My TripAdvisor Review No.444: Souza Lobo, Calangute Beach, Goa.

Authentic Goan Beach Restaurant.

Souza Lobo is a classy beach restaurant, too classy to be called a shack. It is located right in the middle of Calangute Beach with a very good view of the seaside. It is well decorated and has an authentic Goan ambiance with nice paintings of ancient and contemporary Goa, as well as some family photographs. It is a family run enterprise which was started in the year 1932. It has a rustic charm of its own. They specialize in seafood mainly Goan, Continental and Indian.

We visited the place on a Sunday afternoon and were lucky to get a table for six in the veranda with a beach view. We were served by friendly waiters dressed in colorful Hawaiian shirts. We started with drinks and wines. For starters, we tried the Butter Garlic Fried Potato Skins, Fish Fingers, and Tandoori Mushrooms. For mains, we had the Kingfish with Curry Rice, Pork Vindaloo with Veg Biryani. We also tried the Malai Kofta and Gobi Manchurian in the vegetarian selection. The food was well cooked and very delicious. Later we shared Bebinca and Tiramisu to sweeten our palettes.

We enjoyed our lunch and decided to visit next time for dinner since they have a live band and barbeques with outdoor seating as well in the evenings.

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Date of visit: March 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.443: Britto's Baga Beach, Goa.

Britto's: The Best On Baga Beach.

Britto’s is by far the best beach restaurant on Baga Beach. It is one of the oldest beach restaurants in Goa and has been in existence since 1965. If you have not dined at Britto’s you have not experienced Baga Beach. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks.

We entered the place on a Saturday afternoon at 1 pm and the restaurant was empty. We got a table next to the beach with an excellent view of the sea and a nice sea breeze blowing our way. The tables are set close to each other and seem a bit congested, but by the time we finished our lunch at 3 pm, there was not a single vacant table, and there was a waiting list.

We ordered a bottle of white wine for the six of us and enjoyed it with yummy starters. The grilled Kingfish and Mushroom and Gobi Manchurian were finger licking tasty. Later we enjoyed the biryanis and Egg Xacuti with rice. The crab gravy was very good too.

The service is quick and courteous, and the ambiance is open and airy with some nice Goan village decorations and artifacts. Prices are on the higher side but it is well worth it.

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Date of visit: March 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.442: Baga Beach, Goa.

Popular Beach Of North Goa.

Baga Beach seems to be an extension of Calangute Beach. As you walk north of Calangute Beach you will see a huge signboard on the hillside indicating the northern end of Baga Beach. There is no clear demarcating line between Baga and Calangute.

There are a lot of water sports activities taking place here. If you come during the daylight hours you will observe people enjoying parasailing, water skiing, banana boat riding and swimming in the sea. The beach is always crowded in the holiday season.

We were sitting at one of the beach restaurants, ‘Britto’s’ and observing the frenzied activities taking place on the lovely sands. It is a crowded beach and not one where one can relax with a book to read, though there are many sundecks which the Europeans hire from the local vendors, to give themselves a deep tan.

The Anjuna Flea Market and the Arpora Saturday Night Bazaar are quite close to Baga Beach.

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Date of experience: March 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.441: Calangute Beach, Goa.

Most Popular Beach Of North Goa.

Calangute Beach located about 20 km north of Goa’s capital, Panjim, is probably the most popular beach of North Goa. Calangute is a happening place with plenty of restaurants, resorts, beach shacks, markets, and casinos.

The beach itself is always buzzing with activities like para-sailing, water-skiing, banana boat rides, and swimming. There is always a crowd of tourists on the beach, with the local populace joining in on the weekends. People like to enjoy a meal in one of the many beach shacks lining the beach.

We would take a long morning walk on the clean sandy beach, which stretches for about 3 kilometers with Candolim Beach at the south end and Baga Beach at the north end. There are lifeguards always patrolling the beach in their red jeeps alerting people whether it is safe to swim or not. It gets very crowded in the evenings particularly at the time of sunset.

It’s a good beach to watch the beautiful tropical sunsets.

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Date of experience: March 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.440: Udupi Ujwala Refreshment, Vasco-da-Gama, Goa.

Simple Food, Good Service.

