Places to visit in Pondicherry in 2 days: This is an account of my 2-day trip to Pondicherry. The small, charming little town of Pondicherry, located on the coromandel coast of Bay of Bengal, is known for its lovely food and amazing beaches. It was the last French colony in india, and became part of India as a Union Territory in 1954.
Mangalore to Pondicherry train: Puducherry Express
Mangalore to Pondicherry: “Gooood moooorniiiiing Pondi!!!!” – cried out the message on my mobile as the train pulled into Puducherry railway station.
Note: Pondicherry is the anglicized version of the name Puducherry. Pondicherry is also referred to as Pondy for short
That was my wife’s message, and I could feel how happy she was for me. For, I’d been contemplating taking a break from work to go to Pondicherry for a brief spiritual sojourn.
I wanted to roam around the city just by myself to soak in everything it had to offer, slowly – a very basic, down to earth, rough sort of trip.
I’d been talking about this plan to my wife for a couple of months, but I hadn’t been able to schedule a 3-4 day break from work yet.
All the while, this desire in me to go to Pondicherry just got stronger and stronger. It was quite frustrating for me, and she could feel it.
Then one day, we got a call (in my office) from a company in, guess where: Pondicherry!
They came over to Mangalore to meet us, and then invited us over to their HQ in Pondicherry!
I was more than eager to go, and here I was – in Pondicherry! I took the Puducherry express train from Mangalore to Pondicherry.
I remembered the clichéd Paulo Coelho quote: ‘And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it‘. It had just happened to me, albeit in a small way.
Places to visit in Pondicherry in 2 days
The trip lasted for only 2 days, but I eked out time in between meetings to get around Pondicherry. Do experience the splendour of Pondicherry through my camera lens, and let me know your thoughts.
Streets of Pondicherry
Blessed are those who live here…
This bungalow could do with a bit of maintenance..
“Pepsi … or … Mirinda …. or …” Make up your mind already!
Goodies from a small shop where I stopped to drink tea
Street view at night
Bharati Government Park: The park benches are where people take a siesta
Pondicherry beach & French colony Pondicherry
The French colony in Pondicherry (also known as White town of Pondicherry) still displays a strong French influence – most of the streets have French names and you will find many people who are fluent in French. In the evenings, the walkway along the beach comes alive with people. Traffic is prohibited in the evening.
Pondicherry beach – This walkway along the beach comes alive in the evening!
Pondicgerry beach scenes – A candy seller
A cafe by the beach
Clicked this picture only because it has Tendulkar’s (old) jersey number
Must be torture to be a gatekeeper here. Especially if you are a foodie. With that sign on your face all day long.
Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple
Flower seller at Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple
“Now listen carefully…” said the elephant
Wall hangers from near Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple
“hmm..nice dress.. what material is this?”
Matrimandir Auroville Pondicherry
Apart from French colony, Pondicherry is also popular among visitors because of Auroville. Matrimandir in Auroville has to be on your 2 day Pondicherry itinerary. Auroville is an experimental township designed to be a place where people of all countries are able to live in harmony. It is located about 15 km from Pondicherry city centre
Made in Auroville
The Auroville vision
From the Auroville lobby – The model of Matrimandir
Along the 1 km walk to Matrimandir
The Matrimandir in Auroville
The boutique at Auroville. Yep, check your wallet before you enter.
Near the coffee shop in Auroville
From a notice board in Auroville. I’ve no idea who Veronique is, but if you want to find out.
I hope you enjoyed this post about places to visit in Pondicherry in 2 days.
Phew! Can’t believe it is mid of August already! It has been such a happening month for me, and I hope it has been a fulfilling month for you as well?
To start with, we celebrated our son’s birthday on August 14. We extended that day till beyond midnight so that the celebrations could last longer. Then, we decided we would celebrate the whole week as his ‘birth week’. And now we are in the middle of celebrating his birth month :). If we start celebrating his birth year as well, life will turn into one big celebration. Not a bad idea, huh.
