Driving through Dandakaranya ( Bastar to Araku): The less travelled route

 

We embarked upon our approx. 600 km road journey (Raipur to Vizag) on a crisp Sunday morning after a hearty breakfast of the regional favourite : the Rice Chilla ( rice flour crepe). 

Raju our local guide and ace driver organized by Uniglobe Travels (www.uniglobestar.in) made sure we cruised through the well maintained NHs and SHs.

 

As we moved away from the city, baskets of local wild produce sold by native women lined either side of the roads. Custard apples in season this time around adorned the baskets and we bought our share. Besides, local market at Keshkal introduced us to some handwoven everyday stuff like brooms as well as the Mahua flowers…..more about them later.

 

Our first destination was the famed Chitrakote waterfalls.  Enroute Chitrakote , we halted at Kondagaon to buy tribal artwork from indigenous musical instruments to innovative lampshades of dried bottleguord, we could not have enough of this display.  

 

Bhanpuri led us to the massive horseshoe shaped falls on the rocky plateau by the river Indrawati. The name Chitrakote is derived from herd of deer ( Chitar meaning deer) that once inhabited this region considering the vast forestland in the surrounding area. 

 

Being the widest falls in the country particularly this time of the year, the voluptuousness and the sheer grandeur of these falls is indescribable!

 

 

As opposed to most other falls which occur from the mountain ranges at a height, these occur over the plateau and hence one can lust on the entirety of the falls from the river of origin to the base with their misty exit!

Also the quartzitic sandstone over which the falls occur amplify the sound effects echoing in the entire area comprising of the Baster forestland.

 The setting sun on the calm river across the falls just made the surroundings mesmerising!

 

Having spent a couple of hours soaking in and a quick snack of onion fritters in a shack overlooking the falls as well as seeking blessings from a monolithic cave temple nearby, we made our way to the Bastar Jungle Resort for our night halt. A charming place  with clean and comfortable rooms albeit with elementary facilities, it was located away from the bustling traffic of the nearby town of Jagdalpur at the outskirts of the National Park. Chitter chatter of birds at dawn woke us up and as we strolled in the sprawling campus of misty grass dazzling in the rising sun, our lungs were inflated with pure oxygenated air ( As Raju jockingly mentioned that the air here had more oxygen!). 

Piping hot upma and well set curd further rejuvenated us as we set out with little knowledge of what lied ahead!

 

Raju had a surprise in store for us and must we say, it far exceeded our expectation!

Rajneesh and his wife Urmi were an absolute pleasure to spend the day with. Founders of Aamcho Laadi, a sustainable homestay, Rajneesh Panikar met and married lovely Urmila Nag, a native of the region and set out on a mission to give a superlative experience to their patrons . We were greeted with a traditional tikka and flowers and ushered into their humble dining area. Mainly catering to French tourists, Rajneesh introduced us to Mahua, a local alcohol brewed from the dried flowers of the Mahua tree found in abundance in that region. Mahua cocktails caught the fancy of the French who introduced the World to this drink as a tribute to the Mahua Tree through Mah (www.mahspirit.com). Described as “ Sweet and juicy, they (Mahua flowers) are dried, fermented and distilled to produce a drink so delicious that spirits, animals, birds and humans are said to love it with equal relish.” Having learnt cocktail making from the legendary mixologist Lucas who was put up at Aamcho Laadi during their annual Mahua Workshop, Rajneesh indulged us with this organic mahua cocktail with mint, butterfly pea flower, lemon and sugar. This was followed by simple but wholesome ingredient based lunch cooked by the lovely Urmi herself. The Gordon Ramsay, having tasted Chapda ( famed red ant chutney) during his stay with Rajneesh and Urmila described it as the best chutney in the World ( healthy as well!) and included it in his menu!! ( www.indiatoday.in)  “ Red- ant chutney from Chattisgarh makes it to celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s menu” . Flavourful drink, sumptuous meal later, Rajneesh took us to the Kanger riverside alongside his home which overlooked the densely forested National Park. 

We were lost in the calm broken by soft ripples of the river and melody of birds!

One cannot have enough of such moments ; but alas it was time to bid goodbye to our hosts.

