When Jamsetji N. Tata was denied access to the prestigious Watson's Hotel in Bombay (now Mumbai) because of a 'whites only' policy, he retaliated by building the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in 1903.
Today, the Taj Mahal is a luxurious landmark in Mumbai and has hosted celebrities such as the Beatles, Barack Obama, Mick Jagger and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The Watson's Hotel, on the other hand, is an abandoned, derelict building in dire need of restoration.
Since the terrorist attacks on the hotel in November 2008, when lives were lost and extensive damage was incurred, the hotel has been refurbished by internationally acclaimed designers to its former elegance. The difference is that security is well managed and taken seriously for the safety and comfort of guests. While the Taj Mahal is a regal grand dame of a glorious past, its tight security also exemplifies the stamina and indomitable spirit of the Indian people.
Gracing the shore of the Arabian Sea, the hotel is a tasteful mix of Indian, Asian and European styles. The 268 rooms and suites in the Palace and Tower wings face the Gateway of India or overlook the pool and a colorful, pulsating city.
Guests enjoy old-world charm with all the amenities of modern, comfortable living. Luxuries offered give guests a taste of what it's like to live like a Maharajah. A personal butler, reminiscent of the royal customs of another era, is available to each guest. The personal butler will arrange a delicious breakfast, cocktails or high tea in the suite, as well as the best sights to see and best places to shop. Butlers are available at the airport as escorts for guests in the grand luxury suites.
Dining in the hotel is an experience offering an array of international options. The Taj has always been a culinary pioneer in gourmet circles from traditional to contemporary palates. The Casablanca on the rooftop of the tower offers an exclusive Middle Eastern menu. At Masala Kraft, ancient Indian menus are given a contemporary twist.At the Golden Dragon, Sichuan food is featured and at Wasabi, Japanese fare is offered. The Zodiac Grill is legendary for signature dishes and the Chef's Studio allows guests to customize menus suited to individual tastes. For more casual meals, Starboard, the poolside restaurant and the lively Harbour Bar are popular choices.
The hotel offers guests a unique experience with the Taj Yacht, available for a leisurely sail across to the Elephanta Island. It will also accommodate regular guests with a special travelling wardrobe so they can keep personal belongings at the hotel.
Shopping is a mere short walk away with the Colaba Causeway around the corner from the hotel where a lively and colorful street teems with vendors selling cottons, silks and souvenirs against a backdrop of jewellery stores, pubs and restaurants. Within the hotel, a shopping arcade offers a quieter experience with access to fabulous cotton and silk garments, Persian carpets, exquisite jewellery and leather accessories.
The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Mumbai is 32 kilometers from the international airport. Taj Hotels representatives are on hand at the airport to offer transportation and assistance.
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By the time the local authorities discovered the sculpture garden Chand was building in a cleared area of jungle, he had been at work on it for seven years. At first, they wanted to put a stop to his unauthorized work project on land that belonged to the state.
However, once people had seen and admired his astonishing creations, officials not only felt obliged to let him continue his work, but also decided to provide him with a truck and fifty workers to assist him. The park was inaugurated in 1976, and visitors began to pile in. The Rock Garden in Chandigarh was about to become a legend.
In 1988, the Governor of the Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh led a dedication ceremony for the Garden. This event is recorded on a rock at the garden, which is inscribed with the words "Dedicated to the spirit of creativity by the people of India."
Major Recycling Project
While he worked in secret, Chand used rubble from roadbuilding and quarries, along with industrial waste. His spectacular garden, which expanded to more than double the original fifteen acres, is built entirely from items that were thrown away. In the walls along the garden paths linking the twelve acres of interlinked courtyards, Chand has incorporated discarded bottles, bangles, ceramics and electrical waste.
The garden is filled with concrete sculptures of people and animals that have been covered with ceramic, mosaic-fashion. Sections are divided from one another by sculpted walls and the garden also contains many fountains.
