such is from wstrn dg of th fort. 3. Bouldring or rock climbing is  oulr otion. On could cm t th lk btwn Jmmlmdugu nd Gndikot or by th rivrbd.

3

The gte mk the entnce of the fot nd i bout 20 ft high. Within the complex e two beutiful temple dedicted to Mdhv nd rghunth, built in Vijyng tyle of temple chitectue. alo woth eeing i the Jumm Mjid belonging to the Qutub shhi ule. Thi i n e full of the chitectul gloy of the pt; it uin  tetimony of it hitoy nd mgnificence.

trend

the all new

indian family holiday L lal b hl bak i Iia, h ubiquiu Fail Hlia ha u a aazi ha v h la f a. A Iia   xial, h hlia   xiial, ui a ii. By HARSIMRAN SHERGILL deep pAHwA/www.IndIAtodAyImAges.com

Actor Perizaad Zorabian holidays with daughter Zaha at Corbett in Uttarakhand

travel

W

HEN I THINK of “family holidays” an image conjures up in my mind: Shimla Mall Road in the early 90s, filled with tourists on horsebacks walking down the ridge enjoying the afternoon sun while chapel bells waft through the cool mountain air… Stopping for photographs: almost wanting to freeze t he moment dressed up in Himachali costumes and posing for overenthusiastic photographers for instant pictures meant to go up in family albums that would turn into an embarrassment years later! Family holidays in them days usually meant a trip t o the hills with walks down the Mall Road and boating. Or, it meant an annual trip to the grandparents. We have come a long way since. With couples working and the joint family system giving way to nuclear families, long

TES A TOP 10 S T

C hosen f or f ami ly vaca tions in 2011-12 go A K er A L A A sHmIr J A mmU & K ak h siaa, Lh, La

pr A desH lhui HIm A cH A Ldh aahala, da shila, maali,

A nd U t t A r A KH Ji cb   , raik h , K auai, naii al, mui w na ial pak , La

r A J A s tH A n u ra habh, Jh Jaiu, Uaiu,

A r A nd A m A n & nIcoB IsL A nds t A K A A rn A K Hai m y, c,

t A mIL n A dU ih y l, mahabaliua, p o  y, K iak aa

t nor tH e A s  k , K ali, shill da jli, ga

s , , T U I, Ibe x E x ped it io n ho m a s Coo k s of T Sou r ce: Ind i a Of f ice i p , Go i b i bo yt r K uo n i , SOT C , M a k e m

t r en d vacations are precious. While in India these still typically follow the school holiday season, and while we as a nation still love to travel with the entire family, often in-laws and outlaws included, the content of the vacation is changing big time. So Travel Plus decided to explore what’s trending in the Indian Family Vacation Package this season.

eXPLoring neW With an increased number of destinAtions working parents and limited time and resources, people want to make the most of their time off. The idea is to grow and evolve together. The joy of discovering newer things with your children is becoming the driver while planning vacations. Take the Sharma family, based out of Chandigarh, for instance. Both Vishank and Sarika have worked in multinational companies in India and say that they do not have the luxury of time to holiday as much as they’d like to, however because of their children, the family makes it a point to travel once every year. Earlier year on year, without a thought, Sarika would take her 11-year-old daughter for a 10-day trip to Himachal Pradesh. “But lately, we have started exploring other places. Gone are the days when you could stack children in a car and head off to the hills. For us those holidays meant, rest, leisure, travel and meeting up with parents.” Today as the children have grown they don’t want to sit and watch television in a sleepy town in Himachal. Now before planning a holiday, they have to take into consideration their children’s likes and dislikes. Last year the Sharmas went on a week long trip to Goa. “This is because my children had never seen the sea. Apart from that there were lots of sports activities that they could indulge in, so they loved the experience.” Confirms Sunil Hasija, Executive Director, TUI India, “The travel industry has begun to cater to this group of people and we now have activities and packages aimed specifically at families who may have different interests but want to do something together.” A good example is TUI India’s Mauritius Tamassa Beach Resort Package. A 6 nights/7 day package for 269,990 ensures the families with varied interest have something to look forward to. For the children, the package includes access to unlimited watersports and outdoor activities. While the children stay busy, the parents can enjoy meals at top end restaurants or watch local shows which are also a part of the package.

shorter Holidays are definitely getting shorter. hoLidAys Earlier the month long vacation during summer has largely turned into a ‘two-week’ one and a big reason for this could be the worrying economy. To make these journeys affordable at a time when t he Indian economy suffered from the depreciating rupee and inflation, many of us seemed to have switched the much more expensive foreign trip for the affordable, yet in no terms less exciting, domestic one. According to a study conducted by Yes Bank and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), domestic tourism has grown over 10 per cent in t he last couple of years. Last year’s growth rate stood at 12.1 percent, while in 2009, the year that the global economy suffered the meltdown, domestic tourism grew at 15.8 percent.

Family

Holiday t p 3 u laa gl  ia  2012 yAmUnA expresswAy

KerALA

tHe tAJ mAHAL

Information courtesy: Google maps

ACtive While Indian families earlier preferred easybreAks going holidays, we are now getting used to the idea of active or different types of vacations. Both Mandeep and Anita Soin of Ibex Expeditions stand testimony to this changing trend. Mandeep, a mountaineer and explorer, and Founder and Managing Director of Ibex Expeditions, established one of India’s first Adventure Travel Company back in 1979. His wife and business partner, Anita, confirms: “Most of our customers are looking to combine good places to stay with activities like bird watching, jeep safaris, mountaineering, camping and hot air ballooning.” This is why ‘themed holidays’ are becoming a popular trend in the country.

CUstomised Travel agents are continuously theme PACkAges on their toes to provide custom-built itineraries that suit the families’ preferences. Among the many popular themed holidays are royal Rajasthan, jungle safaris, adventure sports, spa and wellness and spiritual holidays. Daniel D’Souza, Head Sales B2C, Tour Operating, Kuoni India explains, explains why Rajasthan is high up on the travellers’ list. “Luxury travellers are opting for royal holidays in palaces of Rajasthan. These palace hotels allow the travellers to escape reality into an unreal fantasy world of living like the maharajas: float in royal barge drinking champagne as the sun sets, feast on food fit for the kings made from recipes handed down the generation in the royal kitchens, calm your soul as you sink into rose petal baths surrounded by scented candles…” Jungle safaris follow close on heels in terms of popularity. National parks like Corbett, Panna, Bandhavgarh, Pench and Kanha are the top favourites. More and more people are gravitating towards active wildlife holidays that include bird watching, nature trails, trekking and river rafting etc. Confirms D’Souza: “Scuba diving and white water river rafting are really picking up in India. Scuba diving is often combined with activities like

underwater photography. While organising these trips we ensure camping facilities, expert guides and top quality equipment and gear.” Rajeev D. Kale, Chief Operating Officer—MICE, Domestic, Cruises and Sports Holiday, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd reiterates the paradigm shift, “The discerning Indian domestic traveller is increasingly demanding interest based, personalised itineraries: Safaris with trained naturalists, decadent spa and wellness experiences; weekend getaway stays at villas; weekend rejuvenating programmes for the parents with fun activity for the kids; child friendly resorts etc.” A holiday for the Sihags, a family into farming from Haryana, always revolved around Rajasthan. Until their daughter, who works for an NGO in New Delhi decided to experiment with the idea of camping. They settled for a vacation by the Ganga in Rishikesh. Says Abhilasha Sihag, “We have done the jungles of Ranthambore and numerous heritage palaces in Rajasthan and frankly doing the same thing year after year was just getting monotonous. Holidays are meant to be a new experience so we decided to move away from the familiar and opted for a new experience. Even though my parents were aghast at first, once they saw the arrangements by the hotel, they breathed a sigh of relief. We camped by the Ganga in the mountains and what an amazing time we had. The next holiday on our list is a Spa vacation.”

money We get to understand some of the mAtters spending pattern of Indians on family holidays through a recent report put out by IbiboGroup who offer customised holiday via their travel portal Goibibo. According to the report, the average that a family of three is willing to spend on a holiday is just over 220, 000. Throw in an exotic location like Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala or the Andaman Islands and families are willing to shell out between 235,000-40,000. But when it came to affordability, which is one of the first and foremost

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decisions a family takes before planning a holiday— Uttarakhand was rated among the most affordable destination at just under 210,000. So things look vibrant and constantly evolving on the domestic travel front. Travel agents are focussing on the customer like never before, wooing them and willing to customise to any extreme. From super luxury to simple homestays and farmstays the world is your oyster. Travel in India can be an experience to remember. Destinations like Nanital and Goa stay the evergreen favourites but both the travellers and the service providers are looking at

PLUs PiCks

newer ways to explore them. Says Ashish Kashyap, CEO, ibiboGroup, “We have recently created a Goa Carnival package to make it even more exciting for Goa junkies.” That picture of the Shimla mall road now is fading. The new picture mind is conjuring up is that of a bucket list of must-dos at least once in a lifetime in our own country. It could be enjoying the thrill of white water rafting in the freezing waters of Rishkesh or facing your fears in the jungles of Nagarhole. The purpose of a family holiday is still the same, however, the focus is now more on how these breaks enrich our lives.

nx vacao  o ff kArnAtAkA baa f i l ahiu. cav f a hill, i  h f Baai, h a fu av l u f hih h fi av ha i L shiva a naaja ih 18 a i 81 a ii i a ablu u-. d’  iiia b h 2,000- ai—h lib i h i f hi i  f h b l ahiu u ill fi i Iia.

meghALAyA sllo I’ a lil h  all i h sla f h a. w’ lik shill  ai i ii a hu f a f ibal hi a ulu. w hik i  f h hi au ha uu b h f h  v hill f h Khai aii—h shb, Lu diii a Lu shill. n fa aa i chaujii h ai aial f h u.

West bengAL sua ev huh a la a f h ai i Balah, h Iia i i  ii. thi  av f li  h la f h gaa, Bahaua a mha iv a ih h iuu aai f h  ,  u u  h hil h xi.

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gUJArAt t ra of kuc f i bii, Kuhi a, h a il a a h Bai ala. w  i bau i’ a il iff xi f  u’ll hav ah i Iia. Aa f bi h l’ la al  hi v 16,000 qk, a vii h  u bi a xl aifi a hubli .

mAdhyA PrAdesh bopal f i f, ulu, ahiu, lak a illif ak. th li i l, bu Bhal i ilf i a all-u xi ih h v b f aiial uh aki uii  i ala. F au lv a u- a h Kaha a Bhahavah willif pak. o ak a i al h faiai naaa iv a i av h ii f mahha a okha.

General

See a paediatrician before leaving and carry all the medicines you need, especially for allergies TravellinG (keep these in your handbag). wiTh n No matter how ‘responsible’ your children child wants to feel, never hand any travel documents over. However, make them carry an identity card (with your phone number) in case of emergencies. n Always keep a change of clothes at hand. n Avoid very early morning or late night travel—well rested children make for somewhat peaceful travel. n Don’t assume you will get simple food everywhere. For instance in many countries in the Middle East you get Arabic bread which your children might refuse to eat. n Research the country of your travel—don’t rely on the there’s-always-Mc Donald’s theory as even they have different food in different countries. n Upon reaching the destination, check Take some for nearby medical facilities or a doctor favourite on call. toys and n Avoid long journeys. games along n The preferred mode of transport will be train, air and road in that order. n

TravellinG by air

Plan the trip with as few connections or stops as possible and if you can’t escape stopovers, make them longer so you don’t have to sprint through an airport. n If needed, remember to book a bassinet well in advance and recheck during check-in. n With babies, carry something to suck on for take-off and landing in case of ear pain. n Don’t rely on an airline for appropriate food for toddlers; take your own. Simple bread and butter sandwiches are ideal. n

TravellinG by Train

This is probably the best kind of journey with children. Let them run about and disturb others—better them than you! n Pack sandwiches and dry snacks to avoid spilling the dal-roti-sabzi the train will provide. n Chair car only for short journeys.

n

Book window seats in advance

TravellinG by road

Try to avoid a road journey of over 4-5 hours. Whining guaranteed after two hours. n Hill roads can disorient children, check with the doctor about which altitude sickness medicine is safe for your child. n

Break regularly for them to feel some air and space. n Promise a treat to the children to endure the journey— remember, to sit in a tight space is a much harder on them than you. n Get as spacious a car as you can. n

your child is 0-2 n Always

carry the stroller. n No long journeys with babies. Keep them for later. Babies are not good with change in routines and don’t have much resistance to change in temperatures and hygiene standards. n Stick to the routine as much as possible with food and sleep. n Never introduce a new food to the baby on holiday.

