[ABHI_1512]

Hills have always been my favorite since I have grown up in them. Ever since I started travelling on my own, the hills have always attracted me. But then, there is one thing that is also a key ingredient of any travel and that is food. So this search for good food made me travel to the southern part of our country few years back. As I write this today, it was on one such August evening that I started for Pondicherry- considered to be a foodie's delight, specially for people like me who love continental food. The initial plan for Pondicherry was extended to include Ooty and Kushalnagar as well. It was a week long plan and included two night stays at each of the places mentioned and one day was kept for Bangalore to meet some school friends.

Little research over the net and finalized the hotels beforehand. Reservations were made over the exchange of e-mails and got some real good deals after negotiations. I must say that reservation desks of the hotels situated down south are very prompt and I have realized this over the years. The hotels were selected after due consideration to the condition that they should be far from the busy areas. Accordingly, the following hotels were selected and made reservations for :

*Pondicherry- Le Dupliex
*Ooty- Highland Accord
*Kushalnagar- Amanvana

All the planning in place and the car serviced for, it was this very day few years back that I started for Pondicherry in the evening as usual. Now, before I start writing, some pictures summarizing the whole journey:

Auroville


Streets of the white town


Morning rituals


Le Dupliex keys


Misty views of Ooty


That historic train journey through the tunnels


Wellington station


Canon placed at the entrance of Ooty botanical garden


Abbay Falls


Relaxation at the banks of Kaveri rivulet


Remembrance of another era


Colours


Baahon


Rows of elegance


The wonderful Mysore Palace

[ABHI_1512]

The route was straightforward and so started in the evening and stopped for dinner at the usual spot of Sher-E-Punjab Kolaghat. The quality of food has gone down a bit over the years but still remains better than the rest around the area. Dinner over and after a nice round of chai, started around 9.30 PM from Kolaghat. The sky was overcast when we started from Calcutta but thankfully the rains held up till we reached Balasore. All hell break loose once we crossed Balasore and it literally was raining cats and dogs. It rained continuously till we reached Cuttack.

Crossed Bhubaneswar in the early morning and made some good progress till Brahmapur. Stopped for some chai and some vadas and that was our breakfast. The roads continued to be overcast and it was a pleasant drive all throughout till we reached Vizag in the after noon. Had a sumptuous lunch at MY RESTAURANT which is on the highway itself and famous for pot biryani that they serve. Lunch over and whiling away some time at the restaurant which boasts of a quite and lively ambiance, we started for our next stop Vijaywada.

The tarmac was wet and the surroundings misty approaching Vizag


The surroundings of MY RESTAURANT, Vizag


Nice Pot Biryani that they serve is wonderful


The whole restaurant area is tastefully designed


Ominous clouds gathering just outside Vizag city and which actually poured like anything.


The weather deteriorated and it started to rain again while we were at the outskirts of Vizag. Progress was slow and we managed to reach Rajamundhary and took a well meaning break at a highway CCD. These highway CCD's down south are a boon to the highway traveler's which are sorely missed on the eastern side of the country. It was already late and we never had the plan to halt for the night anyways. Crossed Vijaywada at around 2 in the morning and continued our journey further. Some laidback driving and we ended up reaching the famous N5 toll as well food plaza in the morning. All our tiredness of continuous travelling was gone in a jiffy. Freshened up at the swankiest toilet facility and took the early morning breakfast buffet. N5 food plaza is such a wonderful facility and the idea should be replicated wherever possible on the highways of our country.

The N5 Food plaza, when we entered it was just about opening up but their morning buffet had fantastic spread for a highway plaza.


Such lovely arrangement and professional service


Roads were fantastic till Nellore but started to deteriorate as we approached Chennai. It was around noon that we entered Chennai and by some warped design, got sucked into the mad traffic of the city. Instead of taking an outside road to the ECR, I ended up taking a wrong turn and went towards the Chennai Airport

The mighty Sarvana stores had us zipped for the sheer size for a standalone shop


The maddening Chennai traffic which I inadvertently got sucked into due to a missed turn


Finally, took the ECR after circling in Chennai traffic and which included a scenario where a local transport city bus almost rammed me sideways despite me maintaining the signal and the bus obviously not !! Once on ECR after the toll and it was a delight to drive along the coast. After driving for such a long time, the road provided ultimate relief but the speed demons make the two lane road equally risky. Thought of entering Mahabalipuram but then we were tired after the long drive and hence skipped that part. Reached Pondicherry around the evening and checked into our pre booked hotel- LE DUPLIEX. One of my ophthalmologist school friend came to meet me in the hotel and we had a nice dinner chatting around.

