Goa Revisited

It is ages since I wrote anything on my travelogue. It’s not because I did not explore any place in the mean time. It is because I was visiting places a 2nd time, clicking pictures from a different angle.

One such place that I visited for the second time recently was Goa. And, I am really glad I did so. I went to Goa for the first time for our Honeymoon – in November 1999. The experience was very different. As usual I did a lot of net research, I figured what are the places that can be visited or what can be done in Goa in a week. I figured I have to visit Old Goa, the church, Fort Aguada, Calangut beach do the Mandovi cruise etc, the regular stuff. It was great fun. We stayed at Longuinhous beach resort in Colva and reaching the other tourist spots was difficult. We hired a bike, had a map, and had to travel almost 60 kms one way to visit any place. We did not calculate distances to be traversed before booking the hotel. I was naïve. Also, for the very first time I realized, Goa was not a town, it is a state in itself, it is very large, and hence all the tourist spots may be over 100 kms away from one another.

It is 7 yrs since the first visit to Goa and I am a seasoned traveler now. What did I learn in the 7 yrs. Stuff like – pack light, take the medicines that you usually have along with you - just in case you fall sick, split your money equally in 2 or 3 different bags. If you are sucker for tea in the mornings, carry your tea bags and your electric kettle, it comes in handy. Carry stuff like towel, bed sheet, tooth paste and soap. Do not assume that the hotel would give these to you. It is possible that they give you these things, but, you might not want to use them.

Goa has been in the mind for a long time now, and it was new year time. Me and Aravind took a day off from work to have a 4 day vacation at Goa. I did a lot of web browsing and got to know that beach huts are cool and are economical accommodation options in Goa. Also, have seen a lot of pictures of Palolem beach – it is a semicircular shaped beach lined with coconut trees. Yes! Also, when I went to Goa the previous time, I saw many beach huts in all the popular beaches at Goa, and had harbored this wish that I must stay in them some time. The charge is about Rs. 250 to Rs. 400 per day.

I thought these beach huts would be comfortable, even though it is called a hut. I was in for a rude shock. As it was new year time, the cost of the beach hut per might was Rs. 1500 per night. If it was a beach hut facing the beach, then, the charge is Rs. 2500 per night. And all this high price for just cardboard flooring, coconut leaf walls, coconut leaf ceiling with blue plastic on it (will stop rain water from seeping in, just in case it rained), small shower in the bathroom which sprinkles water at a extremely slow speed, a child potty and a child wash basin, with child bucket and child mug. There is a cot in the room, with bed sheets that are not changed at all. There is a small fan (the smallest one I have ever seen) that hung from the ceiling. There is a small bulb. And, because of the thin walls (or the absence of it), you can hear almost everything from outside. You can hear what the couple in the next beach hut is doing.

The food is amazing. The entire Palolem beach is lined with beach hut properties, and each of them have their own restaurants. You can get the best European break fast here – hot chocolate, hash browns, porridge et all…awesome. In the night, all the restaurants display the fresh catch from the sea – lobsters, crabs, fish of the season etc. You can choose what you want to be grilled. Palolem gets my 1st prize for beach side sea food grills. The cocktails are nice too.

Like I said earlier, the palolem beach is beautiful, and is one of the best beaches I have seen so far. The beach itself curves in the shape of a semicircle, lined with coconut trees. Beyond this, these are mountains. So, if you went on a dolphin cruise in one of the boats, and you were coming back to shore, you would see coconut trees with the beach huts under them and the mountains behind them. It is so beautiful. The water is beautiful green or blue..Torquoise I would say. There is small boulder in the sea. Most people swim to it stay up there for a while. The scene is picture perfect.

In Palolem beach, you will find more foreigners than Indians. There are people of all ages. Everyone, having a piece of Nirvana, like as though it is available on the lunch menu. Goa has been popular on the backpack tourism circuit for over 40 years. Tourists from the West land at Thailand, spend some time there, and travel their way into India through Vietnam and Burma. Once they enter India, the must see’s are usually Nepal, Himachal, Ladakh, Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Goa. Many people do this trip on bikes.

Through the day, the beach is active with people – locals and tourists. The day starts with a nice English breakfast, bun with butter and jam, coffee, hash browns, porridge, fruit juice, fruits et all. The next thing on the menus is the swim in the sea or try to stay on the shore under one of the colourful umbrellas and get a tan. I did not need a tan, as I am born with one. Then, after the swim, get a bath in the super slow shower, and then settle for some cocktails and bar-be-que, eat to the hearts content, like there is no food back home. After food, it is time to take your hired bike and drive on the country roads. One day, I went to Fort Aguada. It is a great drive, about 80 kms one way. I left at about 11 and came back at 7:30 in the night. You will pass through thick jungle and the National highways do not have lights. It can be scary. I have a piece of advice to those wanting to bike in Goa. Leave early and always get back to you hotel before it is dark. The roads are lonely and can get eerie. It is better to be safe than sorry. The nights are the same – good cocktail, sea food griller and long stroll by the beach, with the waves touching your feet.

The New Year at Palolem is fantastic. My beach hut owner arranged a Performance by a Belly dancer. She danced really well. She also walks to each table while dancing and encourages the guests to dance with her. I did belly dancing for the first time – she taught me a few steps. On the new year eve, all the hotels arrange for the best food, best drink and best music and the best fire works. Around 10:30 pm all the people start firing crackers and at around mid night, the fire work show organized by each hotel is awesome and is a great way to welcome to new year.

This way, after lazing around for 4 days, we took the train back to Bangalore at Londa. I was at Bangalore the next morning, and was at office – back to the Grind!

Getting there: Goa is well connected from every other place in the country. The airport is at Dabolim and is about 100 kms from Panjim.

There are railway stations at Vasco and Madgaon. There are several buses as well.

From Bangalore, the best way to get to Goa, is to take the Bangalore Kolhapur – Rani Chennamma Express. It leaves Bangalore at 9 pm in the night and reaches Londa at 7:30 in the morning. From Londa, one can take a cab to Goa. The distance from Londa to Goa is about 100 kms (depends on which beach you are going to) and can cost Rs. 1500 one way.

The other trains is the Chennai Vasco express – but, it runs on certain days of the week.

Local Transport: You can take a cab, or hire a bike of your choice.

Accomodation: Tourism is a well established industry in Goa and there are several places to stay. You just have to choose the beach that you want to spend your time at. Google for suitable places to stay in the vicinity.

Beach huts seems very cool and romantic, but, on a serious note, they really suck. Avoid them completely.

But, they are a very economical option – Rs. 250 per day, great food and right on the beach.

Local places to visit: Ford Aguada and Mandovi river cruise are a must. There are lots of places in old Goa. All hotels have brochures on local sights to visit. You can choose which ones to visit and which ones to leave, depending on the time you have got.

Best time to visit: October to March. Avoid Goa during summer and monsoon.

But, if you love the rains, visit Goa during the monsoon between June and August. But remember that umbrellas may work there at all.

Negembo, Srilanka

My Srilanka trip was very short. We stayed there for just 6 nights and 6 days.

