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Do check out the Rediff Travel features on Onam,
The King who came back
Homecoming for King Mahabali

• How to get to Trivandrum: Indian Airlines, Air-India, Jet Airways fly into Trivandrum daily from Madras, Bombay, New Delhi and Bangalore. To check flight timetable and availability try this link:

  Airline timetable and availability

  Approximate one way fares (return is double):

  New Delhi-Trivandrum: Rs 10,745.
  Bombay-Trivandrum: Rs 5,770.
  Bangalore-Trivandrum: Rs 3,350.
  Madras-Trivandrum: Rs 3,500.
  US dollar fares are 30 per cent higher. Business fares are 32 per cent higher. Air-India fares are about 20 per cent lower. Air-India night fares are 30 per cent lower.

  By train from Trivandrum: Bombay is 45 hours away, Madras 18 hours, Bangalore 20 hours, Mangalore 16 hours, Delhi 53 hours and Calcutta 49 hours. There are daily trains departing for Madras, Bombay, New Delhi, Mangalore and Bangalore. Kanniyakumari Express is your best bet from Bombay and the Trivandrum-Madras Mail from Madras. The Nizamuddin-Trivandrum express and the New Delhi-Trivandrum Kerala express connects Delhi to Trivandrum and the Kanniyakumari-Bangalore connects Bangalore to Trivandrum.
  

  Accommodation:

  • The KTDC Mascot Hotel, Palayam, phone: 0471-438990. Fax: 437745: The hotel offers air conditioned double rooms priced between Rs 795 and Rs 1,095.

  • Hotel Residency Tower, Press road, phone: 0471-331661: The hotel is located one km away from the railway station. Double rooms are priced between Rs 350-Rs 890.

  • Hotel Highland, Manjalikulam road, phone: 0471-333200: Double rooms are priced between Rs 180 to Rs 400.

  • Chaithram Hotel, Central Station road, phone: 0471-330977: A KTDC hotel, rooms are priced between Rs 350 to Rs 700 per night.

• How to get to Cochin: Indian Airlines flies into Cochin daily from Bombay, New Delhi and Bangalore. Indian Airlines also has regular flights from Madras, Hyderabad, Goa, Coimbatore and Trivandrum.
  Jet Airways flies into Cochin daily from Bombay and Madras.

  To check flight timetable and availability try this link:

  Airline timetable and availability

  Approximate one way fares (return is double):

  New Delhi-Cochin: Rs 10,025.
  Bombay-Cochin: Rs 5,025.
  Bangalore-Cochin: Rs 2,320.
  Madras-Cochin: Rs 3,430.
  US dollar fares are 30 per cent higher. Business fares are 32 per cent higher. Air-India fares are about 20 per cent lower. Air-India night fares are 30 per cent lower.

  Regular trains connect Ernakulam Junction to New Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Bangalore, Trivandrum and Mangalore. The Bangalore-Quilon Express connects Bangalore to Ernakulam. The Chennai-Alleppey Express connects Madras to Ernakulam and Alleppey. The Netravati Express, the Mumbai-Trivandrum Express and the Mumbai-Kanyakumari Express connects Bombay to Ernakulam. The Nizamuddin-Trivandrum Express and the New Delhi-Trivandrum Kerala Express connnects New Delhi to Ernakulam.

  Accommodation:

  • Taj Malabar, Willingdon Island , Cochin, phone: 0484-666811.
    Bombay: 022-2022626.
    New Delhi: 011-3322333
    Calcutta: 033-2332929
    Madras: 044-8222827
    Bangalore: 080-2255055 The Taj Malabar offers two nights and three days packages up to September 30. The MAP package is priced at Rs 7,750 per couple for a double room. Children between five and 12 years not requiring an extra bed will be charged is Rs 1,100. An extra adult will be charged Rs 1,800 for the package.

    The AP package is priced at Rs 9,200 per couple for a double room. Children between five and 12 years not requiring an extra bed will be charged is Rs 1,400. An extra adult will be charged Rs 2,450 for the package.

    The package includes a welcome drink on arrival, meals worth Rs 425 per day per couple on MAP, 10 per cent discounts on laundry, 15 per cent discounts on food and beverage, two bottles of mineral water per day, a surprise gift and taxes.

