Tand F December 2013

December 2013 KERENG02406 www.travelandflavors.com

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Cover photo: A dancer performs at the Fiesta in Las Vegas, Nevada, US

50

cover story

The Other Side of Vegas They say that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. It’s called the sin city and virtually seems to resemble one big night club.

You would not have imagined that Vegas is a place where you can go for a family trip but it has turned out to be a great place to go for a holiday with your family

Timeless Wonder The Gothic wonders of Prague will surely have you in awe of the rich heritage of the city.

It’s one of the most stunning destinations in Europe and offers you the kind of holiday where you can revel in the serene atmosphere of the monasteries, churches and the picturesque Vltava River

60

34 Get a taste of Beijing Beijing is a place where history and myth seem to blend and make it a never ending trip into fantasy land. The city has a truly rich history and the remnants of the ancient monuments of the two most powerful dynasties appear to be truly breathtaking sights and the kind of place you cannot miss out on

Into the Wild by Rathika Ramasamy 10 Travel News 12 Events Calendar 14 Unique Festivals 15 My shot 19 

Sumptuous Madras cuisine 24 A look at the sumptuous thali meals at Chennai’s hotels

Discover luxuries with Seven Seas Mariner 28 Indulge in a royal voyage aboard the cruise liner

Thus Spake the Shots: Wayanad 32 Blue carpet welcome to all visitors 38

A ‘blue carpet’ welcome is in store for those visitng the bluebell fields of England

Nothing like home food 44

Jenny Thingshung takes us through the essential qualitiles of home cooked food

Dine & stay at Oakwood 46

Oakwood offers palatable international as well as Indian cuisine

Authentic Thai cuisine experience 66 Treat yourself to the best Thai delights at the Royal Budha

Mysterious Island up close 70

Puerto Princesca is just as beautiful as it is secluded Find out in Karnika E Yashwant’s travels

40 Golden hours in Amritsar The Golden Temple would take your breath away, whether you’re an ardent devotee of the almighty or not. The temple exudes a sense of serenity that you most likely wouldn’t be able to imagine these days

73 Classy travel bag

A look at the best bags for travelling

74 Incredible Assam

Suresh Joseph takes you on a journey through incredible Assam

78 Serene Himalayan beauty

Ghandurk is certainly serenity and peace redefined thanks to the majestic presence of the Himalayas

81 Holiday of a lifetime at Holiday Inn

Luxury fit for a king and the budget that won’t have you cringing. That’s Holiday Inn Dubai for you

84 Step into Sicilia for a taste of Italy

Who says you need to go all the way to Italy to tuck into your favourite raviolis? Just step into Sicilia for the sameo

88 Weaving the magic Handloom saris would not have looked as splendid as it did unless it was woven at Kuthampully and you discover that it’s no exaggeration

90 From the Tourism Director’s desk 92 Kalpathy Chariot Festival Watch the great Chariots of Kalpathy being drawn at the famed Kalpathy Chariot Festival

96 Photo of the month 98 Man of micro adventure Meet Alistair Humphreys, the man behind the concept of micro adventures

Volume 1 Issue 9 | December 2013 Founder & editor Ravi Deecee Executive Editor Ratheema Ravi DC MEDIA - OPERATIONS

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contributors Rathika Ramasamy is India’s first woman wildlife photographer and one of the world’s top 10 wildlife photgraphers

Salim Pushpanath is a renowned photographer based in Kerala, South India. He has published several photo books based on his many travels

Suresh Joseph is a triple postgraduate in Economics, Management and Industrial Relations. He has authored two books and presently he is a Consultant and Mentor based in Kochi, Kerala

Shweta Ganesh Kumar is a travel columnist and the bestselling author of Coming Up On the Show and Between The Headlines, two novels on the Indian broadcast news industry

Richi Mohanty works as a User Interface Designer in Bangalore. She is an avid traveller who loves meeting new people and experiencing various cultures

Karnika E Yaswanth is a naturalist and is involved in several projects which seek to stop the destruction of natural habitat due to human negligence

Amit Kishor Subedi is an avid traveller and documentary film maker based in Pokhara, Nepal. He is involved in documentaries which promote art and culture in Nepal

8

travel & flavors December 2013

letter from the editor

I

t is obvious that all tourists are not inclined to visit pristine beaches or undertake wildlife safaris in remote locations although these are natural settings which can attract leisurely people. Undoubtedly, these locales have long been the most favourite spots for a majority of tourists across the globe for a host of reasons. But there are lesser known travellers who visit quite modern facilities like amusement parks, underwater aquariums etc. along with their spouses and children. These may appear to be family trips but the enthusiasm of a traveller does not make a retreat. Like a child, you can enjoy each moment, learn new things and experience the excitements all through the trip.

Such excursions increasingly become popular with big cities coming up with novel themes to attract the new genre of travellers. Las Vegas, the famous US city of casinos, is rapidly evolving with new ideas. Over the past few years, Vegas has been trying to brand itself as the preferred destination for business conventions. With this change of image, it is necessary to prepare for the families of the businesswomen and men who attend these events. There were days when people were aghast at seeing a toddler within walking range of a casino in Las Vegas. Today, it is quite common to see lines of strollers laden with babies queuing up for the elevator.

In the years to come, the number of hardcore travellers with huge backpacks as we see today moving from one destination to the other is likely to come down, giving way for multi-purpose travellers, mainly the business community. Las Vegas is a typical example of how new destinations are designed to cater to the needs of the travelling business community. Read the cover story ‘The other side of Las Vegas’ to get closer to the latest developments in the travel destinations.

A visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar could be a memorable experience forever. The quaint beauty of the Sikh temple and its tranquil ambience could make you wonder. The temple in the golden colour looks gorgeous during dawn and dusk. The article ‘The golden hours in the golden city’ also takes you to the Wagah border to catch a glimpse of the procession in the evening.

‘Prague: A timeless wonder’ is a journey through one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Gothic towers, redroofed homes, the river Vltava and many historical places unveil as you take a trip through the city of Prague. A visitor is given a veritable treat of architectural styles from Gothic to Romanesque and Bohemian Baroque.

Foodies can have all info on sumptuous ‘thali’ and different types of home-style dosa like Vaasanai dosa and Krishnavilsam masala dosa available in Chennai. Enjoy the tasty Madras cuisine when you visit Chennai next time.

Feedback Gujarat is vibrant The November issue of Travel and Flavors magazine was rich in photographs. I particularly liked the cover story in which Gujarat was vividly portrayed most vibrantly. I also liked the food stories which the magazine includes from around the world.

Varghese, Thiruvananthapuram

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The November issue of Travel and Flavors was certainly eye catching. The cover story was quite informative and I particularly liked the ‘Destination Focus’ on London. I expect more such stories in the coming issue of Travel and Flavors.

Renjith, Alappuzha

Corrections and Clarifications In the November issue of Travel and Flavors, the ‘My Shot’ segment had a photograph which was credited to Shwetha Krishnakumar. The actual photo credit was Shwetha S Parulekar.

The location of the photograph in the ‘My Shot’ section of November issue by Shweta Raval was mistakenly referred to as Kruger National Park, South Africa instead of Masai Mara Park, Kenya. The error is regretted.

The ‘Exploring the Past’ segment in the November issue of Travel and Flavors had inputs from the Homi Baba Foundation which was accidently omitted from the credits.

into the wild Kaziranga National Park

Rathika Ramasamy is India’s first woman wildlife photographer and one of the top ten wildlife photographers of the world

Getting There: The Kaziranga National Park is located in Golaghat and Nagaon regions of Assam in India, 217 km from Guwahati, and is well connected by buses and trains.

Best time to visit: October to March

Wild Encounters

A

one-horned rhino in a pool, and a couple of samp deer om the road at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam which is one of the well-maintained national parks in India and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The park is known for the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros. Though it is famous for the rhino, it has a good diversity of other animals like elephants, wild water buffalo, and the wild geese. The park is divided into four ranges. Burhapahar, 4th range, covers the first additional area attached to the park. Kaziranga is also a birds’ paradise with a checklist of almost 500 species.

December 2013 travel & flavors

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Travel News

News World Travel

Angkor Wat International Half Marathon on DEC 4 Phnom Penh (Cambodia): The Angkor Wat International Half Marathon is the speediest as well as the most novel way to see the acclaimed World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Come December 4, you might just get a chance to take part in the marathon which has routes that takes competitors past temples and through the thick jungles to raise money for landmine victims.

British Polo Day celebrations from DEC 10 Jodhpur (India): As part of the International British Polo Day celebrations from December 10, a series of events will take place at the Maharaja of Jodhpur’s Private Polo Club which includes the famous Cavalry Vs Guards elephant polo match.

The whole event will culminate in a gala dinner on December 11.

Alyeska Winter Solfest from DEC 17 Alaska (USA): The Alaskan Ski Resort of Alyeska has decided to light up the Winter Solstice celebrations with its annual Winter Solfest from December 17 to 19. The three-day event is a perfect time to warm up with bonfires, food and plenty of winter activities such as skiing and snowboarding along with live performances for the benefit of first timers. The event is expected to attract more tourists to the ski resort in the coming seasons.

Diving Resort Travel Expo from DEC 13 Hong Kong: A Diving Resort Travel (DRT) Expo will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from December 13 to 15. The three-day convention is expected to boost the industry and is an opportunity for those involved in the diving resort industry to meet experts in the area and expand their networks.

World Luxury Travel Expo from DEC 12 Salmiya (Kuwait): The World Luxury Travel Expo will be held at the Regency Hotel in Salmiya, Kuwait, from December 12 to 14. The three- day event is expected to bring together prominent members of the luxury brand industry. The expo will showcase the masterpieces of renowned international brands.

International Luxury Travel Market from DEC 2 Cannes (France): The International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) will hold an event for the global luxury travel community at The Palais des Festivals des Congres (Palace of Festivals and Congresses), Cannes, France, from December 2. The four-day annual business event will have the most soughtafter collection of luxury experiences in the world for the international luxury travel buyers.

December 2013 travel & flavors

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Travel Events

December Events Calendar DATE

EVENT

LOCATION

December 1-24 Christmas Market December 2-3 Chichibu Yomatsuri

December 5-14 National Finals Rodeo December 5 Klausjagen (Chasing the Claus) December 7 Burning of the Devil December 7 Festival of Lights December 8 Santa Dash December 8-21 Chaumos December 10-17 Whirling Dervishes Festival December 11 L’escalade December 12 Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe December 13–21 Feast of St Thomas December 14 Gishi-Sai December 17 Procession of St Lazarus December 21 – 22 Dong Zhi Festival December 21 Giant Lantern Festival

December 23–27 Festival of the Sahara December 29 Hogmanay (New Year) December 31 Kaiserball

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December 2013

Bavaria, Germany Chichibu, Japan Las Vegas, USA Küssnacht, Switzerland Guatemala Honolulu, USA Newtown, Wales Kalasha valleys, Pakistan Konya, Turkey Geneva, Switzerland Mexico City, Mexico Chichicastenango, Guatemala Tokyo, Japan El Rincón, Cuba Hong Kong San Fernando, Philippines Douz, Tunisia Edinburgh, Scotland Vienna, Austria

Unique Festivals

I Warding off

evil spirits The Burning of the Devil is a ritual observed across Guatemala on December 7. It is time to clean up homes and burn the rubbish along with the effigy of the Devil in a ceremonial bonfire

Burning of the devil

When: December 7 Where: Guatemala

f you’re looking to wiggle your way into the good books of the God during this Christmas season, then the best way for it would be to do it the Guatemalan style, through the Burning of the Devil, a ritual that takes place in the Central American nation on December 7.

Of all pre Christmas celebrations and rites in December, the Burning of the Devil or Quema del Diablo as it is known in Spanish takes the brownie points when it comes to people’s participation. The local belief is that the Devil and his minions lurk in the corners of homes and amongst piles of garbage and so every year on December 7, the garbage is removed and the homes are spick and span. The rubbish is tossed into a huge pile and is set on fire at 6 pm.

The ceremonial bonfire symbolises the chasing away of the evil spirits that threaten to bring in misfortune in the year ahead. The concept of the celebration is to burn away all

the bad from the previous year and to start anew. The festival gets its name from the effigy of the Devil that is placed atop the bonfire. If you want to add more spice to the celebration, you can listen to the tunes of the Marimba Band that is a part of the ceremony. The biggest attraction of the celebration is the fireworks that mark the end of the celebration. The festival is celebrated across Guatemala but the capital city of Antigua witnesses the best of the ceremonial burning with the streets turning into a huge party.

