.

1
I a ' s no zIne
Ind Maga
vel
Tra
www.outlooktraveller.com

May 2017 `100

Holy Trinity
europeparis spain The alps georgia
Cathedral in
Tbilisi, Georgia

+
the list:
whats new
somewhere else? on the old
continent

kerala

8 904150 800003 05 anaida n hola mohalla n uttarakhand mtb challenge

 volume 17
issue 5
Contents
MAY 2017

paris
by Sunil Mehra 46
EUROPE sPEcial

spaiN
by Anita Roy 54
the alps
by Nitin Chaudhary 64
Pilgrims on their
way to the village
georgia &
azerbaijaN
by Prabhu Ghate
72
of Mancha Blanca
on Lanzarote island the list
Whats new in Europe 82
GETTY IMAGES
editor
Contents
88 30
amIt dIxIt
deputy editor
ambIca gulatI
assistant editor
sumeet kesWanI
correspondent
manek s. kohlI
deputy photo editor
shrutI sIngh
senior photographer
Puneet k. PalIWal
designer
gulshan sharma
dtp operator
kuldeeP kalIa

outlooktraveller.com
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bIbek bhattacharya
features writers
PrecIous kameI, snIgdha sharma
contributing writer
uttara gangoPadhyay

librarian
alka guPta

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eXecutive director
IndranIl roy
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vice president
meenakshI akash
senior general manager
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senior manager
salonI Verma
deputy manager
bharat chaWla
brand & marketing
shrutIka deWan
digital team
suhaIl tak, amIt mIshra
chIrag PatnaIk

circulation
national head
anIndya banerjee
asst. general managers

104 112
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VInod kumar (north)
zonal sales manager
arun kumar jha (east)
manager
VInod joshI
manager
104 kerala
shekhar suVarna

ProDuction
Features by Labanya Maitra
general manager
shashank dIxIt 88 hola mohalla 112 uttarakhand mtb challenge
chief manager by Bhanu Devgan by Manek S. Kohli
shekhar kumar Pandey
manager
sudha sharma 92 punjab
deputy manager by Mariellen Ward Mapping history
ganesh sah
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Holy Trinity
PARIS SPAIN THE ALPS GEORGIA

delhi 110029.
Cathedral in
Tbilisi, Georgia

SOMEWHERE ELSE?
THE LIST:
WHATS NEW
ON THE OLD
CONTINENT
16 nseW
KERALA
Cover photograph: 30 hotels
released on 01-05-2017 114 back of the book
8 904150 800003 05 ANAIDA n HOLA MOHALLA n UTTARAKHAND MTB CHALLENGE
ALAMY/INDIAPICTURE
total no. of pages 120 + covers
letters
A' S
IN DI MA GA
TR AV
EL
NO .1 NE
ZI
in the write-up. In short, the
m You may find it surprising that as
www.outlooktraveller.com

information was incomplete

letter of a consultant psychiatrist and stress and outdated.
April 2017 `100

the month management expert, I have made it SANDEEP KUMAR, AMRITSAR

a routine practice to prescribe to my
clients a habit of reading and glancing over the pictures of each m OT not only presents
HIGHER GROUND issue of Outlook Traveller as a stress reduction aid. Not only have reading material with lively
SUMMER HILLS SPECIAL
GANGOTRI
NAG TIBBA
they become regular readers of the magazine, almost all of them photographs, but also
WAYANAD
COORG The stunning
route to
Gaumukh
have reported feeling better since they have laid their hands on material that gives a message.
MUSSOORIE
it. One elderly gentleman whom I have treated for depression Rediscovering Gangotri has
PHOTO ESSAY SOMEWHERE ELSE?

PENELOPE CRUZ n ASHOK DILWALI
m While my anxious wait for
each issue of OT is a recurring
exercise, the traveller in me
keeps craving more even after
leafing through each issue,
although the reader in me is
always satiated. This stems
from the thematic approach
of the magazine. OT brings
us close to varied tourist
destinations all around the
globe by detailing all their
facets. However, as an average
Indian traveller, we tour either
during long weekends or for
three or four days or on typical
journeys which usually last 10
to 12 days. I would thus request
you to consider one such
tour itinerary in each of your
forthcoming issues. Needless to
say, the ones appearing in the
magazine would put popular
CITY ROTTERDAM
COVER STORY NAG TIBBA
once told meDoc, just clutching an edition of OT helps me
n LUTHER 2017 n SHREYAS YOGA RETREAT n SUMMER GEAR 8 904150 800003 04
alleviate all my agonies and despair.
travel outfits to shame.
SHIVAJI CHAKRABORTY, KOLKATA
m Your feature on Gangotri
(Into the Silence, April 17) left
me wanting to visit Gangotri
again. But I have reservations
about your statement of
inviting non-religious people to
come and stuff their faces with
food. I dont want to generalise
but those who will go to a
holy place just to eat would
in all likelihood be the loud
and boisterous type playing
obnoxious music to disturb the
tranquillity of the place. There
are umpteen beautiful places
in India where they can go.
Pilgrims to holy places would
like the sanctity of these places
provided new dimensions to
the silent valley. It is not only
DR SILADITYA RAY, EMAIL pious, having ancient stories,
but also a place of peace.
The magazine has a strong
to be maintained. research base and from its
APARNA PAL, EMAIL archives alone can present a
consolidated and panoramic
m Im an avid reader of OT and view of the real India in any
love every bit of the magazine. of the upcoming special
It was indeed nice to see a lot issues. Recently, I visited
of India in the April issue. The Varanasi, where I watched a
best part was the Gangotri foreigner carry OT as a guide.
write-up. After such a long It entrusted my faith in print
time, it was a pleasure to see journalism. In the modern
one of the Char Dhams being era, where electronic media
featured. I wish you would do is spreading its wings, the
stories on the other Dhams too. magazine maintaining the no. 1
However, you didnt provide position is a point to be noted.
any route map to the place. He- AKHILESH KUMAR SAH, FAIZABAD
licopter services are available
for the pilgrims, but you did not
of the
mention anything about them letter WInS!
either. Additionally, neither month
the historical nor the religious
Traveller Traveller
importance was referredgetaways
to
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Pradesh
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The Goat Village appears
material, including photographs.
golden as the sun sets

8 outlook traveller MaY 2017

 ot 05/ 17 insider

For what must be one oF the oldest travel

letter destinations in the world, europe, quite improbably,
from keeps coming up with new attractions, offerings, destinations and
the experiences each year. at OT, we like to keep track, and our europe
issue is always a mix of old favourites and new frontiers. For a fairly
editor large chunk of humanity, Paris is the centre of the universe and, after
reading sunil mehras breathless ode (p. 46), i was reminded why.
nitin Chaudharys meditative drive through the alps (p. 64), reconnecting with family,
brings a whole new perspective to travel. weve all discovered a new love for spain, after
evan spiegel, snapchats otherwise reticent Ceo, allegedly clubbed it together with us.
anita roy went looking for nature with a capital n there, but found herself on a culinary
pilgrimage instead (p. 54). at least, i know where im headed next.
if europe is surprising, eastern europe is extra special, several notches higher, in fact,
in respect to the sort of immersive, experiential travel we all lust after these days. so
thats our prize pick this issue right thereGeorgia and azerbaijan, two countries that
seem to have been needlessly coy about their offerings (p. 72). Georgia, in particular,
has taken my breath away, with its scenic setting in the deep embrace of the Caucasus
mountains. ive also discovered Georgian polyphonic singing, to the consternation of
my long-suffering colleagues. in spite of a bad last year in more ways than one, theres
lots more happening in europe this year and well bring you right up to speed with the
buzz, our europe listicle (p. 82).
@omitdixit AMIT DIXIT
Madrids Plaza Mayor (top); and sunny Ibiza

contributors#

anita roy is currently
attempting to squeeze in an
MA in Nature Writing be-
tween meals. Since moving
back to the UK from Delhi
in 2015, she spends her
time in mourning for proper
tandoori roti, naan, gobi
parathas, etc. Shes very
grateful to Eugenia Angulos
invaluable inputs for her
story (A Taste of Tapas).
Mariellen Ward
is a travel writer and
digital storyteller. Though
Canadian by birth, Mariellen
considers India to be her
soul culture and has spent
several years travelling
across the country. Splitting
her time between Delhi and
Toronto, she manages to
write a lot about India on her
blog breathedreamgo.com.
Prabhu Ghate has After 20-plus years in leader-
visited about 120 countries, ship positions with corpo-
and is still counting. His rates, bhanu deVGan quit
recent book By Thumb, in 2016 to focus on his first
Hoof and Wheel: Travels in lovephotography. He has
the Global South is full of been making images since
suggestions on new and 2008 with a focus on wildlife,
offbeat destinations. He is landscapes and travel. His
based in Delhi. images can be accessed at
bhanudevgan.com.
ashok dilWali is a
renowned photo-artist of
the lofty Himalayas. He
has travelled extensively in
Europe and USA and claims
that his biggest achieve-
ment has been to bring the
grandeur of the Himalayas
to millions of homes and
offices through various
publications.

10 outlook traveller may 2017

 m A rc o
A S K
The Castellan Tower
at the Belgrade
Fortress
Our daughter is going on a student
exchange programme to Serbia
in August this year. We want to
drop her to Serbia and before that
we wish to club it with a tour. Can
you guide us on the best places to
travel around Serbia in the latter
half of July so we can first travel,
drop our daughter to Serbia and
then return to Mumbai? We love
bustling places, nature, history,
culture, anything intriguing. We
travel on a budget. Will a Eurail
pass be cheaper? Does it make
sense for us to travel by night and
explore places by day?
pranesh shroff, mumbai
What fun. Serbia, part of the
erstwhile Yugoslavia, and its
neighbouring countries all offer
rich pickings for the curious
traveller. The country shares
borders with Hungary, Romania
and Bulgaria to the north and
12 outlook traveller MaY 2017
east, and with Croatia, Bosnia
and Montenegro to the west. All
of these have become popular
travel destinations. I cant begin
to offer you a plan, because
its unclear to me whether by
travel around Serbia you mean
travel within Serbia or outside,
or indeed both. I suggest you
chalk out a plan based on which
city youll be flying intosince
there are no direct flights from
Mumbai to Serbian capital
Belgrade. You mention that you
travel on a budget, in which case
the cheapest flights will probably
be via either Dubai or Istanbul
to Belgrade. If your point
of entry into Europe is
Belgrade you can create
a plan focussed on
travelling around
Serbia and maybe
include a trip to
neighbouring
Croatia. On
marco polo's troubleshooting guide
an expensive continent, Serbia
is still among the cheapest
places to explore and travel in.
Belgrade is a bustling, chaotic but
charming city; base yourself here
and explore the smaller towns,
including lovely Novi Sad and
Subotica, as well as Nis.
If, on the other hand, you find
yourself flying into, say, Vienna
(Austria and Serbia have Hungary
between them), you could plan
an itinerary that involves train
travel from Vienna via Budapest
to Belgrade. Typical travel plans
for this region include: 1) Vienna-
Budapest-Belgrade (connected
by Eurail on a day or overnight
train) 2) Vienna-Lake Bled
(Slovenia)-Split (Croatia).
There are also plenty of
night-train itineraries for
travel in the region. Train
travel in Europe is not like
what we know in Indiaits
efficient, on time, but not
GETTY IMAGES
inexpensive. So its not a given
that night trains will lower costs
of accommodation. Remember,
too, that you will have to pay for
berth reservation over and above
the cost of a Eurail Pass (impera-
tive to reserve in advance, since
youll be travelling in peak tourist
season). See eurail.com/en/europe-
by-train/night-trains, to understand
the panoply of options.
I suggest you compare and
contrast the train option to bus
for prices. There is, by the way, a
brand-new bus service between
Serbia and Croatia. There are
two routes on offer: one, between
Belgrade and Split and the other
between Belgrade and Zadar (see
getbybus.com/en/blog/new-bus-routes-
between-serbia-and-croatia/).
We are a couple looking to have
a driving holiday in July. Should
we do Iceland or Greenland?

Driving in scenic Iceland;
and (below) Disney World
never falls out of favour
Magnificent landscapes and
some light hiking are our things.
We have 7-8 days to spare. If
Greenland, can you recommend
a local agent? Iceland seems to
have many.
parvathy, mumbai
Greenland is an exciting
destination but theres a bit of a
hitch with your idea of having a
driving holiday therethere are
no roads! Hard to picture, but
then, this is a land like no other.
Sparsely inhabited, mainly in its
southern reaches, travel between
towns (settlements, really) is by
plane, helicopter or boat. Even
getting to the country involves
flying in via either Iceland (from
Reykjavik to the capital Nuuk or
to Kulusuk in East Greenland)
or Denmark (Copenhagen to
Kangerlussuaq).
So, if youre set on a driving
holiday to either of these coun-
tries, Iceland it will have to be.
Travel around Iceland
is safe and easy; and
the official tourism
website has detailed in-
formation on how to set
about planning a driving
holiday as well as terrain
issues to be kept in mind
while driving. You wont
need an agent to organise
this for you. Simply choose
a car rental company (can
be done online) and chalk
14 outlook traveller MaY 2017
GETTY IMAGES
out your own itinerary. Spend
some time exploring at visiticeland.
com/plan-your-trip/getting-around/
driving-in-iceland.
I am travelling to Washington
DC with my parents and seven-
year-old daughter to attend
my sisters convocation in May
2017. We will have two weeks for
sightseeing, with Washington DC
as the base. Apart from visiting
DCs museums and monuments,
Boston, New York and the
ubiquitous Niagara Falls tour
what else can we do within reach
of DC? My daughter really wants
to visit Disney World in Florida,
but can I fit in a two-day trip,
including travel? It would break
her heart if I didnt!
roshni ganesh, chennai
You have two weeks, want
to explore Washington
DC, as well as visit New York
City, Boston, Niagara Falls and
Orlando? No time for anything
more! Heres why: DC to NYC is
a 3hr30min bus ride away. NYC
to Boston another 3hr30min by
road. Boston to Buffalo (for the
USA side of the Niagara Falls) is
an hour-and-a-half by air. Buffalo
to Orlando (for Disney World)
is a 2hr30min flight. And return
to Washington DC a 2hr15min
flight. Thats a lot of travelling in
two weeks, especially if you have
elderly parents and a young child
in tow. If you dont want to break
your daughters heart, I suggest
that you prune your ambitious
plan. Throw out one destination;
which one is to be sacrificed
depends on your inclinations.
For instance, if natural wonders
are your thing rather than
cities, remove Boston from your
itinerary, or if you have strong
feelings about visiting Boston,
dont attempt Niagara Falls. Im
treating DC, NYC and Orlando as
must-dos for you. Add only one
more destinationif you must!
My husband and I are planning
a two-week trip abroad during
August/September this year,
with a budget of `3-4 lakh. We
are in our late 20s and will be
celebrating our first anniversary
in September. We would love
to include Paris, Venice and
Switzerland, but dont want it
to be just another sightseeing
trip. We had been to Mauritius
on our honeymoon, booked
through a tour operator and
those seven days were hectic.
Not something you look forward
to in a honeymoon. We
would like to explore
places through local tour
operators and still have
some quality time for
ourselves. Is August-end/
September a good time to
visit Europe? Also what
are the must-visit spots
to enjoy the best of it?
ashwathi
raghavan, email
Its my belief that
tour operators are
to be used only if you are a) a
risk-averse traveller, b) you dont
have the time or energy to plan
a holiday, c) budget is an issue
and you feel youre getting a good
deal, or d) youre travelling to an
obscure place with poor tourist
infrastructure. If none of these
is the case, go the independent
route. When you plan your travel
by researching, discussing pros
and cons of the options available,
there will be surprises in store
and plenty of together time
gaineditself rather romantic!
Since you already have a list of
destinations youd like to visit in
mind, youre already on the road.
Paris, Venice and Switzerland are
visitor favourites, fully geared to
make tourism easy and enjoyable.
For all of these, a whole host of
local guided tourswalking tours,
excursions, city sightseeing by
coach or private vehicleare
available online. Just ask Google.
Your role is to shortlist what
interests you particularly and
organise your time to take in
those activities. For instance,
theres no point dragging yourself
to the Louvre if youre deeply
bored by art; equally, it would be
tragic to not take a food tour of
Paris if food is a special interest.
Recommended walking tour
agencies include paris-walks.com
and walksinsidevenice.com.
Switzerland, that ultimate tour-
ist haven, is usefully detailed at
the official website, myswitzerland.
com. You might also want to check
out airbnb.com for options in these
cities rather than hotels; staying
in homes will give you a taste of
local lifewander down to buy
freshly baked breakfast goodies,
check out neighbourhood pubs,
discover quiet corners... Much
more funand it wont be just
another sightseeing trip!
July, August and September are
peak tourist months for much of
Europe. If you must travel at this
time, choose September, when,
if youre lucky, the crowds might
begin to thin out.
Travel confusion? Email mpolo@outlook
india.com. Please note that Marco
will reply to selected questions only in
the magazine.
 edited by m anek s. kohli

NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST

Theres incredible detailing in all of

Gulliver Gates miniatures

16 outlook traveller may 2017

18 souvenir 19 say goodbye to boring train journeys
20 anaida on cooking as an art 22 instatravel
24 the professional 26 gearbox

new york city

off to lilliput
I
magine a good part of the world
complete with monuments,
attractions and well-known buildings,
streets and Lilliputian figurines
made to fit in an area about the
size of a small New York City
block. Gullivers Gate is the citys new
$40 million attraction and it contains
landmark attractions from 50 nations.
Located in the iconic Times Square,
the 49,000 sq ft exhibit allows you to
experience everything from Iguaz Falls
in Argentina to our Taj Mahal. These
miniatures have also been made as
interactive as possiblefor instance,
in the London section, the visitors can
enjoy The Beatles in an outdoor stadium
representing the citys concert culture.
Using the same scale that model
railroading usually uses (the HO scale or
1/87th the size of the original structure)
and with every human figurine about 0.8
inches tall, theres great detailing and
some surprises for those with a keener
eye. Eiran Gazit, President & CEO of
Gullivers Gate, who presided over the
similar 14-acre Mini Israel, has worked
on the project for over four years. Tickets
for adults: $36; open all seven days from
9am to 10pm; see gulliversgate.com.

outlook traveller may 2017 17

 PUNEET K. PALIWAL

souvenir
cock-a-doodle-doo
The RoosTeR of BaRcelos is a legendaRy figuRe in PoRTugal. There are many versions of the medieval tale, but in all of
them a dead rooster crows to prove a mans innocence. What could be nicer? one of the commonest emblems of Portugal, the rooster,
predictably, appears all over goa, especially adorning the tops of little homes. its traditional for them to be coloured vividly, unlike my
humble, terracotta version which i picked up at the sprawling and delightful Mapusa Market in north goa. i had to settle for a small
cock, weighed down as my other hand was with a rich haul of local spices and condiments. its a candle stand, i guess. i cant remember
the last time i used one, but i hope itll come in handy when i have to prove my innocence. n amit dixit

q&a with dr. rajat chauhan

no pain, only gain
What is the premise behind your
book, The Pain Handbook?
a very basic one there is no
health or care, but only industry,
in the healthcare industry. doc-
tors dont listen to patients. Too
many investigations like X-rays
and MRis are done, which is just
the opposite of what international
guidelines suggest today. My ob-
jective has been to empower the
sufferer with knowledge about his
own body.
How does one handle pain while
travelling? Are there any special
precautions one can take?
The trick is to be mobile and not
in any one posture for very long.
on long flights, take an aisle seat
so you can get up every 20-30min
without disturbing anyone. during
long drives, stop or ask to stop
the car every 30-45min and
stretch and move a bit.
carrying a couple of hand
towels comes in handy too. if
there is back pain, a rolled up
towel can be put behind the lower
back pain. if there is neck or
upper pain, the same towel can
be put like a cervical collar around
the neck.
Picking up heavy bags during
flights is not a very good idea.
never have your wallet in your
back pocket and have your back-
packs on both shoulders. ladies
handbags need to be lighter.
Any exercises one can do
while travelling as a preventive
measure?
While lying down, bring your
knees to your chest, hold for a
second or two, and back again.
While sitting, bend forwards
from your middle and lower back,
bringing your nose to knees. feel
the stretch and then go back.
Then raise your arms up all the
way and imagine youre growing
tall. Repeat 710 times every 20
30 min. cross your hands across
your chest and rotate to either
side. do all the movements only
as far as you are comfortable.
Endurance sports like marathon-
ing and cycling are rising in
popularity. As an ultra-mara-
thoner yourself, how would you Most folks want to start sud-
suggest newbies prepare for denly after being complete slobs
these sports? for 23 decades. What is needed
When it comes to exercise for is a sound foundation to build
health, broadly speaking there are on. if now running is your love,
three pillarsstrength, cardiovas- strength training is your mother-
cular and stretching. in cardiovas- in-law. To do justice to your
cular, 30-45 minutes are ample running, it is important to be in
for health. half-, full- or ultra- the good books of the mother-
marathons are done for passion, in-law. also, dont build up long
not health. so, no, long distance distances suddenly. start with
cycling or running is not neces- baby steps. at the end of the day,
sary for everyone. But everyone is you should be miling and smiling
capable of doing it. at the same time.