Carry enough baby food, milk, wipes, diapers and remember to overpack for delays during travel

your child is 3-6

Prepare them about what they will experience during travel, for instance a plane’s take-off. n If they start yelling and don’t settle down, give them some cold chamomile tea or similar relaxant. n Pack a few surprise gifts to occupy them during travel. e Ca rr y soma n Booking lounge access in a hotel nd p per a n e p may be worth the expense as your or col ours child will have a large space with food and internet access to while away hours after or in-between sightseeing. n

your child is 7-10

Make them carry their own stuff in a backpack, and have them pack their own favourite clothes. n Books and hand-held games are a must. n Introduce them to the destination beforehand and let them make a list of what they want to see. Engaging with the holiday plan will delight them. n Don’t expect children of this age to appreciate nature or art as much as you do—activities should be non-taxing and engaging (museums, horse-rides etc). n

if your child is 11+

Good luck. n Involve them in a big way— hand them the camera and make them responsible for the pictures, for instance. n Give them their space on holiday and it’s best to book them a separate room. n

Set a limit on electronics use

—KALyAnI prAsHer with inputs from Vatsala Kaul Banerjee, GarGi haBiB and manjira du tta

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Making

Memories H

olidays for me are a time away to replenish, recharge and reinvigorate. I see them as time away for me and my family to let our hair down and soak up some fun. It all begins with lists, lots and lots of list—lists of things we need to take, lists of what not to forget, lists of things to do and of course a wishlist of things to bring back. As you must know me and my family of two—Renee and Alisah—have a very special bond to say the least, we are always making plans to go away together and make memories for each other. This has been a very special year for me and special years always demand special vacations. My princess, Renee, turned 13 and I wanted to give her a very special birthday treat. I took few of my close friends and my daughters to Miami—the city which seems to be on a permanent holiday! We went to Disneyland and seeing her delight in watching all her favourite characters come alive was truly special. She was ‘Alice in Wonderland’ on that day! I hadn’t imagined that this trip would turn out to be such a wonderful one. We have all watched the world of Disney as children but to experience it in person is quite different. The most interesting part of this is that, while one equates Disneyland only with the characters, there is really a lot to do—Pirates of the Caribbean treasure hunt, Finding Nemo submarine voyage, shopping and the interactive attractions. I particularly have special memories of Disney’s Blizzard Beach, which features some of the world’s tallest and fastest water slides and I have to tell you this, Renee and I absolutely loved the adrenalin rush. As as one holiday has come to an end, another one is already taking shape in my consciousness—Trinidad and Tobago to soak up some Caribbean Sun… I simply can’t wait!

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SuShmita Sen

makes it

a point to take out time to bond and vacation with her daughters. When Renee turned 13 this year, the actor took her for a special birthday treat to Disneyland. By

ankit Gupta

Family

Holiday

n e S A T I M H S u S : y S e T R u o C S H P A R g o T o H P

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South africa

GO WILD! Kruger National Park is as spectacular as it is harsh. And the African bush, teeming with wildlife, can turn any adult into an awestruck child. BY RITU AGARWAL ROHATGI

IndIa PIct ur e

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wIld afrIcan elePhant is yig m. I my o v b so iyig i I s o i  mis o iss,   ooo so, osi my oom. t mssiv gy is mkig  o   ig x o m i I s oz  sivig. tis is  Kg nio Pk. hs  mssiv—352 km om o o so  ovig ov 1.9 miio s i is ig i ov 1,00,000 imp, 10,000 b ibs, 9,000 k (op), 5,000 og, 25,000 zb, 180 , ov 1,000 op  1,500 ios,  ’s  s im y mp o o, i is go kos o og go. a o o is s is bo o  m o is  m. I g my is  s isi  oom   hoyo hoyo tsog og o o  Mi riv, boig  no Sbi Ss  Myi svs. as I k os   k  iig , I i  my i  p s   ys s ,  is sgig qi  so o  bi o  gss, mos o om og  oo o gb i ms. “a yo s yo gys o’ sg is?” I sk S Boy o si so  si gi. h gs  my yiism. h s o v  s g s, ov  x  ys,  m o Kg os  vs m ig. a o-o ig om Josbg ks s o hospi,  gy o  pk i is   o iv om  ipo. t sp soms io  o o gss  sbs, osioy o i som s s    pk gs. t So ai svs  s og s y  sp. t hoyo

explore hoyo tosg log, pomo by Kigis rsos, is o o  i p o o  Mi riv i  10,000  ossio isi  pk. Bi o o ib iios  og s six i oiio ‘b-iv’ sis, yii i s i  oo s   pig   oo, i kig siz bs, -si booms, ooo sos  piv gm viig ks. a bis, éo  objet d’art  so om  o tsog ommiy. S Boy is p  y vy y moig o k s gm viig. I is zig o. O o’ xp  i So ai, b i is. t  bks i  si vi, y I m sivig i my ig-ig jk. tis is  Big 5 ioy—ps, ios, bo, io  op. w ik o o om  is mos immiy. a io ss m gis  go go o  sky s sig bks ov  bs. I is  bk io, pois o o gi, y sy p s, ooy vgio b  iv i  viy o bis   g ky o spo o s  i os  si o i. So ai is y big  isis o poig s  s v o io o sos p o uS$ 65,000  kg i  my spig  osmig i  pv,  v , . t i s biig o s   p  iv o. Mis o mis o s o s  sbs. Osioy  bobb  pops p o  oizo,  mos mos  i  o ai i ss i, o 1. & 2. te dining deck  hoyo hoyo is  vnge viewing poin for nimls s i is loced in complee wilderness 3. te Bombri is  africn brbeque experience enjoyed in e oudoors wi gme me 4. all rooms  e lodge re mosperic

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fa r i tours ha ve age restriction s M an y sa on chil dren, which is wh y a n in de pen de n tly b ook ed a nd pla nn ed sa fa ri is usual ly g with a b etter o ption f or those tra vell in child ren un d er 12 g of zeb ra s a nd Y our chil d is dreamin ge has gira ff e s b ut d o n ote tha t each lod g child ren on game rul es a b out a ll owin d riv es. Check in a d va n c e to a vo id p poin ted k id s! d isa ges off er the o ption , a t extra M an y lod g a vehicl e a nd ra n ger cost, of hirin y f or a ga me il ta ke y our f am l excl usiv e y to d rive customised f or chil d ren You wil l a lso wan t to d ecid e b etween g in a ‘priva te con cession ’ which y in sta l ies within the pa rk or in a ‘priv ate reserv e’ which f la n k the pa rk y hol id a y il Check this l in k f or some f am of fe rs in K ru ger: www.k ru gerpa rk .co.za / ra ve l / K ru ger_P ar k_S af a ri_P ac k a ges-t ml - pa ck a ges.ht k ru gerpa rk -f amily -holid a y

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4,000 yr of g. esr, r r Mru rs,  frui of ic ‘drivs pns md’ n droppd o  ground nd igy frmnd. w spo  rd of kudu i ir srikingy buifu ong spir orns, nibbing y  vs vn s  pry ic brsd ror cs on indugny prcd op  r nrby. huning kudu is n offici nd popur ropy gm in Sou afric. and  m mks is y ono  dinnr b. Kudu sk nd s r ofn pr of our mnu ovr  nx f dys in Krugr.

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 ick  pn off our is nx s  iry driv ino  o rd. tr is muc xcimn s  bby umbrs up. w c  gin crurs s y cross  rod d nd mk ir y onc gin ino  idrnss. t guid spos  fing fr s rnsy s  dos  id bs. t guid’s nusism is qui infcious nd udb s  drivs ino buss nd sriousy roug rrin o foo ny d, ny movmn, ny fp of  ings. tr is frs o nd cod brkfs iing for us bck  hoyo hoyo. t sff is vry rm nd frindy. ty c us up s y nsur  g ggs o ordr i musroom, poo nd susgs on  sid. tr is noug of cr, brds, cs, muffins nd fruis o go round for vryon. ho bs, , cr nd unc r  r sddd up insid  vic i S Boy y gin for  frnoon sfri. w foos is  rip o encnd lnd. Srubs nd orn rs suddny giv y o unnding sncs of godn grss. Girffs oom  nibbing  op of 

the wildebees is  nive niml of afric nd  common sighing  Kruger

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Geing up close o  rhino during n erly morning sfri

coup of rs dod r nd r s imps frisk round ir nky ong gs. a coup of zbrs sro round nd  spo som idbs   or nd. as  id bor jumps ou of  bus, my mind gos “Pumb!” tis is  prfc lion King snpso. S Boy prks  vic   sf poin for  sundonr. t sunss in afric r som of  mos briin ons you i vr inss. t sun urns  rd b of fir nd n soy ms ino  godn orng sky s  foding b is s up i drinks nd fingr food. t brk nrgizs us for  is d. t un for  usiv oprd is ong nd rd. h rmins usiv. toug r r goos bump momns i ions. On of our m cuy gs o inss  ki in progrss. I g o s  ionss up, cos nd prson s s cus cross in fron of our vic.

t rid bck o  odg in  drk is n xprinc by isf. Bobb rs ook und i ir fss brncs srcing uprd ik gnrd fingrs. t dig ccs  srd yn moocing ong. S Boy s  src ig  iumins  ug o nd  r  o of  pck of id dogs on  pro. t nig sky of  sourn mispr is sring. as I sr ou of  opn vic I m sunnd by o cos  srs r. I f ik I v  pry bck sri suddd i cryss srcd bov my d. t dck   odg s  bonfir up nd running. as  sip  bs of ins nd dig ino  ovy sprd, i’s  bi difficu o imgin  r cuy in  id. Bu s  k bck o our us,  ror cos somr in  disnc. I’s  ion. h is no oo fr y. and  is riring  is is his rriory.

At a Glance GETTING THERE

Fly Delhi to Johannesburg on Emirates; 247,000 (approx). Johannesburg to Hoedspruit: SAR 1,500 (approx 210,000) for a round trip. The resort can arrange for a transfer from Hoedspruit to the property in Kruger.

STay Hoyo Hoyo Tsonga Lodge, Kruger National Park; central reservations: +27 11 5164367; e-mail: [email protected] Cost: SAR 2,680 (217,500 approx) twin sharing and SAR 4,020 single (226,000)

Rates are per person per night; include 3 meals & 2 safaris. Children above 8 years only and they are accommodated in their own rooms at adult rates.

EaT You cannot come away without experiencing a Bomabraai. This is essentially a barbecue around the boma, an outdoor enclosure with fireplace in the lodges at Kruger Park. Grilled meats, salads and breads washed down by some of the finest South African wines. Beef is common but at a braai, so is wild

game like kudu or impala. These animals are in plenty so you need not feel guilty. The meat is similar to venison. Try some

offer special night safaris. You cannot have enough. This is Kruger. And you are here for the wildlife. caRRy

‘pap’, African maize meal (like porridge).

l A

DO All the safaris you probably can during your stay. You never know what you may be missing if you get lazy & skip one. Most lodges do an early morning & a mid afternoon safari. Some

warm jacket and something to cover your ears. Early mornings in open safari vehicles can get very cold, even as the afternoons are very hot under the African sun. lBinoculars! How I missed them l A good camera, with a zoom.

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himachal pradesh

At home in the

Hills A ufrequeted hmestay i Dahusie becmes a pace fr bdig fr a sma famiy; its charm, ad the beauty f the surrudig his, urig them bac agai ad agai. By Vandana Malhotra

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HEn lookInG t escape Dehi i the heat, e aturay this f the may hi statis up rth. But the thught f the ivadig hrdes that high summer brigs with it is eugh t tur yu ff. Which is why, after great deiberati, I chse Dahusie. Thugh Dahusie des attract arge weeed crwds due t its prximity t Pujab, it is sti where i the eague f say

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Shima r Dharamshaa. Mrever, these crwds disappear by Suday ight eavig yu t ejy yur was i peace  weedays. Dahusie is argey abut g sceic was ad picturesque hies. natura beauty is the draw card here. Uie sme f its peers, it has retaied mst f its frest cver ver the years ad istaces f tree ggig are said t be few ad far betwee. The tw is amed after lrd

Family

Holiday

y r A r B I l o T o H P A I D o n I D

Dahusie, the Gverr-Geera f Idia frm 1848 t 1856, right ti befre the Idia Uprisig. Whie he ctiues t be a ctrversia figure much criticised by histrias fr his causess ad egect, the hi stati f Dahusie has prspered. Beig a catmet tw has heped it retai its uspied charm ad a sembace f rder. Perfect fr a 4-day famiy hiday betwee weeeds. A fairy recet cvert t the uique charm ad hspitaity f hmestays, I piced Sivert Estate fr us. A 150-year-d private estate buit by its preset wer Vicram Sigh’s gradfather, it is advatageusy cated  Mti Tibba, a sma hi with great views. Vicram himsef is as iterestig ad wedgeabe a hst as yu’re iey t meet aywhere. Ushered i quicy ut f

the rai, we were greeted with cups f Himacha chai ad shw it ur rms. We’d pted fr a suite ad ather rm  the grud fr with a sma tv ad readig uge i betwee. Fitted with deep sfa chairs ad a fr amp, the uge s became ur favurite haut. Wheever it raied—ad it raied quite a t durig ur mst recet stay—we sat here ig ut ver the garde, payig edess ruds f rummy, devurig the mst deicius paras ad fwig the advetures f Hercue Pirt ate it the ight! Thugh the sy remaied vercast thrughut ur stay, the sudde furius bursts f rai ad hae gave way t mre eve-tempered weather i betwee. Sice ruig

