GOC Holidaymaker

Samode Haveli: ideal place for a stay in Jaipur

The havelis of Rajasthan are large mansions where the extended family of the owner lived. Many were built by royalty, but most were and are owned by rich merchants who became wealthy through trade. The architecture is essentially Moghul and the buildings are arranged around courtyards, typically one  for men and an inner courtyard for women. The paintings on the walls of the havelis in Mandawar and in hte Shekawatty regons of Rajasthan are rightly famous and worth a visit. The few remaining havelis in Jaipur have long lost their pictures, but the Samode Haveli is a wonderful example of a royal mansion.

Situated very close to the Pink City there is no better place to explore that sights and bazaars of Jaipur, although it is best to take a car or rickshaw and retain the driver, as the area is confusing and the immediate surroundings lack charm. The hotel itself boasts an elephant ramp, built in the 1940's for a wedding, and which leads to the first courtyard. Most of the rooms are arranged round the courtyards and windows face inwards, away from the city and the sun.

Meals can be taken in the courtyard outside the restaurant, although this is worth braving even in hot weather. When we were there the weather was very hot, 45 degrees, and the large durbar hall was unaffected by the air-conditioning! However, it is sumptuously painted and the windows look over the garden, a green oasis in dusty Jaipur. The food, as in all Samode hotels, is excellent and reasonably priced. The open lounge is an excellent place to relax with afternoon tea, and there are thoughtfully-provided digests of international news available along with a free internet connection.The pool is large, well-serviced and very clean with ample loungers and shady nooks.

Samode Village

Nestling under the walls of the Samode Palace is the village which has been under the protection of the ruling family for hundreds of years. The narrow streets wind between tall havelis- merchants' houses- some of which are painted in the old style and most of which are falling into a sad state of disrepair.

   

When leaving the palace for a stroll through the village you will be greeted by men who are there to take advantage of the tourists and offer paintings, souvenirs and visits to here and there, usually to their home to see their artist relatives at work. It is worth engaging one of these entrepreneurs for  a tour of the village.

Tucked away in the maze of streets are metal and gem workers who are still using mediaeval methods to forge silverware and jewellery, a house which is a refuge for the pigs which clean the streets, the holy cow, which subsists on chapattis, the intricate and beautiful paintings in the temple, the outside of which looks like someone's front yard, the assembly garden of the rajah, where the staff now live and the local schools, where the children will greet you solemnly and refuse to smile for their photograph.

Here you can get an insight into the feudal system of hundreds of years ago and the benefits which patronage might bring. You will get hassled as everyone wants part of the action, but your guide will fend off all others as you go round. We can recommend Ganesh, who speaks excellent English.

Samode: three great hotels for a taste of Rajasthan

The North of India has  a rich history, in more ways than one! The wealth of the Moghul Emperors is everywhere in the form of palaces and temples and its warlike past by its huge forts which stretch for miles along the mountain ridges. Nowhere are the stark contrasts of wealth and poverty more apparent, and although the Maharajahs are no longer the impossibly rich rulers of the Northern states, some of them have converted their palaces into luxury hotels and opened their palaces to the public.
Three of the best are outside Jaipur, the Samode Palace and Samode Bagh, and one in the city, the Samode Haveli.

Samode Palace

42 Km outside Jaipur, the Samode Palace is one of the best hotels in Northern India. The palace itself reflects the aspirations of the Maharajah at the beginning of the 19th Century when the improvements of the Singh dynasty developed the palace from a fortified stronghold. The painted Durbar Hall and the Hall of Mirrors in the gallery contain some of the best paintings of the time. On arrival the visitor begins a journey through three courtyards which rise into the mountainside. Rooms are on balconies surrounding the courtyards.

The palace is a maze of corridors and unexpected rooms and staff are always on hand to guide you to wherever you need to go, or to take you on a tour of the magnificent public rooms. Our room was huge and furnished with antiques and with a central, arched corridor containing small windows overlooking the courtyards, and which let in a welcome evening breeze. The four-poster bed was enormous and required steps to climb into.The bathroom was nearly as big with a large bath and shower. Most of the accomodation is arranged as suites, some rooms have balconies or terraces, and ours had its own temple leading from our seating area.

There are two pools, one on the roof which appears to empty into the mountains themselves, and one at ground level. Two restaurants, one for a-la-carte grills and one for buffet and a simpler menu provide some of the best food we have experienced in India without stretching the budget. Not only are the local dishes interesting and authentic, the Western menu shows a real understanding of the cuisine and contained some fresh salads, very welcome after over a week of unrelieved spice.