The tradition of burning the Devil began during the colonial times as a tribute to the patron of Guatemala, the Immaculate Conception.

Homes were decorated and they hung lanterns in front of their homes. Those who couldn’t afford to hang lanterns cleaned their homes of rubbish and had it piled up and burned it along with an effigy of the Devil.

Over time, this tradition gained popularity and was formalised.

December 2013 travel & flavors

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Unique Festivals

When Rann

comes alive!

Rann is the place to be during the month full moon night of winter. It’s a time when the place transforms into a symphony of hues and colours, bringing the region to life. The cultural extravaganza of Rann Utsav you witness here is nothing short of magical

Rann Utsav When: December 15

Where: Rann,Gujarat

T

he Rann Utsav, taking place during the winter months of December and January reflects the identity and spirit of the region and since it takes place at Kutch, one of the most ecologically and ethnically diverse districts in Gujarat, the festival celebrates the spirit of the people. The three day extravaganza that takes place every year is organized at various locales within the region and takes visitors around the natural grandiose while introducing visitors to the cultural and ethnic flavors of the people of this land.

The semi parched grasslands of Banni hosts a truly magnificent display of vernacular architecture as the exhibition platform for the varieties of art and crafts of the region are brought together here.

An array of folk music and dance performances are put up and it’s truly stunning to see the swaying movements of the dancers and listen to the haunting desert tunes when the region is soaked in moonlight. The Gujarat Tourism Department organizes this cultural and artists’ event at various places around Kutch and showcases the traditional art forms of India.

The festival also celebrates the uniqueness and the diversity of Kutch district emphasizing the cultural magnificence of Gujarat.

The fest includes fairs where you just cannot help embark upon the festivities and the fun and frolic that takes place. The enthusiasm and spirit just gets to you. The fest also includes carnival procession and a chance for local craftsmen to display their wares for tourists.

Unique Festivals

C When dervishes dance in a trance

The Whirling Dervishes Festival celebrated in Konya, Turkey, from December 10 to 17 is a tribute to the teachings of Jalal adDin Muhammad Balkhi Rumi, a renowned 13th century Persian poet, mystic and theologian

Whirling When: December 10-17 Dervishes Where: Turkey

onsidered to be one of the most popular mystic poets of the western world, the works of Rumi have a huge fan following across the world. So it is no wonder that the festival is celebrated with gaiety and fervour every year. Those coming here would be mesmerised by the sight of dancers wearing long white robes and long hats, and whirling with fluid movements.

The festival is regarded as an exercise of cosmic consciousness and is a tribute to the metaphysical oneness of man as propogated by the teachings of Rumi. The dance called ‘Sema’ is deeply rooted in the Turkish culture and custom and the priests who take part in the ritual trace their lineage back to the times of Rumi.

Throughout the festival, the dervishes, members of a Muslim religious group that is known for its customs, including a fast spinning dance that is performed as part of worship, perform the famous whirling

dances. On the final night, the dance is smooth and elegant, leading to a trance. If not for the sheer aura of the dance, the costumes themselves are such that you would be rooted to the spot as the long white robes sway to the movements of the dancers. The ceremony begins with a religious scholar offering prayers for Mevlana or Rumi and utters a verse from the Quran.

A kettledrum is sounded first followed by the sound of the reed flute. After this, the master bows and leads the dervishes in a circle in the hall. They drop their black cloaks symbolically to the renunciation of worldly life and fold their arms onto their chest and begin the slow, hypnotic and mystic dance. As they dance, the master walks among them to make sure that the rituals are performed well.

The rituals are performed again towards the end,and the hafiz chants more verses from the Quran sealing the mystical union of the dervishes with the Almighty.

December 2013 travel & flavors

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Unique Festivals

H Ring in New Year the Scottish style Christmas holidays in Scotland encompass grand New Year celebrations better known as Hogmanay which begins on December 29 When: December 29

Hogmanay Where: Scotland

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December 2013

ogmanay encompasses a long tradition for the Scottish and it’s the time when people let their hair down and come out in the streets.

Towns and villages in Scotland will be full of fun-filled activities as part of the New Year celebrations.

Many customs and traditions are part of the Hogmanay celebrations of which the most popular is the first-footing.

The tradition is that the first person who crosses the threshold of your home brings coal, shortbread, whiskey, a traditional Scottish fruitcake called black bun, each of which is believed to bring good luck to the householder. The first footer supposedly brings in good fortune for the rest of the year and it is believed that tall dark man entering your home as the first footer brings in more luck.

The ceremonies begin on December 29 with a procession in which the participants carry torches. The parade heads along the Royal Mile to Calton Hill where a Viking ship is set ablaze. On

December 31, Scotland literally comes alive with Edinburgh resembling something of a giant street party with a large number of people dressed in traditional kilts thronging the streets for a night of fun and frolic.

Over the years, several local customs have sprung up associated with Hogmanay. The northeastern part of the country is where the fireball winging takes place. This involves people making balls of chicken wire filled with old newspapers, sticks, rags and other flammable substances. As the town bell rings in the New Year, the balls are set on fire and swingers set off to the High Street from Mercat Cross and back. At the end of the ceremony, any fireball that is still burning is cast into the harbour. The fireball swinging is quite a popular part of Hogmanay celebrations and a large number of people throng the North East Scotland just to witness the fireball swinging ceremony making it one of the most popular events during Hogmanay.

MY SHOT Ponnu Elizabeth Mathew is a Bengaluru-based journalist and a food blogger who loves to travel across the globe

FATAL ATTRACTION: Cape Point located in Table Mountain National Park, South Africa, has been a landmark for sailors for a long time but it is also a death trap for them due to fog.

December 2013 travel & flavors

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MY SHOT

Harivasanth Guna is a photography enthusiast

INTIMATE MOMENTS: Two snakes mating in a water body. A scene which rarely occurs in the human presence is considered to be auspicious for some Indian communities.

Dhineesh Chandran is a mass communications student and a photography enthusiast

LOOMING TWILIGHT: Sunset as seen from Meppadi, Wayanad is a splash of vivid colours in the western horizon and creates a distinct mood before the nightfall.

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December 2013

Michael Patrao based in Bengaluru is a travel buff who loves to visit South Asian countries

WHEEL OF DESTINY: A native of Ladakh with his prayer wheel. He served in the Indian army and participated in the1962 Indo-China War

Reshmi Nair is an author, and a photography enthusiast

BEFORE THE NIGHTFALL: A pall of gloom pervading the quiet Mararikulam beach during sunset

December 2013 travel & flavors

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Sreejith S is a travel and photography enthusiast

MY SHOT

SMALL AND BEAUTIFUL: An infant tortoise in the palm of a woman in a water body

Send us your pictures and tell us the stories behind them. email: editorial@dcmediacorp.com

22 travel & flavors

December 2013

Exploring flavors thali meals

It’s not every day you get the chance to dig into the multifaceted that is so colourful,sumptous and delightful that you don’t have the heart to change it. With a wide range of palatable dishes, some like the evergren dosas, thali meals and yummy desserts, some of the hotels in Channai are delightful are simply irresistable for those who revel in the delights of thali meals

Devanshi Mody

Sumptuous

Madras cuisine

T

he Dining Room at Park Hyatt Chennai finds buffets abhorrent, and rightly so. Instead, the buffet brings itself to your table; mine was snug beside the spectacular tapestry of paisley entirely in bobbins of silk threads.

But it’s Chef Balaji’s culinary enfilade that’s stringing me along from temptation to temptation.

The embroidery of chutneys on chaats swirled in little needles of sev pricks the palate with its spicy taste.

Dainty kuzhipaniaram floats on the plate like clouds of cotton; masala idlis assume the colours of rouged clouds at sunset.

Idiappam that seem raveled spools of silken thread complements a suave Mangalore cashew curry. After a regretful hiatus, I’m weaving my way across the various desserts. That penitence and fab French Chef-Pâtissier Fabien’s efforts are rewarded. There

are dainty cushions of pistachio profiteroles, cardamon-coconut parfait lissom like pashmina, choco-shortbread enfolding a handkerchief of chocolate mousse and vanilla-almond cream smooth as Kanchipuram silk.

The Southern Spice at Taj Coromandel belted out a banquet on a banana leaf for Onam.

Arguably it is the most elegant restaurant you’ve seen. But I’m lingering on its Kerala aspects, including a tableau of Vishnu flanked by the Gods. We pause an eternity over tingling gingerpineapple punch, shoveling jackfruit, banana and jaggery-coated chips. The terrific homemade pickles tickle the palate, tender paal payasam teases the taste buds, mincing mango pachadi plays the temptress and the soft seductions of beetroot khichadi leaves you longing for more. Also ravishing is the avail. Kootu, olan, elissery, thoran, usli, coconut rice, curry-leaf

December 2013 travel & flavors

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Exploring flavors thali meals

An authentic thali meal served at Ayna rice vadais, sambhar, rasam and moru have me craving for more.

The Seasonal Tastes, Westin, is brand new with Chef Bagali’s wellconceptualised culinary flurry. The ‘bread thali’ also known as a bread basket is eminently commendable.

Hard rye rolls amaze. Seed breads array in all sorts and mozzerellastuffed soft rolls melt in the mouth.

Next come the Arabic thali served with about the only authentic pita

bread in town.

Ayna, Hilton Chennai, launched the regional Madras Thali for Madras Day commemorating the creation of Madras in 1639 with the establishment of Fort St George. When I point to baby corn, surely anachronistic in poriyal, Karthik explains the salubriousness of banana stem soup and the health-conscious structure of a thali that traditionally places fried food on the left to deter easy access

The interior of Ayna at the Hilton Chennai

to unhealthy inclusions. I indicate the misplaced keerai vadai on the right. Karthik admits compulsions of modernity dictate starters. Tradition preserves in Karaikudi vegetables with 25 spices. Gulkand sherbert, potato and poppy seed kurma and gorgeous ghee-cooked veechu parota, whether healthy or not, impress.

Krishnavilasam is brand new and has an identity. The story goes that the Reddiars travelled from

Andhra to Tirunelveli and their unique cuisine has travelled to Chennai. Their home-style classics have you traipsing through Andhra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the creations being a confluence inspired by cuisines of the three states. The Heirloom sapada, bearing curries in white petal-shaped cups placed at one edge of a rectangular plate, seems enormously popular with bulging crowds. Lovely banana flower vadais arrive expeditiously. Vaasanai dosa happens to be multi-grain roti and superb. Vatha kozhambu and shallot-based kozhumbu are slow-cooked and sumptuous.

Morkuzhumbu has ever repelled me, but I find myself wallowing in Krishnavilasam’s version with buoys of delectable urundai.

The show-stopper, however, is the homestyle Krishnavilasam masala dosa, plump and perfect, packed with special potato that lends itself to smooth mash. But the show doesn’t stop after the dosa as Chintamani halwa bares itself, exuberant with cashews, pistachios, and almonds. The feast marches on as a ginger shot facilitates digestion before Lakkammanan returns with sulaimani tea and the magnificent saffron milk spiked with a secret ingredient. It’s now tiffin time and I’m contemplating another Krishnavilsam masala dosa. Hitherto, the Sangeetha dosa has had unrivalled claim on my affections. Nevertheless, I envisage returning to Krishnavilasam.

At the China Xo, Leela Palace, Chennai, the thali made Chinese manifests as a “Dim Sum” Sunday brunch courtesy of dim sum specialist Chef Soon with Michelin-starred experience at Hakassan and Yauatcha. Fine spheres of snappy diced vegetables are especially good for the subtle flavor and nuanced textures whilst the innovative truffle dim sum is like a truffle gnochi in Chinese trimmings.

Plethoric appetisers include finely fried lotus pearled in nuts glistening with ruby batons of chilli. Those courageous enough after the steaming starters to accede to the “staples” of this Chinese thali can avail of noodles, rice and accompaniments. After the ample Chinese thali, dessert can only be ice cream, the one non-Chinese concession. China Xo is so decoratively elegant, it’s as much tasteful to the eye as the palate. And with the justlaunched terrace, you may brunch al fresco amid dapper gardens flowing into striae of lush forested pockets, river with patches of green with grazing buffalo (extraordinary, this) and glimpses of sea yonder. China Xo was awarded the “Best Dining Experience.” It’s indeed beyond mere dining, it’s an experience.

