Photo of the Week - Ellora Caves Kailasa Temple
This large stone elephant is one of two in the Kailasa Temple, at the Ellora Caves in Maharastra.
The Ellora and Ajanta caves are a deservedly popular India tourist attraction. As well as being one of India's top historical places, they're a remarkable architectural feat. All of them have been hand carved out of stone! The detail and amount of work is incredible.
Want to know more about what to see and do in Maharastra? Check out this guide to the Top 5 Tourist Destinations in Maharastra.
Do you have a photo of India that you'd like to share? Submit your photo here along with a brief description and it may be featured as Photo of the Week.
Photo copyright www.cepolina.com.
Delicious Dining at the Taj Land's End Hotel Mumbai
Vista, Taj Land's End Mumbai.
Leonardo Media
I had dinner with a friend last night at the Taj Land's End Hotel in Bandra. This luxury hotel is located on a hill, overlooking the ocean at Bandra Bandstand. It offers a fabulous view of the new Bandra-Worli Sea Link too (not to mention, it's right near Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan's house).
If you have a bit of spare cash, there's some delicious dining to be had at the Land's End. We ate in Vista, the hotel's bistro, which is known for its pizzas and extensive buffet. My friend had a pizza (650 rupees/$15), while I chose the buffet (1,500 rupees/$30, including a small beer). It offered an interesting mix of both Indian and continental food. The Sunday brunch buffet at Vista is especially popular, and is one of the best Sunday brunch buffets in Mumbai.
If you're not concerned about budget at all, the hotel's organic restaurant, Pure, is a real treat. A meal for two can easily add up to 4,000 rupees ($80), excluding drinks, though.
More About Eating and Drinking in Mumbai:
Cheap Luxury Accommodations in Bangalore?
Vivanta by Taj, Bangalore.
Taj Hotels & Palaces
I recently read an article in the Times of India about hotel prices in Bangalore. It said that room rates for premium and luxury hotels in Bangalore have dropped to 2000 levels.
Apparently, people have been checking into 5 star hotes in Bangalore for between 6,500 and 7,000 rupees ($130-140) per night. Shockingly, these rates were supposedly as high as 20,000 rupees 2-3 years ago because there was such a shortage of rooms in Bangalore. The slump in corporate travel has sent these rates crashing.
I did a quick search of hotels on the Internet but didn't find any 5 star rooms as cheap as 6,500 rupees, for non corporate travel, in Bangalore. The best rate on offer was the early bird rate of 8,200 rupees ($165) at the Taj West End. Rooms at the ITC Windsor were going for around 9,000 rupees ($180), while the early bird rate at The Leela and The Oberoi was 9,500 rupees. However, the Taj Vivanta, whilst not a 5 star hotel, had single rooms on offer for 6,400 rupees ($130) a night.
As always in Bangalore, the centrally located St Marks Hotel remains the most popular, and best value for money. Rooms there start from 6,500 rupees a night.
More About Bangalore Travel:
Where to Enjoy an Eco Friendly Stay in India
Bungalow at Coconut Lagoon.
www.flickr.com user albany_tim
Want to stay somewhere with a difference in India, and be assured that you're helping the environment at the same time? These 10 top eco friendly hotels in India are the prefect choice. Not only do they offer a refreshing nature based approach to tourism, they're located in some of the most beautiful and picturesque parts of India.
As a result of the growth in eco friendly tourism in India, there are plenty of different types of accommodations on offer too -- including luxury tents, homestays, eco villages, and nature resorts. Something for everyone really!
More About Where to Stay in India:
Calling All Adventurists. Go Rickshaw Rampaging in India!
www.flickr.com user shawnbot
There's no escaping the ubiquitous three wheeled auto rickshaw in India. Cheaper than a taxi and more convenient than a bus, their loud buzz can be heard all over the country.
However, your experience of India's auto rickshaws doesn't have to be restricted to merely riding in them. It's possible to take the controls and actually race one! And lets face it, who hasn't at one point in time, wanted to get into the drivers seat of an "auto"? Better still, you'll be raising money for charity by doing so.