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aud sightseeig sightseeig was t  u ageda, it B the time we eached u ext stp, do the Bakrota a sma c beach that aws eas access suited us just fie. I fact we made it a pit Walk, a enselyt avid a the tuist spts. Afte feastig  t the ravi, it had begu t ai agai. We wooe 5 km pave roa that sumptuus hmemade dsas ad a g t shete i the amshace teashp ag the local elite siesta, we waed t Subhash Bai, a sma the ad ad deed useves bws f frequent every spig we that Subhash Chada Bse used steamig Masaa Maggi. evening Maggi, I’ have u w, is the stape f t di fm whe he came t Dahusie t ecve fm tubecusis. Bed Subash Bai, pactica eve teashp i Dahusie. yu ca ies Jadighat, the esidece f the fme ues f tae u pic fm the add-s: vegetabes, egg  Chamba. This ve estate daped i cedas seved as etchup! As we sat at the bac f the shp i a ti-fed the settig f the athe petica sht “Ek Ladki Ko bac facig the ive ad beig buffeted b gusts f ai-ade wid, it fet itte sht f paadise. Whe the Dekha To Aisa Laga…” the ppua sg fm the fim 1942: A Love Story . stm fia tied itsef ut, we appached the ive, ive, hppig fm e c t athe ti we eached budes fte a eisue beafast i the pe the ext da we cud sit . I t is’t eas t fget the ai-deched ai-deched beaut f the scee i a hu. we headed dw t Chamea Dam  ravi ive i Da thee saw us settig ut f kaatpe widife Chamba Vae. As we dve dw t the f f the vae, the ie f majestic dedas (cedas) gave wa sactua, sactua, a pistie juge f gigatic dedas that t a pfusi f pie tees. Much t m te-ea-d’s dwafed eve the ivig ceatue i sight. With his  deight, we chse t wa acss the dam athe tha e side ad dps  the the, the 3m path saes its wa thugh seius sth ad bw bea teit. We gig ud it thugh a tue i u ca. made sw pgess thas t Uja’s fequet stps t The ug, the sa, w  fea but I cfess m heat sa whe I ed dw 741ft ve the aiig it chase buttefies ad pace hamess adbids ut f the thse deep swiig wates! Fm the dam t the esevi wa. wa. At the ed f the path is a d gvemet fest was a sht ide. Givig i t the demads f m daughte, daughte, huse that t u amusemet was the beig used as I pesuaded m paets t cme batig with us but the 30-miute ide tued ut t be pett tame. What I’d Th atmophrc slvrton etat  an dal ba to dcovr ecmmed istead is a sht spi i a pwebat thugh th quant hll town. it wll mak a good hom away from hom, I did’t dae t it msef with a id i tw! pcally for your chldrn

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There is a lot to do and explore with your child. Share stories under a shady tree, or a plate of piping hot Maggi noodles at a tea stall. You can also buy a range of colourful handicraft from the local bazaar

E r U T C I P A I D n I

VAn DA nA MA lH oTr A

a shtig cati f a fim staig rabi kap ad Sashi Siha. nt wishig t itude, we staed awa fm the set but Uja cud’t esist ichig cse f a de f he favuite mvie sta! Bac fm kaatpe we spet t he eveig visitig the shps ag the Ma ad buig a cupe f capes fm la Ji’s. With its w fact t fa fm tw, la Ji’s pmises t epicate a pssibe desig u ca peset them with i w f u chice. Athe geat bu i Dahusie is the Chamba Chuh, a deicius chii-gigegaic chute. We cud’t esist the fabuus spead f jams ad peseves i favus favus such as appe-ciam, peach, age ad iwi eithe. But the piece the piece de résistance f the etie tip was the magica hie up Daiud Hi. It seemed as if we had stepped it a faitae wd f mutai spes speced with thusads f wid ew ad white daisies bbbig thei heads i the beeze. As the swiig mist fated u wa, it fet as if we wee waig thugh the cuds. That the hie cmes t a ed at a cupe f dig teashps is a bit jaig. A itte ahead f the shps stads a d tempe with just sme tidets wedged it the gud— u’ fid  id hee. I the absece f a specific deit, deit, bth kai ad Shiva ae wshipped. o the wa bac, atue seemed t have tae  a much wide mie— deep, da cuds ed up the idge fm the east ad the wid piced up speed. As the mist came i faste ad I cutched Uja’s had tight, I fet as if we wee the  es i the wd!

A quate f a hu  pehaps just a few mmets ate, ate, the mist sudde pated ad the ea wd swam it u view agai. We made u wa bac t Sivet i me  ess tta siece. Ad the  t Dehi  the eveig tai. Ad the memies, h es the taveed bac with us t.

At a Glance GETTiNG THERE

EAT

Fly into Delhi and take the overnight train to Pathankot,

You should definitely have a meal at Kwality, the town’s

from where Dalhousie is about two hours by road. Taxis are available at the station; strike a deal for the rest of the stay.

oldest fine dining restaurant. lRed Chilli Chamba Chukh, the fieriest version of Chamba’s ginger-garlic chukh . lThe melt-in-your-mouth melt-in-your-mouth

WHEN TO GO

chocolate pudding prepared by our host’s wife.

Anytime except December to Feburary, when it is closed due to extreme temperatures.

sTAY

Silverton Estate, Above Circuit House, Moti Tibba. Contact: Vickram Singh; tel: (0) 94180 10674 Cost: Starting 23,000 for double room

sHOP

Capes and woollen jackets

from Lall Ji’s, and Vale’s jams and preserves.

sEE

Phuntsokling Tibetan Refugees Handicraft Centre to observe how traditional Tibetan carpets are made.

INDIA TODAY TRAVeL pLUS . NOVeMBeR 2012 .

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experience

Family

Holiday

Tamil Nadu

The Sound

of Silence

At nrtr ha i i  Maiagi, r fami ca b vr vra itrigig wiif ta f fw travr, wi gatrig triig w ta f r w.

By Dipti Nair

T

he only sound tat wa ar i t ti f t at vig cam frm t rmbig a rattig f t p jp tat w wr travig i. A it pi crak a qak frm t impact f t bmp frt pat, w at mmri wit t tgt f t itt avtr tat await  i t  frt. T jp w ma it wa trg t arrw frt frt pat a r  art a ar t pt t wi cratr f t igt. n pit fr gig tat it wa a tigr w wr pig t pt. Pat xpric i a Iia jg afari a tagt  t ri i r xpctati. W a pt tw a i t frt f Ratambr Ratambr a cp f ar ag watig t av a gimp f Maci a rtr m iappit. spttig a tigr i a mattr f cac, w a b t t. Wit af pragmatim a af p w at i t jp, ttig atr tak it cr. W tri t matc t tiam f t gar w t ptt wi rabbit cttig it t b, r w t pit t t 200-ar- 200-ar- pi tr tat a t t ri fig f big i t jg aftr k. A t it app—a witi a mattr f c. T rivr cm gi tpp  t accratr caig tiger, tiger ma’am tiger ma’am…!” t, “Ma’am, I spotted a tiger, A r g it wa t majtic bat imf. It wa a g ix-ftr, i mt p, barig i arp cai a if warig  tat ti i wat w  t b afrai f. hi trip gwig ik ambr i t ark. Tiger, tiger burning bright. h amt i a rt catwak fr , iig trg t aw b. lg g fr  t amir i rri a cfit gait bfr iapparig it t wi. h wa bvi  a ar ir tr tr bfr  ri tart makig pa fr ir. lg aftr  a g, w at it i t w tatiar vic. eac f  b i a it cmmicati wit t cm. “It av  pc a t tr  it

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a trtr.” Tat’ w t gar travr Ib Batta crib t magic f trav. A magic it crtai wa. T ivr a arrag itf—r  pa t tak ti t rip, cig ti particar a fr t afari a t makig t tigr wak pat jt a w apprac tat particar pt—t grat  r g cri wi. It wa c a big t rciv ti gift. A it i mmt ik t tat a t t r f gig  a wiif ia wit t fami. nrtr ha i Maiagi i Tami na prmi  a ‘wiif fix’. A t kpt tir wr a w. W a t pprtit t pt wi bar, t batif brg cr Maabar qirr, a wi tkr, r i pt, a ag circig ig abv t tr tat a Maabar qirr wa prc p, witig tr a qai. It wa a prfct ia fr m fami f tr. It p tat r 13-ar- 13-ar- i a wiif tiat. h rai tat big i t trritr f t aima  av t giv tm t rigt f wa. nrtr ha i a cff patati ittig  t g f t Mmaai frt. Gt av a t pprtit t pt par a pat rigt  t prprt itf. I fact, a particar cp w a ci t p tir m r wr  rrr trck aftr t  aw a tigr ca a wi bar rigt i frt f tir  wi t wr ippig cff  t prc tat t tk t am taxi back t civiiati. T cartakr Bab a ma c ta t rga  wit w  tak  fr a mrig wak  t patati. Mi  it i  wak i t park tg. y c b rpri b a avacig wi bar, r  cm fac t fac wit a tkr. Ti i t a atr tat ivit  t war ff  r w t ak i t carm. y av t tick c t t mr xpric cmpai w i aig . The hoesty Northern Hy s n ttrctve spce wth n erthy esgn. Sttng next to the m forest reserve, t s srrone by qet n green spces

PhoToGRAPhs By dIPTI nAIR

travel

Ol d worl d cha rm T he ol d col on ial b uild ing is b ea utif ul a n d cos y . T here are ges, ind ivid ua l cotta even tree houses a nd a recen tly -ad d ed mud house. A ll the rooms a re aesthetica l ly furn ished with min imum f uss an d d esign ed to y . g in the f la v our of a homesta b rin T here is a l ib ra r y with b ook s on bird s a n d wil d lif e an d la rge pictures of the R aj era f ra med on the wal ls with g to the charm of the a f irepl ace ad d in g room that room. I t resembl es a liv in ged to on e of the could hav e b elon pucca sahib s…

R I A n I T P I

“so what happen if we ee a herd of elephant?” I ak Babu a we make our wa through the wet plantation ground. “The guard in front of u will divert them while I will take ou to afet,” he replie toicall. I think what he reall mean i that ou jut run! For a cit-bred, edentar creature like me, with no time to engage in an tiring phical exercie, thi doe not ound like a good option at all. But that’ life I gue. R I A n you take our chance… and if ou are luck ou I T P I come back with a rewarding experience like we did. d Though wildlife i the main draw of thi holida experience, the old colonial building and variou artefact and painting in the houe add to the quaint charm of the holida. And it i actuall not much of a challenge to keep a mall famil content and occupied here. The internet and televiion are not particularl mied. We pent mot of the da either reading, munching on freh onion pakodas or plaing card and carom on the long verandah that circle the whole houe. In the evening, the caretaker organied a bonfire, and itting around it with the tar twinkling above u on a clear night k we poke in huhed tone almot hoping 1. a tree house within the property becoes  vntge point for spotting nils nd will thrill the children 2. mny guests hve spotted elephnts right fro the property itself

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that the majetic cat come lounging b to pa u a viit. When we left the reort behind after two da on a bump kaccha road, the thought uppermot in our mind wa the ame road had felt never-ending when we were approaching the reort. But now we didn’t want it to end

becaue although we had been fortunate enough to pot o man of the local reident, including the big cat, it till felt a if the dene foret cover contained man more magical creature who had decided we were not worth enough for a glimpe.

At a Glance GeTTinG There

From Bangalore, Northern Hay is about five hours on the BangaloreMysore Highway. After you cross Mysore, take the Ooty Road. On the way, there are chances of spotting langurs, spotted deer and, if you are lucky as we were, even wild elephants. Make sure to have an SUV to negotiate the difficult terrain from here to the plantation.

STay

Cost: Starting 25,575 for two with breakfast

eaT

There is no set menu. If you want you can instruct the cook to make your kind of daal or curry. More than the mains, it is the accompanying chutneys and preserves that are mouthwatering. A small picnic is also organised during the day along a mountain stream. You can try your hand at free style fishing.

nt hay, book through

Mahindra Homestays; tel: 1800 425 2737 (toll free); www. mahindrahomestays.com

Good To know

The evening safari is your best bet of spotting wildlife. If you are

wondering how night safari is allowed here when it is banned in our forest reserves, the official clarification is that the safari is restricted to the plantation areas, and since that is at the edge of the Madhumalai forests animals are easy to spot. It is a good thing that the animals know no borders!

lCarry

comfortable clothes and walking shoes. lDo not wander around the plantation on your own. lBest to travel with children who are 10 years and above and who understand the rules of the jungle and respect animals. lThis is not a zoo, and children

not pack clothes with bright colours.

should understand that spotting any animal is a matter of chance. lThere are many langurs and monkeys

Stick to blues, greys and pale shades.

around. Make sure your children don’t feed or tease them.

