Mumbaiya Hyderabadi!

Coorg: A hill town, coffee and getaways for ages  Never been to Scotland, but if Coorg is considered to be the Scotland of the South, I can imagine how beautiful Scotland would be. Started the day with a Coffee plantation tour at Mercara Gold Estate , on the way from Club Mahindra, Virajpet to Madikeri. Was a tour well spent (Rs. 200/head). Booked the guided tour through TripAdvisor Post the tour, a free filter coffee, and coffee shopping at the estate, we headed to Choci Coorg. Being a Friday, the chocolate shop wasn't open around noon. We were in a dilemma, should we wait or come back later. There was a vegetarian restaurant in the same complex, and folks around were promoting it to be good. As per the well drawn itinerary, we were supposed to have lunch at Coorg Cuisine to relish on local delicacies. Finally took a decision to go the one at the complex, Ambika Upahar Udupi restaurant and it turned out to be a relative  disappointment. Post lunch and check-in at Club Mahin...

Club Mahindra, Madikeri Near to Madikeri town, is one of the oldest resort, and brings its own charm. The rooms are antiquated, and couple of storeys below, without AC (never feel a need for the same here). Restaurants and the High-Tea reminds of the old-world charm where time stands still, for friends and families to chit-chat and while away. Sipping coffee at the porch, with morning sunrays glowing your face, is an experience to behold. Restaurants Barbeque Bay by Club Mahindra Madikeri 7 PM - 10:30 PM Green Cardamom - Breakfast, Lunch/Dinner Others nearby Coorg Cuisine Restaurant 

Club Mahindra, Virajpet Newer of the Club Mahindra resorts in Kodagu area, the older one at Madikeri, is modern amidst the lush greenery. Is lavishly maintained, neat and spacious rooms with amenities, filled with flaura, and lots of entertainment including sports. Be it the Quad Biking, or Coffee plantation tour or the various games and fun-filled programs, it keeps one occupied with entertainment throughout. The 3-4 km road leading to the resort is poor and filled with potholes. Frequenting in and out of the resort for sightseeing can be painful and is far from town or sightseeing spots. Also, not to miss the Spa, well maintained and served.  Restaurants Coorgenburg by Club Mahindra - Ala-carte Lunch/Dinner - One can also pre-order Coorg thali here Aromas by Club Mahindra - For Breakfast and buffet Lunch/Dinner Though there are food packages in Club Mahindra, that can be pre-booked or on the spot, F&B is still too expensive. Other food options to try nearby are: Umballa Mane ...

Iruppu Falls Located in the Brahmagiri Range in the Kodagu district of Karnataka, India, bordering the Wayanad district of Kerala, we visited this place enroute to Club Mahindra, Virajpet from Nagarhole National Park. A serene walk from the entrance to water falls, well structured path, not too difficult to climb, is a soothing experience. Though crowded, one can enjoy the charm and great spots for photograph, including benches for seating.  One need to exercise caution (especially with footwear) while stepping onto the stones under the falls. I ended up slipping, sitting with a thud on the stone, and was lucky that the pain didn't last long or hurt the spine.

 Kodagu White Water Rafting On a gloomy rainy day, after a sumptuous breakfast, we set off from Club Mahindra Virajpet to Kodagu White Water Rafting, around 90 minutes drive through well laid roads. This was around Dussehra time, and the rainy season was petering out. On the beautiful, pristine, clear water rapid Barapole river, and a well maintained raft boat, we positioned ourselves to experience a Grade 3 river rafting. Was guided by an expert who was earlier employed at Dandeli. Two of us were joined by another couple to complete the 4 in the raft boat. There were 4 major spots to experience the thrill of rafting from a height and gush of flow, and these spots were interestingly named. The rafting path is neatly set on the river through lush green trees, providing a natural scenic view. The guide also allowed us to experience a calm swim on the river, with its soothing water sending cold shivers within. The additional fees to capture the action and experience on Go Pro, was mon...

JLR Kings Sanctuary, Jeep Safari and a Leopard Driving from Mysore, reached the JLR Kings Sanctuary around lunch time. A rushed lunch and check-in later, boarded the Jeep for safari with anticipation and excitement. 2+ hour of jeep safari through the jungle, a mix of pliable road (is open for motor vehicles from 6AM to 6PM, connecting Kerala and Karnataka), and off-road, led to blink and miss sighting of a Leopard, a view from distance of a herd of Elephants, ample sighting of Deer and few other animals. Well, not so lucky with the sighting (as I heard there was a Tiger sighting the very next day of our tour), but the Jeep safari was an experience. Stay at:  JLR Kings Sanctuary If not staying in jungle resort,  Safari from 2 gates, Veeranahosahalli and Nanchi gate (Kutta) There are two entrances, one from Kutta Side, other one from Namchi side . The Jungle safari is at the Namchi Gate end. Suggestion is to enter from Kutta gate and drive all the way to Namchi Gate. Google GPS ...

