My TripAdvisor Review No.63: Club Mahindra Poovar, Kerala.

“An enchanting tropical resort.”

Reviewed yesterdayNEW

Club Mahindra’s Poovar Resort is located at the extreme tail end of the beautiful state of Kerala. It is ideally located for exploring places in the southern tip of India. We used it as a base to go to Kaniyakumari, Suchindram temple, the Padmanabhapuram Palace in Tamil Nadu, and Kovalam, Thiruvanathapuram and Varkala in Kerala.

We went by the Kaniyakumari Express from Pune and disembarked at Neyyattinkara, a small town about 10 km from Poovar village. Even though we reached Neyyattinkara at 10.30 am we couldn’t find a cab and had to squeeze into an auto-rickshaw to get to the resort. The resort is located about 2 km from Poovar village at the mouth of an estuary, on the banks of the Neyyar River. The last 1 km of road to the resort was in a very bad shape.

We reached the resort by 11.30 am and were very happy to be allowed an early check-in. We had booked the 1BR villas which had a private swimming pool, and enclosed by a compound wall to give you a cosy feeling of exclusive privacy. The rooms are well furnished but do not have a kitchenette. The villas have a sloping tiled roof typical of the Kerala countryside. We immediately jumped into the pool and refreshed ourselves after the long train journey.

The resort is well laid out with the Studio rooms housed in conical tiled cottages with a small sit-out. There is a large swimming pool which can be utilised by all the guests, and a table tennis table near the lounge. The Fun Zone and Travel Desk are located near the Restaurant and Reception. The Boat Club was at the sea-side end of the grounds on the banks of the estuary. We could not walk directly to the beach from the resort, and had to take a detour through the village outside the gates.

We enjoyed the a-la-carte meals at their restaurant ‘Kerala House’. Their ‘Karimeen Pollichattu’, marinated fish wrapped and cooked in banana leaf, was excellent. Buffet meals were also available in the main restaurant but priced on the higher side. There was one nearby restaurant outside the gates, ‘Chef Elias Hot Cafe’ serving Kerala and Chinese food at reasonable rates, which was good for a change. Other shops and restaurants were located at Virali village which is 1 km from the resort.

We booked a cab to take us to Kaniyakumari, which is about 80 km from Poovar. On the way we stopped at the Padmanabhapuram Palace, and the Suchindram Temple. It was a full day trip. On the day of our check-out we visited Kovalam Beach, Trivandrum city, and Varkala on the way to Ashtamudi. Travel Desk at the resort can help you plan your sight-seeing trips.

One highlight of our stay here was a fascinating boat ride through the mangroves and backwaters surrounding the resort. We observed the water birds and forests while quietly gliding through the backwater canals. We stopped for breakfast at a river side restaurant on the Neyyar River, and then rode to the mouth of the estuary where the river meets the sea. We walked on the Golden Sand Beach and dipped our feet in the Arabian Sea.

The service at the resort was excellent. However, on one rainy day we encountered some leakage from the ceiling, and the maintenance crew were unable to rectify the problem. We had to keep a bucket to prevent the water from spreading.

On the whole, we had a nice stay and enjoyed our holiday experience at this tropical paradise.

Room Tip: Go for the 1BR 'Pool Villas'.

See more room tips

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• Stayed November 2014, travelled with family
  • Rooms
  • Cleanliness
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.62: Kalyani Veg Restaurant, Pune.

“Popular restaurant serving wholesome food.”

 

Reviewed 24 January 2015 NEW

 

This popular vegetarian eatery is located in Kalyani Nagar just opposite Big Cinemas (Adlabs), and across the Aga Khan Bridge coming from Koregaon Park. It is always crowded at meal times and you may have to wait your turn till you get seating. There is very limited parking space for 4 wheelers near the restaurant.

Take the help of the usher to find you a table. He will find you one within 5 or 10 minutes in the general (non ac) section, if you don’t mind sharing the table with other diners. Once seated you are served within 10 to 12 minutes after placing the order. There is an ac section too, with about 10 to 12 tables, but with a slight mark-up in the menu. The tables and service are better in the ac section, almost akin to a fine dining restaurant.