The lovely ECR road reminded me of another two lane road of Puri-Konark Marine Drive


The sun sets along the coast

[ABHI_1512]

The next day morning at Pondicherry was beautiful. Clear blue sky greeted us and it was after two days that we saw the sun in its full glory. Little did i know that the same sun will be a pain during the day!

The breakfast spread at the hotel was nice and consisted of some real good baked items like croissants and muffins. The usual staple breakfast items were always there anyways. So after a hearty breakfast, decided to go to Auroville first before our oft repeated ritual of walking around the markets and streets of any place that we visit. After continuous driving for the past few days, decided to rest both the Baahon and the Driver. So, bang came our friendly guy with a mustache and his colorful three wheeler. He was to be our friend,philosopher and guide for the day and indeed it was a day worth remembering.

Picture from the previous night when my school friend who is an Eye Surgeon came to meet me at our hotel, we met after long and it felt nice gossiping about our school days.


Baahon getting a well deserved rest after two days of continuous drive in front of Le Dupliex


Duly parked in front of the hotel


Eyes of the tiger on the way to Auroville


The drive to Auroville in a three wheeler was fun. The Auto itself had a character, what with colorful wrap and some greens thrown inside as well. It was getting humid as the day was progressing but our man was like icy cool. Auroville was a good experience though walking inside the whole compound was tiring in the humid and hot conditions.

The walk away through the compound, the thatched roof was a nice idea.


Long shot of the main meditation center


Closer shot


Miniature version of the Great Banyan Tree of Shibpur Botanical Garden at Auroville


The famed Kalki Boutique at Auroville, a shopper's delight at the cost of the wallet!


Closer shot of Kalki Boutique, their handmade scrub soaps though expensive are pretty good.


Someone was getting some rest under some shade !


After spending much time and gorging on some delicious food, we set out for an obscure beach named Serenity beach. The after noon sun was all guns blazing and so we couldn't spend much time at the beach and had to beat a hasty retreat. But not before some pictures, eh

Serenity beach with all its serenity


Even the sun couldn't stop someone posing at the serenity beach !


Some time spent at the beach and we scampered back to the white town part. Bid adieu to our man for the day and spent some time walking around. The white town part of Pondicherry is a delight at every nook and corner. The remnants of the past are wonderfully preserved and makes for a pretty sight indeed.

A very unique thing that I saw was the dead body carriers of different hues and shapes. They celebrate the dead and that I found worth appreciating, no sadness but only celebrate the life of the deceased with all the glory bursting crackers and showering flower petals.


The street names have not changed unlike many Indian cities.


The street houses look straight out of some movie set


Another heritage hotel nearby Le Dupliex.


Baker Street Cafe is a pure delight, the place is a must visit for anybody who is fond of bakery products. Original French and Italian delights and the best part- the entire staff can speak French and Italian apart from English and Tamil.


Must visit for hand made chocolates as well


The day ended well and we did venture out for some evening walk on the boulevard nearby and also a visit to the Indian Coffee House outlet just to get the vibes of the place. Had a fabulous dinner at the hotel itself which is among the very best serving continental food in Pondicherry. Some pictures to enjoy in this lockdown:

The Chicken plate full of proteins at Auroville Cafe


Range of chocolates at Baker Street


Dinner at Le Dupliex of Grilled Fish


My entire journey to the coastal town was about food and it certainly didn’t disappoint at all. I have since then been planning for the second visit to savour some more places to eat and enjoy. And I certainly won’t mind being driven around with this wonderful being who drives bare footed !

