Mount Abu (Rajasthan)

After visiting Udaipur in November 2006, I also spent a day or two in Mount Abu. The hill station looks like a paradise if you view it from some hill top. The view was striking from the mini terrace garden in front of our room. The Dilwara temple is a must see. It has beautiful sculptures and marvellous marble carvings. It reminded me of the Taj Mahal.

Boating in the Nakki lake was fun. There is a small market from where we bought beautiful bed sheets and footwear. The ride in the Mount Abu special rickshaw called the helicopter was hilarious. This rickshaw was like a garden trolley with a man pulling it. We took this helicopter till the sun set point. As the sun set, it looked like a hot iron ball, dark orange in colour. The mixed shades of blue, yellow and orange in the sky looked gorgeous.

Mount Abu is a hill station special in its own sense. Being in Rajasthan, the mountains are brown. They have their own beauty and look quite different than the hills of Himachal.

Udaipur (Rajasthan)

I have been to Udaipur twice. The first time, around January 1998, on a five days school trip. The only vivid memory of that trip is the beautiful Lake Palace. Standing in the middle of a lake, the palace seemed like a castle in some fairy tale. It had beautiful rooms decorated with old paintings and comprised of antique furniture and articles. I rememer we took a boat till the palace and the entry that time was either free or was quite nominal, unlike now. The entry fee is not that cheap now, and I could not visit the Palace the second time I visited Udaipur. I also visited the Mahrana Pratap Memorial. I still have in my mind, faint images of the grand statue of Maharana Pratap on a horse.

My second visit to Udaipur was during November, 2006. It has been one of the best vacation trips I have ever had. Our train reached Udaipur early morning. The weather looked quite pleasant and we took an auto rikshaw till the Trident. The ride till the hotel is unforgettable. We passed many city lanes, which were quite narrow and saw how people lead a laid back and peaceful life. Early in the morning the breeze felt nice too and it freshened me up. The entry to the Trident was absolutely lavish and amazing.

The road divided into two and the second one led to the grand Udaivilas. This grand hotel is a must see. It is bulit like some historical structure and the palatial architecture is like an exorbitant luxury one could ever experience. It is more like a palace than a hotel and I really enjoyed visiting Udaivilas. I still can’t forget the huge candle stand in one of its areas. There were no lights there and the only source of illumination was candles. It is one of the most romantic places I have ever been to. The hotel Trident is also no less and I enjoyed my stay there.

I visited the famous City Palace standing on the east bank of the lake Pichola. The palace comprised of beautiful terraces, gardens corridors and balconies. There was many paintings, utensils and other antique articles.

Saheliyon-ki-Bari is a nice garden full of magical fountains. If you clap loudly, the water fountains start working.

We saw an interestimg puppet show, where the puppets danced in typical rajasthani costumes and the woman went like “Kaanton Lag Gayo”. It was a funny song and we all had a good laugh. Being very fond of stationery, I shopped for some hand made paper diaries.

Overall, Udaipur is a nice place and you should visit if you are fond of forts, lakes and historical monuments.

Kerala

If someone asked me to describe Kerala in one sentence, I would say “Kerala is green in colour.” Being full of greenery, it is an absolute delight for people who prefer peaceful surroundings. It is full of coconut trees all around. Even the roadsides were packed with lush green grass and plants. I visited Kerala in the month of October, 2007. It is said that the best season to visit Kerala is from October till January.

The boat ride in the Periyar wildlife sanctuary was a unique experiece. Although all the tigers were hiding in the forest due to slight rain, I could spot deer and a variety of birds.

Thekkady is an amazing hill station. Our hotel was on the top of a small hill, which offered an absolutely beautiful view of the scenery around. The journey through the tea plantations was a treat. The people of Kerala were polite and extremely nice to me. I loved shopping for herbal creams and spices. I still can’t forget the mouth watering Kerala dish called Thiyal with the special Kerala Porotta (Parantha) I had twice.

Now comes the best part of the trip, the Back Waters of Kerala. The overnight houseboat experience now seems like a dream to me. I still can’t believe I spent that evening sitting in a lavish boat, gazing at the sunset. The shades of the water changed as the evening progressed. It was so captivating to explore the canals where people actually live. Everyone had boats parked outside their homes, like we have cars. I still remember how badly I wished to capture every single moment in my memory that time.

We opened our eyes to Kumarakom in the morning. The place welcomed us with loads of style. As I got out of the houseboat, I saw a few people standing outside the Kumarakom resort waiting to welcome us. They put tilak on my forehead, beautified me with a red flower garland around my neck and offered me coconut water. As I moved to check out my room, I was thrilled to see the open bath full of shells. I could see the coconut trees right over my head while bathing in the most lavish bathroom I have ever seen.

Other places in Kerala, like the Cochin city, the Kovalam beach were a lot of fun too. I would love going there again sometime. Next time, I would want to explore the hill station Munnar and also get an ayurvedic body massage done, that I missed.