My TripAdvisor Review No.184: Mapro Factory and Food Park, Wai, Maharashtra.

“Best Pizzas, Sandwiches and Milkshakes near Wai.”

Reviewed yesterdayNEW

Mapro’s Factory and Food Park is located between Surur on NH4, and Wai on the Pune to Mahabaleshwar route. It is about 90 kms from Pune, and about 5 kms from Wai. You will first see a huge Indian flag fluttering on the right hand side of the road as you are approaching Wai. You can enter the gates and park your vehicle inside the huge compound next to their restaurant.

The restaurant menu is the same as the ‘Mapro Garden’ menu located near Mahabaleshwar. However this place is not as crowded and popular as the Mahabaleshwar outlet.

You can enjoy some of the best vegetarian pizzas, grilled sandwiches, soups, fruit squashes and strawberry milkshakes at the restaurant. All the Mapro products like squashes and juices are available at the store. They also have an outlet for their organic vegetables which are grown on their farms, and the prices are very reasonable.

It is a good stopover if you are driving from Pune to Mahabaleshwar. They have clean washrooms as well.

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• Visited June 2016
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.183: Kalubai Mandhardevi Temple, Wai, Maharashtra.

“Hilltop Temple dedicated to a Goddess.”

Reviewed 1 week ago

This temple is dedicated to a goddess Kaleshwari Devi. She is fondly called Kalubai by the mainly Maharashtrian devotees.

The temple is located 22 km north of Wai and about the same distance from the town of Bhor, in the district of Satara in Maharashtra state. There is a decent state highway connecting Wai to Bhor and one has to take a right turn up a hilly road, known as the Mandhardevi Ghat, and drive up about 3 km to reach the hilltop temple. The views of the surrounding areas of Wai, Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani are worth going for. One can also see the Purandar Fort and the Krishna River.

The temple is colorful and brightly painted. It is surrounded by shops where one can buy offerings for the deity. There is a big open space for parking behind the temple. One has to pay entry charges (per person) and separate charges for parking. Public washrooms are available though they are not very clean. There are some restaurants nearby but it is better to carry your own food and water.

There was not much of a crowd when we went and we got a good darshan of the Devi. There is an annual pilgrimage here in the month of January when it gets very crowded.

Photography is not permitted inside the temple.

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Visited June 2016

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

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My TripAdvisor Review No.182: Underground Temple, Hampi.

“Cool Temple Below Ground Level.”

Reviewed 2 weeks ago

This temple is situated close to the Hampi Bus Stand and near the Nobleman’s Quarters. There is no admission fee and photography is allowed.

The ceiling of this temple is at ground level. There are steps at the eastern end to go down into the precincts. There is a Linga with a Nandi facing the steps. There is a canal system flowing through the temple and you have to move around carefully to avoid getting your feet wet.

There is a beautiful lawn built around the temple. You can relax for a while on the lawns or take a walk around if you do not want to get down into the dark and damp insides of the temple. This place is generally less crowded than the other monuments.

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Visited January 2016

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

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My TripAdvisor Review No.181: Pattabhirama Temple, Hampi.

“Large but Isolated Temple Complex.”

Reviewed 2 days agoNEW

This temple complex is just half a km from the Archaeological museum and is located in Kamalapura area of Hampi. It is away from the other main monuments and temples and gets much fewer visitors even though the monuments are as good and equally imposing. At the time of my visit in January 2016 some restoration work was in progress by the ASI.

The temple is supposed to have been built in 1540 AD by Timmaraja during the reign of Achyutaraya. The temple complex has a large courtyard enclosed by a high wall. The large and square hall has tall and splendid pillars of different types. Though not as ornate, the Pattabhirama Temple complex is as large as the more popular Vithala Temple complex.

The temple complex is open from morning to evening. There is no admission fee and you are free to take photographs inside.

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Visited January 2016

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

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My TripAdvisor Review No.180: JJ Garden Wada Pao, Pune

“Popular Street Food.”

Reviewed yesterdayNEW

Wada Pao is the most popular street food in Maharashtra, and is easily available on the streets of Mumbai, Pune and Kolhapur. It is sometimes called the local vegetarian burger, and consists of a deep fried burger of potatoes coated with a batter of gram flour. It is then enclosed in a small bun of soft bread (pao) and eaten with fried chillies and some chutney.

