Hotel Review: Umhlanga Sands, Southern Sun Lifestyle Resort, Durban

I visited the Umhlanga Sands Lifestyle Resort in last week September, 2010 which is located in the Umhlanga Rocks Area which is about 20 minutes from the Durban City Centre in South Africa. I exchanged one of my RCI Weeks for a week at this resort and I was very impressed by what I saw. It is to be noted that this is a Gold Crown Resort and it definitely lives up to its expectation.

Let me state up front that this is a resort for couples with kids as most of the entertainment and activities at this resort have kids as the main target group. If you are a honeymooning couple or are in for a romantic getaway then avoid this resort and go for the Cabana Beach Resort which is located next door which will be more suited to your taste. You may find the Umhlanga Sands Southern Sun Lifestyle Resort a bit too noisy with too much stuff happening all around.

The Umhlanga Sands Southern Sun Lifestyle Resort is situated 20 minutes from the King Shaka International Airport and 15 minutes from the Durban City Centre. It is located exactly at the mid point of the Airport and the City Centre in the Umhlanga Rocks Area. The Umhlanga Rocks area is the best place to stay when you are in Durban and the most economical as well as compared to the hotels on the Golden Mile Sea Coast in Durban which are definitely not worth the amount which they charge. A taxi from the airport to the Umhlanga Sands Southern Sun Lifestyle Resort will cost you ZAR 200 one way and the resort can arrange for a pick up (you can alternatively book from one of the cab companies of which Umhlanga Cabs in the most efficient, offers the best rates and is the most preferred).

The check in is from Saturday to Saturday and the check-in process can be very time consuming as everyone checks in at the same time and you may have to wait a wile which may spoil the first impression you get of the resort, but do not let that bother you. I would rate the resort rooms as absolutely awesome due to the following reasons.

(1) 4 beds across 2 rooms. 2 single beds for the kids and a double bed in the main room. No extra bedding required and no one needs to sleep on the floor
(2) Partial Kitchenette equipped with a toaster, microwave and fridge and lots of crockery and cutlery. There is no cooking range which disappointed me a bit
(3) Huge bathroom with rooms being cleaned and linens changed on a daily basis
(4) Main bedroom is awesome with a sit out balcony overlooking the beautiful Indian Ocean – all rooms are sea facing and the view especially in the evening is awesome
(5) Adequate cupboard space for a family of 4 for a week

In addition to the awesome room the following activities organized by the resort staff make the resort even more exciting for kids

(1) Brai (Barbeque) is organized twice a week usually on Sunday’s and Tuesday’s
(2) Live Entretainment and quizzes and game shows on a daily basis
(3) A lot of Games are sporting events for kids
(4) 2 Restaurants and a Bar, 3 pool including one which is adults only
(5) Beachwear Shop, Massage parlour, hair dresser, hand ball field, gym and many other amenities

Other local attractions when you are staying in this resort are as follows. The resort staff will be able to guide you on the bookings which need to be made.

(1) 1 day trip to Durban city preferable in the Rickshaw Bus which takes you around 23 important spots in the city
(2) Gateway Mall which is an awesome place to shop, catch a movie and relax
(3) Kashmir Restaurant which is a 15 minute walk away and other good restaurants in the Umhlanga Rocks Area

I would highly recommend this resort for a week’s stay especially if you have kids travelling with you.

Hotel Review: Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town

Strengths: Located centrally very close to the V&A Waterfront
Weakness: Expensive if you do not get discounted pricing which is available from time to time

I visited this hotel in mid September 2010. I did my booking via RCI Rentals via the Bangalore Call Centre (available only to RCI Members) and got a Hot Deal which offered me a rate of INR 7000 per night as opposed to regular rate of INR 13000 per night. If you get any process below INR 9000 per night – please go ahead as opting for this hotel saves you a lot of money travelling within the city.

The Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town is located bang in central Cape Town very close to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (V&A Waterfront). If you choose to walk down to the hotel it is a 15 minute walk but the hotel runs a complimentary shuttle for all customers which operates every 15 minutes to the waterfront.

The rooms at the Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town are well equipped with all the regular amenities of a 4 Star Hotel, only a mini bar / fridge was missing from the room. The rooms are a bit small but very comfortable. Wi-Fi Internet as well as the Internet Vouchers at the Business Centre are very expensive and charge ZAR 100 for 1 hour slots – so internet surfing is avoidable.

I found the hotel staff exceptionally friendly and helpful. The reception guys offered good tips of travelling around the city and the concierge desk bent backwards to find me a laptop adaptor as well as an ice bucket (to protect the expensive cheese we had bought) given that there was no mini – bar / fridge in the room. None of the rooms at the Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town offer any spectacular views of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront so do not bother asking for one.

The breakfast at the Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town is included in the room tariff for most packages. The breakfast spread has a lot of variety and no matter which part of the world you are from you will not face an issue in finding something to suit your palette. Room Service Menu is limited but very affordable and the service is pretty prompt as well. I enjoyed the mini meals such as chicken curry and rice that they had on offer.

This hotel is centrally located and the following attractions are very accessible from this hotel.

(1)City Sight Seeing Bus Tour (Stop No.3)
(2)Clock Tower
(3)Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island
(4)Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

You can find further details on the above attractions in my other blogs or from the hotel staff or on the Internet. Do note that there are 3 Southern Sun Group Hotels in the Cape Town area. The hotel which I am referring to is the Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town.

Hotel Review: Southern Sun O.R. Tambo Airport Hotel, Johannesburg

Strengths: Located 500 meters from the O.R. Tambo International Airport
Weakness: Not much to do around the hotel, only good if you are staying here as a stopover before taking an onward flight

The Southern Sun O.R. Tambo Airport Hotel, Johannesburg is located barely 500 meters from the O.R. Tambo Airport and is very convenient as a stopover when you are taking a connecting flight the next day. The rates start from ZAR 1000 per night non-inclusive of breakfast and are more economical as compared to other hotels in the vicinity such as the Intercontinental or the Protea Hotel O. R. Tambo.

The best part of staying at the Southern Sun O.R. Tambo Airport Hotel, Johannesburg is that they run a complimentary Airport Shuttle to and from the Airport for 24 hours every 15 minutes. The pick-up point for the Shuttle is outside the International Arrivals area immediately behind the Intercontinental Hotel. If you have any difficulty finding this pickup point, then walk over to the Intercontinental Hotel and ask the guard there and he will be able to direct you. This shuttle bus service will save you ZAR 100 which a Taxi will charge to get you to the hotel even though it is located only 500 meters away from O.R. Tambo Airport.

The staff at the hotel is very friendly and the check in process is very quick and easy. The room is good and well equipped, the only missing thing is a mini bar / fridge. However the décor of the room at the Southern Sun O.R. Tambo Airport Hotel, Johannesburg is very dull as compared to the other Southern Sun Group Hotels which I have stayed in. The internet rates on offer at this hotel are much cheaper than most hotels in South Africa and they charge ZAR 50 per hour as opposed to ZAR 100 per hour charged by most hotels.

If you have time to kill, I would recommend the spa. The time, at which I went the therapists were very good, however some of the treatments are expensive however highly recommended as I found them much more relaxing and effective as compared to some others that I have experienced. The room service menu is limited and a bit of the expensive side as well.

Do note that this is a very formal business hotel with no recreational activities what so ever, very different from the airport hotels we have in Mumbai. So I would recommend the Southern Sun O.R. Tambo Airport Hotel, Johannesburg as it is very economical compared to the other hotels in the area and very convenient for a stop-over before you catch your next flight.

Hotel Review: Protea Hotel - Kruger Gate, Kruger

Strengths: Proximity to Paul Kruger Gate of Kruger National Park
Weakness: Expensive

I visited the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate in mid September 2010. This hotel is located about 90 miles from the Mpumalanga Nelspruit Airport (pronounced as MUM-ALANGA) and it takes about an hour and forty five minutes to cover that distance. It is advisable to rent a car and not take a cab as it is 5 times more economical and saved you ZAR 800 one way.

When you drive through, remember you will pass through Whiteriver and Hazyview and then you will come to Paul Kruger Gate of the Kruger National Park. The Protea Hotel Kruger Gate is about 100 metres before the Paul Kruger Gate of Kruger National Park. There are Protea Hotels in Hazyview and Nelspruit as well, but I strongly suggest that you stay in Protea Hotel Kruger Gate due to the proximity to the Paul Kruger Gate of Kruger National Park.

This hotel is best suited for a 2 night stay if you are going for a safari into the Kruger National Park (obviously you need to be a die-hard wildlife enthusiast, else there is no point coming to Kruger in the first place). There is no other reason for staying here, other than visiting Kruger. The Protea Hotel Kruger Gate (or almost all hotels in and around Kruger) is very expensive priced at approximately INR 13000 per night. This rate is inclusive of breakfast and dinner. The room facilities are as good as any other 4 Star hotels. I would not rate it is as a 5 Star as my experience was a bit below the best as there were some leakages in the bathroom and the Air Conditioning was a problem – and they took a lot of time to fix it. But I am guessing that this was a one off occurrence.

