Map of the Week-Henry Hudson 400

The Henry Hudson 400 Foundation was founded to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Hudson's voyage to North America. He explored New York harbor and sailed up what is now the Hudson River hoping to find the northwest passage to the Pacific. Instead he found Albany.

The Foundation has put together a series of events including a rare maps and documents exhibit; New Amsterdam, The Island at the Center of the World at the South Street Seaport Museum. The exhibit opened September 13th and runs through the end of the year. They also have put together an excellent website with a series of antique maps and data overlaid onto Google's maps.


This map shows Hudson's four voyages. The third one, in dark green took place in 1609. He explored the North Atlantic coast as far south as the Chesapeake Bay. The fourth voyage made it as far as the Hudson and James Bays in 1611 before his crew killed him in a mutiny.



















Historic maps can be overlaid with Google in several ways. This is a direct overlay of a 1625 map of Amsterdam by Balthasar. The background map only shows up because I made a screen capture before it finished loading the Balthasar map.

This 1731 James Lynne plan of lower Manhattan was overlaid using the transparency slider so you can see some of the Google map details in the background.

There is also a side-by-side viewing option as seen for the map "Novi Belgii Novaeque Angliae Nec Non Partis Virginiae Tabula"
by Nicolaes Janzsoon Visscher & Augustine Herman (1651 - 1655)


The site has an "Origins" tab where you can get information about the first kosher butcher or the area's first prostitute. There are also links to other maps around the world from this period of exploration shown under the somewhat confusing "Map Illustrations" heading. Finally, there are a series "Water Challenges" due to rising sea levels. Happy exploring!

Map of the Week-Dust in the Wind

So Australia has this big dust storm that turns the sky orange, snarls traffic and causes health hazards and all I can think about is whether or not I can get a good map out of it. Truth is there are few maps to be had. The news sites are more interested in these remarkable pictures.


Seems to me that a map showing the extent of the storm, the damage, traffic tie-ups, anything would be very interesting but no such luck. After spending way too much time searching I finally turned to the trusty old BBC and found some decent maps.



This map shows extent of the storm as well as it's presumed origins at Lake Eyre Basin, a "dusty" area of desert in South Australia.


Most of the satellite images I've seen do not have places labeled, making it difficult to understand the scale of what you're looking at. The above image could be a couple of miles or several hundred miles. Thankfully the BBC came through again and put labels at Sydney and Brisbane, as well as a scale bar. Yes, we're seeing over a thousand miles of dust!

Map of the Week-Tasty Wine Maps

I don't know much about wine. My keen sense of taste tells me that some wines are "better" than others. I do know that my local liquor store is decorated with some nice, colorful maps including this one.

This map is huge and takes a long time to download so I only show a section of it above. It is available online here (click the "Quality Wines map" link) if you want to wait for it. The store also has nice regional maps of France, but I could not find those online. However, I did find lots of other maps. Here is a nice general map of France for people like me who only know the most basic distinctions.


Those with a keener palette may want to dig into a detailed region such as the Loire.

If you're planning some wine tourism you might want a detailed map like the one below of Madera, California. I mainly included this map because it is, in my cartographic opinion, cute. You might get lost if you actually try to use this map as its accuracy seems to get lost in all the cuteness.

L'Chaim!

an euphonious keeps you smart

an euphonious keeps you smart

History & Tourist Places of New Delhi

History

Delhi is said to be one of the oldest existing cities in the world, along with Damascus and Varanasi. Legend estimates it to be over 5,000 years old. Over the millennia, Delhi is said to have been built and destroyed 11 times. The oldest alleged incarnation of the city shows up in the Indian mythological epic Mahabharata as Indraprastha. The earliest historically recognized version of the city is

* Qila Rai Pithora – This dates back to the 10th century A.D. as per available historical records. Also known as Rai Pithora, this city was the capital during the reign of Prithviraj Chauhan, the local hero famous for his first defeating, before finally losing to, the marauding invaders from central Asia (Muhammad Ghori in particular). Chauhan's ancestors are said to have captured the city from the Tomar Rajputs who were credited with founding Delhi. Anangpal, a Tomar ruler possibly created the first known regular fort here called 'Lal Kot', which was taken over by Prithviraj and the city extended. Some of the ruins of the fort ramparts are still visible around Qutab Minar and Mehrauli