TiPS lDo

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R I A n I T P I d

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switzerland

The land wiTh beauTiful blue eyes As h cy cas h ya  ‘a’,  xp f by h Sss Aps a scv s sg aks a abs. BY AjAY KhullAr

SwitzerlAnd touriSm

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explore

I

’ve been cloSe  a a f s. A a  ay s   sy s f l s  a y  sap  a. i as   f s a  Aps   f fa s  a, y  k y a a,  l k as py as a as a a g  k. i a a  aff a f. A f  ay as ak a s  a af p. i as’ a p ay,  as f ga,  ag  p  a qy  lak l—as a a   f  y. “d  a affa k, a a  aps   y a  ak a s   ak?” y g ask. t g as pg  ,  i as  qpp f apps  fa,  y ag   g ,  a s, s i s, s a . “Paps a sp f a f  ak as k . i’ as  s  f—s f y f. lf s as. i’s  f a s?” y g p a s  s sa  lak y. Ss    ak a ak. l. cs y ay as Sa’s ps w  Sa. y, l k a   p f  a— aas, paf  a  sky,  s f  i a g p  a ay  f Yas raj fs,  aag  ff ask f pg    Aps a pay  pf pp  . i  fg   a a fa as,   ay f  a a  ss a   s f  akg as  s  Aps. Sa f  ak s  a   f  pf asa a,  js f ia  f a  s a— pa,  fs, a as  y fs. i as y a ag , as aays  a as— ma, y a  as y  y ys aay  k   eg a Jgfa. tk Sa, k as. i s paps a s a as  ag,  s  s, y sa  as—ag  as m rg, fas  ss—a g y g a  y x sa. pas a s  f y ss a—y p  may, ay ss f i  p  m rg  a g, mak ta a ak  sa jy ys a qay af. Sa s js a akg a  a a a pa g    a p  s p  ys—s aks a as. Sa as a 7,000 aks,  a 120 gas, ak, “ts s  ags pa  a  a afas, ggs a s! A  a s   f ps a sfss”. As y g p sy  s p a y a spy p y fask  ay f   g, y g a sg f s qssa Sa—s g ys, aks a ak a sp. n k s a k fasa   Sa, k a. “raps kp fag  y ga s, kks, yg a a…” i   ysf as  , ag p  , as There are various thermal sf  k  y fa. qs  aks a s baths and treatments offered app as   i    f s,  

The goodness of water

around the country. Baden for instance has enjoyed the benefits of thermal springs for 2,000 years and vertical mineral baths can be found in Samedan. In Gstaad, the attention is towards treating sunburn

akg. A  y   rg,  a sy  f  paaa. i as y a SwiSS ay a rg,   sky as a, f as py pAcKAge a i f a pa  y sg. For 285,650 Sa g a js a g  xor lurn, spa  gs f s a  . t x and intrakn. ay as   a  k ag  Aa Gg as inuds arfar  a  ay as  bs oa from Dh, g. wa sa as a asa s ag  aommodaton, paay  y s s    a xursons and xg k ag a gsg . w  akg trav nsuran.  a  paf a a a f  , Vad t   s, sg, fy a  s asp Dmbr 31 .makmytr.om a y  appy  f y fg fs a gs. i as a sg xp, f g ay s  na— a s f—y  a a y f as a  . i  Sss ys, y a f s  a, y  s pga a . t g a g ak y p yg gs   a, g g y a fg f     s  a  f fa,  fa a i k   G lak, g a k k a say as  as ay a  jy  y a  ss a a,  k a   a as ‘say g’ as pasa a ay,  as  sp sg af y pkg a a f  s f y f ag. i as a f s--a xs,  y ak  1. lucene is a pefec bend of a moden ciy wih an od wod amosphee 2. the seam boa is used no ony fo cuises bu aso o ge acoss own 3. taking he cogwhee o M rigi

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m S i r u o t d n A l wlking long the r e z are gorge is  t i w S drmtic experience

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1. On the brefoot blueberry tril. 2. Giessbch Flls in the Bernese Oberlnd region

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At a Glance GettinG there

sf ss, gass and sees unfale ks and y e end f  yu wee vey glad  e fnally ak n yu ses.

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e benese oeland egn w s wns f inelaken and Gndelwald s as ang as e es f e uny, e s peaps as  s sll eng expled y uss. in Gndelwald, nw a ppula wne sps desnan, e fs ske appeaed n e slpes nly n 1891, any yeas afe Swzeland’s e slpes ad een dsveed. ts wasn’ skng seasn u e wn ad u  ffe—yu uld jus walk alng e unysde, sand y a ve, ake pues f e wndeful ales and sp f suvens. te egn als ffes se eaakng lake uses and waefalls lke e Gessa Falls, w ug n hllywdsed y Selk hles lke e reena Falls, ffe a en f su anqully a  s pssle  le e lle ngs n lfe e n e way f naue’s gdness. As i sd a e f f e Gessa Falls, w a slg spnkle f wae leansng y sul, i uld nk f nng—n wds f gavy  an nsg n lfe ae  e. my nd was a lank wee e nly pue was f e waefall and en suddenly, u f jy peaps, w pey gls n y gup ke n a spnaneus dane w e sund f waefall as genle us. i was a en f nnene and eauy. i was a fne sung up  wa Swzeland was eally all au. i sled. caed.

Swiss Air has flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Zurich Fare: 52,000 from Delhi and 46,000 from Mumbai (return fare) When to Go

The summer season from June to September is a great time to be in Lucerne with perfect conditions for outdoor activities and lake cruises, though it gets quite crowded and you have to book your accommodation well in advance. If you are travelling towards the Bernese Oberland region the mountains offer good hiking trails and during winter Grindelwald region has over 90 miles of ski slopes.

Stay In Lucerne a good option is Palace Luzern; starts from 21,000 approx; www.palaceluzern.ch In Interlaken you could check into the Grand Hotel Beau Rivage; starts from 20,000 approx; www.lindner.de/en/LGHBR

eat The Swiss menu has a heavy influence of Italian, French and German Cuisine. I particularly loved my veal at the Old Swiss House restaurant in Lucerne. A must try is the Wienerschnitzel (a special veal prepared at your tableside) and the rosti, a Swiss staple. Löwenplatz 4 CH-6004 Lucerne; [email protected] Shop The Swiss watch and clock industry is one of the oldest and dates back to the 16th century. If you want to shop in style you could pick up a classy watch from Rolex, Omega, Tag Heuer or any of the other famous Swiss brands. GettinG around

A Swiss Pass gives you unlimited travel on trains, buses and boats. You can pick up a ‘2 for 1’ Swiss Pass where you get one pass free. Charges start at approx 15,800 for four days.

INDIA ToDAY TrAVel plUS . NoVeMBer 2012 .

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15 BEST SHOPPING CITIES If you are a compulsive buyer of clothes, curios, food items, or just an expert window-shopper, you must be familiar with these cities. We tell you where to get what!

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The busy Causeway Bay in Hong Kong is great for brands

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PARIS COUTURE AND FASHION

F ve  ceu i s ee e wld’s g- ci f fsi d cuue d igs e’ cgig ime s. Pis emis  immvle fes we i cmes  mes f sle. hme  e fis cuue use f Cles Fedick W, e cpil f cic ls gve us Cc Cel, Cisi Di, yves Si Lue d me ecel Isel M d Mis Mi Mgiel. Whip out your credit card: rue du Fuug Si hé, wic gives u   rue S hé, d aveue Mige. tese sees e lied wi e E t t E ed--we flgsip ses f lms eve desige L o C ude e su. bus pis f  sp-ff  Clee, : y S e ci’s cles se,  rue S hé. E t r Drop off your bags: hel Plz aéée Pis, U o C www.plz-eee-pis.cm

2

MILAN HOME DECOR

I’s e me f e ul Sle Iezile del Mile, wee e ge, gd, d wes ge  sw d see e les eds d e es f me d pduc desig. n jus  ul visi, Mil is  e-lg desii wi e es-kw cemp fuiue d me ses, icludig b&b Ili, Cssi d Cppellii. Whip out your credit card: Vi Duii, Vi Mzi d Cs Mei e e sees  ge. Umissle ses iclude Dide 30, vi Mzi), b&b Ili (14 Vi Duii), Cssi (16, Vi Duii), ami Cs (31, vi Mzi), d alessi (9, Cs Mei). oe mussees e Skisc (11 Vi Me di Pieà), G. Lezi (9 vi Meplee), blei Ili (8 Vi F. Cvlli). Drop off your bags: Gd hel e de Mil, www.gdeledemil.i

4

HONG KONG BRANDS

I hK eve see ce s Luis Vui, Di, tiff d Cie, d ee e lies i f f ms f em. h&M, hMV, S, u me i, u c fid i. Whip out your credit card: tsim S tsui is e cee f d sppig, d is lied wi eve d ude e sk. Umissle ses iclude Muji (415-419, oce Cee, hu Ci), S Sle hK (Es Pi Cee), Cmme des Gcs (10 Ice huse See, Sp b2), Sgi tg (I Duddell See). als ceck Cusew b. Drop off your bags: te Lgm, www.gkg.lgmels.cm

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ORLANDO OUTLET SHOPPING

Mve ve Dise Wld. old s  ew ci. M, i fc— 500 fc ule ses. te’ve mde old e f ameic’s es sppig desiis f dmesic d ieil uiss, w egi ei sppig   luggge ule, fillig up ei suicse  e es f e ses. Whip out your credit card: tee mlls—Pemium oules Ieil Dive, old Pemium oules Vield aveue, d Lke bue Vis Fc Ses—ffe ve 250 ule ses icludig ds like hug bss, Gigi ami, bue, Di, Cc, d Slve Fegm. Drop off your bags: Wldf asi; www.wldfsild.cm

5

KOLKATA EMBROIDERY

I’s ewed f e fieess f is cfsme, d e icedile pices ei wk is ville. te ci f j is mse f ll pes f zdzi d ed wk. Whip out your credit card: K wk  ppel s well s useld iems like lecls is fud i Gi. begl hme Idusies (Pk Le) d Gd Cmpi (russell See) ffe me Eglis emideies, wile e wksps f karigars c e fud i e les f Pk Cicus d rm Mdi e i Cel aveue. Desige Si D (40/1a bd See, +91 33 22901048) d e w iggies amik K (2/1 oum See, Pk Cicus) d Ssci (545 Lke rd) d exquisie emideies. Drop off your bags: te oei Gd, www.eiels.cm

6

LONDON HIGH STREET

Fm e cu  defied e em—wic efes   w’s mi see wee ll e picipl ses  ce  e geel pulic e lced—i’s e ci wi e es  ffe. Ld s muliple hig Sees, fm e uis fiedl oxfd See  e less cwded d me slis Kesig hig See (wee Slvi am ses give up  wel f desige we  ig see pices). Whip out your credit card: tw wds! tp Sp (214, oxfd See). te flgsip se  oxfd See cs fsiiss e wld ve wi es. oe ses  visi iclude Uiql (311, oxfd See), Cs (222, rege See), Ku Geige (1, Jmes See) d Mks & Spece (458, oxfd See). Drop off your bags: Gsve huse, www.mi.c.uk

CoUrtESy: VISIt brItaIn

7

DUBAI MALLS

We  ci speds s muc ime  mlls s Dui des, u kw e’ve g smeig specil gig . Mlls e  fie  i is emie, wic ls clim  sme f e lges i e wld. add i e fc  Dui is  du fee p d u ve pducs likel  e cepe ee   ei cu f igi. Whip out your credit card: te Dui Mll f e Emies, Dui Fesivl Ci, Dei Ci Cee, Mec tw Cee d bujum Cee cve eveig fm luxu ds  gld suks  supemkes. yu’ll ls fid  eplic rege See, fux Mediee dec d sk viewig  ud ff e f expeiece. Drop off your bags: Pk h Dui, www.dui.pk..cm

8

JAIPUR GEMS AND JEWELLERY

a isic cee f gem d jewelle dig, Jipu is sill umced we i cmes  ese pecius us. besides e vie d cus, i’s kw f kud, meeki wk, d silve jewelle. Whip out your credit card: Ji bz d Sujpl bz e  gd f silve. F sme seius uig ed  te Gem Plce (MI rd) wee e Ksliwls ve wug jewelle f e ic d fmus. ampli (Pc bi, MI rd), Jewels Empium (MI rd) d Su Jewelles (b-7 E Su Eclve, Swi rmsig rd) e w visiig. Drop off your bags: rj Plce, www.jplce.cm banDEEP SInGh

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travel

t h e pl us l is t

Van hUL St

9

SAN FRANCISCO FOOD SHOPPING

Few ciies i e wld celee fd fds quie s muc s S F. te ci  l ejs e es f eig u, i ls likes  discuss fm wee e fd ws suced, w lcl d gic e pduce is d e sme ges f sppig. Whip out your credit card: F e es f gic ed  Wle Fds Mke (1765 Clifi S), bi-rie (3639 18 See), b’s Gce (3445 Clifi See). te Fe buildig Mkeplce (Mke See) is e ci’s es-kw mke  sells eveig fm fm pduce d specili gce  wie d ckwe. Drop off your bags: W S Fcisc, www.swdels.cm

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BRUSSELS CHOCOLATE

tee e sme plces wee i’s cimil   idulge u vice d bussels is p f  lis. I’s e ci  iveed e plie, me  mse cclies, e pues ccle d pduces clse  200,000 es f ccle  e. Whip out your credit card: Plce du Gd Sl s  les eig ccle sps f e icludig mse cclie Piee Mclii’s (39 Plce du Gd Sl), Wime (6&12 Plce du Gd Sl), Gdiv (47 Plce du Gd Sl), d Lue Geud’s Pssi Ccles (2/4 ue bdeek, Gd Sl). oe ccle uses f e e neuus (27 Gd-Plce), Fedeic bldeel Cclie, (24 Qui ux bix), Zä, (125 Cussée de Clei) d M (36 Gleie de l reie). Drop off your bags: hel amig, www.elmig.cm

