MARAVANTHE

Maravanthe is the name of the beach on the west coast of Karnataka a little away from udupi along the village of Trasi.

Stay at the turtle bay resort, we were in the cabana accomadation which can fit just two, but then just a roof for the night, else you can aimlessly wander along the beach shore, or stay lying on the beach gazing the stars (until the watchman closed gates at 11.30 pm). You can still stay around inside the resort premises which has a concrete see through fence watching the sea. They have other rooms as well, which is worth the price for the location of the property.





Take a long early evening walk along the beach from the resort up north which will take you to the highway with backwaters on one side and the sea on the other ..a sight indeed.., quite a number of tea shops dot the road which is usually the pitstop of the lorrymen from across the country to an occasional swanky car owner. sit on the rocks and enjoy you cuppa chai( cup of tea) and biscuits and watch the sun go down. walk back to the resort (carry a torch of course)

(above) Collage of pics taken while on the long walk








(above) along the highway.











info you might need

for the backpacker: direct buses from Bangalore leave to Kundapur (KSRTC, Private as well), from kundapur get another bus to Trasi - enquire with the conductor before you board, usually most of the buses ply empty in this route (note: we were travelling on a weekend off peak) so they oblige to stop. another auto ride from Trasi will take you to the gates of turtle bay resort Call and book in advance.

(pic above) a near empty bus between kundapur and trasi

But the problem would be getting back, as there are no autos near the resort, you need to either walk back in the hot sun or enquire at the reception for a auto or drop.

food at the resort is average, so stick to general fare, the cook keeps changing so at your luck









articles worth a read to get a feel of the place

article in outlook traveller

the resort is called turtle bay because , yes turtles tend to flock the beach to lay their eggs, and this article in DNA on the maravanthe turtles prompted me to post this destination in the first place, so read through







(above) Watch the sea through the abundant casuarina trees that dot the property

Trip date: March 2010

FORT KOCHI - STREETSCAPES

On a sunday afternoon, the streets were totally deserted. this is the road that takes one to the jew street in mattancherry from fort kochi jetty






This is the closet one can get to a feel of european cobble stone streets in india, this jew street leading to the synagogue is filled with antique and curio shops.









one of the numerous brightly colored shops found in the heart of fort kochi, this one is next to the tea pot cafe.






lot of boutique, heritage hotels dot fort kochi. one such was old harbour hotel, the whitewashed walls contrasting the hotel font are a pull to any camera lens.

SUN RISES OVER VARANASI ON A WINTER MORNING

morning sunrises are refreshing just as the sunsets are soothing.
getting up early is an humongous task while on a holiday, but a worthwhile experience. I would rather stay awake until morning light than to sleep to get up.

In the above pic, sun rises over the religious capital of India, Varanasi on a winter morning.

The early morning boat ride is one of the best experiences of Varanasi, One arrives at the ghats early in the morning say 5 to bargain your boat ride. The ride lasts for an hour or more untill you see the sun rise and people thronging the banks for a early morning holy dip. Once the early light creeps in you realise that the whole tourist population are on the river too.

more morning pictures in this post: Varanasi - Authentic India
Trip Date: Jan 2007

FORT KOCHI - CULINARY ADVENTURES

Fort Kochi is a haven of fine restaurants, unique in style and abundant in variety. It is definitely any food connoisseur's destination. This is my first such culinary trip where we went about from one restaurant to another on our hired cycles. depending on the prices, you choose to have either the starter, main course or the dessert. not necessarily in that order.



The beautiful Malabar Junction restaurant in the Malabar house hotel
our main course destination, we had three curries with rice. a lamb, a fish curry and pork vindaloo. thick and absolutely delicious. This one is a must visit

for its laid back ambiance and the food of course.





kashi art cafe also is a must visit for its arty space and some home made pastries.



Brunton Boatyard is the alpha of it all. expensive dishes do come with their signature offerings yet we stuck with the desserts. Do try it for some authentic kerala recipes which it claims to offer.






Tea pot is another must visit for its quirky setting and theme with different tea varieties, very European.







As the name board reads, this place is really old, we were served home made food in the same room where the family dines. Had some delicious roast chicken,

check this out for lunch.



the cheapest destination, masala dosas in udipi style. very India coffee housish



kerala style food after a boat ride.
one handy reckoner was this article in outlook traveler on cochin's culinary delights.

All the restaurants are on fort kochi within a kilometer's radius, You can hire cycles to move around. On the mainland near the boat jetty you will find lot of agents offering countryside boat trips and kerala style meal on the boat package. One should haggle to get a good deal. They usually transport you to the starting point of the boat ride in a 4 wheeler. The package includes a ride through narrow water lanes in a canoe as well as the motor boat ride in the lake.
Trip date: May 2007

REVIVING SUNSET CAFE

Sunset at the Fort Kochi Boat Jetty. This was just after when it had rained, on a sweltering hot May afternoon in Kerala. The next post would be on the culinary experiences we had while here.