The breakfast is awesome and could be rated as one of the best I have ever had, however the dinner was a bit weird for my traditional Indian Palette. There is a variety of meat which is served (and very little chicken or mutton which significantly reduced my options). It is really great if you eat all types of meat including Pork, Beef, Deer, Kudu and several other varieties which I was scared to even touch. So I did not rate the dinner option very highly, however I realize that this is specific to my taste only and others may find it pretty good, and I think the other tourists who were present found it awesome. The good part during dinner was that they have a tribal group of teenagers performing some traditional African songs and this was quite an experience as I think it was the first time I was listening to traditional tribal African music.

The Protea Hotel Kruger Gate has a Travel & Tours desk which organize day trips to the Kruger National Park. You have several tour companies to select from and I would rate Echo Safaris as one of the best. They have a full day tour from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM for ZAR 750 per person where they take you out in an open air jeep and it is very cool. Their guides are also very good and know exactly the places where you will be able to spot the wildlife.

The Protea Hotel Kruger Gate has 2 very nice restaurants, one of them with a sit out area overlooking the Kruger National Park and if you are equipped with Binoculars you will be definitely be able to spot some wildlife from the restaurant deck itself. It is an awesome place to unwind with Pizza or wine or whatever it is you like. The swimming pool at the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate is very small and is more of the kiddies pool and the water was freezing cold in mid September – so I did not enter it at all. The Internet is very expensive at ZAR 100 for 1 hour which means you are shelling out INR 700 for 1 hour of Internet. The Protea Hotel Kruger Gate has a store on premises where you can but stuff like souvenirs and batteries for your camera and Kruger National Park memorabilia.

I strongly recommend that when you visit South Africa you need to spend a maximum of 2 nights in the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate. The first day can be a full day Kruger National Park Safari and the second day will be chilling out at the hotel, going for a massage etc. Any more days spent in the Kruger National park area and I am sure you will get bored, unless you are a die-hard wildlife enthusiast.

Attraction Review: Kruger National Park

Let me state right at the outset, than planning a trip to Kruger National park is rather expensive (comes to approx INR 9000 per day per person) and you should do it only if you are a genuine wildlife enthusiast. If you do not care too much for wildlife, then you are better off skipping a visit to Kruger National Park as you will not get your money’s worth and may even find it a bit boring driving around the park for a full day. However if you are a Nature and Wildlife Lover and you have an hi-tech SLR camera and binoculars at hand, then you will have a gala time.

To experience Kruger National Park, it is better to fly down to Nelspruit Airport in Mpumalanga province and drive down to the Paul Kruger Gate of the Kruger National Park. As soon as you enter the Paul Kruger Gate you have the Skukuza Base camp at about 6 miles distance and it is best you make a booking here for your stay at Kruger National Park. I stayed at the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate which would be a more expensive option, but very convenient as the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate is located barely 100 metres from the Paul Kruger Gate of Kruger National Park. I also did not want to let go of the luxuries of a regular hotel.

As we had a car with us we had an option of driving into Kruger National Park or being a part of the Hotel organized Tour (organized via Echo Safaris). I would recommend an organized Open jeep tour with a driver guide due to the following reasons.

(1) The driver guides know which are the specific spots to find the animals in Kruger National Park. Our driver knew exactly in which part of the park we would see elephants and this is something I would not know if I was driving down
(2) The drivers are connected to other drivers via the car intercom / walkie talkie system, hence if one of the drivers spots a rare animal such as a lion or a leopard, he announces the same on the Intercom and other drivers immediately drive to that area. This is another useful feature of the organized safaris which the individual drivers will miss out on
(3) If you need to use the loo at short notice then the drivers know where the tourist stand alone loos are located – you may face a problem with this when you are on your own

However do note that the organized packaged tours are expensive and cost ZAR 750 per person, so you will end up shelling out quite a bit if you are in a big group – but do take it, as it is an experience in itself. You are taken in an open air jeep which is usually a 6 seater and it is very comfortable.

You must always start your drive / tour of the Kruger National Park as early as possible preferably before 6:00 AM so that you can see the sunrise which is magnificent and also it is easier to spot the rare animals such as the Lion and the leopards earlier in the morning when it is very cool. The chances of spotting a lion / leopard reduces drastically after 10:00 AM when it starts becoming very hot. Elephants, Giraffes, imphalas, kudu, deer and hippos are all easy to find while lion, leopards and rhinos are difficult to spot.

The gates of Kruger park close at 6:00 PM so please make sure you come out before that. There are several stops and restaurants at Skukuza Base Camp and you can make that your stop for lunch and tea.

Do have a nice trip.

Hotel Review: Taj Awadh, Lucknow

Strengths: It is a Taj Property, so a minimum amount of class & luxury is ensured

Weaknesses: Not centrally located, a bit on the expensive side

I stayed for 2 nights at the Taj Awadh for approx. Rs.5500 per night. This was a discounted rate which I got through my company. I guess the regular rate is somewhere in the range of Rs.7500 to Rs.8500 per night – which is more on the expensive side and if cost is your only concern you are better off staying at the Park Inn, Clarks Awadh or Gemini International which are centrally located from all areas of Interest and are more economical as well.

The Taj Awadh is located about 45 minutes from the airport and you will need to hire a cab to get the hotel. It is located in the Gomti Nagar area in Lucknow. This is not a central location and Hazratganj, Chowk, Residency and other attractions ate a good 20 minutes away. The hotel building is itself very beautiful, calm and serene. It is located in very quiet surroundings and the staff is very friendly and courteous. The interiors of the hotel are beautiful though if you look closely you can see that the hotel has not been maintained well in the last few years. When I last visited about 4 years back in 2005 (when I was studying in Lucknow) the hotel was in much better shape and was abuzz with activity.

The room was great and had all the amenities of a regular 5 Star accommodation. The hotel looks a bit like a palace and has only 2 storeys. All rooms overlook a beautiful garden which is will done up and is very beautiful. Room Service is prompt and the food is great, the breakfast buffer had a lot of variety (it obviously does not compare with Taj Lands End Mumbai) but was great none the less.

The dissapointment was the very poorly maintained swimming pool. It was pathetic to say the least, full of dirt and leaves and you are not able to swim in it at all. The gym was also not well maintained. However they have a very good spa offering a range of massages. My wife tried out one of them and found the experience very soothing and relaxing.

If being centrally located is important and being economical is not that important – I would definitely recommend this hotel. Other than the swimming pool, my experience was great. (I however has a soft corner for Lucknow as a city and Taj as a Brand – hence I would be a bit biased, but have tried to provide as honest a review as possible)

Hotel Review: Mariott, West India Quay, Canary Wharf, London

Strengths: Good location (not central though)

Weaknesses: Expensive

I stayed for 2 nights in Marriott West India Quay in Aug’07 on a Business Trip to London. I paid GBP 195 per might which is awfully expensive compared to any standards and does not add up from a value for money perspective. In half that amount is you get some other hotel offering similar facilities services but it will not have the Mariott Tag on it. In such 5 Stars you just land up paying for the brand and not only for the services they have to offer.

The hotel is in Canary Wharf, which is significantly far from central London. From Heathrow it will take you about an hour and a half to get here and you will have to changeover from the Picadilly Line to the Jubilee Line. In addition the Mariott West India Quay hotel is a significantly long walk from the Canary Wharf Station and if you are tugging along suitcases this may again be a problem. The hotel the is bang opposite the West India Quay station of the DLR (Docklands Railway) so it would be great if you could take the DLR and not the Jubilee Line tube if you have to access this hotel (unless obviously you are coming by cab).

The hotel is awesome absolutely 5 Star, and I had no issues with any of the services. The Corporate offices of Barclays (where I was working then), Citibank and HSBC are a 5 minute walk away and hence most of them people living here are on Business Trips. The room had everything you could ask for from a 5 start hotel. However I did not get a room overlooking the wharf so I was a bit disappointed. Remember to ask for a Canary Wharf facing room when you do your booking so you will have a great view especially in the evening.

The restaurant and the buffet breakfast were awesome as well and no complaints on that front. In I short stay there I visited the gym which had a variety of equipment but I do not think they have a swimming pool.

This hotel is a great pick if it is for a Business Trip paid for by your company and if your office is in canary Wharf. Would never recommend it for people who need to travel to central London frequently.