Next morning we set out early for a drive to the Araku Valley with plans to make it in time for a cup pf Araku filter coffee.

The drive was pleasurable cruising through dense forests of Bastar comprising largely of Saal trees interspersed by lush paddy fields considering we were driving into the rice bowl of India. 

We soon drove into Orissa and the landscape slowly but surely changed from Saal in the background to Nilgiri trees.

 

We stopped over for a quick roadside brekkie of rice chila. It’s amazing how the same dish undergoes regional modifications occur in the same dish. While the rice chilla in Chhattisgarh is pan cooked, the one in Orissa was steam puffed and further south in Andhra as we know it gets transformed into the legendary dosa..…These subtle and interesting transitions can be noted on road trips only. Pleasures of driving through our diverse yet unifying regions !!

After a pleasant drive among the most stunningly beautiful countryside with mountains, rivers, terrace farms we reached Araku.

 

There are a lot of coffee plantations in India, but perhaps the most unexplored remains the Araku Valley Coffee Plantation. 

Since coffee was the main focus, we headed straight to the coffee museum which was all about the story of coffee from Ethiopia to Araku. Araku takes pride in growing Arabica coffee. The aroma of Arabica coffee led us to the Barista where we enjoyed our Peaberry coffee  and some confectionary.                     

Invigorated by the coffee and its theory, we headed to  Ananthagiri coffee plantations. It encompasses almost 25 hectares of plantations interspersed by pepper. Meandering the ghats we reached Anathagiri. A reasonably good trek gave us the breathtaking views of red coffee beans on the shrubs with pepper creepers on the tall tree barks.

With our hearts and minds full of heady coffee, we moved on towards Vizag!

 

Mythologically, this region is referred to as Dandakaranya, translated ‘ the forest of punishment’  ….it wasn’t a favoured land then and even today remains largely mysterious for anthropologists and historians. The denseness of the forests, the virgin landscapes, pure air and relatively preserved indigenous culture mark the uniqueness of this region. Also a special mention of the exemplary roads which made our journey so pleasurable!! 

We feel so fortunate to have had an opportunity to explore these lush forestlands. 

Our Bangkok Sojourn (June 2023)

Our Bangkok Sojourn

Bangkok is a city which evokes different reactions from people based on their expectation, experience and aspiration. 

Well this was our second trip to Siam (the older name for Bangkok) and we decided to dedicate our blog to this fab city. 

Unlike our last trip where we spent all the days at the nerve center of the city ( Siam Square) ; this time around we started our trip with a fairly quaint surrounding @ Bangkok Noi or simply put on the banks of the River Chao Praya .

 

This was a quiet little boutique hotel, off the main road at the banks of one of the canals of the river. Sitting by the river, sipping some thai Ice coffee and watching the boats with tourists pass by…that’s what laidback Bangkok feels like!  

The highlight of our stay @CHANN Bangkok Noi was the chef’s special tasting menu at its IMM Restaurant in a private room by the river side.

Soon it was time to explore the sunny tropical side of Thailand and so we head out to Koh Samet, an island located about 20 mins speed boat ride off the coast of Rayong District. The beauty of this island is that it lies within the National park and offers some stunning visuals of unique foliage not to mention the treat to Ornithology enthusiasts. 

Thailand is a very tourist friendly nation; considering our booking and planning was done online and by the concierge at the hotel; it was time to sit back, relax and enjoy the trip. 

Our journey from Bangkok to Koh Samet took about 3 hours and we reached about in the late afternoon.

And there we were in a corner of the island, in a resort with access to its own private beach. 

 

The evening was spent well strolling & eating at the main beach Sai Kaew.

When you are on a beach holiday, you sometimes get carried away to do something funky … or a little more adventurous as some may like to call it. So Kayaking was a thing we thought we could take up. So here we were the two of us, ready with our kayak on our very first Kayak adventure on rather rough sea (or maybe it was just that time of the day where the sea would not allow us to kayak at all). One hour into merely trying to get on the kayak and then we gave up. 

