India Travel

Accommodation and eating in Ranchi

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Ranchi and around

RANCHI, at the heart of the Chotanagpur plateau, is ugly and poor and it's hard to believe that it was once the summer capital of Bihar, full of tea-gardens. The only reason to come here is to visit one of its ashrams such as the extensive Yogoda Math Ashram. Several major trains - connecting with, among other places, Calcutta. Delhi Patna, Daltonganj, Dhanbad.Jasidih and Jamshedpur - either call at Ranchi station, near the southern end of the Main Road, or terminate at Hatia, 7km away. Indian Airlines has daily flights between Ranchi and Delhi, while there are twice-weekly flights (Tues &

Travel details to Bihar and Jharkhand

Trains Gaya to: Allahabad (4 daily; 4hr 20min-6hr 30min); Calcutta (6 daily 6-9hr); Dehra Dun (1 daily; 26hr); Delhi (9 daily; 12-15hr); Haridwar (1 daily; 23hr|; Kalka (1 daily; 27hr); Lucknow (3 daily; 10-13hr); Mughal Sarai (13 daily; 3-5hr); Mumbai (1 daily: 31 hr); Patna (4 daily; 2hr 30min); Puri (3 weekly; 17-40hr); Ranchi (3 daily; 8hr 20min); Sasaram (10 daily; 1-3hr); Varanasi (3 daily; 4hr-5hr 30min). Patna to: Agra (1 daily; 17hr 35min); Allahabad (8 daily; 6-8hr); Calcutta (6 daily; 7hr 30min-12hr); Chennai (2 weekly; 44hr); Delhi (8 daily; 12-24hr); Gaya (4 daily; 2hr 30min); Guwahati (3 daily: 21-26hr); Lucknow (3

Practicalities at Palamau (Betla) National Park

The official headquarters of the park, Daltonganj. 25km from Betla, are served by direct buses and a branch railway line from Ranchi. Five buses each morning and three each afternoon (first at 7.30am; last at 4.30pm) run from Daltonganj to Betla, which is 6km off the main Ranchi-Daltonganj road. If you're coming from Ranchi, you could try to change buses at the turn-off and get to Betla without going through Daltonganj.This is a fairly lawless corner of the state, so it's best to avoid night travel. Next to the Betla gates, the main park entrance, a small complex holds administration offices,

Accommodation and eating in Eastern Madhya Pradesh

Most of Bandhavgarh s new and established hotels, all of which are in Tala, cater for travellers on a higher budget, and offer "jungle-plan" prices - all-inclusive 24hr deals including meals and two Jeep safaris per person. However, there are also a few budget lodges and mid-priced hotels. The only option for eating outside your hotel is at one of the friendly, cheap dhabas on the main road.

Eating in Mumbai

In keeping with its cosmopolitan credentials, Mumbai (and Colaba above all) is crammed with interesting eating places, whether you fancy splashing out on a buffet lunch-with-a-view from a flashy five-star revolving restaurant, or simply tucking into piping-hot roti kebab by gaslight in the street.

Accommodation and eating in North Bengal

Kalimpong's acute water shortages are likely to influence your choice of accommodation - few of the lower-range options have running water. The market area (Tenth Mile) and the area around the Motor Stand are where you will find most budget hotels. The best restaurants are in the hotels - the Kalimpong Park, Crown and China Garden. Other options include the legendary Gompu's bar and restaurant a: Dambar Chowk which serves great momos; the Mandarin, a Chinese restaurant at the Motor Stand; and the basic but friendly Kelsang, tucked around the corner from the Motor Stand servmg curd and Tibetan food.

Thripunitra Eating in Kerala

Unusually for Keralan cities, Kochi offers a wide choice for eating out, from the delicious fresh-cooked fish by the Chinese fishing nets at Fort Cochin, to the sophistication of the Bmntori Boatyard. Between the two extremes, various popular, modest places in Ernakulam serve real Keralan food. The ferries run all evening, and so it is possible to enjoy a meal on one of the more atmospheric islands before heading back to Ernakulam at about 9pm.

Practicalities Khauldabad in Maharashtra

MSRTC buses pull in every half-hour or so at Rauza's small bus stand, a short walk west of the walls, en route between Aurangabad and the Ellora caves just down the hill. There is no accommodation in Khauldabad, so you should press on to Ellora or Aurangabad. If the prospect of eating in one of the sweet shops and chai stalls in Rauza's main bazaar doesn't appeal, you'll have to wait until you get to Ellora.

Eating to Rameshwaram in Central Tamil Nadu

Eating in Rameshwaram is more about survival than delighting the taste buds. Most places serve up fairly unexciting "meals". Arya Bhavan and Kumbakonam, W Car Street. Both places are run by the same family and dish up standard, inexpensive veg “meals”. Ashok Bhavan, W Car Street. Offers cheap, regional varieties of thalis. TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu, near the beach. Gigantic, noisy, high-ceilinged glasshouse near the sea, serving good south Indian snacks and "meals:: - many items on the menu are unavailable, however.