Hotel Review: Copthorne Tara, South Kensington, London

Strengths: Hardly any

Weaknesses: Not a central location, Not close to tube station, Expensive compared to the services offered

The Copthorne Tara Hotel is a part of the Millennium Group of Hotels located in South Kensington London. Getting to this hotel is a pain. You will need to take the Piccadilly line from the airport and it will take you between 50 minutes to an hour to reach the South Kensington station from Heathrow. After alighting at the station you have a 15 minute walk through a great but lonely neighborhood to reach the Copthorne Tara Hotel. You will be in trouble if you have heavy suitcases and will be forced to take a cab which will be an added cost as well.

The primary drawback about this hotel is the not so central location and you will need to take a tube and keep doing the 15 minute walk to the Tube station to reach any of the touristy areas such as South Bank, London Eye, any of the Museums, Central Business District, and Buckingham Palace etc.

I booked at the Copthorne Tara hotel in Aug’07 through RCI. I stayed there for 1 night and paid Rs.6000. After taking a look at the average room, I felt that this hotel is very overpriced for the services offered. The room was not very well done up for a 4 Star Hotel. It was not well maintained and the bathroom was not clean as well. The bed made creaky noises every time you rolled over and the view from the hotel room on the 6^th floor was very pathetic as well. There was a problem with the TV and it had limited channels as well. The Wi-Fi was not working and there was no place to access the Internet – so all in all I hated the experience completely.

Room Service was very average and the restaurant and bar on the ground floor did not have anything great o offer. The only good thing was that the Copthorne Tara hotel was located close to Bombay Brassiere which was about a 10 minute walk away which is a great restaurant for Indian food.

I would not recommend staying here at all. If you are a tourist you are better off staying somewhere central London in some of the cheaper accommodations near Tower Hill, Borough etc. and if you are a corporate traveler you have a variety of options to choose from.

Hotel Review: Accord Metropolitan, Chennai

Strengths: Great Value for Money & Centrally located

Weakness: Poor Service & no proper ancillary facilities such as gymnasium & swimming pool

The Accord Metropolitan Hotel is located on G.N.Chetti Road in the T-Nagar Area of Chennai. This hotel is centrally located and is very accessible from all the major areas of interest in Chennai. You can travel to most parts of Chennai within 15 minutes from the Accord Metropolitan Hotel.

I stayed here in May, 2010 and the ride from the airport is about 45 minutes. I had done a corporate booking and the corporate rate is about Rs.2500 per night and the retail rate offered to regular customers is Rs.3500 per night. This is great value for money compared to the facilities offered at the hotel and on the cost versus front this hotel definitely scores much better than other hotels in the area such as GRT Grand, Chola Sheraton etc.

However the check in process is a pain. There are trainee staff who just did not know the check in process, hence I was waiting at the check in counter for over 15 minutes waiting to check in. When I finally got my room keys they goofed up my luggage. The key card in the Accord Metropolitan is incorrectly printed. There is an arrow indicating the way in which the card needs to be entered, and you need to do the exact opposite to actually open the door to your room. All in all the check in process was a pain and given than I had just gotten of a 2 hour flight after a tiring day, I was extremely irritated.

The room was great and even though the hotel is rated 3 Star would still rate it as a 4 Star room. There was no flat screen TV (just a regular one), but everything else was perfect. The room is spacious and big, has a sufficiently large study table and a very comfortable bed. There is a leg rest as well which makes reading of the huge relaxing chair very comfortable. The bathroom was very clean had a lot of free stuff such as the dental and sewing kit which I really did not expect given the per night charge of Rs.2500.

The breakfast was also complimentary, but the spread was pretty average and the service was poor. Even though the breakfast is to start at 6:00 AM, it had not been properly laid out till about 6:35 AM which delayed the start of my day. The service was also not upto the mark. The hotel has a gym and a very small swimming pool and both are not well maintained.

Check out process was a pain as well, and the trainees manning the check in / check out desk had no clue on how to swipe a Credit Card. I had to actually teach them. They took a good 15 minutes to check out again.

Service is poor, but it is very economical for the central location and hence all in all I would recommend this hotel.

Hotel Review: Chancery Hotel, Lavell Road, Bangalore

Strengths: Centrally located, very suitable for long stays, value for money Weaknesses: Nothing specific, matches up to a good 4* hotel

I stayed in this hotel thrice between Feb’10 and May’10. This hotel is located in Central Bangalore at one end of MG Road bang opposite Chinnaswamy Stadium. For such a centrally located and easily accessible are the single occupancy room rate of Rs.4500 + Tax is very attractive. (for double occupancy the charge is Rs.5500 + tax)

It will take you about 45 minutes to an hour from the new Bangalore Airport in Devanhalli to the Chancery Hotel. The first time I stayed there I also had an airport pick up included free in the price of the hotel. The hotel interiors are done up fairly well and the staff in friendly and you immediately get the feel that this is a decent 4 Star hotel.

The rooms are specious, on all 3 occasions I had a fax machine and Wi-Fi Internet in the room. The Television in the Chancery Hotel is not a flat screen one (which was a bit disappointing) and is a bit difficult to operate. I liked the eco friendliness of this hotel and the attempts they are making to Save Water and promote renewable sources of energy. Room service is good and prompt, although it is a bit on the more expensive side. I think all the tariff plans come with a complimentary breakfast. The spread is very good, though I found the restaurant staff a bit below the mark as compared to the reception and room service staff.

The gym in the hotel is very good and very well equipped as compared to the other hotels I have stayed in. It is open till 9:00 Pm which may be an inconvenience; however the variety of equipment is good which makes sense if you are interested in longer corporate stays. The Chancery Hotel also has a salon and spa, which offers relaxation massages. They are fairly priced and worth a try.

Another plus point is that there are many good restaurants nearby and on MG Road. Oh Calcutta, the famous Bengali food joint is only about a five minutes walk away and is worth a try. There are several good hotels close by such as ITC Windsor Manor etc., however I would think that the Chancery Hotel offers the best value for money.

Hotel Review: Hotel Park Premiere, Gurgaon

Strength: Good 4 Star Amenities, proactive staff Weaknesses: Inaccessible and far aware from important landmarks in Gurgaon, swimming pool is a sham, food variety not upto the mark. Quality Inn Bliss which is located within 2 kms, scores much better on all these points

This hotel is a Business hotel which is not very accessible and is located in Phase 5 Gurgaon. This is about a 1.5 kilometre walk from the Signature tower in Phase 5 where you will find the nearest ATM. The issue with this hotel is that you will not even find any cycle rickshaw guy nearby and hence you will have to walk for all the short distance commuting which can be a pain in the heat. I stayed in this hotel for 4 nights in early April 2010 and was pained at not having an ATM / Shopping complexes nearby (bit I guess this is a problem with Gurgaon as a whole).

This is a 4 Star Hotel with 4 Star amenities and is priced moderately at Rs.5500 per night for single occupancy. When I compare this hotel to Quality Inn Bliss which is also located nearby, I think that Quality Inn, Bliss is much better as they offer the same services and better accessibility at Rs.3000 per night (unless this was a corporate rate which was extended to me).

The room was pretty classy and upto the mark, I would say it was almost bordering on 5 Star accommodations and there was nothing wrong with the room per se. They have a swimming pool which is so small, that I think it was slightly larger than the size of a regular bath tub. In my 4 days there, even though it was hot, I did not see more than one person in the swimming pool as I do not thick there was enough space for two people to fit in. The gym and the spa at the Park Premier, Gurgaon are also nothing to write home about.

The room service was good but very very over priced, simple Tea and Toast would come to Rs.200 and that definitely blew a huge hole in my pocket. The restaurant was not upto the mark as well. The buffet spread is not very appealing and I would once again state that Quality Inn, Bliss which is not located very far away is much better on this aspect.

The checkout process was very cumbersome, and as I had booked through the travel agent, the hotel staff refused to issue me a bill. They conveyed that I would need to get the bill from the Travel Agent which was ClearTrip in this case. I had a huge fight with the staff due to this.

I know I have been scathing in my review, but I feel that travelers and reader are much better staying in Quality Inn Bliss as compared to the Park Premier, Gurgaon. While the hotel room is good several other services offered spoil the show completely.

Hotel Review: Quality Inn Bliss, Gurgaon

Strengths: Value for money

Weakness: No gym and swimming pool and hence may not be preferred for long corporate stays

This hotel is located in Phase 5 Gurgaon amidst a few other hotels about a 5 minutes walk from Signature Tower and Crown Plaza. I would still rate this hotel as fairly inaccessible as compared to other hotels in Gurgaon such as the Trident etc. When you compare it to Park Premier which is just 2 kilometers away and almost twice the price it is at least 10 times better in my opinion.

The most attractive part of Quality Inn Bliss is that it offers good value for money. For a single occupancy room I paid Rs.3000 per night and the facilities offered to me were way beyond my expectations.