Good sense prevailed and we took a motor bike to go sightseeing all over the island.  A 7 km long island with some of the most stunning visual sites specially at the tip of the island called Tray koh viewpoint ( end of Koh Samet) near the Pha Kra Rang beach. 

 

 

Dinner was by the private beach of the Jep’s restaurant on bean bags with our bare feet caressing the soft and cool sand on a full moonlit sea. As if the setting was not enough, the food served was delish to say the least with the freshest ingredients the island could offer…the Tom Yum Goong had the freshest shrimps and enoki mushrooms, fragrant with lemongrass and kaffir lime and galangal, spicy with tender chilli with the right amount of tanginess. The freshly grilled squids was the perfect accompaniment.

  

 

The next morning was time to swim at the very nice Ao Prao Beach with low lying mountains of dense foliage on either side of the beach providing a mesmerising setting.

This was followed by breakfast at the beachside Kerala Coco restaurant. Post breakfast it was time to head back to the ever so pulsating Bangkok. 

This time around we stayed in downturn Bangkok at Pathun Wan which is largely known for its larger than life shopping areas – Gayson village, Chitlom Centre, Central world, Central Embassy and of course the Siam Paragon, a little down the street.

We are foodies at heart and since the last time we checked out the street food scene at Bangkok, this time around we decided to check out some uber fine dining places alongwith some old gems. Whether it was Kub Kao Kub Pla with the most tender ox tongue stew and crispy fish and morning glory fritters or the clam omlette with quintessential dessert of mango sticky rice at the Inter Restaurant nestled in Siam Square since 1981, we were not disappointed.

Supanniga Eating room overlooking the Chao Praya river offered us some superb appetizers like Ma Hor, Mieng Yong and Khao Tung Nam Prik Pao Kak Moo alongwith some surprising toppings on rice cake for dessert

The fish bowl noodles offered by the Lofters eating area in Chit Lom Central were refreshing. Ros'niyom at Siam Paragon delighted us with the crispest mussel pancakes and crab meat curry with steamed rice. Coconut and Toddy palm pie was the best way to wash it down with at the dessert place by its side. 

Nara by Inka at Central Embassy with its Thai inspired modern menu gave us some out of this world culinary experience of on the house appetizer of diced fresh cucumber with salted egg with the right measure of stimulation on the taste buds accompanied with green apple mocktail.   

A trip to Bangkok cannot be completed without the customery Thai Massage , and we booked ourselves at the highly recommended The Health Land at Asoke area for a rejuvenating end to our trip. 

Massage done it was time to leave for the Suvarnabhumi ( golden land) airport , and what a befitting name for the land which has abundance of all of mankind needs – sunshine ,food and  warm people .

Bangkok conjures up different images for different people …. One that was largely portrayed in the movie Hangover and the other which we explored from arty Bangkok art and cultural centre (BACC) to Open house @Embassy mall and to its culinary delights .  

So until next time, Khob Kun and Sa wat dii BBangkok!!

 

French Gastronomy and the Riviera (September 2018)

Making an itinery for a French holiday can be a bit overwhelming with so many things France has to offer…..fashion, art, food.....and the French do it in style! 

We zeroed down on Lyon and the Cote d’ Azur.

Lyon has earned its title as the gastronomic capital not without reason. We made the College hotel ( conceptualised to resemble a hostel, it is luxurious with all amenities complete with a foosball table unlike a typical hostel as one would picturise) our base. Walking along the narrow alleys of Lyon, numerous restaurants make their presence several of them Michelin starred. We had a reservation at the Au 14 Fevrier ( translated ‘ on 14 February’). A nine course meal serving Modern ( Japanese twist) French cuisine with chef Tsuyoshi Arai paying attention to every detail ensured we began our culinary journey in Lyon on the right note.

 Next we set out to explore the Wine growing Northern Rhone region. Acres and acres of vineyards ready for harvest on a crisp day with knowledgeable guide Vincent Pontiet made it perfect. We visited the processing factory, tasted some elegant Viognier for the whites & Syrah for the reds differentiating the full bodied from the mellow! 

