Our travel to Italy – The plan

As all my readers will know by now, travel is one of the aspects I and my family are really keen on. We try to do it as much as possible and look for all possible opportunities to travel both within and out of India. A lot of my readers and connections in Facebook have asked me to write a travelogue on our recent Italy trip. However, I think it will be a better idea to do a few posts on it, this is the first of the series.

To begin with, after our last significant tour to Australia in 2014, our idea of the next trip out to Europe was really in 2018. The Australian tour was on a big scale as we took out two weeks for it and also had significant expenses – in the range of 6 lacs for both of us. The plan to do an European tour in 2018 was to celebrate our 25th wedding year. The reason I wanted to advance it in 2017 was that we wanted to get away from the Hyderabad heat in May for some time. Also, while our Australia trip was a great one, 2 weeks at a go is difficult, especially when I am working as a CSO in a company. After we took a fundamental decision to travel in segments of one week, it was easier to think in terms of a holiday outside India every alternate year. My wife was obviously quite pleased with the advancement and we got down to searching for places.

Our first idea was to look at South Africa but there were some difficulties involved in it. This was a place where we wanted to travel with our children and that was tough in 2017, due to their academic and other engagements. Also, both the trip costs as well as the time needed for it were more in the range of 12 days or so. Finally, we were unable to go in March etc as there was a little gap after our Kumarokom vacation in February. Based on all of this and the need to get away in May, we wanted to look at Europe for a week. Over the months of December and January we did extensive search of several tours in order to see which one would be suitable for us.

In terms of Europe, the following aspects were important for us:-

• As we had already seen Amsterdam and Paris we wanted to avoid tours that spent time in these two cities.
• We were good with the idea of Switzerland but here again, we would prefer the children to travel with us.
• Eastern Europe or Spain were good options.
• Italy was another good option.
• We wanted to go with a tour operator this time as we had to cover several cities in the span of a week.

On going through all of the above, it seemed that a trip to Italy covering all the major cities over a week would be a good idea. We searched for such offers from all the reputed tour operators and settled on the Flavours of Italy tour by Kesari. It was covering all the places we wanted to cover – Pompeii, Capri, Vatican City, Rome, Florence, San Gimignano and Venice. The one advantage with Kesari is that they give you an all inclusive cost, so what you spend extra is only on indulgences and shopping. We got a Bonanza offer, similar to an Early bird thing, which came to 2.72 lacs for the two of us. On the flip side all Kesari tours start from Mumbai, so we had to make that arrangement on our own.

Once we decided on the tour and paid the money, the rest of the activities were coordinated very well by Kesari. I am sure a lot of readers might want to go on similar trips , so I will do a separate post on that. It will be right to say that the entire plan went smoothly and in the end we were really happy that we had chosen Kesari.

As far as the experience of the trip goes, for both Lipi and me it was a dream come true to see the places we have read so much about and seen so much in movies and news. We did manage to get away from the Hyderabad heat in a nice manner too.

But more details of our Italy trip in a future post.

How much did our Kumarokom vacation cost?

A question I have had to face several times last week is the title of this post. Ever since I wrote about the vacation in my blog, people have wanted to know more about how they could go there and also how much it had cost me. For the first, I will definitely recommend a vacation in Kumarokom for anyone who is looking for relaxation. As to the costs, let me handle it in this post.

As any experienced traveler will know the costs of a vacation can broadly be divided into the following heads :-

• Transportation to and from destination.
• Accommodation.
• Local conveyance.
• Food.
• Sightseeing and other activities.

In our case, the week long accommodation at the Karma Chakra resort was a bonus week through our Timeshare and it cost us 5750 Rs. Of course, if it was a regular exchange week then the cost would have been in the region of 22000 Rs. In the absence of Timeshare such a property will at least go for 6000 Rs per room night, so be prepared to shell out 42000 Rs if you are planning to stay for a week. Apart from the bonus week fee we also had to pay about 1100 Rs for the luxury tax levied by the state of Kerala.

As far as transportation was concerned, we took the flight to Kochi and back. From the Kochi airport to the resort we had taken a cab. As we bought tickets reasonably early and also used credit card discounts, the ticket prices came to only 8000 Rs. The travel to the resort and back by cab cost 4800 Rs – 2300 for the onward journey, 2500 for the return one.

Local conveyance in Kumarokom was mostly by Autos and we took the bus on one occasion from Kottayam. The Auto drivers are a law unto themselves and even a 1-2 kms ride will cost you 50 Rs easily. Our total expenses on these were not much, maybe in the range of 1000 Rs or so. Travel to the Hyderabad airport and back home was another 1500 Rs.

Food is something which both me and my wife love to indulge in and it was reasonably expensive at the resort though the quality was great. We also dined out a few days at a local restaurant apart from sampling some rather good fare at the nearby bakeries. For the 7 days our overall food costs came close to 9000 Rs.

Sightseeing and activities were mostly a visit to the Bird sanctuary and a house boat ride on the serene Vembanad lake. Overall costs were in the region of 5000 Rs.

So putting it all together the tally will be as below :-

• Accommodation       – 6850 Rs
• Transportation          – 12,800 Rs
• Local conveyance      – 2500 Rs
• Sightseeing                  – 5000 Rs
• Food                                – 9000 Rs

Overall cost of the vacation was therefore 35000 Rs and change. Pretty expensive, by most standards but we had a great time. The costs were real but so was the experience and the memories, quite priceless.                     

Kumarokom – a bliss for the discerning traveler

For an avid traveler like me, the first trip of the year is always an eagerly anticipated one, often setting the tone for the rest of the year. Last year we had been to the Rann of Kutch and this year we have started off with Kumarokom – both in some style !!