Jet airways, Air Sahara, Air India and Srilankan Airlines operate flight between India and Srilanka and they connect Colombo to several cities in India – Chennai, Trivandrum, Bombay, Bangalore and Delhi.

We flew Srilankan. We took the flight from Chennai on a Monday night. The flight duration is 45 minutes from Chennai to Colombo. The flight took off at 9.15 pm and we were to reach Colombo at 10 pm. But, as Srilanka is ahead of India by 30 minutes, we reached at 10.30 pm local time.

Our chauffer cum guide for the tour Mathow arrived to pick us up. He was there on time, waiting for us. But, instead of having our names on the welcome card, he had the name of the local travel agent in Bangalore. I realized the mistake in names and recognized him.

Mathow drove us to our hotel for the night, Camelot beach hotel at Negembo.

Srilanka is very popular for its beaches. Indian itself has a large coast line, then, you might ask, what is special about the beaches in Srilanka. The beauty is that, there are beaches like that of Goa, with silver sands, beaches like Vizag that are mountainous, beaches like Karwar, shallow for most part of the day, beaches with white sands like the ones at Andamans and Lakshadweep. The waters here are shallow with reefs, the colour is of copper sulphate blue, very inviting. There are also backwaters, like Kerala. So, there is variety in one small island, which is just 160 kms wide and 240 kms long. No wonder, it is called Pearl of the Orient and Serendib – which means Island of Peace.

Negembo is 12 kms north of Bandarnayeke International Airport and took us about 15 minutes to reach by car. By the way, the airport is located 15 kms north of Colombo. While driving through the silence of the night, Srilanka seemed so much like India, the narrow lanes lined by shops, the coconut trees, the dogs on the road, barking at every passing car, young boys standing on the road and having a chat with friends, it all looked so familiar.

We reached this part of Negembo that is full of beach side resorts. We checked in at Camelot.

When we reached our room, the first thing on my mind was to look out for the beach. How far is it from the room ? Can I hear the waves from the room ? I opened the balcony door and realized that there is hardly 100 feet separating the room and the sea. I could see the froth of the waves, and could hear them clearly. I was way too tired to stay out. Plus it was sultry, so much like Chennai. I slept, promising myself that I will wake up early to walk by the beach.

Camelot is a simple 3 star beach resort, obviously by the beach, with simple rooms, has 2 swimming pools, has a nice restaurant cum bar, has a good open beach side restaurant, barbeque and common area with a good collection of books. The rooms are simple and neat with TV, attached bath and basic facilities. All rooms face the beach.

I could not sleep comfortably coz I was scared that a tsunami was on its way. I din’t realize when I dozed off.

So, I woke up really early. I must have slept for just about 6 hrs or so. I usually sleep for about 8 hrs at home.

The first thing on the mind was to get some time by the beach and click some nice photos. We were to proceed towards Dambulla and Giritale at 9.30 am with Mathow. So, that left us with just about 3 hrs to walk by the beach, have breakfast and get ready to leave.

The beach at Negembo was like it is in Chennai and Pondicherry. Rough waves. It was cloudy and sunlight din’t reach the land. There were several traditional fishing boats parked by the shore. They were unique. There were 2 parts to every boat. A fibre glass component on one side, and a bamboo component on the other, which I think is meant for balancing. Between the two parts is a bamboo bridge, where the fisherman stands and fishes. There are usually 2 men in the boat. Later I came to know that the sail is covered with fish blood. The smell would attract other fish when the boat is at sea.

We walked for about an hour. The entire beach has lots of beach resorts one after the other. All of them looked the same, they were facing the beach, U shaped with all rooms facing the sea, with the swimming pool in the center.

As we walked a little away, we saw residential areas. There were many parks. We saw young and older men going for their early morning walk, many young kids were playing foot ball.

At the same time, fishermen from the nearly fishing hamlets were setting out to the sea to fish. The boats with their red sails, were getting in one after the other. It was a really nice sight. There were over 100 boats in the waters, and many more were getting in. Most of them had motors fitted, some of them were operated manually.

The sun just got out from behind the clouds, the sunlight, the grey clouds, the red sailed boats, the bluish grey water of the sea, the white frothy waves and the golden sands made a lovely picture.

We walked as far as we could, and came really close to a fishing hamlet. My husband was worried that some local fishermen may come and demand money from us…such things happen in India, it is not really safe there. We din’t want to get into trouble in Srilanka and hence walked back to the hotel.

We were really hungry, and decided to finish our breakfast before getting back to our rooms. Dosa or Idly or Milk rice with Chicken curry or Fish curry is the staple break fast at Srilanka. The fish curry tasted like the one my mom makes – with tomato and tamarind juice, lots of chilly powder and coriander leaves. The chicken curry tasted like the Kerala fish curry. Of course it will, if coconut is used. So, I know food would never be a problem here.

The tea was superb. At every place in Srilanka, we got the best tea.

After a nice break fast, we went to our rooms, got ready, and were ready to leave at 9.30 am. Our sojourn in Srilanka was just about to begin.

Vishakapatnam

Vizag is not just about a Large steel plant, a world class port and a ship building yard. Vast seas, beautiful beaches, and mountains are also part of the scenery.

When I went to Vizag first, I thought it would be a small town. I never realized that it would be so large, buzzling with activity. I found that Vizag is more beautiful and well planned than Chennai or Bangalore. The main reason is the presence of the Navy that built the entire city and helped its development. Vizag steel is best and so are their ships.

Being a person who hails from Andhra Pradesh, I have got loads of relatives here, and hence I have been to Vizag several times. Summer can get really hot, and can touch about 47 to 50 degrees, and the humidity makes it intolerable. I believe that this is the only reason why people do not opt for Vizag as a beach destination. But, the food here is a delight. Be it Kodi Vepudu, Chapa Vepudu, Royallu Fry, Nooni Vonkaya or what ever..none can do it better.
The song ‘Hum Bane Tun Bane, Ek Duje Ke Liye’, was shot here and Vizag became popular.
Vishakapatnam is called Vizag in short, and was called Waltair by the British. It is on the East Coast of India, and this part of the coast is called the Circar Coast. Just to brush up geography, the other parts of India’s coast line are called Coromandal coast, Malabar coast and Konkan coast.

Vishakapatnam’s got its name from God of valour, Visakha. It was once a small fishing village of the Kalinga empire, under Ashoka in 260 BC. It passed on successively from the Andhra kings to Vengi to the Pallavas, Cholas and Gangas. In the 15th century, Visakhapatnam became a part of the Vijayanagar empire. The Dutch, were the first European occupants of Vizag. It was sleepy fishing town until the early 1920’s, it was developed by the British and opened to sea-going vessels in 1933. Since then it has been a medium- sized port, catering to the requirements of the Deccan Plateau and the eastern parts of the country. As Waltair under British rule, Vizag was also seen to be of strategic importance by the military who set up base here. The city was also an important target of Japanese attack during the World War II. The Pakistanis too attacked the city during the Indo Pak war in 1972, but fortunately no damage was done to the city. The military still has bases here.