Coming to the food, this restaurant serves both South and North Indian, Chinese and some Continental dishes. However they are best known for their Udipi fare and the idlis, wadas, dosas, utthappas served with the traditional sambar and chutnies are excellent. Their Punjabi dishes served with tandoori rotis, rice and biryanis are also very good. They have a variety of tasty Pao-bhajis, including a Jain Pao-bhaji. I cannot comment on the Chinese food as I have never tried it here.

The restaurant opens at 8 am and closes at 11 pm. One can visit them for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or even for an in-between snack. With so many offices, shops and commercial establishments nearby this restaurant is always crowded and bustling with activity and probably the most popular restaurant in this locality. The prices of the items are also reasonable and good value for money.

• Visited January 2015
  • Value
  • Atmosphere
  • Service
  • Food

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My TripAdvisor Review No.61: Hotel Shivashakti Palace, Haveri, Karnataka.

“Decent Place for an overnight stop.”

Reviewed 1 week ago

We were driving from Pune to Bangalore and needed to stop as it was getting dark and we decided to rest for the night rather than do it all in one day. Haveri is a small town about 520 km from Pune and 70 km ahead of Hubli, towards Bangalore. We located Hotel Shivashakti Palace on Google maps. I had to drive left off the main highway into Haveri town on the old PB Road.

The hotel was well lit and we parked in the side road leading to the entrance. The reception and rooms were on the second floor. There was an elevator available, so we didn’t have to climb up the narrow staircase. We were lucky to get an ac double room for Rs.950 (taxes extra), and agreed to pay extra bed charges of Rs.150. Non ac rooms were already occupied.

The room was cosy and big enough with an extra divan, TV, intercom, and a working ac, but the bathroom fittings were not up to the mark, with the flush handle dangling loose.

We decided to order our dinner in the room, since the restaurant was located on the ground floor. The food was tasty albeit a bit spicy, but we were surprised to receive an inflated dinner bill. On inquiring I was told that the menu card was an old one.

We had a good night’s rest but were woken around 8 am by a musical band playing on the ground floor. It seems that a marriage ceremony was being conducted in the banquet hall below.

We had our baths with lukewarm water. We ordered our breakfast through room service, and again the bill did not tally with the prices marked on the menu. Anyway, we settled our bill and were on our way to Bangalore after a refreshing night’s rest.

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• Stayed December 2014, travelled with family
  • Location
  • Rooms
  • Service

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.60: Ujwal Family Restaurant, Bengaluru.

“Surprisingly good!”

 

Reviewed 13 January 2015 NEW

 

We were in the Sanjay Nagar area looking for a good place to have lunch, and noticed this restaurant on the main road. There was lack of parking space on the main road so we parked our 4 wheeler in one of the side lanes.

The family section of the restaurant was on the first floor and the seating was quite comfortable. The ground floor served as the bar section.

We ordered ‘alu methi malai’ with nan and roti, green salad, and a chicken biryani, and the service was quick and efficient. The food was quite tasty and the three of us enjoyed the preparations. We paid about Rs.380 and I would say it was value for money.

• Visited December 2014
  • Value
  • Atmosphere
  • Service
  • Food

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.59: Aspen Woods, Bengaluru.

“Serviced Apartments with a homely atmosphere”

Reviewed yesterday NEW

 

We had some trouble finding this place as it is tucked away within the confines of the bungalow colonies and leafy environ of Anand Nagar and close to Hebbal in North Bengaluru. You have to turn in to Anand Nagar Main Road from Bellary Road near Bangalore Baptist Hospital. Then ask for Venugopal Layout Park and you will find Aspen Woods, which is a two storied bungalow at the end of the road.

We were welcomed by the caretaker of the Apartment and allotted a studio room with an extra mattress since we were three of us. The charges were quite reasonable since it was an ac room. There was a common hall and dining area which was well furnished. The apartment had a very homely atmosphere, and being located in a very serene residential locality there was not much traffic noise from the main roads.