International Recognition
In Januray 2011, the Nek Chand Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to urge him to ensure that Chand is awarded the national Padma Vibhushan Award. Calling the artist "a shining light" in ecology as well as art, the letter referred to him as "the soul of Chandigarh." The artist was given the less prestigious Padma Shri award in 1984.
Books have been written about Chand and he has been given honorary citizenship in various countries . Beyond his garden in Chandigarh, Nek Chand's statues are on display in cities around the world, including London, Paris, Berlin, Lausanne and New York. He has also built other gardens, one in Kerala, in Southern India.
Born in 1924, long before the subcontinent achieved independence and was partitioned into India and Pakistan, Chand still works in the Rock Garden. Amazingly, he encourages international visitors and students to leave waste material in his office compound where they can be recycled into additional art objects.
New Delhi is a modern capital with wide open spaces, tree-lined avenues and impressive monuments and buildings. In this thriving metropolis, luxury hotels guarantee comfort, style and relaxation, coupled with excellent service and gourmet dining, close to tourist attractions and business amenities.
Claridges Luxury Hotel in New Delhi, India
Set in lush gardens, just 3 km from the city centre, the Claridges Hotel New Delhi blends traditional charm and modern facilities. The 137 rooms and suites are stylish and spacious, ranging from deluxe rooms to Claridges Suites with Jacuzzi, dressing area and guest powder room. Facilities include in-room tea and coffee, wireless internet, pillow menu and luxury toiletries in Italian marble bathrooms.
Dining offers all day multi-cuisine in the Pickwick’s restaurant, Southern European fare in Sevilla’s, mainland Chinese in the Jade and North Indian Highway cuisine in the rustic Dhaba. The Claridges Garden for refreshments, Ye Old Bakery for cakes and pastries and a Vodka bar claiming over 75 brands complete the picture.
The spa brings together modern and traditional rituals, such as Ayurveda. Guests at Claridges will also find a meditation and yoga studio, a beauty salon, fitness zone, outdoor pool and lifestyle boutique.
5 Star Hotels in New Delhi, Shangri La
Shangri La’s Eros Hotel is a peaceful oasis at the heart of the city with landscaped gardens and 320 rooms and suites with contemporary Asian furnishings in a chic modern décor. All guest rooms have complimentary broadband, LCD television, signature bed linen and separate shower and bath with deluxe toiletries. Different room categories, plus the Horizon Club with private check-in and suites, offer a wide choice of accommodation, many with spectacular city views. Top of the range is the 125 sqm Presidential Suite.
Guest facilities include a gym, pool and sundeck, steam room and sauna and a range of holistic spa rituals. Personal training, aerobics and yoga are available by appointment.
The Shangri La has two lounges and bars and three restaurants serving a varied cuisine, Indian, Asian, Mediterranean and Italian.
Deluxe Oberoi Hotel New Delhi
The award-winning Oberoi hotel in New Delhi is ideal for business or leisure, roughly 30 minutes from the airport and close to the financial, diplomatic and shopping districts. Rooms range from deluxe to luxury and premier, suites come in six categories, some with Jacuzzi, four poster bed and separate guest bathroom. Guest rooms have views over the golf course or the Humayun heritage site, all have wireless broadband access and personalized butler service.
Three restaurants ensure a variety of dining options, best of the world in the 24 hour Threesixty, traditional Italian in Travertino, dim sum and regional Chinese in Taipan. Snacks are available in the Club Bar and guests will also find a Pâtisserie and gourmet store.
The Oberoi facilities include a fitness centre, in and outdoor pools, beauty parlour and spa featuring Ayurveda and aromatherapy, plus a luxury arcade and 24 hour business centre.
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If you’re travelling to Goa and are searching for a genuine insight into Goan culture, then dedicating a day to visiting the Sahakari Spice Plantation is the perfect way in experiencing and embracing the provincial passion of spice production in India.
