lounge AROUNDAmerican Express' new Platinum Lounge at Delhi's Indira Gandhi Intl Airport offers personalised service, a-la-carte menu & wi-fi access Neha Dewan |
Sunday, December 6, 2009
It’s simply a privilege for travellers
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
SIP & SEE
A wine train is a great way to taste and travel without getting tired. Why don't we have one in India too?
THIS is both a holiday suggestion and a hope! While channel surfing earlier this week, I chanced upon a rather nifty documentary on the 'Wine Train' — a ride through the vineladen valleys of Napa in California. The carriages looked like a cross between the Orient Express and a modern first class bogey and the kitchens appeared to be fabulous.The star attraction, of course, was wine. Much of Napa's best was there on offer for tasting and buying. The sight of miles and miles of green and serene vineyards stretching onto the Californian horizon only increased the temptation to taste and buy apparently! That made me wonder where else such train rides were available.
Delving into the net I found a few others in the same mould as the Napa train, notably in the happening South American wine destination of Chile. According to what I could gather, after a short bus ride to the railhead at San Fernandez, the guests board a train whose vintage carriages are named after the grapes that have catapulted Chile to the near-top of the New World wine list — Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
The route is not long — just 42 km to Santa Cruz — through the vineyard-lined Colchagua Valley. On board are sommeliers and wines by the glass
and there is an option to dine as well on a menu crafted to complement the wines of the region.
Napa's wine train is arguably the most successful, having run for 20-odd years. And for us Indians it affords an opportunity to see vast tracts of vineyards (and taste their produce!) without straining our feet. That's something I learnt the hard way when tromping through countless chateaux in Bordeaux some years ago! Besides, if the weather doesn't hold up, the trip still continues, so we get our money's worth.
Of course, not all wine trains area surefire success. One in Australia called the Barossa Wine Train, has had a patchy history, being called off in the middle, then shakily revived. Still the idea of covering distances in style cannot be disregarded. Especially by us Indians, who are not generally known for our enthusiasm to hoof it through miles of countryside!
Now comes the second part of my contention. Considering that many New World wine countries have tried the wine train experiment — even cautious Canada — either as a seasonal or permanent attraction, isn't it time to consider it in India too? That would be an option that I can see many urban dwellers taking to.
Nashik is not far from Mumbai and the route is scenic. There are trains galore already running between the two places. A day trip to and fro, with wine and winerelated food on board and a dekko of the v i n e y a r d s (maybe a couple of wineries) would be ideal!
That would bring tourism to the area, popularise a growing industry in Maharashtra (viticulture) and also offer yet another international style travek option right here in India. In fact, even Karnataka can consider it! The stumbling block is glaringly obvious: how can liquor be allowed to be served (legally) on board trains? Well designate the train as a hotel, whatever. The idea deserves at least a thought!
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Wednesday, June 17, 2009
HOP SCOTCH!
Nivedita Choudhary got her fill of great Scottish produce and traversed its picturesque straths and lochs, but didn't get a glimpse of Nessie, alas!
HE SCOTTISH Highlands offer the best of all worlds. For peace and quiet, you can't beat the wide-open spaces of the Cairngorm National Park and Sutherland. If you want some action – be it retail or adventure – the capital city of Inverness offers shopping, dining and clubbing experiences to rival any of Scotland's major hubs. From ancient cairns, standing stones and iron-age fortresses to romantic castles, bloody battlefields and clan histories, there is something for all ages to marvel.
We left our hotel in Edinburgh early in the morning and made our way to the office of our tour company on the High Street. I had earlier booked a five-day Highland expedition with the company. Most of the people who would be travelling with us had arrived and were raring to go. It was a motley group comprising people from Colombia, Hong Kong, Australia, Germany, Russia and even Wales! Our guide-cumdriver Donald was a cheerful and enthusiastic fellow who carted our heavy suitcases and loaded them at the back of the bus.
