Tag Archives: hotel

Subtle charm of Bikaner

One of our biggest regrets about the Rajasthan trip is that we did not spend two nights in Bikaner. Many tourists entirely skip this 15th century town, located on the old trade caravan route, and I think it is a pity. Bikaner is a pleasant oasis in the middle of the Thar desert. After checking into our hotel, we hopped on to a rickshaw to visit the 15th century Jain temples in the southern part of the town. We met a friendly priest who was flying a kite and despite the lack of a common language we spent a memorable moment together. The walk back to the hotel took longer than we had estimated but it was enjoyable. Streets seemed to create one long bazaar of spices, kitchenware, clothes, car spare parts and textiles. We were definitely viewed as odd tourists who rarely stop by Bikaner, and locals kept looking at us from a distance with a reserved, kind smile.

As we had arrived in Bikaner quite late in the afternoon, there was no time to visit the fort, and this is what I regret. Built in the 16th century, the fort is another architectural masterpiece from the Emperor Akbar era. It is very well preserved because it has never been conquered. One day I will see it from inside.In the end we had to catch a rickshaw because the streets never seemed to end. We were covered in dust, hungry, and ready for a luxury dinner at Laxmi Niwas Palace. After all, who would’t use the opportunity to eat where King George V and Queen Mary once enjoyed chicken tandoori and gin & topic?

During our agreeable garden dinner a rare rain storm arrived, transforming the evening very special. I could only think of those people living in the Thar desert and how happy they were. And we were happy too. The dinner, typical Rajasthani dishes, was extremely good, one of the best we had during our journey!

Afterwards we had a private tour of this majestic, glorious hotel. Everything was spectacular, including the billiards room where 15 tiger skins hanged on the wall reminded us of the old days…

So, if you are planning a trip in Rajasthan, do not limit yourself to the Golden Triangle. There is so much to see everywhere and I strongly recommend Shekhawati: the Haveli Hub and Jaisalmer, where our trip continued from Bikaner. Promise to think about it!

Laxmi Niwas Palace: http://www.laxminiwaspalace.com/

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Note: This is the 15th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

Part 1. Arrival in Delhi: first impressions
Part 2. Eight cities of Delhi
Part 3. Road from Delhi to Agra
Part 4. Visiting Agra and Taj Mahal
Part 5. Fatehpur Sikri: what a pearl!
Part 6. Neemrana Fort-Palace: the magnificent 15th century palace
Part 7. Breathtaking Amber Fort
Part 8. Chaotic but charming Jaipur (part 1.)
Part 9. Chaotic but charming Jaipur (part 2.)
Part 10. Hotel Pearl Palace in Jaipur
Part 11. Samode Palace: live like a Maharaja
Part 12. Shekhawati: the Haveli Hub
Part 13. Enchanting Hotel Mandawa Haveli
Part 14. Karni Mata Temple (WARNING: includes images of rats)

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Enchanting Hotel Mandawa Haveli

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Mandawa is the most touristic town of Shekhawati and therefore the most common base for exploring this semi-arid region famous for rich architecture and history. There are several accommodation options in Mandawa, and most of them are former havelis converted into hotels. We chose Hotel Mandawa Haveli and immediately fell in love with it. Design was stylish and there were small architectural details everywhere to discover. After visiting different rooms, we decided to take the slightly more expensive Haresh Room. It was large, the bed was comfortable and it felt like sleeping in a museum. Our door was elaborately carved and I bet it was more than 150 years old.We spent one night in Mandawa, but could have stayed for two nights. Dinner was served at the hotel and it was honest, local Rajasthani food. Very lovely. There was also a rooftop terrace where one can watch the sunset with a Kingfisher, and where dinner is sometimes served.I have kept a wonderful memory of Hotel Mandawa Haveli and believe it is one of the nicest hotels we stayed at during our Rajasthan tour. The price was very correct: 2000INR (23€/33USD).