Sahakari Spice Plantation Tours
With a stunning backdrop, first impressions of the spice plantation are nothing short of breathtaking. Cross the somewhat rickety bridge that bisects the picturesque river and delve further into the jungle in which the spice plantation is built on. Once you’ve taken in all the sights and sounds of the plantation surrounds, let the remaining three senses be stimulated while you’re guided through a tour of the plantation itself.
Your English-speaking guide will educate and entertain you about everything you need to know about the daily occurrences in which the Sahakari Spice Plantation provides.During the tour, you’ll be treated to the local liquor, feni, which is produced from the juice of cashew apples. Feni contains about 40-45% alcohol, which you’ll definitely know about when trying it!
Also, for the travellers that enjoy a cigarette, you’ll be pleased to know that pure tobacco is grown at the plantation, and for just 20 Indian rupees, you’ll be able to purchase ten authentic Goan cigarettes wrapped in dried palm leaves. At the conclusion of the tour, you’ll be treated to an Indian all-you-can-eat lunch where you’ll be able to sit back, relax and continue to take in the soothing ambience that the plantation bestows upon you.
Elephant rides at the Sahakari Spice Plantation
Travellers can also take pleasure in the experience of an Elephant ride throughout the outskirts of the spice plantation. There are three elephants (a male, a female and a baby) that are trained to amuse you in uniquely entertaining ways. While the male predominantly engages in most of the elephant rides, the baby elephant provides photography enthusiasts with some gorgeous photo opportunities as it receives its education in elephant riding.
The female elephant can also be ridden, but she instead offers travellers the chance to get to bathe her. Your guide will take you and the elephant down to the shallow river where you will be supplied with scrubbing brushes in which you will literally give the elephant a good old-fashioned clean. The elephant itself will lie down and roll around as you bathe her back, legs and even behind her ears, allowing your guide or taxi driver to take some truly unforgettable pictures of the experience.
The best part comes next, however! Once you’ve finished giving the elephant a bath, she will sit up requesting you (and a friend if you wish) to sit on her back. Once you’re safely secured on top of the elephant, the guide will ask you to face the other way. Why, you ask?!
Well, unexpectedly and without notice, the elephant will return the favour by showering you, as she flamboyantly saturates you with her trunk. Unexpected, indeed! What you can expect, however, is that you will be left utterly drenched. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a bond or connection with the elephant, and one that will unquestionably live long in the memory of your trip to Goa.
Sahakari Spice Plantation Prices
Entrance into the Sahakari Spice Plantation will cost you 400 Indian rupees (exclusive of transport to and from the spice plantation). Included in the entry price is an hour-long tour of the spice plantation, opportunities to purchase produce from the plantation itself and a free lunch where many of the spices have been used in preparing the Indian banquet.
If you’re interested in riding the elephant, you can do so for 600 Indian rupees (circa 2011) and for another 600 Indian rupees, you can take part in the bathing session with the female elephant. For more information regarding tours to the Sahakari Spice Farm, contact your travel agent, speak to your hotel concierge or visit the Sahakari Spice Plantation website at:
What is India travel like like? It's a question that I get asked regularly and one that I find infinitely difficult to answer due to the fact that travel to India is different for everybody. India is a vastly diverse and varied place with a huge range of cultures, languages, landscapes, religions, peoples and philosophies. The answer I usually give is that nobody can answer this question other than yourself. You get out of travelling to India more or less the same as what you put in and what needs to be put in is a question far more relevant to India travel. So let's ask the question again. So what does one need to put into India travel in order to make a trip as worthwhile as possible? Now that is a question far more answerable with an answer that is actually beneficial. In my mind there are four main things that you need to do to make your trip as memorable as possible:
Patience and flexibility
Any plan for India travel that involves a strict schedule is doomed to fail. Even established tour operators in the country can't offer prompt arrival and departures to destinations mainly because of the fact that India is so unpredictable. You never know what is going to happen in India, how long it is going to take to get somewhere, what's is going to happen when you get there and the likely time of your departure. The trains are usually late, sometimes by just an hour or two but sometimes by a whole day. The roads are bad to say the least and the traffic in certain regions absolutely diabolical meaning that a journey of six hours could, in some cases take 10 or 15. You have to be flexible enough to change your plans at the last minute and patient enough to deal with the inconveniences that are just to be expected. But patience and flexibility are not only important for staying sane in India, they are also essential for turning your trip to India from a mere holiday to a invaluable and unforgettable experience. An overnight stay in an Indian train station may be a huge inconvenience if your trip is planned to every detail, but if you look at it from another angle, it can turn into an amazing experience. The opportunity it presents to speak to the locals, learn about the culture or even just to watch. Watch the people, watch the customs, watch life as it exists. In my mind this is what travel anywhere is all about. You don't travel to India to take a picture of the Taj Mahal and then go home. You travel to India to experience, to witness and through these experiences you gain insights into an entirely different culture and people thus gaining insights into your self. Without flexibility and patience, travelling in India has the potential to be a absolute nightmare, but with them, a new world opens up. A new world full of learning, revelations and unforgettable experiences. This is, after all, what travel is all about, isn't it?