The bus went past the beautiful buildings of Edinburgh and over the Forth Road Bridge, which spans the Firth of Forth and connects Edinburgh to Fife. Our first stop was Dunkeld, a lovely village of largely whitewashed shops, cottages and hotels near Perth. We made our way to the fine cathedral, which has a superb setting on the north bank of the River Tay and must surely be one of the most beautifully sited cathedrals in the country. Half of it is still in use as a church, the rest is in ruins. The oldest part of the original church is the choir, completed in 1350.
In the turbulent history of Scotland, Dunkeld Cathedral suffered desecration and devastation twice. Following the Reformation in the 1560s, the Privy Council issued instructions to local lairds to destroy 'images of idolatry'. They interpreted this order as an excuse for widespread destruction and caused much damage to the cathedral. The structure was again burnt during the Battle of Dunkeld in 1689.
The adjoining village of Birnam lies just across the bridge from Dunkeld. Birnam is best known for its Shakespearean associations where, in the play Macbeth, the moving of Birnam Wood to Dunsinane, 12 miles to the south-east, heralded the death of Macbeth.
The Cairngorms National Park is an outstanding location for exploring the rich fabric of the Highlands. The mountains that have shaped the people, culture, natural heritage, scenery and character of the area dominate the national park and give it its name. We were treated to breathtaking views of ancient pine forests, lochs, rivers and moorlands as the bus whizzed past some of the best wildlife habitats in the UK.
Nestled in the straths and glens, tucked away in the forests or busy thoroughfares, the towns and villages in the area each have their own character and identity. There are traditional distilleries where we learnt the secrets of Scotland's national tipple and special centres where we got up close and personal with exotic creatures such as reindeer, snow monkeys and wolves. Whether we were indoors or outdoors, we were never be short of something to do!
The Cairngorms is a natural larder. Fresh salmon and trout from the Spey and the Dee, venison from the many Red Deer that roam the hills and locally-reared lamb make it a paradise for foodies. Boats from the nearby Moray Firth deliver the freshest seafood – juicy scallops and fat mussels, lobster, langoustine, prawns and an impressive range of fish. The peaty soil produces peerless soft fruits – not just world-renowned Scottish raspberries, but strawberries, blackberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants!
When eating out, we asked the restaurant staff where the food came from. By choosing local options where available, we not only got a real flavour of the Cairngorms but also supported local food producers.
The clean, bracing Cairngorms air made us ravenous. We stopped for a quick bite at Loch Insh, which is popular with windsurfing and sailing enthusiasts. The restaurant was teeming with people and many of them had come on cycles. The national park has plenty of quiet country roads and there are opportunities for every kind of cycling – a gentle family ride or tough and punishing routes on tarmac, cycle path, tracks and trails.
We then made our way to Loch Ness, famous the world over for its elusive resident. The loch itself is Scotland's largest and it is more than 600 ft deep for much of its 23-mile length. The reporting of something unexpected in the lake began to interest the world's media in the 1930s and it's been an attraction for tourists, explorers and Nessie hunters ever since.
We stopped at Dores, a hamlet on the edge of the Loch. Dores boasts a pub, a few houses... and that's it. If you are looking for nightlife or even a shop, forget it. But sipping latte, we marvelled at our magnificent surroundings.
Being in the centre of the Great Glen, Loch Ness and its camerashy monster draw their fair share of summer visitors, with the two main visitor centres being Urquhart Castle and the village of Drumnadrochit. However, we were glad that we had stopped at the quiet Dores instead of the more touristy Drumnadrochit.
Our final destination was Inverness, where we halted for the night. Located at the top of the Great Glen, the city boasts a host of historic buildings in the Old Town to appreciate while we shopped. We enjoyed a pleasant stroll along the lovely riverside before returning to our delightful B&B. The owners were extremely friendly and helpful and we indulged in some craic – Gaelic for chat and light-hearted conversation.
Few places in the world offer such a wealth and diversity of natural beauty and attractions as the Scottish Highlands. I was a long way off from my home in Leicester, but the combined rewards of beauty, peace and, above all, quiet, far outweighed any concerns over the length of the journey back home!