[ABHI_1512]

Pondicherry was a fabulous experience of good food and the heritage property of Le Dupliex added some further charm to it. Spent the morning walking around the boulevard which becomes a walking zone in the mornings and the evenings with no vehicles allowed at all. Some pictures:

The walking zone with its fair share of morning walkers


This bust of Gandhi is one of the most striking ones just for its location


The other side of the boulevard


The morning routine beside the sea, such a serene place to be in !


This lady was deep into her conscience


The walking street as a concept was stupendous and presented the residents an everyday opportunity to walk beside the sea without the cacophony of vehicles.


The lone warrior


The French war memorial for folks who died in the first world war.


A designer shop beside Le Dupliex


Some part of Le Dupleix


The outdoor sitting area of Le Dupliex, the heritage property gets ample number of customers for dine-in.


The good looking keys of the room.


Entrance of the property.


After the little morning walk was over and the appetite built up nicely, we ended up having a fulfilling breakfast at the hotel. Checked out at around 10.30 for our next destination of Ooty. The route was through Villupuram, Salem and Erode. Now, back in the day, there was this railway overbridge which was broken and I had to circumvent through some interior road to join the highway near Salem. Somehow after I left the highway, I lost the connecting route and was going around circles at the same place ! Add to that, nobody understood a word from me as I kept repeating Salem to every passerby I encountered and no body had a clue

Just when I was going full nuts, one gentleman came and asked me about. After listening to me, he just told me it's SELAMM and not SALEM as I was pronouncing. Now all along the highway, I read it SALEM and then I realized that it's about how the locals pronounce it. The gentlemen put me on the correct way and soon enough we were on the highway near Salem. One interesting thing happened here is that the NEW GENERATION ECOSPORT TEST MULES were completely undisguised and were making their run near Salem.

The Silver test mule had different alloys and which are not found these days perhaps !


This one had the alloys which are now standard for the Titanium version


We had lunch at one of the Traveller’s Inn probably near Salem( not sure though). There was ample parking space and the food was clean and cheap. Reached Ooty by the evening and retired for the day. The Hotel was comforting and the staff were very courteous. The hotel was situated near the Dodabetta peak and towards the road to Kotagiri. The location was just as I wanted and that was satisfying. Evening was spent inside the hotel and the hotel had some recreational activities lined up as well. We took an early dinner and slept like a log in the cool environs of Ooty.

Traveller’s Inn

[ABHI_1512]

A good night's sleep can do wonders to your soul. The first thing after getting up was all about the view outside. But the large glass windows were all about the mist. Nevertheless, the morning was pretty bright with sunny skies made for wonderful viewing. The property boasts of huge area and there are recreational activities planned which to me were little over the board. But then, after looking around and talking to the guys got to know that people from Bangalore and Chennai prefer the activities than to roam around Ooty!!

First view of the morning


The view after the mist was gone and the valley view was in front


The cottages inside the property with sit outs.


The beauty of Ooty that is no longer on view !


Ooty has some usual places to visit but we decided to only go to the botanical gardens and the heritage train ride. Besides, traffic inside the town was pretty bad, so it made all the more sense. Also, since train timings were limited so decided to first visit the Ooty Boat house to kill some time before the train journey.

Boathouse or the Ooty lake


Ooty lake


Another mini train ride inside the boat house compound.


The lady with the BAAHON


From here we went straight to the railway station and got a decent parking spot inside the station compound and duly parked the car against the parking ticket. The attendant was surprised while jotting the number and I had to request him to take care of the car since that was the only mode of transport to get back home ! He happily took my number and also gave his number just in case. We then went inside and duly waited for the train to arrive and it did arrive on time. The train ride was what it was- a train ride. It has got some nostalgia going around it but that's about it. The journey ended at Coonoor and we took a cab back to Ooty with some touch points included a visit to the tea factory and the famed Madras Regimental Center. The cabs do have variety of sight seeing options with increased charges but I was more concerned about getting back to Ooty as early as possible.

The tracks from the other side


Who says this is OOTY ?