The room was very well done up with a flat screen TV, Tea Coffee Maker, I would rate it a tad higher than 4 Star. There is no swimming pool and the gym is very small, so if that is very important to you I suggest you do not stay here. It is not a very palatial building but has nice and cozy rooms. The staff is very friendly and has a personal touch, as there was no ATM nearby they offered to provide me with case and billed the same to my account which I could pay by Credit Card. I found this gesture very cool as they are flexible to meet customer needs.

Room Service is prompt and definitely not as expensive as Park Premiere. I found the food tastier as well and I think Quality Inn Bliss definitely has better chefs. The tariff includes a complimentary breakfast and the spread is very good, again much better than Park Premiere. The staff was also very prompt in arranging a taxi for me at short notice.

I would recommend this hotel for long corporate stays or short stays as well, however only if you are not very particular about a swimming pool or a full fledged gym.

Hotel Review: Radisson Zuri White Sands Resort, Goa

This is a 5 Star Resort on Varca Beach which is about 45 minutes from the airport. It is right next to the Club Mahindra Resort. To summarise the review it is equivalent to any other Five Star Resort with nothing more or nothing less. It is more of a corporate / business resort as compared to the other resorts in Goa. You can take a taxi to the resort and it will cost you between Rs.400 to Rs.500.

They had a traditional welcome at the reception with a Goan Necklace and hat. I found it pretty cool. The Welcome Drink which was made out of pineapple extract was also very good. The check-in process can be time consuming if there is a crowd given that there were only 2 tellers at the reception. However I did not face any such problem.

The resort interiors are fabulous and appeared to be very new. I have visited some of the Taj properties especially in Lucknow where the paint was wearing off and the room had an aged look – this was not the case here. The room and corridors have a very new and clean look and so do the restaurants etc.

The service was a bit slow – as I asked for the Times of India and they took 45 minutes to bring it, but I think that was a one off glitch in an otherwise perfect experience. I ordered food which came promptly and was very good in terms of taste as well as the portions. The room is very well equipped and has a balcony overlooking the swimming pool. I would even rate the interiors to be better than the Taj Lands End, Bandra and the room size was big as well. The Zuri resort has two swimming pools, a tennis court, table tennis tables etc. so there are a lot of recreational activities to be undertaken. I found the spa much better than most 5 star resorts as I found the massage experience more blissful than the rest. The cost is also reasonable as compared to other reports and is priced at Rs.800 for the 45 minute full body relaxation massage.

I had the breakfast as well as the Dinner Buffet at the coffee shop. The spread was good. I found their dessert options to be very good especially the Rasmalai and the Chocolate Mud Cake. You have options for watersports you can do Jetskiing, Parasailing and the Ringo / Banana ride for approx Rs.800 each. If you have a limited budget, I suggest you do the Jet Ski as compared to the other two as it is more fun. For women I would recommend Para-sailing as the Jet Ski can be a rough ride.

The tariff of this resort is approximately Rs.13000 / night. I feel it is on the higher side, however they have discounted weekend packages etc. which you can avail off.

Do enjoy your holiday in Goa!

Attraction Review: Jaipur City Palace, Jaipur

I would not call this much of a Palace. I think it was less of a palace and more of a museum. I would recommend you take a guide to help you navigate this city palace. There are 7 or 8 sections of the city palace which the guide will take you through. The Chandra Mahal where the current king lives, is not open to tourists. There is a proposal to open up two stories of the same with an entry ticket of the Rs.2000 or so which is expensive by any means.

The artillery section can be avoided as there are too may weapons and I got bored watching them while my wife went through the details reading every plaque. The central exhibits with the Clothes work by the various kings and queens are very boring again unless you are interested in textile history. I am more of the stories guy and what fascinated me was the story of the 2 huge urns kept in the courtyard which the king took to England full of Gangajal. Since the Jaipur City Palace is much more recent as compared to Udaipur City Palace and Amer Fort there are very few ancient stories associated with it which makes it boring. However I did manage to spend two and a half hours walking around out here.

There is a restaurant in the city palace which is very shady and the quality is also very poor. Jantar Mantar is very closeby and you can cover both Jantar Mantar and the Hawa Mahal on the same day as the Jaipur City Palace. Your guides are most likely to recommend some Rajai shopping places after the tour, on the outskirts of the City Palace. Please do not go to these places, you will get better deals in the Government approved shops in Jaipur City. Some of these shops also demonstrate the Vegetable Block Prining Technique which is interesting, so do go for the same and politely excuse yourself when they try to sell you stuff.

Hawa Mahal has nothing much to offer other than lots of air and walls where every inch is defaced by young Indian Tourists. I felt more embarrassed than happy at visiting the Hawa Mahal. Jantar Mantar is good fun if you are mathematically and astronomically inclined. Spend maximum of 1 hour at Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal, however a guide is a must at Jantar Mantar.

The Jaipur city palace is not as beautiful as the Udaipur City palace, which has much more to offer in terms of history. It is more a collection of photographs, clothes and weaponry of the Jaipur Royal family. However it just may be because we did not pick the right guide.

Attraction Review: Jaigarh & Nahargarh Forts

The Jaigarh and Nahargarh Forts are about 7 kilometers away from the Amer Fort and are about 5 kilometers away from each other. If you have time for only one of the two forts then it is recommended that you go to the Jaigarh Fort.

The Jaigarh fort houses the world’s largest cannon. You can take your car / taxi within the fort and navigate the fort in your car as distances are significant. Taking the guide is advisable and you can get a common guide for the Jaigarh and Nahargarh forts and the fee charged is Rs.100. In Jaigarh fort you will see the cannon and hear the stories associated with it. Apparently the last time it was fired, people within a 500 m radius turned deaf … or so the story goes.

I was also intrigued by the water storage & drainage system in Jaigarh Fort and going by the story told by the guide the kings who built the fort were very scientifically aware. The story goes that below one of the tanks the entire wealth of the Rajput Kings was stored which was emptied later in the 70’s and the Jaipur Delhi Highway was chock a block with trucks ferrying this wealth to Delhi.

There is also an exhibition of the Jaipur Rajput Royals in Jaigarh fort with a lot of focus given to Sawai Mansigh II (the father of the current King). There are a lot of photos and medals and you may find it worthwhile going through this if you have the time. There is also a shopping place for jewellery and silverware but again very very expensive as compared to the Government outlets in Jaipur city. You can spend a maximum of an hour and a half in Jaigarh Fort.

Nahargarh has much less to offer as compared to Jaigarh. This fort gives a good view of Jaipur City and is a good place for panoramic photography. There is a two storied palace with many rooms and passages similar to Amer Fort. The architecture is beautiful, but this fort is definitely not as well maintained as the other two. Thirty minutes in this fort would be sufficient.

Attraction Review: Chowkidhani Theme Village, Jaipur

This is a Rajasthani Theme Village on the outskirts of Jaipur. I would rate the Chowkidhani Theme Village and the Amer Fort as the two must visit attractions on your trip to Jaipur. It is situated near Sanganer Airport and the entry ticket is Rs.700 odd which covers the food and performances only. Experiences such as Fortune telling and Massages need to be paid for separately. You need to pay for the other attractions within the village.

Firstly you can start with the camel or elephant ride which is quite an experience. This is just about a 5 minute ride just to get the experience of it, especially as most of us will not have the time or inclination to go get an actual one. After the rides you can go to the various stalls. The recommended ones are the head massage one, which costs Rs.20 for 5 minutes but the massage quality was very good, my wife got Mehendi put on which was very intricately done as well. There were also 3 fortune tellers, one a PhD who charged Rs.100 (while the others Rs.20) however they all spoke non sense and you could guide him to say whatever you wanted by asking smart questions. This fortune telling stall is avoidable.

There are several places to shop for footwear, Jewellery , Rajais etc. however they are a bit more overpriced from what you will get in the regular Government stores. There are also puppet shows and performances by tribal Rajasthani dance folk who invite you to dance with them and it was heartening to see many Indian tourists actually take up the offer and Dance. Do remember to leave them a small tip after the dance is complete, more as a sign of encouraging the art and prevent it from dying. There would be about 50 stalls in total which can keep you busy for about 3 hours. You must try to cover as many of them as possible as each stall is very different and has a different experience to offer.

Food is included in the price of the ticket. When I visited Chowkidhani, the buffet option was not there, you have to sit on the floor in the dining area and the staff serves you in traditional Rajasthani style (Ghevar, Bajra roti with Ghee etc.). They welcome you with the traditional Ram Ram Sa …… fit your head with a turban and then stuff you with food until you puke. They keep insisting you eat more and more and do not let you get up (there were times when I found it annoying as well). The food is authentic Rajasthani food and I did not like it much, but that does not mean it was bad. My wife who is more adventurous with food, loved the experience.

All in all it was 3 hours well spent. This theme village is a Must visit, it will give you a good idea of Rajasthani culture & village life which you will otherwise not get to see in Jaipur / Udiapur and other major cities. I think the Govt. of Rajasthan has done a good job of promoting this site.