India Gate,a Central Landmark of Delhi

India Gate,a Central Landmark of Delhi

The Parliament House, Sansad Bhawan ,New Delhi

The Parliament House, Sansad Bhawan ,New Delhi

* Mehrauli – Muhammad Ghori managed to defeat Prithviraj Chauhan in battle in 1192. Ghori left his slave Qutub-ud-din Aibak as his viceroy, who in turn captured Delhi the subsequent year. After Ghori's death in 1206, Aibak proclaimed himself the ruler of Delhi and founded the slave dynasty. Qutb-ud-din contributed significantly in terms of architecture by getting Mehrauli built. His most prominent contribution is the starting of Qutab Minar. This 72.5 m tall tower was built across three generations and finally completed in 1220AD. A visitor to the Qutab Minar could also see the mausoleum of Kaki, Shamsi Talao and some other mosques. The Slave dynasty ruled until 1290, among them was Razia Sultan who ruled for just three years, but became a historic figure for being the first empress in India.

* Siri - Qutuddin Aibaq's 'Slave Dynasty' was followed by the line of Khilji (or Khalji) rulers. The most prominent among the six rulers was Allauddin who extended the kingdom to the south of Narmada and also established the city of 'Siri'. Among some of the remaining ruins, is part of the Siri Fort in the greater Hauz Khas area. The madrasa at Hauz Khas was constructed during Allauddin's reign and bears the stamp of West Asian architecture. Hauz Khas is more often visited today for the chic botiques and restaurants.

* Tughlakabad - Exactly as it happens during the fall of a lineage of kings, after the Khilji's there was administrative chaos for sometime as the last Khilji ruler was slain by Nasruddin Mohammed. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (a Turk governor) invaded Delhi in the 1320s, started the Tughlaq dynasty, and founded the city of Tughlakabad. The ruins of the large fort still remain. His descendent Muhammad Bin Tughlaq raised the fort walls, created another city called Jahapanah (which enclosed the area between Siri and Qila Rai Pithora). Tughlakabad continued, however, to be the main capital city.

Muhammad Bin Tughlaq is also known as the mad king for wanting to move the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (now near Aurangabad in Maharashtra) and making the entire population travel, only to return in a few years because of water shortage in the new town.

* Firozabad - Muhammad Bin Tughlaq's son, Firoze created the next city which was called Firozabad or Firoze Shah Kotla. There still are some ruins which are visible around the cricket stadium by the same name. The city was a enclosed a large area, and contained many palaces, mosques, pillared halls, and multi-floored water tank. Firoze Shah also planted a 1500 year old Ashokan Pillar on top of the palace.

Feroze Shah, also repaired many of the older construction in Delhi including Ghori's tomb, Qutub Minar,Suraj Kund and Hauz Khas. He, himself, was buried inside a lofty tomb in Hauz Khas. Quite like earlier, after Feroze Shah's death, the sultnate became unstable and weak, and was invaded by Taimur the Lame (from Samarkhand) who created havoc in the city by looting, killing, raping and plundering. The Sayyids and Lodhis who ruled Delhi after the Tughlaq's paid more attention to re-establishing miltiary and political stability to the kingdom. The only relevant architecture visible from this period are the tombs at Lodhi Gardens. The last of the Lodhi's was defeated by Babur in the first battle of Panipat. Babur then proceeded to establish the Mughal dynasty.

* Shergarh - Babur's son Humayun ruled the kingdom for a few years only to be defeated by Sher Shah Suri (1540), who established the new city Shergarh (on the ruins of Dinpanah, built by Humayun) towards the north and near the river. Shergarh is what you see at Purana Qila today, near the Delhi zoo. After Humayun came back to power, he completed the construction and proceeded to rule from Shergarh.

* Shahjehabanad - the next of the Mughal emperors chose to move away from Delhi and established Agra as the capital of their kingdom. Shahjehan (Humayun's great-grandson) returned to Delhi and established Shahjehanabad. This included the Jama Masjid, the Red Fort and all that in enclosed within the walls of Old Delhi. This wall is still around in many parts and three of the six gates (Delhi gate, Lahori Gate, Turkman Gate, Ajmeri Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Mori Gate)to Delhi still exist. Kashmiri Gate was reconstructed and widened by the British after the 1857 revolt.

