Category: Asia

Georgia : Tbilisi

We had put this off a while back because we had heard horror stories of people being sent back despite having an evisa. After that fear passed, we were saving this for a time when we didn’t want to go all the way to Europe, but still wanted the feel of it. The border of Asia and Europe seemed perfect, and we clubbed it with Armenia for a 10 day trip. Where we stayed, what we did, where and what we ate, all below.

Fun fact to start: Georgians call their country Sakartvelo, and there are many stories on why it’s called Georgia now.

Stay

We had split our Georgia stay into three – Tbilisi, Kakheti and then Tbilisi again. In Round 1, we stayed at Tiflis Palace in Old Town. It reminded me of what the Metropol Hotel in A Gentleman in Moscow might have been. We did see an actual Metropol in Yerevan, Armenia! The rooms were old but comfortable, but…

… the killer feature was the view. D had asked for a room with a view, and they gave us one that had a 180+ view that was just fantastic. Narikala Fort (which was closed for renovations) and the Metekhi Church were all visible. Just sitting there was therapeutic.

We felt the same way the morning after too. Now if only the managerial staff would learn a bit from the housekeeping folk and improve their service levels, this would be an ideal hotel.

In Round 2, we stayed at the Mercure Old Town, which was just 200m from Tiflis Palace. It didn’t have the Tiflis view or the room size, but our agenda was mostly day trips and this room was just the right size. Also, excellent service, and a superb breakfast.

See/Do

We visited Meidan Bazar the evening we arrived, because it was anyway close to Tiflis. Your souvenir needs, including wine and food, will most likely be solved here. Having said that, do spend some time outside, specifically the shops in the streets close to this. Especially if would like some good magnets. 😀

Old Tbilisi Balconies are a thing, and you will see them a lot in the Old Town area. We even caught some in Telavi.

Queen Darejan’s Palace is a larger structure, but this was a pretty part of it

For our first full day, we had booked a guided walking tour. I’d recommend this if you don’t mind walking four hours because it gives you a good idea of Old Tbilisi, and covers a bunch of interesting places. The Metekhi Virgin Mary Assumption Church was the first stop. In the same compound is the statue of Vakhtang I Gorgasali, who laid the foundation of Tbilisi as the new capital. Interesting stories on how he decided on the place, and why he named it so. Our guide called him the High Five king thanks to his upraised hand. 😀

We were also taken on a cable car to get a fantastic view and an up close encounter with the Mother of Georgia monument. A set of interesting stories about her too.

The Bridge of Peace is a popular tourist spot, but the locals aren’t fans. In fact, its design has been heavily criticised and has a nickname “Always Ultra” for its supposed resemblance to a ladies’ maxi-pad. 😀

The Clock Tower in Tbilisi is fun. It is next to the marionette theatre, and every hour an angel comes out to ring the bell with a small hammer. There is also a small mechanical puppet theatre inside the tower and you can see the show at noon and at 7pm. We unfortunately couldn’t find time for the shows.

The tamada is a Georgian toastmaster at feasts and is supposed to connect the past, present and future. We saw at least a couple in Tbilisi and one in Sighnaghi too.

The Sulphur baths and the Juma mosque are in Abanotubani, right next to Tiflis. The smell will lead you there. And yes, you have spas here, though we weren’t too keen.

After the tour, a few drinks at a winery as part of the tour, we had lunch and then walked to Liberty Square. This is also the area where you’ll find the mall. But though we did visit that, our destination was the metro.

One of the reasons I was excited about Georgia is because it was a part of the USSR and there are tons of artefacts around. Buildings are obviously one, but the metro is what I was looking forward to. It was the fourth metro system in the former Soviet Union, and started operations in January, 1966. After the steepest escalator ride I have been on, we caught the metro from Liberty Square to Rustaveli.

We dropped by at Gabashvili House (Blue House), but could only manage a side shot of its Old Balcony.

The final destination on the first day was the Funicular ride to Mtatsminda. There is an amusement park there but we were only interested in the view. It was definitely the most expansive, but we preferred our Tiflis view.

The area around Meidan Bazar is quite buzzy late in the evening. There are, as is now usual, many Indian folks trying to get you to an Indian restaurant. We overheard one woman specifically asking for khichdi for the kid and the restaurant guy saying ‘sab kuch milega‘. Oh well.

When we got back from our Sighnaghi trip, it was the weekend when Tbilisi was celebrating its birthday. That meant that there were food stalls, music and trinkets all around. It’s a great time to walk around, because vehicles are not allowed on many roads, though it does get crowded. It was amazing how well and fast they were able to clean the place following the weekend festivities.

After walking around the stalls a bit, we decided to take a long walk before dinner. Away from the crowds, around the Gomi Street area. There are a couple of view points here but we were too lazy to climb the stairs. The roads were steep enough!

The Namaste Hotel was super cute!

See 360, where we had planned dinner.

This was around Gudiashvili Square, and probably the time we enjoyed most. There is a park and we could hear the live music. We sat down for a bit, moved on to check a couple of craft beer places for the next few days (they were tiny and we skipped) and then came back to spend more time at the park. There were kids having a picnic, dogs who didn’t bother us, a pleasant breeze and in general, a long sigh atmosphere.

Chronicles of Georgia is away from the city, and after a fun exchange with the driver who promised he would arrive despite the various traffic snarls, we got to see a fabulous structure that literally chronicles the story of Georgia. And what a view of the city.

Eat

As part of our walking tour, we also visited a traditional bakery. In addition to a cheese pie and another with vanilla inside, we also tried the Lemonade Natakhtari, and D had a tarragon version of it. Loved everything!