The Rickshaw Challenge operates four auto rickshaw races around India. The Mumbai XPress 2009 is about to get underway on July 31, 2009. However, this year there's also the Tech Raid 2009 (which starts out from Chennai on October 16, 2009), and the Classic Run 2010 (which makes its way through Tamil Nadu, commencing on December 29, 2009). Next year, the Malabar Rampage through Tamil Nadu and Kerala will kick off on April 2, 2010.
If you love adventure and traveling around India, you won't find a more unique opportunity than this to enjoy both! Why not find out more information now?
More About Adventure in India:
Photo of the Week - Sula Vineyard Nashik
I recently visited Sula Vineyard in Nashik. It's only four hours from Mumbai, making it a wonderful getaway from the city. I was really impressed to discover a world class winery and architecturally designed tasting room. The wine was pretty good too!
Wine and wine tourism are rapidly gaining popularity in India. Many vineyards are now open to the public, and offer guided tours, tastings, and accommodations. If you like wine, these top 5 Indian vineyards are the places to visit.
Do you have a photo of India that you'd like to share? Submit your photo here along with a brief description and it may be featured as Photo of the Week.
Photo copyright Sharell Cook.
Enjoy the 2009 Champakulam Boat Race in Kerala
Kerala snake boat race.
www.flickr.com user Arun Kumar Sinha
The monsoon fun is well underway in Kerala. One of the biggest events of the season is happening tomorrow -- the Champakulam Moolam Boat Race. It's over 400 years old, making it the oldest snake boat race of Kerala. It's also the first boat race of the season.
A total of 19 boats are set to take place in various categories of the race. The event also features exotic water floats, boats decorated with colorful parasols, and performing artists. Catch it along the Pampa River at Champakulam, not far from Alleppey.
To get the most from your trip to Kerala, why not explore the Kerala backwaters on a houseboat, or head over to Wayanad for the 2009 Splash Monsoon Carnival as well?
More About Festivals and Events in India:
India Monsoon Now Covers the Whole Country
Monsoon rains flood a Mumbai road.
www.flickr.com user clakeSnapster
After being stuck over south India for so long, once the southwest monsoon reached Mumbai, it really got a move on!
The monsoon covered the whole of India yesterday, advancing into the remaining parts of Rajasthan around 12 days early. The monsoon normally doesn't cover the entire country until the middle of July.
It's a relief for India's farmers. However, the situation is grim in India's northeast where non-stop monsoon rain has caused severe flooding. Around 300,000 people in Assam have been affected by floods. Assam is traditionally a very flood prone area during the monsoon.
The whole of India's northeast, including Darjeeling, receives very heavy monsoon rain and is best avoided during this time of the year.More About the Monsoon in India:
Where to Celebrate India Gay Pride
At the Bangalore Pride March
www.flickr.com user nickjohnson
Following on from Sunday's Gay Pride marches in India, the New Delhi High Court finally decriminalized homosexuality yesterday. It's been a long battle for gay rights in India. Understandably, the mood amongst India's gay community is extremely buoyant.
Celebrations are taking place on a grand scale at Delhi's gay nightspots. Gay people are thrilled that they can now party openly in India.
So, where can you go to join in the fun?
- AI The Jazz Lounge, in Saket's MGF Metropolitan Mall, is holding a Legally Gay party tonight from 9.30 p.m. Featuring Iggy The DJ, it's billed as the first legal love party. Everyone is welcome.
- The Polka Club, in South Delhi's Kailash Colony, has a gay disco on Saturday nights.
- Pegs N Pints pub, in Chanakyapuri's Chanakya Lane, has legendary weekly gay nights (usually on Tuesdays) from 9 p.m. There was a big party there last night too.
Photos of Hemis Festival in Ladakh India
The two day Hemis Festival is on at the moment near in Ladakh, in far northern India. It's held every year at the 300-year-old Buddhist monastery of Hemis Jangchub Choling, near Leh.
The Hemis Festival is an incredible opportunity to experience ancient monastery culture. It's extremely colorful and captivating, as this Hemis Festival Photo Gallery shows. I haven't seen such dazzling photos in a long time. Just look at the setting!
Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com user madpai
More India Festival Photos: