Alappuzha - Venice of the East

 Alapphuza - the hub to God's own country's backwaters, is fondly termed as the Venice of the east, and this blog tries to capture the beauties of the place.

You have a scenic spread of locales to explore in Alapphuza and this queen of backwaters offers a widespread buffet to travel enthusiasts, who want to relax and unwind.

Capturing the beauty of this picturesque terrain is a shutterbug's delight. The world-famous Vembanad backwaters, the rich paddy-fields of Kuttanad, and an interplay of coconut groves and backwater canals are nothing but a delightful feast to weary eyes.

India's longest and conceivably one of most beautiful lakes - the Vembanad lake is the largest swampland in the country. The lake connects the 3 Kuttanad districts - Kottayam, Ernakulum, and Alapphuza. 

The Pathiramanal island is a birdwatcher's paradise. The island is a welcoming home for thousands of migrating birds from all over the world.

The Venice of the East also embodies the Manarasala Nagaraja temple - temple for the Serpent deity, located in the middle of a forest glade and has more than 30,000 images of snakes. 

Alappuzha also hosts one of the ancient churches in India - Malabar Catholic Forane Church - Established in 427 AD. The church, built by the side of the Periyar river is nothing short of a reverie, with the elements giving you a fairy tale experience.

Kuttanad, being the rice bowl of God's own country, is one of the most unconventional attractions of Alapphuzha, where the farmers still practice the ancient methods of agriculture.

Truly, if there's a place that comes close to heaven in the southern tip of India, it is the backwaters of Alapuzha and Kumarakom that is a must visit in your lifetime. 

Image courtesy - Various archives from the Internet.

For all hotel, attraction reviews, or restaurant reviews, see my reviews on Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.in/members/AnuWrites

A beautiful property, right on hill top, and so was our room at Avalon, Mussourie...

It was a wonderful experience. The staff was very helpful, polite and supportive. Location is superb and the fun zone has lot of activities for the kids. My kid made lot of friends and enjoyed every activity at the holiday zone, especially the Karaoke evening, which was an opportunity for the guests to unveil their hidden singing talents. Our room was on the top, on the top-most alley! Its a major climb and can be really tiring, especially after a heavy holiday meal! So, hold your breath for a breath-taking view of the pristine town of Mussourie. However, we did get a change of room after repeated requests, since that was the peak season and the resort was running full! We opted for a change because of the over-powering stench in the kitchenette and water-clogging in the bathroom right from the day of check in.
Like most of the Club Mahindra resorts, the resort staff was quite friendly and try to make your stay a pleasant one.
The resort arranges a pick-up and drop facility to the entrance of the mall road and charges Rs.70 per trip. Its a steep drive, not a dangerous one, and if you are keen you can even walk it. For the local sight-seeing trips, you can hire rickshaws, which charge Rs.400/- for a 1/2-a-day trip and its fun to ride on the cycle. Its
a tiring up-hill task for the rickshaw wallah. Haridwar and Hrishikesh are pretty close by to Mussourie and you can plan a daily trip (if you start early), by hiring pre-paid taxis from the Taxi union at the Mall road.
The restaurant is smaller and gets over-crowded during peak seasons. Food is ok, not all that great compared to the other Mahindra restaurants. The restaurant staff is extremely good and helpful. There are lot of options on the Mall road. 

Club Mahindra Shimla

A wonderful property, with great view, and a wide choice of food. We stayed there for about 3 days in April this year. The tall-pine trees swing at the back yard, giving a very picturesque sight of the resort. The resort is smaller compared to the other Mahindra resorts. Its quite far away from the crowded Shimla town, but the entrance could  have been well designed. The surroundings are not quite well maintained, un-tarred and muddy narrow roads that you have to trod to explore the scenic beauty of Shimla/Mashobra.
The restaurant is quite big and can accommodate guests quite well during peak seasons. Food is quite amazing and if you are from the South, you will not miss your Idlys and Dosas for breakfast :), which are quite delicious and well made. The restaurant supervisor Mr.Raj was quite friendly and catered to our requirements very promptly.
The staff is quite courteous, but you have to repeatedly make requests for services. The front desk appeared quite tardy and looked quite uninterested on the day of the check in. The travel desk is highly exorbitant and you will end up spending quite a bomb if you want to explore the places nearby. Instead, you could contact the Modi taxis, which is located just at the entrance of the resort. Mr. Pankaj Modi is quite helpful and offers reasonable rates and travel suggestions. So, beware of the travel desk!
The activities for the children are quite sad and below the club mahindra standards. There's nothing much the kids can do at fun zone. The camp-fire activities during dinner (only on weekends) were fun and enjoyable.
If you have visited the Mahindra properties in the south (Munnar, Coorg, Ashtamudi, or even Goa), you will definitely feel that the Whispering Pines has a looooong way to go. 

Kudos E-Inn for Spreading Vegetarianism - Way to Go!!

This is an ideal place to take your family out for a memorable lunch, especially, if your family comprises elders who do not wish to eat in a non-vegetarian restaurant. Initially  I was thinking twice about this restaurant, because of its name, which is not very appealing. Sounded more like a highway dhaba! But, surprisingly, it became a pleasant experience. The buffet prices are very reasonable when compared to any other restaurants in Bangalore, for the varieties it offers. 
The moment I saw the ad across the restaurant, which indicated that E-Inn is a group of the Sai Vishram Beach Resort, Byandoor (Coastal Karnataka), I had no second thoughts about the quality of the restaurant. Kudos E-Inn! We expect you to to maintain the quality of food and the wide range, as well as the attractive/reasonable rates.  You have indeed carved a niche for yourself in spreading the idea of vegetarianism. Awesome Job!
E-Inn is off Electronic City, Bommasandra, Bangalore, and the accessibility is much better and easier with the new toll flyover.
Book in advance to avoid heavy rush on a weekend.

Temptations @ Malligi, Hampi!

The vegetarian buffet at the Temptations restaurant was just awesome, comprising a wide range of South-Indian delicacies. Get there early, as early as 7 AM in the mornings to beat the crowd or just be satisfied with crumbs of idlies if you are late. The sumptuous breakfast kept us through the day during our daily sight-seeing ventures. There is a mix of Veg and Non Veg food served at the Temptations for lunch and dinner and hence, the veggie crowd stuck with Blue Mist. 

Hampi - Mango Tree Restaurant - Awesome location, Excellent view!

Do not miss out a lunch at Mango Tree during your visit to Hampi. The place offers excellent view of the Tungabhadra river, creating a fabulous ambiance, with a picturesque view. Ideally, the hotel should be renamed to represent the number of  lush green plantain groove, it is situated in between. The food is simple and delicious, but slightly over priced. You will miss out on the Vegetarian Thali of a typical North Karnataka flavor, if you reach there after 3 PM.
The hotel gets crowed for lunch, and you may end up waiting for  sometime. But, the staff is courteous enough to accommodate you quickly.  The Jolda Rotti (Jower Rotis) are quite delicious.