The JJ Garden Wada Pao is actually a mobile cart located across a garden by the same name in the Camp area of Pune. It has become very popular because the burgers are bigger in size than others, and served with a special spicy-sweet green chutney spread on the bun. You can also add some green chillies and another chutney mixture of garlic, red chilly powder and groundnut powder.

There is always a crowd around the cart at meal times. You can grab your burger and carry it home or eat it seated on a bench in the garden.

• Visited May 2016
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.179: Archaeological Musuem, Hampi

“Gives a Good Overview of Hampi.”

Reviewed 2 weeks ago

This museum is located in Kamalapura area of Hampi. The restored statues, weapons, ancient coins and other artefacts are worth seeing. A miniature replica model of the entire Hampi area has been created in the middle of the building.

The museum premises are relatively new, and there are clean washrooms and water coolers for drinking water available. However photography is not allowed inside the building. You have to show your entry ticket which is clubbed with the other monuments.

It is best to visit this museum at the start of your Hampi trip as it can help you plan a route after seeing the replica model.

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Visited January 2016

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

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My TripAdvisor Review No.178: Sasivekalu Ganesha, Hampi.

“Ganesha Idol Shaped Like a Mustard Seed.”

Reviewed yesterdayNEW

This is second largest monolithic stone statue of Ganesha in Hampi. It is about 8 feet tall and is called Sasivekalu because of its resemblance in shape to a mustard seed. The statue is seated in half lotus posture.

There is an interesting story regarding this Ganesha idol. Lord Ganesha is well known for being a greedy eater. One day he ate so much that his tummy almost burst. So he caught hold of a snake and tied it round his tummy to stop it bursting. You can see the stone snake coiled around his belly. He has four arms in one of which he his holding his broken tusk.

This idol is located at the southern foothill of the Hemakuta hill.

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Visited January 2016

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

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My TripAdvisor Review No.177: Kadalekai Ganesha, Hampi.

“Huge Ganesha Idol in Stone.”

Reviewed 2 days agoNEW

This is one of the largest stone Ganesha Idols I have ever seen. It is about 18 feet tall and has four arms and a pot belly. It is placed in a big pillared inner sanctum. It gets its name from its shape in the form of a groundnut or Bengal gram, and is supposed to have been built from the donations of a groundnut trader.

It is a monolithic statue which has been carved from a single stone.

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Visited January 2016

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

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My TripAdvisor Review No.176: Lotus Mahal (Palace), Hampi.

“Well Preserved and Beautiful Architecture.”

Reviewed 2 days agoNEW

This monument is to the north of the Mahanavami Dibba inside a compound with a high wall. It is very near to the Elephant Stables.

It is a mixture of Hindu and Muslim architecture. It is a two storied building, built in such a way as to facilitate air circulation within the rooms which were kept cool. There was also some arrangements for water to flow through nearby as the building is surrounded by beautiful green lawns.

It was supposed to be a rest house for the Queens.

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Visited January 2016

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

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My TripAdvisor Review No.175: Pushkar Sweets, Pune.

“Excellent Snacks and Sweets.”

Reviewed 1 week ago

This is not a regular restaurant, but more of a carry away snacks and sweet shop. We go there quite often to buy the sweets during festival days, especially Diwali and Holi. On other days we get the typical Indian and Rajasthani snacks like dhokla, khandvi, bhels, and other savoury snacks like puris, kachoris, and samosas.

They also have a good assortment of Bengali sweets, dry fruit, cold drinks and ice-creams. Sometimes we buy their homemade chocolates and these are very good.

The staff is cordial and friendly, and their rates are reasonable. The shop is air conditioned.

• Visited April 2016
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.174: Hotel Sai International, Yelur (NH4).

“Good Hotel for a Night Halt, near Kolhapur.”

Reviewed 1 week ago

This is a good hotel if you wish to take a break in your long drive between Bangalore to Pune or Mumbai. It is located on the highway itself (NH4) about 32 km from Kolhapur and 38 km before Karad as you are moving towards Pune. You do not have to enter the city of Kolhapur and can hence avoid the city traffic.

The rooms are clean, spacious and reasonably priced. The bathrooms are also large and well equipped. You have a choice of ac and non-ac rooms. There is a separate restaurant for the hotel guest which serves good Kolhapuri food, as well as some Chinese dishes. There is a Food Court also, which is more popular with the travellers on NH4. It is a better option for breakfast and fast food items.