Attraction Review: Amer Fort, Jaipur

This is the top attraction in Jaipur and your trip to Jaipur will not be considered complete unless you visit the Amer Fort which is located on the outskirts of Jaipur.

At the outset, let me inform you that the best part of the fort is the Sound and Light Show which happens every evening at 5:30pm (Hindi) and 6:30pm (English). Please enquire about the timings as they may change from time to time. If I remember correctly the ticket cost is Rs.250 per person. This beautiful sound and light show gives you the history of the Amer Fort right from the time it was built to the time the last of the Rajput Kings lived in the fort. The show is very informative from the historical perspective, is well scripted and the sound and light is co-ordinated very well. Full marks to the government of Rajasthan (tourism department) for putting up a world class show which we can be really proud of, I could hear the firangi foreigners cooing in delight at the end of the show.

To visit the fort you need to take the car up the hill (there is parking on top) and enter from the back gate or you can go up the main entrance of the fort on Elephant Back. This fort was depicted in Jodha Akbar as well as Hum Saath Saath Hain and both the movies show entry through the main entrance either on Horseback of elephant back. If you take the car route, when you get off make sure you are not eating anything as there are monkeys all around who will come and snatch anything edible from your hand.

It is advisable to hire a guide as you will get to know the detailed history for the place. The guides tend to give you detailed stories which are very interesting and are good pieces of dinner conversation to narrate when you get back home. You get a Government approved guide for Rs.150 who will give you a detailed tour for 1.5 hours.
There are different parts of the Amer fort such as Sheesh Mahal, the ministerial Court, the Bedroom area, the cooking area etc. I found the bedroom area most interesting which had 13 bedrooms for each of the princesses and secret tunnels from the Kings room to all the 13 bedrooms so that no other princess knew which room the king was in. I found that very innovative for that time.

A lot of the fort is defaced badly with “I Love you” messages from Indian tourists – so please do not add to the filth, we will lose whatever little we have left of our heritage monuments. What I was impressed with a lot is that there were toilets for public use and separate private toilets as well which you could use by paying Rs.5. These toilets were almost 5 star equipped with baby changers and the works, and I am sure that the foreign tourists will find these very useful.

After touring the Amer Fort and if you still have some time left before the Sound and Light show you may want to visit a Hanuman Mandir which is in the by lanes near by. Nothing much to see here unless you are an architecture student – but definitely a good place to go and kill time. The local guides will show you the place.

Enjoy your tour of Amer Fort!

Hotel Review: Club Mahindra Associate Resort, Poovar

I visited the Club Mahindra Associate Resort in Poovar in September, 2007. I think it is called the floating palms resort as the cottages are floating on water, but you do not realize it and this fact at least does not add much to the beauty of the resort.

This Poovar Resort is about a 45 minute drive from the Trivandrum Airport. It is advisable that you call a cab from the resort to avoid getting fleeced by the local taximen and also the taxiwallahs from the resort know the way as you need to negotiate your way through some long winding roads and go to a ferry terminal which all taxi drivers will not be able to find unless they know the place well. You can access the resort by a short ferry ride of about 20 minutes which is complimentary.
On arriving at the resort you are given a welcome drink which I did not like much at all – but I think it is a local specialty. I think at the time I visited this resort the relations between the Poovar Resort and Club Mahindra were pretty strained as the reception staff kept deprecating the Club Mahindra brand for various reasons.

However, the room was great with good amenities – not as good as a Club Mahindra Goa Resort or the Coorg Resort but almost 80% there. The resort has antique furnishing and a comfy reclining chair (which could give the lazy boy good competition) and a bed which I found very cushy comfortable. You can venture out straight from the room to the beach and the back waters are just about 20 metres away. I suggest you choose these resort for a simple relaxing weekend – where you want to spend all the time t the resort.

There are water-sports near by and you can try the ringo ride where they make you sit in an inflated rubber hoop and pull you around in a motor boat. It is worth a try but at Rs.600 I found it a bit expensive. You can try going kayaking as well …. that thing Kareena Kapoor and Vivek Oberoi did in Yuva (at least I think it was that). I found the spa on the resort very good and the full body relaxation massage was much better than the usual ones that I get done in Mumbai. The food buffet was average – nothing to write home about.

If you need to move out of the resort to the city or to any other place you will need to take the ferry ride again. I do not think the city has anything much to offer other than some temples and a few jewellery shops if you are really interested in shopping.

One thing I did not like much about the resort was the staff, they were not as friendly as the usual Club Mahindra staff. They were bordering on rude. They refused to accept my Club Mahindra Food vouchers and I got into an ugly spat with them on the issue. While there are some good things about this resort, I would rate it far below the regular Club Mahindra standards.

Attraction Review: Ladies Market, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

This market reminded me of Fashion Street in Mumbai where you can get good stuff for amazing discounts. You can reach the Ladies Market by MTR. This is at the Mong Kok station on the Tsuen Wan line. When you get off at the Mong Kok station then the Ladies Market is 2 blocks away. This market is also a stop on the Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Tour of Hong Kong.

Things you can get at good bargains in the market are souvenir T-Shirts and other cheap apparel, necklaces, bracelets, trinkets, purses and bags. All the items in the shops have a price tag on them however you can negotiate to 50% of that price and to even lower if you are buying in bulk. However, I would sincerely advise that you just take a look at every shop and start talking to the shopkeeper only if you have a genuine interest to buy, else things can get very ugly.

My wife decided to get friendly and started bargaining for purchasing 6 necklaces and then the shop keeper would not let us leave the shop as we had wasted a lot of her time haggling. She actually physically prevented us from leaving the shop and we had to shout for help. So please do not try the Indian Style bargaining in Mong Kok.
It takes about 2 hours to navigate the entire market and 3 hours if you are a woman, so you can plan accordingly. I found the shopkeepers in this market extremely aggressive and unfriendly and I did not enjoy the shopping experience much, so unless you want to buy any cheap stuff in bulk – you can skip a visit to this market as well. You will not miss anything much.

There are no good places to eat around this market and you will need to take the metro to Tsim Sha Tsui if you want to get something non Chinese to eat. You have a solitary KFC in Mong Kok, but that too is very crowded and I found the staff there very unfriendly as well.

This market – counted as a must do by most travel websites, turned out to be pretty disappointing for me.

Travel Tips: Metro Travel in Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Metro Travel in Hong Kong is perhaps the most convenient Metro Travel anywhere in the world (at least from what I have seen, even better than the MRT in Singapore). There are 5 or 6 lines which cover the entire city of Hong Kong. While you can pay for every journey by cash, it is not economical at all and it is highly recommended that you buy an Octopus Card as soon as you arrive in Hong Kong.

This Octopus Card works in all metros as well as in McDonalds and at some other merchants as well and if you use the Octopus Card you get decent discounts as well. At the time of taking the Octopus Card you need to pay a refundable deposit of HKD 50 and also load money onto the Card. For a stay in Hong Kong in excess of 4 days it is recommended that you load the card with at least HKD 500 per person. The loading machine is there at every MTR station and you can get the card refunded / unloaded at the MTR Station or at the airport as well.

You need to tap the card before starting any journey and again at the time of getting out of the destination station. At the time of tapping at the time of exit you get the amount deducted for the trip as well as the balance available.

On every line in the Hong Kong MTR you have trains in either direction every 4 minutes, and you will not find them crowded at all other than at peak hours (even at that time they are not very crowded if you go by Mumbai local standards). Above every door there is a map of that line which gives you how that line is connected to every other line and there are flickering lights which indicate which MTR station you are at. From this board above every door, you also get to know which side the next station is going to come on. There is continuous voice commentary in Chinese and English as well on the approaching station. This I found very convenient for disabled people and I could not help thinking how unfriendly India is for travelling for people at large and for disabled people in particular.

Almost every MTR station has an elevator and escalators and convenience stores which accept the Octopus Card. The only problem you may face is that the MTR Service Desk executives are usually not fluent with English and I had to use sign language to get my point across. When you reach your destination MTR station there are different exists to the station such as Exit A,B, C …… and a suitable labeled board as to where this exits take you.

The main MTR Stations where most of the tourist attractions are located are Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon Side and Central on the Hong Kong Island side. The Airport would be the main MTR station on Lantau island.

Hotel Review: Club La Cost at Marina Del Sol, Malaga, Spain

We travelled to Spain for our Honeymoon in December, 2007 and we visited Malaga and Barcelona. In Malaga we stayed at the wonderful Club La Costa Resort at Marina Del Sol. This is a Silver Crown Resort of RCI, however based on my Personal experience I would rate it as a Gold Crown resort or above.