Kumarokom is not new to both Lipi and me – we had been there in 2003 for a few days in the KTDC property Waterscapes, adjoining the bird sanctuary. It was a memorable trip then but a trifle rushed and a lot of time has passed since then. Therefore, when our upgrading of the Timeshare entitled us to a bonus week which could be taken in the signature property Karma Chakra, I had no hesitation in making the decision.

A little about Kumarokom and the Vembanad lake will be useful for readers who are not completely aware of it. Kerala is a narrow state with an extensive coastline. In several places the sea water comes inland creating a vast system of canals, more popularly known as the backwaters. There are also lakes pretty much adjacent to the sea and almost leading to it. The charm of the backwaters is that you can navigate these on boats and get a slice of the Kerala village life as the boat sails past the inhabitants engaged in their daily work. These boats come in all shapes and sizes – from the humble rowing boat to the shikara type ones and finally the fully loaded House boats which in the local lingo are called Kettuvalams. These are fully functional house boats which can navigate the lakes and canals. They come with air conditioned bedrooms, proper toilets and great cooking arrangements. These house boats have a lot to do with Kerala being an iconic tourist destination – not to forget the beaches, culture and cuisine of course.

The Vembanad lake is the largest fresh water lake in India, if one does not consider the Chilka lake in Orissa for it’s brackish water. It is a vast water body covering an area greater than 2000 sq kms, stretching in length for 93 Kms between Aleppey and Kochi, with a maximum width of 14 kms. If you see it for the first time, you may well mistake it for the sea – such is the vastness of it’s expanse. Kumarokom is really a village in the Kottayam district and has a lot of resorts now, bordering the lake. The nearest town is Kottayam, a rather bustling place, quite different from the idyllic serenity of Kumarokom.

Ok, enough of an introduction then. Our journey started off on 4th February and the availability of a flight to Kochi made it rather easy. A short flight and a car ride for a couple of hours saw us in the resort by 2 pm in the afternoon. The resort is really built on what used to be a wetland before and is right on the Vembanad lake. All the 24 rooms are on one side ensuring that each room has a lake view. The other side has the Reception, Activity center and the restaurant. The swimming pool is in the middle of it and the whole middle section is on stilts with water being there. You get a feeling that you are crossing bridges when you walk from one side of the resort to the other. In all ways, this is a great property and our room was a very nice one too. It had all the amenities and the crowning glory was definitely the spacious balcony which had a great view of the Vembanad lake – we practically woke up each morning with the mist swirling over the vastness of the lake with the birds flying around and swooping down to get an early start for their food.

The best activity in the resort was definitely the sunset which could be observed sitting under a Gazebo, erected strategically at a perfect place. The lawn next had a swing and a hammock, the swimming pool with the deck chairs just behind and the resident house boat of the resort tied nearby. This along with the variety of birds moving around in the evenings, made this an idyllic activity. We spent all our evenings there and though the final moments of the sunset were often obliterated by the clouds, whatever we did get to view was spectacular nonetheless. At night the resort was also lit up beautifully and the lights coming on as darkness engulfed us slowly was rather magical. On a more prosaic note, the restaurant served quite delectable fare – both local cuisine and also some North Indian varieties.

The resort was good enough to just laze around, lie down in the divan provided in the balcony and catch up with some reading while soaking in the sight of the majestic Vembanad lake. To be sure, we did that awhile and I finished the 2 books I had got for the trip. Even managed to do some work done for my current engagement, courtesy the wifi available, which was rather good. But as travelers who are fairly active, we also got to do a lot of other stuff too.

Lipi has a friend in Kollam and she visited us along with her husband, who is in the army, on the Sunday we were there. It was great to meet them and even better that I got some Beer as a gift – saved me a lot of expensive buying at the resort. We went down to a local restaurant and had some authentic Kerala food – Fish thali, Karimeen fry and Prawns Masala. We also repeated lunch there on our last day – this time trying the Karimeen wrapped in a banana leaf along with some Duck Mapaas.

Ferries are a common mode of transport in Kerala waterways and we went in a local ferry one day. It was quite an experience, what with all kinds of local people clambering on board the ferry in their bikes. As the resort house boat was way too expensive we hired one on our own for 3 hours and 3000 Rs another day. It was a great way to spend time on the Vembanad lake, we nearly went close to Aleppey. Just the number of birds we saw – Egrets, Kingfisher, Cormorants, Snake birds, Storks, Robin and many others made it worthwhile. While you are there the peace and serene tranquility is broken only by the chirpings of the birds. One can also go for an overnight trip but as we had experienced it last time, we did not opt for that.

Some word on transportation – autos are available and are the same as everywhere else in India, inasmuch as they will quote their price which is normally high. We also went in a few buses for short distances and once coming back from Kottayam. The service is fairly good but there is not a word of English written on any of the buses so you really have to find out things for yourself from the conductor or fellow passengers. They were normally helpful though, especially the one who directed us in Kottayam.

We had a good visit to the bird sanctuary one morning and though the birds were not seen in great numbers, the walk through the sanctuary was a good one. We also revisited the KTDC resort Waterscapes after all these years and liked what we saw. There was a bird enclosure with a huge Turkey and some Emus there. The buffet breakfast was rather expensive but good otherwise and our appetite was rendered rather keen after the long walk.

Kottayam was another day visit – we had snacks in the Indian Coffee house, which is pretty ubiquitous in most of Kerala towns and also went to the local mall. It was not a big one but had a pretty good collection of clothing for all types and occasion. We did not spend much time there, it looked quite a bustling place with all the normal stuff.