Breakfast was complimentary and we were served with eggs, toast, butter, jam and/or cornflakes. Lunch and dinner are optional and chargeable on a per head basis. We ordered dinner on both the nights that we were there and were served with home cooked chapattis, vegetables, dal, rice and curd.

They also have the facility of getting your clothes washed in their washing machines on a chargeable basis. We were served well by the boys who seemed to be from North India.

Aspen Woods Apartment is definitely a better alternative than staying in the small confines of a hotel room.

• Stayed December 2014, travelled with family
  • Rooms
  • Cleanliness
  • Service

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.58: Hotel Ruchi Park, Satara. (on NH4, 28 km north of Satara)

“Highway 'dhaba' on NH4, near Satara.”

Reviewed 29 December 2014

 

We were driving from Bangalore to Pune and needed to stop for lunch after passing Satara. About 28 km from Satara moving towards Pune we saw a somewhat decent looking restaurant on the left side of the road and decided to have a bite here.

I ordered a mixed vegetable with tandoori roti and it was tasty enough. However when my wife asked for sandwiches she drew a blank even though it was listed on the menu. It seems they serve sandwiches only for breakfast! We also asked for buttermilk, which at Rs.25 a glass seemed exorbitant.

Before resuming our drive I wanted to use the washroom. A good highway restaurant must maintain a clean washroom to separate it from the ‘dhabas’ of the world. Unfortunately ‘Ruchi Park’ failed the test as the washroom was not well maintained and all the faucets seemed to be leaking, probably due to overuse by the multitude of bus passengers which were stopping here.

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• Visited December 2014
  • Value
  • Atmosphere
  • Service
  • Food

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.57: Opal (the restaurant), Kolhapur.

“Good for Traditional Kolhapuri cuisine.”

Reviewed 29 December 2014 NEW

 

We had dinner and breakfast at the Opal dining hall when we stayed overnight at the hotel for one night.

The dining hall which serves mainly Kolhapuri veg and non veg dishes, but also has some North Indian and Chinese dishes. We ordered the Regular Veg Thali which consisted of 3 vegetables, curry, chapatti, masala rice and papad. Their special thali also has some savouries and sweet dishes thrown in. However this dining hall is quite famous for its Tambada and Pandhara Rassa gravies served with their traditional mutton preparations.

Next morning we went down for their complimentary buffet breakfast and were served medu wada with sambar and chutney, missal with bread, and sheera, followed by tea or coffee.

We enjoyed the taste of their traditional spicy Kolhapuri cuisine and would definitely visit again.

Visited December 2014

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.56: Hotel Opal, Kolhapur.

“A modern hotel with plenty of Old World Charm”

Reviewed yesterday NEW

We were driving from Bangalore to Pune and needed to stop at Kolhapur for a much needed night halt. Since we did not see any good hotel on the highway we decided to enter the city after paying the toll. We drove past Shivaji University and the Defence areas and after crossing the bridge over the railway line we arrived at Shahupuri, where Hotel Victor Palace and Hotel Opal are located. The weather was quite pleasant and we wanted a non a/c room. This was only available in Hotel Opal and at a very reasonable price, with a complimentary breakfast thrown in.

There was some construction work of addition of new rooms being carried out in the front of the hotel. We parked our car in the basement of this new construction and checked in to a deluxe non ac room on the first floor at 5.30 pm. The check out time is 12 noon which suited us fine for an overnight stay. The room was neat and clean with a small TV and a curtained dressing section. There was 24 hour running hot water available in the bathroom. There was a small balcony with a clothes rack and a chair to sit out with your morning cup of tea. But there was not much of a view due to the construction work all around, and we kept the balcony door closed.

We went down to the dining hall which served mainly Kolhapuri veg and non veg dishes, but also had some North Indian and Chinese dishes. We ordered the Regular Veg Thali which consisted of 3 vegetables, curry, chapatti, masala rice and papad. Their special thali also has some savouries and sweet dishes thrown in. However this dining hall is quite famous for its Tambada and Pandhara Rassa gravies served with their traditional mutton preparations.