* Lutyen's New Delhi - The final city as you see today expanded from what Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Inspite of its rich historical heritage represented by the numerous monuments, Delhi's population is hardly aware of it and has little pride or feeling for the city's history. This is due to the simple reason that few Delhi residents actually belong to Delhi. The population of Delhi is a heterogeneous mix of people originally belonging to different parts of North India and beyond. Among the prominent North Indian communities are the Punjabis, who are the descendants of the refugees of the Indian Partition. They are easily the most affluent community. However, their dominance in recent years has been challenged by the increasing affluence of other North Indian communities. Delhi has a prominent South Indian Community, primarily in areas like RK Puram and Munirka. A Bengali Settlement, the Chittaranjan Park in south east Delhi is the Mini Calcutta of Delhi.

And the biggest irony is the fact that the descendants of the builders of Delhi's many Muslim monuments no longer stay in Delhi. Most of them migrated to Pakistan during the Partition, with only a small, ever-diminishing community in Old Delhi keeping old courtly traditions alive.

Orientation
Districts of Delhi
Districts of Delhi

Like the rest of the Gangetic Plains, Delhi is as flat as a pancake. The only geographical features of any significance are the river Yamuna, which flows down the eastern side of the city, and the Aravalli Hills, which form a wide but low arc across the west. On the west bank is the crowded and congested Old (Central) Delhi and, to the south, the broad, tree-lined avenues of New Delhi, built by the British to rule their empire. The rest is an endless low-rise sprawl of suburbia and slums, with southern Delhi (nearer to New Delhi) generally somewhat wealthier and the western reaches rather poorer.
[edit] South Delhi

Indeed, on a broad scale Delhi is not difficult to navigate. The Outer Ring Road, and Ring Road, offer simple connections between districts. In South Delhi, most of the major districts lie on either the inner or outer ring roads.

Traveling west on the Ring Road from Nizammudin, the following colonies lie in the following order, Friends Colony, Lajpat Nagar, Defence Colony, South Extention, INA, Safdarjung, Bikhaji Kama Place, RK Puram, Chankyapuri, Dhaula Kuan.

And on the outer Ring Road, traveling west from Okhla, the following colonies lie in the following order,Nehru Place, Kalkaji, GK2, GK1, CR Park, PanchShil Park, Hauz Khas Enclave, Safdarjung Enclave, Munirka, Vasant Vihar.

The only major areas that lie in between the Ring Roads as opposed to adjacent to them are are Anand Niketan, Hauz Khas Village, Green Park. However, these areas are easily accessible from Shanti Path, Aurobindo Marg, and Khel Gaon Marg respectively.

Inside the colonies it is another issue, often akin to mazes, finding your way around the inside of any colony other than Vasant Vihar or Chanakyapuri is not for the faint hearted.


Delhi's climate is, sad to say, infamously bad, combining the scorching aridity of Rajasthan's deserts with the frigid cold of the Himalayas. From April to October, temperatures are scorchingly hot (over 40°C is common), and the monsoon rains deluge the city in July and August. With every air-conditioner running at full blast, the city's creaky infrastructure is often stretched beyond the breaking point, with power and water outages common. In winter, especially December and January, temperatures can dip to near-zero and the city is blanketed in thick fog, causing numerous flight cancellations. The shoulder seasons (Feb-Apr and Sep-Nov) are comparatively pleasant, with temperatures in the 20-30°C range, but short.

Treasures from the DeLorme Store

Some nice maps are found in yard sales for pennies (previous post) but sometimes it's equally nice to browse through a map store and spend some money. A highlight of any trip to Maine is a visit to the DeLorme Map Store in Yarmouth. Not only does it have the world's largest rotating and revolving globe, it also has a great selection of maps and a budget bin full of surprises. I spent $42 and got lots of good stuff including:

















Mount Washington trail map by The Wilderness Map Company. Nice clean lines and use of color. Printed on heavy stock to stand up to a snowy hike.

Afghanistan and Surrounding Territory by Oxford Cartographers. Includes all of Pakistan and Tajikistan. A good map to have with so much of this area in the news regularly.

Unfortunately the back side is blank - what a rip!

Miami Popout Map by Compass Maps. Yes popout maps are gimmicky and only show the touristy places but the cartography's well done and who doesn't like a good popout?


