Payanam

Goa - Club Mahindra Resort

2010-06-14T03:18:00.000-07:00

Goa - pure bliss

it has something for everyone be it honeymoon couples, family with kids , retired people - everyone can enjoy goa

we went to goa for 2 nights and 3 days and let me tell u we didnt venture out of the resort.

The club mahindra resort is on the varca beach and it is really maintained well and the staff are friendly.

the food is good , though slightly expensive , u dont need to pay fpr kids below 5 years.

taking couple of things helped us

1. couple of maggie packets, the hotplate in the studio came into use to quench the sudden hunger
2. beach ball - kept the kids entertained
3. chips and snacks - the ones available in the resort shop are very expensive
4. swimwear and tubes for the kids.

Main highlights

1. swimming pool - the kids one has a water slide and it is a great hit
2. beach - its clean and nice and lot of chairs to sit and enjoy the view
3. water sports - slightly expensive but worth it
4. the resort club - has foosball , table tennis , activities for kids - made thorough use of them

disadvantage
1. when u book a cab from the resort - it is way too expensive - they almost charge u double
2. the resort is soo nice - u dont explore goa but just the resort

in all it was a good family fun time .

thumbs up for club mahindra goa resort - expensive but nice

Tentative Dwaraka trip plan

2007-09-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Tentative Schedule for the Dwaraka trip from Mumbai

Places to see in Ahmedabad - Akshadham - swami narain temple
Sabarmati Ashram
Shaking Minarets
Shopping

Other places to See - Dwaraka
Somnath
porbander

Notes
Mumbai to Ahmedabad - shatabdi express

Direct train from dwaraka to mumbai

Flight from Mumbai to Jamnagar which is 130 Kms from dwaraka

Ahemedabad to Dwaraka by Bus is 8 hrs
Jamnagar to Dwaraka by car is 4 hrs

a very good travelogue to dwaraka can be found here http://www.srivaishnavam.com/divyadesam108/dwaraka_travel_diary.pdf

Marina Beach

2007-05-31T22:44:00.000-07:00

This is a place where i grew up spending all my sunday's and vcacations .
When i school the beach followed by restaurant ritual was a must every sunday
my memories of Marina are
1.deserted near the light house
2.clean sand
3.clean water
4.lot of families playinng around and eating
5.kites and ballons
6.everybody goes home after dark
7.conversations happening between people

last week I again visited Marina for the first time with my baby and I was in for a shock
1.Its totally crowded - not with people who have come to visit but with vendors who have sporuted all over the beach selling everything from water,bajji,ice cream to pattani
2.The family atmosphere is lost because of the vendors and their shops and smells
3.At max i could see only few families most were lovers,college gangs
4.The entire beach is like a garbage bin , we couldnt find a spot to sit without litter
5.Absolutely no place to spread a blanket in private, sit and enjoy the sound of waves and the wind
6.Water was so dirty that I cringed to dip my feet in it

I feel some drastic measure has to be taken by the goverment to remove these vendors from the beach , there must be a area where they can sell , they just cant be all over the beach
Also some measures to clean the sand and water should be taken up

if the present state continues our Pride and Pleasure Beach will become another Koovam

GRT Temple Bay

2007-05-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

Friday May4th 2007 was my first outing in the current company , about 100 of who report to one Super boss went to GRT Temple Bay
I dont know what to write about , the fun we had or the beauty of the place or the beach or the good organising

We left at about 1pm in 2 buses and a van , had some nice rocking vijay numbers playing in the bus and for the first time i danced some dapan kootu numbers in the bus

the organisers Catalyst had done a tremendous job , be it giving mazza when we boarded the bus or the ice breakers they had planned or the numerous gifts that were given and the team building activites like dodge ball , three legs, animal sounds, jiggles etc was fun and though was new to this team didnt feel lonley at all

comming to GRT Temple Bay
one word to describe it - its nice
its right at the entrance of Mahabalipuram , from the shore u can see the shore side temple of Mahabs and the view is worth the long journey from chennai

the property is big , the foyer and the lobby are well done keeping sea shore as the theme and the swiming pool is real beauty - overlooking the sea
they have a private beach with couple of beach activities thrown in and a pleasant and maybe a slightly expensive holiday is for sure

we got to have snacks and the usual indian dinner and suprisingly the food was good and the service was excellent

its a clean resort with good facilities , helpful people and nice ambience worth a check out on the ECR road .

Target Audience

2007-05-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

Whats my target audience ??

i have already writtern 3 posts and yet am not clear on this vital aspect

Am I using this blog to just write down my memories about the various places I have visited or Am I targetting future visitors to that place by giving them important information about the place ??

Well onething is clear without me visitng the place i cant give information to others so to an extent am going to write my memories , but when we write only memories it is useful only for a small cirlce of family and friends who can relate to us but it has to reach a wider audience than i also need to make it informative

so I have come to the following conclusion
1. each post is going to consist of 2 parts
2.the first part is going to be my experience , my memories of the place,how i enjoyed it
3.this part is for information on the place, ideal itenary for the place , accomdation etc

by this am ensuring it has a personal touch also information

Belur Halebid

2007-05-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

It has almost become a joke between me and my husband whenever I start saying Hoysala architecture he completes the statement for me by saying "Star Shaped temple" hahaha the reason for this is that the only thing i knew about hoysala architecture is that it is famous for its star shaped temples and carvings .