Then there was a long weekend, thanks to the Indian Independence day falling on a Friday. Because I am part of my apartment community management this year, I was forced to get out and do some work on that day. The ‘shy me’ had kept me from taking part in community activities over the years, but you know what, I thoroughly enjoyed working together with my apartment mates (though it involved a lot of crouching, squatting, walking and picking heavy objects). I need to get out and meet more people more often. Shy me – get out of here. People, here I come!
I had set 3 side-goals for me for this year: Getting fit, learning French and writing one blog post a week. Here’s a quick mid-year review: I suck at following up on my goals!
I did learn some French, but floundered when the grammar started getting complicated. Now I am in Abhimanyu‘s state (remember the Chakravyuha thing) – I know how to start a conversation in French, but I don’t know how to take it any further.
Writing one blog post a week – well, I think I am getting there, though I haven’t yet nailed down the scheduling part – so I still am not predictable.
Getting fit: I wish I could just buy this one from a store! I haven’t seen the insides of a gym for the past 2 months. But since yesterday, I am back in a big way (both waist-wise, and effort-wise)! I hope by year end, I can make up for lost time.
Life has been the toughest for me this past couple of months. I still am not out of the woods yet, but things are looking up.This one particular quote is my current wallpaper, and is inspiring me to move ahead:
‘Action is the foundational key to all success’– Pablo Picasso
Essentially, it tells me not to keep worrying about the situation, but rather take small, positive actions daily to break down the challenges in front of me.
Talking about woods, I had an opportunity to drive through serene forests with sun on my face (I am now 2 shades darker, but who cares) and wind in my hair (Yeah, I still have some left). Sticking your head out through the moon roof of a fast moving car is fun! And amusing for onlookers. Try it sometime.
Then there was KrishnaJanmashtami, observed on the occasion of birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. A day of joy and merriment, a day when children are dressed up as Lord Krishna. I walked around the famous Kadri Sri Manjunatha temple and snapped pictures of cute kids in Krishna costume. Here they are for your viewing pleasure:
Ouch! My hand is stuck!
Can somebody pick me up please?
I’ve got the best seat in the house!
Exchange please?
Wardrobe malfunction between photo-shoot?
Hmmm…what possible mischief can I attempt next.
Striking the perfect pose!
The celebrations also involved youth forming a human pyramid to break the ‘Dahi handi’. The rains, the crowds, the sounds, and the lights combined to create one fantastic evening worth remembering.
Drummers in full swing
Setting up the human pyramid
Breaking the pots and acquiring the goodies
In between, I also visited Udupi Sri Krishna temple. So there, so much for the first half of August.
The new facade at Udupi Sri Krishna temple
The days are whizzing past, and I hope I can make every moment of my existence count. Here’s wishing the same for you. God bless.
When my wife picked Goa as the vacation destination for this summer, a Garfield style smile popped up unknowingly on my face. This was the smile of a foodie for whom Goa reminded him of one and only one specific taste – a taste that had withstood the test of time, a taste that had lingered on for more than 13 years. That taste, my friends, was that of a dish called Chicken Xacuti I had from a restaurant called Mum’s Kitchen in Panaji.
Let me take you back 13 years. It was sometime in July, the wettest season along the coast when my friend and I decided to drive down to Goa. It was a totally unplanned trip – no hotel bookings, no route maps, no nothing. Just the car (Maruti Zen), us, and the long, wet highway from Mangalore to Goa. We reached Goa around the morning and checked into one of Goa Tourism’s hotels in Panjim (near Miramar beach). After a short rest, we walked down the road searching for lunch and landed up at Mum’s Kitchen. I do not remember all the dishes we’d ordered, but I remember the Chicken Xacuti that I’d ordered very clearly. The taste was new to me, and maybe the exhaustion from all the driving swelled my appetite. Whatever it was, the taste found its way to that area of my brain where only remarkable memories were stored.