Next morning we ordered tea in the room. Later we went down for their complimentary buffet breakfast and were served medu wada with sambar and chutney, missal with bread, and sheera, followed by tea or coffee.

Overall we experienced good service and hospitality.

Hotel Opal is about 3 km from National Highway 4 (Pune-Bangalore). This hotel is also conveniently located about 4 km from the Mahalaxmi temple, and about 5 km from the Rankala Lake, and 1 km from the Central Bus Stand and Railway Station of Kolhapur.

• Stayed December 2014, travelled as a couple
  • Value
  • Cleanliness
  • Service

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Mewar (July 2014): Part III. Udaipur.

22-July-2014: Tuesday: Lake Pichola, Jagdish Temple, Gangaur Ghat and Dharohar at Bagore ki Haveli.

I went for a morning walk along NH8 and walked for about 2 km towards Ahmedabad. There were a few dhabas and petrol stations along the road. Finally I found a grocery shop from where I bought bread and some cheese, which we had for breakfast. After breakfast I went down to the hotel pool for a refreshing swim.

We spent the rest of the morning relaxing at the resort. We met Mr.Vinay Shankar and his team of Holiday Consultants and they gave us some information about the new resorts and acquisitions of Mahindra Holidays and Resorts. We had a yummy lunch of 'American Chop Suey' at the restaurant, followed by an hour long siesta in our cool air-con room.

At 4.30 pm we walked down to the rickshaw stand located across the highway. There were only 6-seater sharing rickshaws available, so we chartered one for Rs.100 and he took us closer into town, from where we could hire another 3-seater rickshaw. We struck a bargain with a 3-seater rickshaw driver who agreed to drop us to Lake Pichola and then pick us up at 8 pm from Bagore ki Haveli and drop us back to our resort in time for dinner. He dropped us at the Lake Jetty at 5 pm. We exchanged our cellphone numbers and parted company.

After strolling for a while along the lake shore we started walking towards the famous Jagdish Temple. We walked along the street lined with artifact and curio shops, for about 2 km, till we reached Jagdish Temple. Geeta did some real shopping, while I did the window shopping.

Jagdish Temple appeared at the end of a stiff climb in the road, and was located at the top of a steep flight of stairs. The entrance gate was flanked by two carved marble elephants, and looked very impressive with its beautiful wall carvings. The Jagdish Temple is located very near to the Tripolia Gate of the City Palace. It can be seen rising high above the surrounding buildings.

Entrance to Jagdish Temple

We took off our footwear after ascending the steps and left them in the free shoe racks provided there before entering the sanctum. Many devotees leave their footwear at the roadside at the bottom of the steps. 

There are many exquisite carvings on the temple walls, among which is the black stone image of Lord Vishnu as Jagannath, Lord of the Universe. Facing the entrance, in an enclosed shrine is a bronze winged statue of Garuda, who was the steed of Lord Vishnu and carried the God on his back.

Wall carvings

Wall carvings of Jagdish Temple

The musical bhajans and prayers being sung within the temple gave us the feeling of peace and harmony.

The temple is open from 4.15 am to 1 pm in the morning, and 5.15 pm to 8 pm in the evening. There is no entry fee, but photography is prohibited inside the sanctum. A water cooler is provided for cold drinking water just outside the sanctum.

After darshan at the temple we walked down to Gangaur Ghat and had a drink of hot chocolate at 'Jheel's Rooftop Restaurant', which was located at the water front.

We had already visited the renowned City Palace of Udaipur during an earlier trip so we decided to skip it this time, although it is the most famous landmark and tourist attraction of Udaipur. You can read my review of the City Palace on TripAdvisor by following the link: City Palace, Udaipur.

We entered Bagore ki Haveli at 6.45 pm. This heritage home was built in the 18th century by a former nobleman of the Mewar state. It is a short walk from the Jagdish Temple at Gangaur Ghat on the banks of Lake Pichola. It is open for viewing from 10 am to 7 pm and there is a small entry fee.

