INDIA GUIDE TRAVEL DESK EVENTS AIRLINES SEARCH
Mandu Where to stay The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Tourist Cottages provide for a comfortable stay. Situated very close to Sagar Tank, the rooms are air-conditioned and comfortable. The restaurant run by the resort serves good food. Tariff: Rs 790 per night for an air conditioned cottage and Rs 590 per night for a non-air conditioned cottage. How to get there Mandu is accessible from Indore. Madhya Pradesh Tourism operates buses and taxis to Mandu from Indore which is 99 kms away. Indian Airlines flies daily to Indore from Bombay and New Delhi. The one way Bombay-Indore fare is Rs 2,405. The one way New Delhi-Indore fare is Rs 3,545. A number of trains pull in daily from Bombay and New Delhi and weekly from Madras and Calcutta. Khajuraho How to get there Indian Airlines flies daily into Khajuraho from New Delhi and Agra. The one way fare New Delhi-Khajuraho is Rs 2,615. The one way through fare Bombay-Khajuraho is Rs 6,615. Khajuraho is connected by buses, daily from Agra, Bhopal, Gwalior, and Jabalpur Where to stay: The Taj hotel, the Chandela is posh and expensive and the tariff per night for a double room Rs 2395 plus taxes or US $ 65 plus taxes. The Jass Oberoi: ditto. Clark’s Bundela offers luxury accommodation, a little bit cheaper than the Oberoi and the Taj at Rs 2250 per night for a double.. Madhya Pradesh Tourism runs four resorts – Jhankar (Rs 590 per night), Payal, Rahil and MPTDC Tourist Village. Accommodation is simple but adequate. The tourist villlage is a pleasant place at Rs 250 per night for a non-air-conditioned cottage. Sunderbans How to get there West Bengal tourism runs once-a-week tour boats up to the Sunderbans from Basanti on Saturdays. And Basanti is three hours away by road from Calcutta. Alternately hire a private boat at Canning to take you to the Sunderbans. Canning is one-and-a half hours way by train from Calcutta. Foreign passport holders must obtain permits from the West Bengal tourist department at BBD Bagh, Calcutta, tel # 033-2488271, in advance. Where to stay West Bengal Tourism offers accommodation and meals at its tourist lodge. The tourist department in Calcutta can arrange for the accommodation in advance and organise one’s itinerary. Accommodation in the tourist lodge is Rs 1050 per night, meals included and in a boat it is Rs 850 per night, meals included. Pokaran How to get there Trains from Jodhpur, 140km east stop at Pokaran. Indian Airlines flies to Jodhpur from Bombay on Modays, Wedensdays, Fridays and Sundays. Indian Airlines flies to Jodhpur from New Delhi daily. The one way fare Bombay-Jodhpur is Rs 3,975. the one way New Delhi-Jodhpur fare is Rs 2,760. Where to stay Hotel Pokaran Fort is the only place worth staying at if one has taken the trouble to journey to this little town. Located inside the fort the rooms have a wonderful ambience. Contatc: 029942-22274. Backwaters How to get there The backwaters is accessible from any of the three main Kuttanad towns – Quilon, Alleppey and Kottayam. Quilon is accessible by road or train from Trivandrum (the nearest airport) -- one and a half hours away on the Kerala Mangala Express. Indian Airlines flies into Trivandrum daily from Bombay and the one way fare is Rs 5,200. Indian Airlines flies into Trivandrum from New Delhi daily and the one way fare is Rs 9,675. Alleppey and Kottayam are accessible by road, boat or train from Cochin, the nearest airport. Alleppey is one and a half hours away by road and one hour and 20 minutes away by train. And Kottayam is two hours away by road and one hour away by train. Indian Airlines flies into Cochin from Bombay on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and the one way fare is Rs 4,525. Indian Airlines flies into Cochin from New Delhi daily and the one way fare is Rs 9,025. Where to stay Kerala Tourism can organise accommodation on a houseboat. Contact: KTDC, Shanmugham road, Cochin, tel # 353234. KTDC, Government Guest House, Quilon, tel # 72558. KTDC, Karthika Tourist Home, Alleppey, tel # 0477-2554, 3462. . Tourindia, MG road, Trivandrum, tel # 0471-79407, 79437 can arrange for a houseboat privately. Royal Orient Express How to get there The Royal Orient Express, luxury train run by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat and the Indian Railways, leaves Delhi cantonment station every Wednesday at 1500 hours and returns to Delhi seven days later. For bookings contact: The Royal Orient, central reservation office, 12/4, First floor, East Patel Nagar, New Delhi, telefax # 578 3960. Gujarat Tourism, H K House, Ashram road, Ahmedabad, tel # 079-449172, 447217. Fax: 656 8183. Gujarat Tourism, Dhanraj Mahal, Apollo Bunder, Bombay, tel # 022-2024925. Fax: 2883541. The tariff US $ 200 per day per person. US $ 1400 for the entire seven day journey. Indian passport holders pay the same tariff in rupees. Agra How to get there Indian Airlines and Jet Airways flies into Agra daily. The one way fare is Rs 1315. Several fast trains serve Agra from New Delhi -- Shatabdi Express or the Taj Express are the best choices. By rail it is a four-five hour journey. The Delhi Tourism office arranges buses or taxis to Agra from Delhi. By road it takes four to five hours to reach Agra. Contact Delhi Tourism Office (DTDC) at 36, Connaught Place, tel # 011-3314229. Where to stay There are a number of places to stay in Agra. Some of the best choices are: Hotel Amar, Fatehbad Road, tel # 0562-360695, fax # 0562-330299. The hotel charges about Rs 1500 or more per night for an air