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BANGKOK BANG FOR YOUR BAHT

Eve if u ve’ led visied, u’ve ed e sies f jus w muc u upee c u. Fm see mkes  i cdiied mlls, bgkk s  exusive vie f igs  u. Eve ee, sppig c e de ill le  ig. Ules u ie giis. Whip out your credit card: te 35 ce Cuck Weeked Mke s me  8,000 slls f pe muc ig u c dem up. te Ppg nig Mke is e ldmk visi,  ug ueici d pices  eed  e give  gd d lk. Pum is wee e lcls g f wlesle fsi, wile t Pc is lied wi veds sellig vige. F lcl desiges ed  Sim Sque. Drop off your bags: Sim Kempiski hel, www.kempiski.cm

TOKYO DISTINCTIVE STREET FASHION

Smeimes peple-wcig c e s muc fu s sppig d eve me s   tkesi-di,  pedesi l see i tk’s hjuku e. Pcked wi ees i e les i see fsi  cce pl, dessed s ei fvuie ime cce  milkmids,  puked up d ged u. ad es, e u ms f ei cles  tkesi-di. Whip out your credit card: Sme ses e s cep u m  eed e cd. G ligeie sppig  Lvx bldg, tkek sells msks d csumes, Mi’s rck is u plce f puk, wile ime fs suld ed  Evgeli, wile Flie, jus ff e mi see, is e f e ci’s ms icic uiques. Drop off your bags: Mdi oiel, www.mdiiel.cm/k/

MARRAKECH SOUKS

I’s  scee u f Arabian Nights. Cveed llews lied wi slls sellig cemics, ugs, jewelle, des d spices fm  mze f suks. I’s  d--e expeiece. Whip out your credit card: te fmus Djem el F leds ff   ume f suks. hed  Suk Semie f fics, Suk r Qdim f ugs d cpes, Suk el aie f pefumes, Suk des bijuies f jewelle, Suk Cei f lee d Suk Cui f wd wk. C cs; cedi cds l wk  ig ses. Drop off your bags: L Mis ae, www.lmise.cm

STOCKHOLM SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN

tis is u cle lies, ld wd, d  mde cf feel. tik Ike. bu Ike is jus e sig plce i Sckm. Whip out your credit card: begi  Ike (Kuges Kuv, Skälme). hed f me uusul me iems  Sckme (25, Kugsg), f mde fuiue d sigue icl pis  Svesk te (5a, Sdväge), expesive d excelle desig  r.o.o.M (20 alsömeg), f ciec desiged fuiue  ndisk Glleie (11 ng), 20 ceu Scdivi desig  Mdei (6 Silleg), cluful plsic fuiue  desiges like Pilippe Sck  Kell (6 Småldsg), d e les eleses  e flgsip se f bg & olufse (52 regeigsg). Drop off your bags: nis hel, www.isel.se

15

NEW YORK DEPARTMENT STORES

We i cmes  sppig, e big apple m ve eveig, u ee’s ig me new yk   visi  e f is m spwlig depme ses. ad ee e ple f ese gdes dmes  cse fm—begdf Gdm, blmigdle’s, Mc’s, Sks Fif aveue, be’s, hei bedel. a d i ec mig jus d em jusice. Whip out your credit card: bes (660 Mdis ave), begdf Gdm (754 Fif ave), d Sks (611 Fif ave) ffe  ge f clssic luxu lels. hei bedel s me uful ppel, wile Mc’s (712 Fif ave) d blmigdle’s (1000 tid ave)—me, cles, csmeics, fd lls. Drop off your bags: Ceck u te Plz hel, www.eplz.cm

iNDiA tODAY tRAVel plus . NOVeMBeR 2012 .

97

food+drink

news & updates

Beaujolais Noveau

W L L o D N A K F E S o j

Festival

Say hola to Vallata It’s a celebration of the best of Mexican dining at the International Gourmet Festival of Vallarta from November 8 to 18. The gastronomic extravaganza, with a line-up of star chefs participating, is now in its 18th year. It opens with a village fest to introduce the visiting chefs, followed by a Sunday brunch with traditional mariachis, and gourmet a la carte meals by guest chefs at the restaurants participating in the festival. You can also attend cooking classes and taste the newest and best in both wines and tequila. Details on www.festivalgourmet.com

The third Thursday of November is very special in Beaujeu, the little town to the south of Burgundy in France. It is on this day the Beaujolais Noveau, the famed young wine, is uncorked. Tradition dictates that the fruity, light wine must be all consumed by Christmas. The whole of France celebrates the event with Beaujeu being the hub of the revelry. The Sarmentelles, a party that follows a bonfire of the sarments, the cuttings from the vines, is worth attending. The threeday festival begins on November 15.

Coffee Cruise Restaurant opening

Wak up a smll th coff

Th whol hog

If the heady aroma of coffee gets you going, head to Hawaii from November 2 to 11, when KailuaKona hosts its longest-running food and coffee festival. The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival includes cupping competitions, coffee bean-picking contests and even a Miss Kona Coffee Pageant. You can also sign up for farm tours. There’s also a coffee and art stroll at Holualoa village worth checking out. www.konacoffeefest.com

London’s exciting culinary scene gets a quirky addition with the opening of Beard to Tail in Shoreditch. As the name suggests it’s all about the whole animal here, so vegetarians should stay away. Signature dishes include a Rumpie Pumpie Suffolk Pork Rump on a wooden platter with a jam jar of apple sauce and a jug of rich gravy. Small plates may be chic elsewhere, but Beard to Tail’s preview menus are all about large, robust platters. Cocktails by the team include an Andy Warhol that comes in a Campbell soup can. Beard to Tail is at 77 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, London.

L A V I T S E F L A R U T L U C E E F F o C A N o K

Gourmet burgers

Umami bug, ayo? Gourmet burgers are quite the culinary rage at the moment. And ever-trendy LA keeps up, with the newlyopened Umami at The Grove, the stylish shopping and entertainment hub. This is the newest outlet of the chain and is pitched as its flagship. Exclusives on the menu include the Grove Truffle Burger, a juicy beef patty topped with Parmesan fondue and truffle sauce. You can also tuck into savoury Umami chips. www.umami.com

neW Trend

compiled by priya bala

IndIa tOdaY tRaVeL pLus . nOVeMBeR 2012 .

99

FOOD+DRINK

RESTAURANTS

canada

Kitchen by brad 101, 10130-105 St, Edmonton, Canada Tel: +1 780 757 7704 e-m: [email protected] W: kitchenbybrad.ca W : Fair M fo wo: You can decide your budget.

REVIEw

M

odern day living has taught us that if it’s unassuming, it must be really good. So it was with some excitement that I entered through the humble doors of Kitchen, where simplicity starts from the very name of the… for lack of a better word, restaurant. Far from the usual fine dining places, Kitchen takes posh to a new level with an intimate setting, a chef who comes blustering out of the kitchen with almost prepared dishes and gives them a final touch with a flourish only chefs can achieve, and, what’s more, his shy son, no doubt a great chef in the making, who serves as he attempts to fade into the background. Let’s talk more about the background. Imagine a designer studio: Fine lines, all glass metal and wood, a few pretty colourful things to make a striking contrast to the brown and grey. Now empty it and put in

only kitchen stuff. A low and elegant Salmon dining table just as you enter, a good looking wine cellar just behind and a few steps away the sink, ovens and burner. Next to the cooking area is comfort seating, if you prefer a cosier dining atmosphere, with high chairs and a table around which you can giggle and gossip. Brad Smoliak is not as intimidating as some of these chefs can get but is every bit as entertaining and as proud of his creations as you would expect.

Recipe by Brad

Crushed little potatoes 1 kg little potatoes; 2 tbsp canola oil; 1-2 tsp kosher salt; ½ tsp coarse ground black pepper * Bake the potatoes in a 400º oven, on a parchment lined baking sheet, for about 30 minutes. * Once done, remove and cool. Hand crush the potatoes till you break the skin and slightly flatten. * Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, back for 20 minutes, turning once, till golden brown. * Serve hot with dipping sauce. They are also great at room temperature, and way healthier than potato chips. Horseradish Sourcream Dip 500 ml sourcream (not low fat); ¼ cup chopped green onion; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tsp cracked black pepper (not ground); 2 tbsp creamed horseradish. Blend all together in a metal bowl, adjust seasoning and refrigerate! 100


The most important part of Kitchen, after Grillato all, is Brad himself. He offers you the flexibility to decide your menu, budget and you can even learn how to cook what he did for you. The best part however, is that the food is simple, with tastes and textures you can understand. Designer food can often be some type of foam or froth that you pay a bomb for and pretend to have loved. That is not the case here. What Brad offers ranges from wholesome and hearty (Alberta Elk Loin, roasted) to light and delicate (Crushed Little Potatoes, with black pepper crème fraiche). I am great fan of lemony dessert and can only thank god that his creamy Lemon Bar with Strawberry Gelato is far away in Canada, else my diet would have failed again. If you are in Edmonton, give Brad a call or drop him a line and he will be happy to spend time discussing your special menu and accommodate a fairly reasonable budget. For entertaining high profile business acquaintances or to celebrate a special occasion with family, Kitchen by Brad Smoliak comes with my highest recommendation. You seldom go wrong if you keep things simple, do you? —Kalyani prasher

mumbaI

arOla JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai, Juhu Tara Road, Mumbai; tel: (022) 6693 3344 cu: Contemporary Spanish cuisine co: With a drink each, two shared platters and one dessert a meal costs approx 26,200 rvo: Required e ag: Above 21 years only

REVIEw

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ith culinary stars flocking from across the world to India, diners can be rest assured they’re being served haute cuisine right off the griddle. The recent-most entrant making a splashy debut in Mumbai at the JW Marriott Mumbai is Two Michelin Star Catalan Chef Sergi Arola with the ArolaRestaurant & Bar. The curved bar serves as center stage of the restaurant, the bar menu celebrating gin couture, offering over 30 varieties of the tipple and an extensive list of signature and classic cocktails such as the Spanish Martini and the Bella Rosa Cobbler. Non-gin lovers can quaff from its wine cellar which stocks up primarily on wines from Spain and from its selection of spirits and more. The main menu is divided into t he self-explanatory sections: From Garden to Table, From the Sea and

From the Land, plus there is a selection of main courses to choose from, Chef Arola’s interpretation of Spanish and Catalan cuisine. Rather than fret over options, the Pica Pica, an assortment of mains served on a communal platter is a wise choice. Our meal commenced with a heartwarming bread basket, Chef Arola’s Indianised version of Catalan tomato bread: warm pillowy naans served with diced garlic, salt and pureed tomato. This was followed by the vegetarian Pica Pica selection that came with a rather ordinary crispy asparagus along with romesco sauce and gazpacho. The cylinder shaped Patatas Bravas, filled with a spicy tomato sauce and topped with aioli were hearty but could have been crispier; but the cheese croquette was rather pleasing. The sublime eggplant, charred to perfection, drizzled with pine nuts, in a balsamic reduction and the vegetable paella were faultless. Accompanied with the refreshing Sangria de Sergi, a special recipe of the Chef, we continued with a platter of seafood, starting with razor thin sea scallops, a stunning medley of ginger vinaigrette, mango sauce, cherry tomato and spicy green chilis that melted in your mouth. The Gambas or prawns were sautéed to perfection with garlic, chili and parsley, though a tad too salty for me. While the delicate flavor of the crab

Chef Sergi Arola’s Signature Dishes

The mealy Patatas Bravas, deep fried potatoes filled with a spicy tomato sauce and topped with aioli, the latter a traditional sauce, top the list of his vegetarian specialties. ✓The Sardinas, marinated fillets, with tomato and toasted bread. ✓The Filet Mignon, the knife cut steak tartar, served with a soy sauce and wasabi infusion, tempered with crunchy onions. ✓In salads, the ‘Tomates Maduros’ tossed with extra virgin olive oil, marinated tuna and black Alentejo olives, is a must have. ✓

was lost in the richness of the salad, the lobster rice was subtle and light. The meal ended with Chef Sergi Arola’s interpretation of Crema Catalana, a gooey delight of local biscuits and mandarin sorbet with a hint of cinnamon—a wonderful mix of crunchy and mushy, a lovely way to end a quiet meal. Arola is perfect for an early romantic dinner and brings a whiff of contemporary Spanish and Catalonian fare to the city. —neeti Mehra


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RESTAURANTS

coLombo

PunE

nEw dELHI

Ministry Of crab

bistrO

the pOtbelly

Old Dutch Hospital Colombo-1 Tel: (0094) 2342 722 Website: www.ministryofcrab.com