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Wednesday, May 27, 2009
WHITE RAJAHS’ LAND
Hugh & Colleen Gantzer discovered that Sarawak is an amazing example of enlightened rule by one British family
FROM the moment we first drove through green and watered Kuching, we felt it. Harmony, sufficiency, a palpable blitheness of spirit as if all the abrasive edges had been smoothed down and meshed together seamlessly. And when we looked down from the seventh floor window of our hotel, we saw the conical roof of a pagoda-like restaurant at the edge of the slow flow of the Sarawak river. On the other side, nestling among spreading Malaysian trees, was a fishing village. It was a very idyllic and serenely peaceful scene.But it had not always been so. Surging down that river, pouring out of those forested villages, marauders had once spread: pirates, headhunters, cannibals and warring tribes. Desperate, the beleaguered governor had turned to an Englishman, a young man trained by the East India Company: James Brooke.
If Brooke could restore law and order in this fertile land called Sarawak, he would gift him a sizeable chunk of it. Brooke prevailed, the Governor kept his promise and, later, made Brooke a Rajah.
The White Rajhas of Sarawak ruled their kingdom for three generations till Rajah Vyner Brooke felt that a personal Asian kingdom owned by an English family was an anachronism. He abdicated in 1946 and the tsunami of the great freedom movement swept over the land.
But the Brookes' even-handed treatment of all communities has left a lasting impact on Sarawak. In a pedestrian Mall there is a polished brass plaque saying that Rajah Vyner had renamed it India Street because a large number of shops on it were owned by traders from the sub-continent. A spice merchant told us that he was a Malaysian Tamil. A young vendor cooked adaptations of Kerala's appams using Malaysia's popular peanut paste. The maternal grandfather of one of the Malay Muslim tourism officials was a Sikh wearing the five Ks.
The tribal people, too, had been particularly happy with the Brookes. While curbing their more violent customs, the White Rajahs had allowed them to retain their customs and traditions. In the Sarakraf Pavilion we saw tribal artisans weaving, carving and offering native cuisine: tapioca, chicken and rice baked on an open fire in a hollowed out bamboo.
We were even entertained by a man playing on a traditional guitar called a sape, during an evening cruise on the river. High-rises and fishing villages, the Brooke Dockyard, and the Brooke's Astana manor which is now the residence of the governor, co-existed as if such crosscultural nodes were natural partners in Kuching's tolerantly blurred timelines.
The Brookes, however, had not frozen Sarawak in its tribal past. In the Sarawak Museum we learnt that they had persuaded Charles Darwin's colleague, Alfred Wallace, to set up his superbly-mounted exhibits. So, the Theory of Evolution and a knowledge of English came early to the people of Kuching. In the same museum we also learnt of another evolutionary development. One of the Brookes had persuaded a former shell collecting company to prospect for oil in Sarawak and that black-gold still flows out of its wells. The petrochemical giant, however, retained the emblem of its first venture: Shell.
We had now begun to accept the effortless age-bridging culture of Kuching. In the superb Sarawak Cultural Village we visited the re-created homes of various ethnic communities in their authentic settings, became part of their traditional festivities, even learnt how to fire a blowpipe : it calls for a very slight puff of breath. Malaysian blow-pipes are considered to be such lethal weapons that their import into neighbouring Singapore is banned!
Much of the happily tolerant, unityin-diversity ethos, could be sustained by a deep-seated well-spring of belief. We visited two temples rich with gold icons against striking, scarlet, backgrounds. These were shrines of a very ancient faith: Taoism. This religion seeks harmony in all things: a balance of darkness and light, good and evil, active and passive.