The days kind of flew by and it was soon time to go. Kochi airport was overcrowded and we started missing Kumarokom even while we were in Kerala !! All vacations have to end sometime but the good thing is you can keep the memories and play them in your mind as much as you want. When life really gets busy, and it will this week itself, I will play the mornings and sunsets of Kumarokom in my mind’s eyes.

It will be an almost guaranteed way of seeking some relaxation and busting stress.

 

Experiences and money – my take

As I am writing this blog post on Monday, sitting in our unit in Karma Chakra at Kumarokom, I cannot but feel somewhat philosophical. I think it partly has to do with the backdrop of the beautiful Vembanad lake which stretches out in a seemingly endless manner and can be viewed really well from our balcony. So instead of the usual investment related post, let me write one on the quality of experiences and whether you need to have a lot of money to spare if you have to undergo these experiences.

Let me start by admitting that some experiences you seek will definitely require a fair amount of money. For example, if you are keen on visiting the Swiss Alps or the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, you will need a certain amount of money to get there. If you do not have that amount then you simply cannot do it and need to accept the same. However, even here the kind of experience you seek will define the quantity of money you need to have to go through it. So you could go to Australia with 2 lacs or do the same thing for a much higher price.

The concept that we must understand here is what you consider to be the core of the experience versus the peripheral frills. It is much like the cake and the icing concept – the icing looks attractive, tastes good and enhances the whole experience of having the cake BUT it does not really decide the quality of the cake. The core of your experience is like the cake itself, the associated frills are akin to the icing. So it really boils down to the kind of person you are and what are you temperamentally suited to. Is the movie important to you or do you want to lie down in a sofa while seeing the movie?

Let me explain with an example that happened just today morning and led me to think about writing this post. Many of you will know that the backwaters of Kerala and the Vembanad lake is famous for the different kinds of boats that ply through them. You have simple rowing boats, ferries and also the large house boats that come with all kinds of comforts and trappings from air conditioned bedrooms to authentic Kerala cuisine which is prepared in the boat while you relax. Now, if you have not been to one of these Rice boats or Kettuvalams, I will recommend you do it once in your life. It is an unique experience and will stay with you life long. In one of our visits to Kerala earlier, we had taken one such boat from Aleppey and enjoyed our overnight stay immensely. This was about 15 years back and it had cost 5000 Rs then – expensive but entirely worthwhile. Note that in this case, the experience we were seeking as a family was being in the House boat and having an authentic Kerala backwater experience. Here the House boat was very much part of the cake itself and not the icing.

Cut to the present – Lipi and I are visiting Kumarokom after a long time and our resort is right on the Vembanad lake. The location of the resort is breathtaking and you can have your fill of the Vembanad lake, including the surreal sunsets and bird watching. Now this resort has a House boat of it’s own which they rent out to the guests, either for overnight or for a 5 hour lunch cruise. The cost of the first is 17,500 Rs and the second is 9000 Rs. It is a happy situation that we can afford to spend the money, but should we? Going by the cake analogy, what is the cake here? For me it was clearly to experience the Vembanad lake and getting closer to the birds to watch their hunting of fish. Yes, it could be done very comfortably from the house boat, but the rest of the facilities there were really an icing.

We chose to visit a local boat jetty reasonably nearby where there were ferries plying from Kumarokom to Muhamma. It was a great slice of local life, with people driving onto the ferry in their bikes and getting to see the regular inhabitants of Kumarokom. The ferry transported us from one end of the lake to the other in about 45 minutes on way. Through the whole journey we got a great view of the Vembanad lake, got to see the water birds at really close quarters and I can vouch that the experience I was seeking was fully met by my criteria – luxury was of course nor one of them and neither was it available. Note that the core requirement had changed from our earlier backwater cruise as I had already experienced it once before. The cost here was obviously a trivial one – tickets were only 10 Rs each on the ferry and we ate at a local bakery close to the jetty for 200 Rs.

So next time you are looking at an experience, separate the core from the extraneous. If you can afford designer holidays and want them then go for it by all means. However, if you love travelling do not deny yourself just because you cannot do it in style. You really do not need an upscale seaside resort to enjoy the views of the sea, nor do you need a private beach to enjoy swimming there. I think many of us are unable to separate the cake from the icing, so I will give you some examples here :-

• If you like reading, become a member of a library. Do not give up reading just because you cannot buy all the books you want to read.
• If you want to visit a place but cannot afford the rates in peak season or in the popular resorts, check out home stays and other less expensive hotels.
• In case you cannot afford the local cuisine in a 5 star joint, check out the local eateries for the same – many of these will be as varied and taste good too.

Coming back to this trip and separating the cake from the icing, I will conclude with how I have looked at it :-

• Our stay at Karma Chakra is really the cake – we wanted to stay in a comfortable place and have planned for it over the years through our Timeshare investment.
• Our travel to Kochi by air was also the cake – read my post on air travel to understand more on this.
• Experiencing Vembanad lake is the cake and doing so by house boat is the icing.
• Experiencing good food is the cake – we went to a local hotel yesterday with some friends where the local food quality was superb. It was not really inexpensive but clearly lacked the frills of a high class restaurant. Our resort has one such eating place and we are happy to eat there as well.

The point is have both the cake and the icing as your experience if you can afford it. But too often in life, we ignore the cake because we cannot get one with an attractive icing. Maximise the number and quality of your experiences within your means and you will be leading a much more meaningful and happier life.

Travel by air can be a smart option

I have always been fond of travel whether it is for business or for pleasure. A visit to new places within India and outside it is always an exciting event for me. Fortunately this interest is shared by my wife and our children too as they have been to several places over the years.