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Note: This is the 13th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

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Samode Palace: live like a Maharaja

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Rajasthan is full of havelis (former private mansions) converted into hotels. Some are more modest than others, while some are extravagant in every sense. In most cases they all have one thing in common: each haveli is a masterpiece of design and architecture, through which it tells a story to its visitor. A visit in Rajasthan would not be complete without sleeping in a haveli!From Jaipur our journey continued to Shekhawati region, but along the route we had planned to stop at Samode Palace, located just over 40km north of Jaipur. Samode Palace is arguably one of the most famous hotels in Rajasthan. It is stunning and full of curious, wonderful and elaborate decorations. Even if you don’t stay with them, you can do as we did: pay an entrance fee (at the time of our visit it was 500INR per person) against a private tour of the premises. In most cases, and this was true at Samode Palace, too, you can spend that amount toward food and beverages, so I would suggest using the moment as your breakfast or lunch break! Our stop at Samode Palace lasted for just over an hour and we left the premises breathless. This is exactly the type of place where one comes for a honeymoon or a wedding anniversary. Or just to spend a few nights in order to understand how it felt to be a maharaja in the past…. The more I think about, the more I conclude that it was only after visiting different parts of India that I truly learnt to understand the richness of hotel accommodation in Rajasthan. In fact, it is very easy to find affordable and beautiful hotels to sleep at in almost every city, town and village of Rajasthan, and to me this is one of the main reasons why I love Rajasthan….

SAMODE PALACE: http://www.samode.com/ (they have four properties in Rajasthan, so check the website for more information)

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Note: This is the 11th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

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Hotel Pearl Palace in Jaipur

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During our stay in Jaipur we slept at a nice, clean and cute little hotel called Hotel Pearl Palace. We had chosen it for four reasons: excellent Tripadvisor reviews, reactive management (fast email responding), location in a quite neighborhood and the rooftop terrace restaurant. In the end of our stay we felt we had made the right choice. Just before I started writing this post I returned to Tripadvisor website to check the ranking of Hotel Pearl Palace. To my delight, I saw that it is considered to be the sixth best hotel among Jaipur’s 300 hotels! Right after the Oberoi and the Taj. Impressive!

We felt that the staff was really friendly and helpful. The building itself was in a good condition and corridors were decorated with lovely objects and furniture. The rooftop terrace (restaurant Peacock) was a lovely oasis where we had dinner every night. Moreover, we felt that it was nice to have a quiet hotel where to return in the evening –Jaipur is a bit hectic and can feel overwhelming.Our room was a standard double room (#301) and we paid 800INR (9.40€ or 13USD). It was a rather simple but comfortable room with a nice bathroom, and we considered it excellent value for money. There are many different types of rooms, all displayed on the hotel’s website.This said, there really isn’t anything negative to say about the hotel. Well, it doesn’t have a pool, but if it had one, the prices wouldn’t be the same… Should I return to Jaipur and needed a hotel in this price category, I would definitely return to Hotel Pearl Palace.

HOTEL PEARL PALACE: http://www.hotelpearlpalace.com/

Note: This is the tenth post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

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Chaotic but charming Jaipur (part 2.)

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Our second day in Jaipur begun with a breakfast at our hotel’s rooftop restaurant –a small oasis in the middle of a hectic city. So important when traveling in India!

We had nothing special planned for the day, apart from visiting the world-famous Hawa Mahal and continue exploring the city. Hawa Mahal, commonly known as the Palace of Winds, is the monument that appears in almost all commercial photos one sees about Jaipur. It is dedicated to Hindu god Krishna. Constructed in the late 18th century, the palace has a curious history and design: its latticed windows were built in a way that allowed the veiled women of the royal harem of observe the outside life without being seen!Renovations were going on during our visit, but visitors were allowed to climb to the top floor and enjoy viewing Jaipur and imagining how these women felt looking down to the street. A monument not to be missed!Afterwards we decided not to visit Jantar Mantar (the observatory), and instead headed outside of the city to visit Jal Mahal, the 18th century Water Palace. On our way back we stopped at a textile shop to buy some local clothes (half silk half linen, apparently). Looking at colors available was mind-blowing!!! As Jaipur is world-famous for precious stones and jewelry making (many of the ornaments worn by maharajis come from Jaipur!), we stopped by a few shops to better understand the centuries-old jewelry-making tradition. What we saw was breathtaking but since we are not professionals, we did not buy anything too expensive. If you like design and jewelry, do visit one of the jewelry houses even if you have no intention ob buying. Most shops are used to tourists and happy to show you around.For the rest of the day we visited old havelis (old private houses) converted into hotels (like the one in the photo). Rajasthan is full of havelis, and Jaipur has a fair share of them. They are an integral part of the region’s history and usually full of antique furniture and stylishly decorated, respecting the local traditions. If you are into architecture, I would strongly consider visiting these historic and lovely pearls. We spent two full days in Jaipur and could have stayed longer. It is the most accessible city in Rajasthan if you are coming from Delhi, but regardless of tourism masses, Jaipur has remained rather pleasant. Our only regret was that we didn’t buy more souvenirs in jaipur –its bazaars are really fantastic. As other towns in Rajasthan do not necessarily have same products, think of filling your suitcase with souvenirs from Jaipur!