The staff were friendly and professional, and although the hotel was very quiet when we stayed there, there was no indication that the hotel was switching into relaxed mode. It takes just over an hour to drive to Jaipur, so a visit to the Pink City or Amber Fort is possible whilst enjoying the isolation of the palace and surrounding villages. Of many hotels we have stayed in in India, this palace is the most memorable.

Reviews of hotels in Alleppey

Trip Advisor is featuring hotels in Alleppey. Check it out:

http://view.e.tripadvisor.com/?j=fe5b1574776301787312&m=fef213777d6601&ls=fde715727c6303787c167873&l=febe1c7974650d78&s=fe371072746d0578741570&ju=fe27157674640378721178&jb=ffce15&r=0

Trip Advisor is a really great way to keep up with what is going on around the world in your avourite hotels. We know that hotels change and that a good experience one day can be followed with a bad one when the management changes. Just a word of caution: look at the dates of the posts to make sure that the recent ones are good, and remember that people from different countries have different expectations. Look for recent reviews by people from your own country for a real sense of what you are going to experience.

Lotus 8 Airport Hotel, Cochin

Cochin Airport is about 1 hour and 30 minutes drive from the town, traffic depending. The airport road is good, but congested, and an early flight does not guarantee a clear road. The Lotus 8 hotel is becoming a tradition with us as we always stay there before the 9am flight to the Gulf, our flight of choice. Rooms can be hired by the hour, so a short stay before or after an inconvenient flight can take a lot of the stress out of the journey and allow you to start a long haul reasonably refreshed.
Many flight crews stay here as it is only ten minutes from the International Terminal. It is clean and  efficiently run, the restaurant is good, the coffee shop adequate and the rooms large, each one having a
lounge/kitchen area, bedroom and bathroom, two televisions, tea-making facilities and lots of space for
re-packing to make sure that spices etc. are not in hand luggage.
The restaurant opens fairly late, so early starts require room service breakfasts- included in the price of
overnight stays, and although these are basic, they arrive on time.
If you are unlucky enough to have active people in the rooms above the rooms can be noisy, but in general the sound proofing is good, and a room next to the service life was very quiet all night.
Over the years the furnishings, a in many Indian hotels, have deteriorated bady, the curtains and upholstery
becoming worn and a little grimy. You also need to allow enough time to check out, and make sure that you have any cash you need for this, as the desk staff are a little chaotic and inefficient.
On balance, this hotel represents very good value for money, the staff are helpful and friendly, the cleanliness
is impressive in bathrooms and public areas and the restaurant professional.

New Hotels in Fort Kochi

There is obviously a limit to the number of hotels we can stay in on our visits to India, but we do visit as many as we can.
There has been an explosion of new hotels in Fort Kochi, some homestays with one or two rooms, others run by large companies and occupying huge new buildings or large, old warehouses.

Three that looked good during this trip were very different from each other. The first was Killian's, a new, multi-story opposite the ferry terminal. Although lacking the ambience of the older buildings, we were immediately impressed by the spotless rooms which were well-designed and spacious, some with balconies and a wonderful view. Running my finger along the top of the bathroom mirrors was sneaky, but yielded absolutely no dust! The large pool is in the central courtyard and a bit public, and the dining room was large and a little dark. We have have read good reviews of this hotel, so will keep our eye on it.

The Tower, next to the Old Harbour, is a conversion of a rambling old warehouse, furnished with antiques and with loads of character. There is as yet no garden or pool, but one is under construction. The public sitting areas are huge, the rooms spacious and each one with its own ancient bit of the old building incorporated into it. Again, we have not stayed here, but are looking forward to hearing how this hotel performs.

For budget travellers the Casa Del Forte might be a good proposition, as it is cheap but well-organised and very clean. The rooms are very clean and well-equipped, and there are good facilities for a hotel in this price range, as it has a restaurant and many of the extras only available in more expensive hotels. On the downside, it is an autorickshaw ride from the main front, but for those looking for a slice of the real Fort Kochi rather than the tourist main drag, this might be an option.