Oregon by Rand McNally. If you have the road atlas, then you have this map but it was in the budget bin and has some goofy tourist blurbs along with the city maps. I couldn't resist that. Who would have guessed that Salem has "governmental and agricultural activity"?


Map of Kennebec River trails (Augusta-Gardiner, Maine) produced for the Friends of the Kennebec River Rail Trail. This is a very attractive map/brochure with contributions from numerous conservation agencies. The detail above shows downtown Augusta.



Santa Monica Mountains - National Geographic's Trails Illustrated series. Printed on waterproof paper!

Santa Monica Pier from same map - Happy 100th birthday!

Pune Tourist Guide

Pune has a glorious history of nearly 1600 years. Pataleshwar caves (Near Jangli Maharaj Road) from the 5th century is an evidence to Pune’s old settlements. Beautiful temple of Shiva called Punyeshwar, which was unfortunately destroyed during Sultan’s attack on city in 13th century. Since Pune is in the state of Maharashtra, most of the residents are Marathas (or Maharashtrians).

• Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum - The museum is housed in a Rajasthani style building situated close to the hustle and bustle of the busy Bajirao Road. It holds a collection of the most fascinating Indian arts and crafts that you would have ever seen. Mastani Mahal which was brought and erected as it was from its original form is a masterpiece amongst it’s other exhibits. It has 36 sections which include carved palace and temple doors, 2,000 year old pottery, traditional Indian lamps and 17th century paintings.

• Tribal Museum - Located off Koregaon Road to the east of Pune City Stn, this unique museum houses interesting artifacts from the Sahyadri and Gondhwa regions of Maharashtra.
  
  
• Mahatma Phule Museum - You can see various industrial products, agricultural and handicraft articles in this museum, which was established in 1890. It is situated on Ghole Road, in Shivaji Nagar.
  
  
• National War Museum - The idea of the National War Memorial was first put forth in 1996. The citizens of Pune, under the sponsorship of the Express Citizens' Forum, set up the War Memorial fund. The committee asked the citizens of the city to contribute to the fund. From the ordinary common citizen to the big corporates, everyone decided to contribute whole-heartedly for the museum. The Foundation was laid in November 1997 and inaugurated in October 1998. The memorial is a 25-foot stone pillar.
  
  
• Shaniwar Wada - This palace was built by the successors of Shivaji, the Peshwas in 1736. A massive fire destroyed the building in 1827. Most of the palace interiors also got destroyed and all that remains is the old fortified wall. But of course the impressive brass studded gates and lotus pools have also withstood the ravages of time. This palace is situated in the heart of the city next to Deccan Gymkhana, Shivajinagar, and Laxmi Road. It has become the symbol of Pune culture. There is an impressive 'Light & Sound Show' in three languages (Marathi, Hindi and English) every evening at the wada. It details the history of the Maratha empire and the significance of the Shaniwar wada in that history.
  
  
• Vishram Bagh Wada - The remains of this palace stand in the heart of the old city. It was built during the 18th century by a descendant of Shivaji the Peshwa. It is well known for its elaborate wooden facade.
  
  
• Saras Baag - A Ganesh Temple stands in the middle of the garden in lake. It was built by Peshwa Bajirao II.
  
  
• Aga Khan Palace - A gracious building having Italian arches, salons, suites and spacious lawns. The place is a historical landmark. During the 1942 Quit India Movement, the British interned Mahatma Gandhi and his wife Kasturba Gandhi here. The palace belonged to Aga Khan, prince and head of Khoja sect who later donated the palace in order to erect a memorial , in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi and his wife Kasturba (who died in this palace). Must see is a photographic exibition of various epochs in the freedom movement. You can see very rare B&W photos as well as paintings. The place is full of tranquility and solace. Also visit samadhi of Kasturba Gandhi which is in the backyard.
  
  
• Parvati Hill temples - Standing atop this hillock you get a vertical glimpse of Pune. A steep flight of 108 narrow steps leads to the hill top temple built by Balaji Baji Rao. ‘Nagarkjana’ drum house is the imposing temple of Parvati and Devdeveshwar. This was once the private shrine of the Peshwas. It is also the final resting place of Nana Saheb Peshwa. The Parvati museum houses portraits of Peshwas, old manuscripts, coins etc.
  