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Cruise journey Seven Seas Mariner

Discover luxuries with

Seven Seas Mariner

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December 2013

T

he world’s first all-suite, all-balcony ship, Seven Seas Mariner, features four gourmet restaurants with open seating, catering to only 700 guests. Her staffto-guest ratio of 1 to 1.6 ensures the highest level of personal service. In the Master suite, you have butler services, conciergelevel amenities, two European king-size Suite Slumberbeds, interactive flat-screen television and direct-dial satellite phone, iPad in suite, iPod docking station, stocked refrigerator, espresso coffee and tea forté set-up, daily newspaper, complimentary cocktail party, daily canapés and upgraded bar set-up, vanity and hair dryer, regent bathrobe and slippers and Hermès and L’Occitane amenities.

Day time activities

The card and conference room on board Seven Seas Mariner can be used for everything from bridge lectures to tournaments, corporate meetings and special events. Destination service provides personalised shore excursions, designed for smaller groups. They can assist with tailormade pre and post cruise programmes from a simple stay in a luxurious hotel to

Tony William a three-night extension in a remote locale.

In the well-stocked library aboard the cruise, you can read the classics as well as latest bestsellers.

You can also indulge in a game of chess with your fellow travellers or borrow a DVD from the library to watch in the privacy of your suite.

Night time activities

Have you missed your favourite casino and pub back home? The casino on board Seven Seas Mariner is open every day.

Blackjack, roulette, stud poker, mini-craps and slot machines are offered for guests’ enjoyment. At Connoisseur Club, you can order a rare vintage cognac or port and pick, a fabulous Cuban cigar, or escape into full-scale musical revues, rousing cabaret shows and cirque-style productions backed by the ninepiece Regent Signature Orchestra at Constellation Theatre. At Stars Lounge, you can dance till you are tired or maybe sing along in a karaoke competition.

Rio de Janeiro to Lima

Departing on January 4, 2014 for 35 nights from Rio de Janeiro to Lima (Callao), the cruise promises up to 83 free shore excursions. In Rio, go for a walk on the beach of Ipanema which became

famous with the song ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ written

by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes or take a cable car to the summit of Sugar Loaf Mountain and enjoy the amazing views. A Brazilian journey will be incomplete without enjoying a samba show or the tranquility of King Dom João VI’s Botanical Gardens and verdant Tijuca Forest.

Spend some time at Salvador De Bahia, the historic city in Brazil known for its deep rooted Afro-Brazilian culture. The ‘Black Rome,’ Salvador with its magnificent baroque colonial-style churches will amuse you. Many interesting museums and churches are located in the Cidade Alta.

At Fortaleza, the capital of the State of Ceará and one of the chief commercial centres of Brazil’s northeast region, you can watch the sprawling city. On January 11, 2014, you will be cruising the Amazon river. Alter Do Chao, the small island located on the Rio Tapajos, offers quaint cottages along the whitesand beaches lined with leafy palm trees. Thanks to its Indian handicrafts, lush vegetation, turquoise lagoon and amazingly clear water, Alter Do Chão has become a popular destination for travellers.

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Cruise journey Seven Seas Mariner

The interior of the liner

How about a journey to Boca Da Valeria, the village located between Parintins and Santarem? This is an opportunity for you to wander at leisure through the small settlement or simply relax on board and take in up-close views of the rich equatorial vegetation from the ship. Ashore, you will find wooden canoes, grass huts, hunting and fishing which remain unchanged since the time of the early explorers.

The ports, festivals and towns waiting to be explored include Trujillo, Guayaquil, Montecristi, Manaus, the ‘BolBumba’ festival of the Parintins, Devil’s Islandat French Guiana, Bridgetown, Barbados, Gustavia, St Barts, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Miami, Florida, Wilemstad, Curacao, Oranjestad and Aruba.

Lima is one of South America’s largest cities and is Peru’s centre of political, cultural and economic life.

Lima is your gateway to the splendid ruins of Cuzco and Machu Picchu, the ancient city in the clouds.

Guests at one of the restaurants aboard the ship

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Thus spake the shots Wayanad

Hunt for potential herbs The Wayanad forest still preserves several indigenous elements like herbs and only the tribals have the knowledge about the potential use of them Jose Jacob

M

uthuki led the group. With a stick, she carefully removed bushes in the forest. “Do not touch this leaf,� she warned as we moved slowly through the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary.

Muthuki knew the forest inside out. That’s why she was leading this small group of Kaattunaikars to collect herbs from the forest. For the Kaattunaikars, a tribal group in Wayanad, forest is a lifeline.

Velan, another elder in the group, suddenly asked the others to stand still and listen. He had

caught the smell of an elephant herd grazing nearby. Wild elephants have a peculiar smell which helps to identify their presence. The group worked as a team, one identified the plant, another procured it carefully and the others cleaned it before taking the useful parts. Some tree fungi which can be used as food preservatives were collected.

The Kaattunaikars have immense knowledge about the magical herbs in the forest, which has been handed down by their ancestors though there were no written documents. And a day spent with these indigenous people was worthwhile.

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Heritage cities Beijing

Get a taste of

Beijing W Step into the most populous city in the world, a place where history and myth seem to blend to make it like a never ending trip to a fantasy land. That’s Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China, which is out to charm you Savithri S Iyer

ith a history dating back to the third millennium BC and the records stating the unrestrained power of the dynasties that ruled the city, it is no wonder that the city seems to intimidate you at first glance. But once you get past that and start appreciating the magnificence

of it all, you might find that a truly wonderful holiday is awaiting you. Beijing is the largest city in the country after Shanghai in terms of urban population and is the political and cultural centre of China. The city is also a major hub for the national highway, expressway, railways and high speed rail networks.

Beijing has the unique distinction of being the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China and the city has remained one of the major centres for the past eight centuries. Known for its opulent palaces, temples, gardens, tombs and art, the city has captured the imagination of the world for quite long.

Ancient history Perhaps, the earliest traces of human habitation could be the ones discovered in the caves of Dragon Bone Hill. Fossils dating back to nearly 250,000 years have been found in these areas.

Archaeologists have also found Neolithic settlements as well as the remnants of what is considered to be the first walled city which dates to the 11th century. These discoveries stand testimony to the fact that Beijing has a long history dating to the prehistoric times. As time progressed, the city saw developments under various dynasties which tried to consolidate the city. During the 2nd Opium War, Anglo French forces captured the city and vandalised some of the landmark monuments there.

Since the early 1980s, there has been rapid development and the past couple of decades have seen a vast urbanization and the city has begun to gain its present urbanised outlook.

Once you step into the city, you might be confused as to where to begin your journey.

Tiananmen Square The most important

historic destination in modern Chinese history, Tiananmen Square certainly cuts an imposing figure and is truly jaw dropping. The city square is named after the Tiananmen Gate or the Gate of Heavenly Peace which is located to its North separating it from the Forbidden City.

Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world and has great cultural significance as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history of which the most important in the recent past would be the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989Today, the square can accommodate nearly 600,000 people. Visitors who come here can get the opportunity to visit various significant landmarks, including the National Museum of China located on the eastern side of the square, the Great Hall of the People on the west, the Zhengyangmen Gate Tower in the southern end of the square and the Monument to the People’s Heroes and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong which occupies the centre of the square. Coming out of Tiananmen Square, you would be left awestruck by the regality of the ancient dynasties which ruled the country.

The Temple of Heaven The Temple of Heaven or the Altar of Heaven located in the southeastern part of central Beijing and is a complex of religious buildings.

The temple complex was once visited by the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty during annual celebrations.

The temple constructed between 1406 and 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor has long been regarded as a Taoist temple.

The temple complex consists of three basic groups of structures built according to philosophical requirements.

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Heritage cities Beijing

Temple of Heaven

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is a spectacular triple gabled circular building made completely with wood and was the place for the emperor to pray for good harvests. The Imperial Vault of Heaven is a single gabled circular building located south of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

The Imperial Vault is connected to the Hall of Prayer with a long raised walkway that ascends from the Vault to the Hall of Prayer. The Circular Mound Altar is the altar located south of the Imperial Vault of Heaven and is an empty circular platform on three levels of marble stone each decorated with intricately carved dragons.

Summer and Winter Palace

Summer Palace

Qianmen Street

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December 2013

The Summer Palace is another popular tourist destination in the city.

It has some of the best parks in the city. It was originally intended to be a retreat for the emperors during summer and has been used by the Royal Family for nearly 800 years until it fell into disuse in the 18th century.

Renovations were made to the palace in the 19th century under Empress Cixi and brought it into its present condition. The Winter Palace or the Beihai Park is a popular tourist destination in the city.

The park is quite large and almost two-thirds of the park is a lake. The structure was completed in 1179 and was rife with greenery and assorted pavilions, corridors and gardens. Besides the

lake, the palace contains a jade vase from the time of Kublai Khan, the Temple of Eternal Peace, the Nine Dragon Screen and White Pagoda on Gem Island. These are attractions in the Winter Palace one certainly cannot miss.

Ming Tombs and the Great Wall Located nearly 50 km to the northwest of downtown Beijing, the Ming Tombs are a series of 13 tombs and are best known as the resting place of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty which ruled China from 1368 to 1644. The Mings were the last dynasty in China administered by ethnic Hans. At present only two tombs, dug and made open to the public, can be seen. The Changling Tomb was the first to be excavated and a two- year long digging and restoration resulted in it being opened to the public in 1958. Dingling has been excavated but those who are keen to glimpse the tomb have to go all the way into the burial chamber.

It is advised that only healthy people visit the underground tomb. A visit to the Ming Tombs always goes hand in hand with a trek along the Great Wall which is one of the iconic landmarks in Beijing. No matter how tight your schedule is, you really cannot say goodbye to the city without a walk along the Great Wall. Eight sections of the Great Wall are located in the city. Most of the sections are quite well preserved and are certainly worth the long hike you take to get there.

Tiananmen Gate

DON’T MISS • • • • •

A trip to the Forbidden City Discover your inner peace at the Lama Temple Long treks along the Great Wall of China A trip to the state-owned museums in Beijing A Hutong Pedi cab tour

TUCK IN TO • • • • •

Peking duck served with pancakes Fried pig’s liver wrapped in Chinese small iris Fried wheaten pancake with meat and sea cucumber filling Glazed thin pancake with Chinese yam and jujube stuffing Stir fried hawthorn

GETTING THERE

By Air: The Beijing Capital International Airport, the busiest airport in the city connects all the major cities across the world.

Stairs Going Down The Great Wall Of China

Floral Fantasy bluebell Fields

‘Blue carpet’

Welcome to bluebell fields of England which besides its captivating fragrance offer a visual treat, especially during the time of spring

T

he bluebell lands of England offer you a visual treat with infinite number of blue flowers. It seems like a sapphire carpet extending miles in the valleys. Spring season is the best time to see this floral splendour. During the time, the woodlands of England carry a colorful spectacle of its own with the bluebells beginning to bloom.

Presenting an iconic beauty of wild flowers, bluebells create a carpet of purple and blue in

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around 1,100 bluebell woods scattered throughout the country.

What makes it unique is that irrespective of places, bluebell fields can be found all across England. The fascinating fragrance of these blue flowers is enough to satisfy our senses. We can also purchase a variety of bluebell perfumes from England, which you can keep as a souvenir.

Steep paths through the dense forest make the journey most interesting. In some regions, we can see flowers stretching up to 15 miles and more.

Lakshmi Narayanan

welcome to all visitors 10 Wildlife Trust Reserves for bluebells in England • • • • • • • • • •

BCNP Wildlife Trust - Brampton Wood Cumbria Wildlife Trust - Dorothy Farrer’s Spring Wood Derbyshire Wildlife Trust - Mapperley Wood Lancashire Wildlife Trust - Aughton Woods Nature Reserve Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust - Hambleton Wood Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Tortoiseshell Wood Nature Reserve London Wildlife Trust - Sydenham Hill Wood Norfolk Wildlife Trust - Foxley Wood Radnorshire Wildlife Trust - Gilfach Farm Nature Reserve Sheffield Wildlife - Trust Moss Valley Woodlands

Travel blog Amritsar

Golden hours in

Amritsar city Richi Mohanty

T

he city of Amritsar is golden not because of the colour of the beautiful temple, but because the city exudes a sense of calmness that is hard to imagine in this day and age. We packed our bags to defend ourselves against the blazing heat we would have to face. With a lot of drama, a moment of hesitation, a dream of peaceful travel and a happy to help Volvo Conductor, we finally found a bus to Jalandhar from where we were to take another to Amritsar.

After a long travel, we finally arrived in Amritsar at 6.30 am.