Orderly way maintained by the station guys though the use of the rope was unnecessary


The front of the train would have been so much better without that ugly sheet of plastic


Another childhood memory along with AH WHEELERS


Towards the light from the darkness


The train chugs after coming out of the tunnel


Sadma revisited


Ketti station-each of the stations en route have a distinct design


A small routine which takes us back to the childhood when those rings used to be exchanged between the train driver and the station master


Coonoor station


Highfield tea estate


The movie buffs will be able to recognize the place, it's the house that was shown in the movie KAPOOR & SONS. Apparently, this small hotel has since then been treated as some kind of a notable place in Coonoor !


Madras Regimental Center, Coonoor holds a very special place in the history of Indian Army and the Colossus figures loom large all over the small town.


Glass house was full of greens


Ooty Botanical Garden, this facade is one of the most identifiable architecture of the place.


Evening view from the hotel, there was a provision for bonfire as well.


The evening spent leisurely at the hotel with some song crooning by missus along with the karaoke boom box. The food was great as well as the staff. Since next day we were checking out, the staff made sure we had something extra to celebrate. We in fact made some friends as well during our stay at the hotel.

[ABHI_1512]

Ooty chapter was well spent and we were off to our next destination- Kushalnagar. But before that, the sumptuous breakfast and getting BAAHON cleaned up for the ride. Got up early and the cleaning act was a fifteen minute affair because of the presence of a high pressured water pipe in the parking area. The parking area of the hotel is huge and has ample amount of amenities for the chauffeurs as well. The guys at the hotel were super helpful and we really had a great time in the property. After a hearty breakfast, we finally checked out at around 9.30 and proceeded towards Guduloor but not before some sight seeing around.

First stop was just beside the hotel and I reluctantly went up the hill for what people at the hotel were very excited about and all I got to see was DODDABETTA PEAK. I didn't find the place worthy of anything and quickly got back and landed up at St. Stephen's Church. Some pictures :

Baahon after getting a wash and ready for the drive to Kushalnagar


The huge parking area of the hotel is also secured by CCTV cameras


View from Doddabeta Peak


Watch tower atop Doddabetta peak, frankly I have seen better for sure!


The football lover in me died a thousand times when I saw this


Why can't we keep our tourist spots free of litter?


Baahon amidst the sea of vehicles but still managed to find a partner !


One for the album


St. Stephen's Church



Left Ooty and en route went to see Pykara Falls and lake. Found the beauty of the place is not yet destroyed by commercialization. Spent quite some time soaking in the atmosphere which also included fair amount of walking.

View of the Pykara lake


Pykara falls was beautiful to look at amidst the greens.


Another view of the same Pykara falls.


En Route Guduloor, found this wonderful stretch of road fully surrounded by Bamboos all over


My favourite picture of Baahon till date was clicked at this very place.


There was another stretch while coming down from Ooty and before reaching Guduloor which consisted of huge Eucalyptus trees. Unfortunately I have a video of the stretch but not a picture worth sharing. I so wanted to click a picture but it was getting late already. Nevertheless, reached Bandipur Reserve and saw some usual suspects besides the roads. We were already full courtesy the heavy breakfast and so decided to skip the lunch altogether but stopped for some coffee at the Pug Mark Restaurant.

Entering the Bandipur reserve


Mirror game well played


The only wildlife shot I could manage !


Absolute bliss of a road.


Camera woman at work


Leaving Bandipur reserve


The last leaf


This stretch was the most interesting part of the whole journey


Tree house anyone ?


The above two pictures were clicked at some kind of reservoir which was en route to Kushalnagar. I was blissfully clicking pictures of the sun set when I saw a Bolero moving at a high speed and frantically waving to us from far. For one moment my mind got completely numb to understand what those people in the car wanted to convey, and that too from very far! As the Bolero approached near us the people almost waved us to just move from the place where we were happily clicking pictures. Despite the fact that I couldn't see anything suspicious behind the Bolero for some distance, I was left wondering what the signal to move was for !