Visakahapatnam is today, the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy.
The natural setting of Vizag is beautiful. It has these lovely golden beaches and three rocky mountain ranges, part of the Eastern ghats. The mountains collide with the sea, just like the Western ghats at Karwar. The three rocky ranges - The Kailasha Hill, The Porupalam Hill and the Yarada Hill form an excellent backdrop and enhance the charm of this beautiful Port city.
Apart from the ship building yard and the port, Vizag is home to the nation’s most powerful lighthouse, the longest metal beach road in the country and the world’s highest broad gauge railway track.

Vizag has loads of must see places…so when you go you must make it a point to stay there for at least a week. They are the Port, the Ship Building Yard, Kailashagiri Mountain, Dohphins nose and the Rishikonda Beach. Don’t miss the Kailashagiri mountain, coz from the top of it, you can see the most beautiful arial view of the beach and the bay of Bengal. On top of the Dolphins nose, which is nothing but a rocky projection, the light house is situated.

From the amazing array of beaches at Vizag, the Ramakrishna Beach and the Lawson's Bay are the loveliest. Your visit to Vizag will be incomplete without the stroll at the sunrise at these beaches. Make the most of your holiday at Vizag, simply sip the coconut water and be cool.
The Caltex Oil Refinery, VUDA Park, MCV Museum and the zoo are the other places worth visiting on your holiday at Vizag.

Around Vizag, there are several places that you can reach for single day trips. Araku Valley ( 112 kms ), Borra Caves ( 90 Kms ), Araku tribal museum, Anantagir Ghats, Sangda Falls, Matsyagundam ( 135 kms ), Paderu ( 74 kms ) and Simhachalam Temple are other single day excursions that you go to around Vizag.

This part of Andhra had a lot of Buddhist influence and has several sites dating back to 2nd to 7th Century AD. Thotlakonda and Bavinakonda complexes have stupas, chaityas and viharas. Other places in Visakhapatnam which marks Buddhist shrines were Pavuralakonda near Bheemunipatnam, Gopalapatnam and Lingarajupalem.

I have to make a special mention of Araku Valley and Borra Caves. Araku is the picturesque valley at 1300 meters above sea. The Eastern Ghats rail route from Visakhapatnam to Anantagiri is one of the highest broad guage tracks in Indian Railways, and Shimliguda Station is the highest broad gauge station. . Train travel is an exhilarating experience as lush landscapes of the forest and Coffee Plantations afford a memorable spectacle.

En route are the Borra Caves famous for their stalactite and stalagmites, believed to be a million years old and spread over the Eastern ghats and occupying an area of 2 square kilometers. The Gosthani river, which formed the cave, heads towards Orissa, after emerging from the caves.

The landscape around the cave is wild and mountaineous. The valley is inhabited by about 19 tribes. Their Dimsa and Mayur dances are still performed during their festival 'Itika Pongal' - the famous hunting festival in April.

But the best way to visit the cave is probably a guided day trip which typically includes Tyada Railway Tunnel, Damuku View Point, Borra Caves, Ananthagiri Coffee Plantation, Padmapuram Gardens and the Araku Valley.

Getting there :

As Vizag is a important City, it is connected by Roa, Air, Rail and also by Sea from many important places. If you wish to get to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, u can take a ship out of Vizag.

Best time – Oct to Feb

Trip Duration – 1 week

Getting around – Public transport, autos and taxis can be used.

Accomodation :

Taj Residency, Park Hotel, Grand Bay and Palm Beach Hotel are on Beach Road
Dolphin Hotels, DabagardensGreen Park, 12-11-17, Waltair Road
Hotel Daspalla – Suryabagh, For a sumptuous unlimited meals, get here
Ocean View Inn, 7.1.43, Kirlampudi
Hotel Meghalaya, Asilmetta Junction

East Coast Road

For Chennaites, East Coast Road, is like Nirvana. Whether you go Biking or cruising in your car, the thrill is unparalleled.

East Coast Road, popularly known as ECR, stretches along, obviously the East Coast, ie Bay of Bengal, and connects all villages, towns and cities on the East Coast. It runs from Chennai to Kanyakumari, the southern most tip of this country, and is 737 kms long. If you decide to drive all along, if would be a great road trip.

If you started driving from Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai, when you reach Mahabalipuram, you would have covered 43 kms, and would have covered 113 kms, if you reached Pondy. The Road connects Chennai to Pondicherry, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tuticorn and Kanyakumari, and runs 737 kms along the coast.

There is a toll booth just outside Chennai, and they collect Rs. 45 for a round ticket to Mahabalipuram and little over that for a round ticket to Pondy. After you have cross the toll booth, the experience is different.

Parts of the road are scenic, with a lovely view of the sea lined with coconut trees, casuarinas trees, fishermens villages, catamarans neatly arranged along, or just plain beach sand……and nothing else. No matter what’s on the shore, the drive is great. While you drive, you will see the sea coast on the left, it is sometimes, just a few feet away, and at some places, it is about a kilometer away, but, with nothing else in between to hide the view, the view is breathtaking.

After you cross Pondicherry, as you drive towards Cuddalore and further south, you will be driving with the sea lashing at the road…it is like, Marine drive types….with walls constructed, with road on top of it, and the sea with all its fury, dashes at the road.
If you drive in the night, you find that the road is dotted with reflectors on both the sides and in the middle, it looks superb. There many be many such places overseas, but, to have one world class road in India, is a great thing. People who have driven on this one, will surely agree.

Well, this piece is more from a Chennaites perspective. The road goes through many villages and large number of beach resorts that are springing up almost every week, and also crosses the heritage site of Mahabalipuram. There are several places along the route, drive-in cinema theatres – Prarthana Drive in, Eateries – Basera, Food Village, Buena Vista, virgin beaches and Muthukadu Backwaters, beach resorts – MGM Resort, GRT Temple Bay, Taj Fishermans Cove, Golden Sun, Silver Sands and many more, amusement parks – VGP Golden beach & MGM Dizzie world, several beachside farms – Casuarine bay, discotecs – EC 41, Go-karting tracks – Kart Attack and Danny’s Go-Karting, Crocodile bank, Dakshin Chitra, Cholamandalam artisans village and Mahabalipuram. Silver sands also has a adventure zone, where you can try scuba diving, para-sailing and some other water sports.

You can go for a catamaran ride, into the sea. All you need to do is befriend some fisherman from the fishing hamlets. The ride can cost you Rs. 100 for an hour. You have to be careful, coz the fisherman do not have any safety equipments, not even a life jacket. You will be just tied to the catamaran to a thick rope, and you will be asked to sit tight. So, please enjoy….and be careful, if you ever want to try this ride.

At Muthukadu, you can hire a motor boat or a peddle boat for Rs. 30 for 30 minutes. You can also hire canoe or a kayak if you are experienced, and can enjoy the waters.

Fishermans Cove has been a landmark on East Coast road, since 1974. It is a beautiful Taj property, on the beach, with wonderful hotel, several sea facing rooms, large swimming pool, beach side barbecue etc….and several sea facing cottages, with their own sit outs, hammock, and a private garden. Though their tarrifs are on the higher side, the experience is great Their breakfast buffet is fantastic and is a nice option after watching the sunrise at Mahabalipuram.