conditioned double room. Its a three star and has a swimming pool and health club. Decor is unattractive but the hotel all in all is comfy. Amar is located city centre but not that close to the Taj Mahal. Chinese, continental and Indian food available at the hotel. Hotel Swagat, 29, Hari Nagar, Samshedbad Road, tel # 0562-365490. It charges Rs 600 or more per night for an air conditioned double room. of this hotel. It is a budget hotel Hotel Agra Deluxe, PO Box 7, Fatehbad Road, tel # 0562-330110, fax # 0562-331330. Its rates for an air conditioned double room vary between Rs 750 and Rs 1540 per night depending on the plan and the type of room. A simple hotel offering basic facilities. The rooms are carpeted and are equipped with a TVs and a telephone. The hotel provides a variety of food – Gujarati, Indian, South India, Chinese and continental. Agra Ashok, 6B The Mall, tel # 0562-361223-32, fax # 91-562-361620. A five star hotel, government owned. It has all the required luxuries including a coffee shop, pool, shopping arcade, and in house restaurants serving Chinese, Indian and continental food. Its rates are about $ 75 for an air conditioned double room per night. Located city centre and near the railway station Agra Ashok is a bit far from the Taj Mahal. Hotel Trident, Fatehabad Road, tel # 0562-331800, 331824, fax # 0562-331827, 331812. Its charges about US $ 65 per night for an air conditioned double room. Located city centre and near the railway station but not that near the Taj Mahal. A three star. It offers a swimming pool and comfortable rooms. Part of the reliable Trident chain of hotels. Hotel Great Value, 10-Bansal Nagar, tourist Complex Area, Fatehabad Road, tel # 0562-330225, 330249, fax # 0562-330349. Its rates for an air conditioned double room are about Rs 1400 per night. Located city centre and near the railway station Great Value is not that close to the Taj Mahal. This hotel belongs to the U P hotels group and they are middle range hotels offering decent accommodation. The hotel restaurant offers Indian and continental food Wankaner How to get there Indian Airlines flies daily, except Saturday, to Rajkot from Bombay. From Rajkot Wankaner is just 39 kms away. Where to stay Accommodation is available in the Ranjit Vilas Palace, tel # 02828-2000 for Rs 1300 per day per person, meals included. Bhuj How to get there Indian Airlines flies daily to Bhuj from Bombay, except on Wednesday and Saturday. Where to stay Prince on Station road offers luxury rooms and meals in a ‘multi-cuisine’ restaurant and is the best hotel in town. Anam also on Station road provides comfortable, air conditioned rooms and good Gujarati thali. Nisargadhama How to get there Nisargadhama, near Kushalnagar is just 35 kms away from Madikeri, the district headquarters of Coorg. And Madikeri three hours away by road from Mysore. The nearest airport is at Bangalore, yet another three hours away by road. Where to stay The forest department offers cottages on the island for Rs 450 per night. For details contact KSTDC office in Bangalore at 080-2275883. Aizawl How to get there Indian Airlines operates a daily flight from Calcutta to Silchar. IC CD 255 departs at 1030 hours from Calcutta and reaches Silchar at 1130 hours. The one-way economy fare is Rs 2,085. It takes seven hours to reach Aizawl from Silchar by road (180 km). Where to stay The Tourist Lodge, Chaltlang, tel # 03832-21083 charges Rs 300 for a double room. The Ritz, Bara Bazaar, tel # 03832-23131 charges Rs 400 for a double room. Hotel Sangchi charges Rs 300 for a double. Palolem How to get there The easiest way to reach Palolem from Panjim is by road. It is a three hour journey by road and by taxi it will cost about Rs 1200. A cheaper alternative is to take a bus up to Cancona which is just a few kilometres away. Panjim is served by flights from Delhi and Bombay daily by Indian Airlines and Jet Airways. Where to stay Try Palolem Beach Resort, tel # 0834-643054 for the rooms and tents. Or Coco Huts for accommodation in tree houses, tel # 0832-230970, 230980. Venture into the village nearby and enquire about rooms in village huts. The beach shacks offer a variety of seafood and beverages. Lovedale How to get thereThe easiest way to get to Lovedale is to fly to Coimbatore from Bombay or Delhi and drive from Coimbatore to Mettupalayam and take the train up to Lovedale. Indian Airlines and Jet Airways fly into Coimbatore daily from Bombay. It is a three and a half hour drive from Coimbatore to Mettupalayam. Mettupalayam at the foot of the Nilgiris is the starting point of the narrow gauge toy train up to Lovedale and beyond (Ooty and Coonoor). The rail journey is hardly 45 minutes long. Where to stay Accommodation is rather scarce in this one horse town. That's beauty of the place. But the Railway Guest House near the station offers decent rooms, even too tourists. Matheran How to get there By road, Matheran is hours from Bombay. You will be forced to abandon your cars at Dasturi Naka, walk the remaining two kilometres or rent a horse. A more enjoyable option is to board a Pune-bound express train(the 6.45 am Deccan Express, for instance) at Victoria Terminus, disembark at Neral and take the toy train. Roughly, a three hour train ride from Bombay. Where to stay Hotel Rugby, Vithalrao Kotwal road, tel # 02148-30316. Their tariff: Rs 2600 for a non-air conditioned room. The Byke, M G road, tel # 02148-30365, 30366. Their tariff: Rs 1,750 for a non-air conditioned room. Lord's central, M G Marg, tel # 02148-30228.
Tell us what you think of this feature