18 outlook traveller may 2017

 aRUNaCHal PRaDEsH
mUSiC & more
A runachal Pradesh is investing to
become the adventure and exotic
tourism hub of India. We are looking
at a growth of 20 per cent in the next
three years, said Dr Joram Beda, state
Secretary of Tourism, at the Arunachal
Pradesh Tourism Conclave 2017 in Delhi.
Among the better-known festivals in
the state are the Ziro Festival of Music
(pic), Tawang Festival, Arunachal Spring
Carnival, Adventure@Mechuka and the
Kameng River Festival. The state is also
home to over 500 different species of
orchids. The tourism department is also
giving a boost to eco-tourism, kayaking,
whitewater rafting and treks.

iNDiaN RailWays
Hail tHe rail
F or those who enjoy travelling by train, Indian Railways has new luxury
additions. A new Vistadome air-conditioned coach has been added
to the VisakhapatnamKirandul passenger train. Flagged off by Railways
Minister Suresh Prabhu, it has huge windows, an observation lounge,
a GPS-based information screen, glass roofs and LED lights. With this,
the 128km experience of travelling between Visakhapatnam and Araku
Valley hill station is expected to become dreamlike. The other exciting
development is the luxury chair compartment Anubhuti for Shatabdi
Express trains (pic). Slated to become a part of the trains by the end
of 2017, these coaches cost `2.9 crore each and feature a GPS-based
information system, toilet occupancy indicators and LED lighting.

malaysia
vroom vroom
T he penultimate edition of the Formula 1 PETRONAS Malaysia
Grand Prix will be held in Sepang from September 29 to October
1. To ensure that more people get to see the 19th edition of this race,
the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) and Malaysia Airlines are
offering special airfares starting at `43,999. Standard ticket prices
for the Grand Prix range from MYR58.68 for a Hillstand K2 ticket to
MYR613.68 for a Main Grandstand ticket. If you miss it, there is the
Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix 2017 (Oct 2729), which is the
penultimate race in the MotoGP calendar. Visit sepangcircuit.com/tickets.

outlook traveller MaY 2017 19

NSEW fellow traveller

Which is your favourite song? Has a place ever

inspired you to burst into a song or made you
spontaneously write lyrics?
Aint Nobody by Chaka Khan is one of them; theres
something so cool about that song. Places have
inspired me many times. Beautiful places, powerful-
energy places, dense-energy placesall inspire some
of the best lyrics or melodies that I have created.
Those are always the best because its not really you,
its more like something flowing through you.

Which places are on your bucket list and why?

Its a very long list; its filled all the buckets and has
spilled over to my tub also.

What are some of the places that make you happy?

Vast green fields near lakes, empty clean beaches,
mountaintops and flower valleys. I love certain
historical places around the world. Majestic artistic
structuresancient temples in India, elaborately
designed mosques in the Middle East, old churches

ANAIdA pop singer in Europe and museums. There are so many beautiful
places to feel happy in and around. Top to bottom: Anaida
admires the elaborate
What can we find in your travel bag? designs of the Middle

ONE WITH TRAVEL Appropriate clothes and shoes for the specific trip,
toiletries, gear for whatever sports or adventure if
relevant, my iPod and a book.
n ambica gulati
Easts mosques; her iPod
is a travel essential; and
she finds ancient tem-
ples in India majestic
Which are your favourite places in India and abroad?
I love discovering new places, so wherever I am visiting
is my current favourite place.

What does travel bring to your life?

...Or one could focus on the life one brings to travel.

Who is your favourite travel companion?

Mr Google Mapsone of the best inventions ever! Ill
never break up with it.

You recently organised a Persian pop-up at the

SodaBottleOpenerWala restaurant, giving people
a taste of what people from that region eat. This
is so different from music. How does cooking
bring fulfilment?
Art is my passion and as you keep training with one
form of art, you get inspired to try a new form, learn
another craft and find a fresh avenue to express
yourself. It is very fulfilling. I love cooking and wellness
and in this pop-up I got to cover both. I have always felt
that cooking is an art. After this experience I have even
more respect for it. Its a pretty powerful medium.

Beautiful places, powerful-energy places, dense-

energy placesall inspire some of the Best lyrics
or melodies that i have created
20 outlook traveller MaY 2017
Disney

With Disneyland Park turning spectacularly sparkly to

celebrate its 25th Anniversary, there has never been a
better time to visit Disneyland Paris. From world-class
entertainment and attractions to encounters with famous
Disney Characters, just one trip here will give you a whole
Disney
Disney

lifetime of magical memories.

NEW! Disney Stars on Parade NEW! Time limited Disney Character moments

Its all tantalisingly close to Paris perfect for a day trip.

Disney & 2017 Lucasfilm Ltd

Yet should you feel like magnifying the magic a night in a

Disney Hotel is the dream ticket.

For more information, contact your local agency.

NEW! Star Wars takes over Space Mountain
 Dave & Deb are the
adventure couple NSEW instatravel
behind The Planet D (@

#landscape
theplanetd). They have
been travelling for the
past eight years, before
which they spent their days
getting bogged down by #splendidsights
#adventurelust
a mundane routine. Ever
since they discovered their
passion for travel, they have
been all overbe it to the
moonlike Cappadocia or a
sun-kissed Peruvian desert. five instagrammers we
liked this month

The @youngadventuress,
Liz Carlson, was an English
teacher five years ago.
Today, the New Zealand-
based American is a well-
known travel blogger and
Instagrammer, with over
183k followers. She travels
around the world, clicking
photographs, capturing hills
and the star-studded night
sky. Many of her pictures
document the beautiful
hillscape of New Zealand.

Callum Snape of @calsnape is an instagiant. The Canadian

does a great job bringing sports and adventure elements into
his photographs. One look at them and you know that hes
scaled a steep cliff or two to reach the vantage point. More
often than not, he captures a visual spectacle.

With over 704k followers, With over 2.5 million

photographer Daniel Kordan followers, there are few who
(@danielkordan) has some challenge Chris Burkards
of the most painting-like (@chrisburkard) Instagram
landscape photographs you popularity. The self-taught
will find. Growing up in a photographer has three films
lake region near Moscow, to his name already, with a
Daniel was always exposed fourth underway. He covers
to some picturesque many genres centering on
surroundings. Perhaps that travel and landscapes. Notice
helped him develop a flair for how his photographs are not
photography. artificially vivid, but capture
light as it is.
NSEW the professional

How did the idea of Planet Abled come about? Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, What are your future plans? Where are
My personal, not-so-good travel experiences Kerala, etc. Till now, nearly 100 travellers you planning your next trip?
as a daughter of parents with disabilities led have been with us on our various tours. We are focusing on the travel circuits that
to the inception of Planet Abled. My father we currently have in our bouquet. We
is blind and my mother a wheelchair user, What kind of training do you give to the people will add more destinations as and when
but we are all fond of travelling. There were who work with you? we make them feasible for a wonderful
often instances when we travelled 2,000 There are certain values Planet Abled has accessible tour. As for the next trip, we
miles only to discover that the place is not inculcated right from the beginning, namely are again coming up with a rafting tour in
disabled-friendly. And, of course, insensitivity empathy, dignity of travellers and self-respect. Rishikesh, along with a few local tours of
and sympathy often meant barriers. There Building on this, we train our people on the different kinds. Later in the year, we will
came a point nearly four years back when various behaviourial and communication offer a road trip to Leh which will be open
our parents stopped travelling, saying that aspects pertaining to the travellers disability. for everyone.
it was too much hassle for us (my sister We provide medical assistance as well.  n ambica gulati
and me) and that they were unable to enjoy
themselves. That hit me hard. I thought that
if we were facing this issue, others might
also be feeling the same. When I looked for
solutions there were none. I could not have
waited till eternity for someone to solve this
Herculean problem. I did my homework and
research for nearly two years before taking
the plunge in Nov 15, and left my job to start
Planet Abled in Jan 16.

What has been the response to this?

The response has been overwhelming, to say
the least. A 70-year-old lady, who had been
with us on some of the tours, asked for a
rafting tour. A blind government officer from
Guwahati gifted himself a solo travel trip
across Uttarakhand on his birthday. These
have been inspiring.

What were the main things that you kept in

mind when starting this venture?
Planet Ableds mission is to make people
with disabilities overcome their limitations
and enjoy mainstream leisure and travel. The
main concept on which Planet Abled is based
is Universal Design. The focus is on people
with disabilities of all kinds and making them
a single group. Planet Abled is an egalitarian
platform where everyone travels together. No
such travel service existed in the world where
you have a deaf person travelling with a
wheelchair user or with a co-traveller without
a disability. Then customisation of the tour
for each disability was another innovation
because each person had specific preferences
and needs. Also, for a person with a disability
or their family and friends, travelling to
unknown territories raises many questions.
With Planet Abled we want to give these
a r o ra
ha
individuals the freedom to travel no matter
what their disability might be.
n e n d er , p l a n e t
a ble
d

What kind of tours do you operate and what fo u

kind of group do you normally get? d.com,
netable
We do all sorts of tourslocal city tours, 1 , t r a vel@pla
228 om
wellness tours or adventure tours like rafting, 91004 lanetabled.c
+91-9 p
ziplining and trekking. Then there are tours
to places in Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh,
PUNEET K. PALIWAL

24 outlook traveller may 2017

Amazing packages starting
at 23,000 plus taxes
NSEW Gearbox

mirror-less monster adidas swimming goggles

Summer is nigh and that means more trips to
the swimming pool. Keep your eyes protected
with Adidass new swimming goggles. Made
with 100% silicone, thermoplastic rubber or
polycarbonate, they are available for both kids
and adults. Product promises: a crystal-clear
view of the underwater, ergonomic fitting and
easy strap-on. From `499; adidas.co.in

speedo beach shorts

For many, swimwear begins and ends with
Speedo. Their beach shorts collectionfor
boys and menfeatures either simple shades
or printed patterns. While some variants have
elasticised waistbands for comfort, others
panasonic lUmix dc-gh5 feature drawstrings. All are water-resistant
and quick-drying. From `949; speedo.com
The new Lumix GH5, its maker Panasonic claims, is the first mirror-less camera capable of recording
4k videos to an SD card. The GH5 comes loaded with featuresin addition to 4k video, the 20.3 meg-
apixel camera supports 6K PHOTO, which means stunning and detailed photographs. It also claims
an autofocus speed of 0.05 second and the ability to capture 12 continuous photographs per second.
The build, too, is stunning, considering that it assures a splash-, dust- and freeze-proof design. Finally,
the Bluetooth and wi-fi connectivity-enabled camera has a 3,680k-dot OLED viewfinder, which will
allow you to frame that shot even in harsh light. The DC-GH5 body is priced at `1,43,990; panasonic.com

corUm golden bridge rectangle

Designer Dino Modolo of the brand Di Modolo, which designs gold and silver jewel-
lery, has revamped the elegant and classic Corum Golden Bridge Rectangle. Unlike
the one created back in 1980, the Rectangle is up to 30m water resistant and a far
more ergonomic wear. Unveiled during Baselworld 2017, one of the worlds biggest
jewellery and watch fairs, this rose gold watch looks opulent, especially with the
loral paris UV perfect
18-carat gold structures surrounding the dials calibre that depicts six roman numer- New offering from French cosmetic company,
LOral: Paris UV Perfect has a sun protection
als. These make it resemble an actual bridge. The gold micro structures suspended
factor (SPF) of 50, which means more effective
between the panes of sapphire crystal add to the shine and adhere to the rectangu- blocking of harmful ultraviolet A rays and pre-
lar shape dictated by the case. Price on request; watchtime.com vention of sunburns. It also has PA+++, which
means it should be just as effective in blocking
ultraviolet B rays. `1,650; loreal.co.in

26 outlook traveller May 2017

 Outlook
Traveller
Awards
2017

stAtE PARtNERs AssOCiAtE PARtNERs

HOsPitAlity PARtNER CElEBRAtiONs PARtNER WEllNEss PARtNER

AUTHENTIC AYURVEDA

sPARkliNg PARtNER CHilliNg PARtNER

Only the best in travel stand

a chance tO win
15 Jury Awards - 11 Readers Picks - 2 Editors Choice Awards
One memorable evening filled with soulful journeys
April 28 | Roseate House, New Delhi
E n t r y b y i n v i tat i o n o n ly
BE REsPONsiBlE. ENtRy PERmittED tO guEsts ABOvE tHE AgE Of 25 yEARs
 travel promotion
discoveriNG
south korea
Safe, Secure and fun, the country
haS Something for everyone
W hats better than seeing new
lands? Nothing, and its even
better when you are out on your own
and going to a country where women
can travel alone without any worries.
South Korea has the fourth largest
economy in Asia. And you can see the
affluence as you walk through the
streets of capital city Seoul. Replete
with shopping arcades, streets, food
hubs, corporate houses and arts, the
city is breathtaking for any traveller.
The nation is well-known for its beauty
products and you can figure that out
from the way women look here, as you
walk past shop after shop through Seoul
and Busan. Built around the coast,
Busan is called the summer capital of
the country and home to some fine
beaches and luxury hotels.
Shopping: The major areas in Busan
are Seomyeon, Gwangbok-dong,
Busan Dae Hakap in Jangjeon-dong,
and Centum City in Haeundae-gu.
Even the Seomyeon subway station
houses a large number of underground
shops, selling clothing and footwear.
It is a place to bargain. products,
predominately clothing and footwear.
The Seomyeon Medical Street has
over 160 cosmetic and medical clinics.
Bujeon market is said to be the largest
traditional market. If you want a taste
of traditional family recipes, then check
the Gwangbok-dong, Nampo-dong and
Jungang-dong areas. Luxury stores can
be found at Centum City.
In Seoul, the choice grows wider and
the four major districts for shopping are:
Myeongdong (known as the Orchard
Road), Dongdaemun where most shops
close at 5am, Hongdae shopping area
around Hongik University is good for
affordable clothing and other things and
then there is the Ewha shopping area
around Ewha Womens University.
Museums: Steeped in culture and
history, the nation is home to many
good museums. To name some, National
Museum of Korea opened in 1945 when
Korea gained independence from Japan,
Leeum Samsung Museum of Art run
by the Samsung Foundation of
Culture, National Folk Museum of
Korea, War Memorial of Korea,
National Palace Museum of
Korea, Seoul Museum of
History, Kimchi Museum
which is a centre of
knowledge about
kimchi.
More attractions: Among the more
bustling places in Busan, the central
neighbourhood of Bujeon is the
marketplace to visit. Streets and alleys
are full of everything that a person could
need, right from household goods and
electronics to clothing, bakeries, even
octopuses and squids and other items.
The best parteverything is at pocket-
friendly prices.
Among the major attractions is the N
Seoul Tower located on Mount Namsan.
The view from here is remarkable and
one can reach it by cable car. There is a
souvenir shop and place to eat. Lotte
World is the largest indoor amusement
park in the world, located in Seoul. The
many rides include ice skating, gondola
boat ride, a mini rollercoaster and more.
For outdoor lovers, there are many
inviting places such as the Yeouido
Outdoor Pool by the Han River, Nanji
Camping Ground in Seoul where you
can enjoy BBQ by the river or hike to Mt
Bukhan. There are many yacht cruises
across Busan and Seoul too. But this
is not the final list. The country offers
a delectable mix of the traditional and
modern and there are endless things to
experience here.
The 7ft x 4ft pod might
lack space but has all the
contraptions essential for
a millennials survival

SUMEET KESWANI

hotels
check out 30 urbanpod, mumbai 32 jaisalmer mariott
resort & spa 34 Golden ecowood, sakleshpur
38 the terraces, kanatal

[ check out ]

one pea in each pod

Designed for the modern traveller, Urbanpod in Mumbai offers a singular experiential stay on a
budget. Sumeet Keswani signs up for a day in a pod to see what the futuristic fuss is all about

I
know its a dream when I see engi-
neered butterflies and bees pollinating
the planet in algorithmic routes. The
atmosphere is so clear you can see the
moons circling the planet. Thirteen of
them. I count them thrice, just to be sure.
A fall into a crater breaks my delusion. I
wake up inside a capsule. Just the right
size to fit my supine self snugly, the pod
is full of contraptions illuminated an
ethereal blue. Am I still dreaming, a dream
within another? It takes a while to find my
bearings. Time and space slowly fold into a
continuum and the laws of physics return
to their familiar state.
Its 6am. I never left Earth.
The moment I had entered my 7 ft by 4
ft pod at Urbanpod Hotel, Mumbai, the
previous day, it had reminded me of Chris
Pratts reel journey through space. In Pas-
sengers, 5,000 people sign up to spend 120
years of their lives on board a spacecraft,
Avalon, which is headed to a colonised
world light years away from Earth. Hiber-
nation pods dont let them age a day during
this period. Very convenient, Hollywood.
Much like the movie, a pod at Urbanpod
serves the primary purpose of sleeping in
for modern travellers. A substitute for a
traditional room, the pod might lack space
but has all the essential devices, and then
some, for survival. Primarily made out
of ABS polymer and glass panels, it has a