The other resorts, MGM, GRT Temple Bay and the rest are also not far behind. In face, their rates are slightly lesser, and hence you will find a lot of fun loving Chennaites hanging out in these places over the weekends. Corporates organize their weekend discos and the parties on the beach side, with a beach side bar, beach disc et all…..and anyone else Is also free to join.
Seafood wins hands down at relatively inexpensive restaurants like Coastal Kitchen and Casuarina. Hot Kitchen, Food Village, Buena Vista and Basera are also popular with the ECR regulars.

The crocodile bank houses the largest number of crocs in the country, and their breeding programme is extremely successful. They have so many crocs, that the zoo keepers here, have started eat omelettes made out of croc eggs, coz they do not want any more crocs.

Dakshin Chitra and Cholamandalam artisans village was started by 7 Chennaites, who decided to get together and work to improve the lives of the local artisans and also promote the art forms of South India. They have infact got from several places, houses of the traditional type and they have re-assembled here. So, they have recreated a road of a village in Tamilnadu or Kerela etc and have constructed the houses of a potter, weaver, farmer, scholar etc. The place is great.

At a certain point on ECR, if you wish to get to Mahabalipuram you need to keep driving straight, but, if you wish to hit Pondy, take the right turn.

Mahabalipuram are the shore temples, that were built on the orders of the Pallava King, Mahendra Verma Pallava. There is a the shore temple, 5 rathas, stone carvings indicating Arjunas penace and the Shiva temple. It is beautiful. If you at Mahabalipuram at lunch time, Moonraker is a nice place to have a bite. You can ask any localite, they will show you the place. Do not get deceived by the humble exteriors, once you enter, the smell of the food is intoxicating.

ECR boasts entertainment unlimited. The highway eventually veers off towards Pondicherry - the former French colony and a popular weekend guzzling abode for Chennaites. The white-washed buildings from a bygone era and the word-famous Auroville commune merit a day’s trip, at the very least.

If you run out of time on the first ride down ECR, you can always make another trip down the highway, with its multitude of entertainment options. Even if you’re heading nowhere in particular, when you’re coasting down the midnight-black highway, the road itself becomes the destination. Righly, it has got the place in Outlook Traveller magazine as one of the most scenic highways in India.

Chennai has its own way of promotion tourism on ECR, with all the several places that it has to entertain people. It is called Go ECR Go. It is a joint effort by Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation, Crocodile bank, Danshin Chitra, the amusement parks and the resorts on ECR, just to promote Tourism and increase traffic on this road.

Eat Outs at ECR

Basera , 146, 2/169 East Coast Road, Vettuvankeni, Chennai, Tel: (044)24492361. Food Village, 1/81 East Road, Injambakkam, Chennai – 41, Tel: (044) 24492692, 24493309. Hot Kitchen , 78,79 Injambakkam Village, , Chennai – 41, Tel: (044) 24490730, 24493139

Accomodation :

GRT Temple Bay Beach Resorts, Mamallapuram – 603104, Tel: 04114-242251,242254
Quality Inn MGM , No. 1/74, New Mamallapuram Road , Muttukkadu – 603112, Tel: 04114-245435 .
Fisherman's Cove, Covelong Beach , Mamallapuram - 603112 , Tel: 04114-272304-310 .
V G P Golden Beach Resort, East Coast Road , Injambakkam, Tel: 044-24491101

Pondicherry

Pondicherry is the closest weekend getaway from Chennai. Chennaites go to Pondi for a Friday night drink, or Saturday night drink, or just lunch, or for a long drive and get back home in the evening. It is 167 kms away on the East Coast Road, and takes just 1 hr and 30 mins. Isn’t it cool.

Let me start with something about Pondy itself. Pondicherry consists of Karaikal, Mahe, Yanam, and Pondicherry itself. The best things about being a Union Territory is that the taxes are less, and hence you get any kind of alcohol at dirt cheap rates.

Pondicherry was known to Roman and Greek cartographers as Poduke. It was an important point on the trade route between Rome and the East. Some elements of culture also were interchanged - the remains of a Roman amphitheatre were unearthed at Arikamedu.

The Pallavas and Cholas were among the first dynasties to take control of it, followed by the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the British. Finally it came down to a struggle between the French and the British. However the French managed to get control (in this one instance) and when John Francis Dupleix arrived as Governor General, he began rebuilding the city that the British had ravaged.

He built the city in two parts, Ville Noire (black city or the Indian side) on the west of the canal and Ville Blanche (white city or the European side) on the east, using the canal as the line of apartheid. In 1954, the French relinquished control to India and the city became the headquarters of the Union Territory of Pondicherry.

Pondicherry has remnants of that colonial memory although these are beginning to fade a little around the edges. French is spoken on the streets, the streets themselves are rues and the policemen wear kepis in the style of M'sieu De Gaulle.

Now, with the famous Aurobindo Ashram and the experimental commune of Auroville, Pondy is still hopping. Life here is laid back, and hence you need to spend about 2 days or may be more, to let the pace sink into you. Do you know, the restaurants close here during summer for vacations. The town in so small, you don’t need any local transport. You just need to hire a bicycle, you can see all the places, or if you have got time, you can walk it.

A planned city, Pondicherry is laid out in a grid pattern. All roads turn at right angles. A north-south canal that is now covered, divides the city into two parts - the smaller eastern side (the Ville Blanche or White city) and the much larger western side (Ville Noir or the Black city), reserved for natives. The French left and Pondy shed its apartheid demarcations, but the difference in the two sections is marked. You will probably be looking for the canal (it is non-descript and easily missed) so ask someone to point it out. On the east side runs Goubert Salai with a kilometer-long stretch of beach which has the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Ashram offices, French institutions, government buildings and restaurants.

Most of the houses are painted in pastel shades. The area surrounding the ashram is painted in Grey. All the buildings or houses that are painted grey, means that they are associated with the ashram in some way.

Pondy is famous for the Ashram, the beaches, the alcohol and the food. There is always a steady inflow of tourists from foreign countries, mainly France, coz the Mother was a French woman. People come here, stay at Auroville commune, spend a year or two, and go back to where they came from. Therefore, there are loads of restaurants that provide continental food of the best quality and a wide range of wines, liquers and cigars. This is in addition to this, the weekend partying crowd that comes from Chennai. Pondicherry is used as a test market to test all the alcohol and beverage products that are launched in India. The other place is Goa.

There are a lot of places to stay in Pondicherry as it is a large town. There are several lodges and hotels, you could check into. I have stayed once in Suruguru and once in Ram Prasad. These are budget hotels and have restaurants attached. The Ashram and the beach are walkable from here. If you wish to try a luxury hotel, there is Ananda Inn and Hotel Annamalai. They are expensive though.

There are several restaurants in Pondy that give great food. Rendevous, Le Bistro, Sat Sanga are some of them. They make the most exotic sea food, and serve the finest cocktails. Though they are a bit expensive, you will never really regret the sumptuous meal.

There are lots of places to see in Pondicherry. The Ashram, Auroville, Matri Mandir ( Mothers home ), Auroville Handicrafts unit, Recycled paper making unit, about 350 temples, several churches, Pondicherry museum, Jawahar Toy Museum, the botanical garden and the beach of course.