It is a 20 km drive from Malaga airport and it is advised you take a cab which will cost you about 35 Euros. Train is also an option but it is a long winded route which takes you to a station named Fenguroila from where you anyways have to take a cab and hence not advisable. Taxis are metered and the Taxi drivers are friendly, usually speak English and can be trusted. The resort is located on the outskirts of Malaga towards Marbella and is bang on the beach overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The staff is warm and friendly and the check in process is smooth, they have buggies and a train to ferry you and your luggage all around the resort which makes the luggage transfer process non tiring and efficient.

The rooms are simply awesome. Both the 1 Bedroom apartments and the 2 bedroom apartments are great. We got a 2BR overlooking the beach. It had a fully equipped kitchenette and a hall and a bathroom on the ground floor and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the top floor. I was very impressed with the amenities such as a Microwave, dishwasher, Washing machine, Toaster, Blender, abundant crockery and cutlery, DVD player, heaters, sit out chairs, adequate cupboards etc. There is a super market in the resort where you can buy groceries, news papers, books etc. Cooking in the apartment is a more economical option as the restaurants are expensive. This is also more fun if you usually do not get the time to cook at home. I would strongly recommend this resort for honeymooning couples.

As soon as you enter the room you are handed a timetable of the activities on the resort for the entire week. There are flamenco dance classes, lessons in basic Spanish, swimming coaching, theme dinners, wine tasting and the works. There is a daily tour from to the nearby locations which are arranged by the resort and this feature differentiates this resort from the other RCI resorts which I have been to. If you have a multiple entry Span VISA then the tour to Tangiers and to Gibraltar is highly recommended, else you can go to Seville which is the capital of the Andalucía province and there are interesting sights to see out there as well. If you are staying on this resort for a week, it is recommended that you take at least 2 tours to look at the surrounding areas.

A stay on the resort is not complete without visiting Malaga city, there is a city coach from the resort at economical rates and the resort advertises the street markets which are there in Malaga city, so do go ahead and visit one. The spa at this resort is also very good though a bit expensive but definitely worth the money you are paying. You can have beautiful romantic walks on the beach and within the resort at sunset or have a dinner arranged for you in the room as well. Internet is a problem and only 2 computers have internet access at the reception – however other than this the resort is great and highly recommended.

Airport Review: Hong Kong international Airport, Hong Kong

The Hong Kong International Airport is the only other International Airport which in my view gives close competition to Changi Airport of Singapore. It is a very beautiful as well as efficient airport. You can get to the airport by Metro or by Taxi (about 40 mins drive from the heart of the city) both of which are equally efficient.

There are 4 departure terminals and as you approach the airport you will see huge billboards stating which airline departs from which terminal. Even if you make a mistake no worries, you can easily walk it up from one terminal to the other and there are signboards indicating the direction. Due to the design of the departure terminal the sheer number of counters allotted to each airline there is no crowding in a ay particular area which adds to the visual experience and the relaxed atmosphere (unlike Mumbai airport which is a case study on creating chaos at airports J). Everybody seems to be going about their work with ease which is reassuring and calming.

There are huge screens which show the status of all the departures from the airport and these screens are there every 30 metres, so all you need to do is check these screens for departure times and gates. There is a may I Help You desk in every terminal where you can seek help if you have any special requirements. Everybody I came across on this airport spoke in English – so the problem you face in Hong Kong city with the cab drivers you will not face in the Airport.

There are duty free shops for books, apparel, food and foreign exchange kiosks before the check in counters which you may want to visit if your wait in the check-in queue is going to be long. After check in you can approach the boarding gates which are common for all terminals (some of them are in a different area which are mainly for domestic departures to China so if you are not taking these flights you need not worry). To reach the boarding gates you may need to take the monorail trains from some terminals.

When you arrive at main boarding gates area, there are variety of things to do while you wait for your flight. If you have a long wait, I suggest you check into the main lounge near Boarding Gate 35. You can pay HKD 500 for 6 hour package which includes a shower, a back massage, unlimited food and non alcoholic drinks, free Internet access, complimentary access to a variety of books and magazines. It is definitely worth the cost (even though Rs.3000 for 6 hours may be a bit difficult on your wallet) and if you are the high flyer types who would like to open your laptop, get some peace and quiet and start working then this is the place to be. Other lounges on the airport do not compare to this one. There are huge boards in different parts of the airport advertising this so you cannot miss the location of this lounge.

If you do not enter this lounge then you can complete all the shopping that you may have missed out in the city, the chocolates on the airport are only marginally cheaper than the ones that you get in the city. You may land some good combo deals if you are lucky. I found the alcohol (especially Bailey’s Irish Cream) much more expensive compared to the Duty Free Rates in India – so do not waste your money on this. The apparel is very expensive and unless you are desperate or really like something a lot I would refrain you from entering these shops.

Between alternate gates there are about 3 plug points where you can recharge your laptop. I think this is the most important tip in this review as if you do not enter the lounges, there is absolutely no other place where you can charge your laptop, mobile phones, so please carry a suitable adaptor and try to get to these points as soon as possible, these charge points are in high demand. This was the only irritant in an otherwise extremely efficient airport. There are some good restaurants towards some of the gates one near ate 54 where I boarded (I forgot the name). The deal was that if you buy anything more than HKD 5 you get free Internet access for half hour. I found this very useful and a great marketing technique – especially if you have a laptop with restrictions (I do as I work in a Bank) and cannot connect to WiFi.

Overall I would rate this Airport second best in the world after Changi in Singapore, at least out of the ones I have visited.

Attraction Review: Stanley Market, Hong Kong

Stanley market on Hong Kong Island is a cluster of about 150 shops which sell a variety of items (mainly clothes and accessories) at discounted prices. You will not fund branched labels here but will get unbranded stuff at good bargains. It is somewhat like Fashion Street in Mumbai but a few notches above.

How To Get There: You need to get to Central Station and walk a few blocks to the Harbor Exchange Square Bus Terminus and take any bus to Stanley Market. The Bus ride is beautiful and takes you through different parts of Hong Kong. You will see Repulse Bay and you may want to get off and take a stroll on the Repulse Bay Beach. Immediately after Repulse bay is Stanley Market.

Do note that you cannot bargain in Stanley Market. The prices are pretty reasonable however do check the quality of the item you are buying. I would recommend you stick to Clothes especially smart winter wear which I saw in several shops, linen jackets, accessories such as bags and purses. I picked out 10 neck ties for HKD 100 and the quality was good as well.

You can also buy some of the Chinese slippers and pouches if you are interested as you get these as throwaway prices. There are some shops selling electronics however I recommend you steer clear of them. Though I did not enter them but I know others who have and have had issues.
After shopping to your hearts content if you walk a few blocks you will come to a waterfront where they have 5 to 6 joints overlooking the bay where you can have a beer / coffee with some snacks. You should try one of these joins before heading back to Central station.

I would recommend that you complete Stanley Harbour and jumbo Restaurant in one day as they are very close to each other. You can start off at 2:00 PM in the morning from Central and spend about 4 hours in Stanley and then 2 hours at Jumbo before heading back to the hotel.

Happy Shopping!

If you have any queries you can write to Ask.Pranav@Gmail.Com and I will try to revert to you as soon as possible.

Attraction Review: Jumbo Restaurant, Hong Kong

Before leaving for Hong Kong almost everyone we spoke to had insisted that we need to go to Jumbo Restaurant for dinner. Now you need to know if you are a foodie or not, and by foodie I mean if you like to go and try out new cuisines and also scary looking stuff. If Yes, then Jumbo Restaurant is recommended, if not then please avoid. As I (nor my wife) are very adventurous with regards to food, we could have well avoided the Jumbo Restaurant, but given the recommendations we received we decided to give it a shot.

How to Get there: Jumbo Restaurant is in the Aberdeen Area and you can get there from central by cab or by Bus. You can take any bus which goes to Aberdeen (I think the number was 571 and you need to get off at the last stop). However I recommend you take a cab, as the Bus Drivers usually do not understand English and you will be clueless as to where to get off.

When you get off you will need to walk along the waterfront and take the complimentary ferry to the restaurant which is offered by the Restaurant. It will have a big and well lit signage clearly stating Jumbo Restaurant. There are some chargeable ferries which will also take you there and the owners will try to get you into one – but please avoid. Just walk along the waterfront (depending where your bus drops you off) until you get to the Jumbo Signage.

The ferry ride is about 7 minutes and is nothing much of a novelty – there is nothing to see. However the Restaurant is very richly done up and has 3 levels. The lower 2 levels are authentic Chinese cuisine and I cannot comment on the food as I did not try it, but if you are the stereotypical Indian obsessed with India Food or what we call Chinese Food in India then please avoid these 2 levels. The menu looked very scary and is very pricy as well – so you will not only not enjoy the food, but it will burn a hole in your pocket as well. However, if you are the adventurous sort then I guess this would be the place for you.