  
• Pune University, [20]. The site of Poona University, stately mansions at Ganeshkhind built in Italian-Gothic style was the official residence of the Governor of Mumbai during the monsoon season. The 300m high tower beckons to all these who come here in the pursuit of higher education. It is one of the oldest universities of India.
  
  
• Fergusson College, [21]. Built in 1885,the College has beautiful tree-lined campus with smooth rolling hills in the background.
  
  
• Katraj - A famous Jain Temple and a Snake Park are located here.
  
  
• Chatushrungi Mata Temple, Senapati Bapat Road.

• Pataleshwar Caves - This 8th century rock cut temple is hidden in the heart of the city, in the midst of modern high rise structures and developments, at Shivajinagar. Reminiscent of Ellora, the temple has been carved out of a single boulder of awe inspiring size which includes massive pillars, a Shiva shrine and a Nandi bull. The temple is used by worshippers even today.
  
  
• Bund Garden - This garden is also known as the Mahatma Gandhi Udyan. It was built by Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy, on the right bank of the Mula-Mutha to provide the poor with water during summer. Main attraction here is the evening boat rides, horse rides etc. The garden is famous for Bhel-Puri and Pani-Puri. It is situated on the Airport road and very close to the Camp area.

• Sinhagad and Khadakwasala - This is a fort nearby which is a beautiful place to see. This is also a historic place in King Shivaji era. Khadakwasala has a dam and this place is famous for natural beauty around. A lot of folks flock here during rainy season.

• Bhimshankar Wildlife Sanctuary: It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1974 and situated at an altitude of 2100 feet to 3800 feet, spread over three districts of Pune, Raigad and Thane. Bhimashankar wildlife’s vegetation comprises of semi-evergreen forests as well as western tropical hill forests. Two major Tributaries of Krishna River named Bhim and Ghod, originate from this area.

Entertainment

Pune is the cultural capital of Maharashtra. The Marathi film industry is also based here.

Cultural Centers

• Alliance Francaise de Pune, 270/D, Patrakar Nagar Rd. [22]
• Goethe Institut, 14/3B, Dhole Patil Rd. [23]
• Pune Music Cultural Centre, 459/1, Sadashiv Peth.
• Fortune Art Gallery, 86/1, Erandwana, Deccan Gymkhana.

Cinema Centers

• Alaka Talkies, Navi Peth
• Alankar Cinema, Pune Railway Station
• Apollo, 549, Rasta Peth. [24]
• Big Cinema, Chinchwad.
• City Pride, Kothrud.
• City Pride, Pune Satara Road.
• Deccan, Deccan Gymkhana.
• E-Square, University Road.
• Fame Adlabs, Akurdi.
• Gold Adlabs, Marigold Complex, Kalyani Nagar. [25]
• Inox, Bund Garden Rd, Camp. [26]
• LaxmiNarayan, Swargate.
• Mangala, Near Pune Municipal Corporation.
• Neelayam Talkies, Sadashiv Peth
• Prabhat, Appa Balwant Chowk.
• Rahul, Shivaji Nagar
• Victory, Camp
• Vijay Cinema, Laxmi Road
• West End, Camp

Tourist Guide Sydney Australia

Sydney is a regional centre and one of the most important cities for finance in the Asia-Pacific. Sydney hosted the first Olympics of the new millennium, and continues to attract and host large international events.

The city is surrounded by nature and national parks, which extend into the suburbs and right to the shores of the harbour.



Sydney is the Harbour City. It is the largest, oldest and most cosmopolitan city in Australia with an enviable reputation as one of the world's most beautiful and liveable cities. Brimming with history, nature, culture, art, fashion, cuisine, design, and set next to miles of ocean coastline and sandy surf beaches.

The city is also home to the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, two of the most iconic structures on the planet.

Bikaner India Travel Guide

BIKANER

We stopped a few times on the way to Bikaner to see interesting villages, and to rest. That's another great thing about traveling with a private car - trains don't stop and wait for you when you'd like to explore a market. At another rest stop I got the best chai (tea) I have ever had in my life, made by an old man with a prehistoric machine that he had to crank.