Discovering Chettinad

Discovering Chettinad

Once again we visited Visalam, CGH Earth's hotel in Kanadukaithan, near Karaikuddi in Chettinad. This is fast becoming my favourite hotel in the whole of India, not only because of the huge, sparkling rooms, large pool, frie

ndly service and passion for good food, but because the management of Mr Jonny is truly inspirational. If you want something, they will do their best to provide it, and even arrange a surprise. One of the nights we stayed was my birthday and I was presented with a cake, complete with a candle, and a  rendition of "Happy Birthday" by staff who looked as though they were performing in the West End in terms of their seriousness and desire to get it all right. The extra surprise came when Mr Jonny called and sang Happy Birthday to me over the telephone, all co-ordinated by Ramu, the under-manager. This was not a put-up job. The reception staff had seen my date of birth in my passport and it was all done without giving my partner any clue.

A bicycle ride around the village reminded us that this is indeed a land of rare treasures.
Ramu took us to see his family home and we were awed by the richness of the carving, all the pillars round the atrium being carved Burmese teak. There are over 30,000 palaces remaining in Chettinad, most of them in dire need of renovation and preservation. A similar building in another village is being converted into another CGH Hotel, with the usual care and attention to detail. The famous egg-white plaster will take 18 months to complete. 
Chettinad is only beginning to reveal itself as a fascinating and beautiful area. The landscape is flat, and  what looked barren last April was now under water as the rains begin.
The most beguiling part of the journey was the discovery of a very old temple at the end of a long avenue of terracotta figures, put there by worshippers for the protection of their village. Anywhere else and this would have been a major tourist attraction. Here it was simply part of the village, and it was the villagers who showed us round, a small child appearing at the right moment to translate for us. We barely had enough small change to give everyone their share! The journey to the temple was through a traditional village where the ancient buildings, chicken coops and granaries begged for us to stop and find out how it all worked. Alas, we had to move on. We are sure that we will be sharing this experience with customers very soon as Chettinad develops.

The Gateway Hotel, Madurai

For many years the former Taj hotel in Madurai has been the "only" place to stay. It has recently rebranded
itself as a Gateway Hotel, but is still feeding off its old Taj image. Set on its own hill surrounded by scrubby
forest with a view of the temple in the distance it is an oasis of peace in the frantic congestion of the city.

The accomodation is in blocks spread across the grounds, and there can be quite a way to walk to get to the pool, tennis court, fitness centre and restaurant.The basic rooms are spacious with good bathrooms, and everything has a faded elegance. Our block was called the "Peacock's Nest", and we could see why as soon as we arrived. A male peacock was sitting on the roof outside our window and when we called put on a display of tail feathers for us. We had no peanuts so he soon went away, but there are wild peacocks all around the grounds.

On a return visit we were given the best rooms and could have hidden a large family in the bathroom alone. A balcony made a shady place to sit and relax, and the main toom was well-equipped with an enormous bed, huge flat-screen television, table, sofa, chairs, tea-making facilities (a bit mean on the supplies, but unusual in Indian hotels) and loads of room for suitcases etc. I couldn't fault this room.

The restaurant was adequate, the waiters efficient and the service good. The buffet was looking depleted after the predations of a party of continental tourists at lunch time, but the a la carte menu is extensive and
although my vegetables were semi-raw and cold, the fish was excellent. Breakfast from the buffet was once again showing gaps, but the bakery products were good, the eggs generous and the fruit fresh.
It is obvious that this hotel has seen better days. When we visited heavy rain had made the walk round the
grounds impassable, but I took so long to pick out the possible route from the poorly-signposted paths that the time passed before I was told that the path was closed.
The staff uniforms in the restaurant were less than sparkling and the furniture and fittings worn, but  theservice was good. The pool too was showing its age, although clean and well-serviced.The number of good hotels in Madurai is limited, and this is the hotel of choice for a relaxing place to recoup after an exciting temple experience, the view from the restaurant terrace being worth the visit alone!

Feedback from Kerala

We recently sent a client of a two-week tour of Kerala and were touched and delighted to receive frequent emails telling us that all was well. Kasia has sent full feedback- some of it not so positive, but really welcome. It reflects the importance of asking for what you want in hotels! We work hard to make sure that standards in hotels are as we would like them, but reminders from guests can also help.

We had a really super holiday – so thanks for organising this package
for us.  Generally, we thought the package was spot on, taking us to
the right places and there was just the right amount to do each day,
without being too over-extended.  And Mathew was always ready to take
us for more sightseeing if we wanted.  It would have been very
difficult for us to have organised to see so much on our own.
The places we stayed in were also just the right style and type for 
this holiday.  Basic, but clean and most importantly, they gave a
taste of India and the staff were so helpful in all locations.
 