We went to the third level (which was International Cuisine) and as we were dying to have some Indian Food we ordered some Chicken Tikka and Naan and some Noodles and Rice. Both were pretty bad or much worse than what we get at Average restaurants in India. However sitting on the Upper Deck overlooking the River / Sea and sipping wine and the quiet surrounding made for a romantic dinner. The food was definitely below average. The restaurant was about 5% occupied that evening and a below average dinner for 2 including wine came to HKD 600.

If you are not adventurous with food, please avoid, if you are then please look up other reviews before going there.

For any further queries you can write to Ask.Pranav@Gmail.Com

Attraction Review: Big Bus Tour, Hong Kong

The Big Bus Company operates the Big Bus Tour in Hong Kong. There are 2 tour routes, the first on the Hong Kong Island and the second on the Kowloon Side. It is a great way to get started in Hong Kong by taking this tour.

The cost of this tour is approx HKD 350 per head which includes a Start Ferry return ticket as well as a Peak Tram Ticket. I would suggest you take this tour on the first 2 days of the trip to get a good feel of Hong Kong. You have a running commentary of all the key destinations and you get all the relevant information with regards to the history of the city and the destinations.

Hong Kong Island Tour: The tour starts from the Staff Ferry Terminal so you need to walk the over bridge from Hong Kong or Central Stations. The bus leaves from here every half hour and you can be rest assured they leave on time – I was very impressed by the punctuality. This tour will take you through the Business District to the Peak Tram, to the jail, the Police Head Quarters, the Sohond street escalator etc. It is recommended that you get off at the Peak Tran and spend about 5 hours here shopping and eating and enjoying the view from the Peak. The end to end tour takes about 1.5 hours and I recommend you get off at the Peak and if necessary at the Street escalator. The commentary is pretty informative and if you like to get the history of the place listen carefully especially the details of the Japanese take Over and HK now becoming a part of China and the reactions of the people. That is explained pretty well.

Kowloon Island Tour: This tour starts from the Avenues of Stars promenade in Tsim Sha Tsui. You can board the bus right in front of the promenade (you may have some problem finding the stop (follow the map provided at the time of buying the ticket). This part of the tour covers the avenues of Stars, the Jordan Night Market, Mongkok Ladies market, takes you through the by lanes which have a very Chinese feel to them and is more of a residential area of the middle and lower middle class and you can get an idea of the lifestyle of the residents of Hong Kong. The Ladies market in Mongkok and Jordan Night Market for electronic gadgetry is highly recommended. Also catch the Sound and Light Show at the Avenue of Stars.

Star Ferry: The Star Ferry ticket comes free with the Big Bus Tour. Sit on the upper deck and enjoy the view. It is a 10 minute ferry ride which crosses the bay between Kowloon and Hong Kong. Keep your cameras handy as you will get great shots especially if you going in the evenings.

For any further queries you can write to Ask.Pranav@Gmail.Com and I will try to revert to you as soon as possible

Hotel Review: Q1 Resort and Spa, Gold Coast, Australia

This resort located centrally in Gold Coast in the Surfers Paradise Area is a 99 storey silver tower the tallest one in Gold Coast, which is clearly visible from all over Surfers paradise. We stayed in a One Bedroom Apartment on the 34th floor.

In the Q1 Spa and Resort, please ensure that you do not book into a room below the 25th floor. Any apartment in a room above the 25th floor would give you an awesome view of the Gold Coast, the city as well as the sea. My “wow” moment at this resort was when I went to bed and as I lay on the bed which was close to the open windows, I could see the whole city of Gold Coast below me and planes landing and taking off from the airport in the distance. I could see the sea as well (though it was not very visible at night). Due to this reason and the beautiful views from the resort alone, I would recommend this propery to anyone and everyone.

I paid approximately Rs.16000 (UDS 350) for 3 nights here and I had done my booking through RCI Rentals. Do take a look at the Trip Advisor Website for traveler photos on this hotel, however believe me that the resort and the views from the same are much better than those that can be captured from the photos.

The resort unit comes equipped with all the regular amenities available in a time share unit such as an LCD TV, DVD player (there is an Indian store across the road from where we rented DVDs to watch), Dish Washer, a fully equipped kitchen with a cooking range, crockery, cutlery, a separate dining table, 2 cupboards and a very tastefully done up bathroom. There was a sit out area adjoining the bedroom from where you could get a great view of the beach as well as the city.

You get Indian food very very easily and there are 2 Indian Restaurants very close to the resort. There is a Hard Rock Café 2 blocks away as well. Sea World is fairly close and is 20 mins away by bus and Warner Brothers Movie World and Wet n Wild World are about 35 minutes away. You can commute to the airport as well as to all these locations using the Surfside Bus Routes, the map of which is available in the resort lobby.

There are 2 restaurants on site and a big swimming pool and gym. The gym has a massage chair which can be operated by putting in money which I tried out and I can vouch that the same is very relaxing. The resort is about 7 minutes walk from the beach, however we did not go to the beach too much as the water was very cold. You can get wireless Internet in the room, else you can access it at the Business Centre. The resort can also arrange a barbeque for you if necessary. The staff is very warm and friendly and willingly gives you directions to all the local attractions.

One thing I would like to caution viewers – I visited the resort in the first week of December which coincides with the Schoolies festival where the Australian schools close and the graduating batch from local schools like Melbourne and Sydney throng Gold Coast. 5 or 6 schoolies get together and take a room in Q1 Spa and at this time the whole of Gold Coast is full of these schoolies. They party really hard and puke all over the place, in the resort life / lobby etc. which are frequently closed for cleaning. They play loud music and spill beer all over the aisles etc. This is one thing which can be a botheration, so just ensure that you get an apartment on a floor which does not have any rooms allotted to schoolies. With the exception of this point, my experience at this resort was first class.

I would also like to add here that some portions of “Singh is King” were filmed in the Q1 Resort and Spa. If you have stayed at the resort you will immediately be able to identify the parts which are filmed here.

For any queries you can write to Ask.Pranav@Gmail.Com and I will try to revert to you as soon as possible

Hotel Review: The Panda Hotel, Hong Kong

I stayed at the Panda Hotel in Tsuen Wan Hong Kong for 4 nights in the first week of January, 2010. My experience was great and I have reviewed my hotel stay as given below.

The Panda Hotel is located on the outskirts of the Hong Kong City is the suburb of Tsuen Wan. However it is well connected to the heart of the city by bus routes as well as the Metro which in Hong Kong is called the MTR. The Tai Wo Hau MTR Station is a 5 minute walk from the hotel and gets you to Central Hong Kong (Tsim Sha Tsui & Central) within 35 minutes. The taxi drive from the airport is 250 HKD and takes 30 minutes. I would not rate the location as a constraint if you have that extra 30 mins to travel up and down.

The room is very well equipped with all the basic amenities. It has a flat screen TV, a comfortable bed, a side table and a sofa set and a clean and well maintained bathroom with a bath tub. If you are lucky to get a room above the 20th floor you get a good view as well. A Tea / Coffee Maker is also available and the facilities match that of an average 4* Hotel

The great plus point of this hotel is that it has eateries all around within walking distance. A McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC are just blocks away and if you do not enjoy the Chinese / Japanese food served in the 4 restaurants in The Panda, you need not worry; you can just visit these eateries. A China Bank ATM is also across the road.

The Panda Hotel also has 3 levels of shops where you can get good deals. My wife got great deals on some perfumes she bought on level 2. Internet access for 1 hour is available for 100 HKD which is much better than the other hotels. The staff is very helpful (though they cannot speak fluent English) and the Room Service is prompt. The Room Service Menu is not very impressive and the Room Service shuts down after 1:00 A.M. The check in and checkout processes are smooth and I did not face any issues at all. I paid INR 12000 (USD 280) for 4 nights which was very reasonable.

I did my booking through RCI Rentals and could avail of a Hot Deal however the rack rate will be around Rs.4500 per night. I would strongly recommend this hotel to all budget travelers who are visiting Hong Kong for a week or less. I would not advise the hotel for a long stay due to the distance from the city.

Attraction Review: Ocean Park, Hong Kong

I visited the Ocean Worlds in Hong Kong on 10th, 2010. The tickets to ocean World are HKD 250 per adult which translates to approximately INR 1500 (which is very cheap in my view compared to the rides of offer and the activities you can do there – as compared to Essel World and Water Kingdom which I have been to in Mumbai).

You can get to Ocean Park, Hong Kong from the Admiralty Station. Bus No.629 takes you straight to the Ocean Park at the Peak Entrance. It is important to note that there are 2 parts to Ocean Park. The first one is on the Peak and the second part is the Waterfront. These 2 parts are connected in 3 ways. You can choose any of the following 3 ways to travel between the Peak and the Waterfront.

(1) Ocean Park Express (Train Ride)
(2) Cable Car (Very Scenic and highly recommended, however scary for people who are afraid of heights)
(3) Shuttle Bus

The map of Ocean Park is also split into 2 which is the Peak and the Waterfront and you will need to plan the 2 parts separately as you would want to move from one to the other only once in a day, else you will end up wasting time and miss out on all
the fun things to do in Ocean Park.