Finally, we got to Karni Mata Temple, the Rat Temple. It's a beautiful small marble temple, and it's crawling with holy rats that are considered reincarnations of people. There are bowls with milk and food, but rats run and perch everywhere. Not so many that you'd step on them, like in an Indiana Jones movie, but it's still a very creepy experience. There are little black pellets everywhere. You have to take off your shoes to enter.

Tea vendor on the road to Bikaner	Rats drinking from a milk bowl

In Bikaner, there is a wonderful restaurant on the roof of the Harasar Haveli hotel, another tip by Rawat. The pineapple yoghurt here is great. I had the choice of staying at that hotel, and they showed me a big room with a huge bed, but I was put off by the mounted deer heads over the bed and the sitting room. I don't want the company of dead ornamental animals. So I stayed at the Raj Vilas Palace hotel instead, and got a nice spotless room.

Before night, we went out to the Bikaner fort, a gigantic red sandstone and marble palace that looks exactly like a Maharaja's palace is supposed to look like. It's a maze of courtyards, halls, and roofs. Guides are offering their service in crypto - someone talks at you and you assume it's English because he is looking at you, so you start processing and ten seconds later "ice owe jew blazes" suddenly turns into "I show you places" in your mind, and you shake your head.

Then I had some time in the old town, the usual chaos of honking vehicles, markets, and cows that slowly walk through the place as if they owned it. People sell fruits and vegetables off wheeled carts; there are bicycle repair shops with large stacks of tires, spice and nut vendors with racks of wicker baskets, open-air barber shops, clothing stores with their whole inventory pinned to the outside wall, chai stalls, a juice stall with a vicious-looking machine with big gears that turns meter-long sugar beets into juice, and countless others. Ad posters are often using strained English phrases like "live life non-stop" for a space heater. Well, yes, thanks, that's what I was planning to do.

Latticework windows at Bikaner Fort	Weapons display at Bikaner Fort

There are lots of advertisement. Ads in Europe are mostly for lifestyle products that nobody really needs. In India ads are for things that people do need - mostly cement, although mobile phone providers are catching up. Ads for more expensive items like cell phone service tend to be in English. What you definitely won't find here are those nasty US chain stores like McDonald's, 7-Eleven, or Starbucks that pollute big cities in Asia.

The big thing in Bikaner is pictures, usually of animals or traditional Hindu motifs, in needle-fine accuracy. I saw a picture the size of half a postcard, of a tree with over 17,000 individually painted leaves. They can put black dots so finely that the picture gets an airbrushed look. They use only colored stones that they rub on marble, mix with gummi arabicum, and water, and paint with superfine squirrel-hair brushes on paper, silk, or sandalwood. True human ink-jet printers.

Kashmir India Tourist Places

SRINAGAR, KASHMIR

Kashmir is an Indian state at the northern tip of India. It borders on Pakistan, and is a disputed territory that has seen a lot of violence in the 1990s. The Kashmiris are very unhappy about the whole situation and would prefer independence, but neither India nor Pakistan would allow that to happen.

The 2005 Lonely Planet guidebook, in its characteristic candor, describes Srinagar as heavily militarized, with paramilitary troops and sandbag bunkers, and looking like an occupied city. Yes, there are many armed soldiers at the airport and at city intersections, with barbed wire and checkpoints and all that. But I'd seen all that in the Thai Golden Triangle and in Egypt too; only the sandbag bunker was new. Just out of the airport, I heard gunshots but that was just soldiers training.

Srinagar has a beautiful lake, Dal lake, with the snow-capped Himalaya mountain range as a backdrop. At the edge of the lake opposite from the town, a long row of houseboats are awaiting guests. I was staying on the Dandoo palace boat. It's beautiful, all wood-paneled with hand-carved ornate patterns everywhere, carpets, old furniture, and all amenities. Of all the boats I saw from the boat, this one looked like one of the best.

Boats on Dal lake in Srinagar	Houseboat on Dal Lake

I got a very large room with separate dressing room and bathroom with a tub and hot shower, taking about a quarter of the length of the boat. In the evening I was served a delicious dinner, sitting on a high-backed chair at the head of the table, in the antique-appointed dining room. Tea here is delicious, made with cinnamon, kardamom, safran, and honey, and not bitter at all. The expenses at the travel agent were starting to pay off!