If you wish to really see a city at its best, especially Amritsar, you should go for an early morning walk. What we saw during that refreshing morning walk was a moment that cannot be compared to what we saw rest of the day. The

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shopkeepers bustling and jostling about just opened shutters, making fresh, oh so sweet lassi, frying mouth-watering jalebis, setting up the scarves and head cloth in white, saffron and bright yellow and streets packed with people both calm and restless awaiting the sight of the temple. With the story blossoming right before our eyes, we trekked on through a maze of narrow bazaar lanes to the Golden Temple. Encountering a little dilemma over where to stay, we sheltered in a room right in front of the gates of the Golden Temple.

We all freshened up, kept aside our shoes, covered our heads and entered the premises of the Gurudwara. Even if you are not religious, the sight of the temple makes you bow your head in complete respect. It sits on the water body like a giant golden diadem atop a throne. Inside, there

are hundreds of people walking around, taking bath in the holy waters, many sitting in a state of utmost devotion and yet, one does not feel uncomfortable with the huge rush of people within the temple premises. Music streaming in from inside the temple gives the place a tranquility that seeps into the people there. In each corner, people are served water using a system so well worked out that one does not ever have to pause for their turn. Everyone pitches in for the work and there is no superior or an inferior. We spent hours inside the complex walking around, eating halwa and pausing every once in a while to take in the beauty of the temple. At 12 noon, we finally decided to move to the next agenda on the list, the Jallianwala Bagh.

I prefer not to talk much about the details of the story because

“

At lunch time, we decided to visit the famed Brother’s Dhabba.

If you are in the city for the first time, you should definitely go there.

Finger-licking choley is its speciality

Travel blog Amritsar

A view of the Golden Temple

A woman praying at the temple

the finer details are splashed across our history books.

The rest was evident as we stood there. You may not feel the anguish and pain within these walls. But it’s a place you ought to visit when you come to the city. The houses all around the bagh with their pretty blue windows and old broken facade add to the painful story.

At lunch time, we decided to visit the famed Brother’s Dhabba. If you are in the city for the first time, you should definitely go there. Fast service and finger-licking choley is their speciality. In no time, we were ready for the food as if we had never tasted choley before. Having filled our tummies to our heart’s content, we headed to our room for a quick rest and to retrieve our bags. The next stop was the famous Wagah Border, to bring

out the patriot in you. If you wish to have a decent view of the Wagah Border procession, you should reach there by 3 or 3.30 pm, which means leaving the city of Amritsar by at least 2.30 pm. So we rushed to catch a glimpse of the procession. Now, the Wagah Border was something that we held with a lot of awe in our imagination. We had gone ahead of ourselves and had imagined a discipline way to enter, get seated and watch a spectacle arousing patriotism. Alas, the real experience did not do justice to our imagination. After the first level of entry, there was chaos all through the walk from the gate to the amphitheatre area. Men and women were separated at the beginning. Women with small children were anxious, uninformed and completely helpless. Women

were shoved to a narrow lane while the men scrambled and sprawled over the wide road.

As we arrived closer to the seating arena, the so-called queue turned violent and people stepped over each other and rushed around to get the best seat. Here also, men and women are separated and being a Sunday, the crowd was spilling over from every nook and cranny.

The event itself was not as inspiring as we had heard about it. But that doesn’t mean the place is not worth a visit and you should definitely try it once.

After that, we returned to Amritsar city to see the Golden Temple in the soft yellow light.

The view in that evening left us speechless.

Yet again the temple surprised us with the calmness it brought in us after the mad rush at the Wagah Border. In spite of the crowd there, the place seemed to wash away all the tiredness and restlessness from us. With a light heart, we boarded the bus to Delhi at night.

Amritsar Trivia: Amritsar city is 400 years old. It derives its name from ‘Amrit Sarovar’, the holy water tank surrounding the Golden Temple. The city is the cultural hub of Punjab and has been called the Mukut Mani (Jewel of the crown).

GETTING THERE Air: Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar has got domestic and international services.

Rail: Regular train services are available from Amritsar to all major cities in the country Bus: An interstate bus terminus 2 km from Golden Temple connects all the major cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, Pathankot and Jammu.

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Culinary tales Naga cuisine

Nothing like home food

Sticky rice bread

Different eateries offer many tastes and smells but home food remains the best and the sweetest which is irreplaceable and hence the phrase, ‘Nothing like home-made food’ Jenny Thingshung

F

or me, home food is something prepared from our kitchen garden which has pure organic green vegetables, farm bred beef, chicken and pork. Every day, there is plateful of green on the table.

Lettuce, celery, young pea leaf, fresh basil, coriander, lemon grass, mint leaf, cabbage and varieties of nameless herbs that melt my heart whenever I smell and chomp on them. We may be heavy meat eaters but our meals are never complete without boiled veggies and salads. I find layers of memories in simplicity and blandness of boiled vegetable with a pinch of salt.

Pork with dry red chilli

Shinju, a spicy mix vegetable salad made from different vegetables and herbs like cabbage, fresh basil, coriander leaf, young pea leaf, pea powder, baby papaya and bhut jolokia along with a variety of nameless herbs, is a perfect afternoon snack.

Rice is a staple food in this region. Dinner consists of rice, meat, boiled vegetables, salad and chutney. My favourite nonvegetarian food is pork with different accompaniment–pork with bamboo shoot, pork with fermented soybean, pork with dried red chili and of course, the simply boiled pork garnished with garden ginger, garlic, spring onion, basil leaves, lemon grass

and pepper.

I have a weakness for farm chicken as they are comparatively tangier in flavor and more nutritious. The soup made from farm chicken is heavenly and pure.

I loved chicken in dry red chilli or with fresh bhut jolokia and garnished with herbs like ginger, coriander leaves, green pepper, and lemon grass. Sticky rice bread is prepared occasionally. It is full of flavor and is heavy and filling.

One can eat it with meat and green veggies. Juices made from different seasonal fruits like wild apple, plum, gooseberry, banana etc are stored throughout the year.

It makes for perfect finale after heavy food. Fermented rice beer is a wonderful concoction. It is sweet and heady. Lemon grass tea is my favourite organic drink. I enjoy drinking them every day. Home, nothing like it!

Rice beer, gooseberry juice and wild apple juice

Brown rice with pork and dollops of green veggies

Shinju, a spicy mix vegetable salad

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Culinary Delights Oakwood

Dine & stay at

Oakwood

Oakwood Asia Pacific is one of the world’s leading players in the serviced apartment business. It provides an apartment space along with the kind of amenities you find in a hotel.

It certainly is the place to pamper yourself and let loose all your worries and tensions Tony William

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he spacious rooms are what people love about Oakwood.

The facilities provided by it include a spa, pool, gym, restaurants, room dining, securities and world class amenities like fully equipped kitchen, washing machine, drier, microwave, grill and LCD TV with home theatre system. One of the largest in the serviced apartment business, Oakwood Asia Pacific has got five properties in India, at Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru and projects are now coming

December 2013

up in Hyderabad and Chennai, and in Sri Lanka.

Oakwood Premier Prestige Bengaluru is the flagship property of the group in India. The group has a strong presence in Asia Pacific with Japan and China being their prime locations.

Dining at Oakwood Soul City is the multi cuisine restaurant at Oakwood Bengaluru which is the recipient of the 2012 Zomato Users Choice Award for Business Dining. The menu promises Continental, Mediterranean, Thai and Indian cuisines. The all dining restaurant at

Oakwood is open not only to the in-house residents but also the general public.

It also features a bar loaded with varieties of international wine and a small private dining area which can cater to up to 15 people. Stylish interiors make the ambience of Soul City perfect. Each table is spaced out luxuriously, so that you will never feel it’s too stuffy or close to next table.

Ozza, the rooftop restaurant The rooftop restaurant, Ozza, is the perfect place to enjoy the crisp Bengaluru weather. The view of Cubbon Park, the

Italian pizza

Hariyali chicken tikka, tandoori chicken tikka and murg malai chicken tikka

Culinary Delights Oakwood

Chef Ashutosh Nerlekar

Location

greenest part of Bengaluru, soothes your mind while the delicacies at Ozza tickle your taste buds. An out of the box thinking makes this dining area special. There’s a small kid’s pool behind the Infinity pool. On the last Valentine’s Day, a table was placed in the Kid’s pool after lowering the water level. “We were a little skeptical on how people would welcome this new idea.

But it was the first table to be booked for the day,” says Ashutosh Nerlekar, Executive Chef. On the whole, Oakwood is surrounded by four towers -Comet, Concorde, Canberra and UB City. It is a right mix of shopping, entertainment, staying and work.

About the Chef

Oakwood Premier Prestige Bengaluru, Vittal Mallya Road, UB City, Bengaluru-560001.

Ph: +91-80- 2234 8888 Log on to: www.oakwood.com for more details

Fish squires on salad

Ashutosh Nerlekar Ashutosh Nerlekar who has been in the field for about 12 years joined Oakwood Premier Prestige, Bengaluru, in January 2012. Previously, he worked with Hotel Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach as Chef for Mediterranean restaurant and was part of the pre-opening team there. He has also served in the Caribbean Islands.

Ashutosh who is from Pune has already introduced popular dishes of his hometown like sabudana khichdi as a breakfast in the menu which, he says, has got a decent response.

“Primarily, I am more into making continental dishes.

We do a lot of Mediterranean here. My exposure has been largely to Mediterranean cuisine- anything above the Mediterranean Sea and below the sea,” says Ashutosh.

“I am also trying to introduce Raclette cheese station. Raclette is a traditional Swiss cheese and there is a particular apparatus and a

particular way to cook. It is a kind of hot cheese scraped into the accompaniments. That is something my team is keen to introduce at Ozza. As a chef, I am delighted to introduce new dishes to our food loving community and ideally every month we do promotions,” he adds.

The dishes Ashutosh prepared for the Travel and Flavors team: Chicken Tikka Three kinds of chicken tikka were made by Ashutosh.

Murgh malai tikka which is marinated in hung curd, cream, cashew paste, salt, pepper powder, ginger paste and garlic paste, Hariyali tikka marinated in cilantro, mint and other distinctive flavors paste and Tandoori chicken tikka marinated in the seasoning blend of yoghurt and lime.

Nasi goreng fried egg and chicken squires It is a traditional Indonesian dish. Prawns, prawn chips, nasi rice, chicken satay and fried egg are used.

The peanut sauce which is the essence of the Indonesian cuisine is of course an ingredient.

Fish squires on top of salad Basically, it is a very healthy option wherein you have fresh lattuce along with fresh vegetables and Bassa fish. The marinated fish dices with cajun spice, garlic salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice.

Authentic Italian style pizza The authentic Italian style Pizzas which, he says, is prepared from the scratch as the fresh dough for the pizza is made at their kitchen itself.

Cover Story Las Vegas

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The other side of

Las Vegas Shweta Ganesh Kumar

T

he plane was in its final descent.

My 21-month-old daughter was fast asleep and my nose was glued to the cold airplane window. We were flying over the vast desert that makes up most of Nevada in the United States of America.

Pitch dark all around. Suddenly, a glow in the distance throws a patch of light upwards. We move closer and closer to the airport, still high enough for cars to be beetles and residential areas to be doll-houses. We descend. The Las Vegas strip shines brightly, demanding attention.

My gaze falls on an almost unearthly beam of light, shooting

out from what appears to be a massive black pyramid. I squint just to make sure I am seeing it right.

My husband leans over from the aisle seat and says, “That’s the Luxor Pyramid, one of the older casinos here. When it first opened, they used to say you could see that beam of light from outer space.” As we drove from the airport to the hotel, we were greeted by lights of many kinds, and strident signs designed to be in your face. Every second building was a casino and the city looked every inch an adult version of Disney Land. My husband was here for a convention and I was here as a travel writer and a mother. And it was the ‘mother’

Cover Story Las Vegas

There were days when people were aghast at seeing a toddler within walking range of a casino.

Today, it is quite common to see lines of strollers laden with babies queuing up for the elevator

Dolphins at Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden

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part that worried me.

Would a toddler be welcome in a town geared for adults?

Cutting me free from the web of thoughts, my toddler suddenly woke up. She sat up and peered through the window.

“Hot Air Balloon,” she cried in glee, as we passed the humongous, well-lit hot-air balloon replica at Paris-Paris resort on Las Vegas Boulevard. I smiled despite my misgivings.

Las Vegas has been known as Sin City for quite long. Everyone knows that what happens here, stays here.