Cut to today: The prospect of reliving this memory excited me so much that everything else exciting about Goa came second. This time we stayed at a hotel in Dona Paula called L’Hotel Eden – a clean, budget hotel in the quietest of locations. The pool was small and just about 4.2 ft deep – this meant I could leave my 10-year-old in the pool without too much supervision.
Getting back to Mum’s Kitchen – we went there for dinner one of the days – I was really excited about getting into the hotel. I did not remember the ambience a great deal, so I couldn’t compare notes from my memory archives related to the ambience. But I felt poshness and sophistication standing out much more than the rustic charm of the traditional Goan setting – which was disappointing for me. Well, I hoped the food wouldn’t be so commercialized. I ordered the same dish I’d ordered 13 years ago – Chicken Xacuti and King Fish curry. The portions were huge – each of those dishes could be shared by 3 (regular) people. I tucked in, and to my dismay, the Xacuti didn’t taste any special anymore. It is probably not that Mum’s Kitchen had gone down in their quality – it could be a combination of a lot of factors: I didn’t have a great appetite that day, I had tasted many more special dishes and been to many similar places since my first visit to Mum’s Kitchen – and a variety of other factors. Whatever it was, I didn’t feel that special zing I had felt on my first visit to Mum’s Kitchen. I probably will never go in there in my life again – for me, it had become just another expensive tourist location than a place where I would get the real traditional Goan experience. Some memories are best left alone – Had I not done this visit, Mum’s Kitchen and its food would have remained a special memory for me for life. Too bad.
Well, my Goan trip wasn’t only about Mum’s Kitchen. Here are the places we visited:
– Old Goa (The churches)
– Sahakari Spice plantation, and lunch there (Rs 400 per head for plantation visit and lunch)
– Calangute Beach
– Fort Aguada
– Panjim Market
– Baga Beach
– Arpora Saturday Night Market (Terrific sights, smell, sounds, tastes. But not a flea market, I tell ya – stuff is expensive.)
Leaving you with some images from my trip. Tell me about your Goa experience, no?
Colaba, Mumbai – That’s where I am today. This is my 8th visit to Mumbai in my 39 years of life, but I still haven’t got used to the hustle and bustle of this fast, large, overcrowded city.
As a boy growing up in South India, I had heard tons of stories about Mumbai (then Bombay). Most of those stories had teenagers fleeing their homes to Mumbai and returning years later as successful businessmen. Almost every family in my neighbourhood seemed to have at least one such character. At many social gatherings, I have overheard women gossiping stuff like ‘That’s Sarojini Amma’s son – he ran away from school to Bombay when he was 14. Now I hear he has a flourishing jewellery business in Persia’ (Any place in the Middle East was referred to as Persia in those days) or ‘See – that’s Sudarshanan’s nephew. He just disappeared one day, and now he is the Manager of big shipping company’ (Of course all this gossips ended with a prolonged sigh and a hushed statement that went like ‘…who knows – maybe he is into smuggling or something. How else could one become so rich so fast?‘). Anyways, because of these stories, Mumbai, for me, was this mysterious, glamorous place where one ran off to make it big in life.
My earliest personal memory of Mumbai stars my father in a brand new grey ‘safari suit’ boarding an Air India flight, waving goodbye. He was off to Bombay and would be away for a few days – I recollect my mother telling me. I expected him to come back rich and successful and eagerly awaited his return. Well, he didn’t bring back any riches – all he got me was a brown collared T-shirt which was my prized possession for a few years. I lived in it until it started wearing off.
So I was eager and excited to get a glimpse of Mumbai myself and wished I grew up faster. My first visit to Mumbai happened when I was in my 20s – a brief transit stop on my way to Boston. My taxi took me through the very crowded and traffic-rich streets of Mumbai. To make matters worse, Holi (the festival of colours) celebrations were on, and the streets were teeming with pink and purple people. Holi down south is not celebrated with so much vigour (‘Holi-o’?), so the kind of revelry I saw was totally new to me. Unfortunately, I had left my windows down – a big mistake – for, suddenly, I saw a pair of hands shooting through the window and puffing out whiffs of colours in my direction. As a result, my new white formal shirt turned into a flowery Hawaiian bursting with colours. Later, I travelled all the way to Boston in that shirt. That was my first experience with Mumbai – one that I would never forget in my lifetime.