Aurobindo Ashram was set up by Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, freedom fighter, poet (of the longest epic poem in English, the uneven Savitri) and visionary. He and his chief disciple, the charismatic Parisian painter Mirra Alfassa better known as The Mother, are buried under a frangipani tree. Devotees cover their samadhi with fresh flowers every day. You don't have to be a believer to feel the calm and sanctity.

Auroville is a commune that is set up. Designed by the French architect Roger Anger, Auroville (or the City of Dawn) was the brainchild of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh and The Mother. They wanted it to be a place where people could live freely as citizens of the world and in harmony obeying one single authority, that of the Supreme Truth. People can buy houses / accommodation and stay here, and serve the commune or tourists can also stay here. There is a huge meditation hall, that is build in the shape of a sphere. There is a opening in the ceiling, in the center, through which sun light enters the spherical room. There is a large crystal right under this beam of sunlight. The crystal spreads the sunlight and illuminates the room. You need to get there to see it and meditate.

Three kilometres from Pondy, this is believed to be the site of the port of Poduke named by Ptolemy, occupied between the 1st century BC and 200 AD. It was also an important Roman settlement and stamped pottery from the Arrezzo region of Italy, amphorae and faceted dishes have been found. This is also Virai, the place mentioned in early Tamil literature. The place itself is picturesque, on the banks of the river Ariyankuppam, which forms a tiny lagoon with a sandbar.

There is also a secret place that I would like to share with you all. About 10 kms on East Coast Road, beyond Pondy, on the way to Cuddalore, there are backwaters - Pichavaram. This place is awesome. One can go on a speed boat, kayaking or canoeing. The Tourist office here, provides boats for a nominal fee.

Pondicherry also boasts of its own Education Institutions that are very reputed and are counted among the best in the country. They include JIPMER for Medical Sciences, Pondicherry University for general faculties, SOM – School of Management, Pondi etc.

We usually leave Chennai on Saturday mornings, reach Pondy in about 2 hrs, stay there for 2 days, enjoy, play in the water, eat good food, then leave on Sunday afternoons, so that we get back to city by Sunday evening.

Getting there :

By Road : 162 kms from Chennai. Maximum 2 hrs of driving. East Coast Road is a pleasure to drive. There are buses from Chennai, Madurai, Bangalore and Cuddalore. Pondy is well connected.

Airport : Nil

Rail : Pondi is connected by rail from Villipuram.

Best time : As Pondy is on the coast, the climate is usually hot, hotter or hottest. You can choose to go any time you can.

Trip Duration : 1 or 2 days.

Where to stay :

Ananda Inn : Tel: 0413-330711, Fax: 0413-331241
Ashok : Tel: 0413-655161, Fax: 0413-655140
Surguru and Ram Prakash are also good. I am not giving address. Ask anyone, they will show you the place. Pondy is a small town.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Too far and too expensive. But, sometimes i get lucky. The company I worked for, decided to take us to Andamans for a conference.

I took off from Chennai Airport, at 6 am, and the journey time was 2 hrs. I was flying over the Bay of Bengal, which was reflecting sun light like a huge mirror. As we approached the islands, the colour of the water changed from light blue to aquamarine to turquoise to topaz, then, it became a copper sulphate blue. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are mountaineous and they just protrude out of the sea. In some places, they look like they are floating on the water surface. It is possible to see the coral reefs under the water surface, from the sky, the view is breath taking.

I will leave the official bit, and talk about the sun and fun part of the trip.

Bunch of islands, coral reefs and pristine beaches – is Andaman Islands in short. But, as Port Blair is a important naval base, tourism is not promoted here. These islands are India's best- kept secret. These islands are so far away from the mainland that they tend to be ignored by most visitors to the country. But if you took the effort to get to the islands, you are rewarded with spectacular beaches, pristine coral reefs, and best of all, a degree of isolation that most visitors think doesn't exist in India.

We were accommodated at the Bay Island in Port Blair. It is a ITC Welcome group property and one of the best there. The entire hotel is made of wood and is right on the beach. Not a surprising thing on a island, isn’t it. Their restaurant is on a huge balcony that juts into the sea. Their bar is called Nico Bar. The food is great, they serve a wide range of sea food.

What is there to see in Andamans ? Cellular Jail, some National Parks and all the beautiful beaches. Did you know that the Andaman islands have tropical rain forests. Hard to believe na ? Most of the islands are Marine National parks that come under the Forest Department of India. You need to get perm from them to visit any island. So, please be prepared. But, its not all that difficult, it’s a part of the game on the islands.

Port Blair - Capital of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, it sprawls around a harbour on the east coast of South Andaman, which is now the most heavily populated of all the islands. Parts of the island, like the tribal reserve are off-limits to foreigners.

Cellular Jail - Known as Kala Pani, it was worst punishment that any Indian could get during the days of the British Raj. It was a place from where there was no return. It is the most popular attraction and a grim reminder of the islands' past. It overlooks the sea at the north-east end of the town. It was built between 1896 and 1910 and included solitary cells for prisoners.

The jail complex is in the shape of star with 5 fingers coming out of its center. After a earth quake in 1941, 3 wings out of 5 got destroyed. 2 are intact. The two ground floor galleries of the Jail chart the history and the inhumane conditions of the prison. One room upstairs is dedicated to the memory of Subash Chandra Bose, who was imprisoned here. A small museum by the entrance gate exhibits lists of prisoners, photographs and torture devices. Take your handkerchief, just in case you break down, you might need it.

Vir Sarvarkar was also imprisoned here. After Independence, Kala Pani was no longer used as a jail. The prisoners returned back to Indian Mainland. Many decided to stay back and are now the people of Andamans.

The sound and light show in the evening, is about the history of the jail, and the sufferings that the prisoners endured.

Acquarium - This is south of the jail, near the water sports complex and offers a glimpse of the 350 species that are found in the Andaman sea.

Samudrika Marine Museum - Run by the Indian navy, this has a shell collection and informative displays on various aspects of local marine biology.

Anthropological Museum - Situated on MG Road, this is devoted to the indigenous tribes of the islands. Displays include weapons, tools and photographs of the indigenous people taken in the 1960s. There is a comprehensive research library upstairs, where visitors can browse, but not borrow books.

Chatham Sawmill - The sawmill is on Chatham island at the north of the island. It is the oldest and largest wood processing plant in Asia. Established in 1836 by the British, the mill employs 1,000 people around the clock in three shifts.

Zoo & Forest Museum - This has some of the 200 animal species that are unique to the islands. The zoo's saltwater crocodile breeding programme has been successful in returning them to the wild.

Apart from these places, there are a whole lot of islands. As I told you, you need permission to visit these islands, and you have to take a ferry. I can’t say that all islands look they same, they are different. I had visited the Cinque island along with my colleagues, and we stayed there for about 3 hrs. It took about 4 hrs to reach the place by Ferry from Port Blair.