30 outlook traveller MaY 2017


rim-lit circular mirror that would be more
at home in a space shuttle or a submarine.
The 6 ft by 3ft bed is soft and snug, with
a duvet and two pillows. A plasma TV is
embedded in the glass panel facing the
pillows; a headphone ensures entertain-
ment in absolute silence. With 12 to 18
pods stacked in two tiers in each room, the
absence of speakers is a blessing.
A charging point, two USB ports, a lock-
er, a smoke detector and fire extinguisher,
and a digital clock-calendar have all been
elegantly accommodated. The brightness
levels of the ceiling light, mirror light, and
two reading lights can be adjusted with
touch pads. One things for surethis is
the fanciest bed Ill ever sleep in (unless I
score that one-way ticket to Mars).
To the millennial traveller, Urbanpod
offers a unique staying experience. To the
frugal backpacker or airline passenger in
transit, it provides a bed for the night at a
very affordable cost. Co-founder Hiren
Gandhi says it aims to bridge the gap
between four-star hotels and lower rated
ones. Here, you get all the basic services
a bed, wi-fi, breakfast, hygiene and good
servicewithout having to pay for any-
thing extra or compromising on quality.
But living in a pod requires some mini-
malism. Theres no space to keep anything
on the bedside except perhaps a cell phone
and a bottle of water. Theres a locker in
the roomone for each pod which is just
about big enough to fit my backpack. Any
SUMEET KESWANI
other luggage goes into a cloak room near
the reception. Shoes, too, need to be tucked
into a shoe locker before entering the
lobby area. While that ensures the shared
rooms do not stink, it makes trips to the
shared bathrooms (24 of them between
140 pods) an uncomfortable experience.
Foreign tourists are used to pod hotels
and know the drill, Im told. In fact, the
founders got the idea for Urbanpod after
staying in a pod hotel in Singapore. But for
Indiansused to an abundance of living
space and attached bathroomsthis life-
style will take some reorientation.
Smart cards are the only way to access
everythingthe pods entry through a
steel-plate door, its power supply, the
lockers and even the lobby. Still in its in-
fancyit launched on March 1Urbanpod
hasnt perfected its access cards though. It
takes three cards to finally unlock my pod.
When I return at night, a mechanical issue
locks me out for a while. The experience
has me conjuring up dramatic entrapment
and escape scenarios. In the absence of an
emergency call bell, I note down the recep-
tion number. Just in case.
The cafeteria, open from 6am to 10pm,
serves a daily rotating la carte menu
of seven veg and non-veg dishes each,
and a breakfast buffet. It compensates
for the lack of sunlight in the pods with
huge French windows that overlook the
busy streets of Andheri. Potted plants,
leaf-green walls and wall-art featuring
The cafeteria has a soothing ambience; and
(right) 12-16 pods populate each room
flora lend it a soothing ambience. Like
the pods which are clustered in rooms,
the caf seating is designed to catalyse
interaction between travellers.
There isnt much to do inside the hotel
so I spend the day visiting my favourite
Mumbai haunts, returning only at night
for a dose of futuristic dreams. The pods
here might not help you age slower or
make intergalactic travel possible, but
if you need a co-living space or feel like
hibernatingexploring the glamorous
streets of B-town during the day and
vanishing in a self-sustaining cocoon
at nightthis is the place to try. (Unless
youre claustrophobic, of course.)
The informaTion
LOCATION First Floor, Opus Park, MIDC
Central Road, Andheri East, Mumbai. Its
about 4.4km from the international airport
and 6km from the domestic airport
ACCOMMODATION 140 pods, including
106 general classic pods, 18 pods in a Ladies-
only room (with three exclusive wash-
rooms), 6 private pods (a window-facing
classic pod with private entry), and 10 suite
pods (small rooms with a queen-size bed for
double occupancy)
TARIFF A classic pod costs `1,885 per night,
private pod `2,400, and suite pod `3,825
(includes breakfast and wi-fi, taxes extra).
CONTACT +91-7400486116, theurbanpod.com
outlook traveller MaY 2017 31
The resort is a destination in itself
with its water features and yellow
sandstone structure
[ check out ]
An oAsis of cAlm
The golden ambience of the Jaisalmer Marriott Resort & Spa weaves a magical spell,
and Ambica Gulati found her worries melting away
Z
ooming past the colourful stalls,
vegetable and fruit carts and
swaying camels, the driver re-
galed me with stories of Rajast-
han. We were on our way to the
Jaisalmer Marriott Resort & Spa from the
Jodhpur airport. Through the five-hour
journey, the driver kept me engrossed with
tales of Mandore fort, Osian temples, the
revered Ramdevra temple and the famous
small town of Pokhran where the nuclear
tests had been conducted in 1974 and 1998.
Flames of curiosity had risen full force
but the sun was going down. There was
no time for diversions for the road wasnt
smooth. The conversation turned to snakes
32 outlook traveller MaY 2017
and superstitions until I spotted a peacock.
A short stop at a small teashop and we
reached our destination in the darkness
of night. The welcoming sound of drums
and the shower of petals brought me out
of my reverie. A colourful Rajasthani stole
around my neck, a glass of lemonade to
quench my thirst and a short chat with my
hosts in the bright lobby were just the re-
freshments I needed. It was a two-day stay
and the suite lavish. There was a large sit-
ting area with a comfortable sofa, a dining
table and a coffee machine. A coffee table
book on Rajasthan and colourful cushions
invited me to sleep there. But the king-
sized bed in the bedroom looked more
comfortable. A bay window overlooked the
courtyard, called Oasis, and a switch near
the bed controlled the blinds, which went
up in seconds.
Warm soup and a small meal and I
crashed out without putting on the
alarm. I was told to take it easy in the
morning, for this was Jaisalmer, not
Delhi. The buffet breakfast at the
all-day dining Jaisalmer Kitchen had
a variety of dishes. The restaurant has
regional, Indian and global cuisine. Chef
Ashish Deva guided me until I found
the traditional bajra roti, aloo sabzi and
khichdi. There were some pickle jars
at a counter too, all made in-house. Of
course, there were the regular conti-
nental and egg dishes, fruits, teas and
other beverages. Sitting by the glass
doors, I watched the woman clothed in
a traditional Rajasthani dress, ghoong-
hat covering her face, sitting outside
in the courtyard on a raised platform, a
folk singer who comes every morning.
Evenings see a group singing some folk
songs in the same area. Pigeons sat near
the waterbody.
The sprawling 135-key property is
designed along the lines of a palace, built
in yellow sandstone as is the norm in the
golden city. The dcor is modern with
elements of Rajasthanan ancient carved
wooden window was displayed on one
wall. There was a dedicated play area for
children. Therapies at the Quan Spa work
wonders . I enjoyed a relaxing hot sand
massage. Long strokes, poultices with
hot sand over the aching parts and in 60
minutes I was in heaven. A herb garden
is where private parties have been held.
The Grand Ballroom works for weddings,
conferences and other meetings.
While I was there, a rooftop restaurant
and lounge Wyra and the salon were under
construction. But my most enjoyable mo-
ments were in the Dunes Bar where I made
my very first cocktail called Pink Mahal.
The bar has designed a cocktail train,
which goes like thisthe Pink Mahal (Jai-
pur), Jodhpuri Blues (Jodhpur), Jaisalmeri
Thandai (Jaisalmer), the White Pichola
(Udaipur) and Smoking Tadka (Ranth-
ambhore). I didnt get time to take a bite of
the traditional sweets of Rajasthan at the
Mithai Company.
The resort organised short trips to the
citys old havelis, the famous Jaisalmer
Fort and dune bashing. The Jaisalmer Fort
is a World Heritage Site. Built in 1156 by
the Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal, this fortified
city has multiple infrastructure issues as it
is overpopulated. Inside lie architectural
treasures like the amazing stonework on
the Jain temples. Everyone heads to the
Clockwise from above: the all-day dining
Jaisalmer Kitchen; the spacious room; and a
verdant courtyard at the property
dunes in Jaisalmer and for bashing its
safer to take a closed vehicle. We went in a
Toyota Fortuner with Lama Tours. Sunrise
and sunset are the best times for the co-
lours simply take your breath away.
Too soon, I was back on the road to
Jodhpur. This time, I started early, stop-
ping on the way to take photographs of the
windmills and the dancing peacocks.
The informaTion
LOCATION Jaisalmer-Sam-Dhanana Road,
Police Line, Jaisalmer. Nearest airport is
Jodhpur (291km). The railway station is
2km away.
ACCOMMODATION 44 deluxe rooms, 48
oasis-view rooms, 35 fort-view rooms, 9 suites
TARIFF From `9,000, varies according to the
season.
CONTACT +91-2992-266688, marriott.com
outlook traveller MaY 2017 33
With no internet to distract you,
evenings at the estate are absorbed in
conversations beside a bonfire
[ check out ]
home is where the coffee is
A cosy homestay in a Sakleshpur coffee estate offers an insightful tour of its processes. Coffeephile
Sumeet Keswani goes backstage to see what goes behind his daily cup of joe
F
ew things beat waking up to the
aroma of hot filter coffee on a
bleary morning. How about
waking up to hot filter coffee on
a serene coffee estate, the only
sound in the air being birdsongs, and the
hushed whispers of tall trees? If youre
a nature lover and coffee aficionado, a
homestay bang in the middle of a coffee
estate is the perfect weekend getaway.
This is what I signed up fora day-
long respite from the urban chaos and a
walkthrough of the coffee-bean making
process in Sakleshpur, Karnataka. When
I was first driven through the dense
Harley estate, established in 1864, I was
reminded of the many wildlife safaris
Id taken. My skilled driver and guide
34 outlook traveller May 2017
happened to be the head of the estate,
Chandni D.M. Director of Marketing and
Administration, Classic Group, Chandni
is part of the fifth generation of coffee
planters in her family.
An off-road racer in her spare time,
Chandni knows the pulse of every
plantation like the gears on her ride.
Given the altitude (3,100 ft) of the
region, a third of the plants here are
Arabica and the rest Robusta, beautifully
interspersed with elderly forest trees.
Other plantations include areca, pepper,
cocoa, and cardamom. Coffee absorbs
the flavours of its neighbouring planta-
tions, making each batch of produce taste
unique. Only wine can claim to have as
much character, in my book.
But coffee has been dealt a body blow
by climate change. These plants bloom
just two days in a year, ideally during the
first showers in April. Thats the time
when tiny white flowers blanket the
550-acre estate and impregnate the air
with a tantalising fragrance. Arabica is
harvested during December-January
and Robusta from December to March,
which makes these months ideal for
coffee tourism. For the last few years,
however, rainfall has been scanty and
untimely. So estates in the area have been
using sprinklers to simulate rain and
induce blooming on time.
After a brief tour, we headed to a
plantation that was being harvested.
Local women picked coffee berries

the hues ranging from red to deep
purpleoff mature Robusta plants,
some of them 80 years old. I dug into
a berry and found a soft, sweet pulp
ensconcing a pair of green beans inside.
A rat snake slithered by our berry bas-
kets, flummoxed by the abundance of
footsteps on the forest floor.
The berry picking was followed by a
quick lunch at the homestay. Set up two
years ago by Chandni, Golden Wood has
eight distinct rooms on offer. The food
served is authentic Malnad cuisine and
the rooms are devoid of wi-fi, TV, and
other distractions. Even my cell phone
failed to catch a signal during my stay.
I stayed in a quaint, bare-brick cottage
that featured a tree in the middle of the
bath. Everything about this renovated
planters residence screamed organic.
Bamboo had been used abundantlyto
make lampshades, a wardrobe stand and
wall hangings. Theres also a mudhouse
with a poetic room in the atticthat
provides a rustic experience replete
with copper vessels, red oxide floor, bed
legs made out of old coffee stems, and
hosts draped in traditional costumes.
Two hilltop rooms, Tusker and Antler,
36 outlook traveller MaY 2017
are more conventionally built. The most
modern structureWhispering Trees
erected in a clearing amidst tall, rustling
trees includes three rooms, a lounge and
a kitchen. Its rooftop is the ideal place
to watch any of the 200 species of birds
found in this region.
As much as I would have loved to take
an afternoon nap on one of the inviting
hammocks, we moved on to the next
stage of the process. The berries go to a
pulper the size of a cottage. It separates
the good berries from the inferior ones,
peels their skin off to reveal the beans,
ferments them for 36 hours, and washes
them, after which theyre dried in the sun
for delivery. (Unwashed beans acquire
some of the pulps sweetness and are sold
separately as pulp sun-dried coffee, aka
honey coffee.)
While the estates job with the beans is
done at this point, my experience didnt
end there. The final cup of coffee still
eluded me. I was then taken to a lab that
brewed coffee using three distinct pro-
cessesChemex, French Press and Aero-
press. The gustatory nuances of the three
cups were hard to miss, harder to articu-
late. A cupping session of freshly ground
PHOTOGRAPHS: SUMEET KESWANI
Clockwise from top left: there are hammocks
strung between trees and bikes to go around;
the bare-brick cottage has a rustic charm to it;
classic Arabica coffee being brewed; and
different grades of coffee produced in the estate
and roasted beans then introduced me to
the refined art of coffee tasting.
The nippy evening wind was met with
a crackling bonfire. With a mug of coffee
cupped between my now reverential
hands, Chandni and I indulged in a chat
on favourite books and authors. It soon
morphed into an introspective debate
on the agony of existentialism. A day in a
forest can do strange things to the mind.
Thank God for coffee!
The informaTion
LOCATION Harley Estate, Sakleshpur, Karna-
taka. Its a 3-hour drive from Bengaluru.
ACCOMMODATION 8 rooms, including a bare-
brick cottage and 2 rooms in the mudhouse
TArIff On weekdays, a room in Whispering
Trees or Hilltop Courtyard costs `5,500; the
bare-brick cottage and the farmers Mud-
house cost `6,300 per day, including all meals
and the estate tour. rates higher on weekends.
CONTACT +91-9902297022, goldenwood.in
 A loyalty programme that loves you. For being you.

Introducing World of Hyatt. Your loyalty programme that starts with understanding you and
connects you to the people, places and experiences at the heart of your world.

To learn more about a world of thoughtful rewards visit worldofhyatt.com

or call 000 800 050 1234

[ check out ]
rooms with a view
Time stops inside the self-contained and very tranquil world of The Terraces, Kanatal
I
f you love the hills, but quake at
the thought of the hordes that
descend on them like clockwork
every summer, Kanatal might just
be the place for you. Perched on a
high ridge midway between Mussoorie
and Chamba at an impressive 8,500
feet above sea level, the lake that gave
this small hamlet its name may have
long disappeared but the views are still
thereand they are to die for.
Quite probably, before this posh retreat
came up, there used to be terrace farms
here, and these still lend the property
its special, cascading topography. On a
clear day, from any of the terraces, you
can feast your eyes on a rare, panoramic
Himalayan vista: Swargrohini, the Ban-
darpunch peaks and Kalanag, all in one
fell swoop. That should be reason enough
to visit but the good folks at Terraces have
ensured there are several other reasons.
Surrounded by lush forests, the prop-
erty boasts spacious rooms and electric
38 outlook traveller MaY 2017
blankets, and the well-manicured
gardens are usually brimming with
flowers. The food is to die for, which is
probably a good thing, because one is
practically marooned in the middle of
nowhere. If you do miss the hustle and
bustle, you can drive into Mussoorie for
a bit. In an attempt to offer immersive
and interesting experiences, the Ter-
races also organises local homestays
and village walks as well as camping in
the forest. And, of course, there is the
whole gamut of adventure activities,
ranging from jeep safaris to night pic-
nics to rock climbing and more. Speak-
ing of climbing, the somewhat chal-
lenging ascent to the nearby Surkanda
Devi temple is well worth attempting
(or you can hire a pony).
The highlight of the Terraces though has
to be the Esencia Spa, which tries to return
to the true definition of spa, sanitas per
aquas (healing through water) through
its offerings. The treatments, therefore,
An imposing chandelier
PHOTOGRAPHSwatches
BY AMIT DIXIT
over the lobby of the Hilton Jaipur
incorporate the principles of hydrating the
body to promote wellness (and include a
tempting chocolate body scrub).
The Terraces is also a great winter
destination, being one of the closest
places to Delhi where you can witness a
proper snowfall. Add to that enthusiastic
staff who will happily wield the guitar
and croon songs over a bonfire, and you
have a destination that warms the hands
as well as the heart.
The informaTion
LOCATION Kanatal, Chamba-Mussoorie
Highway, District: Tehri Garhwal, Uttara-
khand. The closest railway stations are at
Dehradun (70km) and Haridwar (100km).
Jolly Grant Airport is 90km away.
ACCOMMODATION 8 deluxe rooms,
12 premium rooms and a luxury suite
TArIff `14,500 (deluxe), `16,000
(premium), `20,000 (suite), includes
breakfast and dinner, tax 14% extra
CONTACT +91-9897018120, theterraces.biz
 Gujarat
WiLdLife
Sanctuary
G
ujarat is an absolute treat for the
nature lovers as its rich variety of
flora and fauna makes home to
402 species of animals and 45 species of birds.
The jungles of Gujarat are home to a sizeable
population of extinct species namely Sloth
Bear, Asiatic Lions, Greater Flamingo,
Blackbuck, Indian Wild Ass, Indian Bustard,
to name a few. Gujarat is significantly famous
for its wildlife icon of Lions that are found in
the Gir reserve.
Wildlife tours to Gujarat are every natu-
ralist dream. One can experience the thrill of
best reserves of India in Gujarat as it provides
an opportunity to see vivid colours of wildlife
and nature. For those who might have read
about Gujarat, would be aware of Gir
e National Park. It is to be noted that Gir
a paradis
Gujarat is atchers and National Park is the largest home to the
for bird-wnthusiasts. Asiatic Lions in India. King of the jungle,
wildlife e s forests, lion, reigns supreme in Gir, but there are
Deciduou ins, grasslands, plenty of other reasons to visit Gir, hyenas,
desert pla and coastal leopards and over 250 species of birds just to
wetlands e locations name a few. Other then Giri there are various
and marinde Gujar
at one other National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries
have ma ost pleasant in Gujarat namely Jessore Sloth Bear
of the m bird watching Sanctuary, Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary,
place for life viewing. Barda Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Gaga Wildlife
and wild Sanctuary, Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuary, Pania
Wildlife Sanctuary, Shoolpaneshwar Wild
Life Sanctuary, Narayan Sarovar Wildlife
Sanctuary are some of the ideal places for an
action-packed wildlife holiday in Gujarat. All
these wildlife reserves offer an unmatched
journey into the wilderness.
Wildlife
SAnctuArieS in GujArAt
The Gujarat state of western India has four
National Parks and twenty-one Wildlife
Sancturies which are managed by the Forest
Department of the Government of Gujarat.
Wild Ass Sanctuary
The Wild Ass Sanctuary of the Little Rann of
Kutch, spreading across nearly 5000 square
kilometers of the Little Rann, is the only
place on earth where the endangered Indian
Wild Ass (Equus hemionus khur), known
locally as the ghudkhar, still lives. The only
other two subspecies of wild asses live in the
high arid plateaus of Tibet, making this the
most accessible place to visit wild asses in
their natural environs. Standing more than a
meter tall at the shoulder and two meters in
length, wild asses are very agile and can run
long distances at a speed of 50 km/h, making
them more like wild horses, and far more
captivating than their domesticated cousins.
Around 3000 of them live in the sanctuary,
and are usually seen in herds, especially
around breeding season (foals can be seen
with the herds around October and
November.)
But the Sanctuary is home to far more
than just the wild ass. Among the 32 other
species of mammals are the chinkara(Indian
gazelle), two types of desert fox (Indian and
White-footed), jackals, caracals (African
lynx), nilgais(the largest antelope of Asia),
Indian wolves, blackbucks, and striped hye-
nas. From the salty desert, periodically inun-
dated during the monsoons, to wetlands
where freshwater rivers draining through
the Rann mix into the seawater of the Gulf
of Kutch, and the scrub forests found on the
beyts, the variety of vegetation types means

One can experience
the thrill of best
reserves of India in
Gujarat as it provides an
opportunity to see vivid
colours of wildlife
and nature.
a similar variety of animals inhabit the area.
Because of the Sanctuarys proximity to
the Gulf of Kutch and its location on the mi-
gration routes of many bird species, it is a
very important site for birds to feed and breed
in. Every year, approximately 75,000 birds
nest in the reserve. The ceraneous vulture
comes from Egypt, the common and demoi-
selle cranes arrive from Siberia, the blue-
tailed bee-eater visits from Europe, and the
houbara bustard of Iran and Iraq stops over
as well. All of these are commonly sighted in
the sanctuary. Also present are sandgrouses,
desert wheatears, ten species of lark, the
white-browed bulbul, Indian coursers, stone-
plovers, shrikes, ducks, geese, three types of
ibis, spoonbills, godwits, stints, sandpipers,
shanks, moorhens, saras cranes, both Indian
flamingoes, and three species of pelican.
The Sanctuary also houses 93 species of
invertebrates, including crustaceans, insects,
molluscs, spiders, annelids and zooplanktons,
as well as four species of frogs and toads, two
species of turtles, twelve snakes, fourteen spe-
cies of lizards and one kind of crocodile. The
tidal wetlands along the edge of the Gulf of
Kutch are a key breeding area for prawns.
Unfortunately, the Wild Ass Sanctuary is
in danger from several sources, and the
poachers who have begun to frequent the re-
gion are not even the greatest of these. Illegal
salt mining tops the list, as a full quarter of
Indias salt comes from mining around the
Little Rann. The noise and air pollution
caused by transportation of this colossal
amount of salt is gradually eating away at the
wildlife habitat. The Indian Army also main-
tains a firing range of over 200 square km in-
side the sanctuary borders. (If you find live
firing antithetical to a wildlife sanctuary,
thats because it is.) Furthermore, the chemi-
cal factories popping up in the area, out of
the way of where there are people to notice
their atrocious environmental practices, are
contaminating the region with dangerous in-
dustrial chemicals. n
Wildlife
Sanctuary
Gujarat
TRAVEL PROMOTION
getting there
By road: the Wild ass Sanctuary is 130
km from ahmedabad, 45 km from
Viramgam, 175 km from rajkot and
265 km from Bhuj, accessible from all
of these by St buses.
By rail: the nearest railway stations
are: dhrangadhra - 16 kms
ahmedabad - 130 Kms rajkot - 175
Kms the Sanctuary has three main
access points: dhrangadhra, range
Bajana, and range aadeshwar.
range Bajana is the best place to
enter in the winter as the wetlands
that house migratory birds are
closest to it. dhrandgadhra is the
easiest place to find transportation
and accommodation (there is a
government guest house, as well
as private ones).
Where to Stay
Rann Riders
district Surendranagar, dasada.
Phone: (02757) 280257 and 28045.
e: rann-riders@usa.net
W: www.rannriders.com
Royal Safari Camp, Dhrangadhara
Phone:(02757) 293222, 09879005653 and
09925200657.
e: info@theroyalSafaricamp.com
W:www.theroyalsafaricamp.com
Bhavna Resort and Farm, Dasada
Phone: +91 94272 16059,
+91 94272 16069
e: bhavnafarm@gmail.com
W: www.bhavnafarm.com
When to ViSit
the best time to visit is between november
and March
advt.
Bang for the
BlackBuck

I
f youve always dreamed of visiting the African savannah, but havent quite managed
to make the trip, a journey through Saurashtra may help quench your wanderlust.
You find lions to the southwest in the peninsula in Gir, and here, at the Velavadar
Black Buck Sanctuary and National Park, youll find a land of wide-spreading
golden grasslands under a deep blue sky, where spiral-horned antelope or the Black
Bucks can be seen bounding up out of the grasses.
Close to the coast there are wetlands full of birds, and in the evenings, sea-breezes
blow up into the savannah and cools things off after a hot day in the sun. At night,
wolves and jackals roam the fields, and the flat country offers a tremendous view of a starry sky.

