Farewell to India. Monsoon started today! Half hour in the car to the airport then the long journey home. May 17th Departed Travancore Heritage at 09:30 local time Arrived Trivandrum International Airport 09:45 Departed Trivandrum International Airport 12:15 local time to Delhi with Indigo air, 3 hour flight Arrived Delhi 15:20. Layover in Delhi 3 hours Departed Delhi at 19:35 on Japan Airlines flight on a 789 Dreamliner to Narita International, Tokyo a 7 3/4 hour flight May 18 Arrived Tokyo at 06:50 local time – deserted airport! 4 1/2 hour layover Departed Tokyo 11:10 on Japan Airlines flight to… Read Article →
Lazy last day in India at the so called resort! This is what we wrote for Trip Advisor This was the last stop on our 2 month bucket list lifetime trip, and we were looking forward to a day or so in a luxury spa retreat. (This is what we had been led to believe). Felt more than a little disappointed. Perhaps 30 years ago it would have been fabulous. Lush landscaping, beautiful grounds, big rooms and balconies/patios in Beach complex. There are also Cottages – bathroom is ensuite, sort of, but semi outside. Think… Read Article →
Mr. Roy picked us up at the Ramada and off we went to Kovalam, the last resort! True in more ways then one. The drive was the best part of five hours but only about 100 miles. Town after town, wedding after wedding, it was a Sunday and with a third of the south India population being Christian, the churches were jammin’! The other two thirds are either Hindu or Muslim. Arrived at the supposed luxury Travencore Heritage Resort. Heritage in India seems to mean old and charming with beautiful scenery and landscaping, lousy plumbing… Read Article →
We woke up around seven got ready and ventured out on the upper deck for tea and coffee, followed by breakfast as we motored along the water ways. We stopped for a walk through one of the villages, disembarking by a historic church, which according to the sign was built in 427. The one we saw was not the original but there is still one on that spot and in use today. We decided not to spend a second night on the boat and booked ourselves into the Ramada overlooking one of the bays. Had a lovely… Read Article →
Had a decent breakfast and loaded up Mr. Roy’s car for the nauseating 4 plus hour drive through villages and hills to Alleppey and to our houseboat, Xandari Riverscapes for a cruise of the Kerala Backwaters. (which comprises some 900km of waterways!). Three crew comprising a chef, captain, and an everything else! Everyone was charming and the scenery just delightful. It was a boat for one couple only, with a cabin, dining area, lower deck and upper deck. Cabin did smell of petrol and mildew, the AC minimal and the bathroom wasn’t great. We were… Read Article →
Up before the monkeys this morning and off for a boat ride on the lake in the Periyar National Park. Having read Trip Advisor’s readers reviews, a little too late, we didn’t actually see any wildlife of real interest. So much for the tigers and elephants, just some otters, a bison, and a few wild boar in the distance. The scenery was beautiful, but really not worth the 5 hour nausea making drive up and down mountains to get here, and the anticipation of the same back tomorrow. Yes, the views en route were marvelous,… Read Article →
Nothing much to report as the day was spent in Mr. Roy’s car zig zagging our way up and down mountains to the next destination for five hours. Landscape is lush and green, mountains with coffee, tea and spice plantations, soil is orange clay and in the thunderstorm looks like a tan coloured river gushing down the hillsides!
Met our guide Bijou and driver Mr. Roy at 9.30 and drove back over to Fort Cochin. The hotel is on Willington Island, a man made island, constructed by the British in the 1930’s for the Navy. It is 1200 hectares and took 14 years to build. It is now a big naval base and active port mainly exporting spices, tea and coffee and importing oil from the Gulf. Cochin is one of the oldest cities in India, and was occupied by the Portugese in 1503, in fact Vasco de Gama was buried in the St. Francis Church,… Read Article →
Easy day with no structured itinerary. Got a tuk tuk to the ferry and then caught the local ferry boat to Fort Cochin, which cost 20 INR (30 cents) for the Tuk Tuk and 8 (12 cents) for the ferry – for both of us! Strolled around the old city, followed the coast road and explored. Very old Key West, plus tons of garbage. Lots of parks, Dutch Colonial architecture, it’s out of season, so not very busy. Hot and humid Florida weather. Lunched in a little local restaurant, we sat down and the young man rushed out… Read Article →
Woke up and got ready to start the day went for breakfast in the hotel at 7.30pm only to find that it was not ready. We sat waiting for the staff to finish preparing but they were not ready until 8am. We complained but it fell on deaf ears, the staff just continued to say they will check on it. We met our driver and newest guide and proceeded to what was supposed to be a four hour train ride through the country side, “travels through 208 curves, 16 tunnels, and across 250 bridges. The uphill journey takes around… Read Article →