Take a Break - Ooty and Coonoor

It isn't difficult to find eateries in cities where tourists line up all year long. Ooty and Coonoor is one of these places. Though, being the hardcore North India food lover, it isn't easy for me to adjust to the South Indian food and their eating culture. So, the first thing I search for after getting down in a new city is to find the good North Indian serving eateries.

So, I was stayed one day each in Ooty and Coonoor. I landed two good places serving great food. First was the Earl's Secret of King's Cliff which was a bit far from Ooty railway station, however, eating in a glass house especially when its raining, make it worth your money. The property seemed pretty old, reflecting ancient English architecture.

The food left me wishing that if only the food was as good as the weather outside, then, it would have been among my top three places to eat I have eaten, yet. It goes without saying that Earl's Secret is for the elite class with an average cost of 1600-1800 INR for two people, especially when the food's taste or quality doesn't match its price. However, the property is so beautiful that I don't mind spending. In case, you are travelling with someone especial, then, this is one must visit place.

Glass House - Earl's Secret

The second best of the trip was Hydrabad Birayni House in Coonoor. Its close to Coonoor railway station. Would you be amazed to hear that their Biryani was their USP? Naah, right. Me too. But, it was among the top three Biryani's I have ever had. They serve biryani's in three sizes. Everyone knows at least one of those people who would eat as if they have been living in a dessert for last 2 years. If you know such a person, then, call her/him and challenge them to finish one large serving of HBH Biryani and bet your life earning on it. Even you home or life, I you will. HBH is exactly for those kind of people who live to eat. I would highly recommend HBH, not just for their sumptuous food but also to their great taste. I couldn't try much after ordering their biryani for obvious reasons.


If you ever get a chance to visit these place, then, try to keep an eye for these places. Also, if you tell them that I have referred you, then, you might have to pay for dessert which we didn't.

"Its monsoon in India and probably not a good time to travel" who so ever tells you this, tell them to STFU. Take some time out, visit places, when ever you get some time take a break from this hectic lifestyle.

Beach Trip 2 - Om Beach

Hey All,

First of all, this is 300th post......so me celebrating the 300 post on THE WAY IT IS. Thank you all for being here and your support.

Moving on, this is the part where i reach the beach. This is the second post in the series of three. We reached the place Gokarna in the morning about 10 AM IST. Being this my first trip to the beach, i was confused to what to do first because there is an ancient temple right in the middle of the city and some 300 meter away from the nearest beach. So what we decided was to go to the beach.....get wet, come back to the room and bathe and then go to the temple. Though, i'm not into religion, you can say i'm atheist but i love the history of India and the religion. I hate idolatry. Leaving that behind.....here are the pics from the Gokarna Beach.

CLICK ON THE PICS TO ENLARGE

Because, it was the first time at beach, that why my eyes were burning cause of the salty water but that didn't stop me from enjoying.

In the background, the OM BEACH, place we came for. This is the second beach if you coming from north to south and there are two more in the row named - NEW MOON Beach and PARADISE Beach. Though, Om beach is the largest but all the beach are peaceful and clean. This is place is some 100-150 KM from GOA, which has the most famous beaches in India that's why this place is not crowded. Here, we got what we wanted peace for two days. The place didn't even had mobile network coverage.

There were a lots of tourists here. You can say they were more in number that the natives. As the day started ending, it didn't even felt like India......so many tourist....black, white, tanned :) .......When talked to them found people were coming from all parts of India to this place. From Gulf Countries, Argentina, Greece, Portugal, Korea etc. Best part.....all were very satisfied by the their trip. Imagine when some body tells you your country and people are great huhhhh......yea, had that feeling.

People mostly come to India after retirement or if they are young, then to find peace. They get involved into religious activities too. I feel that strange.

That's my friend writing I LOVE YOU in Vietnamese. For the obvious reason that his girl friend is from Vietnam.

So this is pretty much it rite now. Hope, you like it. If not , please leave comment you that i can improve. Thanks for visiting by and keep waiting for the last post of the series of my beach trip. Saved the best for the last.

Beach Trip - Post One

Hey All,

It has been a long time when i posted something about me. So, today i'm starting a three post series of my trip to the beach, remember its was my first trip to the beach which makes it especial to me.

So the first post of the trip is about the Journey Starts. For the first set of pictures, i'm starting with the ones where we were travelling or sleeping...in the bus.

We were five people in this trip named Apurva, Hitesh(that's me), Nikhil, Raghav and Yogi. I was friends with the other three except Yogi, whom i met for the first time on this trip.

The bus was starting from a place close to our house at 19:30 PM Friday evening. Except Yogi, we all were on time but Yogi made a last minute entry.