I hope the format of this summary is ok.
 
GENERAL COMMENTS
Mathew - lovely person – looked after us very well. Punctual. Well
organised and quite accurate in estimated journey times.
Showed us round us lots places. Accommodated many of our requests. V
helpful.Good driver - felt quite safe on the roads.  Most importantly,
he always had a schedule ready for us, which we could then add to or
take away from, depending on how much we wanted to see.

Fort House and the Travancore - we had to wait for an extra bed to be
brought to the room. At the Travancore they tried to give us what
looked like an old sunbed - but we asked for a proper bed.
 
Anil called most days to check we were ok. Much appreciated.

SCHEDULE
Very good. The original schedule to go to Munaar after Cochin would
have been better as it would have saved a bit of travelling time.
2 days in each place was just about enough time to see the most
important sights.
 
Fort House
Good location. V friendly staff. Good breakfast. Evening meal was good
too. A bit noisy from the neighbouring hotel next door, but the aircon
drowned out the noise.

Wildernest
My favourite hotel. Very clean. Spacious room and bathroom. Super
location. Friendly staff. Monkeys amused us though they were a
nuisance on our terrace.
 
Olive Brook
Super location. the first night we slept in a very damp, musty room -
the one on the far end with no windows in the bedroom. even the bed
was damp. We complained and were moved to the room near the dining
area - which was much better. V friendly staff. Organised a walk for
us and 2 cookery lessons. Delicious food. Bathroom could have been
cleaner - needs a lick of white paint to brighten it up.
 
Houseboat
What an amazing experience. Loved the trip. Boat was basic - could
have been a bit cleaner especially the bathroom. Rajesh and the crew
looked after us very well. Delicious food.
 
Travancore Heritage
Friendly staff. Good location. Beach was rather dirty. Good food.
Travel to airport was efficient. Nice way to end a busy holiday.
 Hotels in general were not too generous with toilet paper, this is of
course a minor comment.  Also a bit more detail to the general
housekeeping would really bring up the standard for not much effort or
cost;
 
Cleaning - could be a bit more thorough, just going over surfaces with
a damp cloth to remove all dust.
Airing - Air out the rooms more, so they smell fresher.
Towels - Some of these looked a bit old and had some old stains.
Bedding and pillows - In a couple of places, eg. Olive Brook were a
bit old, stained and not so fresh smelling.
 
These are not complaints from our side, rather comments to help the
places improve.  Small details, but could make all the difference.
Please pass on our thanks to Mathew, Rajesh and Anil. They did a grand
job.
 
When are you travelling out to India? I would like to send a thank you
card to you with photos to pass on to the Mathew and Rajesh.
 
Kasia, Mark and Monika

Visalam

Visalam is at the top of our favourite hotels in South India. It is owned and run by CGH Earth. The building is a 1930s Art Deco palace in the fascinating village of Kannadukaithan, close to Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu, about 3 hours drive from Madurai.

The website tells the story of this Chettiar mansion, a gem amongst the many derelict palaces which make up the village. The history of the Chettiar merchants who built Kannadukaithan and the 73 other villages which make up the Chettinad area is a sad and romantic one. Hundreds of years ago, after suffering a tsunami, the merchants moved from the coast inland and built 94 villages on the dry plains. The community thrived, becoming rich through trade with the East and through careful speculation. After the last war their finances collapsed and now most of the community lives abroad and their palaces lie abandoned, or the home of just one or two remaining family members. The mansions and palaces are wonderful examples of every architectural style, littering a beautiful but abandoned landscape.

Visalam has been retored using the highest quality materials and craftsmanship, reviving the ancient technique of egg white plaster for the walls. There are 15 rooms round a central atrium, all huge, with high ceilings, vast bathrooms and many with a balcony overlooking the garden. If there are only a few visitors, meals are taken round a large table in the traditional kitchen where the chef is happy to discuss the food and what he is currently doing. The food is fiery traditional Chettiar dishes, althoug less spicy options and some western dishes are available.

The swimming pool is large, has good furniture and there is a small refreshment cafe to one end. All of the staff display the usual CGH Earth qualities of attentiveness, a genuine desire to please and a cheerful smile. A committment to the environment and the surrounding community makes this a splendid base to explore the lost land of the Chettiars.