Note: This is the ninth post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:
Part 1. Arrival in Delhi: first impressions
Part 2. Eight cities of Delhi
Part 3. Road from Delhi to Agra
Part 4. Visiting Agra and Taj Mahal
Part 5. Fatehpur Sikri: what a pearl!
Part 6. Neemrana Fort-Palace: the magnificent 15th century palace
Part 7. Breathtaking Amber Fort
Part 8. Chaotic but charming Jaipur (part 1.)

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Neemrana Fort-Palace: the magnificent 15th century palace

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After visiting Fatehpur Sikri: what a pearl! we hit the road to Neemrana village in Alwar district, in the northern part of Rajasthan. The road was in a bad condition and it took us six hours to reach our destination, which was only 200 km away.

However, our patience was rewarded upon arrival at Neemrana Fort-Palace. While entering this 15th century palace we could almost hear maharajas whispering namaste to us. This is how magic it looked and felt like.After the check-in, we were taken into our room Parvati Mahal, which was very lovely and stylish. Excited, we rushed to the balcony and saw the pool area. Wow. In whichever direction we looked, there was an extraordinary wing or level, old and new, turning the hotel into a romantic and mysterious storybook. As the sun was still shining, we swam in the pool and admired magnificent architecture that surrounded us. I am pretty sure maharajas were somewhere watching us. Monkeys were.At the sunset we headed to dinner, which was a tasty North Indian buffet served in a very pleasant terrace. There were lots of candles and more antique decoration elements everywhere. Indian red wine we ordered with the meal was just perfect, fruity and tangy.

Neemrana Fort-Palace was more elegant than we could have expected. During our three-day stay we visited many rooms (each one of them was different, but stylish and comfortable) and wandered around different parts of the fort-palace. Since it was built over different centuries, and recently restored, it felt like time-traveling in a labyrinth. We could not get enough of details and atmosphere, and were sad to leave when the day came. But I am confident that we will make a return one day!

Note: Since our visit to Neemrana Fort-Palace, we have stayed at several Neemrana properties in different parts of India. Today, the group owns 29 heritage buildings, “non-hotels”, and each one of them is a reflection of India’s rich history. The owners (an Indian gentleman and a Frenchman) pay attention to every detail, and rooms are decorated with beautiful antique objects, quality textiles and comfortable furniture. As the buildings where the Neemrana properties are located were not meant for hotel usage, every room is different (which explains rather large room price variations). So, if you are planning a trip to India, make sure you don’t leave India without a true Neemrana experience –highly recommended!! www.neemranahotels.com

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This is the sixth post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:
Part 1. Arrival in Delhi: first impressions
Part 2. Eight cities of Delhi
Part 3. Road from Delhi to Agra
Part 4. Visiting Agra and Taj Mahal
Part 5. Fatehpur Sikri: what a pearl!

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Visiting Agra and Taj Mahal

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We left Delhi at 8 a.m. in the morning and arrived in Agra eight hours later (see Road from Delhi to Agra). The closer we got to Agra, the more our excitement grew. Taj Mahal, here we come! Will it be as stunning as everyone claims? And yes, I confirm, it was very impressive to see this enormous white marble mausoleum in the horizon for the first time. After dropping our bags at Hotel Kamal, we rushed to Taj Mahal, but the entrance procedure did not go as smoothly as it could have. Our bag contained illegal objects: guide books (!?), a torch and cellular phones, and had to leave them at the entrance (check recent regulations at your hotel). After passing the security check, we arrived in the garden. Suddenly, there we were, with thousands of Indians, some tourists and cameras in every hand. Once in a lifetime experience.

As Internet and guidebooks are full of information about this extraordinary 17th century mausoleum, influenced by Hinduism and Islam, I am not going to go into architecture and history (for example, Eyewitness India guidebook excels in architectural and historical descriptions). So, I will stick to sharing some more photos: Impressive, right?

In our opinion, it was definitely worth arriving before 5 p.m. and wandering around Taj Mahal until the sunset. Highly recommended! Moreover, as you know, the sun is so strong in India that even for photo shoots the evenings are much better. Alternatively, you could also arrive very early in the morning.