The Bolero moved past my stationary Baahon in a jiffy and the guys in the car were still waving their hands at me to move on. Something struck me and I am not sure till today what it was but we immediately sat in the car and I floored the pedal too. After around three to four minutes of driving fast, I noticed from a distance that a person was pulling one side of a huge iron gate. Little did I know that had those good people not alerted me, we would have been stranded inside some protected area locked out by someone who would be nowhere to be found

Till date I am unable to locate the place on the map but I remember that we reached Amanvana Resort and Spa in around one hour from that place. After this twisted event we finally made up to Amanvana and immediately fell in love with the place. Check-in procedure was smooth and the cottage allotted ticked all the right boxes. I was dying to have the famous Kodagu Pandhi curry and after a brief walkaround within the property sat for some snacks and later dinner. And before anyone asks, I was on the staple diet of Pandhi curry for the rest of my stay along with other accompaniments of course.

Akki Roti and Pandhi curry- this picture earned its place in the travelogue

[ABHI_1512]

Amanvana Resort or as their tagline says-Rabbit hole for the soul is one of a kind of property and certainly very unique. The property is situated just beside a tributary of the river Kaveri and is set amongst lush greenery all around. The property consists of cottages only and each being completely individual unit. They have variety of activities curated for their guests including river trek, coffee plantation visits and many more. After relishing the juicy Pandhi curry with Akki roti the previous night, I was almost certain to relax at this wonderful property and eat to my heart's content but then better half had planned to visit Madekeri. So after a wonderful breakfast beside the pool and the morning coffee plantation tour, we drove to Madekeri and before the rainfall started, managed to see some touristy places like Raja's Seat and Abbay falls. Let me share some pictures for better viewing pleasure.

Amanvana entrance which hides the treasure trove inside wonderfully.


Coffee fruits from the plantations, coffee beans from this region have a unique taste and quite different from the Araku ones.


Coffee trail along the plantations accompanied by staff of the resort and of course some Coffee


The beautiful hanging bridge beside Abbay falls, created a theatrical feel to the surroundings


Abbay falls in full flow after the rains.


Raja's seat,nothing to write home about but for the weather!


Two monks from the neighborhood having a friendly banter going.


A craftfully created mandir nearby Raja's seat.


Our drive back from Madekari was in pouring rain. Saw two accidents where the drivers lost control of the vehicles resulting in skidding and rolling over by the roadside. Thankfully there were no casualties. There are some wicked turns in between Kushalnagar and Madekeri and if not negotiated properly during the rains, accidents are bound to happen, at least that is what I thought of the accidbents. The drive back to the resort in blinding rain was fun though but didn't last long. Surprisingly, it was a perfect weather at Kushalnagar.


Lazy corners took an entirely different meaning beside the rivulet.


Walking trail beside the rivulet and from where the river trek was initiated


Eco friendly steps to the rivulet made out of bamboos


Just sit back and relax watching the water pass by while you sip some cool drink


The dining hall inside was a fantastic place to be in although we ended up spending much of time beside the pool.


The walkaways through the property to each of the bungalows


The reading nook


You will never get lost inside when directions like these are scattered all over the property


The bungalow glowing in the evening.


The individual small little garden outside of each bungalow with added little waterbody as well


That's our bungalow amidst the riot of colors


This clear roof bathroom was a revelation to both of us, nicely designed and worked big time during the evening when the moon light came through the large glass area


This small lotus bloomed in our little pond


Soothing colors all throughout whichever way you had your eyes set on


My favorite place to chill throughout our stay


Such lovely ambiance for a pool side


Also the spa beside the pool was magic as well


Bon fire area for the evenings


High table for obvious reasons and the gargling water sound beside created an ambiance which is unparalleled


This place becomes magical in the evenings


Rabbit hole for sure


Parking area for the vehicles and once you cross the main atrium, it becomes another world altogether!


Two nights were magical at the place and it was certainly the highlight of our entire trip. Two days of almost complete relaxation recharged the batteries for sure. Amanvana is due for our second visit and I hope it materializes soon in near future. Oh and by the way, I became an admirer of Kodagu cuisine totally after the stay here and it remains the same still.

[ABHI_1512]

Amanvana was a surreal experience over two nights. And now it was time for our return journey. After bidding good bye to the wonderful people of Amanvana, the first stop was Bylakuppe en route Mysore and Bangalore. Now Bylakuppe consists mainly of people from Tibet. In fact, Bylakuppe is the second largest settlement of Tibetan people outside Tibet and after Dharamshala. Unfortunately due to paucity of time, we couldn't visit the Golden temple since it was closed but we did get to see the magnificent Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. Some pictures:

One for the album which will tell us about the good times spent at the resort.