Fast forward to today – I am put up in the Colaba area. I had made all my bookings thru Cleartrip, and the website had assured me a smooth travel experience. 2 hours of prepaid taxi ride from the airport and some precision guidance by Google had got me to the hotel I’d booked – Hotel Broadway.
While checking in, the guy at the desk gave me my first shock. He said there were no rooms available, but he would find me a room in an adjacent hotel, which apparently is run by the same management or something. Well, I didn’t like this one bit – I was tired from the travel, and I had expected this to be a very “clear trip”. A few minutes of pointless argument later, I was walked into an adjacent hotel – Hotel Gulf. I checked into a room that was just wide enough to accommodate my decently fleshed self. The toilet (cum bathroom) was tiny – only parts of me could fit in at a time – I had to devise some ingenious ways to get stuff done here, I thought to myself. I switched on the TV to find only Arab channels being played. I kept switching channels and stopped at one that was showing a Maradona interview. I couldn’t make out if Maradona spoke Arabic or Spanish, but his slow, dragging style of talk put me to sleep. A soft growl woke me up a bit later, and I realized it was my stomach signalling its need to get filled. It was around 4 P.M now, and I decided to head out to catch a bite.
The Sun was beating down, and the sidewalks were crowded with street vendors selling anything from nail cutters to expensive antiques. Tons of locals and tourists were huddled around these small shops, bargaining and generally having a nice time. By now, the growls from my stomach had turned to muted trumpeting, which translated to ‘I am so hungry I could eat an elephant.’ I squeezed thru the human traffic, and my gaze fell on the now world-famous Leopold café, and suddenly my mind was filled with gloomy thoughts. I debated whether to eat there but then decided against it since there were no free tables, and more people were waiting to be seated. I moved ahead and then spotted another world-famous landmark – a McDonalds. I decided I was going in. To make up for the missed breakfast and lunch, I downed a couple of burgers and a bag of fries – so much for the strict diet that I had been following for the last few weeks. I consoled myself, saying I wouldn’t eat anything for dinner. (But this wasn’t to be – I later went down to the adjacent Paradise Hotel and had one of the most expensive Biriyanis I’ve eaten in my life). I walked around for some more time before I headed back to my room. With a heart filled with hope and a stomach filled with burgers, I sat down to prepare for the meetings I’d planned for tomorrow. Oh, how I love this city!
Oyster Opera resort is one of the unique resorts in Kerala. Located 100 kilometres south of Mangalore, in a place called Padanna in Kerala, is this beautiful little nature-themed resort called Oyster Opera.
Visit this theme village bathed in natural beauty to get a spectacular view of palm-fringed islands and coastal stretches surrounded by backwaters.
Oyster Opera owner
The resort started a few years back and is still being worked upon, but it is already a popular destination for people looking to get back to nature.
Run by Mr Mohd. Gul and his trained hospitable staff, it is one of the best resorts in North Kerala for a relaxing, peaceful holiday. You can also understand about mussel farming here.
The resort currently boasts around 10 cottages, including a treehouse, a double-storey cottage, and a boathouse. It is also a private island retreat one could escape to, far from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Drive from Mangalore to Oyster Opera
I was looking for a resort close to Mangalore to spend a lazy weekend and get some decent food. I figured Oyster Opera would be a great option.
So I drove thru a pothole-filled (some of them wide enough to be called a pond), treacherous 100 kilometres of road from Mangalore (the road signs insisted that it was NH17!) to reach my destination in time for lunch.
Mr Mohammad Gul, the resort owner, greeted me with a warm smile and some refreshments.
