Shyam's Blog

We completed our Rajasthan trip successfully. Planning started couple of months in advance and we started from Bangalore on Dec 19th and returned on Dec 30th. Pictures: Here . With approximately 2 days each in each destination, we covered Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner. Mode of transport from one city to another was either by RSRTC Volvo/Mercedes bus OR train. This was convenient and saved a lot of money from our wallet. Apart from Jaipur-Udaipur stretch which is about 420 Kms, other places are about 300 Kms apart and should take 5 hrs each to cover the distance. Within each city, we used auto, local cab or Ola cabs (by booking via App). Food was amazing. Tea was the best wherever we had. Not to mention the best part - Sweets. Nowhere else we will find such lovely sweets. Few memorable things: 1. Food, sweets and tea 2. Weather - It was freezing cold. Though we were prepared for it, it took a while for us to get used to it. 3. Palaces and their grand...

Visited Goa on road last week. Road condition on NH4 is excellent. Road from Hubli to Panaji via Alnavar is bad. We took this route in onward journey. While returning, we took Panaji-Belgaum-Hubli-Bangalore route. The road between Panaji and Belgaum is very good and scenic too. Total highway toll would cost around Rs. 1,500 for a round trip if you are travelling in your own car. Total distance from Bangalore is 750 Kms. A stopover in Hubli is recommended. From Bangalore, it would take about 6 hours to reach Hubli without any breaks. From Hubli, it would take maximum of 5 hours to reach Panaji via Belgaum. Traffic between Bangalore and Tumkur is heavy. Once you cross Tumkur, road is all yours with minimum traffic and you can easily drive at 110 Kms/hr. Road map from B'ore to Panaji, Goa National Highway 4 (NH4) Scenic Drive from Panaji to Goa Chorla Ghats Visit to Baga Beach and Calangute Beach was nice. Dona Paula had jet ski and it was a quick ride for le...

Our visit to Mysore was a memorable one. With couple of family gatherings to attend, we wanted our kids to enjoy some of the main attractions of Mysore. Zoo is a good place to start Mysore tour. Getting there at 9:30am or so is recommended as we saw less crowd and sun was not at its peak. It takes around 4Kms of walking inside. Kids need to be able to sustain that energy throughout the walk. There could have been attractions for kids like, elephant show or alike which are seen in other zoos. Apart from watching animals from far, kids don't have any activity based entertainment. KRS visit on one evening was a flop. We landed there at 6pm and the crowd was huge. We entered, finished a quick walk and returned home as we didn't think it was worth staying with the crowd. Mysore Palace is one of the best palaces in India. Photography inside palace is not allowed. Pictures can be taken from outside and camera has to be put in locker before going in. Though th...

I traveled in train after many years. From the last train journey in India till now, I traveled in many other places outside India and I was curious to experience the Indian Railways hospitality. Booking was done in First Class A/C for an overnight journey from Bangalore to Dharwad in Rani Chennamma Express. After reaching the Railway Station an hour early, I checked the platform I need to be in. The station in first look, looked very crowded. Quickly, I agreed to myself that it must look busy and filled with people as train travel is the most efficient and cheapest mode of transport in India. It was ticking 9pm and train started on the dot. Once I settled in my first class cabin, I looked around to see identify some of the key features/facilities. Noticed the below: 1. Electrical points for charging laptop/phone. 2. Electronic indicator of restroom vacancy status - this was interesting. 3. A cute reading light near the head. Slide it, it switches OFF. Open it, light switches ON....

Visited Jungle Lodge Resorts, Bannerghatta on Jan 10-11, 2014. The visit started off with lunch and then followed by Safari tour. Butterfly park was not attractive as the season is non-breeding one. Best time to see butterflies is in Monsoon. Safari tour is done in a jeep/van that is owned by the resort. First is the bear safari. The bear came close to the van to check for food. Loin safari was restricted as there was construction/renovation. Tiger safari too was restricted and there were only 2 tigers. White tigers were great and we got nice glimpse of 2 of them as they came near our van. Herbivorous safari with bison, deer, and black buck were good to see. Food in the resort was good. Hospitality by resort hosts was nice. Staying overnight in the tent/log house is a nice experience that one must not miss. Photos here .

Recently, I got a chance to drive around South India and cover about 2000 Kms in a span of 10 days. Started off with a trip to Pondicherry and Chennai. Then, a quick trip to Belur. Ended my travel today with a surprise visit to Yelagiri. My first outcome of these trips - Driving on National Highway is good and easy compared to 2 decades ago. This is mostly because, all the NHs are tolled and are constructed by private companies like L&T, GMR, etc with partnership with the government. Next outcome - there are lot many opportunities in future as kids grow older. Am sure, there are places in Karnataka that are interesting and worth visiting. Car - i10 automatic gave the comfort of driving on these highways.