When I was younger and traveling alone, it hardly mattered as to how I did so. Normally train and specifically the AC 2 Tier coaches would be the medium. As the family grew and time became a premium courtesy my demanding corporate job, I had to look into air travel within India. If one went by air it was possible to take a break even with a 3-4 day time window. Part of it was of course lifestyle creep too, as it was way easier to get my wife to go on such short trips if we were going by air. With the options being more today and there being the probability of tickets being reasonably priced, this makes sense in many ways.

I have a very simple way to decide as to whether we should go by train or air. In case the journey can be done by an overnight train, typically in less than 10 -12 hours, I prefer to take the train. The romance of train journeys has stayed with me since childhood but  even though the spirit is willing, the flesh is definitely weak as far as longer journeys are concerned. So, if I am going on a personal vacation I am quite happy to take the train between Hyderabad and Chennai or Bangalore or Pune. Of course, if I were going on business I would go by air. On the other hand travel to Kolkata or Delhi or Mumbai from my city Hyderabad would always be done by air.

As many frequent travelers will know, the price of air tickets vary greatly depending on the time you buy them. In general, the earlier you buy the better are the chances of getting a good price. However, if you are planning to go around the school holidays or some festival or a long weekend, the prices will normally be always high. The second element is waiting for an airline sale etc and taking advantage of the cashback and discounts that some credit and debit cards offer. If you plan early and take these into account by using the mobile apps from different travel sites, you can get a rather good deal.

Let me give some examples of the air ticket purchases I have done this year, so that the readers can get the point easily:-

• We are leaving for Kumarokom tomorrow for a week’s vacation. I wanted to book an air ticket as trains were few and the journey time exceeded my benchmark.
  •  I looked at a few sites and decided on Make My Trip site. It had reasonable prices and good options though it charges convenience fees of 175 per ticket.
  • However with the MMT site Citibank was running a cashback offer of 1200 Rs which I utilized along with some MMT points.
  • The overall price after the cashback came to about 8000 Rs, which was not much higher than the AC 2 tier fare.

• I also booked air ticket for my son as he wanted to come in mid semester for a couple of days. While there is a train and regular Volvo buses between Goa and Hyderabad, those were not convenient for a 2 day trip.
  • As the overall price was coming to less than 5000 Rs the ICICI or CITI cashback was not working for this ticket.
  • I booked with Ease My Trip as that is a site which does not charge convenience fees for booking tickets.
  • A round trip ticket came to about 4000 Rs, which is only about 20 % more than an AC 2 Tier round trip ticket.

• The third trip is to Kolkata in October. We have not been there for a long time during Durga Pujas and wanted to do so this year.
  • In this case the tickets were priced at levels where it made sense to break up the purchases in order to maximize the cashback.
  • For the onward journey I used ICICI debit card in the MMT application. Despite the convenience fee the 1500 cashback was worth it.
  • For the return journey, I used the same MMT application with my CITI credit card. The cashback available was 1200 Rs.
  • The overall price of the trip came to about 12000 which is the least I have paid in  years.

Note that these were normally booked without an ongoing sale etc. My experience in that has not been too encouraging and these eventual prices were pretty good. If you are of the opinion that air prices are much higher than train prices think again. With air prices in a competitive situation and train fares increasing greatly in the last 2-3 years, it makes much more sense to look at air travel than ever before.

Of course, traveling by air at short notice is a terrible idea as the prices are astronomical. This is not something which you should ever look to do.

In the tiger’s lair at Kanha

Having finished the Bhopal leg of our trip, Lipi and I boarded the Indore Jabalpur Express from Bhopal junction. The train journey was a rather short one and it reached Jabalpur at an unearthly hour of around 5:15 AM – I am used to waking up early but Lipi was quite game too this time around !! Fortunately, our driver organized by the tour operator was there waiting for us and we started off from Jabalpur station at around 6:30 AM. The interim period was spent in trying to charge our mobile phones but both of them as well as the two batteries we had seemed to take ages in getting charged.

Our plan was to go via Beraghat and Dhuadar falls to Kanha and both these places were quite deserted early in the morning. At Beraghat we managed to get a boat for ourselves and, even though the boat crew overcharged us to some extent, the experience of rowing through the Marble rocks early in the morning was a mesmeric one. During your travels you always yearn for something unique and the Marble rocks are as unique as they come. The experience of the morning mist slowly rising from the water, the Sun’s rays trying to break through the clouds and the rhythmic movement of the boat through the water flanked by the magnificent Marble rocks of different hues, was almost surreal. Even though I have traveled quite widely within and outside India, this was to be cherished.

Dhuadar falls on the Narmada river is a waterfall worth seeing. The spray from the falling water as it crashes into the gorge creates a mist like ambiance and you can feel it all over. The waterfalls can be viewed close up or from a rope way. As we were early that day we missed the rope way but came back later on with our cousin. After spending a while at the falls we were again on our way to Kanha. The road was initially bad due to a 4 lane construction effort but it got better after a while. Our luck in terms of charging our devices or in getting some 100 Re notes as change remained bad.

We reached our resort (Wild Chalet Resort) around 1:00 PM and were very impressed with both the layout and the construction of the resort. The resort has a river running behind it and like all Eco resorts it has integrated the construction with the local terrain and vegetation. Our unit was quite large and well appointed, overlooking the river and even having a private hammock hanging right outside the verandah to boot !! Not having any safaris scheduled for that day, we spent the day at leisure and sampled the food at the resort which was homely but very well cooked. There was a Tribal dance performance in the evening which was quite riveting both for the vigorous drum beats accompanying the music and the swaying rhythm of the dancers. The resort does not have any TV and this adds to the relaxed atmosphere in a big way. 