Background
Velavadar National Park was formerly the private grassland of the Maharaja of Bhavnagar,
where he would hunt blackbucks with his famous hunting cheetahs. Today, the blackbuck
is considerably more endangered, and so is protected from hunting, but this sanctuary is
just a tiny patch of safe ground for the blackbuck to inhabit. Created in 1976, and
nearly doubled in size in 1980, the park now covers 34 square km, which is barely
one-sixth the size of the city of Ahmedabad. Of this area, already small, only a little
over half (17.5 square km) is usable grassland. An additional 5 square km are cov-
ered by the invasive prosopis shrub, and just over 10 square km is made up of sa-
line lands and high tidal mudflats. These mudflats are the high tide zone of the

At night, wolves
and jackals roam the
fields, and the flat
country offers a
tremendous view of a
starry sky
Gulf of Khambhat, and the lower part of the
park (not just the tidal area) also floods every
so often. The picturesque golden fields turn a
deep shade of green during the monsoon.
Floods are not uncommon (and not problem-
atic, as they are a natural part of the ecosys-
tems cycle). Droughts, however, are also quite
common, but pose more of a problem; park
caretakers often have to resupply waterholes
by bringing in tankers of water from else-
where. Cyclones have also battered the park
on occasion, the worst being in 1982 when
311 blackbucks were killed in the storm.
The blackbuck for which the park was cre-
ated lives mostly in the grasslands on the
northern side. Found only in South Asia, the
blackbuck once lived all across India, but now
the largest population is here, and few are
found outside Gujarat. The conservation of the
blackbuck here has been a big success, however,
it remains endangered due to its dependence
on such a limited area to live in, but the local
population has risen from a low of 200 in 1966
to around 3400 now. Given such a large popu-
lation in such a small area, the chances of spot-
ting one are very high, especially since the wide
open grasslands make it easy to spot these ani-
mals leaping high over the grasses. The breed-
ing seasons are October and February.
Other animals in the sanctuary include
the nilgai (another Indian antelope), jackal,
wolf, jungle cat, and fox, but the other main
attraction is the bird life. Pelicans, flamingos,
white and painted storks, three kinds of
cranes, many birds of prey, and the rare
Stolizcas Bushchat all live here, mostly in the
southern part of the park, where all the wet-
lands lie. The extremely rare Lesser Florican,
one of the 50 rarest birds in the world, breeds
here. If youre lucky, you might see one of its
characteristic courtship displays, in which a
male will jump upwards out of the grass to
impress females. In the winter, thousands of
harriers arrive from central Europe to spend
the cooler months here; you can see them in
the evenings coming back from feeding
around the neighboring cotton fields. One in
particular, the Montagus Harrier, is a major
predator of the locust, a great problem for
farms all around the area; as a safe haven for
the pest-controlling harriers, the park serves
an important role in local agriculture. n
getting there
By road: Lodging is available at the
park headquarters, but reserva-
tions are necessary. call Bahumali
Bhavan, in Bhavnagar (tel: 0278
242 6425, between 10:30am and
6pm), or call the park directly at tel:
0278 288 0342. the nearest town,
Valabhaipur, is 32 km away, and
ahmedabad 145 km away. If you
come by private vehicle, the Black
Buck national Park is entered from
Valabhaipur on the old highway or
adhelai on the Bhavnagar-
ahmedabad highway. Otherwise,
the park is accessed by bus from
Bhavnagar (72 km away). two
buses travel daily between
Bhavnagar and the park; leaving
the city at 2 or 3:30pm and return-
ing from the park at 6 or 6:30am
the next morning. For a day trip
you will need your own vehicle;
taxis can be hired in Bhavnagar for
rs. 700-1000 per day.
By rail: Bhavnagar is the nearest rail-
head, connected by trains from
Mumbai. another railway station is
at Dhala: 55 km away, but there is
no regular public transportation
from there to the park.
By air: Bhavnagar is the nearest air-
port. Mumbai is connected to
Bhavnagar through domestic
flights. Be sure to book in advance
as not many flights are available.
Blackbuck
Sanctuary
gujarat
TRAVEL PROMOTION
Where tO Stay
The Blackbuck Lodge , Bhavnagar
Blackbuck Lodge spread across 70 acres
of wild terrain, comes with 14 luxury
villas that feature extra-large bathrooms
with open-air showers. Its restaurant
serves delicious food, including the
regions famed Kathiawadi cuisine
(www.theblackbucklodge.com).
Phone: +91- 8154973478 & 9978979728
e: reservations@theblackbucklodge.com
W: www.theblackbucklodge.com
Efcee Sarovar Portico, Bhavnagar
Located in the heart of the city
Bhavnagar which is popularly known as
the cultural capital of Saurashtra region
of gujarat. the city is the centre of edu-
cation and trade with many large and
small scale industries.
Phone: +91 278 2412222
e: gmesp@sarovarhotels.com
The Basil Park , Bhavnagar
the Basil Park is located opposite the
lush green Victoria Park, a park with 500
acres (2 km) of open space with diverse
flora and fauna, offering a spectacular
view of the park. On the onset of mon-
soon, the sight towards the park is an
utter delight, especially when the white
carpet of mist engulfs the dense park
giving a feeling of sublime tranquility.
e: booking@thebasilpark.com
W: www.thebasilpark.com
When tO VISIt
november through May are good
months for sighting the blackbuck as
well as several species of birds,
including migratory and endangered
ones. the park is closed for the
rest of the months.
advt.
Seema Darshan
A vision Beyond Boundaries
Firsthand Border Experience
Gujarat shares a long international border with Pakistan.
So far it was out of bounds to civilians, not anymore.
Firsthand experience of the border life and surroundings
for Tourists , at Nadabet in Banaskantha District. Gujarat
Tourism in association with the Border Security force is
opening a border-viewing post from afternoon to evening
on Saturdays and Sundays.
Beyond the obvious thrill of looking across the fence to
another country from your homeland , the Nadabet Seema
Darshan , as it is named , will be an eye opener for tourists
abouth the life of villagers living at the border. It will also be
an opportunity to see the brave soldiers who safeguard our
territories during day and night.

Peaceful Village Life

A one-side drill will be performed at Indias side of the post.
Tourists will have the opportunity to interact with the sol-
diers and also watch a war weapons display and retreat
 seema
darshan
gujarat
TRAVEL PROMOTION

ceremony. Unlike many other border posts of the nation, Nadabet is a a
safe area. One can see Pakistani troops across the border , but no skir-
mishes take place in this area, which is peaceful and safe. There are
peaceful villages across the border.
Nadabet, which hosts the venue of the Seema Darshan is a small
hamlet in the Suigam Taluka of Banaskantha district. A mere visit
through this quaint outpost is sure to elicit unique enjoyment. The
Nadeshwari Mata Temple here is a serene sanctum of spiritual and
surreal tranquility. It is situated by the side of a beautiful lake. During
the holy Festival of Ramnavami, millions of pilgrims throng the temple
and the fair grounds.
An Unprecedented Vision
Seema Darshan will afford tourists and civilians to Gujarat the
opportunity to enjoy the unique border experience at Nadabet.
Witnessing firsthand the conditions at the border, and the devotion of
the soldier for the entire nation, will elicit patriotism among the youth.
The whole atmosphere is charged with good cheer and goodwill.
Only And Only Banaskantha
Famous potato of cultivation of Deesa with the help of sprinkler system,
Pomegranate of Tharad and Kankrej breed cow are some the specialties
for which Banaskantha is well known around the country. n

ATTRACTIONS OF SEEMA DARSHAN PROGRAMME:

weapon display visit to retreat (parade) film on bsf

india pakistan border by bsf

fusion band bsf camel show bird watching

HOW TO REACH NADABET NEARBY TOURIST DESTINATIONS

Nadabet by Road
wnadeshwari meta temple wjessore Bear sanctuary
Suigam 20 kms Palanpur 145 kms wPatola house - Patan wambaji temple
Vav 59 kms Mehsana 166 Kms wBalaram Palace & Balaram mahadev temple
Radhanpur 75 Kms Gandhinagar 223 Kms
Bhildi 95 Kms Ahmedabad 245 Kms
Deesa 118 Kms IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS:
* distances mentioned above are approximate. Government recognised Photo ID is a must for Border Post visit
The registration wil close 48 hours prior to tour date
Nearest Railheads: Bhildi, deesa and Palanpur Kindly carry water, medicines and eatables for the tour
Nearest Airport: ahmedabad Only 600 entries are allowed for one tour date

For more information and registration, contact

tourism Corporation of gujarat Limited

Toll Free: 1800 200 5080
www.gujarattourism.com

advt.
 cover story paris

City of Endless
Delights

GETTY IMAGES

46 outlook traveller march 2011

 A cruise boat on the Seine
heads towards Pont Neuf

No matter how maNy visits you may have made to the

eterNal City, it will always have surprises up its sleeve.
Sunil Mehra redisCovers paris
112 outlook traveller january 2017

Y
oud think it would be hard to top a Nice-Cannes-
St Tropez experience. Sun, sand, beach, exquisite
wines, fresh seafood, leave you basking in a golden af-
ter-glow, purring with contentment. Then again, theres Paris!
Flying in from the South of France, we landed in Paris but
immediately drove out to spend the night at the 1547-built
Chteau de Chambord, a sprawling French Classical edifice
which, with its profusion of towers, cupolas, gables, lanterns
and chimneys, reminded Henry James more of the spires of
a city than the salient point of a single building. The 177km
drive from Paris to Chambord through the picturesque Loire
valley, favoured destination of castle-building French nobil-
ity, took just two hours. We drove in through the extensive
groundsthe chteau is surrounded by a 52.5km/13,400acre
park and game reserve encircled by a 31km wall. I gasped as
the sprawling Hansel and Gretel-esque castle loomed into
view. In the foreground: four black feathered Fell ponies
yoked to toy carriages giving joy rides to shiny-faced kids;
in the background the massive 440-room castle which my
guide told me had 282 fireplaces and 84 staircases including
a unique double-spiralled staircase designed, legend has it,
by Leonardo da Vinci, which allowed two people to climb up
three floors without seeing each other! We walked up a sim-
PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES
Beautiful and affordable shopping at Galeries Lafayette (left); and
(above) Chteau de Chambord makes for a great day trip
pler but quaint medieval stone staircase to our rooms in the
tower for a quick wash before dinner.
The next morning we began our exploration of this
veritable Ali Babas cave of a castleultimate tribute to the
vanity and imperious impracticality of King Francis 1 who
commissioned the Italian architect Domenico Da Cortona to
build him this asymmetrical hunting lodge/chteau/castle
featuring enormous high-ceilinged rooms prone to draughts,
huge windows, flanked by enormous courtyards that were
designed to look out to Mediterranean vales rather than the
cold, damp Northern French countryside. Small wonder that
he lived there for barely a fortnight! The views from the top
rooms are impressive: the Cosson river threading through
the grounds below reflects a lovely image of the chteau. An
innovative tourist gadget is handed out here: the histopad,
which is a touchscreen tab that gives visitors an augmented
visit to the chteau. In one room at the chteau, you scan
an interactive time portal with this device, plunging into
immersion mode, a 3D Renaissance-era rendition of the
same room albeit furnished in period style, pops up on your
outlook traveller may 2017 49

screen. You get a 360 view of the plush upholstery, sump-
tuous tapestries and decorative items that the edifice once
featured. Not one but eight significant rooms are available to
scan similarly on immersion mode apart from digital over-
views of another 19 rooms.
Chteau tour over, we scrambled into roomy jeeps for the
best part of the visita tour of the vast game park teeming
with red deer. The personable young estate gamekeeper
who led our team was exemplary in his sensitivityconver-
sations were conducted in whispers to not disturb the ani-
mals; the packed lunch at the charming observation point
in the middle of the forest, artfully concealed from animal
view, was eaten in hushed silence watching whole deer
families grazing in the distance. But a stop at the Trophy
Room across the yard from the viewing station was a tad
unnerving: every available wall space of the high-ceilinged
room was covered with antlered heads of deer killed over
the years. Periodic culling remains a practice even now to
50 outlook traveller may 2017
Dazzling cabaret at the
famed Csar Palace
keep the deer population manageable.
After over two hours, lungs bursting with the goodness of
pure oxygen, it was back to the castle for a quick coffee after
which we packed up and returned to Paris.
I have lost count of how many times I have visited Paris, but
the city never fails to surprise me anew each time. The
delights began at the hotel itselfHotel du Collectionneur,
at Rue de Courcelles. This Art Deco edifice, a tribute to the
1930s, reminded one of the great transatlantic liners of the
past: 498 rooms and suites, a chic restaurant Le Safran, the
plush Purple Bar, impeccable service... A solicitously mur-
muring bellboy ushers me to my room, which proves to be
commodious, furnished in sumptuous good taste and over-
looking the great Andalusian-style inner courtyard garden
replete with fountains, palms and citrus trees. A quick shower
and we drive to the Port de la Bourdonnais.
Priscilla, our local guardian angel, has booked us an early
the following morning is reserved for the de rigueur
visit to the citys famed museums. we decide on the muse
jacquemart-andr. what. a. treat.
dinner cruise on the Bateaux Parisiens. As we feast on cham-
pagne, a choice selection of wines, some exquisite poisson,
poulet and lamb ever so delicately cooked, plated and served
with inimitable French elegance, we watch Pariss architec-
tural marvels through the huge glass panels framing the boats
Bistro restaurant. The cruise kicks off at the Eiffel Tower, once
the most reviled monument in Paris (in 1887, artists, architects
and writers protested to the authorities about its being use-
less and monstrous...a giddy, ridiculous tower that would
mar the cityscape) and takes us past the Grand Palais, the Mu-
se dOrsay (once a train station), the Notre Dame cathedral,
among other landmarks on either side of the Seine river. In the
gathering dusk the lord above mounts his own laser show and
the sky turns gold, crimson, pink, lilac and then velvety-blue
as we eat dessert and savour liqueurs. The hour-long cruise is
over much too soon.
We disembark and in the waning light decide to stop at the
Trocadro, which houses the magnificent hilltop Palais de
Chaillot, its two neoclassical wings divided by a terrace lead-
ing to Jardins du Trocadero. Delightful symmetry and in the
gathering light the place has a fairytale quality. The hilltop
view of the Eiffel Tower is a keeper going by the number of
selfie-stick-wielding tourists clicking away.
Exhilarated and well-fed, I was in no mood to retire for the
night. Moulin Rouge, did you say? But Id been there, done
GETTY IMAGES
Cute sightseeing, on a Paris 2CV Citron ride (left); and restoring a Tiepolo
fresco at the Muse Jacquemart-Andr
that. Time to check out something different! I decided to go
for the legendary Csar Palace cabaret at Avenue de Villiers.
The entrance was an Arab sheikhs delight: a dazzling crystal-
and-glass passage leads you past bouncers into the 280-seater
Cotton Club room where, as you quaff champagne, a nearly
two-hour extravaganza unfoldsin feathers and sparkles,
lithe female dancers with unreal figures and agile athletic men
of multiple nationalities swirl, pirouette, leap, twirl, tease and
enchant. Singers, magicians, jugglers and comedians perform
incredible routines. A rousing can-can brings the curtain
down on a spectacular evening.
T he following morning is reserved for the de rigueur visit
to Pariss famed museums. We decide on the Muse
Jacquemart-Andr at Boulevard Haussmann created in 1913
in the private home of banker Edouard Andr and his painter
wife Nlie Jacquemart. What. A. Treat. The handsome 1869
building with sweeping gravelled forecourt features a collec-
tion of Italian, French and English art displayed with impecca-
ble good taste. The formal salons, private residential quarters
and the state rooms where operas and formal receptions were
hosted offer a unique insight into another time, another more
outlook traveller may 2017 51
paris

spacious lifestyle. Film-buff alert: portions of Gigi and The

Count of Monte Cristo were shot here.
No trip to Paris can be deemed complete without some
shopping and where else but at the Galeries Lafayette on
Boulevard Haussmann would one find great value for money,
an aesthetic ambience, attentive staff and a sumptuous food
court for the quick bite? Having fed and shopped to our hearts
content we decided to turn adventurous and go for a crazy
Paris 2CV ride in 1930s vintage Citrons. Drivers with French
accents thicker than mayonnaise, funny and armed with an
encyclopaedic knowledge of the city drove us round the city
pointing out the sights en route to our special teatime date
with the legendary Cordon Bleu cooking school. Established
in 1895, this is a celebration ofand an incubating lab forthat
quintessential French refinement! A French chef with an The Purple Bar at LHotel
English interpreter led us through a demonstration of how du Collectionneur
to make crme brle as we sipped exquisite white and red
wines from Bordeaux and were gently educated on a wines
mood, colour, bouquet and body. washed down with generous doses of full-bodied red merlot,
After Cordon Bleu nothing less than a superlative meal white sauvignon blanc and a bubbly, effervescent wine
would do! Also it was my night for a last tango in Paris. Off superbly paired with the desserts.
we went to Rue du Colise to Boeuf sur le Toit, an Art Deco Back to the hotel, a post-dinner walk to the Eiffel Tower,
jazz club that's been rocking Paris since the 1920s with its some mooning by the Seine watching lovers mooching and
musicand its food, which turned out to be a savvy balance brightly lit boats passing by, and it was time for bed.
between French tradition and modernity. We feasted off a Paris, as usual, had lived up to its promise and revealed new
lovely salad, Coq au Vin, a tournedo grille with Barnaise wonders. Which is what will draw me, like millions of others,
sauce and a dgustation platter of assorted desserts, all back to this City of Delight, over and over again.

# THE INFORMATION

GETTING THERE
Direct flights to Paris from Indian
cities costs from `50,000 return.
One-stop flights can be as low as
`30,000.
WHERE TO STAY
I stayed at L'Hotel du
Collectionneur, Arc de Triomphe,
a chic 478-room Art Deco hotel.
Proximate attractions include the
Muse Bourdelle, Grand Palais
and the Parc de la Villette. Avenue
des Champs-lyses, Rue du
Fauborg and Rue Saint-Honor is
where you could shop (or window
shop). Tariffs fluctuate seasonally,
ranging from 226 to 480
(hotelducollectionneur.com).
WHAT TO SEE & DO
> Muse Jacquemart-Andr, 158
Boulevard Haussmann: Museum
created at the home of painter
Nlie Jacquemart and her banker-
spouse, Edouard Andr, displays
French and Italian late 16th-19th
century art and offers a fascinating
glimpse into the lifestyle of the
French upper crust of which they
were prominent members.
> Galeries Lafayette, Boulevard
Haussmann: This multistoried
building with innumerable food
courts, clothing and accessories
counters is where you buy
everything from a pin to a piano at
drop-dead-cheap prices: quality
assured! Stock up on stuff for your
kitchen/bar/home/wardrobe. The
glass-domed atrium is a landmark.
> Csar Palace, Avenue du Maine:
The 250-seater restaurant hosts a
spectacular cabaret show. Drinks
and dining begin at 7.30pm, the
cabaret show at 10.30pm (from
79 per person; book at cesar-
palace-paris.com).
> E Boeuf sur le Toit, Rue du
Colise: Unforgettable jazz,
fabulous French cuisine, ambience,
history, romance. Book your table
at boeufsurletoit.com/en.
> Bateaux Parisiens: Take a
cruise along the Seine, while
sipping fine wine and devouring
delicate morsels. Prices for the
6.15pm cruise (1hr15min) start at
69, the more extensive 8.30pm
cruise (2hr30min) at 99 and the
12.45pm lunch cruise (2hr) at 59.
See and book at bateauxparisiens.com.
> Paris 2 CV ride: See the city in a
convertible 2CV Citron; rides cost
60-190, depending on duration/
itinerary/meals/stops you choose.
I highly recommend the 45min-ride
followed by lunch at the Eiffel Tour
(80). Book at 2cvparistour.com.
> Chteau de Chambord: Built
in 1547, this UNESCO World
Heritage Site is a two-hour drive
from Paris. It makes for a lovely
day excursion. The extensive
garden flanking the building has
Fell ponies harnessed to box
carriages for joy rides for kids. For
the nature lover there are jeep
rides into the sanctuary housing
thousands of red deer. A caf
in the grounds serves food and
alcohol. Do use the histopad, for a
fabulous time-capsule vision of the
interiors decked in their vintage
finery!Tourist accommodation
is also available. All details at
chambord.org.
n sunil mehra

52 outlook traveller may 2017

 cover story spain

A Taste
Tapas
for

Spain offers a cornucopia of tasty delights for

the adventurous palate. AnitA Roy visited to
widen her horizonsand her waistline

54 outlook
PHOTOGRAPHS: traveller February 2014
GETTY IMAGES
 A butcher in a charcutera
cuts Spanish speciality
ham (jamn) in Mercado
de San Miguel, Madrid

outlook traveller February 2014 55

spain
Madrid, in the last ten years,
has becoMe a fancy gourMet
tapas Market with More
tourists than Madrileos
T
he reason for my recent trip to Spain was,
ostensibly, to do some nature writing. But
after a week, my bathroom scales told a
different story. Between the crusty bread-and-
tomato breakfasts, the fragrant paella lunches and
the morsels of tempting tapas liberally sprinkled
throughout, Nature, I confess, didnt stand a chance.
I landed in Madrid, first, to spend a few days with
my friend, Eugenia. Her attempts to show me the
sightsthe spectacular Palacio Real, the basilicas and
cathedrals, the tree-lined tracks winding through
Retiro Park, Madrids green lungwere stymied by
my inability to pass a food shop without stopping. In
the run-up to Easter, the patisseries go crazy, piling
up all kinds of festive pastries to tempt the unwary
passerby: torrijas (made either with milk or wine),
pestios, huesos de santo (literally saint bones!),
rosquillas, buuelos, lechefrita
What are those? I pointed to a pile of sugar-
encrusted loops, lying like rope in one window.
Churros, Eugenia explained. Theyre basically pastry for sinful
deep-fried fat dipped in chocolate. My mouth was
56 outlook traveller MaY 2017
willing but my arteries quailed, so we settled instead
for a bag of tejasroof tilesthin curled biscuits, a
little like langues de chat, which were both crisp and
soft simultaneously, melting on the tongue with a
burst of vanilla and crushed almond.
We munched our way happily until we arrived
at San Miguel food market. We didnt get much
further. This elegant covered market of ornate
wrought iron and glass underwent a massive
restructuring in 2009. Gone are the days of haggling
and bickering over raw meat and vegetables.
Now, like many things that have undergone a
transformation in Madrid in the last ten years, it has
become a fancy gourmet tapas market with more
tourists than Madrileos.
On display were more varieties of paella than
you can shake a saints bones at: vegetarian ones
made with artichokes and beans, all manner of
seafood in paella de marisco, even one made with
arroz negro (black rice), which owes its name to
the squid ink that its prepared in. The heart of any
good paella lies in the oil its cooked in. Spaniards
treasure their olive trees and everything that comes
out of them: golden olive oil and tasteful, round
aceitunas (olives). The latter can be served in many
ways but a very interesting one is sold in one of the
markets stalls: banderillas. These consist of all sorts
of pickles embedded inside the olives which are
A Bocadillo de held together on a cocktail stick: piquillo peppers,
jamon (ham
anchovies, gherkins, onions, chillicrunchy, sour
sandwich); and
(right) Torrija, a and altogether delightful little morsels.
I recognised lots of the seafood on offermussels,
indulgence oysters, clams and prawnsbut some left me
stumped. Sea urchins, for instance, bristling with
green-black hedgehoggy spines. Or another strange
looking shellfish that even Eugenia struggled to
name, which looked like a pile of dragon knuckles.
Or a spider crab as tall as a child, hung over one
of the stalls, or a pile of squiggly baby eels to be
devoured on toast.
Staggering a bit, I boarded the fast train to Alicante
and from there caught the tram that trundles its way
along the Mediterranean coast towards Benidorm.
This stretch of coastline bristles with condos and
villas for pensioners to live out their last days
soaking up the sun. The sea was calm and blue, the
beaches clean and sandy, the boulevards smooth and
wheelchair-friendly. I was glad to leave all that behind
and head for the hills.
A drive up the road into the Aitana mountains, and
I reached my final destinationa picturesque little
village, perched on a rocky outcrop, and surrounded
by steeply terraced slopes: Sella.
outlook traveller February 2014 57
spain
Standing out on the terrace I looked down on the
rooftops. From here, the tiles look exactly like tejas,
perfectly cooked biscuit curls laid out in overlapping
rows, crunchy and sweet. The houses look like theyve
been whitewashed with zabaglione or crme caramel.
The whole place is a confectionery delight, gently
toasting in the early spring sun.
Towering above it all is the massif of Puig Campaa,
the highest peak in the range, with its distinctive
gap-toothed outline. Local legend has it that one of
those mountain giants kicked the middle stone out to
sea and, sure enough, just off the coast of Benidorm in
the distance, you can see a tiny islet that looks like it
would just exactly fit.
The walled terraces in this part of Spain are well
over 500 years old and built, painstaking stone by
stone, when this entire region was ruled by the Moors.
Walk out of the village along one of the many tracks
that wind through the hills, and you feel like you are
walking back in time, treading in the footsteps of
58 outlook traveller MaY 2017
A crowded day at Romans and Berbers. Dont be fooled by the natural
Mercado de San splendoursthe riot of wildflowers, the flutter of
Miguel market, butterflies, the hum of bees, the herby perfume of
Madrid
wild rosemary and Aleppo pinethis is a working
landscape.
I almost want to say landscrape because it really
does look like the hills have been dragged by a celestial
rake, or laid like a huge, rumpled, ridged bedspread
over a family of sleeping giants.
Each narrow pocket of level land is ploughed and
irrigated with a network of channels and sluices. The
thin, dry soil must be coaxed to yield its richesbut
what riches it yields! Pick a plump orange from the
tree, dig through its fragrant rind to the thick white
pith beneath and then crush the flesh of the fruit into
your mouthnever mind the messy run-offand the
burst of citrus freshness blows your vocabulary right
out of the water. There just isnt a way to describe this:
words fail, senses take over, and you just have to give
up, surrender and reach for another.
spain