In Andamans, one needs to hop islands, to see the beautiful places. You can choose to visit one or two of them, coz each of these will take you a day, and the ferry charges are fairly steep. For the benefit of the tourists, I have read up about the rest of the islands, and here are a list of islands that you can choose from.

Viper Island - Viper island was named after a 19th century ship that ran aground on its shore. It was first used by the Birtish as a prison before the Cellular Jail was built. Later, it was used as an isolation zone for the main prison, where escapees and striking prisoners were sent to be punished. Relics of that age include whipping posts, and the gallows which occupy a prominent position on the island. Indians can apply to see Dugong creek, where members of the Onge tribe have been rehabilitated in wooden huts.

Ross Island - At the entrance to Port Blair harbour is Ross island, which was the administrative headquarters of the British stationed in the Andamans. The comforts at Ross included a theatre hall, tennis courts, swimming pool, hospitals and grand bungalows, and was dubbed The Paris of the East.

An earthquake in 1941 destroyed some of the buildings and the Japanese invasion during the Second World War forced the British to abandon Ross island. The Japanese occupied the islands and built a complex of ugly concrete bunkers that are still intact. There is a small museum near the cafeteria that has interesting old photos. The island is officially under the jurisdiction of the Indian Navy and swimming is not allowed.

Mount Harriet - This 365 metre hill is just north of Port Blair. A bus from the jetty is the easy option to reach there. You need to walk 4 km walk to the hill, or you can also ride a scooter up the hill, but then you will pass the Forest Check Post where entry fees for the national park will be charged. If you take the forest path on foot, you can avoid the checkpost and the fees.

The ruins of the Chief Commissioner's bungalow, abandoned in 1942, are near the top of the road. There is an octagonal viewing platform at the top and a small garden for picnics.

Black Rocks & Madhuban Beach - The Black rocks or Kala Pathar are two km from Mount Harriet and Madhuban beach via Mount Carpenter. A signpost marks the start of the nature trail from Mount Harriet which leads to the Black Rocks, where prisoners were pushed to their deaths. Madhuban beach is further to the northeast; this is where young elephants are trained for the forestry industry.

Corbyns Cove - This pleasant beach is 10 km to the southeast of Port Blair and draws a crowd on weekends.

Chirya Tapu - 30 km south of Port Blair, this is a fishing village with excellent beaches, offering opportunities for snorkelling. There are also opportunities for bird-watching.

Havelock Island - This is the largest island in Ritchie's archipelago, which includes the islands of Outram, E Oringlis, H Lawrence, Wilson, Peel, Havelock, Neil and Long islands. The island has great beaches, one of which is a nesting site for turtles.

People can choose to walk along the beach, rent a motorbike or a cycle, and explore the island. There is also a regular bus service from the jetty to Radhanagar beach.

The Radhanagar beach at the south end of the island is a nesting site for a colony of Olive Ridley turtles. There are two places to stay at Radhanagar, the ANIIDCO's Tent Camp and the more luxurious Jungle Camp.

Long Island - Just off the south-east coast of Middle Andaman, it is dominated by a plywood factory. The beaches of Marg Bay and Lalaji Bay can be reached by chartering a fisherman's dinghy from the jetty.

Neil Island – It is 40 km from Port Blair and is the smallest island in the Andamans that you can stay on. The island is inhabited, and is popular with campers. The beaches are numbered, and snorkelling is very good on beach number 1, although some of the coral has been damaged by dynamiting for fish. The village on the island has a market, some shops that sell provisions and basic camping gear (no tents or hammocks though).

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park - Formerly the Wandoor Marine National Park, this is about 30 km southwest of Port Blair. The park covers an area of 280 sq km and consists of 15 islands with deep blue waters separating them. The diverse ecosystem includes mangoves that stretch down to the waters edge, tropical rainforest, flowers, birds, marine life and reefs supporting at least 50 kinds of coral. There are great opportunities for water sports, including snorkelling and scuba diving. Collecting coral and shells is strictly forbidden.

Only Jolly Buoy, Red Skin and Cinque islands in the park are open to tourists. Cinque is really two hilly islands joined by a permanent sand bar. It is forbidden to land on any other island or stop overnight within the park. Tours to islands are arranged in glass-bottomed boats depending on demand. A minimum of 10 people is generally necessary.

Middle & North Andaman - The Andaman Trunk road is the only road to the north from Port Blair. Since it passes through the Jarawa reserves, it may not be possible to drive along it yourself. Instead use the daily buses to Rangat and Mayabunder to explore the islands.

Rangat - Situated on Middle Andaman, Rangat is the only place with a choice of accommodation for visitors. Amakunj beach, which is 8 km away. If you want to visit the beach at Hawksbill Nest, then get permission from the forest department at Rangat. The area is a wildlife sanctuary where turtles nest from November to April.

Mayabunder - Mayabunder is the administrative centre for the Middle and North Andaman islands. It is 71 km north of Rangat. Karmateng beach is 25 minutes away by bus from Mayabunder. A short distance from here is Gujinala, but to visit this beach, you will need permission from the Beat Officer at Karmateng.

There are also several islands in the bay opposite the jetty that can be reached by boat. Ask local fishermen to negotiate a price. To visit Avis island, which is a private coconut plantation, you will need permission from the Forestry department.

Interview Island - 20 km from Mayabunder, the island now has a protected forest and also has wild elephants.

Barren Island - This has India's only active volcano which erupted in 1991 causing widespread damage to the island's ecosystem. It can be visited but no landings are permitted.

Kalighat - This is a good place for a stopover when journeying from Port Blair and North Andaman. The forest here is good for bird-watching and the beach at Ramnagar which is 11 km away, can be reached by bus.

Diglipur - There is a good market and shops, while a special mela held in January- February also attracts visitors. The fishing village at Aerial Bay is also worth a visit.

Ross & smith Island - You can visit these islands from Aerial Bay and camp on forested beaches after getting a permit from the Range Officer at Aerial Bay.

Narcondam Island - East of North Andaman, this is the most remote island in the entire group. An extinct craterless volcano, it is covered with dense forests and is the home of the Narcondam Hornbill. It was declared a sanctuary in 1977 and is a bird-watchers paradise.

Nicobar Islands - These islands include Katchal, which has a large rubber plantation, Nancowry harbour, Indira Point, which is India's southern-most tip, and Campbell Bay. They are closed to visitors, but Car Nicobar can be visited by Indians with a permit.

It is not possible to go to all of them. You need to choose 2 or 3 islands that are near each other, so that you can complete them in 1 or 2 days. On some islands, staying overnight is permitted with prior permission. But, tents and food have to be carried along.

As you walk along the beaches, chances are that you will find a variety of corals which you will be tempted to pick up. But, you are not permitted to get them home. The bags are checked at airport and all the corals are removed. There are government owned shops, where handicrafts made of sea shells are sold. You could buy a couple of them as keep sake.

After having got tanned completely, and playing to the fullest in the beaches – volley ball in the waist deep water….it was the best time of life. We took the flight back to Chennai.

How to get there :

Air : There are flights to Port Blair from Chennai and Kolkatta. Air India and Jet Airways operate on these routes.