Oakwood Premier 81 Mundhwa, Koregaon Park Annex Pune; Tel: (020) 6525 7788

c: Seafood co: Crabs (550gms) start at 2,500 Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR) tmg: 6 pm-11 pm

c: Contemporary Italian co: 21,500 for two ( without alcohol) ro: Recommended on weekends

c: Bihari co: 21,200 for two ( without alcohol) ro: Not mandatory

REVIEw

REVIEw

REVIEw

W

hat would you say of Colombo’s hippest eatery that is housed in a 400-yearold Dutch hospital? What would you exclaim if the crab on your platter weighs more than 1.5 kgs? Oh My God? You wouldn’t be off the mark, actually. On the menu, the colossal crab is called the OMG crab. The Ministry of Crab restaurant, though, is not merely about crabs, it is also about cricket—it is owned by Kumar Sangakarra and Mahela Jayawardene, legendary Sri Lankan cricketers. And their new ‘coach’ is Dharshan Munidasa, of the Nihonbashi fame. That evening as Kumar Sangakkara, Rukmankan Sivaloganathan, a banker turned entrepreneur and I sat on brown functional chairs, the cricketer talked of his wild crabs —they are not farmed or fattened—how he has graduated from steamed crabs to garlic crabs, of crab claws flowers from his garden that stand tall in glass vases and why cutlery is only brought in on special request—crabs are meant to eaten with hand. So, Sangakarra believes. The Ministry is certainly all about

crabs, but prawn options galore. The Clay Pot Prawn Curry is a hot favourite. Other things on the menu include spicy teriyaki and desserts. —preeti verMa lal

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P

The Potbelly 116-C, 4th floor, Shahpur Jat, near Asiad Village; tel: (011) 4161 2048

O

art of the Oakwood Premier, the Bistro is most certainly the jewel in Oakwood Premier’s crown. Chef Shailendra Singh has designed the menu to satisfy the needs of their discerning long stay guests as well as Pune’s residents who have come to love this neighborhood café. We start with the Bruschetta, which is the perfect combination of room temperature tangy tomato glistening with olive oil and crisp bread. Next come the Polenta Chips—deep fried polenta served with garlic aioli and sundried tomato paste and drizzled with olive tapenade. It is a customer favourite along with the BBC chicken wings, which I believe are the best wings I have tasted in a while. Unlike the sweet sticky red wings that moonlight as a savory dessert, these wings are char grilled with a dark balsamic glaze and served with a sprig of spring onion. The dish that will have me going back, however, is the Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli. I detest pumpkin but I am in debt to the chef as the velvety pumpkin and goat’s cheese encased in delicate parcels of pasta melts on the tongue. There are daily specials as well as a Pizza Bar. The innovative contemporary Italian cuisine is a welcome change from the ubiquitous white sauce pasta that has dogged Italian restaurants for long.

nce glorious, then notorious, off late there have been some residents of Bihar who have been giving the state a good name. The Potbelly in Shahpur Jat in South Delhi is a sunny, colourful café that serves ‘gourmet Bihari food’. The décor is bright and modern with furniture in a riot of colours, the music in the background is soft, and the view from the 4 th floor is pleasant. Set up by Puja Sahu and Vivita Relan, it’s all about mum’s recipes with a modern twist at Potbelly. For a city dweller who’s never really taken a bite from a Bihari thali, Potbelly with its uber chic feel is probably the best place to start. I get started with the interesting sounding Phish Phingers (yes, it’s pretty much fish fingers, they just spell and make it the Bihari way) and then move to the very

—reshMa Krishnan

—ajay Khullar

MUST TRY

l cok

basic—Litti Chokha served with aubergine mash. This is followed by some Golmirch Chicken, boneless chicken in creamy pepper preparation and Khada Masala Mutton with rice. To be honest, I’ve never tasted authentic Bihari cuisine before, so I’m not really in a position to make comparisons whether this is quintessential or repackaged, but I will say is that the food sure gave me an appetite and I polished off the last morsel and then some more.

COLUMN

SPIRITEd TRAVELLER SOURISH BHATTAcHARYYA

WINE LOVER’S ONE-STOP SHOP

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HICH Is tHe b plac in h world o go and buy win? Crainly no h airpor duy-fr hop, for only a handful of  hm hav anyhing apar from h mo commonplac labl. Whn you go hopping for win, you go o mak a dicovry, for vry bol of win i lik a woman—an nigma waiing o b xplord, a diva dmanding ha you fu ovr hr. Whn you ar ruhing o cach a fligh, a on-nigh and i all ha you g—you ihr go for h labl you know b, or look for h frbi ha com wih a win or champagn. Imagin ging a duffl

US$ 50 THAT, says Eater.com, is how much you’d have to pay for the World Cocktail at the World Bar on the United Nation Plaza in New York City. Its ingredients are pricey: Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Remy XO

FOOD+DRINK

bag for a coupl of bol of Pnfold—win markr couldn’ hav com up wih a mor undignifid way of downgrading a bvrag ha’ mad wih a lo of car and rpc for hiory! Bu whn you hav all of fiv or 10 minu o arriv a your dciion, you don’ hav im o avour h quirk of h fin world of win. thn i’ h duffl bag ha wing your dciion. If you lov win, and lik bing akn by urpri, you’v go o chck ou h iconic win hop of your dinaion. My favouri in London, for inanc, i Brry Brohr & Rudd. I fir fll in lov wih i wbi (www.bbr.com), which i a much an ncyclopdia of win a an onlin B2C plaform, and much lar dicovrd h or (and i ‘binnd’ oul a Baingok, whr you g up o 25 pr cn dicoun and, on crain day, complimnary aing). Brry Brohr i in Hong Kong a wll, whr i prmium oul, Brry’ Fin Win Rrv a h Alfrd Dunhill or in Princ’ Building (Cnral Financial Diric), i organid lik a gnlmn’ club bcau i’ only for riou connoiur of fin win who alo lik o inv in h on ha g hm hfy rurn. Ju bing a Brry Brohr i a larning xprinc. You larn by browing hrough h labl (win and whiki), alking wih h hop aian, and ju amuing yourlf wih h hough ha you ar whr Lord Byron, h po and man abou own in hi im, ud o drop by bfor making hi foray ino gambling hall and fahionabl ball.

tHeRe wa a im whn BUY a bol of Drambui ud OF THE o b d riguur in vry MONTH middl-cla Indian hom— i wa hld up lik om badg of honour. tim hav changd, whiky liquur ar going ou of fahion, bu now h vry uful blog, Whisky for Everyone, inform u ha h Drambui 15 Yar Old may ju mak you chang your mind. th ba of h w and angy, goldn yllow liquur i on or vral 15-yar-old spyid mal()—h dail rmain a cr—infud wih hony, hrb and pic. th liquur i pricd a £35. th iniial wn of h drink ml ino angy orang no wih hin of picin, and i lav a long imprion on h pala.

FLIGHTS OF THE FANcIFUL THE MENTION of Fortnum & Mason conjures up images of its festive food hampers, just like the world associates Harrods with high fashion. In the bargain, 1707, the wine bar at F&M, doesn’t get the attention it deserves. The wine flights (tasting) are the top draws of 1707’s menu. Each flight has three 125ml pours of related wines in a happy ménage a trois, so you could have the Riesling and Pinot Noir flights, or the Spanish and Bordeaux flights. With 13 flights in all, at price points ranging from £14 to £40, you can make as many combinations as you wish, but two flights serve you the equivalent of a bottle of wine.

ABSOLUT-LY UNIQUE PROMOTION IF YOU vii h sky shop wbi (www.kyhop.b), you can’ mi h circl mad wih h rainbow-hud Abolu Uniqu bol. And whn you figur ou why i’ hr, h word of an unnamd Amrican cini ju ick o your mind: “Nvr forg ha you ar uniqu, ju lik vrybody l.” W all know ha Abolu i a B-school marking ucc ca udy, bu hi on ak h cak and h icing oo. th swdih vodka makr ha rlad four million Uniqu bol for h ravl rail buin in 80 mark and ach on ha a dign and colour pal ha i uniqu o i.

cognac, Pineau des Charentes (a French aperitif which is now a hot cocktail ingredient) and liquid gold!

Sourish Bhattacharyya is the Executive Editor of Mail Today and writes on food and drink. Mail your questions for him to [email protected]


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local flavours

FOOD+DRINK

UdAIPUR eigh WITH

Nakuul Mehta

KACHORI

JAYESH MISTHAN BHANDAR Chetak Circle The cold winter mornings of Udaipur are best enjoyed with JMB’s spicy and delicious pyaaz ki kachoris and a cup of tea. Despite not being able to travel to Udaipur as much of late, anyone from the family coming back from Udaipur always makes it a point to bring me my favourite kachoris. DAAL BAATI

SANTOSH DAAL BAATI BHOJANALAYA Surajpole This small restaurant serves the best daal baati with urad-chana daal mix and choorma in Udaipur. A mouth-watering experience, deliciously heavy on the stomach, yet light on the wallet! My favourite for the longest time, this is the only place that comes close to the taste of daal baati my mum makes minus the generous dollops of ghee they serve it with here. Back in the days when health wasn’t such a fad and we weren’t programmed to count calories in every morsel we ate, Santosh ki daal baati was a staple diet. Alas, times have changed and today it has become a once-a-year indulgence. Y D N A N O T O T

the ea pragni f ‘Pyar Ka Dard Hai…’ n sar Pu, Nakuu Meha i an acr, anchr an me. Having grwn up in Uaipur, he Mewar rya ake u wn f ree in he facinaing ciy.

KER SANGARI

THE ROYAL RETREAT Badi Hawala Road This lavish yet serene resort surrounded by the majestic Aravalli Hills serves the most authentic and delectable ker sangari —a Rajasthani delicacy made of berries and beans—at its Durbar Restaurant. I can’t think of bidding goodbye to Udaipur without gorging on ker sangari. GOVIND GATTA

SHILPI RESORT Rani Road A trip to Udaipur would be incomplete without savouring the scrumptious Rajasthani culinary delight Govind Gatta (fried gram flour dumplings in gravy) with tandoori roti or butter naan here. It can also be polished off with warm rice and pickle.

A W H A P P E E D

COLD COFFEE WITH CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

SAI SAGAR COFFEE SHOP Along Lake Fatehsagar With panoramic views of Lake Fatehsagar as the perfect backdrop, Sai Sagar Coffee Shop’s chilled froth-full coffee beverage can give the better known Cafe Frappes of established coffee chains across the country a run for their money. On warm summer evenings in the Lake City, it’s the perfect thirst-quencher while soaking in the scenery of Fatehsagar. As told to SuNORy DuTT

INDIa ToDaY TravEl Plus . NovEMBEr 2012 .

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feature

madurai

bowled

Pbhk, the popeto of dngl’s fos Pon Byn Hotel, poses next to hs popl ceton

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. INDIa tODaY traVeL PLuS . NOVeMBer 2012

Yu’v prbaby tastd t many tms, but nvr

over

by biryani

qut k ths. Tak a jurny t Dndgu, nar Madura, whch has arnd tsf th mnkr f Bryan Cty and dg nt sm snfu su fd. by AnitA RAo KAshi pics: senthil KumARAn

“

S

ee? No oil!” Ths was fwd scnds aftr a spnfu f bryan was dramatcay dunkd nt a transparnt gass fu f watr. i was startd and transfxd n qua parts. Startd bcaus t was ttay unxpctd and transfxd bcaus t s a surra sght t watch grans f bryan makng thr way thrugh watr. As th grans and spcs swy sank t th bttm, th surfac f th watr was surprsngy car and th xpctd fm f gras fad t appar. A trumphant k, mxd wth prd, swpt acrss Prabhakar’s fac, th vsua quvant f ‘i td yu s’. As dms wnt, t was crtany fascnatng. Th tst, Prabhakar panstakngy xpand, prvd that ny quaty ngrdnts wr usd and th bryan was swckd t aw th grans t cmpty absrb vrythng—gh, spcs and favurs f th mat. i cud ny nd n stupfactn, party n acquscnc and party bcaus i was s bssfuy vrdsng n th mst grus bryan. But Prabhakar was nt dn yt. H carfuy ad a arg, frsh banana

INDIa tODaY traVeL PLuS . NOVeMBer 2012 .

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That’s a lot of biryani!