Rides: Majority of the Rides are there on the peak. You have the mine train and another roller coaster both of which are very scary and very awesome. I would recommend all these rides and they do end up pumping your adrenaline quite a bit. While taking these rides you get an awesome view of the Aberdeen Bay and Repulse Bay in Hong Kong – so take your camera with you when you are going on the ride

Stalls: The stalls are there in the peak as well as in the waterfront. These are mainly game stalls, the same variety which you see across the world and you can win tokens which can be accumulated and later exchanged for cheap gift

Shows: Please make a note of the show timings as soon as you enter. There was this spell bound show on the peak side which runs every hour which I found really good and another one performed by gymnasts near the balloons and giant trampoline. The other shows are OK; however do not miss these 2 shows

Wildlife: At Ocean Park you can see wildlife from close quarters. There are seals, different types of pandas and many varieties of fish on display. If you are interested do visit. I was pretty much irritated at the amount of time my wife spent taking photographs with these animals (the point I am trying to stress is that unless you are a diehard animal lover – do not waste your time on the wildlife have a re-run on the rides)

Places To Eat: There are several places and stalls to eat within Ocean park including KFC, McDonalds and other stalls. Please note that with the entry tickets of HKD 250 you get coupons of HKD 50 for food and gifts which can be redeemed at the food outlets. I loved the candy floss available for HKD 20 at the Waterfront entrance.

I enjoyed the scenic Cable Car Ride most of all. So please do not miss that and do carry a camera. An Ocean Park visit is a must do on your visit to Hong Kong and there are several things to do – so make it a point to go early by 10:00 AM and stay till the park closes.

If you have any queries do write into Ask.Pranav@Gmail.Com and I will try to respond to you as soon as possible.

Hotel Review - Club Mahindra Fort Kumbhalgarh, Udaipur

I visited the Club Mahindra property in Kumbhalgarh near Udaipur in November, 2010 for 4 nights. I would rate this as one of the better properties from the Club Mahindra stable and it definitely deserves the Gold Crown Status given to it by Resorts Condominium International (RCI).

The resort is at the foot of Fort Kumbhalgarh about 6 kilometers from the mail entrance of the fort. Contrary to what I had heard before visiting the resort is that the resort is not located within the Fort boundaries itself. It is I think approximately 120 kilometers from Udaipur and is about a 2 hour drive. For travelers like me who are car sick all the time I would also like to state that half the journey is very smooth on the National Highway and the remaining half is a topsy turvy road leading upto Kumbhalgarh. I got very car sick so request you to take the necessary tablets before undertaking this journey.

Once you reach the resort you experience utter bliss. The staff is very warm and friendly and the check in process is very smooth. We had a 1 Bed Room apartment which had a hall, kitchenette and a bed room. The hall had a Flat Screen T.V, DVD Player and a Sofa Cum Bed with a sit out overlooking the hills where you could easily spend the lazy afternoon reading a book and sipping a cup of tea. Adjoining the hall is the dry kitchenette which has all the crockery, cutlery, toaster and microwave. You can get yourself the necessary supplies from the resort store and make the basic meals such as sandwiches or any other stuff that does not require a cooking range.

The bed room has a very comfortable bed with roll down cane windows. There is a small balcony outside overlooking the hills where you can have your breakfast in the morning or your evening tea. I think the room design of this Club Mahindra Resort coupled with the amenities is very good and you can have a great family holiday here, within the confines of the resort itself.

Food is always out of the world at Club Mahindra Resorts. If you avail of the Fun Dining you get a 5 Star spread for all 3 meals for Rs.550 + tax which is a very reasonable deal. The alacarte menu is limited but is also very good. The resort also has a library, Internet Kiosk, a Games Room and a DVD Rental store which add to the things you can do when you stay at the resort.

For sightseeing outside the resort there are primarily two attractions.

(1) Fort Kumbhalgarh: This is a must visit for all residents of the resort. You will be able to get a guided tour from the resort. Please ask for one of the in house Club Mahindra tour guides who are local residents. They double up as Tour Guides as well as Drivers and explain the history related to the fort very well. Do not take a guide from outside the fort.

(2) Haldi Ghati: This is where the Battle of Haldi Ghati was fought by Rana Pratap and the Mughals (if I remember correctly) Chetak (the horse of Rana Pratap) died here as well. This is 50% of the way between Udaipur and Kumbhalgarh and you should go there either on your way from Kumbhalgarh Resort or on your way back from there. Again take an in house guide from Club Mahindra

Hope you have a great trip as and when you decide to visit Fort Kumbhalgarh!

Hotel Review - Cambay Resort and Spa, Jaipur

I visited Jaipur for 4 days in November, 2009. I stayed at the Cambay Spa & Resort.

The location of the resort is slightly on the out skirts of Jaipur in the Kukas area. It is about 30 kms from the heart of the city centre but only about 7 or 8 kms from a lot of the tourist attractions such as Amer Form, Jal Mahal etc. The Trident as well as the Le Meridian are fairly close by. While it is out of the city the travel can be managed by taxi. Please note that if you are staying at this hotel you will either need to have a taxi or your own car. Public transport is altogether non-existent.

I would rate this as a 4 Star Resort with average 4 amenities. The buffet breakfast was not included in the room rate and we had to pay Rs.250 per head for the buffet breakfast. Due to the low occupancy perishables items were not a part of the Buffet and needed to be ordered separately, however the food was very good but a bit expensive though. Even the Room Service Rates are slightly on the higher side.
The room was a studio apartment and was well equipped with a flat screen TV, a very comfortable bed, a tea, coffee maker, and a very clean and well done up bathroom. The interiors of the room are very nice and could be rates as just below some of the 5 start amenities in Mumbai. The Resort is fairly large and I got the feeling that it was not even 25% occupied. I wonder why? …… may be because it was on the outskirts of the city.

Amongst the external facilities, what they showed me as a swimming pool was not a swimming pool at all and was more like a pond …. So please assume that this resort does not have a pool. However it has a very good spa offering excellent massages as well as haircuts and everything that women would like to do in their free time. However it is to be noted that the prices are a bit on the higher side – but the massage is definitely worth it.
I would like to add that the same time we stayed here …. So did Salman Khan, Sohail Khan and Bharat Dabholkar …… so if they would the resort good enough to live in … so will you.

I paid approx Rs.9000 for 1 weeks stay out of which I utilized only 4 nights. I did the booking from RCI rentals and this was listed as a Hot Deal with them. I think I got more than my money’s worth in terms of the facilities on offer in this resort. I would recommend this resort to all ……. Just keep in mind that it is a few kilometers outside the city.

For any queries you can write to Ask.Pranav@Gmail.Com and I will get back to you as soon as possible

Hotel Review: Vincci Condal Mar, Barcelona (4 Star)

I stayed at the Vincci Condal Mar for 4 nights in January 2008. I would rate it as more of a Business Hotel and less of a Leisure hotel. It is located about 30 minutes from Barcelona International Airport and it takes you about 50 Euros by cab to get to the hotel from the Airport.

Location: However, location does not pose to be too much of a problem, as the Metro Station (Selva de Mar) is a 5 minute walk from the hotel. The area appeared to be safe and my wife and I walked from the hotel to the metro station late at night, and even though the streets were deserted, I think it was pretty safe. The locality is on the out skirts of Barcelona and may not be five up market, but it is not bad either. By Metro it will take you about 30 minutes to the city centre and if you do not mind the travel it is great.

The rates are economical and I would strongly recommend this hotel as it is very good value for money. There is a buffet breakfast which was top notch however I was not very impressed with the ala carte and room service menus. It is ideal if you are going to do a lot of sightseeing in Barcelona and use the hotel for a good night’s rest and a sumptuous breakfast.
The ambience of the room is very different from most hotels – I felt as if I was entering a futuristic land with black and bright red designs in geometrical shapes all across the hotel and lobby. However it was not bad either, it was just very different, something I am not very used to in hotels. The bathroom does not have a door separating it from the room. The shower tub is not directly visible from the bedroom, it is in a small enclosure on one side but there is no separating door which I found a bit weird at first but then got used to it. The rest of the room amenities are as per expectations from a 4star hotel. Internet Access is extensive at this hotel; they just have 1 PC in the lobby and charge 5 Euro for a 10 minute coupon.
I would recommend this hotel as it is good 4 star hotels and give you Value for Money. I did my booking through RCI Rentals and got a per night charge of Rs.5000 which is very reasonable for a 4 start hotel in Barcelona (I think you get this rate only if you are an RCI member, else it is about Rs.7000. It is just a bit out of the city located at one end of the Diagonal Mar but well connected by Metro and you do not mind the 30 min train journey to all major attractions, please try out this hotel, you will not regret it.