tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27752208780552190502011-12-10T20:42:38.256+05:30Sharmilanoreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-34233496283669962232010-02-27T15:19:00.045+05:302010-10-07T17:15:07.708+05:30

After a very long time, we could finally get away for a short break. We did not want to visit the same old beaches that we usually frequent ... like Murud/ Kashid , Harihareshwar , Goa or Karpe wadi ( never again ) ... so decided on Ganapatipule ... an extremely beautiful and serene beach on the Konkan coast. As we are fond of road trips ... especially to beaches, we went by car ... as usual.

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-32873758808609540042010-02-05T11:16:00.027+05:302010-02-05T19:49:51.766+05:30

Going out on long drives used to be very common and regular for us. In fact so regular that weekends would find us speeding down the highway to some unknown destination ... usually on the lookout for small, unknown places or villages. We have come across many small and quaint villages this way.After a long, long time we actually went out on a long drive again. The husband has been mentioning

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-57865160057247481112009-04-18T12:15:00.034+05:302009-12-18T18:07:23.437+05:30

We had heard a lot about this beach resort at Nagaon, near Alibaug. So when a long weekend came up we decided to drive down and spend a couple of days thereTo reach this place , when you are on your way to Murud, take a right turn in Nagaon .... at the chowk where there is a statue of Shivaji. You will have to pay a charge of 25/- here. Karpe's wadi is just around the corner from there.The place

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-83927840867376111862008-12-20T09:46:00.042+05:302009-10-28T10:10:59.503+05:30

( I update this post regularly based on the questions I keep getting from my readers. ) When we decided to go to Goa for a short break last month, hubby suggested that we drive down. I have always wanted to go to Goa by road ... but never insisted as it is a long journey ... and it might turn out to be difficult and tiresome .... driving for so long. A road trip after all needs a lot of things

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-65371048673977286622008-11-02T07:30:00.051+05:302010-02-26T11:07:01.881+05:30

When the hectic days start to take their toll on us, overwhelming us with too many expectations and burdening us with too much discredit, we run away. To the quiet of nature. To our favourite getaway ... to any beach on the Konkan belt. Most of the places on this belt are quiet and remote ... which we absolutely love. Often we hunt for places that won't even have a tv .... and where evenings

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-44884973687839221162008-08-21T19:01:00.026+05:302008-12-04T11:09:34.896+05:30

Much as I would love to post another series of our long trips ... I just have to post this.With the rains making their presence still ... we went for a drive to Lonavla.Decided to make a Chenchki ... a Bengali mixed vegetables sabzi ... that goes great with puris . Hubby said not to make the puris ... shall pick up something later.He had mentioned Mulshi .... but we were heading Aundh. Stopped at

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-89743494012125014322008-08-12T16:34:00.008+05:302009-05-14T09:45:16.032+05:30

We reached Jaipur from Ranthambore by early evening. On entering the city our driver showed us the palace where the queen stays and asked if we had been to the Laxmi Narayan Temple or the Birla temple. When we said we hadn't, he offered to take us there. Great.This temple is not only beautiful ... but peaceful too. We spent some time there and returned to our hotel. After freshening up, we

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-47476436561423816572008-08-09T09:58:00.021+05:302009-05-14T09:41:47.911+05:30

We left Jaipur just after breakfast ... hot aloo parathas (I'll never forget 'Arya Niwas aloo parathas' .... as we call them now) .... served with butter and chutney. Omlette and tea for me ... hot milk for hubby. :-)This time our driver is the guy who provided much entertainment all through the journey. Thin as a reed, he went by the name of Shamsher Singh. Would not speak at all ... even

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-49998218335216460942008-08-08T16:06:00.028+05:302009-05-14T09:37:45.602+05:30

We spent Day 3 lounging in the soft winter sun in the hotel lawns .... and sometimes in the library. Not to mention the continous munching and numerous cups of tea/ hot chocolate/ coffee. Hubby rested well .... cannot afford to stay ill the whole trip. :-)Day - 4( The pics of Amber and Jantar Mantar are by our friend J. )We started the day with Amber fort first ( pronounced Aamer) ... a little