Not everyone who says this has actually been

has come the need to prepare for the families of the businesswomen and men who attend these events. There were days when people were aghast at seeing a toddler within walking range of a casino. Today, it is quite common to see lines of strollers laden with babies queuing up for the elevator.

This was the Las Vegas my daughter and I were about to start exploring. The shiny buildings by night looked far less intimidating by day. We strolled over to the tram connecting the massive hotels. Names made familiar through Hollywood movies were emblazoned towards

Shrimp cocktails Las Vegas consumes over 60000 pounds of shrimps every day. It is mainly served as shrimp cocktails which is famous among gamblers. here. Add to the general aura of Las Vegas, a wildly popular movie The Hangover was screening and you will begin to understand why I was a little sceptical about bringing my daughter here. But in the week ahead, I was about to discover the other side of Vegas, a side that welcomes families despite little media attention.

Over the past few years, Las Vegas has been trying to brand itself as the preferred destination for business conventions. With this change of image,

the right and left at the tram station. I rolled one slowly on my tongue, like trying out a famous candy for the first time, “The Bellagio.”

We exit the tram and head down an escalator, on to well-waxed floors, under vaulted pillars and amidst ostentatious décor, meant to seduce travellers into loving the lifestyles of the rich and the famous. So much so that they would be willing to bet their last penny at the jangling slot machines and gamble their savings away for the love of the Queen of hearts or the Jack of

A tree at the Bellagio Conservatory

Cover Story Las Vegas

The author at the M&M Store

Spade. As a mother though, I made sure we stopped well short of the rather dingy, stale smelling casino floor.

I steered my daughter by her shoulders into the Conservatory done up to welcome autumn. We made our way through the other families to see an authentic English water wheel and take photographs of the Scarecrow. There are organic pumpkins the size of barrels and autumnal vegetables falling out of a gigantic horn of cornucopia. But the piece de resistance is a giant talking tree. My daughter watches transfixed as its eyes move from side to side and it says in a booming voice, “It’s not every day you see a talking tree.” She bids goodbye to it before we walk out the revolving doors

A gondolier at the Venetian

Top Wedding Destination Las Vegas is also one of the most sorted out wedding destination sin the world. The popularity is due to the swiftness in all the legal procedures to get married. To tie the knot in Vegas you just need to comply with three things, you should be 16 years old, you should have a valid identification and you should have a valid Social Security Number. If you have all these, pay just 50 dollars for the wedding .

Scarecrow at the Bellagio Conservatory

towards the famous dancing fountains.

They emerge mysteriously in time to the Pink Panther theme music. And as the music tempo reaches its crescendo, so do the fountains, soaring high and slamming back into the water like the loudest of gunshots. Much as my daughter loves water, the sound startles

her. She waggles her finger at it disapprovingly and we set off again. Walking on the Las Vegas strip is like walking within a Hollywood movie, with loud background music playing from invisible speakers. My daughter first walks and then starts dancing to the beat. I laugh but a part of me wonders whether we will be mistaken for the

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Cover Story Las Vegas

Walking on the Las Vegas strip is like walking within a Hollywood movie, with loud background music playing from invisible speakers. My daughter first walks and then starts dancing to the beat

The world famous Vegas Strip, at Las Vegas, US

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many street performers there. No chance – our costumes are nowhere as detailed and intricate as theirs.

Tucked away in one of the older hotels, The Mirage, our next destination is Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat.

Created by two former magicians and headliners, this is a small oasis of actual green in a city dedicated to the pursuit and spending of another kind of green. As we walk in, a couple of bottlenose

wonder what they would tell us if they could talk.

We walk through a shaded grove, led by our noses – the musky smell of wild animals hangs heavily in the air. There is jungle music playing, the obvious kind. Beats could be either African or Indian and the plaintive tones of a snake charmer could be. We peer through the wire mesh into the huge enclosures with thick trees, man-made rock formations and lush vegetation. Though you can hear the lions roaring

Abode to world’s largest hotels Las Vegas is popularly known as the entertainment capital of the world. Vegas houses the topnotch shops and restaurants.

It also showcases some of the most luxurious shows. It wouldn’t be hard to believe that Vegas has 17 of the 25 world’s opulent hotels. Among them MGM Grand has the distinction of being the third largest in the world. dolphins are being let out from one pool to another. The trainer explains they have not been domesticated and as if to punctuate his sentence, the glistening mammals execute a neat leap through the air.

They look at the cheering tourists through the corner of their beady eyes as if for approval. My daughter claps wildly. I let her linger by one of the quieter pools where three dolphins are silently taking laps. One keeps returning to the corner where we are sitting. I

as part of the music, there is nothing to be seen till we reach the end of the pen. Lions huddled up together, fast asleep. One opens his eyes, yawns and goes back to sleep as if waking up for a bunch of curious humans is not exactly his cup of tea. In the neighbouring cage, a cheetah paces restlessly.

My daughter keeps saying, ‘Hello’, but the wild cat paces on, as if willing us to click the photographs and move on.

All the animals in this part of the secret garden seem to be either sleeping

Cover Story Las Vegas

The musical fountains at Bellagio

A cheetah at Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden

Water Wheel at the Bellagio

or fidgety. The White Tigers are on the move too, followed closely by human paparazzi on the other side of the mesh boundary. Maybe it was close to their lunch-time or maybe it was the general despair that wild animals give out in captivity, I decided to go back to the happier side of the garden – the dolphin pools. We stayed a while longer, this time at the underground glass observatory watching the dolphins as they frolicked happily, till it was time to head back.

“Red, blue, green, yellow, brown”, my daughter rattled off the colours of the M&M’s, surrounded as we were by the coated chocolate button shaped candy that was much-loved by her and I presume, millions of children all around the world.

We were in the M&M store that is four floors of chocolate candy goodness in numerous forms from the edible to the decorative to the kind that could be worn. Whoever coined the expression, ‘It’s so easy that it’s like taking candy from a baby’, never ran into the babies and children at an M&M store.

Try prying the goodies away from their tightly rolled fists and you’ll never know what hit you.

Goody bag firmly in hand, we walk down the streets, only to stop and get our pictures clicked with street performers wearing costumes that range from the Minions of Despicable Me to Disney Characters to the Transformers. Adults who do not have toddlers hanging on to their hands also wait patiently to get

their picture taken. This is Vegas after all. You get to satisfy every whim of yours. After the click, the performer tells us that we owe him one or two dollars. Nothing is for free here. Like I said, this is Vegas after all.

After wrapping up work at the convention, my husband joins us for exploring the rest of the strip. We watch gondoliers glide gracefully through the canals of the Venetian, serenading tourists.

We traipse beside a miniature of the Eiffel tower, the Vegas version of the Sphinx, an almost cut-out like Chrysler Building, the Coliseum and other world attractions, jostling next to each other in an already cramped strip, where someone is already building the next big thing, to capture eyeballs and wallets all at once. A cab driver tells us that a replica of the London Eye is all set to open to public by mid-next year.

Designed to make your jaw drop, Las Vegas is literally larger than life, one hundred percent of the time. It is over the top, but honest about it. And that’s what I liked about it. The openness to acknowledge that they wanted your money and that they were willing to do anything to make you hand it over willingly or as the final act of resignation. Like a toddler who would either perform till she dropped or throw a tantrum till her parents gave in.

No wonder my toddler enjoyed her stay there. She probably saw a little bit of herself in the glittering city.

Grand Buffets The classic buffet of Las Vegas is one of the most extravagant buffets ever served. Huge quantity of food goes through these feasts. Such is the buffet at the luxurious Bellagio Resort where approximately 1,400 pounds of Alaskan King Crab,2000 pounds of Shrimp and about 400 pies are served every day.

Getting there McCarran International Airport which is among the 10 busiest airportsin the US, is the major airport in Las Vegas.

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Exploring the pAST Prague

A timeless wonder

Gothic towers, red roofed homes, the river Vltava and many historical places unveil as you take a trip through the city of Prague, one of the most beautiful places in Europe Mita Kapur

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didn’t quite understand it then. Why would anyone stop at the Post Office as the first step to discover Prague? The Post Office with its glass-domed ceiling was abuzz with people actually posting letters and writing postcards. Our guide confirmed that sending postcards is still a living tradition. Was it symbolic then that we began our first day in Prague at the Post Office? The pace was set–the benches every few feet serve a purpose. They slow you down. You must sit down, take a moment, ruminate on the city as it stretches before you; Gothic towers, red-roofed homes, the river Vltava flowing sedately as its life-giving artery. I had stepped

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into Prague unprepared. The only two connections I had were Kafka and Kundera and I wanted to understand what the latter meant by “It was the most beautiful city in the world.”

Prague Castle has been pieced together since 870 AD by the rulers of Bohemia, Roman emperors and presidents of Czech Republic, giving the visitor a veritable treat of architectural styles from Gothic to Romanesque and Bohemian Baroque. King Ferdinand I and Franz Joseph after him had made the castle their home, adding greatly to the art collections as its living repository. The castle does not imprison you into a sequenced walk through its grounds. You are free to choose which one of the

galleries and various museums you wish to see.

The St Vitus’ Cathedral, dating back to 1396 AD, commands silent respect with its towering stained glass windows, flying buttresses, and up the famous bell tower via almost 300 spiraling steep steps (it’s a free workout!) is rewarded with spectacular views of Prague’s old and new quarters, the Petrin Hill with its smaller version of the Eiffel Tower. The Bell Tower houses the largest bell in Prague.

Legend goes that King Ferdinand’s daughter designed the pulley that was able to place it in the tower. Our guide said that Prague’s people believe that if the bell breaks, something disastrous will happen to the city. The last time it happened in 2002 when the city faced catastrophic floods. We walked past the castle grounds towards Strahov Monastery. It was one of those moments which probably turned our stay in Prague into a sensuous psychedelic haze.

The Dancing House, Prague

Exploring the pAST Prague

Having spent almost all day traversing in and out of the galleries and museums in the castle, the mulled wine was like a shot in the arm. Pumped, we trudged down to the Strahov Monastery and its library with frescoes on its ceilings and some 200,000 books. The monastery, used by the Norbertians (a Roman Catholic order), was built in classic Roman style in 1140 AD and rebuilt in Gothic style after it was destroyed in a fire. The monastery has its carved interiors and gilded in gold–very Baroque and telling of the many remakes it’s gone through at each turn history took. The rhythmic chanting of the Catholic priests had us rooted for long, quiet minutes.

The city lights had come on.

We stood by the river watching the ripples on its surface. We saw a Czech singer under a canopy and some vendors selling pork on the spit, mulled wine, sausages etc. Music doesn’t have to be understood as long as you feel it. Moving up the steps to the Charles Bridge laid open a human maze created by tourists and locals. We walked towards the old town square. The old Tyn Church, St Nicholas Church, and the Museum of Cubism are scattered in and around.

The astronomical clock was a hero for me. It’s a sight to see the tourists with their heads tilted towards the clock, waiting for the 12 apostles to shuffle past the small windows that pop open. The clock built in 1410 AD reveals it as a hi-tech device from the 15th Century, showing not only the time but also the positions of the sun and moon, time for sunrise and sunset. A skeleton waves an hourglass, reminding us of all that is temporal.

It’s not a bad idea to start a new sunny day with a glass of Slovakian Ryzlink at Rynskyat Aureleo, a terrace pub in the office district.

All Czech wines are on the drier side – in keeping with the wry sense of humour which seems to be a shared human trait among the locals here. Conversations can lead to the unexpected. My plans to make a day trip to Dresden to pick up porcelain were dashed when our guide provides a one-stop solution. We saved

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ourselves for Vytopna, where rail wagons carrying your drinks ply on train tracks to reach each table. With skin stretched over the stomach, we attempted to waddle back towards the old town square via the World Press Photo Exhibition at Carolinum. The winning photo by Paul Hansen of two dead children wrapped in polythene being carried through the streets of Gaza City was not the only one that shook the core of our beings.

Sunset is Bellini time on the terrace of U Prince before we landed up in the jazz club Ustare Pani. Just a few tables, a small stage, a coy bar tucked in a corner, we encounter the Czech love for music–an amateur group of singers from Holland perform with gusto. They are doing a weekend of jazz bar-hopping with their show and all of them are working professionals on the other side of life. This is their dream and they live it – I could see how happy and carefree they were.

After experiencing the Roman splendour of thermal baths in Badin, the experience at Karlovy Vary was a refreshing renewal of memories.