We halted here for the night when we were returning from Bangalore to Pune, and had a good night’s rest before resuming our trip the next morning. There was not much noise from highway traffic as the room had good sound insulation when we kept the window closed.

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• Stayed January 2016, travelled as a couple
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g1162197-d1737276-r361390770-Hotel_Sai_International-Sangli_Maharashtra.html#

My TripAdvisor Review No.173: Mumbai (Sunset) Point, Mahabaleshwar.

“Just Another View Point.”

Reviewed 2 days agoNEW

There are many viewing points in Mahabaleshwar from where you can get mesmerising views of the hills and valleys around, and Mumbai Point is one of them. This one is facing west towards Mumbai hence the name.

In the evening most of the tourists of this hill resort head towards this point and the area becomes like a stadium. The main performer is the ‘Sun-God’. It slowly starts sinking towards the horizon and the audience madly click snaps with their cameras and cellphones as it goes down below the Arabian Sea in the distance.

There is a small garden with a gazebo in the centre and a lot of entertainment and snack stalls around. One can also go for a horse ride near the point.

Mumbai Point gets too overcrowded in the evenings, and finding parking can be a problem on weekends. A better option is Lodwick Point nearby or Elphinstone Point, to enjoy a more serene sunset.

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Visited March 2016

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

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My TripAdvisor Review No.172: MTDC Holiday Resort Mahabaleshwar.

“For that Genuine Hill Station Ambience.”

Reviewed yesterdayNEW

MTDC Mahabaleshwar resort is located far from the madding crowd that defines this hill town during a long weekend or a vacation. Although it is situated just about a kilometre from the Mahabaleshwar market, its ambience is very soothing as it is set amidst the deep forests and meandering pathways of the hill station.

Being a Government run property gives it the advantage of being in one of the best locations, but at the same time the maintenance of the buildings and internal fixtures could be better. They have a range of different types of rooms, from luxurious suites to cottages, standard, as well as economy rooms. Bookings can also be done online.

There is a decent restaurant named ‘Sonali’ in the MTDC campus which serves Indian and Chinese food. However we were a bit disappointed as the tandoori items were not available in the off-season. There is another open air restaurant towards the PWD Section of the resort campus, and the food served here was also reasonably good. My wife also visited the Ayurvedic spa named ‘Chirayu’ and was quite happy with the very reasonably priced head, neck and shoulder massages.

We enjoyed the morning and evening walks in the resort campus itself, listening to the chirruping of the plentiful birds. The resort is just a 15 minute walk from the famous Bombay (Sunset) Point, which becomes like a mini stadium in the evenings. But we got to see beautiful sunsets from the resort campus itself by walking towards the PWD Section, which is just a 5 minute walk from the reception office. Children can enjoy the small playground within the resort, or be entertained by the antics of resident monkeys.

All in all we had a very calm and relaxing holiday as we had gone on a weekday in the off-season, but I believe the next weekend, which was a long 4 day weekend had been booked more than a month in advance.

Room Tip: Standard rooms are closer to the restaurant than the Economy rooms, though they are almost the same...

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• Stayed March 2016, travelled as a couple
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.171: Nalknad Palace, Kakkabe, Coorg.

“A Hideout for the King.”

Reviewed 1 week ago

The palace is about 25 km from Virajpet in the South of Coorg (Kodagu) district. It is about 2 km off the Virajpet – Talacauvery road, near the town of Kakkabe. There is a small turn-off on the left as you are coming from Virajpet. The last 1 km is a very rough and rocky road.

The Nalknad Palace is not a real palace, but a hide-out of the old Kodagu kings, to escape their enemies during war time. Some of their enemies were the British, as well as Tipu Sultan. The palace seemed to be in a state of disrepair, but still looked very regal.

It is in the midst of the forests on a hill, and surrounded by the tall peaks of the Western Ghats. The tallest peak of Coorg, the Tadiayandamol, is visible in the background and is about 6 km from the palace. Trekker’s start their trek to this peak from near here.

Photography was prohibited inside the palace, but we took many snaps outside. There was a lone guide cum watchman who showed us around the palace, and we left him a small tip.The guide showed us the ancient wall and ceiling paintings, as well as a secret passage and a dark room inside the palace.

The surroundings were very calm and beautifully forested and green.

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Visited January 2016

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

https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g1639845-d3912989-r355601306-Nalknad_Palace-Kakkabe_Kodagu_Coorg_Karnataka.html#