This place is perfect for a day outing from bangalore else u can also combine this with chickmanglur and make it a weekend getaway , chickmangalur is only 25kms from belur .

u can cover three things in belur halebid
1. Belur vishnu temple
2. halebid shiva temple
3. shravanabelagola - buddha statue

belur is 222 kms from bangalore and we visited this place by hiring a cab . it took us 3 to 4 hrs to reach this place
go well stocked with food ,water and juice nothing is available on the way nor in the places

there are 2 food stopovers on way where u get good food
1. kamat
2.mayura hotel
u get good idli , coffee and clean restrooms here

i went expecting lush greens on both sides , some scenic views and maginificent temples - was in for a shock

the land is very barren and very dry with only a smattering of greens here and there - u will be amazed at the scene change from bangalore and some 10 kms from bangalore .only as u get closer to chickmanglur u get cool breeze and some greenery to see

dont go in summer months as it is impossible to walk on the hot rocks

out iternary
1.morning left bangalore at 9.30
2.reached mayura at 11.30 had late breakfast

3.reached belur at 12.30 to visit the chennakesava temple meaning handsome vishnu temple

if u are expecting a huge temple u will be disappointed what u get to see is a beautiful temple that stands in midst of barren land and pulls u with its carving and beauty
if u dont have a passion for carving and architecture u will not like this place - u need to have imagination to enjoy this place - its huge - i could imagine the royal families of yesteryears comming here and paying homage to lord , ladies dancing in the courtyard for the king - the temple premises is big and beautiful , the carvings are exquisite and it is worth to pay for a guide . u have a pedestle and on it sits the temple in a star shape form . the guide tells us that the belur temple is famous for interiors and the halebid temple is known for its exterior carvings . the lions and elephants cardved out of pillars is something i will remember for a long time

4.about 17 kms from belur is halebid - the first impression u get on seeing halebid is well this is better tourist oriented place , its clean ,lawned and u have lot of people selling u things - halebid has a shiva temple and i liked the hugs nandi's, there is also a small lake/pond nearby giving toursit some relief from the sun .

imagine hundreds of artisans sitting and carving these rocks giving them life , and shapes just astounds the human mind .

5.we skipped out shravanabelagola as we were too tired

6. on way back again stopped at mayura for refill and reached bangalore at about 8 in the night .

this place is not a romantic getaway - u can probablu spend time together in the car ride , it is for people who want to appreciate our heritage .

Andaman- Travelogue

2007-04-26T02:33:00.000-07:00

We went to Andaman for our second wedding anniversary .
before going there , i had done some research on the net on what to see etc had read couple of blogs and they said " its a tropical heaven on earth blah blah"
my first impression of Andaman which happened to be port blair city and airport was this is slightly bigger than a village but much pollutated than a village - was filled with disappointment

all the disappointment disappered the moment i entered ITC's fortune Bay resot , the view from the lobby and the restaurant is worth it . the serene sea deep green at places , blue at others just staring at u , nothing for miles just the ocean and the occasional boat on it - Now i will call it paradise .

for travellers going to andaman , the place where u stay can make or break your trip , ITC is slightly expensive but for the view and the peace we felt in the resort I dont think we would have enjoyed andaman if we had stayed elsewhere

there is nothing much to do in andaman , its a place where u can laze around for hours with a book , sit in water neck deep , go swimming , do some customary site seeing but basically spend time with self,spouse and just relax.

its a place getting filled by tourist and the hotel travel desk is a place which u shld avoid, they are very expensive and for a trip that would have cost us 1500 they charged 4000. go to the market and book a taxi for the day - see the places it will be more economical .

Since andaman is closer to chennai I thought it will be full of tamil people , yes tamil people are there but not as many as I thought - there are many bengalis as this place is also accessible from culcata - infact the majority of the service people in the hotel are bongs - u will also find the omnipresent mallu .

the tourist guide will throw all these places at you
1. ross island
2.corbyn's cove
3.chidiya tapu
4.north bay coral island
5.cellular jail
6.city tour covering some measuems

please ignore all of them except for cellular jail

I will list down our iternary and based on our experience will list the best iternary for andaman
Day 1: morning we reached port blair around 10 - had breakfast - explored the resort and in the afternoon after lunch took the ferry to ross island - this is a old settlement of the british - except for the view of the sea near the light house I didnt enjoy the ruins

Day2: we went to place called mou terra - This is a MUST SEE PLACE , we went on a catamaran far into the ocean to a island called mou terra - this is a inhabitated island , not yet known to tourist - pure bliss , white sands,geen blue water , u can wade some 200 mts into water and it will be only hip deep - fun place to waddle , swim , have fun . and the best part is scuba diving to see coral
at first i was scared to jump in the middle of no where but the corals are worth a see u get fascinating insights about marine life and when a small fish almost kissed my nose I knew i would have missed a life time oppurtunity if i had not gone to see the corals . the whole day is for mou terra and in the end of it u are too tired to do anything else

Day3: morning we spent in the resort and in the eve took the complimentary city tour covering meusems and the cellular jail, except for the jail i felt others was a waste of time
dont miss the sound and light show at the cellular jail - they send chills down your spine but u get a perspective of what your history is .