Charles IV founded this quaint town in 1370 AD, already famous for its 13 main hot springs, about 300 smaller ones and the Tepla River. Our guide drove us to the city. Offset by mountains changing their colours, the arterial road took us to the centre where the main spring shoots up to about 14 metres high, spouting steam as it bursts upward. The walk to this spring is through the other hot springs that have been classified as per the temperature of the water that comes up. It’s common to see tourists and locals sitting on benches along the springs, sipping the mineraldense water collected. The springs are housed under colonnades, some built in Romanesque style replete with Corinthian columns and some with a veritable Russian influence. The coldest is the Ferrous Spring at 11.9 degrees Celsius with a high content of iron. The other springs (like the Market, Rock, Park, Freedom, Libuse, King Charles IV springs), with water at temperatures as high as 65 degrees Celsius, were just too hot to cup in your hand and drink. The town gives a

The Christmas Market at the Old Town Square

The Old Town Square

Exploring the pAST Prague

feeling of being in a fantasy world caught in a time warp. Lunch was at Hotel Promenade, specialising in roast duck with apple stuffed with pomegranate and goose liver seared just medium rare by the chef at your table.

A stroll down the lanes with hi-end boutiques, which come alive during the international film festival the city hosts, to work up some corner in the stomach for dessert takes us to Restaurant Karel IV. Fried ice cream and homemade apple strudel washed down with Irish coffee arms us for the walk back to our ride back to Prague.

The plan for the evening was a pub crawl starting at Jama–Czech beer and then on to Cili bar, famous for its chili shots. The conversation veered from World War II to the local liquor, which tasted like Sambuca but only 10 times stronger and which our guide insisted on ordering while we stuck to our chili shots. Off to Mumbai which had the typical discotheque ambience, strobe lights et al. After some dancing where we mimed Bollywood dance moves (which obviously proved the rising level of alcohol in our blood stream but never mind!), we shifted base to the Hangar Bar to resolutely feel the flying sensation. Last stop at Buddha Bar – alcohol and zen moments – I tell you, they go together.

Our guide made sure we saw Prague through his eyes; how he likes to walk the streets, go where locals go, see their life close and upfront. The morning was best spent walking in and out of the labyrinth of alleys and squares around the old town.

A lazy afternoon spent browsing through exhibitions of Dali’s lesser known water colours and Alfons Mucha’s elaborate play of lines before the music concert at the National Museum. The last dinner was at Chestr. Bring on the best wine and the best steaks, we say! They call themselves a modern Czech Canteen that uses only Bohemian-bred beef and fish for their main dishes. In the late 16th Century, the tradition of slow roasting, stewing and charcoal grilling different cuts of beef was a common practice. It’s now been revived by Chestr, which educates the gastronome in you to understand which part of the cow you should order for a particular flavour. Chestr steak tartare, baked escargots and grilled pork belly came in as our first course. The skirt, rump cap and tenderloin with their sauces, creamy potatoes as side dishes and salad were ultimate epicurean delight. A meal like this doesn’t leave place for dessert.

The sweet ending was yet to come.

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Tourists at Saint Vitus Cathedral

Charles Bridge in winter

GETTING THERE

A view of Prague

Air:The national carrier, Czech Airlines has direct flights to Prague from many European cities, including London, Edinburgh, Paris and Frankfurt, and from New York and Toronto.

Rail: Most international trains arrive at the main station, Praha-hlavní nádraží. Some trains, including those serving Berlin, Budapest and Vienna stop at Praha-Holešovice.All three stations have their own metro stations.

Most domestic trains arrive at the main station, Prahahlavní nádraží or at Masarykovo nádraží One of the many delicacies found in Prague

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Flavors of Dubai The Royal Budha

Authentic

Thai cuisine Photos: Firoze Edassery and Sanjay Pradhan

experience Thailand, the land of smiles, is the conflux of food and culture. Apart from the picturesque scenes, what sounds more in the country is food and hospitality. A visit to The Royal Budha at the Holiday Inn Dubai - Al Barsha is indeed a trip to the far eastern culture T&F Correspondent

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dorned with fuschia and black in dim light accompanied by authentic Asian music in the background, The Royal Budha at the Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha appears to be stylish and romantic. The huge Buddha statue at the centre of the restaurant gives a royal touch to the entire area which will refresh you with its cozy and romantic ambience. The friendly approach of the staff makes you feel at ease and the detailing of the recipes increases your knowledge about Thai cuisine. While settling down, we were served a complimentary plate of rice crisps and a ginger flavored drink. After having a glance at the menu, we ordered soup-Tom Yang Goong, a traditional

The interiors of The Royal Budha spicy prawn soup with chili, lemongrass, galangal and lemon juice, as an appetizer.

For the main course, I chose Nao Ka Manhory wok fried sliced beef with broccoli and oyster sauce along with jasmine rice and also picked Goong Tod Kra Trim Prik Thai- wok fried prawns with garlic sauce. My friend ordered Kang Om Nuao- spicy clear beef curry with Thai chapu leaves. The former has more depth of flavor and slightly spicier which can be adjusted according to your taste buds. The

beef is cut thinly and stirfried quickly and easily together with broccoli, red pepper and a delicious stir-fry sauce. The broccoli really works in this dish as it completely absorbs the sauce and provides a bit of crunch. And I could no longer resist and picked a fried prawn with my chopsticks. It was the finest prawn dishes I’ve tasted for a long time which was salty-sweet, garlicky, and a little spicy.

No meal is quite complete without indulging in sweet delights of our choice. From the

Sweet sticky rice steamed in coconut milk with mangoes

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Flavors of Dubai the Royal Budha

list, I chose Kao Neaw Mamuang- sweet sticky rice steamed in coconut milk with mangoes.

This is classic Thai desert and is utterly sumptuous. On the whole, The Royal Budha gave us an authentic Thai dining experience.

About the Chef

Sanya Waengdongbang, a Thai national, supervised the opening of The Royal Buddha and subsequently returned to his native land to learn more about Thai cuisine. Now with special training for presenting Thai cuisine in a contemporary style, Chef Sanya is back at The Royal Budha. Sanya has spent 16 years finetuning his Thai culinary skills.

Chef Sanya Waengdongbang

Spicy prawns soup

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T&F at WTM Travel and Flavors makes its presence felt at World Travel Market, London The November issue of Travel and Flavors was launched at the World Travel Market,London. The special issue of the magazine was launched by Sanjay Kaul IAS, Managing Director, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd. on November 4, 2013. K Biswas, Manager Marketing and Investment TCGL was also present for the event

Delegates and Exhibitors arriving for an early start to the Final day of World Travel Market 2013 at Excel London

Key’s destinations Puerto Princesa

There was no moon, and the only guidance was from a small oil lantern in the front end. The ride was as smooth as velvet, until we came to what seemed like dark rough icebergs - huge rocks shaped by time

Mysterious island

up close

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Karnika E Yashwant

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n forgotten times, natives of this faraway place called The Pearl of the Orient Seas had seen this small isolated island from a distance but they never ventured near it and so the description “never before accessed” by man might be accurate.

The arrangements for the adventure were quickly done. April is the best time to visit Puerto Princesa where this mysterious island is situated. The air has a chill to it in the early mornings while the afternoons are mild hot, fanned by a whipping wind which creeps

among the leaves of coconut trees and makes sleeping very conducive. My writer recommended the wearing of casual “old” sports shirts and frayed denim Bermuda shorts - the more worn-out, the better.

There were too many unknown variables for the journey – foremost of which are risks unnecessary for business. However, one attraction is seeing my writer up close. The first thing I noted was her burgundy red hair, and then comes her dark brown eyes which seemed to shoot lights as the departing sun struck them. She’s almost

a head shorter than I am, and surprisingly, her age neither showed in her skin nor in her temperament – she’s engaging both as a listener and a talker.

There was a hushed whisper among the front desk clerks as we indicated our destination, which confirmed their fear of this island.

The hotel’s well-appointed bedroom amenities, and the wholesome vegetarian dishes and native fruit drinks combined to put me to sleep.

My writer guided me to a place in the small seagoing vessel - a “banca”, she told me. I hardly felt the sea’s movement as the “banca”

There was a hushed whisper among the front desk clerks as we indicated our destination, which confirmed their fear of this island

Key’s destinations Puerto Princesa

A tourist boat at Puerto Princesa

Dried fish at Puerto Princesa

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sliced quickly through the velvet dark waters. The surface of the water sparkled like many diamonds. The feeling was surreal. There was no moon, and the only guidance was from a small oil lantern in the front end. The ride was as smooth as velvet, until we came to what seemed like dark rough icebergs – huge rocks shaped by time.

The oarsmen deftly navigated through these “icebergs” and soon, without a warning, the “banca” turned and I felt the flaps of wings on my upturned face. My writer who sat behind me touched my shoulder and firmly whispered, “Giant moths. They won’t hurt you. Just close your eyes.”

She had felt my desire to stand, and sensed the need for reassurance. Can you imagine the feeling of moving forward in a sea of moths? It felt like many small fans were turned to your face and body. The touch of moths’ wings was unlike any other – you do not feel intrusion, but a caress. With my eyes closed, I felt vulnerable as a child. I remembered the childhood joy of having a playful butterfly alight on my finger, as my mom had coached me to never fear nature. Soon the flapping ceased, and again, I heard my writer’s voice.

“Open your eyes now. See the beauty, but please remain seated.”

Nothing prepared me for this wondrous sight. The cave, as indeed it was, appeared illuminated by a species of lichen, glowing bluish against the rough texture of the cave.

Long whitish grey stalactites reflected and bounced this light on the upper reaches of the cave and down to the stalagmites lining up the sides. The effect is entering a cavernous natural cathedral where the crystals reflected on the walls appear to be motionless saints imploring so many gods to bless the passage of this group of intruders. For a man used

to the trappings of civilization, the natural beauty of a cave surpasses electronic pleasures.

This encounter is the first of such type of natural pleasures.

When the first rays of the awakening sun filtered into the cave, our oarsmen deftly moved towards the lighted portion of the cave. As before, monstrous stones loomed above us, partly blocking the sun. For the first time, I glimpsed the weather beaten faces of my two oarsmen. I looked back at my writer and she gave me a smile of approval saying, “Ah. You remembered me.

The gods did not choose to take away your memory.”

For the rest of the day, we were admirers of schools of varicoloured fishes swimming about live corrals. My camera never ceased snapping happily, devouring every scene with childhood delight. The pinkish sands of the pristine beach warmed my feet as I gingerly walked among blue and pink spindly starfishes. White scalloped shells were strewn about, as well as striped shells of molluscs – beauties not readily available where I came from.

Looking back, I would assess that the experience – the stark beauty of a cave – made me realise certain deep truths.

One, so many beautiful things are wasted when we fail to look.

Two, we are better satisfied when we come unprepared.

Thus, I realised the contrast of darkness with light – going into the cave and going out of it – had transformed something in me. The spirit that dwelt within me was brought to sharper focus due to this spiritual experience.

These days, this place is called Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. It is a protected area of the Philippines located about 50 km north of the city centre of Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

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Travel kit classy Bags

Classy

Travel Bag One of the first things to take care before you pack your bag for a trip is the bag itself.

The right bag gives you an advantage and also makes your travel more comfortable Bobins V Abraham

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hile picking a bag for travel, especially trekking and mountaineering, always choose a rough yet light bag with a strong zipper or lock. In the case of a two-day trek, the size of the bag also matters. You have to pack all your essentials into that one bag and should feel comfortable with it on your back.

Quechua Forclaz 60 is a great hiking bag which is designed for a long hike or backpacking for several days. This hiking bag is suitable for all levels of expertise. Made from some of the most rugged polymer, Forclaz 60 is available in a range of colours.

Forclaz 60 is designed to take ‘the extra amount’ of luggage while travelling without making your backpack look huge. The Forclaz 60 is a ‘front loader’ and can hold up to 20-30 kg. There is also a separate bottom compartment (ideal for shoes/dirty clothes) and a ‘secret’ zip pocket inside of the top that is good for storing spare money, etc.

You can strap a sleeping bag to the bottom of the pack. The waist band is thickly padded and wide.

Shoulder straps and the frame on the back are adjustable according to your height. Quechua has an international reputation of making some of the best bags a backpacker can ask for.

The brand Quechua is synonymous with passion for the mountains and mountain environments.

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North east india A Driving Experience

Incredible Assam!

Suresh Joseph

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he Kamakhya Temple is located on top of the Neelachal Hills.

The legend about the establishment of the temple at the spot is interesting. Sati immolated herself because of the insults hurled at her husband, Shiva, by her father, Daksha.