Having made short work of the refreshments, I checked into my cottage (named ‘Clam’).
Resort’s Cottages
The rooms in my cottage had a rustic look, the bathroom being fascinating – it did not have a roof!
It reminded me of my engineering college days when we had similar roofless bathrooms. But this one at least had latches for the doors : ).
The cottage had all the amenities for a lazy holiday – a couple of easy chairs, a hammock, backwater views, and a nice comfortable bed (with mosquito nets).
After shaking up all the bones in my body (thanks to the rough drive), it was a welcome relief to settle into the body-hugging, rocking hammock.
I had almost fallen asleep when I got a poke (not the Facebook kind, but a hard one from Manoj, the customer service guy) informing me that lunch was ready.
The food
The lunch was served in the common dining room. The tables were set according to the group sizes, which meant I had no choice in selecting my seat.
The lunch would be served on plantain (banana) leaves – as is done traditionally in Kerala. Mr Mohammad and his crew served us lunch (a welcome relief from buffets, thank God. they Saved me multiple trips to gather food and resultant embarrassment).
It was indeed a ‘wholesome’ meal. To give you an idea of the wholesomeness involved, let me list the cast: Eggs, chicken, quail, a couple of varieties of fish, mussels and lamb.
Half an hour of extreme, perspiration filled flesh-eating later, my stomach gave me the stop signal. So I decided to end the carnage by downing a plate of green, guilt removing salad.
I was stuffed and needed to lay myself horizontally somewhere. So I trudged back to my cottage, with my now football like tummy bouncing ahead and leading the way.
Activities in the Resort
After another hour of hammocking with some digestion-related snorts and grumbles later, I was ready to move around. Manoj suggested that I do some fishing, and under the circumstances, I thought that was the most active effort I could undertake.
He handed me a crude fishing rod and some prawn baits. I spent the next hour fishing. Just when I was about to give up, I felt a good tug.
I reeled the line back in to find this rather slender, small fish attached to my cute, pink prawn bait. I hadn’t hoped to catch any fish and hence didn’t have a plan for the fish I’d caught. I threw it back into the water.
Next up was a group boat ride to a nearby beach. There were around 20 visitors at the resort, and all of us climbed into a boat that took us to the beach.
Tea and snacks were served at the beach. Nothing eventful here (other than the snacks, I mean). It was dusk by the time we returned. Now I had to spend my time somehow till the dinner was ready.
The rooms didn’t have TV, so that wasn’t an option. I hadn’t carried any books either. I was forced to relax in the hammock again. The starry sky above and the noise of water splashing against the rocks transported me to a different zone of mental peace. Bliss!
Needless to say, dinner was wholesomely meat-filled too. The only thing vegetarian I saw was the plantain leaf on which the food was served. Thank God I was not a vegetarian. I retired for the day after dinner. I woke up early the next day to find fishermen on their job already. Some were collecting oysters, while some spreading their nets for fish.
The resort has 2 canoes: a single-seater and a two-seater. I did some canoeing in the morning, and after a while, it was time for me to check out. I’d just had one of the most refreshing short holidays possible.
I did my Oyster Opera booking by calling Mr Gul directly. But you can visit their website or any of the travel booking sites to check out the currently running Oyster Opera resort price.
My Oyster Opera resort experience
So here’s my verdict: Visit Oyster Opera resort in North Kerala if you would like to laze around, have some great food and get close to nature. What works Great food for non-vegetarians (Seafood and meat), Good recreational activities (canoeing, fishing, swimming, and beach). What doesn’t: Service is slow, mainly because they are understaffed. Slightly over-priced.
I hope you enjoyed this article about Oyster Opera resort. Please read my other articles about unique places in North Kerala:
In the mid-90s, I got my first glimpses of Hong Kong – thru the Van Damme movies that were shot there. Till last week, my opinions and perceptions about this place were totally based on these movies. The vivid images of Hong Kong that I had in my head mostly contained drug racketeers, poker-faced underworld kingpins, crime-infested downtowns, narrow crowded streets and lots of seafood. Hong Kong is the last place I would’ve chosen for a vacation with my family.