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-31029122749799158382008-08-01T18:07:00.012+05:302009-05-14T09:32:10.419+05:30

We left for Ajmer early. We were much impressed by the highway again ... I would always make another trip happily for the awesome drive.We went straight to the Dargah first. As we were entering we found several men coming up to us and offering to guide us through it. As usual we did not want anybody with us ... but saw other people taking their help. One thing that impressed us was they don't

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-21192460837574017392008-07-30T11:32:00.009+05:302009-05-14T09:31:10.876+05:30

We took the morning flight to Delhi. Didi had told us that buses run regularly from Rajasthan bhavan ... so we went there directly from the airport. For some reason the AC buses were not running that day. So we had to settle for the bus just about to leave. Got two seats ... but had to pay Rs.50 extra for our luggage which was only 2 suitcases. Why? .... I still don't know. :-)The Delhi Jaipur

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-34750617332021073342008-07-30T09:59:00.008+05:302009-05-14T09:30:01.156+05:30

This was my second trip to Rajasthan as a tourist. Rajasthan, being so vast, cannot be completed in one trip. So we break up the visitable parts into sections ... like east,west etc. Then we pick up the places we want to visit in a particular part and plan our route and make bookings likewise.The fist time we had kept Udaipur,Nathdwara,Chittorgarh, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer on our itnerary. We were

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-41351371492366468032008-07-25T17:03:00.006+05:302009-05-08T12:33:56.013+05:30

If you are regular traveller you won't need this list as you will have it by rote by now. But if you are an occasional traveller a list always is a big help ... you don't forget things and spend valuable time looking for them in a new place. The list below has been made keeping in mind remote places ... we always prefer quiet places, away from civilisation.If going to a beach, then beach

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-14986514541250126562008-07-22T11:40:00.013+05:302009-05-08T12:27:35.341+05:30

This applies to any trip you are taking. There will be a host of problems along with your host place ... especially if it is very new for you. So if you take care of a few things before hand , you will be spared a lot of heartburn in your vacation / trips.Regarding hotels and bookings .... the net is a boon. But it is up to your common sense also. Do not get carried away by any of the pics on a

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-35460280338616982332008-07-17T15:46:00.026+05:302008-07-23T19:36:40.392+05:30

Harihareswar is a beautiful beach on the Konkan coast. It is only 130 kms from Pune and there are a lot of options of routes to take to get there.While the one through Tamhini and Mulshi is extremely picturesque, especially during the monsoons, the one from Khalapur pass has a good road and you can reach faster. The Pune-Mumbai highway is a pleasure to drive on ... considering that you stick to a

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-18325841392116977982008-07-11T08:40:00.012+05:302008-07-11T09:42:56.440+05:30

We were given the early morning time to visit Nalabana. It was good in a lot of ways. The lake would be quieter and the number of boats and noisy tourists minimum. The birds would be just starting the day. And of course we would get less of the hot sun. 'Nala' means reeds and 'bana' means jungle. Where we were going is a marshy place full of reeds. It is 18 kms away from mainland and the boat has

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-20300782712566941932008-06-30T17:05:00.013+05:302008-07-02T15:55:36.406+05:30

We were taken to our already booked cottage .... and it was beautiful. The back door opened to the lawn and right beyond that was the lake !!!! What a view!We were a little apprehensive regarding the cleanliness of the place as the village is very remote.We should not have bothered. The room was huge and beautiful. The restaraunt was great too. I was dying to sample the fresh fish/crab/prawn

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-30162068095465682682008-06-30T11:40:00.010+05:302008-06-30T18:13:24.334+05:30

We got up very early next morning as we wanted to see the sunrise. We were on the east coast .... so could see the sun come out of the sea. Else we always have to make do with the western coast sunsets. It was still dark when we walked down to the beach ... which was right across the road from our hotel. People were already taking walks or just sitting and enjoying the morning cool. Slowly the