The road to the Golden Temple.


The magnificent facade of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery


Bust of the great man


Side view angle of the Monastery


Baahon posing in front of the entrance.


St. Philomena Church Mysore- one of the grandest churches in India,


Bahubali all over the bus, such was the craze that I saw three big buses sporting the same


Mysore Palace in all it's glory


Such beautiful architecture commands our respect


Baahon at the Palace parking wondering !



We also visited the Ramakrishna Ashrama in Mysore and spent some time there. Needless to say, plan for the night was to stay at Bangalore since few of my classmates from school were supposed to meet at a social club situated in Indiranagar. Now my classmate who has made a name for himself in the DJ circuit in Bangalore had another gig lined up at Shillong the next day and hence our meet up plan went up in smoke.

Our luncheon place in Mysore


Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Mysore


Baahon parked inside the Ashrama premises



Oh and by the way, the way the Volvos and the Scanias run on the highways between Madekeri and Bangalore, I wondered about the state of motorists driving on the same highways as they were
We left Mysore after some serious shopping of saris and by the evening we were on our way to Bangalore. Booked IBIS Hosur for the night on the go and we finally reached the hotel at around 8.30 in the evening.

A view from the hotel room (IBIS Hosur )


We took dinner early and slept early as well. Next day morning had the breakfast at the hotel and checked out by 10 and proceeded to meet my classmate at his home which is nearby the Hoskote toll and the Tirupati road. It was a nostalgic meeting after a gap of almost twenty years and many memories from school came rushing by. We spent some time at his place and finally started our return journey for Calcutta at around 2 in the after noon. The wonderful road trip was coming to an end as we started for Tirupati.

Rocks, rocks and rocks


Road was fantastic till Tirupati and started to deteriorate after.


Baahon posing by the side before reaching Tirupati.


Baahon again


And again !


Baahon parked at a CCD near Vijaywada where we stopped for some coffee and much needed rest for some time


How far is your road ?


The train chugs along the side of the mighty Chilika


Return journey was uneventful and without much drama. The usual route I took and that was Bangalore Hoskote- Tirupati- Vijaywada- Vizag- Cuttak- Kolaghat- Calcutta. Reached the city of joy the next day evening at around 8 after negotiating an hour long gridlock at Santragachi. Glad that those days are now history although black spots still remain.

Many thanks to Blackpearl for igniting the fire to at least write something about my trip down south a few years back. It was his travelogue of Periyaar in a Bolero which is responsible for the words in this travelogue.

Lastly, stay well and stay safe folks. We will be on the high roads again pretty soon and I am very sure of that fact. Cheers, till then,


P.S- I am now a life long admirer of Kodagu cuisine

[vb-saan]

Thread moved from Assembly Line to the Travelogues section.

Great travelogue! Thank you for sharing

[blackwasp]

Superb thread there ABHI_1512.

Pondicherry is a place that I have always been attracted to. I've been there as a child, since we used to live in Chennai for a while, but never as an adult. Your pics have made me think of going back there sometime and just taking in the sights.

Ooty and Coorg too are on my radar. If only I could get sufficient leaves to tour the South.

Thanks for sharing your travelogue. Looking forward to your future trips.

Cheers.

[Fordlover88]

Another Blockbuster travelogue from your end @ABHI_1512. Rated well deserved 5*. I have never been to Southern Parts of our Country but your detailed & comprehensive travelogue is pinching me to plan one soon. Baahon is looking great as usual in such picturesque locations. Thanks a for sharing.

[katsumoto]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

St. Stephen's Church

Nice travelogue, Brings fond memories about lot of places you have visited.

I gazed your travelogue like a cow and saw your car has WB registration.
Then I thought, this might be of interest to you. The church was named after a Jury served Bengal during his term and retired in Ootacamund. He is RIP in this very church after death.

If you read through the walls of this Church you can see a mention about lot of hunters, People who served British and their kids and Priests etc.. who have been buried in this very church premises after their death.