Day4: we went to see oldest saw mill - waste of time , nothing to see here
afternoon we went to corbyn's cove again - its over crowded , dirty and not worth , our marina is much better and after mou terra u dont relish the public beaches
compared to corbyn's cove the road adjoining the hotel is abetter place to appreciate the water and absord the calmness of the ocean

Day5: packed our bags and left the paradise by the morning flight
hmmm even now when iam stressed I can picturise the view of the ocean from the loby and a calmness fills me

Now information for tourist
1.4 nights 5 days is sufficient for this place
2. take enough snacks from chennai as except for chips u dont get anything else here and moreover everything has to come form chennai so its expensive

places to be covered in andaman
1. take a helicopter ride over the islands (we couldnt do this as the copter was already full)
2.mouva terra - the corals are ammasing and the feeling that there are only couple of people in the next 100 kms is a wiered feeling and worth it.
3.cellular jail - sound and light show
4. havelok island - plan for a overnight stay in this place - the beach here is supposed to be very beautiful
5, if u have tme after all the above can go to ross island .
6. also can cover jolly bouy - its also an island similar to mouva terra .

Highlights of Andaman

1.scuba diving
2.catamaran ride
3.neck deep in middle of sea
4.endless view of clear oceam from the hotel room
5.the darkness being interrupted by the sole beam of a light house on the next island
6.no traffic sounds,not crowded only sounds are the boat motor sound and the boat horn
very relaxing and peacfull holiday

Kanchipuram Divya Desams

2007-04-23T02:49:00.000-07:00

Of the 108 divya desams 15 of them can be covered using Kanchipuram as your base .
The temples are very beautiful, not at all crowded except for couple of them and you can have your moment with god at your own pace .

Kanchipuram is around 2hrs by car from chennai .
We left on Saturday 21st Apr around 8.30 reached kanchipuram by 10.30 , there are couple of motels on way where u can stop for breakfast and use the rest rooms but since we had packed hot idlis and mulagapodi from home we directly went to kanchipuram .

Kanchipuram is world famous for its silk sarees what is less known is that it is also a major religious center with the kanchi mutt based here and numerous temples which are many hundred years old .
Kanchipuram is logically split as chinna kanchi and periya kanchi .

we visited 2 temples on satruday morning
1. Sonnavanna seida perumal - tiruvegaa yatootakari perumal
2.Varadaraja perumal

then we had lunch at saravana bavan and checked into the hotel above saravana bhavan -"JayaBala" its pretty decent no frills clean hotel .

A point to be noted is that most of the vishnu temples are open only from 8Am to 11.30AM and in the evening from 4.30 to 7.30 PM , the Two shivan temples where 2 divya desams are situated are open longer morning 6.30 to 12.30PM and evening 4.30 to 8.30PM - one needs to plan accordingly

we covered most of the temples in the evening
3.Ulagalanda perumal - in this temple premises itself there are 4 divya desams so u go this temple u can cover all the four easily - the perumal here is very beautiful and gigantic with one leg in the air and other on mahaballi's head .
4.tiruneeragam - inside ulagalanda perumal kovil
5.Tirukkaarakam - inside ulagalanda perumal kovil
6.kaarvannan -inside ulagalanda perumal kovil

7.Parameswara vinnagaram
8.pavalavannar
9.ashtabhuyakaram
10.tiruvellukai - Narashimhar sannidi
11.tirupaadakam - pandava dhootar

we covered the baleance 4 on sunday morning started the journey at 7 and completed all the temples by 11AM
12.tiruppukuzhi - this is about 30 mins from kanchipuram it is situated on the chennai bangalore high road .
13.tirutanka - deepa prakashar / desikar sannidi this is the place where desikar was born . This place has lakshmi hayegrevar known for his educational powers.
14.Tirunilaatingal tundam : this divya desam is present inside the ekambreswarar temple . The aspect I liked about this place is that the vishnu sannidi has an battar who does archana and gives theertam and sadari and u are not forced to visit the ekambreswarar sannidi .the same cannot be said for kamatchi amman temple
15. Tirukkalvanoor : this divya desam is right inside the kamatchi amman's prakaram .it is not easy to locate at first , no officials/security people there have any clue about this sannidi after some 15 min search we found out about this sannidi and was disappointed - no battar to do archana - no theertam no sadari u just have to pray and leave and thats not it all there is only one entrance to the temple and u are forced to see kamatchi amman to see our perumal . Now there is nothing wrong in seeing kamatchi amman and getting her blessings but it should be your choice - u shldnt be forced to do it .

In all it was a very plesant trip and we came back with lot of joy and satisfaction .