Sea : Ships from the mainland dock at Port Blair at Haddo jetty. There are regular passenger ship services from Port Blair to Chennai (1,190 km), Kolkata (1,255 km) and Vishakapatnam (Vizag) (1,200 km). This is via the Shipping Corporation of India. There are 2 sailings every month from these three cities. The journey takes three nights and two days. There are double berth, 4 berth and six berth cabins, AC and non AC. So the cost depends on what you choose.

Getting Around :

From Lamba Line Airport or Haddo jetty, you can hire a taxi to get to Aberdeen village, which is where most of the budget hotels are located. Aberdeen is also where the bus station, shops and offices are situated.

Taxis do not have meters and typically charge Rs 50 per trip. You can hire a motorbike or scooter to get around. Cycles are also an option, but they can be hard work on the hilly stretches, as I already told you earlier – Andaman islands are mountaineous.

Most inter-island ferries operate from Phoenix Bay jetty, so check for ferry timings. The Andaman Trunk road runs north from Port Blair to Bharatrang island and Middle Andaman. However, since the road passes through the restricted tribal reserve, it is not possible to drive along this yourself, bus service is available.

Must : Permission from Forest Department to visit most of the islands. Carry lunch and water, coz the islands are un-inhabited. Island hop in groups, coz your group may be the only group. Listen to the ferry operator, coz he knows when its high or low tide. If you do not know to swim, do not attempt to walk too deep into the sea, you never know, when high tide can begin. Don’t attempt Scuba diving or snorkeling without the safety equipments.

Where to stay :

Peerless Resort – Corbyn Cove, Tel: 03192-33463, 03192-40201, Fax: 03192-33463

Welcome Group Bay Island – Marine Hill, Tel: 03192-34101, 03192-32123, Fax: 03192-31555

Hornbill Nest – Corbyn Cove, Tel: 03192-32018, 03192-34304

Shompen – Middlepoint, Tel: 03192-32360, 03192-32679, Fax: 03192-32425

Sinclair Bay View – South Point, Tel: 03192-32937, 03192-33159. Fax: 03192-31824

Andaman Teal House - Delanipur, Tel: 03192-32642, 03192-34060

Karwar

Imagine a place where mountains rise out of the sea. This is precisely what you will see, if you are in Karwar. The Western Ghats stand out tall in the Arabian Sea. Adding to this already scenic topography, is the wild Kalinadi that enters the sea at Karwar. The backwaters here are beautiful and the estuary of River Kali is rich with fish. The captivating landscape is ringed with rugged hill ranges, thick woods and mysteriously deep valleys. There are 5 islands off the coast of Karwar of which Devbagh is the largest and the most beautiful. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore is said to have spend some time here and he penned a poem as well.

Karwar is situated on the west coast of Karnataka. The entire coast is beautiful and places like Ullal, Mangalore, Malpe, Maravante, Murudeshar, Gokarna, Belekere & Karwar are all worth a visit. One can plan a road trip from Bangalore to Goa on the West Coast Highway. It would be great.

It was a 3 day weekend, and as Karwar was always there on the mind, we decided to go to Karwar. This place is about 530 kms from Bangalore, and would take about 9 hrs to drive down. As we had only 3 days, we thought that train would be the best option. The sad part is the trains are not there on all days. The only available option for the day we chose to travel out was the Rani Chennamma Express. This is a daily trains and runs from Bangalore to Kolhapur. The train leaves Bangalore City at 9 pm and reaches Hubli at about 6 am, and reaches Londa at 7.30 am. Karwar is 130 kms from Londa. A drive to Karwar in a Suma or a Qualis would take about 4 hrs.

Our train reached Londa at 9 am. As soon as we got out of the station, we found that we were not the only ones wanting to chill out. Londa is the place where people going to Goa, Karwar and Dandeli get off. It is a challenge to bargain with the SUV drivers. The 130 kms distance to Karwar can be covered in 4 hrs time, and it takes that long as the roads are bad. The Ghat roads have several hair pin bends and driving above 40 kms per hour is not advisable. One can hire a SUV for about Rs. 1500. This is the best prize possible.

The route from Londa to Karwar is beautiful. The Ghats roads give a beautiful view of the valleys. You will drive through the Anashi National Park. These forests have tigers, leapords, elephants, bison, chital, bears and a wide variety of birds. We spotted several snakes, peacocks and jungle fowls as we were driving through. The Supa Dam and Reservoir are also on the route. The Supa Reservoir looks very beautiful in the sunlight. The waters are of copper sulphate blue and it looks like a ocean by itself. The Supa Dam is on River Kali that is considered to a very wild river. Hence, a lot of adverture sports like white river rafting, canoeing and kayaking are promoted in the dams backwaters.

The Dandeli Wilderness Camp ( a Jungle Lodges Property ) is about 110 kms from Karwar, and once needs to take the same route through Anashi National Park from Londa to reach Dandeli.

All the wild life freaks can also have a good time. The Bison River Lodge ( a Jungle Lodges Property ) provides accommodation and arranges for safari in the Anashi NP. Animal sighting is common.

The drive to Karwar was strenuous as the roads were full of pot holes. We reached Karwar at about 2 pm. Our journey was complete as we also had a flat tyre to deal on the way. This delayed us by almost an hour, adding to the train delay of 1 and half hours.

What next, we entered Karwar. We crossed the Kali Bridge, the bridge was huge and the water below was of the Kali river estuary or the back waters. The banks were dotted with fishermen’s settlements and there fishing boats tied to the banks. It looked liked a scene from the picture post card.

I had booked accommodation at the Devbagh Beach Resort, which is a Jungle Lodges Property. We were to report at their office in Karwar, which was close to the Bhadra Hotel. As soon as we reported, we were transferred to the Devbagh Resort by a ferry. The ferry ride is for about 15 minutes. Devbagh island is the largest island off the coast of Karwar and is said to be the most beautiful.

As soon as we reached Devbagh, we were completely fresh as soon as we had a look at the surroundings. We had sumptuous lunch. As all of us had private beaches, and as our room was right in front of the sea, a dip into the water was a absolute necessity. We played in the water for about 1 hrs, until we got tired. We also went for the banana boat ride. I did not sit in it, coz I was afraid of waters. I always am. My hubby and the other couple, who accompanied us has great time. My husband has already experienced the banana boat ride earlier, and hence he was bold. Somehow, I could not get myself to do it. May be because I never practiced swimming even though I learnt.

Devbagh beach resort property is beautiful. It has about 5 tents and 10 log huts, all of them, close to the beach, therefore each has its own private beach. You get a personal hammock, this is usually right in front of the room. Food is served in Gol Ghar. There are a lot of activities at the beach resort, at extra cost. The banana boat ride costs INR 250, parasailing – INR 750, canoeing / Kayaking – INR 300, Snorkelling – INR 750, the rate is for one person only. The dolphin cruise is on the house. The resort is in a casuarina grove, and the scenery of the resort from a boat in the sea is beautiful. Behind the resort is a forest. It is very safe and is home to Indian foxes and the 2nd largest butterly in India which is called Southern Bird Wing. I was told that one can walk for about 3 kms into the forest behing, and can reach the other end of the island. The island attached itself to the mainland during low tide.