Sheng Fui and I Ching are disciplines seeking to tap into this essential flow of harmony: or so a Taoist fellow guest in our hotel explained to us. And then he added: "Look at the cat. It moves effortlessly with the flow of nature. Even when it is angered, its body is like a battery drawing power: back arched, hairs erect, and then, quick as a wink, it leaps out of danger. "
Some people said that the large cat statues in the roundabouts, and Kuching's Cat Museum, were Public Relations gambits. Possibly. But it could be more significant than that. There is so much pervasive harmony in Kuching that when we had to fly out, our hearts ached.
Even now, sitting in our cottage in the high oak woods of the Himalayas, we feel nostalgic about the warmly reassuring, purring, contentment of Kuching.
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Thursday, May 21, 2009
Troglodyte village in IRAN 700 years old
In the north east of Iran at the foot of Mount Sahand in Kandovan, the villagers live in cave homes carved out from the volcanic rock.
The age of some houses is more than 700 years.
Very impressive.
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A KIWI ODYSSEY
Rrealised that stunning natural vistas and the thrill of adventure are as intrinsic to the charm of New Zealand as its friendly people, cosmopolitan cities and unique Maori culture
GOING halfway across the world for a holiday is not everyone's idea of fun, given the nightmare of air travel, jet lag and more. But when the almost-magical vales and hills of New Zealand beckon, nothing seems too much to overcome in order to get there. So, all aglow with eager anticipation, I set off for my odyssey....Auckland, the city of sails was our first stop. We reached by late afternoon and headed for the clean, neat, functional environs of Aspen House to dump our bags. Then it was off to Queen Street — the bustling central shopping district in Auckland. The first thing that struck me there — given the geographical location of the country — was the number of Asian faces on the street. The shops in Auckland are literally run by Chinese and Indians!
Overall, the city had an extremely cosmopolitan feel to it. We walked by the Sky Tower — at 328 m, the tallest man-made structure in NZ —to the waterfront. The sunset this far south of the equator was fantastic and we watched the sky turn fiery red and yellow. A simple but delicious dinner out in the open followed, in the pleasant company of a lovely sea breeze. Finally jet-lag set in, so we walked back to our hotel and called it a day. An early start the next day saw us catch the efficient Magic Bus to Mt Eden to see volcanic craters and great vistas. The whole city rolled out like a lush green carpet below our feet. One of the craters, strangely enough, had a "Will you marry me?" carved out at the centre. A rather unique proposal in a country not known for grafitti in the wrong place...
Next stop was in the valley of the stars, quite literally — in the depths of the Waitomo caves, known for their beautiful glow-worms. While the unique limestone formations left me marveling at Nature's artistic licence, I was saddened at the thought that the sparkly creatures have a rather tragic end — the adults don't have mouths to feed themselves. Still, this sinkhole wonderworld (a speciality of this tiny country) is unforgettable.
After a quick lunch at a place which also had what our driver called the "American Embassy" —McDonald's — we were dropped off at the Youth Hostel in Roturua. The place vibrated with the easy laughter of young backpackers. They were an interesting phenomenon that we found everywhere we went in NZ- it seems this place is a heaven of sorts for youngsters who want a taste of adventure before settling into a routine job with no time to stand and stare... or dare.
Evening found us at Mitai — a traditional Maori concert and a hangi dinner. A fascinating cultural performance with insights into the whole gamut of tribal life — warfare, pagan gods, indigenous music, along with a perfect rendition of the infamous Haka dance! The food was cooked beneath the ground in a 'hangi' which is sort of like a tandoor and the traditional way Maoris cook. The whole meal made me think of our Indian handi feasts. On the flip side, one of our backpacker friends likened the whole experience to a tourist theme park!
After a satisfying self-made breakfast (at a very well-equipped YHA kitchen), we set off on Magic Bus again the next day. We stopped at Wai-o-tapu, land of geysers and hot springs, to be greeted by hissing, steaming mud-pools inviting us with all the treacherous shades of the rainbow. Champagne pools named aptly after the rose-pinkish colour of the water, to sulky sulphorous green coves to inscrutibly inky blue pools, they had distinct personalities. There were even cute oyster pools, rather like dimples, named after their pearly white waters. At this point I caved in and bought multiple thermal mud-packs for the extended family — Multani mitti from New Zealand!