After arriving early in the morning by the Goa Express I decided to wait at the Railway retiring room at Vasco-da-Gama, as the check-in time at my Calangute resort was in the afternoon. Walking around the Railway Station I found this simple looking Udupi Restaurant and had a breakfast of Idli Sambar, and a Plain Dosa. The basic stuff tasted very good and I followed it up with a cup of coffee.

Later I visited the restaurant again and ordered a Thali Lunch. The thali had a dry vegetable, a lentil dish, dal, rasam, curd, pickle, papad, two chapattis, and some rice, as well as a sweet dish, all this in only ₹90. I quite enjoyed this value for money meal and walked out satisfied.

The restaurant is in a parallel lane just about five-minute walk from Vasco Station.

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Date of visit: March 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.439: Japanese Garden, Vasco da Gama, Goa.

Panoramic View Of The Arabian Sea.

The Japanese Garden is one of the best lookout points along the Goa coastline. It juts out from a headland about 3 km from Vasco da Gama Railway Station. It is quite an uphill climb to reach from Vasco, but it is accessible by local buses which go to Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) colony, or you can hire a rickshaw or a two-wheeler pilot to take you.

There is a nice garden located here from where you get an excellent 180-degree view of the Arabian Sea and the rocky beach below. There are some ornamental plant and palm trees which make it a nice garden for an evening stroll, but the sea views from the walkway at the edge of the cliff make the visit more worthwhile.

There was not much else to do as the garden was quite deserted in the daytime, but it is a place worth visiting in the evening to view the sunset. There are a few snack stalls nearby which are open only in the evenings.

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Date of experience: March 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.438: The Eat India Company, Restaurant in Hyderabad.

Unique Ambiance But Average Food.

The restaurant has a unique ambiance with a quirky theme of the times when India was governed by the British East India Company in the 19th century. There are many pictures and paintings as well as ancient weapons and relics of the princely states of the erstwhile maharajas of medieval India. As we enter we get the feeling of entering a durbar hall of an old palace in pre-independent India.

However, the food did not live up to our expectations. It was mainly North Indian, Mughlai, and Chinese dishes. There was the option of ordering buffet (served at the table) or ala-carte. Alcohol is also served, with one complimentary welcome drink in the buffet.

For drinks, we ordered a beer and a ‘Strawberry Surprise’ mocktail which tasted more like the popular syrup ‘Rooh Afza’.

We decided to do vegetarian ala-carte and ordered ‘Dahi ka Kabab’ and ‘Makai ka Tikka’ as starters and both tasted mediocre. For the mains, we tried ‘Nizami Handi’, ‘Pudina ka Dal’, with Naan, Roti and ‘Subzi Ka Dum Biryani’. The sabzi and dal tasted good, but the biryani served with curd and gravy was very spicy. The Indian breads were quite exorbitantly priced.

The service was satisfactory but not exceptional. A service charge of 7% was added in the final bill. The taste of the food can be improved, maybe the non-vegetarian food might be better.

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Date of visit: March 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.437: Chalston Beach Resort, Calangute, Goa.

A Pleasant Goan Experience.

Chalston Beach Resort is an excellent stay option at Calangute. It is located between Calangute and Baga beaches, and one can walk straight on to the sands to take a long barefoot walk on either side of the resort. Their restaurant is also located overlooking the beach and we enjoyed our dinners in the open air with the sea breeze to keep us cool.

The rooms are set in lush green gardens with a lot of trees, flowering, and ornamental plants and bushes all around. There were many idols and statuettes strategically placed in the gardens to enhance the feelings of peace and serenity.

The ac rooms themselves are well furnished with king size bed, built-in cupboard with a digital safe, LCD TV, a small fridge, tea/coffee maker, coffee table with sofa and bedside tables with reading lamps. The bathrooms are adequate with soap, shampoo and even a shaving kit provided, but no dental kit. We had a sit-out adjacent to the garden, while the upper floors had individual balconies.

The swimming pool was medium sized (14x7 meters) but very clean and inviting, with a pool bar where we could get snacks and drinks. Sun loungers were provided by the poolside and near the restaurant. There are table tennis table and billiards table, and a foose ball table near the restaurant.

We were served complimentary breakfast at the restaurant which included Indian items like Idli, Upma, Pongal, Puri Bhaji, Paratha as well as the Continental items like eggs, pork sausages, fruit, cornflakes, toast and Goan breads like pao and pui which could be toasted to our liking, followed by tea, coffee or juice.