On a typical day, Ponram Biriyani Hotel dishes out 500-750 portions of biryani, with mutton biryani being the most popular. It uses 150 kg rice, 120 kg mutton, 15 kg ghee, 1 kg each of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, garlic and ½ kg cloves to produce its lip-smacking signature biryani

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laf n th tabl and thn prcdd t drp sm bryan n t. Th grans plppd n th laf wth a dull sund, sparat and all f thm unfrmly glstnng brwn n clur. “Th grans stay sparat nly f t s slw-ckd and th mthd s crrct,” h xpland. H shuld knw. A thrd gnratn rstauratur blngng t Dndgul’s Pnram Bryan Htl brand, Prabhakar grw up larnng t mak t at hs fathr and grandfathr’s kns at th rstaurant startd by th lattr almst fur dcads ag. H cntnus t fllw th rcp whch blngd t hs grandmthr and s a zalusly guardd scrt. S ppular s th dsh that

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Pnram has pnd many branchs n twn and a cupl f thr placs, but nvr t far away. “i nd t b abl t g and chck frm tm t tm; qualty s vrythng,” h sad. in fact, Prabhakar’s famly s amng a handful that has hlpd Dndgul, an thrws nndscrpt twn 60 km nrth f Madura, attan th mnkr f Bryan Cty, whr ppl travl frm narby twns just fr sm tast f sm snful bryan. Prdctably, th rcps ar agld. Th mthds ar ld t: th bryan s ckd vr frwd and rd ht cals ar hapd n tp, such that thr s hat frm bth sds. each batch taks almst thr hurs,

but slls ut wthn mnuts. And t was nt dffcult t s why. Unlk th bryans f th Nrth, Suth indan bryans tnd t hav a mr rbust flavur. S t wth ths. it was mld brwn n clur and slghtly spcy, but nt s much as t b vrwhlmng. Th rc (calld jeera samba, a knd f armatc small gran rc grwn n Taml Nadu) was packd wth flavur and th mat, muttn n ths cas, was tndr, fallng ff th bns and mltng n th tngu. Bth ar ckd n a spcal knd f gh that Prabhakar surcs lcally and mntrs strctly fr qualty. And dspt th gh, thr was nn f th havnss that n wuld xpct. A fact that cam hm t m as i tuckd n glfully, njyng th mal. Manwhl, Prabhakar trd t ntc m t try sm f th thr nn-vgtaran dshs ppular at th rstaurant such as muttn fry, chckn curry, keema (mncd lamb) fry, whch i dd. on thr wn, thy wr gd, but thy ddn’t qut masur up t th bryan. Fr vgtarans, th atry dshs up a Tamlan thal wth rasam, sambhar, vgtabls and currs, and whch my cmpann assurd m was qut tasty and fulfllng. i tk hs wrd fr t; t smd almst t crmnal t dlut th tast f th bryan wth anythng ls rght nw. i was amusd by t hs ntn snc i had happly grgd n vgtaran stuff lss than fv hurs arlr n th day. Havng arrvd n Madura th prvus nght, i had hadd t Knar Kada nar th ralway statn. A nndscrpt atry, t was buzzng wth ppl, always a gd sgn. Aftr a bt f watng, i tuckd nt n f Madura’s spcalts, kari dosa. it

nvlvd a spcy dry curry f mncd lamb and frsh brkn gg ncasd n a sft but frm dsa. it was dlcus, as was th gg dsa. Frm thr, i hadd t th bus stand, t n f th pushcarts, t try n thr Madura dlcacy— kothu parota. Fussy atrs mght balk at havng t at at th radsd stalls, but lcals nsst that’s whr yu gt th bst varty. Bsds, thy wr clan and vrythng was mad frsh n frnt f yu. At ts smplst, kothu parota mans a layrd mada paratha whch s mncd n a grddl and sautéd alng wth nns, tmats and spcs, and whatvr thr accmpanmnts yu may want t chs such as gg, chckn r muttn. i chs chckn and th cncctn was an xplsn f flavurs and txturs that lngrd lng aftr i had rachd my htl fr th nght.

lghtnss. enthusd by th blssfully batfc lk n my fac, th watr suggstd i try n f th dsas r uthappams, but i rgrtfully dclnd. i was t full frm th gdnss f th dls and ddn’t want t mss wth ts tast. Bsds whch, i wantd t b adquatly prpard fr th bryan at Dndgul. Nw that i had tastd th bryan, i was glad t hav lft t fr last. Th dls had bn suprb, th kari dosa and kothu parota had n prs, but th bryan was almst nrvana-lk. i am sur Frud wll hav a fld day wth ths: i vn ccasnally dram abut th bryan and i swar i wak up wth ts tast n my tngu.

ulke the bryas of the north, soth ida bryas ted to have a more robst flavor

What to eat Biryani at Dindigul, Ponram Biriyani Hotel, 32/33, Opp Canara Bank, Salai Road; tel: (0451) 244 1003 Idlis and dosas at Murugan Idli Shop, 196, Westmasi Street, Madurai; tel: (0452) 234 1379 Kari dosa/egg dosa at Konar Kadai, 32, West Veli Street, near Railway Station, Madurai

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arly ths mrnng, i dcdd n a quck vst t th sprawlng Mnaksh tmpl cmplx n tm fr th Suprabhatham. Sprad vr 60,000 sq mts, cmprsng 12 gpurams, xqust pllars, carvngs, sculpturs dpctng varus strs and ncdnts frm th Puranas and pcs, ntrgung clng art, and a stunnng dfc calld th 1,000 Pllar Hall, t s a msmrsng plac full f assrtd sunds and myrad clurs. Havng wrkd up an apptt fr brakfast, i hadd t anthr f Madura’s nsttutns—Murugan idl Shp n Wstmas strt. Startd mr than 40 yars ag, th plac s always crwdd. i had t battl myslf n and managd t fnd a sat, and thn launchd nt th idlis. Wth th vry frst bt, i knw why fans swar by th rstaurant. Dlcat and sft, thr was just a hnt f th urad dal and methi sds n th idli, and t cmpltly dsslvd n th tngu. i was splt fr chc n trms f accmpanmnts: a plat f dls cam wth fur knds f chutneys— ccnut, crandr, mnt and tmatand sambhar. i wlfd dwn fur dls wthut ralsng t, such was ts 1. Ponra Biriyani Hotel does brisk business 2. You ight also want to saple the kothu parota at madurai

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INDIa tODaY traVeL PLuS . NOVeMBer 2012 .

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car & bike

DRIVINg hOLIDAY

karnataka

cruise on the coast For th shr abundanc of natur’s goodnss it’s difficult to find words to dscrib a journy along th Konkan Coast. By

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e HAD two choics. eithr w could tak th asy way, riding up th NH-4 from Bangalor towards Blgaum taking a lft towards Goa— a day’s journy on unintrsting straight-four-lannd roads. Or, w

Turtle Bay adventures

vikrant singh

could tak th mor challnging coastal rout. W wr told it was scnic, but with consistnt downpours on th two-lan road, w knw, it would not b asy. It would also tak us twic th tim and possibly also b dangrous. If w wr driving, safty issus would hav takn a backsat, but riding a bik, on wt narrow roads with manic bus drivrs, was no doubt th t oughr and foolhardy option. W hadd out of Bangalor in th w hours of th

morning to avoid th maddning traffic towards Mangalor. Th distanc btwn th two is lss than 400km and th initial fw kilomtrs of NH-75 ar bautifully laid. Frsh, aftr a good night’s slp and barly any traffic, w mad good progrss. Th honymoon though was soon ovr laving us with poorly markd divrsions. Th four-lan highway disappard thraftr. What lay ahad was a narrow, busy and brokn xcus for a national

Make a pit stop and enjoy breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea on one side and the calm backwaters of the River Sowparnika on the other. At Turtle Bay, adventure lovers can indulge in watersports like snorkeling and scuba diving while nature lovers can stroll or trek along the scenic coastal road

e r U T C I P A I D N I

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1. Oe of he my vigi beches  kw 2. Pi sops o so i he sceey e  mus o his jouey

highway. W trudgd along bouncing ovr pothols and sliding ovr gravl patchs, stopping vry othr hour to giv our saddl-sor backsids som rlif. For th rcord, thr was nothing scnic about th rout; at last not so far. Thankfully th rain gods spard us as w passd Kunigal, Blluru and Hassan bfor hitting th Wstrn Ghats. But it wasn’t to last long. As it bgan to pour, th scnry around us changd drastically. Th hutmnts, th slush and th crowd startd disapparing making way for lush grn trs. Thy smd to scort th road lik th guard of honour mant for prsidnts. As w continud climbing, th viw kpt gtting bttr. Hills mushroomd and tiny watrfalls appard vry now and thn along th way and villags disappard to mak way for an odd lonly hamlt. And to complt th pictur, at a distanc mrgd a turquois blu rivr that flowd with uttr srnity. Somtims, whn you ar surroundd by such immns bauty, its human to stop and tak in th momnt. To brath it into your lung, you mind and most importantly to liv it. Lik th popular saying gos, it’s th journy that mattrs, not th dstination. So this on had to b xprincd—to b thankd for. Th nxt morning w dcidd on tracing th coastal road to Goa. Th scond day w crawld along thanks to a havy downpour. Thankfully th road wasn’t too bad as w tuggd along. Thn, as w cam around a cornr for th umptnth tim, th rain was gon just as suddnly as it had appard. W wr grtd by blu skis and dry tarmac instad. And minuts latr aftr crossing Kundapura byond Udupi, w saw th most awsom sight, somthing that w wr scrtly waiting for. On our right was th rivr and to th lft, was th sa. W dcidd to pull ovr and tak a brak at an qually bautiful plac calld Turtl Bay. Don’t xpct th world of srvic or sumptuous dlicacis hr. It’s similar

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to a road sid dhaba but w wrn’t intrstd in th food. It was th viw that kpt us glud to Turtl Bay. With a fw hours lost just gazing at th horizon, w dcidd to mov on. At Karwar th sa disappard for a short whil and thn rappard a som distanc away at th bordr

H G N I S T N A r K I V

town bfor Goa. Karwar is a naval bas and it’s vidnt th momnt you rid in. It’s clan, th roads ar wll markd and th traffic is ordrly. Howvr, sinc thr wasn’t much to do hr, w rod past and ntrd India’s most happning party hub—Goa.

at  gc Mangalore GettinG arounD: Th

 umb f wys f tti t M icudi tis, buss d fihts. If yu chs t div dw thuh, th ut y ts scic twds th d d thuh it is  chp d fxib pti, it is’t th mst cmftb. GooD to KnoW: Th

bst tim t visit M is just ft th mss i octb up t Fbuy. Th city’s wth is t its bst t this tim, thwis ith it’s ht  pui. Wh i M it’s d t st  fw dys xcusivy t tv t ihbui pcs ik Udupi.

Do

N H 4

8 1 2 H N

Belgaum

MAHARASHTRA

BANGALORE TO GOA 8 4 7 H N

GOA

Hubli

Bellary 7 6 H N

Karwar

N H 4

KARNATAKA ANDHRA PRADESH

Chitradurga N H 6 9

M is  but ptty

Dpdi  th budt th is  d ccti f hts. Th’s  gi bsids th putd hts ik

N H 4

Bhatkal

bchs d tmps. I fct, th vity f tmps i d ud th city c vwhm yu. a must visit is th Kish tmp i Udupi.

stay

Mti Mh d  bch st cd Summ Sds s w. o c s hv  c, w kpt d dcty ppitd m with tvisi d i cditii f s w s 21,800.

N H 6 9

Udupi

9 6 1 H N

9 N H 6

N H 4

NH 69

Chikmagalur NH 73

N H 7 3

Hassan

Mangalore S A D r A M U K U S

BANGALORE

K E R A L A


111

Car & bike

review

Pcd wit pw Th w BMW 3-  a pfmac xpl that  hh  pactcalty ad tpt.

Engine: 1997cc, twin turbo, petrol Max power: 245bhp@5000rpm Max torque: 350Nm@1250rpm Gearbox: 8-speed sport auto Wheelbase (mm): 2810 LxWxH (mm): 4624 x 1811 x 1429 Top Speed: 250kmph 0-100kmph: 6.9s

A

WesoMe engine t— chck. Balltc pfmac—chck. Facy dv md— chck. A ttad hadl t  wth all th… t qt. W a talk abt th tp-fth-l w 3- BMW, th 328. Bf tt m t th hadl bt, h’ what’ w. Th ca  t xth at avata  cmpltly w d p. it’ al l tha t pdc ad thak t a l whlba, 

n A n A Y A r A n H s e r u s Y B s H P A r g o T o H P

By Vikrant Singh m t. BMW ha al wdd th tack lth t mpv th ca’ tac ad hadl chaacttc. Th wht dtbt mawhl,  typcal BMW tyl,  50:50. Talk abt wht, th w ca ,  fact, lht tha th  t plac. Th t a btt apptd, fat ch ad btt fhd tha th ld v. Th w 3- lk m lx bt what w ally lk a th hh tch btt, kb ad ctl that v th ca a fh fl. Th  pt a lmtd t tw, ad bth th ptl ad th dl 2-lt   tw tb. Bth th p-fd  a cpld t a 8-pd atmatc bx, bt t’ ly th spt L v  th ptl that t paddl hft. Btw th dl pwd 320d ad th 328 ptl thh, t  th latt that tll  bt th b td that th w 3- ha tak wth  mpvmt. What’ m? it d fatatc. it dal  th v wth a kd f cy ad fmt that’ had t

fd, v  m xpv ca. Th  v t almt 7,000pm. Th thttl p  cp ad th h wh th thttl  mahd t th fl wll mak y ml. of c, th 328 ’t pca fat, bt a 0-100 kmph tm f l tha v cd  ctaly cmmdabl; a  a tp pd f 250 kmph. What ’t a admabl  th hadl. Th 328 cm wth f

Tour rePorT unli its pdcss, t nw n isn’t s pcis wit ndlin, bt it is m cmftbl. It is btt sitd f bt int-city tvls nd f  qic ds t  nby ill sttin. T stit lin stbility is d nd wit n impvd id qlity, n dsn’t v t tip-t v bn ds. S, s  c t  t wit, t nw 3-sis ds wll. Wit lts f cmft qipmnt, t fmily wn’t mind tvllin ln distncs in t c.

close up

Pls 200NS

T

Intis  btt ppintd nd pt tt. T nw 3 ss in  diffnt stylin pilspy f BMW wn it cms t t insids nd smtin tt w vn’t sn vn n t lis f t 5-  t 7-sis. T qipmnt list is mssiv fm ibs t stnv t  mltifnctinl stin wl nd cis cntl, t lmst vytin fm sts, t t snf t t tsid  mi bin ptd vi mts. T instmnttin is sy wit lts f infmtin. l T st plys ll fmts f di fils wil t climt cntl systm ffs tw spt tmpt zns. l

dv md—c, cmft, pt ad pt+—whch alt th , abx ad t chaacttc. Hwv,  th spt  th spt+ md, th cct that y’d xpct fm a ca that ca th BMW bad ad t fpw  mply t th. Y’d v fl at a, wth th 3 act wll t t pt ad alway maa t had  th tdd dct, bt t d’t fl that hap at t   wll balacd md c. Ad, f th ad  bmpy, t actally wallw ad v fl a bt ttld. Pc: 237.9 lakh (x-hwm, Mmba).