Day 1 AM (Morning) Bengaluru to Mysore on road: Started around 7 AM from Whitefield, took a breakfast pitstop at Shivalli Restaurant 2 (from the house of MTR) around 8:30 AM. After having sumptuous breakfast, resumed the journey around 9 AM.  Other recommended restaurants on the way include: Kamat Lokaruchi - comes before Shivalli Maddur Tiffany’s On the way to Mysore, took a sightseeing halt at Srirangapatnam, starting  with 1. Sri Ranganaathaswaami Gudi (Pancharanga Kshetra) Reached around 10:20 AM, duration of visit: 40 minutes Revered temple & pilgrimage site along the river, featuring ornate carvings & historic architecture. This temple is dedicated to Ranganathswamy, an incarnation of Shri Hari Vishnu. The temple is located on an island formed by the Kaveri River at a distance of 16 km from Mysore. This town was named Srirangapatna after the name of the Sriranganathaswamy temple.  2. Srirangapatnam Fort / Tipu Sultan Fort There wasn't any s...

2nd Oct, 2022  (Hyderabad to Bengaluru) Started around 6:30 PM on a clear Sunday morning, from Gachibowli. A pleasant drive hitting decent speed on the highway, took a breakfast pitstop around 9:30 AM at Hotel Suraj Grand, Kurnool. A decent restaurant for breakfast (buffet / ala-carte). With couple of short breaks for fuel, reached Whitefield, Bengaluru around 3:30 PM. During morning near Hyderabad on the Bengaluru highway, there was a mad rush of rash driving large SUVs trying to race against each other. Once into the highway for some distance, the traffic got thinner and safer. Though we didn't try other restaurants on the way, the below are few recommended ones Food Pyramid at Kothakota (is before Kurnool) BPCL Ghar Dhaba at Gooty Ruchi's family restaurant at Anantapur, probably a slight detour from highway Nandi Upachar, Devanhalli (closer to Bengaluru) and can be timed for Lunch 9th Oct, 2022 (Bengaluru to Hyderabad) After a heavy breakfast, started from Bengalu...

Day 1 Check in to the Hotel, Evolve Back 1.1  - Hemakuta Hill Temple Complex  Visit Duration: 1 Hour Don’t miss the sunset view from Hemakuta Hill. Is opposite to Virupaksha temple. One can find tourist guides near to the temple. We were fortunate to get a good informative guide from here, who joined us each day for a guided tour (2 days package) and was flexible on the itinerary and timings.  Back to the hotel for a wide-spread buffet, with live music Day 2 Start early, with a temple visit 2.1 Sri Virupaksha Temple Visit Duration:  1 – 1.5 hours Recommend to reach the temple around 7-8 am in the morning. During that time, you can also see the morning aarti and the elephant named “Lakshmi” walking towards the river for her daily bath. 2.2 Kadalekalu Ganesha Visit Duration:  30 minutes Historic temple featuring elaborate carvings & an enormous sculpture of Lord Ganesha. Kadalekalu Ganesh is a crucial religious attraction in Hampi. Visitors will be ex...

Bappi Lahiri (Alokesh Lahiri) passed away today at the age of 69. A legend, known for his versatility in composition, marks end of an era to songs that we grew, loved, danced and still continue to show up at the top of our favorites Here is my pick to the top 20 (not in any particular order) Chalte Chalte - mesmerizing song, a flowing, melodious composition demonstrating Bappi's range, excellent lyrics and equally well sung by Kishore. Amongst the best in Hindi Inteha ho gayi - My goodness, how do I describe this epic song (not sure if it shows up in other's top song list), but has mesmerized me for long in the way it is rendered, composed. Kishore and Bappida create magic in this song, with its varying pace I am a Disco Dancer - the defining song that everyone would have heard, swooned to. Vijay Benedict's rarely heard/fresh voice and the interesting lyrics, easy to remember and the mix makes this a song to hum for ages Ke pag ghungaroo baandh - One of the versatile, creat...

A day at the capital of Bahmani Sultanate Started from Home around 6:40 AM, with the map heading to Kamat hotel in Bidar for breakfast. Did a quick pit stop on the way for fuel. Reached Kamat around 8:50 AM. Online reviews werent encouraging, but had a pleasant experience. Though parking can get difficult during the day, was able to find a parking spot in front of the restaurant as it was morning and nearby shops havent opened yet. Good service, clean washroom, and decent South Indian breakfast. The waiter was proactive and quick in service.  Bidar Fort After a sumptuous breakfast, headed to Bidar Fort. We were the first to arrive around 9:20 AM. The car parking area was empty and was big enough to accommodate the normal rush on any day. Surprisingly, there was no entry ticket and this left me wondering why the Tourism Dept. isnt keen on generating revenue for better upkeep of the site. Entered the fort through Sherja Darwaza. Lovely photography spots near the entrance, to capture ...

Rajneeti is a high voltage political drama and a present day adaptation of the Mahabharata.The film protrays the evil mind games played in politics . Prithvi Pratap Singh (Arjun Rampal) and Veerendra Pratap Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) are successors of a strong political party. Prithvi is eager to take the top spot, but Veerendra turns out to be his opponent. When Prithvi is appointed as the head of the party, Veerendra teams with Sooraj (Ajay Devgan) - a young emerging Dalit politician, and the two successfully evict Prithvi from the party.Enter Samar (Ranbir Kapoor) who has absolutely no political aspirations, but is sucked into the world of politics due to the family political rivalry. Under the guidance of Brij Gopal (Nana Patekar), Samar and Prithvi start their own political party and contest the elections against Veerendra. What follows is an extremely compelling political drama, that should not be missed!   In Rajneeti, Brij Gopal plays a role inspired by Lord Krishna who guide...