The almond blossom is almost over and the ground

is confettied with fallen petals. Until a few years ago, I vowed to resIst gorgIng on bread
for the rest of our staybut that
the entire almond crop of these hills was gathered up
and sent to a nearby town called Jijona. Here it was
made into turrn, a dizzyingly sweet nougat for which
the town is famous. I craved something savoury, was before I tasted espardeny.
though, so I followed my nose back along the winding
lanes through the village to the source of a delicious
aroma: fresh baking bread.
serIously: love at fIrst bIte
Sella bread has been baked by the Santa Maria
family for generations. Brother and sister duo Pepe
and Maria run the bakery at the top of the village
called Forn de Llenya (oven of wood). Like most
of the other shops in the village, it looks like an
ordinary house. I rather hesitantly pulled aside the
beaded curtains at the front door. Inside, Pepe was
loading a long-handled shovel full of unbaked loaves
into the oven. He beamed at me, and beckoned me
over. These ovens date back to 1929, he announced
proudly. He flipped open one of the black iron
doors and I peered through the slot to the warm
cave inside, with its rows upon rows of baguettes.
Yet more bocadillos were cooling in a wide wooden
tray near the counter. I picked two of the fattest and
Maria wrapped them in paper for us to take home.
Opposite the counter was a large frame with what,
at first glance, looked like lots of photos of the same

baby, all big eyes and pouty lips and dressed in a blue
cardigan, peeping out from a forest of baguettes.
Then I noticed the labels: Miguel 1993, Maria 1999,
Paul 2003 Each new addition to the family has been
posed and photographed and added to the collection:
golden-brown babies among the golden-brown
loaves, as though freshly scooped out of Pepes ancient
oven, as lovely and crisp and perfect as the bread itself.
As I walked back to the hotel, I remembered a
line from that ultimate foodie-film, Ratatouille,
where Colette, the sous-chef, explains to rookie
The sweet nougat, Linguini how to judge a good bread without tasting
Turrn, is a delight Mancotta Heritage
it: Not ze look, not ze smell, but ze soundthe
for the eyes; and Bungalow at sunset
(above) sea crust! Listen The crumbling crackle of crust as
urchins, on the we tear into the bread on the way home passes the
other hand, are not test with flying colours.
ALAMY/INDIAPICTURE

60 outlook traveller MaY 2017

spain

There was nothing left of the loaves by the time Central street of
we got home: just a trail of fairytale crumbs to mark Jijona Town,
our way. I vowed to resist the urge to gorge on bread Alicante Province;
and (below)
for the rest of our staybut that was before I tasted wildflowers near
espardeny. Seriously: love at first bite. Encrusted Sella
with sea salt, like a suntanned tourist fresh up from
the sea, and oozy with olive oil, this espadrille-shaped
loaf is simply divine. Whoever thought that man
cannot live by bread alone had clearly never tasted
Pepe Santa Marias espardeny.
Away from the seaside, most tourists come to
this region for the cycling and the hiking and the
mountaineering. Flocks of cyclists whizz up and
down these smooth roads like exotic parakeets.
Bronzed young Danes with abs of steel strap on their ALAMY/INDIAPICTURE

boots in the Plaza Mayor, hoist their backpacks and

head for the rockface. In summer, paragliders soar
above the Tagarina Ravine. But for those of us of who
delight in gentler pursuits, there is much to enjoy. For
example, despite all the eating, I did, in fact, find time
for Nature. On one particularly scintillating day, we
spotted one of Europes largest birds (golden eagle)
and its smallest (firecrest) within the space of 15
minutes. On another occasion, I spent a magical hour
watching a red squirrel foraging in the branches of a
walnut tree just yards from where I was sitting. I was
rather thankful I didnt come face to face with a wild
boar, though their tracks are everywhere when you
know what to look for.
Sated by scenery and full of the virtuous glow
of having hiked all day, theres nothing quite as
wonderful as heading to Bar Mara for a steaming
plate of her signature paella, washed down with a
glass (or two) of ice-cold beer. And wiping your plate
clean withwhat else?a hunk of espardeny.
ANITA ROY

# THE INFORMATION
GettinG there
Air India flies direct to Madrid
from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai
and Bengaluru. Onward flights
to Alicante cost about the same
as the Renfe high-speed rail link
(`5,0006,000).
Where to stay
Accommodation in Sella is available
for 30-80 (`2,0005,500)
for a double room. Casaroc is a
picturesque hotel, run by long-
term Sella residents, a British
couple named Steve and Liz Green.
Comfortable rooms, stunning views,
reasonable tariff and the added
bonus of local Valencian chocolate
bars on every level (180 for 2N,
four people; sella-alicante.co.uk).
Isai Toni offers five apartments at
the very top of the village. Theres a
swimming pool and the couple, Isa
and her husband Toni, run one of
the best restaurants in town (35
per person; caisaitoni.com/eng).
Old Olive Press in the nearby
town of Relleu offers self-catering
accommodation and a variety of
retreat programmes for writers,
photographers and artists. See
oldolivepress.com.
Where & What to eat
>In Madrid, the San Miguel food
market is open seven days a week
from 10am until midnight, and on
Thursday, Friday and Saturdays
until 2am. For more information, >For more information about Sella
see mercadodesanmiguel.es.
>In Sella, enjoy tapas at Bar Paco.
Try the chicken or rabbit paella at
Bar Maria, the gambas in garlic at
Isa & Tony or international meals
at Bar Casino.
resources
>For information on hiking,
climbing, paragliding in the Aitana
region, see outboundadventures.co.uk/
walking-routes-info-2.
and ut surrounding areas, visit
sellainfo.com.
n anita roy

62 outlook traveller MaY 2017

ILLUSTRATIONS BY NITIN CHAUDHARY

In the end
 Chapel Bridge runs
across the river
Reuss in Lucerne

we made It
an unplanned road trip made NitiN Chaudhary understand his niece
better. this time, the journey really was the destination
THE DRIVE
T
he rain fell hard, the road was slippery and the steep
Alpine climb was bare of traffic. We had lost our
way. And the fuel in our car ran low. The few houses
that we drove past were farmers sheds, padlocked
at this late hour. The GPS obstinately pointed us downhill,
back to where we had come from. There was no one on
the road to help us find our way to a hut in a small village,
Hermance, where we had booked our nights stay. Sweat
tracked my brow despite the chill in the air, and anxiety,
which had for the last hour been niggling quietly, abruptly
metamorphosed into fear.
I stopped the car. When driving in the Alps, its easy to
become accustomed to magnificent scenery. But in the
darkness and rain, when one edge of the road stares into a
deep valley and the other merges into a cliff that rises 300
metres until it reaches forested slopes, the roads are scary.
On the backseat slept my niece and wife, tired after a day
of walking on the anguine streets of Chamonix.
I parked the car on one side of the road and sat quietly,
sipping hot tea from a flask. Outside, the raindrops formed
intricate veins over the glass window of the car. In that
quiet moment, I reflected on the trip so far.
It was the summer of 2016, when my 13-year-old niece,
Vanshika, was visiting us in Sweden. Inexplicably, she
remained uninterested and listless even after a few weeks.
Somehow, the Swedish spring weather and the laidback
atmosphere had not appealed to her, and she continually
sought refuge in her smartphone. All the plans we had
made for her to visit the Swedish countryside were mas-
terfully destroyed with monosyllabic responses and irate
swipes at the phone.
Then one day, I heard her listening to Deep Purples
Smoke on the Water. I asked her if she knew the story
behind the song. She remained silent, and I took that as
my cue to carry on. Deep Purple wrote this song in the
Swiss town of Montreux after a casino in which they had
performed was burned down.
And Freddie Mercury chose this town to die, I added.
The place better be worth dying in, she said.
I didnt know if it was, for I had never been there. Late
into that night, Priya and I crafted a plan to stun my niece:
we would take her to Montreux! Given that Vanshika was
gradually acquiring a taste for rock music and learning
French in school, we hoped she would like this town with
66 outlook traveller MaY 2017
heavy French influence and a deep associa- A memorable ferry
tion with music. ride on Lake Geneva
I took to searching hotels and making
dinner reservations in advance, care-
fully constructing the vacation in my head.
Vanshikas presence and cavalier attitude
reminded me of the years when I first started
travelling. In those years, travel trained me
in street-smartness; I savoured the unfamil-
iarity that followed boarding a bus to an un-
known destination, with just enough money
to get by. Later, once I moved to the Nordics,
a military preciseness took over my travels,
pushing the days of unplanned adventures
into the recesses of my memory. Now, once
again, I was caught up in the frenzy of an un-
planned adventure, and decided to go rogue.
Thus, a day later, when we landed in Geneva,
we only had a rental car booked. Everything
else we would decide on the fly.
In Geneva, Vanshika and I
wanted to visit CERN. But a
guided tour to CERN needs
to be booked months in
advance. Disappointed,
we decided not to linger
in Geneva and take the
highway to Montreux,
90km away. As we drove
along Lake Geneva
towards Montreux, the
water glittered under a
bright sun, the grape-
vines of Lausannes
vineyards swayed in
the still nippy wind
and the yachts
shilly-shallied in
the placid ice-blue water. Less
than an hour later, we were in the town
centre, defined by a long curving promenade
that runs alongside Lake Geneva.
Lakeside Montreux seemed to be largely
populated by old people doing nothing; the
young ones appeared to be outsiders flocking around the
statue of Freddie Mercury. But Montreux kept us occu-
pied with its lake cruises, food, and walks through the old
town. Hypnotised by the crispness of the late afternoon
sun, we sat eating ice-cream and watching the comings
and goings on the waterfront.
We wanted to do little more than sit in the blazing
sunshine and stare out at the blue lake, mountains and
cloudless sky, all blurring into one another. But for
the distraction of Chateau de Chillonit rose from
the water and shimmered like an apparition.
We decided to take a tour of this castle. An
impressive medieval gothic structure, the
Chateau looks exactly like a castle should
laced with dungeons, turrets and labyrin-
thine passageways. Outside, tourists, mostly
Chinese, took selfies against the well-fa-
voured Swiss background. We walked the
serpentine quarters of the castle before I
began to realise that historic sites were only
faintly tempting for my teenaged niece.
As the first day came to an end, I learnt
that the underlying philosophy of ad-hoc
travel at times conflicts with the planning
on which a large part of the rest of the world
runs. For instance, we spent a long time
hunting for accommodation. Montreux,
and most parts of Switzerland, do not have
good Airbnb availability, and hotels were
fully booked at this time. We eventually
found a hostel outside town. We slept in a
dorm in bunk beds, the cosiness of which,
I discovered, is an indisputable formula to
bring together a family. In the warmth of the
dorm, Vanshika talked unceasingly. Can
we see Mount Pilatus? she asked as we
nestled deep into our blankets to catch some
sleep. I looked at my wife and winked.
outlook traveller MaY 2017 67
THE DRIVE
First day in Switzerland, and things were already look-
ing up. Next morning, Vanshika occupied the front seat of
the car, and we drove to where she pointed.
With only 80,000 residents, the picture-book city of
Lucerne has considerable appeal for tourists. The city is
dominated by old squares, intriguing churches, lakeside
promenades, a 13th-century tower with views of the
town and surroundings, and the vastly impressive peak of
Mount Pilatus. Amidst this, an impossibly scenic wooden
bridge, called Kapellbrcke (Chapel Bridge), runs across
the river Reuss. Pilatus was covered in clouds, so we
decided to walk around the centre and on Kapellbrcke.
Across the bridge, we wandered into the Old Town, which
with its narrow lanes and quaint squares seems designed
for strolling and shopping.
Unlike the rest of Switzerland, Lucerne is a Catholic
city, reflected in the brilliance of the Jesuit Church, a
stones throw from the Old Town centre. We stepped
inside briefly, for I thought the young girl would want
to return to the flurry of the town swiftly. Instead, she
occupied a secluded bench and sat quietly. As I observed
her, I realised that what I had mistaken for reclusiveness
borne out of disinterest was perhaps a silence germinating
from a deeper place, rumination over the new experiences
she was being exposed to every day. Perhaps her fiddling
with the smartphone was a way to be in touch with the
normalcy of the life she had left behind in India.
That evening, while it rained outside, we cooked dinner
in the apartment we had rented. The drizzle continued
68 outlook traveller may 2017
The road from Zermatt has come to
be defined by
InTerlaken
Matterhorn, whose
devilishly pointy peak
bulges like a sharks
To ZermaTT Is fin over the town
a TapesTry of
solITude and
magnIfIcenT
scenery
through the night, and a dull mist settled
outside. Despite the subtracted visibility, we
boarded a cable car to Mount Pilatus, took
a long walk in the woods at a pit-stop and
decided to drive on to Furka Pass. This last is
a steep climb full of hairpin bends that make
the road both scenic and challenging. But the
Pass was closed to traffic.
That evening, we drove to Interlaken and
ended up in the Alpine town of Wengen.
It was uncharacteristically vacant. That
suited us fine, for these mountain towns can
be terribly expensive when saturated with
tourists. We decided to walk the trails that
originate from here. The tracks merged into
one another and diverged again to lead to
the beautiful sights of Mnchblick as well as
Hunnenfluh, which overlooked the stark-
ness of Eiger, Mnch and Jungfrau. As the
sun lost shape, we folded the evening away
and walked back to Wengen.
The road to Zermatt from Interlaken is a
tapestry of solitude and magnificent scenery.
We drove for hours. An unsuspected toll led
us to an open train to ferry us from Kander-
steg to Goppenstein. Sitting inside the car,
placed precariously on the open train that
vibrated and rattled through an unlit tunnel,
is akin to taking a rollercoaster ridede-
spite the Swiss having put the rail tracks
on rubber shoes to absorb vibration. This
unplanned escape led to excitement and
laughter over the 50-minute ride.
To reach Zermatt, we needed a clean-
energy car. Since we didnt have one, we took
a train from the town of Tasch. Though some
of the highest peaks in Switzerland tower
over Zermatt, it is primarily defined by Mat-
THE DRIVE

for the night. After Wengen, Zermatt and View of Lake

terhorn, whose devilishly pointy peak bulges like a sharks
fin over the town. When we reached Zermatt, Matterhorn
was also hidden behind clouds and no part of its famous
jagged outline was visible. Consoling ourselves with hot
chocolate, we were back on the road towards our next
night-stop, in the French mountain town of Chamonix.
Over the years, Chamonix has evolved into a touristy
haven featuring a well-functioning tourist office with free
wifi, a McDonalds that is as crowded as anywhere in the
world, a church whose bell tolls every hourdriving the
pet poodles crazy every time it does, and a Sunday after-
noon church parade that recruits those eager to display
their skills with the mouth-organ.
We wandered around before deciding on our next stop
Chamonix, Vanshika had taken a liking for Geneva from the
dungeon window of
Alpine villages, and searched for a layover
Chateau de Chillon
in the mountains. Rather adventurously, we
booked one at a remote location in the village
of Hermance.
Now on the way, we were lost in the moun-
tains. As I waited in silence, while my wife
and niece slept, a herd of Red Deer appeared
out of nowhere and surrounded the car.
Isolation accentuated the fear, and I turned
on the engine and pressed the accelerator.
By now, the herd had occupied the road; they
stared right at me, terrified and aggressive.
Things could have gone terribly wrong. But
for the hand that rested on my shoulder.
Turn the lights off, Vanshika whispered,
Dont drive, just wait. They will go away.
I did so. The herd walked towards the car,
sniffed it and walked away.
That day, I learnt something about my
niece: she was more attuned to nature, more
in harmony with her being and surround-
ings than I was. She taught me that in dif-
ficult, unplanned situations, sometimes tak-
ing a pause to recalibrate is the right thing
to do. As we drove up the hill, we sighted the
solitary hut far up in the mountain. Late into
the night, we lit a bonfire and sat outside in
silence, not an uncomfortable reticence but
a patient stillness.
In the warmth of the burning wood, a
realisation dawned: unplanned journeys
make time stand still, forcing us to live in the
present moment. Such journeys also bring
people closer. After years of having thought
of myself as a solitary traveller charting my
own way, this impulsive road-trip taught me
that travelling can also be about strengthen-
ing relationships.

# THE INFORMATION
getting there
Swiss Air, Qatar Airways, Emir-
ates and Etihad operate hopping
flights from Delhi to Geneva from
about `50,000 for a return trip.
getting around
Major car rental companies, such
as Avis, Europcar and Budget
have offices in Geneva. It is pos-
sible to rent a car on an Indian
driving licence. While renting a
car, a good option could be to
rent a mobile wi-fi device instead
of GPS. Rough distances between
the places that I covered
in this trip are:
GenevaMontreux: 90km
MontreuxLucerne: 200km
LucerneInterlaken: 70km
InterlakenZermatt: 115km
ZermattChamonix: 144km
ChamonixHermance: 92km
Where to stay
Switzerland is an expensive coun-
try and so is the food. If you plan
to stay in an apartment on a tight
budget, cooking is the cheapest
option. Vegetarians can find op-
tions such as pizza or fondue.
We chose to stay at Airbnb
apartments (airbnb.com) which
cost around 150-200 Swiss
francs a night.
 n nitin chaudhary

70 outlook traveller MaY 2017

TRAVEL PROMOTION
Treehouse
Trails
E
xplore the three major
National Parks of Central
India while staying at the
luxurious tree houses. A
novel adventure awaits
wildlife buffs with
Pugdundees Treehouse Trails, which
covers three of three beautiful game
parks in Central India.
Your journey starts at the lovely
Denwa Backwater Escape, an alluring
lodge located in the pristine enviorns of
Satpura National Park. The lodge opens
up on stunning views of the Denwa
River backwaters and the verdant
Pachmari hills and massive swathe
of savannah. You will travel into the
national park by boat and from there
on by jeep. The adventure lovers can
sign up for a walking safari inside the
jungle. The other activities offered are
cycling, boat safaris, village tours and
birding trips. The evenings can be spent
relaxing by the pool or a bush dinner
under the stars.
Your next place of stay is the Pench
Tree lodge in Sarrahiri village near the
Karmajhiri Gate of Pench National Park.
Explore Mowglis own country while
staying at the luxurious treehouses.
Guests can enjoy 16 hectares of private
forested land to explore and observe
the occasional wildlife. So far the guests
have claimed to see wild boars, palm
civets, spotted deer, jackals and jungle
cats as they sat sipping their morning
tea on their balcony. The lodge has
recorded over 100 species of birds in
the property itself, thus making birding
tour a delight. Revel in a leisurely
farm to table experience as you feast
on home grown organic farm-fresh
fare. Night trails is one of the unique
experiences wherein you walk through
the in house nature trail through
thickets, old forest and grasslands to
witness the nocturnal wildlife.
The tour ends at Tree House
Hideaway, at Bandhavgarh National
Park, which overlooks a much-visited
waterhole by the wildlife. There are
five charming tree houses vibrant
with tribal paintings and great private
balconies opening on gorgeous vistas.
Each hideaway comes with its own
nameMahua, Tendu, Peepal, Banyan
and Palash - from the tree on which
they stand. Wake up to the sounds of
chirping birds and lord over the tiger
country from your own elevated perch.
Apart from traditional jeep safaris at
Bandhavgarh National Park, you can go
for birding, nature walks, cycling and
village visits.
All the tree houses feature the various
modern amenities to make your stay
a comfortable one - large four poster
beds with fine cotton linen, spacious
well designed bathrooms with 24 hours
hot and cold water, air conditioning and
100% power back up.
All the lodges have been created along
sustainable construction lines. They
have natural ventilation, insulation,
traditional construction material and
have involved local labour to set them
up. Using the local community in its
projects, to give employment, is an
important part of Pugdundees working
ethos.
The guests are accompanied by
expert naturalists for each of the
wildlife activities. Warm hospitality,
great camaraderie, your very own
treehouses make the Treehouse Trails
a perfect escape with your loved ones.
Website: www.pugdundeesafaris.com
cover story GeorGia & azerbaijan

a tale of
two countries

72 outlook traveller october 2010

PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES
 The Azerbaijani National
Chovqan Team competes in
a town on the outskirts
of the Shaki region in
northern Azerbaijan