Here's the pics from the bus at the start. You can click on the pics to enlarge them.

There is Me in the front, then Raghav being dry humped by Apurva and Yogi almost getting lost at the end. Nikhil is missing from this one. But you can find in the next one.

Then about 21:30 PM in the night the bus was out of the city and on the highway to reach the place -- Gokarn/Om Beach.

Here, me behind the camera and other in front. Everybody was excited cause we were expecting to reach the beach early morning. The bus was a sleeper bus and was very comfortable. My friends took some liquor, yea we were carrying booze which they were thinking of having some in the bus to sleep better. Though i don't drink, so i brought cold drink for me. Half way in the journey, everybody else in the bus was either sleeping or snoring or doing both. My seat was in alone that means none of my friends were with me. Around 12 in the night because of all the cold drink , i was feeling to pee and have been holding for more than an hour cause the driver won't going to stop the bus for only one person to pee. Then, i went up to the driver and asked when will we going to stop. He said in next 15 mins.......which brought lots of relief. But i was thinking i had less water then what my friends had and how are they not feeling it. Then the bus stopped at a motel kind of a place. I went out ASAP and peed. Then i checked with my friends, asked why didn't they wanted to pee. They told that they could not hold it for long and filled up all the bottles we brought with us.

Yea, that is the extent of disgust guys can reach. Never mind, lets move forward. Then the bus took off from there......but after like 1 and half hour.....about 2:30AM in the night, the bus got punchered. Flat tyre.

There place was a no where land. No signs of living beings as far as we could look actually.

 However the problem was fixed with in 20 mins and we were back on track. We reached the place early in the morning. Next pic was taken in the morning........well all look bad in the morning. So do i and i admit it.

 Thanks for being here. I hope this post will keep you excited about the next in the coming days. Enjoy being here till then.

Adios Manana.

Travellers Delight

Today is my Birthday, its a good thing. Bad thing, this is the first year that i'm not with my family to enjoy it. Reasons can be many can't leave job for even one day to high air ticket charges and traveling through trains won't be feasible. I mean it takes more than 40 hours to reach my home town.

So, just for fun i tried checking the current prices for the air tickets today......and they are at its peak. And while blog hopping, i found information about Accor Hotels 3-Day Super Sale Asia Pacif
ic which are providing such great offers for next 3 days, across the world. I mean, they must be good in this cause providing offers like this especially in Asia is a big thing to do. There are so many places and you require a strong network to maintain the reputation.

This is a good place for travellers. Nice portal you can check information and book hotels, best living places around the world. And you don't even need to ask anyone about it, like you require everytime before leaving for a place to visit.

Check this portal, if you are leaving for holidays......if not....then also check it....it may help later.

Kerela Wedding

Hi All,

Hey, if you people are thinking why i wasn't dropping by your blogs, well the simplest reason and the truth is "I was out of town attending a wedding". The place is exactly 7 hour drive from my place.

So, i left Friday nite and reached there early morning on Saturday. I'm one of the worst travelers you'll ever see. No, i don't puke all the way but i can't sleep while traveling. Yea, i slept some one hour that night and was so tired yesterday morning that i didn't even leave my hotel room for traveling around and to see the place.

I like wandering around new places. I think this is the best way of exploring the place around you and to know the people around. But this day, because of no sleep, i didn't get the chance to leave my room.

Ok, then was the wedding. Now, wedding in Southern part of India is way to different. Yes, the basic are very similar because we all are from same religion but the way they do it and we do it in Northern India was so contrasting. The dresses, ceremonies and food (i was waiting the whole day for that part) all were different. Regarding food, North Indian wedding's rarely have non-veg dishes, but here, we had like everything and because kerela is coastal area, we had some of the best sea food of my life(P.S. - I haven't eaten sea food a lot. I can count the number of times i have).

And because this was the first South Indian wedding i was attending and didn't knew what to wear and that's why i was dressed so different from the others. I was looking so different from the herd that everyone would have easily guessed i'm not from South India.

Then after the wedding was over, i needed to come back and travel the same day because i have job and needed to get by monday.

So, i traveled again. Reached home on sunday morning. Slept again till late evening. Yea, as i mentioned in my last post about my friend(Nikhil Nandan Singh) who celebrated his brithday on the 23rd of October, he suggested us this nice Muslim restaurent near by, where we ate today night. I must say Muslim restaurents have such good non-veg food that when ever i want to for non-veg, i hunt for a Muslim restaurent.

We ate Mutton Biryani and Dry mutton. Pics from there too.

I know you all had great weekend.....and people not from India....i know its still Sunday there. So all you enjoy the weekend.
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