Kerala Tour Packages

Duration: 10 Nights / 11 Days

Destinations: Cochin - Periyar

Day 01 : Cochin - Periyar
Morning drive to Periyar (180 kms). Upon arrival check-in at Spice Village Resort Visit the resident "Vaidya"(Ayurveda Doctor) for consultation.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 02 till Day 08 : Ayurvedic Therapy at Spice Village
Seven days Ayurvedic Therapy -the resident doctor after consultation, plans your programme and will also suggest your diet and the therapy commences in right earnest. Please remember that during this period you should not exert yourself and for best result no alcohol, no tobacco and strict vegetarian diet. The therapy involves various herbal massages, steam baths and yoga. If you follow all the directions of the "VAIDYA", we can assure you that you will come out totally relaxed and a great feeling of wellness.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 09 : Periyar
The Rejuvenation Therapy is over, but it is best to relax and allow your body to re-adjust after one week of massage.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 10 : Periyar - Cochin
Your last day at Periyar, perhaps you could do a boat safari in lake Periyar and try to catch a wild elephant.
After lunch drive to Cochin. Check-in at Hotel Casino.

Overnight at hotel.

Day 11 : Depart Cochin Morning
Transfer to the airport for flight back home.

Cochin Tour Packages

4 Nights/5 Days

Cochin-Agatti-Bangaram-Cochin

Day 1 Cochin
Your India beach holiday begins when you arrive in Cochin, the natural port discovered by the Portuguese sailor Vasco De Gama, who stepped on Indian land for the first time in Kerala. Board a flight from Cochin to Agatti Island. Overnight stay at Agatti.

Day 2 Bangaram Island
From Agatti move towards Bangaram Island, which is an archipelago formed by the aggregation of 36 tiny islands. Roam around the scenic beaches and other holiday places. Overnight stay at the beach resort.

Day 3 Bangaram Island
In the morning try out for adventure and water sports like kayaks, catamarans, sailing and scuba diving to satiate your sporting spirit. The rest of the day free for leisure at the beaches and holiday shopping. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 4 Bangaram Islands
Next morning watch the coral reefs, one of the best in the whole world. Also explore the deep hidden aquatic flora and fauna in the seawaters on your beach vacation. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 5 Departure
Early morning leave for Agatti Island. From Agatti board a flight for Cochin. After reaching Cochin, transfer to the airport where the executive from India Holiday Packages will help you to catch a flight for your onward destination.

India Kerala Travel Guide

Kerala having beautiful sea in the west, the Western Ghats towering 500-2700 m in the east and networked by forty four rivers, kerala enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after tourist destination in Asia. An equiable climate. A long shore line with serene beaches. Tranquil stretches of emerald Backwaters. Lush hill stations and exotic wild life, Waterfalls. Sparwling plantations and paddy fields.Ayurvedic health holydays. Enchanting art forms. Magical festivals. Historic and cultural monuments.



Area 38,863 sq km, which is 1.27% of India's total land area and is located at the Southwest tip of the India's main land

Travel Formalities A Visa is a must to enter India. You can contact the Indian Embassy / High Commission in your country for the same. It is best to carry your passport on you all the time. You may also carry a travel insurance

Spoken Languages Malayalam; however English is widely spoken and understood by the fully literate populace of Kerala

Major Cities Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi(Ernakulam district) & Kozhikode (Calicut)

Communications Kerala has a well-knit communications network. With telephone, fax and internet centres in almost every corner. Enabling you to get in touch with any part of the world easily

Health Centres Hospitals and health centres in Kerala offer world-class facilities

Time Kerela is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT , 4 hours and 30 minutes behind Australian Standard Time and 10 hours 30 minutes ahead of American Standard Time

Currency In Kerala, as elsewhere in India, the currency is the Indian Rupee (100 paise). All major credit cards find wide acceptance.

Transport Access

By air :- The International airports at Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram) , Kochi (Cochin) & Calicut (now Kozhikode) facilitate easy access by air. Direct flights operate from Singapore, Colombo, Maldives, Kuwait, Muscat,Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Dehran, Riyadh, Doha and Bahrain.

By rail :- All major tourist destinations and important cities of India are well-connected by rail to Kerala.

Food

Most restaurants, coffee shops, eateries or cafes offer a Cosmopolitan fare for Chinese, Continental, Indian or American. You can find many who specialize in Kerala Delicacies Clothing Ideally light cottons. However the cooler hill stations may warrant woollens.