Right before Lake Taupo, we halted at Rocks n' Ropes- where Barun had his first taste of adrenaline. With his heart in his mouth, he went for the swing – a sort of semi-bungy wherein a person arcs across like a huge pendulum — while I happily video-recorded it for posterity. I think NZ coaxed out our best and bravest side !
We had a dekko of the mighty Huka Falls, NZ's most visited natural attraction, and then proceeded to lunch and a lovely stroll by a lake which is slightly bigger then Singapore! We were captivated by the easy-going but stunning scenery and unbelievably blue waters at Lake Taupo, which is where the Waikato river drains into via the Huka Falls.
The packed day ended back in Rotorua, where we washed away the aches in the natural thermal pools at Polynesian Spa. Soaking in the steaming hot, mineral-spring waters, we stared at the starry skies and sighed in sweet satisfaction! But there was not that much time to snooze as early morning found us on a flight to the adrenalin-capital of the world- Queenstown! WONDER LAND!
NESTLED snugly around Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is a treat for the eyes. Postcard-perfect scenery was stuck over every nook and corner of the city. Appropriately enough, therefore, Aurum Hotel and Suites, where we stayed had big, airy rooms and beautiful views. Also, as a peaceful prelude to our adventure rush, we began with a long, lazy brunch.
But an hour of intensive jet-boating on the Kawaru River followed — what a great way to get some thrills and yet check out the beautiful scenery in and around Queenstown! Later, shivering and wet from the sprays of cold water from the infamous 180o spins in the boat, we sat and sipped sinful hot chocolate in a charming café which had free wi-fi.
Next on the agenda was a steep ride on the sky gondola. The views from the deck once we were on top, however, was absolutely worth every last penny of the ticket. But what brought more bang for the buck was the luge ride. It's like an open sledge in which we slid down, with the wind whistling in our ears and spectacular scenery all around. It was an incredibly enjoyable and addictive experience. Once is never enough, I assure you!
All the shopping places close really early almost everywhere in NZ but restaurants and souvenir shops are often open till late. We couldn't help being surprised by the wide choice in cuisines, everywhere in NZ,though I must point out the ubiquitous presence of a kind of sumptuous sweet potato called kumhara which we found everywhere! Dinner that night was a tasty middle-eastern platter beforewe opted for an early night.
The weather turned a little chilly the next day but that couldn't drag down our spirits for the farm stay at Chartlea Park - a sheep, cattle, deer and Boer goat farm run by Ken and Trish. It was very different from any typical Indian farm experience, mainly because it was spread over 550 acres! Second, it was amazing to see how much technology now pervades a farm that dates back to 1896.... Ken was running a sophisticated computer program to determine how many lambs to have on his farm at any point of time, depending on their weight and the amount of grass in the pastures!
After a hearty lunch of bread and soup, we went for a tour of the farm. It was the first time I saw sheep dogs in action — and boy did they remind me of my ex-boss! I also understood for the first time the meaning of the phrase "flock together like sheep": the woolly creatures all ran together, and were very tame, shy and extremely cute! I fed some of the deer and marveled at how the couple managed such a huge farm on their own, without any hired labour. Dinner was a massive spread with fresh veggies, quiche and home baked muffins. Trish, in fact, reminded me of my mother — like a desi mom she insisted on double and triple helpings of everything! I guess mothers are the same the world over!
Their daughter Jenna, we learnt, was an accomplished markswoman, having represented NZ proudly in many shooting tournaments. The day was wrapped up by watching the highlights of the India-NZ match. That's how we found out that Trish was as passionate about cricket as about the food she cooked! The farm was a lovely sojourn indeed, apart from the time I was locked in to the wash-room for 30 minutes as I couldn't figure out how to open it!