We had a pleasant and peaceful 3 days stay at Chalston, and we did not feel that we were in one of the most crowded and buzzing beaches of Goa. The friendly and helpful staff made our stay even more comfortable.

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Date of stay: March 2019

Trip type: Travelled with friends

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My TripAdvisor Review No.436: Chalston Restaurant, Calangute, Goa.

Best Beach Restaurant in Calangute.

Chalston Restaurant which belongs to the Chalston Beach Resort is by far one of the best open-air beach restaurants in Calangute. It is just abutting the beach, but on a slightly raised level and away from the crowds on the popular and crowded beach. There were well-trimmed lawns and beautiful greenery around and the restaurant had a thatched roof which gave it a charming rustic look.

We were served with a variety of local seafood as well as vegetarian dishes. The taste was authentic Goan but not too spicy. Mughlai and Tandoori dishes were also available, as well as many Continental dishes. Cocktails and mocktails were also available along with the regular drinks at dinner.

On specials occasions and weekends they have a live band with dancing.

As we were staying at the resort we were served with sumptuous breakfast every morning. We would have idli chutney one day, Pongal or Upma on another day, or Puri bhaji. In addition, we could have eggs with sausages, parathas or dosas from the live counter. We could toast our own bread, pao or pui and have it with butter or cheese. Fruit juice, tea, and coffee were there to wash it all down with.

The service was impeccable, with the waiters ready to help you with your requests. This place is definitely one of the best beach restaurants in Calangute to have a nice relaxed meal.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.435: Rara Avis Restaurant, Sahakarnagar, Bangalore.

Fine Dining.

Rara Avis turned out to be a very nice restaurant in the Sahakarnagar area of Bangalore. From the outside, it just looks like an ordinary one storied large restaurant. As you enter you are guided up to the first floor which is very well decorated with leather sofas with cushions, multi-colored lighting, and colored window panes and is cool and air-conditioned.

The menu is predominantly non-vegetarian with many Kerala (Thalassery) chicken, fish and mutton gravy dishes and biryanis. There are also some North Indian and Tandoori dishes on the menu. On the vegetarian side also there are some gravy dishes and veg pulaos.

We ordered the Fish in Mango Curry, Veg Banarasi Seekh, along with Kerala appams. The taste of all the items was very good. The red and green chutneys served with the Seekh was also very delicious.

Service was a tad slow but was very courteous and friendly. The crockery and cutlery were also of good quality, and the heavy china plates were quite warm when they placed it on the table, something which is not very common these days.

Limited parking is available on the road outside the restaurant, and they have a dedicated parking lot behind the restaurant as well, so it was not a problem. We would definitely visit again.

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Date of visit: February 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.434: Biggest Banyan Tree, Bangalore.

Biggest Banyan Tree, Bangalore.

This Banyan Tree is located about 28 km from Bangalore on the Mysore highway, but about 8 km off the highway. One can reach this picnic spot by local bus, rickshaw or taxi. Parking is available nearby around the enclosure of the tree. There are small eateries and tea shops outside the fenced garden enclosing the tree.

The 400-year-old tree covers an area of about 3 acres, almost the area of a small village. It is the largest banyan tree in Karnataka, and the 4th largest in India, and the World.

We were wonderstruck by the enormity of this single tree with so many trunks. The main trunk was destroyed due to natural disease, but now has many other trunks which have descended from its branches to support the tree. In fact, when we entered the lovely gardens surrounding the tree, we felt as if we were in a small forest. There were many monkeys scampering around, and the tree also houses many species of birds. There is a small Shiva temple on the premises.

It is a good place for a picnic in rural Bangalore, with beautiful natural surroundings, but be careful of the marauding monkeys, and please do not leave your garbage behind.

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Date of experience: February 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.433: Hotel EcoHaya, Bangalore.

Serviced Apartments With A Spiral Staircase.

This place is a serviced apartment with a unique architectural design. As you enter and pass the reception you will have to climb the twisting spiral staircase to climb up to the rooms. Of course, you can choose to avoid the steps and use the elevator if you are prone to dizziness. Once you reach the apartment you can relax in the drawing room which is common to a pair of double-bedded rooms. There is also a dry kitchenette, which is equipped with a small fridge, microwave oven, wash basin and platform with some utensils and drinking water canisters. You can make your own tea and warm some food.