Openness and self trust
The amount of times I saw travellers in India completely closed off to the country they came to see seemed so strange to me during my first trip to India. Now it is something that I completely understand. It's easy to arrive in the country, bright eyed and naive and soon get yourself into a sticky or more commonly, expensive, situation which results in seeing this amazing country through a lens of mistrust and suspicion. It happened to me when I was in India but I quickly realised that if I closed myself off and shoved my head back into the Lonely Planet I would not experience India as she really is and essentially, my trip would be wasted. I was in the country long enough to soon turn my bad experiences into valuable assets allowing me to carefully evaluate those who were out with bad intentions and allowing me to avoid potentially bad situations. I soon developed a sort of sixth sense which allowed me to take calculated risks resulting in my trip turning into the trip of a lifetime rather than just a trip to a faraway land. Thanks to my newfound sense of openness and my new sense of self trust I experienced India in a whole new way. I was no longer just a tourist in India, I was a traveller, ready and willing to explore every new opportunity that I was confronted with. It is this sort mindset, out of all the advice that I give to people travelling to India, that I recommend the most. It can change your trip into something beautiful and life changing rather than just an opportunity to take some pretty pictures.
As a child, I’d always imagine the Victoria Memorial to be the very residence of Queen Victoria and refused to allow this fantasy to be disrupted by the real and less interesting facts of its existence. After all, the thought that my hometown, the timeless ‘City of Joy’, was home to a great British Monarch, gave me a sense of pride and awe. That changed with time as my years and education advanced. The Victoria Memorial never was a queen’s palace and the once boring facts of its existence appealed to me like never before. It stands today, as a symbol of free India as much as it stood for colonialism during British rule and is one of the favorite places to visit in Kolkata.
A Brief History of Kolkata’s Victoria Memorial
The Victoria Memorial was built between 1906 and 1921 as a monument to mark Queen Victoria’s 25-year reign in India. It was the brainchild of Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India at the time, who managed to garner a strong support-base for the project by reaching out to the princes and people of India. The foundation stone for the memorial was laid in 1906 by King George V.
The Magnificent Architecture of the Victoria Memorial
Sir William Emerson, President of the British Institute of Architects, was entrusted with the planning and designing of the Victoria Memorial while the construction work fell on the able shoulders of Messers. Martin and Co. The memorial is situated on 64-acres of land and is 338 feet by 228 feet. It was built out of white-marble from Rajasthan and is one of the most profound and outstanding architectural remnants of the British Empire in India. The structure is surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens that form an integral part of the monument’s geography, adding to its charm and brilliance.
The crowning glory of this incredible structure is the awesome Angel of Victory statue on the tip of the dome. It is 16 feet high and weighs over three tons.