Unable to bear the grief, Shiva launched into a Tandava Nritya.

Holding the immolated body of Sati, he began to destroy every place he set his foot on. Vishnu, concerned about the destruction, used the ‘Sudarshana Chakra’ to cut the body of Sati into 51 pieces.

Each place, where the parts of Sati’s body fell, therefore became a sacred place. The yoni of Sati fell on the Neelachal Hills and the presiding deity of the temple came to be called the Kamakhya Devi.

Kohora

The road condition from Guwahati to Kohora surprised me for it was the best I had motored on in Assam till then. The Kaziranga

National Park straddles two districts - Nagaon and Golaghat.

Arrangements had been made for my stay in the Assam Lodge of the Department of Rural Development.

The lodge was located beside the River Kohora. Kohora in Hindi means ‘fog’ and I was given to understand that the entire area is besieged by thick fog during the winter months, hence the name of the place. The preservation of the one-horned rhino in Kaziranga is attributed to Lady Curzon, who prevailed upon her husband to outlaw the poaching of the species which had, by 1905, been reduced to just five. In that year, Kaziranga was declared a reserve forest. Later, it became a game sanctuary that was opened to visitors in 1937 and in 1985 it was declared a world heritage site. Thanks to the efforts of Lady Curzon, and of the others who followed to preserve the endangered one-horned rhino , the National Park presently boasts of more than 2,100 rhinos in an area of over 800 sq km. This is more than two thirds of the world population

of the species! The other wildlife in the park were water buffaloes, Asian elephants, swamp deer and over 500 varieties of birds. During the safari, I came across a large number of rhinos, water buffaloes and swamp deer. The elephant safari affords close-up views of the rhino. It is a fascinating experience even though the rides were tough on the body.

Sivasagar

The Sivasagar pukhuri (pukhuri means ‘tank’ in Assamese) was the most remarkable landmark of the town and is located in the heart of the city. There are in all seven pukhuris - Sivasagar, Gaurisagar, Joysagar, Na, Puronii, Ligiri and Tenga. The Ahom kings reportedly bathed in the waters of the seven pukhuris every seventh day. The Sivasagar Tank, created in 1734, was the brainchild of Queen Ambika, the second wife of King Siva Singha – hence, the name of the tank. Around the majestic rectangular tank are administrative complexes of various departments of the district administration. The

The Sivasagar pukhuri (pukhuri means ‘tank’ in Assamese) is the most remarkable landmark of the town and is located in the heart of the city. There are in all seven pukhuris - Sivasagar, Gaurisagar, Joysagar, Na, Puronii, Ligiri and Tenga December 2013 travel & flavors

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North east india A Driving Experience

Rang Ghar

A rhino at Kaziranga

Shivdol

three temples on the southern side of the tank- the Shivdol, the Vishnudol and the Durgadol- hog the limelight.

The Talatalghar is a seven-storey palace, which has four-storey above the ground and three below. The beautifully maintained palace ground is the venue of the Bihu festival every year. The Golaghar, near the Talatalghar, was the royal arsenal which stored arms and ammunition. The main palace of the Ahom kings in Gargaon, when the capital was located there between 1540 and the 19th century, was substantially damaged by the Assam Tea Company, claimed to be the first tea company in India. The company that was set up by the English East India Company removed bricks and stones from the palace to build its offices.

The Joysagar pukhuri is the biggest man made tank and like the Sivasagar pukhuri, there are three temples on one side of the tank. The finest examples of the Ahom legacy are the photo at Charaideo, the sacred burial ground of the kings and queens of the Ahom dynasty. The maidams are the answer to the Egyptian pyramids – the kings and queens were buried in coffins along with their valuables and trusted servants for their easy and safe passage into the next life. The size of the maidam indicates the importance and power of the person concerned. Unfortunately, the ownership of the maidams cannot be established.

Moreover, the tombs have been plundered by the British and all valuables removed through holes on the top of the mounds.

The Namdung bridge, built in stone in 1704 over the Namdung River, was closed recently on account of the damage caused to the ancient bridge by movement of heavy vehicles engaged in oil exploration. More modern is the Dikow bridge built in the 1800s by the British, which could be raised to permit the passage of steamships with high masts. A boat, built in iron, recovered from near the Dikow bridge is on display near the maidams in Charaideo. Only a visit to Sivasagar and its neighborhood can educate a keen tourist on the spread of the Ahom dynasty and its power that withstood many incursions and attacks during its time. The present day importance of Sivasagar, however, is on account of it being an oil town.

A religious ceremony at Kamakhya Temple

The palace of the Ahom Rajas December 2013 travel & flavors

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ROOF OF THE WORLD NEPAL

Serene Himalayan beauty Ghandruk is place where you can trek so much that you forget the world around you.

The sheer beauty of the place, hospitality of the locals and thier cuisine add more flavour to your adventure trip Amit Kishor Subedi

I

have been to Ghandruk many times. After books and music, Nature is my love and passion.

I can live only with these things for many, many years. Every time I undertake a journey to the unknown or come closer to Nature, I realise that I don’t need anything other than this to survive.

Ghandruk lies in the northwest of Pokhra at a height of 2010 ft. Pokhra as I have summarised in the previous article is not only an enlightening place in itself but also the gateway to some truly gorgeous villages and trek routes like the Annapurna base camp and places like Dhampus, Poon Hill, Sirubari, Sikles, Ghorepani, Jomsom, Manang, Mustang, Ghandruk etc.

These places offer you a first-hand experience of the majestic Himalayan range within a short distance.

Himalayan destinations such as the Machapuchhre, Annapurna, Himchuli, Dhaulagiri and many more offer the true gift of the blooming Nature just for the mankind. Ghandruk stretches for nearly hundreds of miles and has the largest settlement of the ethnic community of Gurungs in Nepal.

There are around 1,200 houses in the village. The Gurungs are known for their disciplined life and their bravery.

The village is neat and tidy at all times and the houses are made with split stones which also differentiate them

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from other communities.

Ghandruk is just a day away from Pokhra. If you’re into adventure, you can always try trekking and experience the full fledged beauty of the place. The 55-km journey from Pokhra through the highways with the mighty rivers flowing by in the thick jungles could be the highlight of your journey to Ghandruk. The added bonus comes in the form of the locally flavoured tea you have at tea stalls on the way. Dried local meat is quite popular at these highway motels. Nayapul is the starting point of the journey after leaving two

popular spots- Phedi and Lumle. Many songs have been written in praise of these places, not to mention about Ghandruk.

From Nayapul, you get an option to travel either by jeep or on foot.

The motor road was just constructed a few years back. Before that, the only option was to walk through the stone alleyways listening to the sound of the river Modi which often mixed with the sound of bells hung on mules’ neck. Walk over suspension bridge, sit on the chutaris under the trees, feel the cool breeze of the Himalayas

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ROOF OF THE WORLD NEPAL

Guests sipping coffee with the Himalayas in the background

Gurung Museum

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and often wash your mouth with the soft cold water until you reach there. You can enjoy the hospitality and the sense of humour of the locals. Though they are poor both financially and educationally, they are happy and content with what they have because they have the greatest gift of Nature - they are the sons and daughters of the Himalayas.

Ghandruk has a variety of features. It has high mountains, forest, cliffs and a lowland river valley.

Ghandruk is famous as it lies in the path of the world famous trek route ABC (Annapurna base camp).

The majestic and the spectacular view of the Annapurna range, Hiunchuli, Machhapuchhre are the pride of this place.

Cultural shows put up to welcome guests will enrich

your experience. The local dance and song have an awesome soothing pattern and melody. Wake up early in the morning, just in time for sunrise and you will find ethereal beauty just a few miles while the Himalayas are smiling. As the sun rises, the Himalayas seem to turn a truly spectacular reddish yellow right in front of your eyes. I am sure wherever you are from, the local cuisine consisting of lentil, rice, dhido and green leafy vegetables will add flavour to your stay in the place. Furthermore, Ghandruk has a peculiar place in Nepal’s ecology as it is home to more than half of the animal species and more than 1,000 plant species. And last but not the least don’t forget to go to the Gurung museum to know more about their culture and daily life.

Luxury Hotels Holiday inn Dubai

Holiday of a lifetime at

Holiday Inn Prashob KP

Dubai – Al Barsha If you are a budget oriented traveller and prefer five star facilities within your limits then Holiday Inn Dubai - Al Barsha will really add value to your pocket. You can choose the hotel for pleasure and business trips for an unforgettable experience

Luxury Hotels Holiday Inn Dubai

I

t is easy for travellers to spot the Holiday Inn. Taking the advantages of transportation networks, the hotel is situated near the Mall of the Emirates which faces the Sheikh Zayed Road and is walking distance from the Sharaf DG metro station, which may help you to access the vicinity conveniently.

In close proximity to the Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall, a ten minutes’ drive to free beaches at Umm Suqueim and Jumeirah Beach Residence and leisure facilities like ski slopes, cinema, bars and restaurants could meet your shopping and entertainment needs. It takes a 25 minute drive to Dubai airport and another 45 minutes to the Abu Dhabi airport.

Promoted as a budget hotel, the Holiday Inn Dubai - Al Barsha has all the looks and class of a five star hotel. The lobby is quite comfortable for short business meetings. The

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dĂŠcor with its contemporary style is pleasant and a range of restaurants and bars are adjacent to this area. The corridors are well maintained, well lit and the service staff are good.

310 rooms ranging from standard rooms to suites are available, they are spacious, clean and comfortable with facilities including minibar, safes, refreshments, decent toiletries and pillow menu which is common in five star hotels. The features of the room especially the light shades of the walls, lightings, wardrobes and paintings provide a live and fresh look. The Sheikh Zayed Road facing rooms have good views of premium priced hotels such as the Madinat Jumeirah, Atlantis Dubai and Burj Al Arab.

There are seven meeting rooms which you can choose according to your needs. All the rooms are equipped with cutting edge facilities which enable you to run corporate training and presentations. These rooms can also be converted

for celebrations like birthday parties, wedding parties and concerts. For entertainment and leisure, the hotel has a fully equipped gym with a professional instructor, who is at the guests’ disposal along with a rooftop swimming pool which has a fantastic view of the Burj Al Arab and a pleasant ambiance. You can enjoy sunrise if you are willing to wake up

early. The Vidal’s hair and beauty salon helps you to rejuvenate and check new hairstyle suggestions.

The hotel has many food outlets.

For Asian, you can try Thai food at The Royal Budha or a sublime curry at Gharana. Enjoy a wide variety of Indian food along with live music and suggest songs to be sung. Lounge@Barsha tucked in the

corner of the lobby, is the place for a quick and healthy refuel. The Gem Garden serves international cuisine from day to night. Mojito is the most atmospheric place for evening drinks and The Q sports bar is very popular with the local sports crowd. The Dolphin bar at the rooftop helps you freshen up as you take a sip of your favorite drink after a relaxing swim.

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flavors of DUBAI sicilia

Step into Sicilia for a

taste

f Italy

Italian food always manages to capture the imagination of those who dig into it. From rich creamy sauces to the ever popular pastas, Italian fare is certainly well loved world over. Sicilia is one of those places where you would get a taste of exclusive Italian cuisine Prashob K P

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I

f you are a big fan of Italian food then don’t just dream about it, step into Sicilia at the Mövenpick Hotel, Ibn Battuta Gate, Dubai, where you get to plunge into the world of an Italian mama’s kitchen. The dimly lit lights and soft background music will recharge your romantic evening out and transport you into another world.

The wooden table with a booth seat and the walls adorned with framed pictures of Italy really recreate the ambience of an Italian home. It’s no wonder that you may feel that you’ve stepped into a typical Italian home. To top it off, the hostess treats you like guest in their home, all of which evokes the typical Italian atmosphere for you

Tuna Tartare

flavors of DUBAI sicilia

Tonetto alla Griglia con Caponatina Siciliana

Seabream with open Cartoccio The mouthwatering aroma from the kitchen would have you falling in love with the cuisine and increase the anticipation of your taste buds.

The kitchen is calm and is the place where Chef Stefano Ligori creates his masterpieces. The maestro himself helps you recommend some signature dishes of Sicilia. He’s also very keen to greet the diners and get a feedback from them. My companion and I started the gastronomic journey by tasting wine which really help us to get rid of all the hustle and bustle of the day. The restaurant has a good variety of wines in their collection and one really can’t miss them. Along with wine we were presented with bread accompanied by creamy olive tapenades which make the perfect starter.

