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3 Hillstation getaways from Mumbai

Blog, Destinations, Offbeat, Weekend Getaways - GoroadTrip - July 16, 2016

‘The winter air feels so crisp and nippy’, said Sneha as she entered the office. ‘Yes, I had to wear a sweater, imagine in Mumbai!’ said Rohan and laughed. ‘We should be outdoors in this weather and not sitting cooped up at our desks,’ Meena sighed. ‘Yes, madam, let us leave all our work and head out, who will finish these reports?’ teased Prakash. ‘And we have a meeting with the clients next week,’ added Aruna. The five friends had a start-up which was doing quite well in the one year of commencement.

Meena persisted, ‘We have not taken a break in a year. Let us go on a short trip. The reports are nearly done and we are ready for the meeting.’ Rohan was also in favour of the suggestion and soon all five decided to take a four-day break. The next decision was the place to visit. Prakash said, ‘Let us go on a road trip. I read about it all the time on goroadtrip.com. It’s so much fun.’

‘Sounds great,’ ‘but where?’ they wondered. Rohan who was new to Mumbai said, ‘Let’s explore the hill stations close to Mumbai.’ ‘Hill stations in winter? That should be cool!’ laughed the others.

As all their decisions were instant, the five friends set off the very next day.

Their first stop was Matheran, a petite hill station two hours from Mumbai. This eco sensitive hill station was a treat to all their senses with the pure, invigorating air, scenic views, waterfalls, lakes, parks and a surprisingly large variety of medicinal herbs and plants.

After spending a day at Matheran, they friends left on the 96- minute drive to Lonavala. Slightly more commercialized than Matheran, Lonavala offered plenty of activities like waterfall rappelling, trekking and farm tours which the friends enjoyed immensely. They also visited the Korigad Fort and Bhaja caves. While returning back they bought many boxes of the famous Lonavala chikkis to take back home.

They reached Mumbai after two days in Lonavala but were in no mood to return to their routine. ‘Let’s extend the trip,’ said Meena still restless. ‘We can go south of Mumbai this time’. Deciding to indulge her and wanting the extension themselves, they all continued on the National Highway up north.

Three hours from Mumbai they reached Kalsubai which is the highest peak of the Sahyadris in Maharastra. But since it required a three-hour trek to reach the summit, the friends decided to reserve it as an exclusive trip for another time. They proceeded to Bhandardara. A hill station set in the Sahyadri ranges, the place felt blessed abundantly with nature’s best. The high mountains with the lush greenery and soft waterfalls gave the friends plenty of options like trekking and boating. The friends felt completely relaxed and sat quietly together watching the lovely sunset over the hills that evening.

The next day they returned to Mumbai recharged but with the idea of another road trip already formed.

Also read 3 Unbeatable Hill stations of Tamilnadu

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4 Mind Blowing Destinations to visit in Delhi at Night

Blog, Destinations, Heritage & Culture - GoroadTrip - July 5, 2016

‘I was so jetlagged in the morning, now I feel fresh and wide awake’, said Trisha at 6 p.m. ‘How I wish we can visit places in Delhi now instead of in the morning! But I am sure nothing except eateries are open for the night right?’ Her friend Nita, who Trisha was visiting from US, laughed and said, ‘Of course not! You want to see Delhi in the night, so we will. Come on’, and she dragged the surprised Trisha even as she booked a cab using the app on her phone.

The first place Nita took her friend to was India Gate which is the tourist hotspot of the Capital. To Trisha the place seemed alive with so many people hanging around. The lights gave the monument an ethereal look. Nita told her, ‘India Gate looks its best at twilight. The setting sun leaves a golden glow on the western side of the gate and makes the monument appear gold plated.

Their next stop was at Qutub Minar. The illuminated building was an imposing sight and Trisha held her breath when they stood at the foot of the 72.5 metre tower. It appeared to her in the glow of the lights that QutubMinar could tell her many secrets!

After strolling around for some time,they went back home. The two friends repeated the same exercise the next evening. This time their firststop for the night was the Red Fort. The LalQuila or Red Fort looked as though its history of over three hundred years had come alive with a light and sound show that was taking place. Trisha learnt that the show was held every evening.