What to See at the Victoria Memorial
The Victoria Memorial halls have been converted into a museum that houses a store of treasures including, but not limited to, paintings, sculptures, historical relics and memorabilia from the days of the Raj. Historical relics include the throne of the Nawab of Bengal, pistols used by Lord Warren Hastings in a duel and an ink pot used by Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Its collection of arms and armory includes a dagger and sword used by Tipu Sultan and French cannon used at Plassey. If that is not enough, the museum boasts of a large number of sculptures including those of Queen Victoria and Lord Clive, while its reputed collections of paintings includes the largest collection by the Daniells in the world. For those with a penchant for books and literature, the Victoria Memorial includes a Library with material dating back to the 1870s.
A Visit to the Victoria Memorial
Visiting the Victoria Memorial made for a great weekend outing. As a child, I’d look forward to the prospect of running wild on the stretches of manicured lawns, playing hide and seek, cricket and badminton and just having an overall good time by the dwarfing edifice of the monument.
The Victoria Memorial Gardens are open throughout the year from 5:30 am to 7 pm. Entrance is by ticket and the cost of each ticket is Rs. 4/- per head. There is a separate fee to be paid for entry to the museum in the Memorial and costs Rs. 10/- per head for Indians while foreigners are charged Rs. 150/- per head. School children above the age of 12 and military personnel are allowed free entry but must be in uniform. The museum is open on all working days, except Mondays, from 10 am to 5 pm.
India, a world full of paradoxes, conjures up a trillion images in the minds of those who have been fortunate enough to experience it, or not. Luckily, I belong to the first category. A trip to Himachal Pradesh made me realize just how lucky an Indian is. This lovely state, meaning "The Land of the Snowy Mountains," presents a fantastic opportunity for travelers all and sundry. Backpacking, family fun, and solo sagas - the state caters to all simply because it's home to stunningly versatile landscapes. Here's a dekko at the noteworthy tourist attractions.
Khajjiar: District Chamba
Located about 25 kilometers away from Dalhousie, a town steeped in colonial charm, Khajjiar is offically known as "Mini Switzerland" and combines the beauty of rolling meadows, dense deodar forests, and a lovely lake at 6500 feet above sea level. The drive to Khajjiar is equally fascinating and the Dhauladhar Range or the Lesser Himalayas that originate in Dalhousie greet you all the way. If you're lucky you'll have enough snow en route to make a snow man, a snow angel, and whatever else you fancy. The sprawling Dalhousie Public School, also a part of the scenic journey, makes you wonder whether the children are ever able to stay indoors!
Located about 30 kilometers away from the quaint town of Palampur, Bir-Billing is one of the best sites in the world for paragliding. Bir, the landing site, is a spectacular and clean village that's home to beautiful Tibetan monasteries. Billing, the take-off site, is about 14 kilometers away and is as close to heaven as it gets. Once you're in flight, you'll feel you have the divine power to hop, skip, and jump across snow capped peaks, this has got to be the most exhilarating experience ever. Warning: please note that it gets extremely cold while paragliding; to ensure maximum comfort wrap yourself in thermals, woolens, gloves, monkey caps, and whatever else need be. Palampur is renowned for its tea, Kangra famous for its paintings, and the Baijnath Temple constructed by local merchants in 1204 A.D. is worth a visit. Beware of the monkeys.
Solang Valley: District Kullu
Located about 15 kilometers away from Manali, this fascinating valley is en route to the Rohtang Pass and is a great spot for those looking for family fun or romantic getaways. The place boasts of a fantastic ropeway, and is one of the premier destinations in the world for skiing. The adventurous lot can also take a shot at zorbing, yak-rides, tyre-rides, and snowmobile-rides. Manali is a tourist hotspot and a picnic lunch by the River Beas in Van Vihar, a protected forest worth billions is a great way to spend the day.
A dozen more places in Himachal Pradesh can dazzle your senses. These include the hot springs of Manikaran in district Kullu and the world's highest cricket ground in Chai, about 50 kilometers away from Simla. The state has a wonderful way of rejuvenating your senses, no matter what you choose to do. Here's to haunting Himachal.