The next morning we woke up at the sunrise (5.30 a.m.) and climbed to the roof terrace of our hotel. The famous appearance of Taj Mahal was worth the early wake. In fact, I would recommend either staying at a hotel that has a great view, or finding a roof top you can easily access in the morning. After the morning photo shoot we walked around the Taj Ganj quarter (in the immediate proximity of Taj Mahal), which left us a pleasant impression. Quiet streets, old gates, rustic but charming houses, and friendly people. We had breakfast at the roof terrace of Shanti Lodge near our hotel and decided not to visit the Agra Fort and the Agra city center (that surely are worth visiting!). Next we picked up our bags and paid a rickshaw to take us to meet our driver who was waiting for us outside the center. FYI: cars are not allowed too close to Taj Mahal, so your driver may ask you to take a rickshaw to reach your hotel.

It was 8 a.m. and our day was only starting. Fatehpur Sikri, here we come!

TAJ MAHAL TICKET AND ENTRANCE INFORMATION: To my understanding, tickets can be purchased until 5 p.m., allowing you to stay until the sunset. There are also night viewing tickets available around the full moon, but not on Fridays. However, please note this information is based on our travel memories from March 2008 and on Internet reading, so please check the latest information with your hotel prior to arrival in order to avoid disappointments!

HOTEL KAMAL (http://www.hotelkamal.com/): The hotel was very simple, but we had big windows and hot water. Its location and roof top were big bonuses. However, my quick Tripadvisor browsing shows that recent reviews are not that great. It seems they redid the hotel since our visit and unfortunately there are no prices available on the hotel’s website. So, all I can say is that we were pleased with our stay, but we paid 400 INR ( 4.7€ or 6.5USD). A real bargain!!

EATING IN AGRA: We did not eat particularly well, so cannot recommend anything.

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PS This is the fourth post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:
Part 1. Arrival in Delhi: first impressions
Part 2. Eight cities of Delhi
Part 3. Road from Delhi to Agra

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Arrival in Delhi: first impressions

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Almost exactly six years we arrived in India for the first time. The night flight from Paris landed in Delhi in the middle of the night. We had booked a taxi service from our hotel and the driver was waiting for us as promised. So far so good!

The journey to the hotel was long and noisy. We saw expensive palace-like hotels, shacks, cows and people gathering by fire. Typical contrasts India offers to visitors. But the longer the taxi took to navigate through small streets, the more we got worried. Where are we going to? What mostly worried us, I think, was that we were supposedly approaching the center, but the city didn’t get any cleaner. Isn’t it usually the other way around? Aren’t the slums “outside” and the rich “inside”?Finally, maybe 3 o’clock in the morning the car stopped. It was pitch-black and we sincerely thought the driver needed petrol or that there is a problem. There was nothing apart from homeless people and cows by a big fire. And this is when the driver said “Welcome to Hotel Namaskar”. Like in the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, except that Marigold was a palace compared to our “hotel”…. I don’t remember if back then I was swearing in English, French or Finnish, but I must have said a few selected words.I had booked Hotel Namaskar by email and they had been very responsive and friendly. I guess I had found it through Lonely Planet or Tripadvisor. It had seemed ok, centrally located and cheap, and all this was true. So what had gone wrong? Ok, I must admit that there was one more reason why I had booked it: I wanted us to jump into the “real Indian life” as soon as possible. I guess I saw sleeping in a cheap, dirty hotel as a kind of vaccination? Or maybe I believed that if we start at the bottom, it can only get better? Whatever it was, my now husband was in utter shock. “There is no way I am sleeping here”, he said. By now we had already been taken to our first room, which was worse than a prison cell. It did not even have a window. I hate it when it is pitch black, so we insisted getting an other room. The receptionist informed us that it will be more expensive, but when you talk about one euro more, who cares. We got our new room, with private bathroom and a window, and crashed into bed. After all, it was almost 4 o’clock in the morning.. what else could we have done?

We ended up staying at Hotel Namaskar for three nights. We never touched the floor with bare feet and there was no room cleaning, but the bed was clean enough. We saw some cockroaches (only few) but there were no bed bugs. No hot water either but this was not necessarily the hotel’s fault. After three nights we left Hotel Namaskar in a private car with a driver to start our 14-day tour of Rajasthan with a drop-off in Udaipur we had bought at 400€. Our driver’s behavior will be another story, but we had an excellent trip in Rajasthan. And thanks to those very cheap nights in Delhi, we had more money to spend at beautiful palaces around Rajasthan!

HOTEL NAMASKAR (http://www.namaskarhotel.com): 917, Chandiwalan, Main Bazar, in the Paharganj area. Within walking distance from the railway station.

Standard room: 400 INR (4.70€ or 6.50USD).

PS Please don’t be turned down by these not-so-beautiful photos! There will be plenty of others that will surely be more appealing! India IS a very attractive country, wait and see.