Planning the trip
Yet I decided to go there this time. It was only because I wanted to take my 7-year-old to a Disney Land, and the closest one for us was located in Hong Kong.
The travel agent worked out a great 6-day itinerary for me – one that included the must-see places in Hong Kong and a day at Macau. (He is an old friend who knows my love for gambling, and Macau is a mini Las Vegas. Before you form opinions about my character, I should clarify that I am not a big-time gambler. Mostly, I do slot machines. When I am at my wildest best, I throw caution to the wind and bet on red or black at the roulette.)
Getting there
Armed with a Lonely Planet guide on Hong Kong and Macau, I took the late-night Dragon Air flight to Hong Kong. Decent late-night dinner and an early breakfast later, I touched down at Hong Kong airport. The plan was to get to Macau directly without doing immigration clearance in Hong Kong, and this meant that I had to wait another 2 hours to take the Turbojet Ferry. Thanks to Wi-Fi at the airport, I surfed the net a bit and tweeted out some wisecracks. Another half-hour was spent stuffing myself with some expensive airport coffee and doughnuts. It was now time to board the ferry. In an hour, the monster boat took us to Las Vegas of the East.
Inside the Turbojet ferry
Day 1:
My reservation was at the Grand Waldo hotel located on Taipa island. By the time I got there, it was early evening. My first impression of Macau was that it was a tranquil city – not much traffic and not many people around. (Later, I would realize that it was so because most of the people were inside the packed casinos!). A power nap and soda helped me shake away my exhaustion from travel. That evening I explored Macau on foot.
Grand Waldo is located 10 minutes (by foot) from the most famous casinos in Macau – the Venetian. Then there was this huge new casino being inaugurated the next day called Galaxy. I circled Galaxy and got into Venetian. After doing some shopping, I had dinner (fried noodles and baked mushrooms. I forget the dish’s name) at the food court in Venetian. I walked back to Grand Waldo and tried my luck at the slot machines and roulettes. I realized yet again that gambling doesn’t pay. I retired for the day, poorer by around $ 200.
Lobby of Venetian
The shopping centre floor at Venetian
The brand new Galaxy casino/hotel
Day 2:
Took a tour of the city. I visited Ama temple (the temple with many spiral incense sticks) and the ruins of St. Pauls church. My guide also showed me some old houses that remind me of the Portuguese colony that Macau once was. My next stop was Macau Tower. The view from the top of Macau tower was amazing. Interestingly, they have these sections of glass flooring, thru which one can see the land below. It takes some courage to step on that glass pane. Needless to say, I chickened out. (I wasn’t sure if they’d strength tested the glass for 220+ pounds of pure body fat). One can also do bungee jumping from the top of the tower. Did not try that. Short of time. Ahem.
Ruins of St Pauls Church
Glass Floors at the top of Macau Tower. Scary.
View from Macau tower. It was a foggy day.
The same evening, I took the Turbojet back to Hong Kong. After passing thru a huge line for immigration check (and having got ‘randomly selected’ for additional security check), I got out and hailed a taxi that would take me to Park Hotel. The evening traffic was heavy, and I dozed off a bit. I woke up to the hustle and bustle of Tsim Sha Tsui (TST, Tsimsy as people call it). Now, this was more like the Hong Kong that I had imagined – streets filled with people, neon lights all over. At the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula, Tsim Sha Tsui is an exciting and ideal place to stop when you visit Hong Kong. Getting around is easy, and there’s also an MTR (subway) station nearby. I checked in, had dinner at the Charlie Brown café right opposite to the Park Hotel, and retired for the day.