The bylanes of Lyon are reminiscent of a quintessential European chic neighbourhood lined by restaurants much like the streets of Trastevere in Rome. Gastronomy apart, Lyon offers a fine blend of the old world charm and modern architecture developed alongside the rivers Rhone and Saone. Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere is perched on the hilly district of Fourviere which also has the metallic tower of Fourviere, its dazzling lights offer a visual treat in the evening as one strolls along the several pedestrian bridges on the river Saone.

 Other landmarks include the Bartholdi Fountain (Bartholdi famous for building the Statue of Liberty).

An ode to Lyon is incomplete without the mention of the traditional family run Lyonese Bouchons. We were recommended the Le Bouchon des Filles in a quaint cobbled stoned street and the ambience and the food was just outstanding.

Bidding adieu to Lyon we headed down south to the Southeastern Mediterranean coastline, the famed French Riviera with Nice as our base. A leisurely walk along the Promenade de Anglais (a beautiful collage of the nicoise history tells us all about it) is a must….casinos, restaurants, art galleries, people pursuing their fitness goals on one side and the lazy , serene sea on the other inviting everyone to experience its vast pebbled beaches!!

Next day we headed to Antibes. On a sunny day, a short train journey lead us to the place where Picasso spent a few precious days of his life and carved and painted some of his masterpieces.

Numerous other art galleries line the harbour making it more picturesque.

Having treated ourselves to some art exhibits, we gobbled down some fresh seafood lining a charming alley watching at leisure the day pass by!!

We then headed to Cannes. While Antibes has maintained its character of a fishing village, Cannes is a’ la mode. The famous red carpet stairs of Palais des Festivals et des Congres lured us for a photo op to feel glorified in our momentary stardom. High street fashion boutiques line the Cannes city centre. 

Having walked till we dropped, we called it a day.

Next morning Alice and her boat were waiting to indulge us in the Mediterranean sea.

Again a crisp morning, charming Alice took us on a dolphin safari. As we went deeper leaving the Nice coastline behind us, the ripples and the heady fragrance of sea water completely consumed us. Wine, sweets, olives and savouries added to the luxurious feel. As we ventured deeper, the dolphins kept us company with their excitement matching ours!!

Evening comprised of a meal at the place Massena savouring the famed escargots.

Next day we visited Villefranche-sur-mer. Initial dampening of our spirits due to the unusual public transport strike meant we could not see the beautiful Eze village. However, we chanced upon a virgin beach, allowing us moments of quiet, soaking our feet with seagulls keeping us company. A dip into the Mediterranean is something one must never miss. A quick lunch of anchovies with caramelised onions pizza, we romanced the riveira in the beautiful evening. Evening meal was Nicoise street specialty…. socca, salad and some wine sitting on the benches of the Lou Pilha Leva watching the city life pass by. As the shops closed their shutters for the day, we closed our eyes revelling the French experience having touched all our senses in the right measure.

Au revoir and merci France for such delightful memories!!!

Our Arctic Experience in the Finnish Lapland March 2018

To check the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) off our bucketlist, we headed to the Finnish Lapland via the Villa Escape. For us, the whole experience in the Arctic region was as unhackneyed as the Revontulet itself!
Our focal destination was Rovaniemi  at the Napapiiri Arctic Circle, latitude 660 33’  07”.
Preceding Rovaniemi, we spent time at the stylish Finnish Capital, Helsinki or “rocking HEL” as they call it followed by a day at the Estonian capital- Tallinn.
The Nordic lifestyle is discernably simple with disciplined respect for nature. Their high standard of living with systems in place make a holiday even in harsh weather conditions, pleasurable.
At Helsinki, we stayed at the Scandic Grand Marina, a refurbished warehouse by the harbourside.

After a hearty breakfast complete with Nordic specialities like pickled herring and pirukad ( baked stuffed patty ), we head out for a long walk along the harbour. Well the harbour was actually all ice! The Baltic sea was frozen. Amidst this frozen bed, there was a patch of fenced area exuding steam which we realised was one among the several public saunas in Finland! It was a favourite Finnish activity in winters: Sauna followed by an ice pool dip which then came on our wishlist!

From the harbour, we went along the Esplanade Park and then to the medieval part of the city marked by buildings with architectural influence of Russian and Swedish invasions from the early 19th century.