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-24672605578637418612008-06-29T16:45:00.017+05:302008-07-04T12:34:43.931+05:30

We reached Puri around noon and checked into our hotel. We had already booked everywhere we were to stay long before starting our trip. So never have to waste time ... an important thing for time bound tourists. The beach looked inviting right out of our window on the sixth floor ... but we had to resist it as we wanted to visit Lord Jagannath first.There won't be any snaps of the temple to make

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-85611131041952610222008-06-29T15:13:00.017+05:302008-06-30T00:58:56.861+05:30

We left for Puri early next morning. On the way we stopped at Konark first. Standing tall ... as much as possible ,bearing the ravages of time is the Sun temple. The state govt. is doing its best in renovating the place . But there is no alternative to the original. Besides where would they get artists who are as talented as the ones who had actually worked on this wonder? The place looked well

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-22798144940357237622008-06-29T10:51:00.018+05:302008-06-29T17:47:42.037+05:30

I had wanted to visit the Tarini temple in Ghatgaon in Keonjhar district. So we kept day no. 3 for this trip. By now we had rested enough to take the 5 hours journey. This temple is extremely revered by anybody who lives in Orissa. The goddess is another form of Shakti ... and is called "Bipad Tarini" .... or "one who saves from all bipad (danger) ".And there is an interesting fact about this

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-19594215410465872002008-06-27T16:46:00.027+05:302008-06-30T00:41:37.309+05:30

We roamed about in the city.It was hubby's first relaxed visit here. Bhubaneswar is known as "The city of temples" ... so went and visited some of the important ones. Unfortunately none of the temples allow cameras inside ... so can't show what those old, majestic structures are like. All the temples are hundreds of years old and are built with huge stones and are full of intricate carvings.The

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-77423479018832775452008-06-25T16:21:00.002+05:302008-06-29T17:46:33.156+05:30

We took the connecting flights from Pune-Hyderabad and Hyderabad to Bhubaneswar.The journey .... which took up the whole day, was uneventful. Except for one thing. Hubby came across a small kiosk in Hyderabad airport that sold Danish pastries.Hubby had tasted some on his trips to the US and wanted me to taste them. They tasted awesome and I loved them. Bad news for hubby dear ... as till date I

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-84541789724225887722008-06-25T16:09:00.003+05:302008-07-02T16:17:57.533+05:30

While planning for a trip to Orissa one has to keep in mind the weather first.Summer is a big no-no , and so is the rainy season.I love this state of mine, being born and brought up there. I consider myself ,if not full , at least half an Oriya just as I am a full Bengali. I am nostalgic about the summers there ... the exhausting heat, wonderful Paanto bhaat with a lot of side dishes aslunch and

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-4631593830638619802008-06-23T16:41:00.002+05:302009-01-03T01:07:30.906+05:30

We love to watch birds. And we are lucky to see a lot of them around our home ... sadly their number is going down due to indiscriminate cutting of trees and clearing up shrubs, mostly for dumping of waste by builders. Just next to our home there has been a small clearing that has a nallah and some plants and shrubs. Just that much is enough for our feathered friends ... they don't ask for much .

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-81497550862059910592008-06-18T11:21:00.000+05:302008-06-18T11:34:13.237+05:30

I have long been intending to log our trips and travels. Both of us love travelling or taking short overnight trips, or just a long, long drive. We come across many kinds of experiences ... ranging from getting to meet all kinds of people, sampling local food all over the country, finding different routes to places and most of all ... having a complete relaxed attitude while travelling.This blog

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2775220878055219050.post-12143861374035045732008-06-18T03:15:00.000+05:302008-06-19T20:42:16.735+05:30

I wanted to start with our last long trip. But later decided to start from our latest short trip to the outskirts of the city.Just outside Pune is a range of small hills on the way to Saswad where we often drive down to get away from the crowded city. So when, after 6 whole days of overcast skies and steady drizzle, it started to rain heavily on Saturday, we decided that we can officially declare

Sharmilanoreply@blogger.com0