Next day was dedicated to the safaris, we were doing both the morning and the evening one. After some early morning tea we set off to the Khatia gate for completing the required formalities before starting the Safari at 6 AM. The open jeep was pretty cold due to the biting wind and thankfully, the driver had provided us a couple of blankets to huddle into. Being in the southern part of the country for the past 18 years, we are simply not used to that level of temperature or winds any more. Anyway, adaptability is the key ingredient for successful travel so we just braced up for it, with the view that the sighting of a tiger will make all of this worthwhile.

Those hopes were unfortunately belied in the morning Safari. We did see a lot of tiger pug marks and the Guide seemed confident of spotting one but, despite a lot of chasing around, it just did not happen. We had to be content with seeing a lot of Deer, some Jackals, a herd of Bison from a distance and a few Peacocks and other birds. In the end we consumed the packed breakfast from the hotel and felt rather deflated about the fact that the returns had just not matched the investment we had committed to. Fortunately when you are a frequent traveler you are able to take such disappointments in your stride and after a quick lunch at the resort, we were again ready to take on the Jungle.

A few words about Kanha will not be amiss. It is the largest sanctuary with a total area of about 2000 Sq Kms including the buffer zone. Even the Core area of the jungle is impressive at 940 Sq Kms. The tiger population is nearly 100 there and there are Leopards, all kinds of Deer, Hyenah, Jackal, Bison, monkeys and a whole variety of birds with Peacocks having pride of place. The sanctuary is divided into six Zones and traffic is regulated so that there is no overcrowding. In the morning we had been to the Kanha Zone, where tiger sightings are quite commonplace. Our afternoon safari zone was Kisli where the frequency of sightings are lower. This being the case we were tempered in our optimism of being able to spot one.

The afternoon safari was an improvement in many ways. The Sun was shining and this allowed for great visibility. More animals were out in the open and we saw all the ones we had seen in the morning, some at really close quarters such as a couple of Nilgais and Barasinghas. The real deal was sighting of a Bison right next to our Jeep. It paid scant attention to us and went on munching some leaves. From close up one could see that is is a magnificent animal. The black muscular frame, the curved colorful horn and the white feet were all a sight to behold. After seeing the Bison we were feeling a little less let down at not viewing the tiger.

Throughout the afternoon safari our Guide was listening to the chatter of the monkey, studying pug marks and taking us over several tracks in the hope of spotting a tiger. His efforts and our ardent desires got rewarded at long last, just when we had almost given up on it as a lost cause. We could finally see a tigress making it’s way through the jungle. The sighting was not absolutely clear due to the trees but we could see it for long enough. As they say, when it rains it pours – we were soon seeing another tiger crossing the road and going to the other side of the forest. By then it was nearly dark and we had to end the safari. Overall, it was a thrilling experience, what with the adrenaline pumping anticipation of seeing a tiger as well as the eventual excitement of spotting not one but two of them within half an hour. All was well as it ended well !!

After such excitement the rest of our stay in Kanha was rather uneventful. We checked out around 10 AM next day after having an elaborate breakfast of Aloo Paratha and Masala Omlette. On our way to Jabalpur we were lucky to get one SBI branch where you could withdraw money through a micro ATM, which was good as we had almost completely run out of 100 Re notes by then. Our tour operator MP Go Wild tours and the manager Rajesh had arranged the Kanha trip very well and it was a very satisfying experience. We could enjoy our travel without having to worry about anything administrative. Check him out if you are planning for any of the wild life sanctuaries in MP.

Jabalpur was rather fun as we got to meet my cousins ( both Doctors)  and their families at long last. Two days flew by with good food, great liquor and even greater company.We visited the Dhuadar falls once more, this time using the rope way and got a 360 degree view of the falls. Also looked at the Balancing rock which has stayed in the same place for centuries apparently. 

Finally it was time to get back to Hyderabad on Thursday. The drive to Jabalpur airport was a nice one and soon we were about the ATR aircraft of Air India. This was a trip planned rather well and there were several worthwhile experiences and memories. If any of you want to check out some pictures go to my Facebook page and read the posts I had during the travel.

We will of course be back in MP soon, there is so much to see in it that I can easily visualize at least another 3 or more trips that we will need. For now though, the memories of our recent trip are fresh in our mind’s eye and will sustain us till we travel next.

 

A vacation in the heart of India

While travel within India and outside it is my primary passion, what with one thing and another, I have never been to MP as much as I would have liked to. Of course, we went for our honeymoon to Panchmarhi and visited Gwalior and Shivpuri later on, but for a vast state like MP that is too little. I had been several times to Bhopal for work and like the city. In 2014 when I took my son there for his SSB interview, I could see that the city had changed a lot and wanted to spend some time there.

With the children in college and my current work as a Consultant, it is easier for me to plan travel now compared to earlier times. I looked at clubbing it with our anniversary, it was kind of romantic to go back to the same place where we had gone during our honeymoon 🙂 I looked at 3 days in Bhopal, a couple of days in Kanha and finally two days in Jabalpur where we have some first cousins who we had not met for long.

The planning part was reasonably easy – train tickets to Bhopal and Jabalpur and flight tickets from Jabalpur were booked online. We booked the hotels in Bhopal and Jabalpur through GoIbibo and Kanha travel was booked through an agent. We had some issues in getting cash for the trip, especially the 100 Re notes. A couple of days to various banks and numerous ATM’s enabled us to get about 20000 out of which 6000 was in 100 Re notes.