Very close and Vastly different, GeorGia and

azerbaijan are a fascinatinG study in contrasts.
october 2010 73
Prabhu Ghate tours the separated-at-birthoutlook traveller
nations
GeorGia & azerbaijan

S
traddling the isthmus between
the Black and Caspian seas,
where Asia meets Europe, the
two small countries of Georgia
and Azerbaijan can easily be visited
together. In fact, sitting side by side
they remind one of Ali and Nino, the
star-crossed couple in the eponymous
novel by Kurban Said set in Baku
just before World War I, which has
become something of a classic. Ali is a
young Muslim of noble descent who
defies convention and marries Nino,
his schoolgirl sweetheart from an
aristocratic Georgian family settled in
Baku. Their relationship survives the
clash of cultures till it ends with Ali
getting killed resisting the Red Army
as it advances to absorb both countries
as provinces of the new Soviet Union.
Today they are independent again,
flourishing in their own way, connect-
ed by strategic oil and gas pipelines,
their capitals a scenic eight-hour train
ride from each other.
Georgia is the more visited of
the two. Imagine a country that is
uniformly green, with blue skies and
day-time temperatures of 25 degrees
in May and June. It has snow-cov-
ered, 5,000m peaks as well as seaside
resorts, is inexpensive, extremely
tourist friendly (it guarantees e-visas
in five days) and not too far away
from India. Georgia was one of the
first countries to adopt Christian-
ity, and is studded with churches,
many of them teetering on the edge
of cliffs or perched on mountain
tops. It is famous for its traditional
polyphonic singing, best heard in
Sunday morning church services. It
is also strongly influenced by Islam
since the Persians were here on and
off over the centuries.
Tbilisi (the T is not silent) is one
of Europes most beautiful capitals.
It snakes along a winding valley,
overlooked by ancient churches and
a spectacular fortress. Today it is kept
safe and crime-free by a police force
appointed by the government that
came to power after the Rose Revolu-
tion of 2003 and which sacked the

74 outlook traveller may 2017

entire corrupt force.
Perhaps most important for visitors,
Georgia is widely credited with having
invented wine 7,000 years ago. It is still
made in almost every home. Archae-
ologists have uncovered the kvevris
or huge clay pots which were lined
with beeswax, filled with grape juice
from a choice of 40 different varieties
of grape, sealed with wooden lids, and
buried in the ground over the winter.
Since the cold halts fermentation,
before all the sugar becomes alco-
hol, Georgian wines are often sweet.
Without any additives, these natural
wines are becoming fashionable in
Europe. Most families still produce
several hundred litres a year for their
own consumption as well as for shar-
ing with neighbours at festivals and
feasts. We took the funicular up a hill
overlooking the city to a wine fair held
to mark the new season. A happily
inebriated crowd was moving from
stall to stall sampling the latest offer-
ings from dozens of winemakers, large
producers and exporters, as well as
small family operators.
Georgia is small enough for it to be
visited on day trips out of Tbilisi. But
to do full justice to its many attractions
Clockwise from above: enjoy wine at a home-brewed wine
bar in Old Town, Tbilisi; statue of a boy with hats on White
Bridge, Kutaisi, Georgia; popular beach in Batumi;
Sighnaghi in Georgia is a beautiful region
one should relocate at least once to a town further
west, perhaps Kutaisi, the cultural capital of western
Georgia, and now the seat of the Georgian parlia-
ment, or to Batumi, a charming resort on the Black
Sea, stuck in a time warp from Soviet days but rapid-
ly reinventing itself. They are both a comfortable and
scenic train ride away, on the same line, or for those
in a hurry, a few hours away by marshrutka, Russian
for the minibuses that go tearing all over the country.
If possible, one should also try to spend at least one
night in the wine-growing eastern region of Kakheti,
perhaps in the small hill town of Sighnaghi with its
Italianate architecture and beautiful views of a sun-
drenched sea of vineyards stretching across a broad
valley to the hazy blue of the Caucasian mountains in
the distance. There are dozens of wineries to visit as
well as an excellent museum with many paintings of
Georgias most famous artist, Niko Pirosmani.
Visitors who can spare only a day usually head
north for a couple of hours up the so-called Russian
Military Highway, to the town of Kazbegi nestled
in the Great Caucasus, just 15km short of the border
with Chechnya in Russia. From here they drive or
trek up to the iconic Tsiminda Sameba Church,
silhouetted against Mount Kazbegi. Kazbegi is a
great base for trekking, river rafting, paragliding and
horse riding. One forgets that the highest mountains
outlook traveller may 2017 75
GeorGia & azerbaijan
in Europe are not in the Alps, but in
the Caucasus, which run in a south-
easterly direction, forming the border
of both Georgia and Azerbaijan with
Russia. The highest peak, Mount
Elbrus (5,842m), is just over the crest
from Georgia in Russia.
A remoter part of the Great Caucasus
lies in the northwestern part of the
country, made more accessible now by
a low-cost flight to Mestia, the centre
of a wild and inaccessible region called
Svaneti, which has remained proudly
independent of central control and
has its own language and culture.
Protected not only by its inaccessibil-
ity but also by almost 200 defensive
stone towers scattered over the region,
Svaneti has acted as the guardian of
Georgian culture, serving in troubled
times as the safekeeper for icons and
other treasures ferreted away here.
Many of these have been donated to
the local museum. Some travellers
set out from Mestia on multiday treks
to even more remote Svan villages
and glaciers through beautiful alpine
scenery. Far less commercialised than
the Alps, delicious home-cooked food
(and home-brewed wine) awaits them
in the many guesthouses.
Given the strong feelings Stalin
arouses, not everyone takes the day
trip to his museum in the little town
of Gori, where he used to come first
in class, while honing his leadership
qualities in street gangs and town
brawls after school. One of his bud-
dies (and possibly half-brother) from
that period, later became his food
taster, and another a bodyguard. He
then joined a seminary in Tbilisi for
four years, where he was in and out
of trouble for rebelliousness and the
Marxist literature he would smuggle
in. He failed to complete, but left
with an excellent classical education
before joining the conspiratorial and
murderous world of revolutionary
activity. The seminary is on the main
square, where Stalin, as the chief
fundraiser for Lenin in exile, went on
to mastermind the daylight hijacking
of a bank stagecoach carrying a huge
sum of cash, after creating chaos and
scattering the Cossack guards with
11 explosions. Today it stands next to
the Marriott, and Freedom Square is a
Tourists enjoy their time at the
mud volcanoes in Gobustan,
Azerbaijan; (above) a peasant
woman sits with a dog on a
street in Sighnaghi
 BESPOKE. BRILLIANT. BEYOND.

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OUTLOOK

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be it wrappe d w ithi n a p r is ti ne s ea -s i d e hid ea w a y i n K o v a l a m o r t uck ed
a w a y i n the v er d a nt mo u nta i ns o f T hekka d y.
Tail ore d sign at u r e s p a i mmer s io ns a t Ind ia ' s B es t Wel l nes s S p a R et r eat ,
c urat e d e xpe rienc es o r u niq u e c u l ina r y ind u l g enc es , ev er y N i r a a m aya
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+91 80 4510 4510 reservations@niraamaya.in www.niraamaya.in

Kovalam | Thekkady | Kumarakom | Goa
GeorGia & azerbaijan

Clockwise from above: Chakhokhbili is a popular Georgian

meat dish; a beautiful view of the Gergeti Trinity Church,
near the village of Gergeti, Georgia; and a shepherd walks
with his flock in the province of Shaki, Azerbaijan

different place, as Mercs and BMWs come tearing at

you around the tall central column that has replaced
a statue of Lenin, holding aloft a golden St George on
a rearing horse spearing his dragon.
Another popular day trip is to Davit Gareja, where
bearded monks in black robes still live and pray in a
honeycomb of caves carved out of the steep hillside.
Along a precarious path just below the crest on the
other side of the hill is a string of more caves with
well-preserved frescoes painted a thousand years
ago. It is best not to meet any goats or sheep coming
the other way, because if you slip, you fall a long way
down the scree into the Azerbaijan desert stretching
away below you.
An easier way to visit Azerbaijan is to fly, or take the
modern overnight train from Tbilisi to Baku. Baku
seems intent on reclaiming the place it held in the
early 1900s when the Nobels and Rothschilds and
many other fortune-seekers lived here in avenues
lined by opulent stone mansions and when the coun-
try produced half the worlds oil. It clearly models it-
self on Dubai these days: gleaming new skyscrapers,
a group of them curving up into the sky to resemble
giant leaping flames (and lit up accordingly at night)
are steadily transforming the city. So much so that
the medieval but somewhat over-restored ichari
shahr or old town, encircled by a crenellated wall,
now consists only of carpet shops, restaurants and
hotels. More lively is the nearby Fountain Square
where Azerbaijans growing wealth is on display
on the fashionable men and women (no burqas

78 outlook traveller May 2017

GeorGia & azerbaijan

here) who crisscross the leafy square on
their way from one department store or
pavement restaurant to another. Another
great place for people watching is the wide
tree-lined bulvar (boulevard) which faces
a somewhat oily Caspian seascape dotted
with drilling rigs and oil installations of
various kinds, and is thronged with resi-
dents who seem not to notice the industrial
landscape out to sea, but have eyes only for
each other and the well-watered parks and
greenery on the landward side.
An important sight is the Ateshgah or
fire temple in a suburb of Baku. While
Zoroastrian in origin (Azerbaijan has been
part of Persia on and off for centuries), it
bears well-preserved stone inscriptions
with salutations to Ganesh and Shiva
dating to the mid-18th century. It was not
only visited by but seems to have been used
as a base for Gujarati and other traders
from the subcontinent who stayed in the
caravanserai built around the small temple
with the flame. The flame used to be fed
naturally by gas from an underground
vent, but with the development of the
surrounding gas field (you can see an oil rig
sticking out over the walls), the gas from
the original vent got exhausted and the
temple flame has to be kept going these
days by a piped connection. Although it
did not make it into our guidebook, the
Ateshgah was quite a hit with dozens of
schoolchildren jostling each other to get
closer to the model displays of Hindu
traders in turbans tethering their donkeys,
doing puja, making chapatis, etc, in the
little rooms of the caravanserai.
The highlight of a visit to Baku, how-
ever, is the day trip past a shimmering
sea and the occasional bather sharing
the beach with nodding donkeys pump-
ing oil, to the UNESCO-listed Qobustan
Petroglyph Reserve. One turns off the
coastal road to a low ridge set slightly
Another dAy trip
is to dAvit GArejA,
where beArded
monks in blAck
robes prAy in
A honeycomb
of cAves
inland, where a tumble of rocks provides
overhang to a series of shallow caves (a bit
like Bhimbetka). These were inhabited
12,000 years ago by hunter-gatherers who
left behind an amazing series of etch-
ings or petroglyphs, depicting animal
and human figures, hunting and battle
scenes, boats sailing towards the sunset,
and other scenes. An excellent museum
tells one more about the life and activities
of these people. A little further on, along
unmarked tracks in the grey desert, lies an
eerie landscape of baby mud volcanoes,
each of them no more than two metres
wide and high, oozing and spitting and
gurgling away happily as bubbles of gas
rise and break in the little pools of hot grey
mud that lie in their craters.
I left for Tbilisi as I came, by train, but got
off to spend a night in Saki, a beautiful little
town which nestles amidst wooded hills
in the northwest. It contains perhaps the
most iconic building in the country, the (lo-
cal) khans palace, which resembles a rect-
angular jewel box with its vividly coloured
faade of stained-glass windows set in
intricate wooden fretwork. A series of hops
by bus and taxi the next morning got me to
the border in three hours, to find myself in
the wine country of Kakheti again!

# THE INFORMATION
GettinG there
There are no direct flights to Tbilisi
and Baku but several airlines
connect them with Indian cities
through the Gulf. Flying through
Almaty with Air Astana, or via
Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, are
other options, especially for those
interested in breaking journey.
Fares start at about `35,000
return. By land, it is easy to cross
into Georgia from eastern Turkey.
GettinG around
Many of Georgias highlights are
accessible on day trips out of
Tbilisi through tour buses, taxis
and public minibuses. Trains run
frequently, especially on the main
east-west line connecting Tbilisi
to the Black Sea resort town of
Batumi. The same line runs in
the other direction to Baku and is
served by a modern sleeper train
(railway.ge). In Georgia, a scenic
mountain-hugging flight flies to the
Svaneti region in the northwest.
In Azerbaijan, buses are the
main mode of transport to most
destinations, and it is easy to travel
by road across the two countries.
Where to stay
Tbilisi has an abundance of
reasonably priced tourist
accommodation of all categories,
including a choice of boutique
hotels located in the tourist areas
and traveller hostels, most of which
also have single and double rooms
(browse hostelworld.com). The Tbilisi
Marriott in an Art Deco building
offers luxury accommodation (from
`15,000; marriott.com). Smaller
towns in Georgia have excellent
guest houses. Accommodation in
Baku tends to be more expensive
and geared to tour groups and
business travellers but an excellent
choice for independent travellers
in Baku is the Buta Hotel in the
Old City (from $42; butahotel.
com). Saki is well known for its
reasonably priced Caravansaray
Hotel, located in a beautifully
restored caravanserai (facebook.com/
shekikarvansaray).
What to see & do
Georgian highlights, other than
those mentioned in the article are:
>Festivals and cultural activities in
Tbilisi and other towns, including
the Black Sea Jazz Festival in
Batumi.
>Vardzia in the southwest, a
medieval city carved into a cliff.
>Tusheti, a pristine mountainous
region in the northeas.
>The town of Telavi, which along
with Sighnagi, is the best place to
locate oneself for the partying and
festivals during the grape-picking
and pressing season from mid-
September to mid-October.
Some more of Azerbaijans
attractions are:
>The scenery and shepherd
villages in the mountainous region
around Quba.
>The copper-beating and carpet-
weaving village of Lahic.
>Bakus jazz festival.
n prabhu ghate

80 outlook traveller May 2017

 cover story the list

THE BUZZ
the latest attractions and hottest
destinations on the continent

1 Lanzarote, Spain
Looking for a European island getaway where youre unlikely to meet your neighbour? Dont go to Mykonos (or Santo-
rini, or Ibiza, or even Sicily). Head instead to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. Featuring a volcanic landscape (best seen
at the Timanfaya National Park), this is no party island, serving instead as a getaway for those interested in little beaches, sun and
tranquillity. Now, the island is attracting the attention of upscale travellers, who come for the increasingly chic hostelries and the
creations of artist and environmentalist Csar Manrique. Lanzarote also has the distinction of hosting Europes first underwater
museum, Museo Atlntico, which opened earlier this year. See turismolanzarote.com/en.

GETTY IMAGES
 2 Nis, Serbia
Europes delights arent reserved for the well-
heeled. To find out how and why, eschew the
continents lovely but expensive capitals and discover
the little gems. They also tend to be cheap. Take Nis. With
a hoary history (its the birthplace of Constantine the
Great) and monuments such as a Roman-era fortress and
Ottoman baths, Niss more recent history is bloody. Some
10,000 citizens were shot here during WWII. Today, its
a hospitable, safe town, with street stalls offering hearty
delicacies such as burek (pastry filled with meat or cheese;
$1 for two persons), friendly locals and great summer
weather. See visitnis.com.

3 Over the Edge, Amsterdam

One of Europes coolest capitals, Amsterdams newest attraction
takes you to ever more rarefied heights. From ADAM LOOK-
OUT, the observation deck located on top of the ADAM Tower, visitors
can see the citys historical centre, its buzzing-with-action port and the
canals that the city has been famous for. Now, with the opening of Over
the Edge, the high perspective gets even more thrilling. Europes highest
swing lets adrenaline junkies whoosh away, 100 metres over the city, back
and forth over the edge of the tower. A ride on the swing costs 5 (over the
entrance ticket of 12.50); see adamlookout.com/over-the-edge-swing.

outlook traveller may 2017 83

 4 Beurpassage,
Amsterdam
When is a passageway not just a
passageway? When its a work of art.
(Michelangelo, ceilingget it?) The Beurpassage
is indeed a passageway, connecting Amsterdams
Damrak Avenue and Nieuwendijk Street, in the
citys main shopping drag. But youll be forgiven
for not watching where you go when you walk
down this path: because overhead is a stunning
work of art composed of 450 sq m of glass mosaic
titled Amsterdam Oersoep (primordial soup).
The walls are tiled with stained glass and the floor
on which youll tread hardy terrazzo. Also to be
found here: Liquid Mokum, the worlds longest
coffee bar. Urban redesign as tourist attraction.
See beurspassageamsterdam.nl/information-en.

5 Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg
Ever since Hamburgs dazzling new concert hall, the Elbphilharmonie, opened in January, ticketsfor classi-
cal music, jazz, rock, even blind shows (featuring unannounced performers)have been sold out. A glorious
venue for music buffs, of course, but also anyone interested in architecture, the arts, or simply striking public spaces.
Built over a warehouse overlooking Hamburgs harbour, and featuring concert halls, a hotel and apartments, the
structure was designed by architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron and cost a staggering 800 million. Its a vision in
contrasts: red brick and shiny glass; elitist concerts and free walkthroughs; solid historical foundation and soaring
postmodern fancy... Take a look at elbphilharmonie.de/en.

84 outlook traveller may 2017

 GETTY IMAGES

6 Muse Yves 7 Ferrari Land, Spain

Saint Laurent
Paris Daddy cant buy you a Ferrari? Just get him to buy
some tickets to Barcelona (take mom and pop along

too). At the brand-new Ferrari Land, in the PortAventura
Paris is never short on
theme park outside Barcelona, poor little rich kids can live the
beguiling reasons to visit.
Ferrari dream fully. The star attraction is Red Force, Europes
But this autumn promises to be
highest and fastest rollercoaster. But purists will also want to
special: opening this September
try out rides more intimately related to the iconic brand: the
in the haute couture capital of
Bounce-back Tower, which lets you experience the bidirection-
the world, a temple dedicated to
al movements of a Ferraris pistons; or stepping into the shoes
one of its most influential high
of a pit stop mechanic; or driving an authentic F1 simulator.
priests. Yves Saint Laurents
Theres also a variety of childrens rides. See portaventuraworld.
legacy will be celebrated at two
com/en/ferrari-land.
new museums, in Paris and
Marrakesh. The Paris edition
will be housed in the historical
couture site, 5 avenue Marceau,
where YSL worked for nearly
30 years. The only designer of
his generation who assiduously
archived his work, YSL left be-
hind rich pickings for posterity:
on display will be thousands of
garments, accessories, sketches,
photographs and objects.
See fondation-pb-ysl.net.

8 Lviv, Ukraine
GETTY IMAGES GETTY IMAGES

Its been described as one of Europes last undiscovered gems. But Lviv is having none of that. Keen to position itself
as the cultural capital of Ukraine, the city now stands at the cusp of unknown and popular. A diverse caf culture
has sprung upplenty of charming streetside cafs as well as several themed ones, some a bit alarming (Masoch for, well,
sadomasochism; Drukarksa, to dine in a post office, etc). The Old Town makes for perfect walking, and is dotted with old
churches. Other attractions include the Brewery Museum, the Lviv Handmade Chocolate caf (for anything chocolate), the
Lychakiv cemetery (ancient but feels like an outdoor art park). Eat plyatsy (cheesecake). And go soon. See lviv.travel/en.

outlook traveller may 2017 85

the list

9 Blue Lagoon, Iceland

Visiting Iceland for a hot spring has to count among the coolest counter-intuitive things to do.
Ever since Blue Lagoon, a manmade thermal spring, opened to visitors a few years ago, its been
a top attraction in the country. And the experience is set to get ber-cool, when the Moss Hotel opens
this autumn. The hotel will offer 62 exclusive rooms and suites that overlook the volcanic landscape
and will feature such super-luxuries as a subterranean spa hewn into volcanic rock. The spring is fed
by a nearby geothermal plant, its waters rich in silica and sulphur, allegedly excellent for the skin. From
approx. $900; hotel.bluelagoon.com/moss-hotel

10 Sazan Island,
Albania
If obscure hideaways are your idea of a
dream destination, well, youve just got
one. Sazan Island in Albania, located where the
Adriatic and Ionian seas meet, is a subtropical
island paradisetruly pristine, because its
never had a civilian population. Its a mystery
military island, with secret bunkers and tun-
nels, first used by Italys fascist regime in the
1930s and later by the communist government.
Some 25 years after the fall of communism,
Albanianow dependent on tourismwill
allow in visitors between May and October. No
luxury resorts here, but delights for WWII-
obsessives: the ruined fortifications still con-
tain old beds and kitchen utensils of that era.