Jharkhand

On the eastern extremities of the Vindhya hills, at the northern fringes of the Deccan, lie the forested hills and escarpments of the rugged Chotanagpur plateau.The area became a new state,JHARKHAND, in 2000, after years of agitation by its largely tribal population, though it seems unlikely that its extreme poverty and lawlessness can be dealt with by creating a slew of new government positions and changing some names. The state capital is Ranchi, although Jamshedpur in the southeast corner is one of eastern India's most important industrial towns, the headquarters of the steel conglomerate TISCO. The forests that surround Jamshedpur, at

Eating to the Bikaner in Rajasthan

Most visitors eat at their hotels or guesthouses while in Bikaner. If you fancy eating out, try Harasar Haveti, which is a popular meeting place for Western travellers and has the best rooftop views. Amber Station Road, A cleaner than average (although somewhat dingy) thali house that's popular with Westerners. Full veg menu and refreshing masala chai. Harasar Haveli, near Kami Singh Stadium. Open-air rooftop terrace restaurant with panoramic views, top landoori and non-veg Mughlai food and cold beers. Joshi, Station Road. The most salubrious of the eating places near the station. Filling, cheap rice-plate meals and arguably the town's best-value thalis,

Palamau (Betla) National Park

In a remote and lawless corner of the state, 170km west of Ranchi, the beautiful forests of the PALAMAU NATIONAL PARK (also known as Betla), cover around 1000 square kilometres of hilly terrain rising south towards Madhya Pradesh. Part of the Project Tiger scheme (see Contexts, p. 1532). Palamau has been hard hit by drought, and even optimistic estimates of its tiger population stand at a mere sixty.Tiger sightings, more common in the hot season, are proudly announced on a noticeboard at the park offices. Like many national parks, Palamau consists of a buffer zone, open to visitors, surrounding a core

Accommodation and eating of Tripura in the Northeast

Agartala has a small but good selection of hotels - nothing fancy, but something for everyone. All places listed provide mosquito nets. Choices for eating are more limited: Abhishek on Dutga Bari Road (10am-9pm) is the best in town, with indoor and garden tables; Ambar, next to the hotel of the same name, is another option. Ambar, SD Barman Sarani. Central location with reasonably priced rooms. Brideway, JB Road, near the west side of the palace. Friendly place. Reasonable rooms with large attached bathrooms. Deep Guest House, LN Bari Road. Small hotel on main road. Carpets and attached bathrooms, though the

Kottayam Accommodation and eating in Kerala

Kottayam has a good choice of mid-range hotels but if you are in search of utter luxury, head out to one of the five-star resorts that nestle on the banks of the nearby Vembanad lake in Kumarakom. You'll be hard pushed to find a decent budget hotel here, apart from the Ambassador. There are basic "meals" restaurants in the centre of Kottayam, such as the Black Stone, close to the bus station on TB Road, and a fairly dingy Indian Coffee House on TB Road, but the best is the vegetarian thali restaurant at Homestead Hotel. For an evening out, die

Eating in Orissa

Eating out in Bhubaneswar is basically limited to a choice between the predictable five-star food dished up in the a/c comfort of places such as the Sishmo, or the cheap and chilliful south Indian dishes served in the rather less salubrious cafes such as the Vineeth or the Swosti; both are opposite the railway station and open for breakfast. The one or two restaurants that make an effort to include traditional Orissan cuisine on their menus are worth seeking out (you will have to order at least eight hours in advance); seafood dishes combining prawns or delicate pomfret (a white

Accommodation and eating of Imphal in the Northeast

Imphal has a few simple hotels in the market area, and a handful of mid-range ones further out. Similarly the choice of restaurants is small - the best in town being the Host in the Anand Continental hotel. There are no bars - this is a dry state. Anand Continental, Khoyathong Road. Best in town with carpets, hot showers, TV in all rooms and excellent restaurant. ITDC Imphal, North AOC. Dimapur Road. Resplendent government-run hotel with large rooms, lawns and restaurant. Mass, Assembly Road. Reasonable-sized doubles some with balconies and attached bathrooms. Central location. Nirmala, MG Avenue. A good-value option with

Eating from the Kanpur in Central UP

Few of the high-street eating places can be recommended, but several of Kanpur's better hotels such as the Landmark and the Meghdoot have good restaurants. Budhsen, Virhana Road, Nayaganj. A popular restaurant with an adjacent sweetshop which, along with the posh Haveli. is one of several options on this busy and central shopping street. Kailash Misthan Bhandar, GT Road, Gumti 5. The best of a couple of roadside cafes near Moti Jheel, serving snacks such as dosas to locals who come here to take the evening air. Shanghai, the Mall. In the centre of town, popular with well-heeled locals, many of whom

Accommodation and eating to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh

Gorakhpur has a wide range of hotels from the budget-type near the station to the mid-range in the dull commercial hub around Golghar, lkm southwest. During the hot months, air-cooled or the more expensive a/c rooms are welcome, especially if you have just come down from the mountains. Cheap dhabos can be found in the vicinity of the station; a row of them stand outside the station gates. Elsewhere, the best eating new multi-cuisine Bobos restaurant in Golghar. Bobina, Nepal Road. About 2km from the station: a tacky pastel-coloured and uniquely depressing museum of kitsch that may the familiar from your

Eating of Kumbakonam in Central Tamil Nadu

There's nothing very exciting about eating out in Kumbakonam, and most visitors stick to their hotel restaurant. For a change of scene, though, a few places stand out. Archana Big Bazaar Street. Right in the thick of the market. Popular among shoppers for its good-value south Indian "meals", and great uttapams, although it can get hot and stuffy inside, Foreigners appear to cause quite a stir here, but are made very welcome. Ariya Bavan TSR Big Street. Convenient if you're staying in VPR/Siva two doors down, and a dependable all-rounder, serving the usual south Indian menu, with tasty biriyani, and piping hot

Accommodation and eating in Central Tamil Nadu

To cope with the influx of tourists and pilgrims, Chidambaram abounds in budget accommodation, but there are few upper-bracket options beyond the Samdharam hotel, near the bus stand, and the Aksha Plaza, a brand new place on South Car Street between the bus stand and temple. The railway retiring rooms offer the best deal in town, with huge clean rooms, though the bathrooms arc a little dilapidated; ask at the Station Master's Office on platform 1 (Rsl50). As for eating, there are plenty of basic, wholesome "meals" places on and around the Car streets - the Sri Ganesa BUavcm, on West