So with all of this done, we set out on 23rd evening to Bhopal by AP Sampark Kranti express. Fortunately, our tickets in AC 2 Tier had got confirmed finally which caused a major mood improvement of Lipi !! The train journey was quite comfortable and after checking in to the hotel next morning, we set off to Bhojpur and Bhimbetka. The Shiv temple in Bhojpur is definitely worth a visit if you are either religious or are interested in heritage. It has the largest Shiva Lingam in India and there are a large number of people there for daily worship. I was very impressed with the plans of the temple which were drawn on stones near to the temple. To think that 1000 years back, Engineering feats were planned and executed meticulously was definitely awe inspiring.

The rock shelters of Bhimbetka were definitely out of this world. To merely think that there were people inhabiting the place 50000 years and more back and they drew pictures on the same rocks we were seeing now will fill you with wonder. The site is very well kept by MP tourism and the Guide we had was quite knowledgeable as well as articulate. In the evening we went to the Upper lake or Badi Talab, which is the center of all evening activities in Bhopal. The lake is beautiful with a lot of food joints around as well as all kinds of boating options. The speed boat we chose was a rather thrilling ride and the setting sun formed the perfect backdrop to the experience. We had some chaat at the local eatery, followed it up by a rather sumptuous dinner of seekh kabab and Chicken at a joint close to our hotel before calling it a day.

The next day started well with another elaborate breakfast comprising Aloo and Gobi parathas. After that we set out to do some local places in Bhopal, taking an auto this time. Birla mandir was the first stop, quite a serene place with very nice views of the surrounding. Museum of Man or Manav Sangrahalaya was very impressive. You will get to learn a whole lot about evolution of mankind as well as get a fantastic overview of how our tribes live their lives. My own knowledge in this area has benefited immensely through the time we spent there. The good thing is that the whole experience is fun rather than dry and pedantic as many older Indian museums normally are. The open air models of the dwellings of tribal people from different parts of India are worth a mention. After this we had brief stops at the Nawab’s palace which was in a rather decrepit state and the Taj Ul Masjid which was quite majestic.

In the evening we first went to a famous local sweet shop named Manohar. It was good to see that the shop was doing bustling business despite all issues of cash availability. After that we went to visit an old school mate of mine, who has been working in BHEL Bhopal throughout. Booking an Uber cab in Bhopal was fortunately easy and it saved us from spending more of our already depleting cash reserves. Till now we had only been able to spend the 100 Re notes and only a few were left. Meeting Aniruddha and his family was a great feeling – it was almost as if the years had just not been there as we could catch up on memories of long back. We also got a lot of inputs from him and his wife Kaberi about MP and what all we need to see there. We had a sumptuous dinner again, which Kaberi had managed to rustle up at a rather short notice. Aniruddha dropped us back at the hotel and we turned in soon – next day was going to be a long one.

The next day was our anniversary and we started off to Sanchi after checking out early. The road to Sanchi was a good one and we made good time. Unfortunately, there was a fair going on close to the stupa site and the police had stopped the entry of cars on that road. This resulted in us having to walk about 2 Kms, part of which was uphill. Not a great prospect with the mid morning heat, but there was really no alternative. The sight of the stupas made all of it more than worthwhile though. “Majestic” is a word used rather commonly today but the structures here can definitely be termed that. The structures are good viewing as are the views of the surrounding areas.

Out of Sanchi we went on to the Udayagiri caves, not to be confused with the ones in Orissa. These caves were built during the Gupta times and has great value aesthetically and culturally. These caves are difficult to get to and seeing them completely involves a fair climb which needs a decent level of physical fitness. However, once you see the sculpture of the Varaha Avtaar of Vishnu, you will probably feel all the effort is well worth it.

Back from Udayagiri we went to see a Jain temple near Bhojpur, notable for the 22 feet statue in black. Further on we visited the MP Tribal Museum. This one focuses on the life and culture of the indigenous tribes of MP and is being developed on a rather grand scale. We were very impressed with the level of efforts made to get the authentic look and feel of how the tribes carry out their lives.

Final stop before boarding the train to Jabalpur was the Jehan Numa palace hotel. I had been to this hotel many times in the past when I visited Bhopal frequently. Lipi and I had also spent a day here when we were on our way to Panchmarhi through Bhopal during our honeymoon, way back in 1993. In many ways we both had a sense of deja vu visiting the coffee shop there. The chicken sandwiches and drinks we had were obviously far more expensive now but the hotel has retained the great quality over time.

If MP is the heart of India then Bhopal is probably the heart of MP. Our trip to this city was a great experience and we went on to Jabalpur that night. More on it in the next post, this one has already got way too long.

 

My experiences of owning a Timeshare

I have got a lot of feedback on my last post where I have suggested that for people loving travel and vacations, a Timeshare is indeed a good investment. This is really a lifestyle and experience issue and cannot be viewed solely though the prism of financial calculations. Yes, it is quite expensive and one can get a holiday in a fairly good hotel at the price you will be paying for it today. However, there is much more to it and I think it will be useful for readers to know about my experiences to understand about it.

Let me start with the circumstances in which I bought my Timeshare unit. This was in 1996 November when we lived in Noida. An invitation from the Royal Goan Beach Club ( RGBC ) had taken Lipi and me to attend their presentation. It was early days of Timeshare in India and we knew quite less about it. Though the hard sell element was present in the efforts of RGBC, it seemed to me that there were some good points in what they were proposing. In summary the deal and the associated benefits were as follows:-

• 1.1 lacs for a Studio unit in their new unit Haathi Mahal in Goa. This was in the White season. A welcome week in Goa to another of their resorts were part of the deal.
• AMC to be paid every year. 
• RCI membership for the first year was free and had to be paid for after that.
• The week could be exchanged well within RCI as it had reasonably high trading power, being in Goa and the White season.
• The lease of the week was for 99 years, which enabled it to be used by later generations too.

Now at that time the amount of 1.1 lacs was quite high and one could argue that keeping it in a FD will give you 12000 per year which could be used for your vacations. However, the prospect of a defined vacation every year, at a place of our choosing, seemed rather attractive and we went for it. As we were able to pay off the amount in cash and credit card, the final amount was discounted to 96000 Rs.

We went for our first welcome week to Goa in March 1997 and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. The studio apartment had cooking arrangements and this helped with Rinki being only 2 years then. Starting from 1999 till this year we have taken a vacation every year. A few of these have been to Goa but they have mostly been to other places in India through RCI exchanges. We have been to places such as Coorg, Ooty, Munnar, Manali, Jodhpur, Khandala, Puri, Bhimtal, Kumbhalgarh, Mussoorie, Shimla over the years. In the past couple of years it has been just Lipi and me but till the children went off to college it was always the four of us. We needed to upgrade to a 1 bedroom apartment in those years.

It will be apt to say that all such vacations were a source of joy then and remain great memories even today. We did go for other trips too but a one week vacation in a nice resort where you can both relax and be active in anything you like is a different experience, from the short and hurried trips where you are always short of time. Also, contrary to many Timeshare horror stories I read about, my experiences with both RCI and RGBC have been quite positive. Yes, they do charge a great deal of money but their service standards are excellent and the dealings quite professional.

With the children out of home now, Lipi and I have plans to visit more places outside India. RGBC has Karma resorts in Thailand, Bali, Greece and Australia all of which are great vacation choices. Of course, through RCI we will be able to have a much wider choice too. Assuming we will not be keen to travel a lot after the next 10 years or so the children can continue to use it, pretty much over their lifetime. 

The bottom line – I think the investment in Timeshare has been a great personal investment for me and my family. The experiences have enriched our lives immensely ans it has clearly been something that cannot be measured with money.

Timeshare – the pros and cons

There are very few products which cause as much debate as Timeshare – maybe in the financial products world you can find an analogy with ULIP or LIC policies !! Let me try to describe in this post what Timeshare is and whether it is an investment that is worth considering. Before starting off let me state upfront that this will potentially be of use to people who are fond of travel and want to holiday at least 1-2 weeks in a year.

The basic concept of Timeshare is simple – a company builds a resort with different types of unit sizes and sells it to the public at large, normally in a minimum lot of 1 week. There is an initial price you pay depending on the unit size and the season of your week. Typical unit sizes are Studio, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom. The seasons are Red, White and Blue in the decreasing order of popularity. The price will obviously be the highest for a 2BR unit week in the Red season etc. When you buy the Timeshare week, it entitles you to using that week for a period of time in the future, normally 25 years or 33 years.

Apart from the one time costs, there is a annual maintenance charge that you will need to pay for the entire duration of the agreement. For a top end Timeshare company such as Mahindra or Karma Resorts, a studio apartment in the Red week can cost as much as 5 lacs plus along with an AMC of about 20000 per year. That will seem like a whole lot of money and rightly so. Let us see what you get in return.

• You can use your week at your home resort every year. This can be in the week you own or some other week which is available.
• If your company has other resorts in the country or outside it then you will be able to use your week in those too, subject to availability.
• It is possible to exchange your week for going to a resort not owned by your company. This can be done by becoming a member of RCI and paying some exchange fee. So you may own a week in Mahindra Manali and may be able to exchange it through RCI for a resort in Canada or Australia. There are RCI fees and exchange fees for foreign resorts are about 9500 but on the whole, it opens up the whole world for you.
• The quality of the resorts from good companies are top notch. These are 4 or 5 star properties and spending a week with your family there will be worthwhile. The units normally have cooking arrangements so it is possible to economize a bit on eating out during the period of your vacation.
• Note that this is very different from the normal travel we do which is 2-3 days at one place and spent largely on sight seeing. 
• The very nature of Timeshare ensures you need to plan ahead – this is helpful in creating your own plans and the family can look forward to the vacations with a sense of excitement.
• You need not go every year and can club two weeks if you want to take a longer holiday but in a more infrequent fashion.
• In case you prefer shorter holidays it is possible to opt for RCI points, where you can choose the number of days and exchange accordingly.

So what are the cons apart from the obvious expense issue? Well, for one this is only suited to people and families who are keen on vacations in a regular manner. If you do not enjoy travel then this is likely to prove not very useful for you. Also, if you want to view things through the financial prism always, then you will find this to be expensive. A back of the envelope calculation will show the following:-

• 500000 a year can earn about 35000 in conservative instruments.
• With AMC, RCI and exchange fees you are spending another 35000 a year.
• In today’s rates even the best resorts in India can be hired for a week at cheaper rates. However, this may well change quite soon.

The point however is flexibility that you get with these memberships. For example, you can get a bonus week in Bali for a 2 Bedroom unit at 20000. Just imagine the cost of a 6 member family going for a week there. There are other benefits such as cruise vacations which turn out to be a lot cheaper than it would otherwise.

At the end of the day it is not a financial issue but a lifestyle issue. The benefit of a high end vacation, year after year, when your family has growing children cannot be overstated. They will have a great time with Games, swimming pool and other activities. We found it quite safe to leave them in the resorts when they were a little grown up.

Will I recommend a Timeshare from a good company – absolutely. I do not think their can be a better investment for your travel and lifestyle needs.

 

The magic of Matheran

Summer has indeed started early for India this year and Hyderabad has been badly affected by it. The temperatures soared in March itself, forcing us to switch on the AC more often than not, which was quite unprecedented. April started in a worse note and we really needed a break. A long vacation in North India was out of the question as our daughter Rinki was waiting for her B School admission results. We therefore needed a quick getaway in southern or western India and Matheran was an appropriate choice.

Though I had never been to Matheran, Lipi and I had always wanted to visit it. The basic premise of an ecologically protected forest area where vehicles were not allowed had it’s own share of romanticism and excitement in equal measure. However, the planning proved to be a little difficult as one has to travel to Neral from Pune and then onward to Matheran. As an experienced traveler, I found out the best mode possible, in the absence of confirmed bookings in trains. We first booked a return journey from Karjat on the day when tickets were available in 2nd AC by Hyderabad express. The going part was easier as Shatabdi from Hyderabad to Pune is usually not full. The Westend hotel in Matheran seemed good for a 3 day package inclusive of food which we booked.

To cut a long story short on the travel – we went by Shatabdi express to Pune, spent the night in the retiring rooms there, took Sahaydri express early morning to reach Neral and then took a taxi to Dasturi Naka as the toy train ticket line was daunting. Once at Dasturi Naka, the choices were to ride a horse, go by a hand carted rickshaw or walking. We chose the latter option and it was quite rewarding , both for the views that we could watch in a leisurely manner as well as the interesting trek along the railway line. One surprising thing about Matheran is that one should really not call it a hill station.It is only at an elevation of 800 meters and the day time temperatures were in the mid thirties for all the days we were there. But then Matheran is unique in many ways as we found out to our delight, during our stay of 4 days there.

In simple terms Matheran is a small settlement with a main street having pretty much everything from the Railway station, markets, hotels, travel arrangements etc. Apart from this you have several treks which lead to the ubiquitous viewpoints here. From reliable sources you have about 38 of these points and you should definitely see the better known ones, which are probably a dozen in number. Your mode of transport can be horses that will take you quite close to the points, hand carted rickshaws with one person pulling and the other pushing or restraining it on a downhill slope or walking. I recommend you try all 3 when you are there but my favorite mode was walking.

Before that though, a word about the hotel where we stayed. Westend hotel is a very nice one with well appointed rooms, a small swimming pool, pretty good housekeeping and great food options by the pool side. The dining area also happens to overlook the surrounding forest area and the fenced off sylvan background adds to the general ambiance of the place. The day we arrived was a Sunday and there was a fair bit of crowd, I suppose mainly from Mumbai. For the other days though, we pretty much had the hotel to ourselves and it was a very peaceful feeling. The hotel was a tad expensive but it was money well spent.

Peace is something you will find in abundance when you are in Matheran. The absence of vehicles make a huge difference and you are suddenly transported to an era 100 years back when there were no motorized vehicles. As a reminder of that age, you will see an abundance of horses here. They come in all shapes and colors and are generally quite healthy – I suppose the vigorous exercise that they have regularly is the secret. The railway station is one of the major activity hubs here, there are trains to Neral taking about 2 hours and also a shorter ride to Aman Lodge which is close to Dasturi Naka. As we did not have the chance to take the train on our arrival, Lipi and I took a ride to Aman lodge and back on one of the days. It is a great feeling as the train chugs along fairly deep woods, the longer ride may be well worth it some other time.

Matheran is the ideal place to relax as even when you are seeing the points you are not rushed. The walking or riding a horse are done at a leisurely pace and the rickshaw, though a somewhat more hectic mode as compared to the other two, only travels for short distances before letting you get off and see things at your pace. Though the day time temperatures are high, the dense woods with the taller trees forming some sort of a canopy ensures that you are shielded from the effects of the direct rays of the sun as you walk. The chirping of the birds in the early morning or late afternoon is a constant reminder as to how different the place is compared to where we usually reside. The views of the hills and the valleys are downright spectacular and quite unique in our country. The hill sides are normally having rocks that have multiple colors, I have not witnessed so many shades of brown and black in my life before. Almost any point is worth seeing but some of the ones definitely not be missed are Sunset point, Alexander point, Louisa point, Monkey point, Charlotte lake and Celia point.

The best thing about Matheran though is you really do not need to do much. While the points are worth viewing, it is really how you can relax there that makes it unique. There are a whole lot of places where you can get a good drink and the flavors are simply mind boggling. Sipping one of those drinks and watching the views from a point, can make you forget that you have to get back to normal life soon. It is a place where you can be quite alone with your thoughts and combine it with long walks in the woods. Robert Frost had said, “The woods are lovely, dark and deep”, and he might well have been speaking of Matheran. I am very regular with my morning walk and have done it in many places in India and outside. However, Matheran is easily the best place in my book for a morning walk, or for that matter a walk at any point of time during the day.

As it typically happens in a great holiday, the return from it was quite abrupt. We were soon waiting for Hyderabad express in Karjat station, where it was very hot. Fortunately once we were in the train the AC worked well. We also reached Hyderabad early morning and learnt that there have been some rains of late, hopefully that will bring down the temperature by next week.

To sum up, Lipi and I had a great holiday in Matheran – it had everything from nature walks, good accommodation, unique transport modes, delectable food and the luxury of doing things at our own pace. As I said before, Matheran is really not a hill station, but it is definitely a place with a fair bit of magic. You will find it enchanting and want to come back for more in future. We definitely want to do so in the coming years.