He PuLsAr  a ld. it ha chad th ladcap f mtcycl  ida, patclaly  that cat t th that, lk  th bk. nt ly dd t t th tt ca ll, t al tdcd a mb f ft; th wa dtal tmtat, backlt wtcha ad f c th ccpt f pp mcla tyl. n wd t ct t b th mtcycl t bat wh t cm t al. Th w Pla, th 200ns,  a ttad bk. Ad t jt  lk. Tday wh mt bk mak hav ch th flly fad t, Bajaj ha   f a tt fht tyl. it’ al tad t mcla lk; fm th hadlamp t th tak ad t xt ad v th z f t ty, th Pla 200ns  ablt baw. Tt t at Bajaj’ chall tt tack, w maad t max t th ns at a tp pd f 141kmph A f t c ablt, t’ ath mbl  t ft. Th’  al fft qd t t th bk t t   qck dct cha. Th xc wallw that plad th pv Pla ha b lmatd a wll;  p t v th d a lt m cfdc w. Th ns fl a t c wth tha th CBr 250r ad th r15! Hwv, th ns lack fdback, whch  maly dw t t ty. it al lack th platd fl f th r15 ad a bd. it d t a hybd tw pa fam f pd tl, maty ft fk, a mhck wth a bx ct wam at th a ad aably fat ty. Bt t lack th cct f th r15. it’ mpd   havly

bad  th KTM Dk 200’ . it al dplac th xact am capacty ad  lqd-cld. H t th   cpld t a 6-pd abx. Hwv, Bajaj ha mad cha t th had. s, bd  a l vhad cam aat a DoHC tp  th Dk, th ns al t th pak pl aat lk   th KTM. Th d lt  l pw ad tq ad a lw acclat tm. Apat fm th th pak pl all th cha hav b cad t t dc ct cld th  f a cabtt tad f fl jct. Al Bajaj wat th 200ns t hav a pctabl fl cmy, whch wll  al wth t xpctd pc f d a lakh f p. i tm f fl, th   a ay vv . it ha d dv  th md a t whch mak c xt qt jyabl. Th thttl p  hap hwv th abx thh cld b btt. it’ t a wll whtd a th cmptt. Th wtcha lk a bt tacky ad  d th fl cck ad th platc ad th a at lck p. Th th’ th ap btw th tal pc ad a at that lk lk a fhd jb. W wld hav lkd th ftp ha btt fhd. Pc: 90,000 (t) —VIkraNT SINgh

iNDiA ToDAY TrAvel plus . NoveMBer 2012 .

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end notes

gadgets on the go

FujiFilm XF1

Phone 5

While most digital cameras look pretty much the same, Fujifilm is looking to swerve away from that trend with their retro-styled XF1 cameras. These cameras come draped with black, tan or red faux leather, adding substantial amount of class to point-andshooters. The cam’s loaded with a 12 MP sensor and the lens is interchangeable. Add the (now standard) 1080p shooting at 30 fms capability, and you have quite an interesting package. The device retails at US$ 500; more info at www.fujifilm.com

“Does it live up to the hype?” is everyone’s question. The answer there is a resounding yes. Apple’s latest flagship phone is a huge improvement on its predecessors, in terms of build and performance. The (slightly) longer screen at 4” maintains one-hand usability and the slimness is enviable. While the pre-loaded Maps application currently lacks lustre, there are enough alternatives to fill that void. The iPhone 5 is available unlocked in UK & HK and prices begin at £529 & HK$ 5,5,88 respectively. www.apple.com

CHECK OUT!

KinDle PaPerWhiTe TDK WaTerProoF SPeaKer

Once famed for their ubiquitous audio tapes, it’s quite refreshing to see TDK’s new range of products. Their latest bluetooth waterproof speaker packs in great audio and the ability to withstand water and dust. The speaker set works seamlessly with Bluetooth devices and the integrated microphone provides functionality as a speakerphone. I nterestingly, the device goes beyond being a vanilla bluetooth speaker by packing in full range speakers, passive radiators and a sub-woofer. The speaker is available for US$ 250. More info at www.tdkperformance.com

114

. IndIa todaY tRaVeL PLUs . noVeMBeR 2012

From time immemorial, books have served as conversation starters with strangers at airports. While the next generation may never be able to use that ploy, they can certainly use new technology as one. And the Kindle Paperwhite definitely succeeds. Amazon’s latest e-reader is aeons ahead of its competitors. The e-reader comes equipped with a built-in light that illuminates the screen for a delightful reading experience even at night. And with better contrast, text looks crisper. The Paperwhite comes very close to printed text when it comes to reading in bright daylight—meaning, very little glare. At US$ 119 a pop at www.amazon.com

GriD-iT

Pack three gadgets, chargers and cables in your bag and you’ll know what a mess they can create. Grid-It by Cocoon is a simple gadget management pad that utilises large interwoven elastic bands to help you keep your gadgets tidily. These pads are available in various sizes and variants are available to encase an iPad/ultra portable too. Depending on the size, prices for the Grid-It begin from US$ 10. Grid-It is available at select electronic retail chains or can be purchased online at www.cocooninnovations.com

Fun at your fingertips COSMOPOLITAN now available on iPad, iPhone, Android, Kindle, PC and Mac.

Grab your Digital Edition. TAP TO DOWNLOAD Available on the

App Store

www.cosmopolitan.in/digitalmagazine

END NOTES

BOOkS

a  juy te book wll keep you ooke w gosspy els rom Ruse’s prve le.

I

“

By Kalyani Prasher

f it hadn’t bee or  rsy prro, e mg ve ever me e uure moer o s seco so,” sys Slm Ruse, or sll we sy Josep ao, e me e ook o  e ‘w yers’. Elzbe Wes ws o vs  ome borrowe by Ruse--g o ee e rese prro , well, sye o. Ruse s  gre eller o les  e wy e works wors o s vge s evble. ices rom s persol le wll keep eve e les erese ooke: jucy bs bou  elusol wom rey o mke love o workbles, bwy excges rom  mrrge oome rom e sr, oes rom s prve jourl, ’s ll  ere. as r s gossp vlue goes, Joseph Anton wll o sppo. Ulke my oer uors wo eel compelle o wre bou emselves, oe   sguse, Ruse’s s  le wor wrg bou. from s esy cloo  Bomby e goes o  surbe eege  e UK,  brve ecso or  13 yer ol, s e uor pos ou. i e yers bewee g scool  e wrerly le, bulles bully m, rcsm rers s umlr e, peers scor love rejec or mre m, wome come  go,   sese o uerccomplsme us m. Orress, muc s e uor I  y wll wce  e wor, ees s  i le. te comes Midnight’s Children , s e uor ll bu  d  sys, e worl recogses s iy if, brllce  ls. ui uy i, for  very log me i re o i  i o juge Ruse’s sel-love. te ufii d, obvously r le e  o le,    jus we e ws lvg e bes j  di ype o le, oly becuse o e i,  uorue polcl mg o The  d … Satanic Verses wll mke y m ber; , oe c

On the shelf the wIlDIngs w  iy ii nij ry u  u   u i  idi u i u u   i  f. F  fi i if i i  u  f nizudi i  yu. g  f fii, d , . Aleph; 595

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mge,  mus be mpossble o survve 11 yers o suc oppresso  sme wou erecg  wll o ego o proec e sel. tere’s more: s skll, s vl po o e rg o s opos, s sesble commery o polcs  socey. Bu w 100 pges, e rmp meglom  Joseph Anton becomes er uberble. hs me-roppg, love or everyg e oes, sys  ks, rrol expecos rom people wo love m, sregr or wome  geerl  some  prculr (s ex-we Mre s  e, lr, g, sel-obsesse, jelous o m, compeve, b wrer, mlgerer, eey, suspcous, you co beleve, que lerlly, ow uerly errble se s), s smssl o ll opos corry o s ow, s cos complg, egvy , bove ll, eclro o ow msuersoo e s, or ow woerul  perso, lover, wrer e s lwys bee—ll s s beulg. how c Ruse,  publc ellecul,  mous wrer o scg sores, be so bl o s bsolue sel-obsesso , yes, insecurity ? Oce you  upo  wor, Ruse becomes um g s you relse, w some er,  secury oes’ leve eve e mos mous loe. as you re o, you re ble o ocus o beer gs: you mre s work or beg c  oes. You beg o cuckle  e suls, gore e me-roppg. hs relosp w s so  s er urer resores   s umess. also, Ruse s clerly worke r, reerrg o ews  oes, provg los o els. i’s s se o e sory urlly, bu ’s complee (ow o musg escrpos o proeco vecles). a, espe rollg your eyes ever so oe, you co sop reg. Ruse, crly, s go  rg. You my e up slkg m bu you wll lk bou s book  mke people re . Random House India, 799

sIkkIm, traveller’s companIon t d sii  y  pi si i  yu-d--  uid    u - . a juy d i uu, fi, iy, y, d  qui y, i  i ii yu    sii, d   yu  d jy   ju y. Trysts & Traces; 499

prabha shah siy d f  i, i i  i f p s’ i ,  uf ii  i   ’ i. Did f  if f i, s fd   i i  d,  iuy i d i ii    id i  idi . Sold on request; www.prabhashah.com

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panna tiger reserve Popularly known as the Tree House, wildlife has the right of way through its 40-acre jungle. It offers a unique opportunity to laze with the crocodiles, roar with the tigers and soar with the birds. We guarantee you’ll want to come back for more.

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Exclusive Pure Vegetarian Boutique Hotel with Luxurious Rooms 234/1, A. J. C. Bose Road, Kolkata - 700 020 Phone: +91 33 4021 8000 Fax: +91 33 4021 8001 Email: [email protected] Website: www.casafortunahotel.com


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END NOTES

gLOBETrOTTEr

akshay kumar This handsome actor can pack a mean punch, whether it’s action or comedy. He tells us where he vacations with his family and how he stays in touch with them when he’s out shooting

1Recent vacatin

Unfortunately my recent vacation was not so recent… Went for a quick getaway to Goa, to bring in my wife’s birthday and ring in the New Year. It’s become a yearly ritual now. It’s the family’s favourite getaway—great food, great beaches, and great fun!!

take ang 2 Mut whie traveing

It used to be my cell phones! But the need for my iPad has become much more, I’ve never played so many games in my life since I’ve had one, but the best feature is Skype. Being able to Skype with my son every day before he leaves for school and my wife every night before she goes to bed when I’m on outdoor shootings is a blessing for any family man.

H A H S N E G O Y

5 Newet thing tate

I’m a lover of desi food, but my dearest friends have just opened a new Spanish restaurant called Arola at the JW Marriot Juhu, Mumbai and I can’t seem to get enough of their prawns sautéed with garlic, chilli and parsley, and they do a Seabass to die for.

ns G ar l ic pra w

6

Weir nbar cnveratin

7

Train, pane r autmbie

I usually have known people around me, be it my family, film cast and crew while travelling. But I have been asked by a passenger in 1st class “Don’t you think they should put 1st class at the back of a plane!” I obviously followed the question with “why would they do that?” the gentleman decided to reply with “Well, have you ever heard of plane reversing into a mountain!”… I sat there stunned at his choice of conversation, so I put on my blind fold and attempted to sleep through the entire flight.

Neither of the above, I’m more of a fan of choppers myself, every time I go in one I’m so tempted to pass my flying exam and take my son around India… It’s good to dream!!

8

Yur atet acquiitin

3

A city yu ve

Delhi… I’d be lying if I’d say anywhere else. I love Mumbai, it’s where I live but Delhi will always be my home. I’m lucky my shootings take me there, so I get to visit my favourite streets of Chandni Chowk. Mumbai made me famous, but Chandni Chowk gave me the roots to make it this far.

A M R A H S H S E T I R

I recently bought my wife a ring and a watch that she had had her eye on for a while, it was just a little something to say thank you for being the mother of my children.

I discovered a new whole wk Cha nd ni Cho place which I didn’t even know existed… Hampi, a small heritage town in Karnataka, Mt extravagant hiay charismatic even Last year we ventured to romantic Rome and visited the spectacular Island of Capriin in southern Italy, it’s in its ruined a place of beauty, richness, adventure and the perfect state

4

setting for a spectacular yacht trip.

pi H am

J A R G A N V

As Told To

120 . INDIa TODay TraVEL PLus . NOVEmBEr 2012

rupali dean

Pblied on 28t Octobe 2012, montl mzine

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India Today Travel Plus 2012-11

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