Day 3:
I explored the city a bit. I also learned to say ‘Good Morning’ in local lingo (sounds somewhat like ‘Jo Son’). Though my travel agent had warned me that locals would not be very friendly towards Indians (and I can understand why, given that we are not a well-mannered lot while travelling), I found them very helpful. There was an instance where one of the locals patiently explained the best route to Avenue of Stars to me, even though he was visibly in a hurry to rush off somewhere. Thanks to me, he missed his bus and probably had to wait another half hour to catch the next bus. By the way, I think every single person in Hong Kong has an iPhone – I got to make some apps in Mandarin/ Cantonese. I visited the Golden Bauhinia Square, the Peak (Peak is where Madame Tussaud’s Wax museum is), and the Avenue of Stars. Later I went to Night Market, did some Indian style bargaining and bought a few souvenirs and gifts. I found Hong Kong very expensive for shopping. That night I saw the Harmony of lights show from Avenue of Stars.
The street across Night Market, Hong Kong
A local food joint. Brisk sales.
Golden Bauhinia. In memory of China taking over Hong Kong
Would that be chicken or geese?
Captain Sparrow at Madame Tussauds. As popular as the real one.
Bronze statue at Avenue of Stars. Near Tsim Sha Tsui harbour.
Crowd watching Harmony of lights show from Avenue of stars.
Day 4:
A whole day at Ocean Park. A great place for fun. I got a key chain as a token of appreciation for taking part in a survey. The cable car ride was amazing. So was the burger lunch. Do not miss the ‘Raging River ride.
Giant balloons at the Ocean Park entrance.
Cable cars at Ocean Park. Breathtaking!
Jellyfish Display at Ocean Park
Underwater tunnel, Ocean Park
Giant Panda: Tired after a hard day’s work? (Read the sign.)
Day 5:
Checked out from the Park hotel. Took a taxi to Disney Hollywood hotel. Checked in. Went straight to Disneyland. Spent the whole day there. A stormy day. Watched the ‘Rainy day parade’ instead of the regular parade. O must not miss the ‘Space Mountain’ roller coaster ride. Back to the hotel after covering Tomorrow land and Fantasy land. Adventure land will have to wait—partial disaster. I went back to see the fireworks. Came back. Slept partially hungry.
Entrance of Disney Land, Hong Kong
Lady in a carousel. How’s that for the panning technique, shutterbugs?
Disney’s Rainy Day Parade
Day 6:
Another day at Disney Land. Covered Adventure Land. Back to the hotel. I checked out and took the shuttle to the airport. Night flight back home.
Tarzan’s treehouse. Adventure land.
Disney’s Parade. The regular one.
Another shot of the parade.
Yet another shot of the parade.
It was indeed an enjoyable trip – one that shattered all the false perceptions I had about Hong Kong. Hong Kong is now a place I would love to go back to. What was your experience visiting Hong Kong?
What are the top things to do in nepal – this post attempts to provide some options based on my own personal experience.
It was a lazy Saturday afternoon when my customary afternoon siesta was interrupted by a phone call from my friend. Struggling to shrug away the sleep from my eyes, I picked up the phone. I was soon jolted to full consciousness when I heard his words: ” I am planning a trip to Nepal. Wanna join in?”.
Nepal? Of all the places, Nepal? – I thought to myself. I was planning on a vacation, but Nepal was the last holiday destination I would have thought of – given my idea of vacation usually is lying around in some exotic location engulfing myself in luxury. What the heck – I thought, I would never see Nepal in my life if I don’t go now. I agreed. The plan was on. I was going to Nepal!
With just one month to go, plans were made in haste. I did a rudimentary searche to find more details about top things to do in Nepal. Druk Air (Bhutan air) took us to Nepal. The sight of Himalayan incisors peeping above the clouds is goose-bumps material, and you are suddenly filled with a sense of anticipation, humility and various other feelings that cant be described. Coming face-to-face with the most formidable mountain range is sure to evoke emotions in you that you’ve never had.