From Red Fort Nita and Trisha walked up to Chandni Chowk. Nita had arranged for a walk through ChandniChowk with an organization popular for guiding tourists. The walk commenced at ChandniChowk Metro Station and took the girls through the vibrant markets. The guide enthralled them with stories of the 17th century capital, Shahjahanabad which is the walled city of Old Delhi founded by Shahjahan. The girls ended their night out with a cup of chai and yummy chat which ChandniChowk is famous for.

As they dropped off to bed in the early hours of the morning, Trisha concluded that jet lag did have advantages especially in a city like Delhi!

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7 British Monuments That are Not to be Missed on Your Next Visit to Chennai

Blog, Destinations, Heritage & Culture - GoroadTrip - June 24, 2016

Chennai, previously Madras, was a favourite with the English East India Company in the late 20th Century. The British made Madras their services and manufacturing hub for India and left many indelible marks in the city with several prized monuments functional and enjoyed even today.

High Court Building:

The highest court in Tamil Nadu and among the largest judicial buildings in the world, it was constructed in 1892 under the supervision of British architect Henry Irwin. Comprising of stained glass, beautiful minarets and walls with ornamental decorations, the High Court is an attractive building.

Ripon Building:

Serving as the seat of the Chennai Corporation, Ripon Building showcases three styles of architecture; Gothic, Ionic and Corinthian. It was named after Lord Ripon and constructed by Loganatha Mudaliar.

Fort St. George:

A colonial monument, Fort St. George is currently the headquarters of the Legislative Assembly. It was built in a western architectural style and the construction was supervised by Andrew Cogon and Francis Day. It houses Fort Museum and also Saint Mary’s Church which is the earliest Anglican Church.

Senate House:

An architectural wonder, an Indo-Saracenic style of architecture was adopted in the construction of the Senate House. With many artistic features, stylish porticos and a huge central hall with stone pillars, the Senate House was built by Robert Fellowes Chisholm and depicts the skilful architecture of the British of those times.

Santhome Bascilica Church:

Initially built by the Portuguese in 1523, this Roman Catholic Church in Santhome was reconstructed by the British in 1896.

Central Railway Station:

One of the main landmarks of Chennai, the Central, as it is more popularly known, is built in an impressive Gothic Revival style. It also has some Hindu and Itatianate nuances. It was originally designed by George Hardinge and then additions like the side towers and the central clock were done by Robert F. Chisholm.

Napier Bridge:

One of Chennai’s oldest bridges, it is oft used by the media to represent Chennai. It was built by Francis Napier, the Governor of Madras in 1869. It is built over the Coovum River and connects Fort St. George and the Marina Beach. The bridge is one of the finest testimonies to the architectural skills of the British.

Planning to visit Chennai this weekend? Click to see a ready made road trip to Chennai

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Meals Ready

Blog, Food - GoroadTrip - June 13, 2016

‘Saapadu tayaar’ or ‘Meals Ready’ is a common board found all over Chennai and Tamil Nadu from 7a.m. till late at night. These boards, very often a small blackboard with chalk writing and the day’s menu scribbled on it, informs the consumer what he can eat that day in that eatery. This custom of eating a full-blown meal early at the beginning of the workday is uniquely a Madras..okay…Chennai… habit and its inhabitants carry it with them where ever they go.

South Indian Meals

The lady selling idli or aapam (rice savoury cakes and crepes) on the pavement was an early morning occurrence. Many families boast of their hotel businesses beginning that way. It was always more economical to buy a couple of idlis with coconut chutney or an aapam with coconut milk or paaya kari (mutton curry) and begin the day, than for a household to cook the dish at home. The physical and strenuous process of grinding the dough, letting it ferment and then making the idlis on firewood was a time consuming affair for the common woman. She had to be at work early in the morning to decorate the front yards of houses where they worked for a living.

Elite society would patronise the Connemara Hotel or the tearooms of the Gymkhana, Madras Club or Cosmopolitan Club. That old lady in Luz, the Mylapore Club (their dosai and badam halwa is still ranked number one in the city) was the hang out for the law fraternity. The common man went to the ‘messes’ and even today the Karpagambal Mess in Mylapore, retains its old world atmosphere with banana-leaf meals and no-frills tiffin.