86 outlook traveller may 2017

photo essay hola mohalla

the art of
attack
What started in 1701 as battle training continues today as a three-day
spectacle at anandpur sahib. photographs by bhanu devgan

Nihang warriors display their

riding skill at Hola Mohalla
Avtar Singh Mauni holds the
record for wearing the largest
turban in the world

Nihangs enthral the crowd with

Gatka, an ancient form of
Sikh martial art
Panj Pyare, the five leaders of the
Nihangs, lead the procession

The Khanda, a symbol of

Sikhism, is visible on the
foreheads of all the warriors
The carnival is marked by a mix
of modernity and traditional rituals

No festival, not even one that

dates back 300 years, is
complete without a selfie
cover story
discovery punjab
spain
Mustard Fields Forever
Mariellen Ward experiences everything she expects in punjab:
hearty food, mustard fields, bhangra, a colour riot, and more...
I
t was my first time in the state
of Punjab, but I thought I knew
what to expect from all those
Bollywood movies Id seen,
Punjabi restaurants Id visited, and
Indian weddings Id attended. Heroines
running through fields of yellow mustard
flowers. Tall, bearded men in colourful
turbans dancing with abandon. Large
portions of rich and hearty food like
thick lassis, fluffy paranthas, paneer
tikka masala, and tandoori-baked, well,
everything. And the Sri Harmandir Sahib
(aka Golden Temple) shimmering in the
centre of it all.
Yup, it was all there when I joined the
five-day Punjab: Beyond the Brochure
tour from Breakaway. Punjab was
everything I expected it to be and much,
much more.
Together with our tour leader, travel
writer Puneet Kaur Sidhu, we began our
spiritual and culinary tour in Amritsar at
the Golden Temple. Amritsar is known
as the home of this famous gurdwara, a
draw for thousands of tourists and Sikhs
alike each day. The city is also known as
the culinary capital of Punjab. How can
you not love a city that celebrates the
divine, and divinely delicious food, in
equal measure?
Amritsar is not a city of fine-dining
rooms and starred chefs, but rather tiny
hole-in-the-wall joints that proffer high-
calorie goodies with unabashed and
unrepentant generosity. Rich kulchas,
spicy choley, moist Amritsari fish,
dripping sweet gulab jamun. The best
food in Amritsar is found in the narrow,
ancient lanes that spread out like a fine
web around the Golden Temple, or the
restaurants that grew from these humble
beginnings.
92 outlook traveller MaY 2017
Starting our Punjab tour at the Golden
Temple was fitting because Sikhs are
intrinsically linked with the state, and
because we would be finishing our
tour five days later at Hola Mohalla, an
exuberant Sikh festival that coincides
with Holi.
Industry and serenIty
In equal measure
The Golden Temple is one of those
places that must be felt and experienced.
Everything about it is massive in scale.
A new white marble plaza provides a
colossal gathering place in front of the
main entry gate, one of four facing in
each direction. Inside, the gold-leaf
covered temple shimmers in the large
pool. A long queue of people waits
patiently to enter the inner sanctum.
Several huge kitchens prepare
upwards of 50,000 meals per day. And
hundreds of volunteers work busily
cleaning, reading, chopping vegetables,
making rotis, and serving langarthe
Sikh practice of offering free meals to
those in need.
AmritsAr is not A
city of fine dining,
but tiny hole-in-
the-wAll joints
thAt proffer
high-cAlorie
goodies with
generosity
In spite of all this activity, however, the
Golden Temple retains a deeply peaceful
ambience. Like most visitors, we entered
the inner sanctum first, and then walked
leisurely around the pool while Puneet
told us about the history of the famous
gurdwara and the traditions of the
Sikhs. Then we lined up for langar, and
sat on the ground among the long rows
as volunteers served us rice, dal, sabzi,
roti, and water. Langar is designed to
both feed the poor and act as a levelling
agent on society. Rich and poor, famous
and humble, all sit together in a spirit of
oneness and equality.
From the Golden Temple, we walked
through the newly reconstructed market
towards Jallianwala Bagh, Town Hall,
and the new Partition Museum. This
boulevard in the centre of Amritsar is
now clean, spacious, and pleasant while
still maintaining the character of the old
city by utilising only wooden sign boards
painted in muted colours. Our visit to
Amritsar ended on our way out of town at
a local culinary legend, Makhan Fish, for
platefuls of moist, tasty Amritsari fish.
runnIng through the
mustard fIelds
The first two nights of our tour were
spent at The Kothi in Gurdaspur, about
75 kilometres northeast of Amritsar. It
was damp and dreary when we arrived
as it had rained heavily the night before,
and the leaden clouds still hung over
Facing clockwise from top left: kesh, pagdi,
and kirpan at the Golden Temple; bhangra at
Citrus County; heritage walk street in
Amritsar; scrumptious choley-kulchey;
Maharaja Ranjit Singhs statue stands tall in
heritage street; and langar being cooked
 PRABHJOT GILL GETTY IMAGES

GETTY IMAGES PRABHJOT GILL

punjab

GETTY IMAGES

Lush fields of mustard,

just like in the movies

rural Punjab. But our enthusiasm
for The Kothi was not dampened by
the weatherall six group members
instantly liked the quaint ambience of
this genteel homestay, dripping with
colonial charm.
The Kothi was built by the Sangha
family, who also established the tiny
village of Nawapind Sardaran, in which
the homestay is located. A rambling
red brick building surrounds an open
courtyard, and every nook and cranny
contains homey knick-knacks, books,
and photographs.
We had a very relaxed time at The
Kothi, walking through the village and
along the river, listening to Punjabi folk
hospitality at Totis Dhaba, a popular
roadside spot thats been serving up
sweet chai and pakoras for 40 years.
But mostly, we enjoyed eating the fresh,
hearty fare served up in large and diverse
quantities. At each meal, the table became
The KoThi was
builT by The
sangha family,
who also
esTablished
a groaning board of local delicacies such
as sarson ka saag, makki ki roti, sweet rice
and aloo vadi, paranthas stuffed with aloo
and gobi, fresh curd, divine kheer, white
buffalo butter, and gur ( jaggery), served
as a digestive.
The village of Nawapind Sardaran
will always hold a special place for me
because it was here that I was finally able
to realise a long-held dream: draping a
white dupatta over my shoulders, I ran
through a mustard field in imitation of
Kajol in the movie Dilwale Dulhania Le
Jayenge. By the time we left Gurdaspur,
I felt fully immersed in the pastoral
pleasures of Punjab.

songs around a bonfire, driving to local

sights such as Takht-i-Akbari, in nearby
The Tiny village Holi, Hola MoHalla and a
wHole lot of fun
Kalanaur, the almost-forgotten platform
on which Akbar was crowned emperor
of nawapind From Gurdaspur, we drove about 90
kilometres southeast to Hoshiarpur. Our
at the age of 13, and enjoying the rustic sardaran destination was Citrus County, a luxury

94 outlook traveller MaY 2017

punjab

farmstay on the outskirts of the town,
surrounded by a kinnow orchard that
tinged the air with a sweet scent. Owned
by Harkirat and Jasveen Ahluwalia,
Citrus County is a large country home
with rooms plus tented accommodation,
and a separate club house. It is a very
relaxed and comfortable place from
which to explore rural Punjab.
Its also a very hospitable spot: the
Ahluwalias were waiting for us with
cool drinks, snacks on the lawn and a
Holi party! A troupe of Bhangra dancers
performed while guests threw colour at
each other and joined in the dancing.
The Holi party helped to get us in
the mood for Hola Mohalla, taking
place the next day. Hola Mohalla
means mock fight and the festival
celebrates the martial skills of Sikhs in
simulated battles. It was started in 1701
in Anandpur Sahib by the tenth guru,
Guru Gobind Singh, to keep the warriors
fighting fit.
We drove two hours south to
Anandpur Sahib, and took refreshment
before throwing ourselves into the
melee. We jostled along in a crowded
procession through town, and past the
gurdwaras, to Charan Ganga stadium.
Many people were dressed in blue
robes and turbans with orange sashes,
or white robes and orange turbans
and sashes, carrying weapons such as
swords, daggers and spears. Some of the
turbans were outlandishly outsized, and
decorated with Sikh insignia. Groups
threw coloured powder at each other, but
no one approached us and we made it to
the stadium unscathed.
The expansive stadium, with the
foothills of the Shivaliks as its impressive
backdrop, was already packed. Crowds
had gathered both in the stands and on
the field, and I wondered how the horses
would ever get through.
We settled in the stands and soon,
the procession began. Ceremonially
dressed Sikh officials, spiritual leaders
and warriors on horseback, in cars
and trucks, pushed through the dense
crowds, stirring up dust that mixed with
the coloured powder thrown into the air
and marvelled at the dedication to
I was fInally
able to realIse a
long-held dream:
drapIng a whIte
dupatta over
my shoulders,
I ran through a
mustard fIeld
in fits and starts.
Then the Nihang Singhs appeared,
the stars of the show, on horseback and
elephant, and by this time the 80,000
people assembled were in a fever pitch of
excitement. It was madness.
The Nihang Singhs are a Sikh order
that continue to observe their traditional
military lifestyle and culture. Their
daring feats are the highlight of Hola
Mohalla. We saw them demonstrate
various war-like sports with reckless
abandon, such as standing erect on
two or even three speeding horses, and
Gatka (engaging in mock encounters
with real weapons).
We joined the crowd on the field
after the demonstrations were over,
preserving and celebrating Sikh
culture as we clicked photos of the
extraordinarily dressed participants.
Hola Mohalla is an exuberant, robust,
and unique eventand served as a
rousing end to our tour.
We drove back through the gathering
dark to Citrus County, tired but happy,
and enjoyed cool drinks on the lawn,
followed by dinner and a bonfire. On
our last night together, we felt we had
indeed tasted the zest and effervescence
of Punjabi culture. Warm, large-hearted
people, hearty food and heart-felt
hospitality. That was our Punjab beyond
the brochure.

# THE INFORMATION
GettinG there
Amritsar can be reached by road,
rail or air. Its an eight-hour drive
from Delhi. Most Indian airlines
fly daily to Amritsar from major
departure cities such as Delhi,
Mumbai and Bengaluru.
By rail, there are many options,
including the daily Amritsar
Shatabdi from Delhi, and the
almost daily (except Thursday)
Swarna Shatabdi from Delhi.
Likewise, Chandigarh is well
served by road, rail and air.
Breakaway offers short and long
cultural experiences. Their Punjab
tour costs `38,000 per person
for a group of 6-8 people on twin-
sharing basis (break-away.in).
where to stay
There are lots of accommodation
options in Amritsar, though many
of them are hostels that cater
to Golden Temple pilgrims. For
a unique, authentic experience,
try Mrs Bhandaris homestay in
the cantonment area (`2,400;
bhandariguesthouse.com).
At the high end, the Taj
Swarna is a newly opened luxury
property that combines modern
architecture and high-tech
amenities with traditionally
inspired dcor and authentic
cuisine. (`9,000; tajhotels.com).
The Kothi Village Stay is a
delightful way to experience rural
Punjab. The house has five rooms,
each with its own character and
old-world charm (`6,000; +91-
187-424-3624). Citrus County is a
luxurious farm stay in Hoshiarpur.
Accommodation is either in the
modern house or luxury tents
that circle the expansive lawn. All
meals are included. Hosts Harkirat
and Jasveen arrange activities such
as a tour of the village and orchard
or jeep safari through a forest.
(`12,000; citruscountyfarmstays.com).
n mariellen ward

96 outlook traveller may 2017

TRAVEL PROMOTION
MuddyBootS
M
uddyBoots is an active vacation company
that specialises in activity holidays in
Wayanad (North Kerala), Coorg, the Nilgiris,
the Malabar coast and Rajasthan, with new
locations in the offing.
Established in 2009 with a small core group possessing
very deep knowledge of the wilderness areas of Wayanad,
MuddyBoots was shortlisted as one of Indias 6 best
adventure operators in 2014 by Outlook Traveller. They
have also been covered in a number of publications such
as National Geographic, Lonely Planet, Sunday Times etc.
MuddyBoots offers a great collection of outdoor
experiences such as walking, cycling, hiking, kayaking,
bamboo rafting and camping, while retaining elements
of traditional vacation packages such as sightseeing and
exposure to local culture. The experiences are tailored
based on the profile of the client group, with activities
suitable for everyone from 10 to 70+ years of age. Typical
client groups range from a FIT couple, to domestic/
international groups of upto 20, though they have handled
W
ith summer just around the corner, its
that time of the year to plan that cool
getaway; that warm memorabilia with
family, friends and loved ones! As children
await a fun and frolic summer holiday, it is the perfect
occasion for the family to enjoy the magnificence of
Mysore the cultural capital of Karnataka. The world
renowned Mysore Palace, Indias National Rail Museum,
One of the finest zoological parks in the country and
the abundance of archeological treasures are some of
the notable attractions, amongst a plethora of visual
delights to captivate visitors. Whilst the bird sanctuaries
and national parks beguile children, the alluring Karanji
Lake infuses and amplifies romance for the lovebirds.
Dipped in the soul concept of Bringing Stories to Life
large groups of upto 150 persons.
MuddyBoots is the outdoor activities partner for the
Vivanta by Taj group, and also has exclusive partnerships
with Harrisons Malayalam Ltd to conduct outdoor
activities within their vast tea and rubber estates in Kerala.
MuddyBoots is presently comprised of an experienced
team of 21 most are from local communities, as part
of their philosophy that their activities must contribute
to the local economy. They also take great care to ensure
minimal impact on the places they visit and request that
their clients respect this.
Website: www.muddyboots.in
Grand Mercure,
MySuru
coupled with nuances of local tradition, Grand Mercure
Mysuru, an AccorHotels brand, will help you create fond
memories with all the splendor that the city has to offer.
The finest of French hospitality dipped in local flovours
that is synonymous with Grand Mercure Mysuru-an
AccorHotels brand, will ensure a world class holiday in
the lap of Mysores renowned grandeur.
Being strategically located within the vicinity of the
citys major attractions, the hotel is minutes away from
tourist favorites like the Mysore Palace, R.K Narayans
Museum, Mysore Zoo, the Railway Museum and St.
Philomina Church.
Finally, the crowning glory combining rich local
flavors and authentic French delights is the sumptuous
dining experiences and exotic food options available to
guests for a lip-smacking summer!
In all, a summer stay at Grand Mercure Mysuru, is a
testimony of modern hospitality fused with vintage
charm to make your holiday truly memorable.
Website: www.grandmercure.com
photo essay himalaya

rocky mou
a veteran himalayan photographer pays a monochromatic tribute to the
greatest landscape photographer of all timeansel adams. by ashok dilwali

98 outlook traveller MaY 2017

ntain high

A delicate interplay of
rocks and water at Lahaul

outlook traveller MaY 2017 99

himalaya

100 outlook traveller MaY 2017

 Clockwise from here: Rohtang
Pass; harvest time in Bhutan;
and ridges near Chakrata

outlook traveller MaY 2017 101

himalaya

102 outlook traveller MaY 2017

 Clockwise from here: Asan
Barrage, Dehradun; Thiksey
Monastery; and rugged rock
formations in Ladakh

outlook traveller MaY 2017 103

 Cover Story kerala

cardamom,
tea & idukki
Like a chiLd, Labanya Maitra expLores Thekkady and Munnar and
finds her hoLiday posTcards coMing To Life

GETTY IMAGES
 Tea plantations in
Munnar are often the
richest shades of green
kerala
L
egend has it that Jesus Christ
spent three years of his life
travelling across the coasts and
mountains of Kerala learning
about medicine, healing and astrology. I
spent the last three years surrounded by
Mallu friends learning about actor Nivin
Pauly. While the comparison may be a
little far-fetched, it certainly accelerated
my excitement of visiting the proverbial
Promised Land.
Armed with an elaborate imagery
of lush green forests, mesmerising
backwaters and coconut trees, I arrived
at Kochi airport. The extent of my
Malayalam was limited to one line of a
folk song about Chikku bhaiyyas rabid
dog, which made any conversation seem
like a distant dream. I soon resigned
myself to taking in the scenery of Gods
own country through the window of the
cab during the 4hr drive to Thekkady.
It isnt hyperbole when the poets
106 outlook traveller may 2017
speak of Keralas beauty being capable
of leaving you in a trance; so much so
that the narrow roads snaking along
the mountains were often dotted
with signboards that said Toddy and
nothing elseleaving their sobriety in
a questionable disposition. Once out of
the city, there were more trees than there
were people more varieties of flowers
than I could remember.
Nestled in the heart of the cardamom
county lay my destination, at least for the
next two days. Half expecting a generic
hotel building, the quaint design of the
Niraamaya Retreat nearly camouflaged
it into the hills around. With blue roofs
mirroring the sky, each of the 12 luxuri-
ous wooden cottages paid homage to a
spice of the bountiful land. Mine was
called Pepper, and was decorated with
peppercorns, paintings of spices, fresh
flowers and petals, and a little surprise
towel origami that would be left on the
GETTY IMAGES
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuarys lake is dotted with
colourful boats for scenic rides
bed every day by magical elves.
A long, warm shower in the semi-open,
stone-walled shower area later, I was
ready for the walk around the beautiful
property under the moonlit sky. The eve-
ning ended with a wholesome traditional
Kerala dinner.
As I made my way back to Pepper, my
Instagram chirped. A friend was mes-
saging me about the superior quality of
the pillows at Cardamom County, which
he had visited eight years ago. Laughing,
my head hit the coveted feather cushions
only to rise with the first rays of the sun
the next morning.
Kerala being the land of spices, it was
only natural that I took a walk along the
spice gardens of Thekkady after breakfast.
Walking down a narrow path with my guide
who went on about the different spices they
grew, I noticed, almost every variety under
the sun could be found in the plantation,
each in symbiosis with the others.
There was clove, allspice, vanilla, tulsi,
different varieties of coffee, chillies, pep-
per, lemons the size of my forearm, nutmeg
and so much more. Around 75 per cent of
the worlds cardamom is grown in Idukki
district. I felt like a child in an amusement
park as I broke open a pod of cardamom
and tasted the seeds, squeezed the petals
of various flowers and licked the nectar. I
walked around the entire plantation nib-
bling on stevia leaves.
In the afternoon, I made my way to the
Periyar elephant reserve. The last time I
rode on an elephant had been in Rajasthan.
Here, my trusty companion Mira took me
up and down the mountain trails, even
being kind enough to lend her trunk for
selfies. I thought we had really bonded
over the course of the hour when suddenly
she decided to roll around in her bathing
pool with me on her. Needless to say, we
had a special connection there, her and me.
The drive back to the retreat was
dotted with simple little huts, almost
camouflaged with natures abundance.
I notIced, almost
every varIety
under the sun
could be found
In the plantatIon,
each In symbIosIs
wIth the others
You dont get to see these things much in
the bustling cities.
Niraamaya is known for its signature
Spice Spa treatment and I was more than
happy to experience it. A quick steam
later, I was ready to feel the out-of-body
experience that the spa claimed to offer. I
walked out an hour later with a silly smile
on my face, only to be greeted by the most
wonderful Kerala-style thaali for lunch.
Bathed, fed and ready to experience the
art and culture that the place had to offer,
I made my way into the town to watch a
performance of the Navrasa Kathakali.
Almost a lecture-cum-demonstration, the
artists explained each of the navrasas in
the hour-long performance while paying
homage to the ancient art of storytelling
through drama, dance, mime and music.
I also had the opportunity to experi-
ence the oldest and mother of all martial
art formsKalaripayattu. Legend has it
that the 3,000-year-old artform can be
traced back to the father of martial arts,
Sage Parasurama, who reclaimed Kerala
from the Arabian sea. The young artists
were fast and agile, pulling off stunts that
left the audience awestruck. The grand
finale was full of fire, quite literally, as the
artist jumped through flaming hoops.
After a hearty breakfast overlooking the
infinity pool the next morning, it was time
to embark on my 4hr journey to Munnar.
Infamous for being a honeymoon destina-
tion, I was curious to see what it had to
offer to the solo traveller.
The views of Kerala seem like some-
thing right out of the holiday postcards
Niraamayas mountain-view cottage is a tryst
with tranquillity; and (left) the retreats Spice
Spa treatment provides quite the celestial
outlook traveller may 2017 107
kerala
I used to collect as a child On the way
to Munnar was the Anayirangal Lake.
Although commercialised with stalls and
gift shops and couples holding hands,
it was easy to forget about the civilisa-
tion around and get mesmerised by the
beauty of the changing colours. Painted
against the backdrop of the hills, flowing
through the valley below, it is moments
like these that remind you of the tran-
sience of human existence.
The Devonshire Greens property was
hidden away on the side of a mountain.
A rustic, cabin-like structure, it was
what one would call the perfect family
getaway. My room was a cosy little space
with a roomy balcony overlooking the
Clockwise from here: sunset does great
justice to Devonshire Greens (or is the other
way round?); tea samples for tea lovers;
and the hard parttea plucking
108 outlook traveller may 2017
valleyI felt right at home while at the
same time, far away.
After a quick lunch, I headed out
to see the local attractions with my
chauffeur and guide Anil, and the jeep
I would be referring to as Chikku from
now on. Tea being one of the largest
cultivation crops in Munnar, I visited a
tea factory. Other than the quirky signs
detailing how to make tea, the museum
seemed like any other, that is, until I
stepped into the actual tea factory. An
ageing man stood atop a giant tub of
fresh tea leaves waving a flask of green
tea at anyone who made eye contact.
Once he had our attention, he went
off on a monologue about the benefits
of tea and how the average Indian
couldnt master the art to save his life,
which would put any stand-up come-
dian to shame.
Thoroughly amused, I made my way
through the rest of the tea-processing
units, stopping to smell the various cuts,
pretending to know what its supposed to
smell like.
Just as it was time for sunset, I headed
to the Pothemedu viewpoint. Except,
of course, the cloudy day guaranteed no
sun and I stared into the magnificent
valley overlooking Munnar in its entirety
as the daylight started dimming. About
2km from the property, hidden away
in a forest of Eucalyptus trees were the
Attukad waterfalls. While global warming
resulted in the falls being more of a
trickle, a phenomenon I would encounter
repeatedly on this trip, the natural rock
formations and the river made a sight
nothing short of stunning.
A lavish buffet at the restaurant made
me feel right at home as I sat listening to
the chitter-chatter of a large north Indian
family on vacation. The rest of the evening
was spent in my balcony, looking out, into
the valley below.
The next morning shone bright and
sunny, perfect for a little rendezvous
around Munnar. In the company of Chikku
and Anil, I headed towards the Matupetty
dam. The snaking road towards the dam
was filled with lush tea plantations, flower to the lack of water, overcrowding and the
gardens, and one lone tree with over seven exposed concrete construction around.
enormous beehives they called the Jungle The lake, however, extended far and wide,
Honey Bee Nest. The Matupatty dam in flowing past a local tribal village. Past the
itself was rather underwhelming owing dam and driving along the lake up the
mountain, I suddenly noticed a sign that
i insisted on read Welcome to Tamil Nadu.
A film student at heart, I insisted on
standing in the standing in the middle of the road with
one foot in Kerala and one in Tamil Nadu
middle of the road as Anil stood, laughing and hoping I didnt
get hit by a bus. A short distance away was
with one foot in the path that led up to the Top Station
viewing point. Walking the narrow lane
Kerala and one in full of local fruitsellers, I glanced at a
lighthouse-like structure where people
tamil nadu were taking pictures. The Top Station, as
GETTY IMAGES
GETTY IMAGES
outlook traveller may 2017 109
A cluster of wild elephants
roam nonchalantly in Idukki

GETTY IMAGES

they call it, looked down on a spectacular
view of the mountains and the valleys,
enclosed in clouds.
On the way back, we stopped at the
Kundala Lake, where the changing hues
of blue reflecting the suns rays could
just as easily have been something
out of a fairytale.
After a quick walk around the flower
garden, we headed back to Devonshire
Greens. I was taken around the property
and shown the fitness centre, spa, busi-
ness centre and the lovely little lawn.
Looking out of the balcony, I was, to my
pleasant surprise, greeted by a rainbow
that may have originated from the pro-
verbial pot of gold.
The next morning marked the end of
my little getaway to Kerala; it was time to
get back to the real world. The 4hr drive to
the airport was largely uneventful except
nature decided to give me one last treat
the Valara waterfalls.
Tall and roaring in the middle of 25km
of dense forest, the Valara falls almost
stood as a metaphor for the world outside.
Beauty and hope can never be lost.