The beach here is beautiful and it behaves like it is a different person from time to time. In the mornings, the waves are rough. And towards the evenings, during the low tide, the waves disappear and the beach becomes like a shallow lake. Patches of sand appear in the water, as the sea level is low now. Once can keep walking into the sea, and you will still find yourself standing in just knee deep water. This is great place to learn swimming. As this is a estuary, the salinity is also low.

There was nothing on the agenda throughout the day. We could order beers, take a plate of chicken or fish, and sit by the beach, on the relaxing chairs that are provided. The Kali bridge and the town on the other side of the estuary is clearly visible, and the sight is breath-taking. We met lots of other interesting people at Karwar, all of them bitten by the travel bug, to some extent or the other. We shared stories on where we came from, where we went for the previous long weekend, future travel plans, and we shared stories about previous journeys. It was good fun.

The next morning, we woke up early as we had to go to the Dolphin cruise. All of us gathered at the ferry, wore life jackets, and got into the boat. We went into the sea, and got close to another rocky islands, which is supposed to be a regular spot for dolphins. We went there and kept waiting. When the engine of the boat was put off, we realized how rough the sea was. The small boat was swaying in the waves. We were all instructed to sit down. The dolphins never came. One of the couples in the boat told us that he had spotted dolphins the previous day.

After the cruise, we had loads of time, and nothing to do. It was time for a dip in the sea. After playing to our hearts content in the rough sea, I must mention, it is pretty rough in the mornings, we had a bath, eat lunch and started walking into the jungle. My husband had heard some animals fighting in the night. He enquired with the care taker, and the sounds were supposed to be howls of foxes. The foxes were supposed to be harmless and the jungle behind the resort was harmless. We decided to venture inside. But, before that, we walked on the beach for almost a hour, with no one around us, leaving just footprints on the moist sea shore. It was like out of the world.

It was then time for some jungle adventure. We picked up sticks that would give us support and to clear the bushes. We started walking, there were several foot paths, made by the fishermen who live in the nearby fishermens settlements. We could see mountains in the back ground. We spotted a few foxes. They were shy animals and disappeared whenever they spotted us. We found a large patch of grass, it looked like a golf course in the middle of no where. We saw the Southern Bird Wing. It was beautiful. It flew on the top, near the high branches of the trees. It never sat in any place, and hence we could not take a snap of it. It was large, the upper part of the wing had a huge yellow patch on it. The rest of the wings were black. There are lot of eagles. They are fish eating eagles I guess, they are always seen flying low, close to the water surface, swooping down once in a while, obviously to grab a fish.

It was getting dark, and we got out to our room. The care taker confirmed to us, that we have indeed seen the Southern bird wing. We were thrilled.

Devbagh had a beach side barbeque in the evening. It was time again for beer and chatting with friends. We had a great time by the beach side. When it was 9, we had dinner. Then took more beer and went back to the hammock near our room. We had a great time.

The next day, we were to leave Devbagh. We went for the Dolphin cruise in the morning, I thought we may be lucky today. We went back near the same island and remained there for a while. There was another boat, it might have come from another resort. They were looking at some dolphins. We went to the same area. I do not know how many of them were there. We would see a fin glide out and glide back in, every 30 secs. So, I do not know if there was just one of them, or if there were more than one. I felt elated.

We got back to Devbagh, got back into the water, played for a while. Then, we got ready, and we had just enough time to have lunch and leave. We had booked a Sumo to get back to Londa, our train to Bangalore was at 7.30 pm. We had lunch, settled the bills for the water sports, and left the place. We reached Londa at about 6.30 pm and had sufficient time. We passed thru Supa reservoir again. It was evening, there was not much sunlight, and hence the lake looked grey in colour. Never the less, it was beautiful.

We spent all the time in Devbagh beach resort only. In and around Karwar, there are several beautiful places, that you can visit. They are

Dargah of Peer Shan Shamsuddin Kharobat: The famous Dargah of Peer Shan Shamsuddin Kharobat, a Baghdadi Saint is a place of tourist interest for pilgrims.

Naganatha Temple : Naganatha Temple is a Temple where an anthill is worshipped.

Karwar Harbour: The Karwar bay, apart from its scenic beauty, also boasts of an excellent harbour which is fit for use during all seasons.

Binaga Beach (3kms) and Arga Beach (5kms) south of the town.

River Kalinadi : The river Kalinadi, flows through the town into the Arabian sea. Motor launches are available for boating up the river Kali.

Muslin Factory : Karwar town is known for its fine muslin. The muslin industry was started in 1638, by Sir. William Counten, who opened a factory here.

Kurmagad Island : The Kurmagad Island nearby has an old fort and a Narasimha shrine, worth a visit.

There are a lot of other places around Karwar that are beautiful. If you have more time on your hands you can go to these places as well. They are Ankola ( 37 kms ), Jog falls ( 50 kms ), Gokarna ( 56 kms ), Yana ( 60 kms ), Ulavi ( 75 kms ).

We did not visit any of the above places, as the agenda was to basically sack out at Devbagh. On the 3rd day in the noon, we had a sumptuous meal, and left the resort. It took 4 hrs by a Tata Sumo to reach Londa railway stations. We boarded the train at 7 pm, and were back at garden city Bangalore at 7 am the next morning

Getting There :

By Road : South Goa Border - 10 kms, Panaji 135 kms , Mumbai – 500 kms, Bangalore – 530 kms, Londa – 130 kms, Dandeli – 110 kms.

By Rail – Karwar – 7 kms. This is the main station on the Konkan Railway, Londa – 130 kms, Madgain – 100 kms

By Air – Dabolim – Goa – 90 kms

Local Transport – Autos, Ferries

Trip Duration – 3 to 5 days

Best time to travel – Winters. October to February. The SW monsoon season is to be avoided.

Accomodation :

Devbagh Beach Resort, Opposite Bhadra Hostel, Kodibagh, Karwar, Uttara Kannada – 581 301Tel: 0838-226596, 080-5597021, 24, 25 (Corporate Off), Fax: 080-5586163(Corporate Off)e-mail: junglelodges@vsnl.com, Web site: http://www.junglelodges.com/
Tariff: Log huts: Indians: Rs. 1500/- and , Rs. 1350/- for subsequent nights

The Great Outdoors : (Reservations for Kurumgad Island to be made here) , Vanashree Building, NH 17,Near Toll Gate, Sadashivgad, Karwar, Uttara Kannada – 581 301Tel: 0838-265397, 9844042152, 9845215152e-mail: thegreatoutdoors200@yahoo.com, Web site: http://www.thegreatoutdoorsindia.com/Tariff range: Rs. 750/- to Rs. 1100

Hotel Bhadra, NH 17 Road, Near Kali Bridge, Kodibag, Karwar, Uttara Kannada – 581 303Tel: 0838-225212, 13; 225412, 225765, Fax: 0838-225613Tariff range: Rs. 250/- to Rs. 700/-

There is no shortage of hotels in Karwar mainland. But, if you want a great beach holiday experience with ‘stay in island’ kind of experience with lots of water sports, then, you have to choose Devbagh or Great Outdoor.