There is a mention about kurkmond river that was flowing below glenmorgon during 1800 but now google doesn't yield any results.

[DBeast]

You drove from Kolkata to Pondicherry? Hats off!!

A great travelogue yet again, and being to all these place myself, haven't thought like you have mentioned.
Also,when I visited (drove to Pondicherry) I also stayed in - Le Dupliex. I have never statyed in a place like this before. This place has a very different vide and character.

-DB

[Samba]

Wow! Looks like Baahon has covered almost the whole of India. This is another superb travelogue from you. Rated 5*.

When I saw this travelogue, I was grinning by thinking, you gave me an awesome opportunity to photo-bomb here. Sharing 10-15 years old pics! I have mentioned the year of the pics in the caption.

At Pondicherry (2009)


Pykara Falls (2010)


The car to which I was pretty much attached to. Clicked at Chamunda Hills, Mysore. (2010)


Mysore palace with all the light on. Captured from Chamunda Hills top. (2010)


Mysore palace in it's full glory. (2010)




Mysore palace in midnight, clicked during a ride to Ooty. (2010)


Between Coonoor to Ooty. (2010)


At Madumalai. (2010)


Abbey falls, Madkeri (2008)


At midnight, in Maddur CCD on the way to Bandipur/Ooty. (2005)


At Bandipur (2005)

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Great travelogue! Thank you for sharing

Thanks for the good words vb-san

Regards.

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Superb thread there ABHI_1512.
Thanks for sharing your travelogue. Looking forward to your future trips.

Cheers.

Thanks much blackwasp,Pondicherry is a delight for every food lover. Loved every bit of the place and though Coorg is yet to be explored fully and I am waiting for my next round. You must find some time for these wonderful places.

Regards.

Originally Posted by Fordlover88

Another Blockbuster travelogue from your end @ABHI_1512. Rated well deserved 5*. I have never been to Southern Parts of our Country but your detailed & comprehensive travelogue is pinching me to plan one soon. Baahon is looking great as usual in such picturesque locations. Thanks a for sharing.

Thanks Saurav, I am sure the traveler in you will finally explore the south side of our country as well. I hope you are doing okay now and enjoying your new found status, take care,

Regards.

Originally Posted by katsumoto

Nice travelogue, Brings fond memories about lot of places you have visited.

I gazed your travelogue like a cow and saw your car has WB registration.
Then I thought, this might be of interest to you. The church was named after a Jury served Bengal during his term and retired in Ootacamund. He is RIP in this very church after death.

If you read through the walls of this Church you can see a mention about lot of hunters, People who served British and their kids and Priests etc.. who have been buried in this very church premises after their death.

Thanks for the anecdote katsumoto, didn't find much time to go through the names but yes the church did have mentions. The church area was huge and I am sure it is of some importance. You being from very near must have been to the places many a times.

Regards.

Originally Posted by DBeast

You drove from Kolkata to Pondicherry? Hats off!!

A great travelogue yet again, and being to all these place myself, haven't thought like you have mentioned.
Also,when I visited (drove to Pondicherry) I also stayed in - Le Dupliex. I have never statyed in a place like this before. This place has a very different vide and character.

Long drives are the fuel DBeast, the fuel which feeds itself and energizes us. Le Dupliex is indeed a wonderful heritage property and it is managed and kept well. Loved the food there and I can't wait to go again. And you are right, the place indeed has a nice vibe and unique character just as the white town part of Pondicherry.

Regards.

Originally Posted by Samba

Wow! Looks like Baahon has covered almost the whole of India. This is another superb travelogue from you. Rated 5*.

When I saw this travelogue, I was grinning by thinking, you gave me an awesome opportunity to photo-bomb here.

Thanks much Samba, Baahon still has to go a long way but yes, it has taken me to some places for sure. And what's a travelogue which doesn't have a picture mention by you. I am glad that we got to see your pictures from your early days. At one point of time, I also got the chance to study engineering at a wonderful college in Bangalore but I had other ideas

Your pictures tell us how much of a travel addict you were right from your early days. That HIGHWAY ADDICTED on the Alto is a gem. Thanks for sharing pictures from your golden days. Looking forward to your travels,

Regards.