The two kinds of small eateries that came into being were the suddha saivam or vegetarian hotels and the Muniandi hotels that served non-vegetarian food. The latter began to be called military hotels because men from the Armed Services used to eating non-vegetarian food, patronised these establishments when they visited home for vacations.

Muniyandi Vilas

On arriving at a restaurant, the server would serve water and the customer’s first question usually was and still is, “Sooda ennappa irukku?” (What items are available hot?) The server’s talent at reciting the menu — some twenty to thirty items all in one breath could set the epicures saliva flowing and take your breath away at the same time. He used to be dressed in white or beige with a cap on his head. Today the server quietly places a menu card and whispers, “Mineral water, Sir?” Many restaurants boast of having well-dressed stewards or hostesses to seat you, take the orders and finally give you the bill. Theme restaurants with the employees in matching clothes, the cutlery and plates fitting the décor and ambience, has become a common phenomenon.

Korean, French, Continental, North West Frontier pakhwan, Calcutta meals, Punjabi dabhas are all in the business of catering to the eclectic tastes of the city. Home delivery meals, catering for parties and special offers like price per gram of cooked food are innovative offers by restaurants to catch the hungry tongue.

Like any other city in India Chennai caters to every pocket, taste and preference. You can eat the kalavai saapadu or mixed rice that the ladies with a basket on their heads take to the offices, bus terminus, auto stands etc. You can stand in front of the corner tea shop and have a porai biscuit with your hot tea or kapi. You can eat at fast food outlets with a plate of food in your hand. You can sit at laminated tables and plastic chairs in shops, on pavements, under tin roofs, in poky rooms. You can be seated in upholstered sofas in AC comfort and order gourmet food.

The number of eating places, the choices, the tastes catered to and the ambience of the Chennai restaurants are multifarious offering a mind boggling choice to its regulars. The Amma canteens spread all over Chennai serves a mixed clientele at very reasonable prices. You will see the rag picker and autorickshaw driver eating a plate full of sambhar rice next to a ID badge garlanded IT geek…both relishing the simple but yet healthy food.

With all this food around….Burp! I think I have indigestion.

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5 beaches in the North Canara Coastline

Blog, Destinations - GoroadTrip - June 5, 2016

North Canara or Uttara Karnataka is known as the land of rivers. It has several rivers like Kali, Aghanashini, Sharavati, Gangavali, Varada and Venkatpur running through it. But the region has its own fair share of beaches as well. Some of the more popular ones are:

Rabindranath Tagore Beach:

This beach in Karwar is very popular with tourists for the golden sands and other manmade attractions. It has a recreational park with musical fountains, toy trains, planetarium and aquarium. The sight of the Kali River joining the Arabian Sea at this beach draws people and the sunset view from the Kali Bridge makes for a memorable experience.

Devbagh Beach:

Located eight kilometres from Karwar, this is a private beach. It is a beautiful beach on the Goa-Karnataka border set on the northern side of the Kali River. It is also an island beach facing the sea on one side and the scenic Western Ghats on the other. It is marked by vast stretches of golden sands and lines of casuarina trees.

Gokarna Beach:

Situated right behind Mahabaleshwar Temple, most pilgrims take a dip in the sea here before visiting the temple. The beach is very popular for viewing sunsets. The southern side of the beach has a hillock where a panoramic view of the beach and town can be seen from the top.

Om Beach:

One of the most famous beaches in Gokarna, Om Beach gets its name from its shape that resembles two semi-crescents present in the symbol ‘Om’. At the curve of the symbol a pool is present which is safe to use by even non-swimmers. The beach has to be reached on foot after climbing down about 100 steps from a point on the road. Tourists can get to indulge on some water sports like surfing, water skiing and parasailing.

Murudeshwara Beach:

Murudeshwara is one of the most scenic places of this coastline. It is bordered by the green hills of Western Ghats on one side and the lovely blue waters of the Arabian Sea on the other. The main attraction of the Murudeshwara Beach is the Murudeshwara temple by it and the 123 feet high Shiva statue erected beside it. It is the tallest in Asia and has people spell bound with the backdrop of the sea.

Exploring this stretch of the Arabian Sea is bound to turn out to be quite captivating.

Read Also the beaches in the South Canara’s Coast

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