A day to remember for the "vacant and pensive days on the couch" was the drive to Milford Sound , which is as beautiful as the place itself. It left me quite speechless. Words are simply inadequate to describe the scenery; I felt dwarfed by the magnificent cliffs, the serene blue waters and the thundering, foaming waterfalls. We even saw some lazy seals basking in the golden sunshine, a rare treat in itself as it rains there two out of every three days! After a light lunch on the boat, we spent most of the cruise on the upper-deck, spell bound by nature's treasures. We chatted with an interesting, young Irishman who'd lost his job and was taking the break to travel around the world. Talk about the credit crunch having some fringe benefits! Time flew by, and before we knew it, it was time to head back to Queenstown. The drive back was a tiring 4 hours but a happy one, nonetheless!
OUR next stop was the glaciers of Franz Josef and Fox in Westland National Park on South Island and the drive there took us past fantastic views of the Tasman Sea. In fact, fantastic views seem pretty normal all over NZ! As the miles went by, we watched the sun play on the snow-capped peaks of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman. Fox Glacier, where we stayed, is one of the few advancing glaciers in the world and ends among lush rain-forests, barely 300 m from the sea. We stayed at the romantically named Misty Peaks, a lovely cottage surrounded by vines and creepers and our hosts David and Lea were extremely warm, friendly and helpful.
We began with a hike around Lake Matheson, and spent the whole afternoon intrigued by the shadowy reflections on the clear water. It was quite narcissistic as the water was so mirror-like that I kept taking photographs of our reflection, and the beautiful scenery too, of course! The rest of the evening was spent in splendid company as a couple recounted stories of how they backpacked through Iran and Afghanistan in the days of the Shah.
Fortified by an early but wholesome breakfast, we started off on our half-day glacier walk the next morning. It was an incredible experience. The glacier rose like a beautiful but icy-cold temptress, ever-changing with new crevices and faces. Our guide was a young and dashing lad —a former rock-climbing instructor — and with his help we managed the 800 steps to reach the river of ice.
Once again we were lucky to have a clear, sunny day and we were surrounded by infinite, white splendour. The glacier had a Jekyll and Hyde kind of a personality...There were areas of soft ice and breaks and we had to be careful around them but they were demarcated clearly by ropes and chains. The tons of ice certainly bought out the Alice in me and I felt I had slipped down the tunnel to reach a wonderland!
This was followed by the highlight of the whole trip: the sky dive. We deliberately chose Fox Glacier for our sky-dive because of the beautiful views we would get of the sea, mountains and glaciers. In spite of all the planning, I found my throat drying up as we went through the initial training with my Brazilian instructor CJ, and by the time the plane took off I was literally praying .
The stunning views from above did little to calm me and it was only after we actually jumped that I found myself enjoying the free-fall so much, I just couldn't be scared anymore. It was an amazing adrenalin rush and I literally felt my body was like a knife- cutting through the clean crisp air — we were falling at more then 200 km/hr! After the parachute opened, I turned around and saw Barun fly like a bird and felt a small leap in my heart. NZ, much like life, tends to throw in some challenges on the way and the reward if you take them up is always, unlike life, heart-achingly beautiful and exciting.
With the realisation that our vacation was coming to an end, we took the Tranz-Alpine train from Greymouth to Christchurch. We sat back quietly and were charmed with the views, as usual. The fourhour trip was filled with alternating scenes of lushgreen rainforests, gorges, river-valleys and farmlands. The whole atmosphere was suffused with joie de vivre and romance, certainly two honeymooning couples seated around us added to the fervor!
We reached Christchurch by late afternoon and spent a charming evening in the garden-city. The city certainly deserved the name- it was filled with pretty flowers of all hues and colours everywhere and the Botanical Gardens were a treat for the eye. What struck us the most was unlike most modern cities, Christchurch had a very relaxed and laidback feel. There were no hordes of people walking impatiently across subways, for example.
By this time we were craving for Indian food, so we had a huge Indian meal at Saffron — their Gujarati thali, which was authentic and delicious. What a perfect way to wrap up our perfect NZ odyssey!
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