We began our Italian journey by tucking into Tuna Tartare, Trio Bruschetta,Polpo Arrostito (grilled octopus) as an appetizer. The tartare is fresh and accompanied by an apple salad that offsets the flavour of the tuna with just the right balance. Polpo Arrostito is one of the signature dishes of Sicilia and is served with sautéed potatoes, tomato confit and dots of ink caviar, with a side serving of Pistachio di Bronte, or pistachio pesto, my own octopus tentacle was grilled and caramelised giving it the perfection it required. The tentacle tasted as good as it looked: sweet and meaty. This dish is so good that you would want to visit the restaurant just to try it out again. The staff was always

Ravioli stuffed with potatoes and leeks, Raschera fondue, hazelnut and hazelnut oil, mushrooms

on hand to provide more information about the dishes and the gaps were filled by the chef. Unlike many chefs, Stefano is the epitome of chirpiness and a conversation with him really adds more strength to your knowledge on Italian cuisine . He pays attention to how his diners are getting on, allowing his friendly nature to come out. Within due time, our next course arrived, we were treated with grilled beef tenderloin with baby root vegetables, and sea bass which is cooked in salt, it was very juicy and smooth. The beef tenderloin although it looked heavy and thick one turned out to be perfect when we took a bite of it.

No meal is complete without testing your sweet tooth and the desserts at Sicilia simply delight those who dig into it. We were presented with Tiramisu, Giandula Parfait and chocolate pudding.

Actually tiramisu really steals the show owing to the fact that it was delicious, divine and delightful; each mouthful a joy to experience.

In a nutshell, Sicilia is a restaurant where you can begin a romance or celebrate an anniversary. It is a place where you can take your loved ones to share the precious moments in life. Every dish is delivered in the true Sicilian style straight from the kitchens of Italy.

Chef Stefano

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Enchanting Kerala Kuthampully

Weaving the

magic

Kuthampully lying within the serene landscape of Thiruvillamala in Thrissur district is a weavers’ village with a legacy of more than hundred years. This small village has added shimmer to the traditional Kerala attire of handloom saris for decades Photos & Text Chitra Priyadarshini

T

he efforts taken by the weavers in Kuthampully are something we all should appreciate.

They weave each and every piece of clothes by hand with care and love. People here talk a dialect of Kannada and are believed to have migrated from Karnataka to earn a living nearly three or four centuries back. Old timers say that this village was established about 400–500 years ago when the king of Cochin brought weavers of the Devanga community from Karnataka to Kuthampully.

The king had allotted space for the community near the river Bharatapuzha and Gayathri River as the weaving process needed a large quantity of water.

Separated by narrow alleys, a group of old, but neatly maintained houses form the weavers’ village where the famous Kuthampully handloom products are made.

The entire village is a network of houses that are closely set resembling the Tamil Brahmin ‘Agraharams’ found in Palakkad. The houses are old fashioned, possibly many decades old, and carry the old-world charm with their low-set roofs and carved pillars.

Within the long, airy verandas, weavers work on huge, archaic wooden machines that creak and squeal, churning out hand-woven clothes with

borders and designs that are unique to Kuthampully. The village, where the squeaks of the machines are rarely broken by other sounds, is a thriving cottage industry that has sustained for 400 years.

The handloom weaving tradition is now under threat thanks to industrialization.

But the quality of a handwoven dress beats the machine made ones. Every home in Kuthampully has an area which is entirely dedicated for the weaving work, and is called the ‘neythu shala’. Many of the ‘neythu shalas’ have been abandoned as the youngsters are not interested in handloom weaving.

“Weaving is a process that cannot be done by a single person and every member has a role to play,” says Saraswathi Amma, member of a weaver family in Kuthampully. During festivals like Onam and Vishu, the Kuthampully people would be quite busy weaving and packing their finished products to different places. The traditional handloom saris are exported in bulks to different part of the world.

The journey to this magical village is complemented by the landscapes that surround this village. The river Bharatapuzha and temples like Thiruvillamala Sri Rama Temple make this journey worthwhile. The peace and tranquility that one experiences here is truly worth cherishing.

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Enchanting Kerala The Tourism Director’s Desk

Kerala turns out to be the S Harikishore IAS

best value destination

Recently, five Indian cities have featured in the top 100 list of the ‘best value destinations’ across the globe where one can travel without breaking the bank. Of the five cities, two are in Kerala!

I

t’s December, the month when tourists flow in large numbers to Kerala.

Even though Kerala is an all season destination, domestic as well as international arrivals clock the highest number from November to January. The entire state is geared up to welcome tourists and the industry is anticipating a jubilant December 2013 when the footfalls are expected to increase by about 10 to 15 % compared to the last year.

Awards are not new to any tourism board or government, and hence it’s not a new thing for Kerala as well. But, 2013 is special as it’s a year when Kerala Tourism has received diverse awards which is a testimony to the variety and diversity of the state. We have received ‘Best Destination for Relaxation’ award from Lonely Planet. Further, Lonely Planet has recently

announced that Kerala will be a ‘Best Family Travel for 2014’.

So, Kerala is for families and for leisure.

Recently, five Indian cities have featured in the top 100 list of the ‘best value destinations’ across the globe where one can travel without breaking the bank. Of the five cities, two are in Kerala! The online search site Trivago’s ‘Best Value Index’ in 2013 ranks Varkala at 28 and Munnar at 60. So, Kerala is the best for families, for leisure and it gives the best value for money.

Yes, travel to Kerala is not only a journey to one of the “must see destinations” of the world but it is also economical and gives value for your money.

We have also received an award for our Ayurveda campaign from ITB Berlin and the Olive Crown Award for the print campaign on World Tourism Day. It has been

proved that the government is doing its best for promoting the destination Kerala. Our marketing campaign has received awards in three out of five trade fairs (IIITM/TTF) in which Kerala Tourism has participated till date in this financial year.

Our website www.keralatourism. org has won the national award five times, and utilizing this web platform we have been sending monthly newsletters to thousands of subscribers.

This systematic effort by Kerala Tourism helped Kerala to win PATA Gold Award for its newsletter in 2013, motivating us to do with more vigour in the space of internet-based activities.

Wishing all a good season, and welcoming to Kerala in the time when it’s the best to travel to God’s Own Country.

The writer is the Director, Department of Tourism, Kerala Government

Book review Spectacular homes

The heritage homes of Kerala at a glance

“H

Savithri S Iyer

omes are not built in a day” goes the catchword of the pictorial marvel that is ‘Spectacular Homes’ compiled by acclaimed photographer, SalimPushpanath.

In a state like Kerala (India), where heritage and beauty peek at you from every nook and cranny, it is hardly a wonder that this book on the truly marvelous homes located in God’s own Country catches your eye. With stunning images of each of the homes and a write-up in English, French and German, the book certainly takes you through the homes you would love to live in. The book guarantees to take you through the kind of homes built not just for convenience and luxury, but also for those who wish to live in the kind of homes which could take you back in time. It’s not the kind of book you would curl up with when you’re bored, but would love to flip through if you have any concrete plans on making your dream home the perfect abode for you and your family.

The effort that has gone into the compilation of the book took almost an entire year. The 52 homes that have been included are truly spectacular and some of them are as old as300years. The Ashley Bungalow built in 1874 by the Baker Munro family is one such heritage home featured in the book. Surrounded by tea estates, the dream home is located at Kootickal in Kottayam. The polished wooden roof and the period furniture is certainly eye-catching and would take you back to the times of the British Raj. Another such home is the 110 year old Middle House located at Poyya in Thrissur. The colonial feel of the home includes antique furniture as well as a long wooden table with legs resembling an elephant’s trunk As you flip through the pages of the book, you would be tempted to live in such a home or at least visit it so that you can travel back in time and experience the magic of living in a heritage home for a day. The book that you would love to grace your bookshelf and the stunning photographs of these wonder homes just give it more brownie points in the reader’s hearts

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Enchanting Kerala Kalpathy Chariot Festival

Kalpathy

Chariot Festival Devotion fills the air as the chariots carrying the idols of deities move through the streets of Kalpathy during the annual car festival which attracts huge crowds

K

Jose Jacob

alpathy Viswanathaswamy Temple was built around 1425 AD

by Kombi Achan, the then Raja of Palakkad.

The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva has an idol installed at the present site on the southern bank of the river Neela Bhagirathi by a Brahmin widow, Lakshmi Ammal. The location of the temple and its steps leading to the river bring to the mind of a visitor the Banaras temples on the river Ganga.

So, Kalpathy Temple came to be known as “Kasiyil Pakuthi Kalpathy� (Half Banaras).

The main festival of the temple is Kalpathy Ratholsavam (Kalpathy Car Festival) which is a week-long event. The annual festival begins in November. The three satellite temples in new Kalpathy, old Kalpathy and Chathapuram villages also participate in the which begins with the Ratham

(chariot) of Viswananthaswamy Temple setting out on a gramapradhakshina (go around the village) in the morning.

This is the biggest festival in the northern part of Kerala.

It coincides with the festivals celebrated at Mayavaram in Tanjore Ddstrict of Tamil Nadu.

Kalpathy Car Festival is based on the Vedic Tamil Brahmin culture. The unique feature of the festival is that the people belonging to the lower castes have the right to take the idols out of the chariots on its arrival at Viswananthaswamy Temple.

An abhishekam (idol ritual bath) is performed according to the Vedic rites on the occasion.

The festival is held for a period of 10 days. During this time, five chariots together circumvent the Kalpathy village in a grand procession. The chariot with six giant wheels drawn by the devotees and elephants through the streets of the agraharam is a sight overwhelmed with devotion.

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Enchanting Kerala Kalpathy Chariot Festival

Wooden chariots The chariots at Kalpathy Car Festival showcase the spectacular craftsmanship.

Made mostly of teak wood, these chariots are more than hundred years old. Perfection achieved in the carved wooden structures is amazing. The bases of these wooden chariots are huge and depict various instances from the epic Ramayana.

The base forms the seating of the idol. The grabhagriha or the sanctum sanctorum of the chariot is painted in golden. The roof of the chariot is in the shape of a cone called gopuram which is decorated with strings of white cloth hanging from the wooden frame.

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photo of the month

AFRICAN SAFARI We were on a wildlife safari in Masai, Kenya. As the day was drawing to a close, my hope of seeing a leopard also came to an end. While heading back to our tents, the driver spotted a leopard perched atop a tree at a distance. By the time we reached the spot, the leopard was surrounded by nearly 50 vehicles and we were not able to see the beast up close. However, I got an opportunity to click a picture of the leopard walking over the branches and making its way back to the jungle.

By Shweta Raval

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Strange Travellers

Man of micro adventure Ever heard of something called micro adventure?

Meet Alastair Humphreys, a renowned scientist, author and motivational speaker, and the man behind the concept of micro adventure

Photos: Alastair Humphreys

T&F correspondent

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A

National Geographic Adventurer of the Year 2012, Humphreys’ first long journey was around the world on a bicycle. Setting off from his home in Airton, near Yorkshire in 2001, Humphreys cycled through Europe, Middle East, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, South America, Central America, North America, Asia and Russia. He spent over four years cycling around the world, which covered 46,000 miles through 60 countries and five continents.

Humphrey through this cycle journey raised more than 13,000 Euro for the British-based charity Hope and Homes for Children which supports those orphaned or abandoned by war,

AIDS or poverty. On the toughest race on Earth‘Marathon des Sables’ he ran around 150 miles through the Sahara desert with all the food and kit in his backpack.

In 2009, he walked all the way from the origin of the river Kaveri in India through the coffee and cardamom plantations in the Western Ghats to the hot plains of Tamil Nadu covering 500 miles. He carried only a small backpack, cooked with campfires and slept in the open air. Last year, his team set off on a 4,700-mile row across the Atlantic Ocean from Tenerife and each crew member had to row for two hours before taking a two-hour siesta and come back to the oars again.

Inspired by the adventures of Wilfred

Thesiger, famous British explorer and travel writer, Humphreys along with Leon McCarron walked 1,000 miles across the Arabian Peninsula on an expedition through the Empty Quarter.

Empty Quarter, the largest sand desert in the world, encompasses Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE and Yemen and is a place where the temperature reaches up to 560 C. Humphreys’ adventures were an escape from the stifling routine and swaddling of the easy life in Britain.

These were attempts to figure out what was most important in his life and how he wanted to live that life. “Decide what you want to get engraved on your gravestone.

Now, go out and make it happen,” is the advice he gives.