India: Top 10 places to visit

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This is not your usual guide to India, which directs you to Taj Mahal, the Golden Triangle and Goa. I am not saying these places are not worth visiting -they are- but my goal is to show the richness of India by introducing diversified, less obvious places to visit. Namaste!

My Top Ten of India (in alphabetical order):

1. Badami (Karnataka). Why? The capital of the Chalukya Kings during the 6th-7th centuries. Stunning cave temples dedicated to Hinduism and Jainism. Badami is also a small, pleasant and rather green town.

2. Chettinad (Tamil Nadu). Why? Chettinad is a region and its capital is Karaikudi. It is the home to Nagarathars, people renowned for their financial and banking skills, who migrated to South and Southeast Asia in the 19th and 20th century. With the money they made abroad, many splendid mansions were built in Chettinad, making the region an architectural pearl. Moreover, Chettinad is famous for its distinctive, delicious cuisine.

3. Ellora (Maharashtra). Why? A group of rock-cut temples devoted to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. A UNESCO World Heritage site. The most famous temple Kailasanatha, built in the 8th century, was carved from one rock, hence a true architectural masterpiece.

4. Hampi (Karnataka). Why? Another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The capital of the Vijayanagara empire in the 14th-17th century. Impressive Hindu temples scattered around a huge terrain. Do not miss the Elephant stables!

5. Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh). Why? A crazy, noisy and polluted city. Closest I have been to Pakistan (what I imagine Pakistan to be like). At the same time, Hyderabad is amazing and fascinating!! The world’s Biryani capital. Excellent Biryanis.

6. Kannur (Kerala). Why? Not many people have heard of Kannur, but if you want to see the famous Theyyam performance-ritual, this is the town where you will be based. Theyyam is more than 2000 years old and a definite must see. (Note: I had hard time choosing between Kochi and Kannur, but chose Kannur because Theyyams are less known than Kochi)

7. Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu). Why? Built in the 7th century by a Pallava King, Mamallapuram is an other fantastic UNESCO World Heritage site. Elements of Dravidianism, Buddhism and Hinduism. Stunning monolithic rock carvings and sculpted reliefs. For elephant lovers.

8. Shekhawati (Rajasthan). Why? Located on an old trade route, Shekhawati region is another architectural pearl, full of spectacular merchants’ and industrialists’ houses. These houses are real storyboards and their frescoes tell a story of the late 19th century industrialization. Read more: Shekhawati: the Haveli Hub

9. Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh). Why? Tirupati is your base for visiting the Shri Venkateshvara Temple located in the Tirumala Hills. One of the most important Hindu pilgrimage site in India. In the league of Vatican and Mecca in the global context. Talking about the power of religion.

10. Udaipur (Rajasthan). Why? The Venice of the East. Probably the most romantic city of India. Sleep in an old palace and you will see why.

What is your favorite place in India and for what reason? And if you haven’t yet been to India, then what would be your top three places to go to?

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Istanbul fever

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Last week, while eating Healthy Salmon Salad, I run into the Silvertooth album by Ethan Daniel Davidson. Soon after I started listening to it, I was very vividly brought back to something. Place: Istanbul. Time: many times, from 2001 to 2007.I first visited Istanbul right after the 9-11. It was supposed to be a one-week trip but I ended up staying for a long time. So long, that even my airline (Swissair) went bankrupt during my stay of two months. Wow. And yes, it was that hip of a city that ever since 2001, I have tried to return to this half-European, half-Asian city whenever I can. During some years, I was even lucky enough to have a contract with a company that had a regional office in Istanbul!

No need to explain, I love Istanbul and it is one of my all-time favorite cities of the world.

But now back to Silvertooth. In November 2007, I had returned to this super cool, fantastic city with my now husband and some friends for a long weekend. We stayed at the Kybele Hotel and this is also where Silvertooth’s Ethan (guitar, vocals) and Gretchen (guitar) were staying. We became friends and spent a couple of crazy nights together enjoying Istanbul: climbed centuries’ old roof tops, explored mezes and drunk raki. Many crazy photos, too. One of those weekends I would love to time travel back to!

So, while I was having dinner in Paris last week –accompanied by me, myself and Silvertooth– Istanbul suddenly came back to me and I started missing it. And this feeling, urge of returning, has been growing ever since last Wednesday and it does not seem to go away. Istanbul, here I come, soon, I hope.

Silvertooth: http://silvertooth.bandcamp.com/album/silvertooth

The Kybele Hotel: http://www.kybelehotel.com

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