Bagore ki Haveli

Entrance to the haveli

Courtyard in haveli

The Haveli has been diligently restored. The 138 rooms set around courtyards depict how the Rajasthani noblemen used to live in the past, and exhibit the traditional arts and crafts of the region.

Impressive folk dance performances in the Mewari and Rajasthani style, called ‘Dharohar’ are held at ‘Bagore ki Haveli’ every evening from 7 pm to 8 pm, and are worth witnessing. The word ‘dharohar’ means inheritance, and these artistes have taken it upon themselves to preserve the colourful culture and tradition of the region in a very beautiful way, in one of the courtyards of their old but restored Haveli.

There is an entry fee of Rs.60 per person (Rs.100 for foreigners) and Rs.100 for any type of camera. After you enter you have to find yourself a suitable place to sit around the neem tree in the courtyard, just as you would do in a Rajasthani village, and settle down for the show to start. The earlier you arrive the better your chances of getting a good vantage point to capture all the action.

Welcome to 'Dharohar'

The speaker welcomes you to his Land, and explains what each of the dances signifies, both in English as well as Hindi. The dances are indeed performed very well and keep you spellbound. The bright and ornamental costumes also serve to highlight the colourful traditions of the region.

The Musicians

The dancers

Mesmerising dance

There’s one slot for a puppet show in which some kids from the audience are selected to take part, making it more interactive and humorous.

Puppets for sale at Bagore ki Haveli

This is one show you must not miss, to get an insight into the culture and traditions of Rajasthan.

After watching the show we called our rickshaw man, Hyder Ali, who turned up as promised, to drive us back to our resort in time for dinner.

There was a good buffet spread at the Club Mahindra resort restaurant. We had a choice of chicken 65 (starter), dum gosht gravy, salads, biryani, raita, malai kofta, dal, and a pasta dish. There was a variety of sweet dishes, but we settled for the ice-cream.

23-July-2014: Wednesday: Hathi Pol, Gulab Bagh, Lake Pichola, Dudh Talai, Karni Mata ropeway, Lake Fateh Sagar, Sukhadiya Circle, Saheliyon ki Bari.

We had a long day ahead as we had to check out by 11 am, but our train was scheduled to depart from Udaipur at 9.30 pm. I booked a cab through 'Falcon Tours' to pick us up at 11 am and drive us round Udaipur's remaining tourist attractions.

Our first halt was at Hathi Pol where Geeta did some shopping for Rajasthani dresses, mojris and trinkets. After finishing the shopping we had some coconut water and pineapple juice, and got back into the cab to go to Gulab Bagh.

Victoria Hall in Gulab Bagh

Sajjan Niwas Garden is a large garden situated immediately below the embankment of Pichola Lake. It is more commonly known as ‘Gulab Bagh’ because a small part of the garden is dedicated to growing roses (gulab). The gardens were laid out by Maharana Sajjan Singh in the 19th century.

There is a small zoo and a toy train running around the periphery, hence it is an ideal outing with your little kids. We were more fascinated by the numerous squirrels playing around and feeding at our feet.

Friendly squirrel in Gulab Bagh

‘Victoria Hall’ is a building in the garden which houses a reading room and library. The vast open gardens, huge trees and shady pathways make these gardens an ideal place for a peaceful morning and evening walk as well.

After a leisurely stroll in Gulab Bagh our cabbie, Mr.Firoj Khan suggested that we have lunch at the rooftop restaurant of Hotel Padmimi Palace, since the other rooftop restaurants around Lake Pichola are open only in the evenings, being off-season now. This restaurant was air-con and had an aerial view of haveli rooftops, but not much of the lake. The food was quite tasty and reasonably priced.

After lunch we decided to take a boat ride on Pichola Lake, from the jetty near Dudh Talai. The charges for a 20 minute boat ride was Rs.100 per person. We saw the City Palace, Lake Palace (Jag Niwas), Jag Mandir, The Oberoi Trident and other lakeside hotels and havelis from close quarters while riding around the lake.