# THE INFORMATION
getting there
Thekkady and Munnar are
located in Idukki. The nearest
airport is Cochin International
Airport, which is about 140km
from Thekkady and 110km from
Munnar. The Ernakulam railway
station is located about 160km
from Thekkady and 130km from
Munnar. Cab services are avail-
able from the airport.
Where tO StAY
The Niraamaya Retreats Carda-
mom Club in Thekkady is a mem-
ber hotel of Privya selection of
boutique hotels around India. It
offers 13 cottages, both gar-
den- and mountain-view (from
`6,000, +91-124-4059403,
privyhotels.com/kerala/niraamaya-
retreats-cardamom-club).
The Devonshire Greens in Mun-
nar has 40 rooms in various
categories from standard and
premium to suites. You can
choose between the valley-view
and sunrise-view (from `6,000,
+91-8592001011/9656377744,
devonshiregreens.com).
WhAt tO See & DO
>Visit the Periyar National Park
and take a walk around the spice
plantations in Thekkady.
>Soak in the arts and culture by
experiencing the cultural pro-
grammes in Kumily.
>Stop at the Anayirangal,
Matupetty and Kundala dams to
witness the breathtaking lakes.
>Head to the tea museum, echo
point, tribal village, and Top Sta-
tion viewing point in Munnar.
>Make your way through the
multiple waterfalls like Attukad,
Nyamakad, Luckom, Thoova-
nam, Power House, Valara and
Cheeyappara.
>Visit the tea gardens and coffee
plantations in Munnar.
>Discover the Chinnar Wildlife
Sanctuary when it isnt breeding
season to catch a glimpse of the
Nilgiri tahr.
n labanya maitra

110 outlook traveller may 2017

 Hill Thrill Manek S. kohli witnesses a riveting mountain biking
challenge across uttarakhands gorgeous hillscapes.
photographs by Tribhuvan Tiwari

T
he Indian Armys young mountain biker
Ramesh Ale had trailed the experienced
and well-equipped Kazakhstani, Kiril Ka-
zantsev, for far too many stages. It was the
final stage of The Ultimate Uttarakhand
Himalayan MTB Challenge 2017, and
this time the cyclists were to cover a relatively
short 86km from Uttarakashi districts quaint
Chinyalisaur to pretty Mussoorie. Ramesh,
who was eight minutes behind Kiril on the
Nainital to Pithoragarh first stage, lost to him by
a mere three seconds at Karnaprayag. Kiril had
cemented his position as overall third in the mens
category, ahead of Ramesh. Now the Indian was
having none of it.
Over seven days and six stages, the riders had
cycled across several districts of Uttarakhand.
The rockier paths had tested their strength, the
tarmac their precision. The uphill rides were ardu-
ous, while the downhill oneswhere they may have
touched 70kmphwere exhilarating beyond measure.
The final leg was flagged off at 7.47am. The 57 rid-
ers51 male and six femalequickly split into groups
of five or six. Ramesh, Kiril and others such as the
overall first position Oscar from Colombia, who was
leading the second position Staffan from Sweden by
an impressive cumulative 40 minutes, were riding
together, ahead of all the other groups.
From Chinyalisaur began a sharp climb. The
roads wound across the lush Uttarkashi hills. The
wind-rustled oaks and deodars threw dancing shadows
on the riders. Soon enough, the first uphill climb had
reached its zenith, and from there, they became one
with the wind.
Theres something magical about a downhill ride
its not just the speed, but also a near-superhuman

112 outlook traveller may 2017

control on display. The leading group quickly gained speed,
helped by gravity, their weightless vehicles and their own
light, lithe bodies. But the action reached its peak at the sec-
ond and final downhill ride. Oscar/Staffan and Kiril/Ramesh
split into duos, competing with each other. What ensued next
was thrilling: the latter two raced neck-to-neck for minutes,
until the finish line saw the Indian clinch the third position by
just a fifth of a second. He may have still trailed the Kazakh-
stani by an overall 23 minutes, but today was his day.
Taking in 884km of Uttarakhands most scenic vistas
and toughest road climbs, the third annual edition of the
Uttarakhand MTB Challenge was a celebration of the spirit
of mountain biking and competitive sport. Organised by the
Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) with
technical support from the Cycling Federation of India (CFI),
the event attempts to promote Uttarakhand as an adventure
and mountain biking destination.
A day before the final stage, we sat at Chinyalisaurs
nutrition point. Here I spoke to some of the riders. Kulveer
Yadav is part of Uttar Pradeshs cycling team.
He discovered his talent when he participated
in a Republic Day road cycle race, and then kiril and ramesh
went on to compete in state and national races. raced neck-to-
Mountain biking was the next step. Finishing
in the top ten at the Uttarakhand MTB 2015,
neck for minutes
he finished 28th overall this time. For him, this on end, until
years MTB was a reality check.
Manjeet Singhs love for cycling began
the finish line
early. A 2005 accident left this son of a farmer saw the indian
crippled. But that didnt deter himhis clinch the third
resolve helped him regain the ability to walk.
He started cycling just two years ago to save
position by just a
money commuting to work, a distance of fifth of a second
Left to right: Manjeet (in orange) and a bunch of
other mountain bikers; quiet Chinyalisaur looks
pretty in the morning; and a group of riders mid-
stage seven, racing their way to Mussoorie
70km. But that was enough to prepare him for
the Uttarakhand MTB.
We then proceeded with a few of the Army
Adventure Wings (AAW) riders to the banks
of the Bhagirathi. The river and the moun-
tains around it were fairly dry. It made for
perfect mountain biking terrain, and the
young riders were only too glad to show us a
few moves. Like Ramesh, all of them had per-
formed incredibly well in the race. In fact, the
AAW occupied all positions between overall
fourth and 13th, while its other riders were
not far behind either. Their rigorous training,
most of it involving triathlons, and their disci-
pline allowed them to give tough competition
to the foreign riders.
The event was a gruelling challenge, replete
with varied terrain and obstacles that tested
the sporting spirit. Most participants vowed to
return, to challenge these beautiful hillsand
their own selvesagain next year.
The event saw 37 Indian and 20 international
participants battle it out over 884km of
Uttarakhands hill roads, starting from Nainital
and concluding at Mussoorie. The event will be
held next April 816, 2018 (mtbuttarakhand.co.in).
Online registration is at cyclingfederationofindia.org.
outlook traveller may 2017 113
Back
of the 05.17 Time Traveller Book Reviews On The Shelf
Book Where on Earth? Picture Post edited by sumeet keswani
n n

n n

ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY: MAPS OF DELHI

 time
traveller
map of delhi, 1857
A visually compelling new book by Pilar Maria Guerri-
eri, prosaically titled Maps of Delhi (Niyogi Books), studies
the capital through the lens of its mapsfrom early 19th
century to the master plan for 2021. In this process, it
provides a cartographic history of Delhi with commentary
that narrates the story and historical context behind each
map. One of these maps, pulled out from the Delhi State
Archives, presents a plan of Shahjahanabad and its sur-
roundings, as they stood in 1857, drawn in the Quarter-
Master Generals Office in the British Camp on the Ridge.
The title suggests, according to the book, that the map
served a very specific purposerepresenting the loca-
tions of barracks, infantry, cavalry, artillery batteries, and
picket locations of the British military during the mutiny
of 1857. In this respect, it might have been a guide for the
counter-attack strategy. Besides the fact that the map
was produced in 1857, a crossed-swords symbol on the
top-left marks the fight of June 19th, which refers to the
start of the mutiny. The book points out that the colours
used on the map, too, hold military relevancered
indicates British camps, brown, the Mughal city, yellow,
principal routes, and blue, rivers and canals.
Weve read aplenty about the 1857 mutiny from the
Indian side but it is a revelation to see an artefact made
by the British to counter the mutiny. Its been nearly 160
years since the battles, yet this part of history does not
fail to stir our collective consciousness.
n sumeet keswani

outlook traveller MaY 2017 115

Phoren near India
The concept of land border
towns as dusty, desolate outposts
books has long been glorified in litera-
ture and movies. Sea-facing ports, Borderlands
on the other hand, have been By Pradeep Damodaran
(Hachette India, `650)

melting pots for civilisations
going back aeons. The advent
and growth of air travel, now the
favoured international travel
option, has made airports the new
funnels. Inter-modal movements
rapidly take people and com-
merce along pre-defined paths,
into and out of their comfort
zones, without much interaction
with the real new worlds that
borders used to provide.
This book takes you to the land
and sea borders of India, which
millions of ordinary people use.
Pradeep Damodaran in Border-
lands takes great care to almost
totally avoid air travel. This book,
in a way, also tells you how simple
it is to go abroad without a pass-
port or visa. By land or across wa-
ter. As an army brat who turned
seafarer, this is something which
one learnt by exposure. And this
aspect of paperless human beings
continuously migrating in search
of whatever it is that drives them,
is also brought out well.
But then, this book is way
beyond the payscale of a travel
book, in as much as it also be-
comes a very readable sociologi-
cal experiment on why land and
sea border outposts in India are
what they are. Detailed chapters
on defined land borders with
Pakistan, China, Tibet, Bhutan,
Nepal, Myanmar and Bangla-
desh are supplemented with
observations on the undefined
sea borders with Sri Lanka and
other countries along the Indian
Ocean. (Technically, if one drops
a straight line of longitude from
India, then even the continent
of Antarctica deserves mention.
And new information on how the
aborigines of Australia trace their
ancestry back to India confirms
that the antipodes are, literally, in
the same boat of borders, too.)
The book is made up of bite-
sized chapters, to be consumed in
any order by the attention-deficit
reader. Some chapters stand out
because they have seldom been
done beforeIndias borders with
China in Arunachal, for example,
and the effect that the 1962 incur-
sion had on the people there. One
line says so muchaspects of
which I had heard from Brigadier
Dalvis men in 1962By this
time, the Chinese soldiers had left.
Khandu and his fellow villagers
found their homes and property
intact, with no traces of damage
or desecration.
The other chapter that does
it for me is the one on Moreh,
a town on the border between
Manipur and Myanmar. After
the 1962 churn in that country,
Indians of different communi-
ties were forced out but some
returned to the border to resume
life and trade. The Moreh chapter
includes interaction with people
who originate from Nepal, Tamil
Nadu, Punjab, Pakistan, Bihar,
Bengal, and also the localsnot
counting soldiers from all over.
Pakistan and Bangladesh get a
lions share of the dialogue in our
lives. They are well covered in this
book. If maritime matters interest
you, then the chapters on Camp-
bell Bay (Andamans) and Minicoy
(Lakshwadweep) are essential
reading. I have passed through
these islands dozens of times, but
never visited these places.
I found the book difficult to put
down, and have a gut feeling that
for a certain kind of traveller, this
may become a cult reference man-
ual. Go to phoren near India. Dont
take your passport; take photos
and return. With memories.
 veeresh malik
n

On the Shelf
A ll new things seem to happen simultaneously. Just as Anthony Doerr returns home from the
hospital with newborn twins, he is awarded the Rome Prize and a year-long fellowship in Rome.
Among the most prestigious awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, these include a
stipend and a writing studio. The book is an ode to these changes in his life. It talks about old life giving
way to new life, raising newborns in a new city, and life in Rome. The author poignantly describes the
world around him, the beauty of the seasons and lessons of parenthood. He reads books by authors
Four Seasons
in Rome such as Dante and Keats who have written extensively on Rome and visits the temples, ancient cisterns
By Anthony Doerr
(HarperCollins, `350)
and piazzas. He even attends the vigil of a dying Pope John Paul II and travels to the Pantheon in Decem-
ber to see snowfall. There are stories and there are seasons and all mingle sensitively in this book.

116 outlook traveller MaY 2017

 First Food: Culture
of Taste
(Centre for Science and
Environment, `950)
A Season to Savour
ThaTs six seasons, if you go by most
Indian calendars. And all savoury, sweet, sour
and scrumptious.
Troublingly, India is losing its taste for seasonal
eating. Chain supermarkets, loss of culinary habits
and pan-Indian eateries are flattening our food
habits into a deceptively comforting monotony
cauliflowers and capsicum rule year round, the so-
called English vegetables; bottlegourd or pumpkin,
the poor native cousins, are the sole gourd repre-
sentatives met by some families in a whole year.
A pity, what economy dictatesbut the great
thing about economies is that the market (thats us)
can dictate to it too. Thats the hope inspiring this
volume. Pity that the cover ends up almost alienat-
ing the more political consumer with culture and
first food. There is no baby food, nor indigenous
tribal lore. The culture vulture, which extends shad-
owy wings over the introduction in a BMKJ jihaad
against McDonaldisation, misses its markthe real
target is not the West, because it is we that have
effected the changes to our diet, and can again.
What hits the spot is the rest of the bookI
would say the meat of it, except this is a sans-
kari vegetarian volume (a problematic exclusion,
politically and ecologically). Between scientists and
journalists, there is much dished up to make and
mull overmostly recipes for leaves, flowers (with
revelations like Parijat Kalakand), fruits and veg-
etables; plus digestible bites of tradition, agriculture,
nutrition, even the business of selection pressure on
fields and marketplaces. It ends up more inclusive
than its desi agenda, with potatoes, soya beans,
and even that international trend of foraged foods
that we forgot until the West reminded us; when we
harrumphed that we had honoured it all along (we
hadnt, or our bazaars would still boast 14-odd leafy
greens). It argues passionately, tastefully.
I hope enough readers dip deep enough to buy
and cook from it. The challenge is for what are now
noveltiesgundruk ko jhol, prickly pear jam, cucum-
ber vadisto return to the everyday, enough to
affect an economy required to support their revival.
Else, sadly, this pretty book will soon be relegated to
the season of mist and forgetfulness.
n manidipa mandal
a Walking Tour: ahmedabad
By Matthijs van Oostrum
and Gregory Bracken
(Mapin, `595)
Sketch of a Historic City
L
iving in Ahmedabad in the 90s as a student of design, I was often out-
doorssketching, photographing or observing life at Teen Darwaza,
Rani no Hajiro, the pols or the Sunday Market on the banks of the Sabar-
mati river. While the city seeped into me through those years, I returned
to it after 12 more to find that I could not put together the familiar pieces
of that beloved old map. Imagine then, my pleasure at receiving this slim book
that took me on 12 walks through Ahmedabad, discovering heretofore unseen
pearls and rediscovering the old hat.
Mapins A Walking Tour: Ahmedabad by Matthijs van Oostrum and Gregory
Bracken lists walks that are categorised into broad, interconnected areas,
quite literally walking you through the citys stories through its buildings,
spaces and monuments. Short write-ups on the sweep of architectural styles
to be found in Ahmedabad, its history, a summary of Gandhis association
with the city, and crisp, practical advice on getting around lend a rounded
comprehensiveness to this book.
While there is a sprinkling of delicate sketches in every section, I dearly
wished for sketches of some elements of architecture (how does a buttress
or a jharoka look?). Perhaps these features could have been pointed out if the
sketches had been captioned. Readers unfamiliar with the glossary may be left
wondering if they are looking at a sketch of a chabutara or a chowk. There is no
mention that Gautam Sarabhaithe mathematician who designed the Calico
Dome that is no longer extant (look under Kavi Dalpatram Chowk), and B.M.
Institute of Mental Healthwas the designer of the NID building along with
his sister Gira Sarabhai, who had trained in the offices of Frank Lloyd Wright.
The outdoors-indoors links and horizontal spread of the building that houses
Indias first design institute is clearly influenced by the architecture of Wright,
who had also been invited to design a building for the Sarabhais in Ahmedabad.
Sadly, that was a miss for the city that treasures buildings by some of the greatest
Modernists simultaneously with gems dating as far back as the Solanki period.
This book will lead you to them.
n rukminee guha thakurta
outlook traveller MaY 2017 117
 Its 12 metres hIgh, 15 metres wide, 14 kilometres long and 639 years old. Yet, it is the best preserved
where on ancient city wall in a country that is famous for gigantic walls. rectangular in nature, it encloses an old city centre,
separating it from its new high-rise avatar on the other side. Originally built to defend the old city, the wall has
earth? gates that are accessed by drawbridges across a moat. the rampart is now a tourist attraction and one can walk,
jog or bike on it passing by ancient watchtowers across its length. Forever dwarfed by its longer, more popular peer
in the same country, this wall has lately earned some limelight with celebrities like mark Zuckerberg and former
Us first lady michelle Obama visiting it.
4name the wall and the city in which it is located.
GETTY IMAGES

deviprasad v
Winner
march 2017 Traveltoons [ By mario miranda ]
chennaI
In march, we featured
Kansas city Library.
mail your entries to
Outlook Traveller Quiz,
aB-10 safdarjung enclave,
new Delhi 110029
by may 31.
email submissions
will not be considered.
One lucky reader who
answers correctly will win
the brand new Outlook
Traveller Getaways
Trekking in the Himalayas
written by Harish Kapadia.
Traveller Traveller
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in the Himalayas
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Harish Kapadia, one of the most celebrated Indian explorers, has

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He is the first Indian in 125 years to receive the prestigious Patrons
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He is married and lives in Mumbai. Visit his website at www.harishkapadia.com

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other PoPular tItleS from outlook traveller getawayS

TREE housE hidEaway

Explore the Pearl City of Hyderabad. BandhavgaRh
froNt Cover

Rs 20000/- Double Occupancy, Design

Contact us for more details: Deepak Suri

Rs 19000/- Single Occupancy in

+91 40 66 66 66 86
ISBN 978-81-89449-65-0 ` 175

AC Tree House
www.travellounge.co Sponsored by Sponsored by

www.treehousehideaway.com ` 175

Kanha EaRTh lodgE-Kanha

Rs 18000/- Double Occupancy,
Rs 17000/- Single Occupancy in
AC Bungalows
www.kanhaearthlodge.com

dEnwa BaCKwaTER
EsCaPE-saTPuRa
Rs 18000/- Double Occupancy,
Book this space for
Rs 17000/- Single Occupancy in

Rs 8500/- AC Cottage. Rs 20000/- Double

Occupancy, Rs 19000/- Single
Place an ad to promote your Occupancy in AC Tree House
property or product. The ad must be www.denwabackwaterescape.com

accompanied by a picture. PEnCh TREE lodgE PEnCh

Rs 20000/- Double Occupancy,
Contact: Bharat Chawla, 9899556999, 011 33505500
Email id: bharat@outlookindia.com Rs 19000/- Single Occupancy in
AC Tree House
www.penchtreelodge.com

BaRahi JunglE lodgE

ChiTwan nEPal HERITAGE OF
Rs 18000/- Double Occupancy,
Rs 17000/- Single Occupancy in TELANGANA
AC Cottage
www.barahijunglelodge.com
Above packages include
accommodation in mentioned
category, 1 shared Jeep Safari/
activities, all meals and all
applicable taxes. Outlook Traveller Getaways
Call: +91 - 124 - 2571404, presents a guide spanning the
2570404, +91 8800637711
enquiry@pugdundeesafaris.com entire extent of India, focusing on
Book this space for www.pugdundeesafaris.com
destinations that have remained
Rs 8500/- off the beaten path thus far
Place an ad to promote your
property or product. The ad must be
accompanied by a picture.
Rs 4500/-
Contact: Bharat Chawla, 9899556999, 011 33505500 Place an ad to promote your
Email id: bharat@outlookindia.com
property or product. The ad must be
accompanied by a picture.
Contact: Bharat Chawla, 9899556999, 011 33505500
Email id: bharat@outlookindia.com
 picture
post

Choices, Choices
Photograph by SomdiP roy
Purulia, West Bengal

Wanted! Your travel photosfrom Beluga to Bel-

gaon, Kozhikode to Krakw. Give us your best shot
(high-resolution 300dpi/at least 2MB, along with
a caption and date) by May 20 and win a mantra
facecare gift hamper. Email your entries to
picturepost@outlookindia.com.

122 outlook traveller MaY 2017