We touched down at Kathmandu and was soon out of the airport after the immigration formalities. We were surrounded by porters who helped transport our baggage to the waiting taxi a few feet away for a ‘nominal’ tip of INR 100 only. As we soon found out, tipping would be one of the biggest expense item one has to budget for if one intends to tour Nepal.
Nagarkot
We drove straight to Nagarkot – a hilltop resort village that offers stunning sunrise views – and checked into Club Himalaya. We explored the surroundings a bit that day, had coffee at Berghouse cafe, and went back to the hotel once the village closed shops (around 8 PM). The next day we hiked to Changu Narayan temple – a very refreshing 4-hour walk from our hotel cutting across various communities settled along the valley. Leaving aside the gory details (like the food we had – which by the way was mostly Momos, the time we went to bed etc.), this is all we did at Nagarkot! So far, so good!
Pokhara
The following morning, we checked out of Club Himalaya to catch a flight to Pokhara. Carriers: Budha air. Pokhara greeted us with a slight drizzle that we were not equipped to handle. Extremely scenic, this place is situated between a very calm ‘Phewa Tal’ lake and the snow-capped Mt. Machhapuchhare (a Himalayan Peak – shaped like a Fishtail, and hence the name). Fishtail lodge would be our home for the next 2 days. Getting to Fishtail lodge was itself an experience – a rope drawn pontoon ferried people across the lake to this beautiful cottage hotel.
Getting around Pokhara is easy – one needs to follow the lakeshore. The shore is lined with shops selling CDs, cashmere, prayer flags, khukris and other Nepali artefacts, playing ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ (Buddhist chants) throughout the day. To complete the setting, I suggest you pick up any of the Everest expedition stories for your night reading. This surely will transport you to a different mental realm altogether (I picked up ‘Into Thin Air’ by Jon Krakauer). Dinner at Lhasa – a hotel that serves Tibetan food. Early next morning, we drove to Sarangkot to catch a glimpse of the rising sun but was deprived of the pleasure thanks to a very cloudy morning.
Our tour guide – Tenzen, a chirpy stockily built bloke, took us around on a 5 point trip – Devi’s falls, Seti gorge, Mahendra cave, Vidya darshini temple and the old houses. We rented bikes in the evening and went around that evening. Tea and chocolate cakes from the famous German bakery raised our spirits a great deal, and the night was spent shopping. Most bikes and cars in Nepal are imports from neighbouring countries. Bajaj Pulsar is a very sought after bike over there, and rentals for this is usually higher than the others. Apparently, the prices of the bikes and cars are almost double that in India ‘cos of import duties. So, even a Maruti 800 is priced pretty high in Nepal. Another thing we did at Pokhara was a trek to Peace Pagoda – built by Japanese monks to promote world peace. (Couch potato warning: This short steep trek can create some uneasiness in you. Symptoms include breathlessness and a general inability to climb.).
Last stop – Kathmandu
Well, Kathmandu was like getting back to reality – the hustle and bustle, the mad rush to catch up with a crazy life, the dust, et al. It was a mixed experience for us here – a mix of spirituality and pleasures of modern life. While visits to Swayambunath, Pashupatinath and Bodhnath brought us peace, shopping at Thamel and visits to casinos reminded us that we still are pretty ordinary humans going after material pleasures of life.
And then… the flight back to India. Very quiet. With each one thinking about going back to work the next day.
So, here’s a summary: Shopping – What we bought: Tibetan stuff (handheld Prayer wheels etc.), Shawls, CDs(!).
Shopping – What we did not buy: Khukri (Gorkha dagger), Masks, Thangka paintings.
Food – What we liked best: Fried Momos (like the samosas we get in India), Food at Lhasa Restaurant, Pokhara.
Food – We did not like: Tibetan drink (I forget the name. A hot, starchy liquid).
Sights – What we liked: Everything!
Sights – What sucked: Crowded streets of Kathmandu.
So those are some of the top things to do in Nepal. Leaving you with some pictures I took. Tell me you like them.