Some haveli hotels on Lake Pichola

Lake Palace Hotel (Jag Niwas)

Jag Mandir Palace

The City Palace viewed from the lake

After the boat ride we went to Dudh Talai for a cable car ride up to Karni Mata mandir. Dudh Talai (Milky Lake) is a small lake sandwiched in between Lake Pichola and Machala Magra (Fish Hill). It is very close to the south end jetty of Lake Pichola.

There are two gardens on either side, one is the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Park, with the musical fountains and rock garden, and the other is the Manik Lal Verma Park, which is at an elevation leading up to Machala Magra.

Dudh Talai gardens are the favourite haunts for the locals as well as tourists who like to come and spend a quiet evening watching the sunset over Lake Pichola, between the far hills. One can take a stroll in the beautifully laid out rock garden and enjoy the musical fountains in the evening. Camel rides can be had nearby.

One can take a cable car ride from near Deen Dayal Park, up to the Karni Mata temple situated high up on Machla Magra, from where one can get a bird’s eye view of Udaipur.

Rain clouds were gathering above Udaipur and it started raining while we were up on the hill. We had some good views of the city from atop the hill and I got some stunning photos. The ropeway shuts down if there is heavy rain or wind so we came down by 5 pm and whiled away one hour having fresh pop-corn hot from the machine followed by a cup of tea.

Dudh Talai

Cable car to Karni Mata hill

View from Karni Mata hill

Rain clouds ready to burst over Udaipur

We departed from Dudh Talai at 6 pm and I told Firoj Khan to drive us to Fateh Sagar Lake and Sukhadia Circle.

Fateh Sagar is the second big lake amongst the seven lakes of Udaipur. It lies to the north of Lake Pichola and is connected to it by a canal. It has a small island which has a public park, known as Nehru Garden. Another small island at the far end houses the Udaipur Solar Observatory.

The lakeside is more open and less crowded by buildings than Lake Pichola. There are some food stalls and vendors on one side, where the local people come to spend the evening and enjoy the breeze from the lake. The promenade along the dam wall on the eastern side of the lake is good for long walks and many of the local citizens come here for their morning walks. Some of the locals can be seen jumping into the lake and enjoying a quick swim.

Boat rides, including speed boats, are available which take you around the lake, but there is not much to see except the Nehru Garden in the middle of the lake. The boat ride on Lake Pichola is more interesting.

Fateh Sagar Lake

Sukhadiya Circle

When you are passing Sukhadia Circle in your vehicle you will not realise that there is a nice garden and a large pond encircling a tall and beautiful fountain. You can only see the upper part of the fountain, till you get down from your car and walk into the green enclosure.

Situated in front of the Railway Training School at the junction of Moti Magri Road and the Jodhpur Road, this is a very tall fountain surrounded by a fairly large pond and neatly laid out green parks embedded with beautiful flowers and herbs.

The fountain is lit up in the evening and a many locals come to have a paddle boat ride in the duck shaped boats, or an evening walk around the pond. There are many food stalls where they can be seen enjoying some snacks or ice-cream.

It’s best to visit this attraction during the evening, if you are spending more than 3 days in Udaipur, and are staying near Moti Magri area.

Saheliyon ki Bari

We also visited Saheliyon ki Bari. This is a small but beautiful garden near Sukhadia Circle and Lake Fateh Sagar. There is a nominal entry fee, and it is worth visiting if you are sight-seeing other nearby attractions. We took a short break here, and were truly refreshed by the lovely water fountains, lotus ponds, green lawns, and the exotic plants and flowers.

The fountains are fed by water gushing in from the Lake Fateh Sagar nearby. The elephant shaped fountains are set around beautiful lotus pools and marble pavilions. The garden was built by Maharana Sangram Singh II in the early part of the 18th century for a group of forty eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur, as part of her dowry.

When the fountains are working, the sound of the water flowing and pattering down on the leaves and plants make you feel as if you are in a rain forest, and refreshes you on a hot and sunny day.

There is also a small museum exhibiting some items and artefacts from the royal households.

We reached Hotel Nataraj near the Railway Station by 7 pm and had an early dinner so that we had sufficient time to board our train to Mumbai, at 9.30 pm.