India Travel
Accommodation and eating in Souhtern Orissa
Gopalpur’s many rooms tend to cost considerably more than elsewhere, and you may well feel inclined to haggle. Only during holiday times, however, are they liable to be booked up in advance. The rates below all refer to the off-season between March and October. As for eating, there’s a surprising dearth of seafood in Gopalpur, though some restaurateurs can be cajoled into cooking die odd pomfret, given sufficient warning.
Holiday Home, on corner of promenade and main road 0680/242049. A relaxed establishment in an old colonial building. The rooms are all large and colourful, each with access to the communal veranda. Food is prepared on request.
Holiday Inn, near the lighthouse. Couldn’t be less like its North American namesake - a handful of very basic rooms around a yard with bucket baths and no running water. The friendly family allow guests to use their kitchen.
Mermaid, on the north side of the beach 0680/242050 Friendly place pitched at wealthy Calcuttans, with plain rooms and private sea-facing balconies. With advance notice, nonresidents can enjoy the delicious Bengali thalis prepared here for the discerning palate.
Oberoi Palm Beach, 0680/242021. Cosy, characterful five-star, with chalets around a central lawn, a jogging track, a tennis court, lots of palm trees and easy access to the beach. The congenial restaurant serves plush, expensive buffet spreads and delicious seafood: the bar has a good wine selection and is reasonably priced.
Panthaniwas, to the right, along the seafront 0680/242088. Unfortunately there are no sea-facing rooms, but this new hotel has clean rooms, each with attached bath, and a dorm (Rs70); the excellent chef will whip up tasty Indian dishes and breakfast on demand.
Rosalin, on the seafront 0680/242071. Chaotic family-run establishment with basic small rooms around a small garden-courtyard and a very informal restaurant for standard omelette, tea and toast breakfasts or dhal, veg and rice dinners. Cheap and cheerful.
Sea Side Breeze, north side of the beach 0680/82075. Simple, but pleasant enough, with spacious neat rooms.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
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 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 in Orissa
As state capital. Bhubaneswar offers the typical range of accommodation from luxurious five-stars to the filthiest of lodges. While the better-class hotels are spread out all over the city, the inexpensive places tend to be grouped around the railway station, or near the busy Kalpana Square junction at the bottom of Cuttack Road, a five-minute rickshaw ride away. The railway station also has retiring rooms if you're really stuck. Reservations must be made in advance at the counter in the main hall.
Simlipal National Park Accommodation in Orissa
Advance booking is officially required for all but one lodge, the Aranya Niwas, through the Field Director of Project Tiger, Banpada 757002, Mayurbhunj district, Orissa 06792/52593. It is not possible to pay for any accommodation using foreign currency or traveller's cheques. Where to go in Simlipal is largely dictated by the location of the lodges. There are six dotted around the park, but the best from the point of view of spotting wildlife is Chahala (83km from Banpada) - one of the maharaja's former hunting lodges, just inside the core zone near a salt-lick where animals congregate in the evemngs. As
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 of Puri in Orissa
Virtually all Puri's hotels stand on or near the beach, where a strict distinction is observed: the hotels pitched at domestic tourists are lined up behind Marine Drive, the promenade on the west end of the beach, while budget-conscious Westerners are sandwiched further east between the high-rise, upmarket resort hotels and the fishing village. This latter district around CT Road, known as Pentakunta, has become a real backpacker enclave, with numerous identikit hotels offering dorms, simple doubles, hot water and midget verandas. The less expensive hotels are quiet during the summer months, but the pricier accommodation tends to be booked
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.
Parasumaresvara Mandir in Orissa
The best preserved and most beautiful of Bhubaneswar's early temples, the lavishly decorated Parasumaresvara Mandir stands in the shade of a large banyan tree just beyond the square, and was built around 650 AD. Art historians rave about this temple, which, with its plain, rectangular assembly hall (jagamohana), simple stepped roof and squat beehive-shaped tower (deul), typifies the predominant style of late seventh-century Orissa. Tn addition to the sheer quality of its exterior sculpture, Parasumaresvara is significant in marking the then-recent transition from Buddhism to Hinduism. The brahmin may point out panels depicting Lakulisha, the proselytizing Shaivite whose sect was
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.
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,
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
The central group in Orissa
The compact central group, just of Lewis Road, beyond the museum and OTDC Panlhaniwai Hotel, includes some of Bhubaneswar's most celebrated temples. In order to see the oldest first, follow the footpath from the main road past the more recent Muktesvara Mandir and its adjacent water tank, as far as a small square lined with cold-drink stalls and souvenir shops.
Balasore in Orissa
The first town of any note along the way, BALASORE (literally "town of the young lord"- Krishna) was one of the earliest British outposts in India. In 1636, it was given by the emperor Shah Jahan to a British surgeon, Gabriel Broughton, after he had successfully cured a Moghul princess of burns (her clothes had caught fire during a sea voyage). If the port hadn't silted up in the eighteenth century, Balasore might well have become Calcutta. As it is, the sea is now 13km away and the town is little more than a collection of market stalls grouped around
Around the town in Orissa
Capital Market, situated m a residential area along Janpath, is the place to buy typical Orissan handlooms, handicrafts and jewellery. All the material shops claim to be the official government outlet, so the prices for lengths of beautifully woven cloth and ready-made garments are very competitive. Tucked in a corner of Unit Two East, next to a large fast-food joint, is a treasure-trove of tribal and village crafts and jewellery and materials, all at bargain prices. Ask to look in the dusty cupboards and you may well stumble across an antique mask or two. Hidden away on the northwestern edge of
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