Along the walk, there were a number of small design stores which make up the Design District of Helsinki. One can get lucky to chat with the designers themselves some of who draw their inspiration from the vibrant colours of our India!!

And then we chanced upon the Old Market Hall, the Vanha Kauppahalli. 

It is marked by stalls selling stuff exquisitely Finnish- from smoked Salmon, marinated Baltic dwarf herring ( Raeim), sardines to dried berries, berry powders, jerky ( snack of sliced cured,dried meat) and fresh veggies.

One can buy eatables and enjoy a meal specially of  warm salmon soup overlooking the frozen harbour.

The next day we travelled to Tallinn,the capital of Estonia; infact the elder sister of Helsinki which shares a similar past. It is a 2 hour ferry ride away. We booked the Vikingline which was  pretty luxurious with multiple avenues to eat, shop, play games, enjoy music and a deck to just soak in the breeze.

This cruise was like an ice breaking expedition from Helsinki to Tallinn.  

Our day trip to Tallinn entailed walking around the narrow cobbled alleys of the Old Town with a meal in one of the several restaurants serving Estonian cuisines in the Town Hall Square.  

Estonian cuisine essentially comprises of peasant like meals- unpretentious but wholesome and delicious with oven roasted potatoes, blood sausages ( Verivorst) sauerkraut etc.

We then head to our focal destination: Rovaniemi by an overnight ( 11 hour) comfortable train journey through the VR services.

Rovaniemi happens to be within the Arctic Circle which harbours geomagnetic activity forming the Aurora Borealis. 

Additionally, Rovaniemi has a jaunty neighbourhood, the Santa Claus village which houses our beloved Santa!  An oppurtunity to shake hands with him makes even -8 degree celsius feel warm! We also posted Santa greetings to our loved ones and soaked in Fairytale like visuals of Santa’s village including a leisure reindeer ride which completed the fairytale of podgy Santa on a Reindeer sleigh! Ho Ho Ho. 

Rovaniemi has fancy accomodation options like the igloo properties we stayed at: the Arctic Snow Hotel Glass Igloo and Hotel Santa’s Glass Igloo with not just breathtaking views but also modern, contemporary interiors and amenities including a private sauna!

The Finns sure know how to make the most of the Winter with unique  snow activities. The frozen riverbed of Kemijoki is an ideal setting for snowmobiling which makes for quite an exhilarating experience.

As speedy as the snowmobile, but probably a more traditional method of transportation, meandering through the wilderness of pine trees, husky ride is as exhilarating with the ‘ always on the go’ Alaskan huskies!

Our wishlist was completed by doing the activity to ‘ sweat it out’ the Finnish way! A group activity of taking sauna in several public saunas is considered a de stresser followed by an ice pool dip to get the ultimate high. Reluctant first timers like us initially took hesitant steps ultimately refusing to give up on the activity at the Salmilampi lake near Karhunpesa ( Bears Den).

‘Revontulet’ which in Finnish literally means ‘ Fox fires’. Most of us know the science behind the Northern Lights formation: the geomagnetic activity seen around the magnetic poles of the Earth created by charged particles from the Sun, the KP index etc. but what intrigued us more was the forklore surrounding the Revontulet. Finnish forefathers believed that these lights were caused by the fox who ran so quickly through the snow  that its tail sent flying sparks in the sky causing the lights.

To enjoy the ultimate experience , we went to 3 sites Sierijarvi, Poropirtti and Norvajarvi ( jarvi: frozen lake).  

The colder and clearer ( cloudless) the night, the higher the chance of visualising this celestial beauty of dancing lights we were told. The photos do no justice to the experience of a bunch of enthusiastic travellers gazing the sky on a starry  night amidst a frozen lake at -20 degree celsius!

Ample of patience to brace the fierce temperature paid off and we were blessed 

with this celestial beauty not once but on 2 consecutive nights. 

(PC: Alithea)

(PC: Mamta)

The breathtakingly beautiful scenes of the Finnish Lapland, friendly people, excellent arrangements by our tour operator ‘ The Villa Escape’ executed to perfection by Alithea and a wonderful bunch of co travellers etched this week in our memory forever!