    Foreign passport holders will be charged US $ 275 for the same package for a standard room on twin sharing basis.

  • Casino hotel, Willingdon Island, Cochin. Phone: 0484-668221, 668421, 668222 or fax: 0484-668001.A two night, three day package for Casino hotel is priced at Rs 7,464 per day, per couple for a standard room on twin sharing basis. This includes meals and taxes. The hotel may offer discounts to those booking directly.

    The hotel may offer discounts to those booking directly.

    Foreign passport holders will be charged US $ 50 for a standard cottage and US $ 100 for a pool villa plus 15 per cent taxes, for the room only.

  • Quality Inn Presidency, Ernakulum, Parmara road, Cochin. Phones: 0484-394300, 394040. Fax: 0484-393222. Email: Quality Inn Presidency: A four star hotel belonging to the international Quality Inn chain, offers air conditioned standard double rooms for Rs 2,200, per night. The hotel is equipped with a multi-cuisine restaurants, a swimming pool, conference rooms and a 24 hour room service.

  • Bolghatty Palace Hotel, Bolghatty Island, tel # 0484-355003: The hotel -- which was once a palace -- is run by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. Set on the Bolghatty Island and surrounded by acres of gardens the place has an interesting colonial aura to it. Bolghatty is an interesting and extremely reasonable place to stay. Rooms run to anywhere from Rs 475 to 950 a night. The harbour-view cottages have a slightly higher tariff. It is advisable to check out your room before taking it; some don't have windows though the vistas are superb! Ferries link the island with Fort Cochin.

• How to get to Alleppey: Alleppey and Kottayam are accessible by road, boat or train from Cochin the nearest airport. Alleppey is one and a half hours away by road and one hour and 20 minutes away by train. Kottayam is two hours away by road and one hour away by train.

  Accommodation:

  • Kayaloram Lake Resort, Punmamadam, Vembanad Lake, near Alleppey. Phones: 0477-242040, 260573. Kayaloram Lake Resort, Punmamadam offers simple Kerala cottages in a quiet environs with pool. The package is priced at Rs 5,280 per couple for two nights and three days. This includes one night accommodation in the resort and one night in a houseboat, meals and taxes.

    Children below five will not be charged. children between five and 14 will be charged Rs 400 per day. An extra person wil be charged Rs 600 per day.

    The above package is valid till September 30.

  • Keraleeyam Heritage Home and Ayurvedic Resort, Nehru Trophy road, Thathampally, Alappuzha. Phone: 0477-241458, 253950. Fax: 0477: 251068. Keraleeyam offers a package till September 30. Keraleeyam is an atmospheric ayurvedic resort bang on the main snake boat racing canal, a major backwater artery, a few kilometres from Alleppey.

    The package is priced at US$ 253 per person for three nights and four days. This includes accommodation, meals, sightseeing, boat cruise, canoeing, visit to the coir factory, ayurvedic rejuvenation massage and taxes.

    The room tarrifs are:

    • Rs 1,080 per couple, per night in a standard air conditioned double room.
    • Rs 1,350 for three people, per night, in a standard air conditioned triple room.
    • Rs 1,305 per couple, per night, in an air conditioned cottage.
    • Rs 270 per night, for an extra bed for a third adult or child.

  • Alleppey Prince, AS Road, Alleppey, tel # 0477-243752, fax 0477-243758: The location has nothing to recommend for itself. But the hotel is comfy and posh by Alleppey standards but not exactly luxurious. Double rooms are priced between Rs 550 to Rs 650 per night. The air conditioned rooms are furnished in typical simple Kerala style of wood and coir. There's a pool. Restaurant serving varied cuisine. The hotel from time to time stages Kathakali performance which makes for a good treat. Medium Expensive.

  • Marari Beach Resort, Mararikulam, outside Alleppey. Phone: 0484-668221. Fax: 0484-668001. Email: Casino hotel: This newish Casino chain resort is not exactly a backwaters hotel. In fact it is located on a fabulous white beach near the fishing hamlet of Mararikulam about 10 km from Alleppey. But the hotel, with its thatched roof cottages, lotus ponds and charming pool is a lovely place to stay. Facilities: tennis, water sports, ayurvedic centre. You can base yourself here and chart trips to backwater spots. The resort has its own restaurant that serves very average food.