The apartment rooms each have a separate bathroom, double bed, flat screen TV, wardrobe and dressing table. The rooms are air-conditioned and quite comfortable. The property also has a large conference room and dining area. Parking is available, sufficient for about 8 cars. There was free wi-fi in the room.

The complimentary breakfast consisted of idli, chutni, Pongal, poha or upma, cornflakes, milk, tea, and coffee. The food was tasty and we ate our fill. Lunch and dinner have to be outsourced.

It is located in a very serene residential locality of Bengaluru, known as Vijaya Bank Layout, with a lot of restaurants and shopping areas nearby, within walking distance. There is also a nice park in the vicinity. EcoHaya is also associated with OYO Rooms and is alternately known as OYO Silverkey Bannerghatta.

Smoking and alcohol are strictly prohibited on the premises, and we had to pay a refundable cash deposit to ensure compliance. The maintenance of the bathroom fixtures and fittings was not up to the mark, with some leakages here and there.

Despite the above inconveniences, we had a very peaceful and relaxing stay at the hotel, and would definitely stay here again for that home-away-from-home feeling. It is ideal for groups of large families traveling together. There is even one duplex with four double bedrooms, where about eight or ten members can stay together.

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Date of stay: February 2019

Trip type: Travelled with family

Room Tip: Big families can choose the 4 bedroom apartment.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.432: Brahmin's Kitchen, Bengaluru.

Good Breakfast Place.

Brahmin’s Kitchen is a relatively new restaurant, opened about 9 months ago, at the junction of the Railway Parallel Road and the 20th Main Road in Sahakarnagar. It is about half a kilometer north of the Kodigehalli Railway Station.

It is a very good place to stop by for a quick South Indian breakfast of Idli, Wada, Dosa or Kesaribhath. It opens early at 7 am. It does not have seating accommodation, just tables where you can stand and eat. You have to buy coupons and present it at the open kitchen and you are served within 5 minutes if you have ordered dosa.

They can even parcel your order in hygienic packing and you can carry it home and share with your family, as we did today. The dosas were nice and crisp outside and soft inside. The sambar was tangy and not too spicy. The chutney could have been spicier. Packing charges are extra.

It is a self-service restaurant and prices are very reasonable and affordable.

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Date of visit: February 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.431: Adithya Restaurant, Bangalore.

Traditional As Well As Modern.

Adhitya restaurant is centrally located at JP Nagar in Bangalore, just opposite the famous Ranga Shankara theatre where plays are staged. Hence finding parking nearby for four-wheelers may be difficult. We had to park in one of the narrow bye-lanes.

Here you have the choice to have a quick bite at one of the standing tables in the self-service section or enter the full-service section if you want to have a relaxed meal.

The taste of traditional food is very good. We tried the Akki Roti and sweet Ragi Halubai and both were excellent in taste. Besides the regular breakfast dishes like Idli, Dosa, and Wadas, one can also sample some North Indian dishes.

You can see the food being prepared in front of you in the self-service section, and the service is quick. Prices are very reasonable and affordable.

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Date of visit: February 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.430: Hotel Mayura Shantala, Halebeedu.

Serene Place to Stay in a Heritage Town

Hotel Mayura Shantala is the best place to stay in the heritage town of Halebeedu. It is located right across the road from the Hoysaleshwara Temple, which is the main attraction of Halebeedu.

The hotel consists of a cluster of cottage rooms in a compound with a small garden, as well as an outdoor restaurant, with sufficient parking for about 5 cars near the cottages. There is an atmosphere of peace and serenity in the resort. Our room was well furnished with ac and a flat-screen TV. There were two sofas and two tables, a dressing table, and a wardrobe. The bathroom was quite spacious, with a large boiler for hot water. Soap, shampoo, and conditioner were provided.

Their kitchen cum dining hall is in the main cottage which houses the reception as well. Though the menu was not very elaborate, we got some decent homely meals at breakfast and dinner. Service was OK.

Belur is about 17 km from Halebeedu. I would definitely recommend this hotel as a stopover for a couple of days to visit the heritage sites around Halebeedu and Belur.

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Date of stay: December 2018

Trip type: Travelled as a couple

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