  • Kayaloram Lake Resort, Punmamadam, Vembanad Lake, near Alleppey. Phone: 0477-242040, 260573. Email: Kayaloram Lake Resort: Simple Kerala cottages in a quiet environs with pool. Comfortable lodging for abour Rs 2,500 per night.

  • Keraleeyam, Nehru Trophy road, Thathampally, near Finishing Point. Phone: 0477-241468: Accommodation in a theravad. Keraleeyam is an atmospheric ayurvedic resort bang on the the main snake boat racing canal, a major backwater artery, a few kilometres from Alleppey. Comfortable lodging for about Rs 1,300 per night.

To read more about the backwaters in Kerala,
click here.

ATDC, Komala road, Alleppey. Phone: 0477-243462.
Tourist Information office, Park View, opposite Museum, Trivandrum. Phone: 0471-321132.
Delhi: Kerala Information Centre, Kanishka Shopping Plaza. Phone: 011-3323055, 3316541.
Madras: Kerala Tourist Office, 28, Commander-in-Chief road. Phone: 044-8279862.
Bombay: Kerala Tourism, Kairali, Nirmal, Nariman Point. Phone: 022-2026817.

Mask dance, horse polo...

Jammu and Kashmir Tourism hosts The Ladakh Festival in Leh from September 1 to 15. This fortnight long festival will begin with a spectacular procession from the bazaar to the Polo ground with men and women dressed in traditional attire singing songs and performing various types of dances to the tunes of traditional music.

Other attractions:

• Mask dance drama by lamas of the monasteries.
• Archery competitions
• Horse polo
• Live music
• River rafting
• Folk dancing and concerts
• Dramas
• Music competitions
• Handicraft and agro products fair
• Food bazaar

Click here for the schedule.

How to get to Leh: Indian Airlines flies into Leh regularly from New Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu and Srinagar. To check flight timetable and availability try this link:

Airline timetable and availability

Approximate one way fares (return is double):

Chandigarh-Leh: Rs 2,065
New Delhi-Leh: Rs 3,140
Jammu-Leh: Rs 1,835
Srinagar-Leh: Rs 1,590

Regular buses are available from Manali, 530 kms, Srinagar, 434 kms and Kargil, 230 kms.
Taxis can also be hired from Manali.

Accommodation:

• Hotel Shambha-La, Leh. Phone: 01982-52607: Hotel Shamba-La offers its tariffs till September 30. The tariff for a single room is Rs 1,980 plus taxes per night. The tariff for a double room is Rs 2,380 plus taxes per night. An extra person will be charged Rs 750 per night. The above rates include meals.

• Hotel Panorama, Leh. Phone: 01982-52660. Fax: 01982-52735: Hotel Panorama offers its tariff for the year. The tariff for a single room is Rs 1,600 per night. The tariff for a double room is Rs 2,100 per couple per night.

• Hotel Mandala, Fort road, Leh. Phone: 01982-52943: Hotel Mandala offers its tariff till September 30. The tariff for a single room is Rs 1,870 per night. The tariff for a double room is Rs 2,120 per couple per night.

• Hotel Bijoo, Leh. Phone: 01982-52131: Hotel Bijoo offers its tariffs for till September 30: The tariff for a single room is Rs 300 per night. The tariff for a double room is Rs 500 per couple per night.

• Hotel Omasila, Changspa. Phones: 01982-52119: Hotel Omasila offers its rates for the summer. The tariff for a standard double room with breakfast is Rs 1,700 per couple per night. The tariff for a standard double room with meals is Rs 2,000 per couple per night. Children below 12 will not be charged. An extra adult will be charged Rs 600 per night.

• Hotel Khangri, Nehru Park. Phones: 01982-52762.
  New Delhi: 011-6461271: Hotel Khangri offers its rates valid till September 30. The tariff for a single room is Rs 1,138 per night. The tariff for a double room is Rs 1,390 per couple per night.

• Hotel Kangla Chen, Leh. Phone: 01982-52144: Hotel Kangla Chen offers its tariff till September 30. The tariff for a single room is Rs 1,900 per night. The tariff for a double room is Rs 2,200 per couple per night.

To read more about Ladakh do check out Rediff Travel's,
Over the Rohtang Pass
Postcards from the Edge