Our first dinner was at Khinkali Pub and is the one we enjoyed most. In addition to the Khinkali, we tried the Adjaruli Khachapuri (there are other types too) and in both cases, there are specific ways to eat them. D had already researched the first and a restaurant staff taught us the second. D started out on wine, while I tried the residue – Chacha. It’s not arrack though it is really strong. It’s a clear version of brandy made from the leftover grape residue after winemaking. This is easily the best place for your first meal – great vibe, friendly staff, and excellent food.

Restaurant Pasanauri is on the main road, and we went there after our half day walking tour because we were too tired to seek out other places. I tried the oak Chacha (closer to the brandy colour and aged in oak casks) while D continued the wine journey. We also tried the Chicken Shkmeruli – chicken fried and then slowly simmered in a rich garlic and milk sauce. Not our favourite. Pasanauri has a few grumpy people who also happen to be quite racist.

Our tour guide suggested 2 Tona when I mentioned an interest in craft beer, and that was a hit. Their Skybread (Hefeweizen) and Gustav (Munich Helles) were both smooth and splendid and though we didn’t care much for the pork barbecue and the beef stew chashushuli, the beer more than made up for it.

Fresh fruits. A great thing to munch when you’re walking around.

Next to the Khinkali Pub is Restaurant Hide. They almost share a menu. The vibe is different, but the service staff were friendly here too. We finally had Kompot – a good break from alcohol. We tried the Kharcho soup and an Ojakhuri (literally ‘family meal’) and enjoyed both.

See 360 was one of the costlier places we dined at. We hadn’t reserved so couldn’t get a table on the terrace. Indoors wasn’t too bad though. I tried the Karva beer, and it wasn’t the best I’ve had. The pork barbecue was just fine, and we really didn’t like the Chakapuli (a stew of sorts). The dessert though was quite interesting, it’s their special.

After we got back from the Chronicles of Georgia, we really were too tired to walk around. Shemomechama was nearby, and we had the place all to ourselves. The staff, as per the internet, were supposed to be friendly, but they were just cordial. We had the Badri-Jani (aubergine with a walnut paste), which even my carnivorous taste buds liked and the Chebu (seemed like huge fried momos). The cognac was smooth.

Our last meal in Georgia was at Tiflis Veranda. The meal wasn’t Georgian, but tasty enough.

That was a bonus because what we went for was the view. 🙂

I really liked Tbilisi. It had interesting places and things to see from a cultural perspective, unique food, great wine and cognac, and a lot of friendly folks.

Next up: Georgia outside Tbilisi

October 27, 2024
Kashmir: Gulmarg, Pahalgam

Continued from Kashmir: Srinagar, Sonamarg

Gulmarg

Stay

The stay was at Heevan Retreat, which was walking distance from the gondola. There are places closer to town, but since the gondola was our only plan here, we chose this. The rooms were comfortable though I felt a bit sad for the staff who had to lug the suitcase across a maze of staircases! Their restaurant food and service is quite good.

See/Do

In the evening we set off for a little walk, primarily to scout the location for the next day’s adventure – the Gulmarg Gondola. That’s the building where it all begins.

As with Sonamarg, there will be a bunch of people selling rides to the multiple things-to-see, so you won’t have any difficulty in case that interests you. But if you walk away from all of that, there are some peaceful corners.

The Gondola ride is quite an event. The tickets need to be booked online (though I think agents might do that for you as well) and you’ve to keep track of when it will open for your specific dates. Start watching at least two months before your dates. Since you’re going there you might as well see both Phase 1 and Phase 2. Separate tickets, so buy both. Don’t worry about the timings much, if you have a ticket for each, that doesn’t really matter. We had 1.30-3.30 for Phase 1 and Phase 2 from 9AM – 1PM.

The internet warned us to be there at least by 8.30 if we wanted to use the 9AM slot so that’s when we got there. As with most things India, we stood in the queue for 1.5 hrs (opening time was delayed by an hour). While you’re in the queue, different sellers will tell you that your jacket/gloves/socks aren’t enough. We had three layers – thermal, tee, and jacket. And in terms of bottom wear, I found a jeans to be sufficient. We carried gloves but didn’t feel the need to use them. Gum boots, which you will need to rent from outside the gate before standing in the queue, are only necessary if you plan to wade into the snow. Our all-terrain Columbia shoes were just fine for our needs.

When the doors opened, touts tried to get their clients in and there was the usual noise. Once you pass the door, the queue snakes until you reach the checking counter. Pro tip: if you want to use the loo, do that soon as you get in, be warned that when you try to get back into the line, there will be protests. Ignore.

The ride to Phase 1 is about 10-15 minutes assuming the power doesn’t go off. More on that in a bit. The view is picturesque. The glasses are scratched af, so maybe just enjoy the view.

At Phase 1, you can either stay or continue to Phase 2 – another queue. There is a loo here too, and a restaurant as well. As you can see, this is crowded, and you have different experiences to choose from if you’re so inclined. We went straight for the Phase 2 queue, which moves slower because the number of gondolas are lesser. As we stood in the line, the gondolas stopped for about 5 mins before they switched on the power backup.

The ride to Phase 2 is steeper, slightly longer, and far prettier. It is at a higher altitude, which means lesser oxygen. If you have some related ailment, including cardiovascular, plan around 30 mins here. It is less crowded, but touts still abound. The view is easily better than Phase 1.

Yes, there’s pizza. ‘Highest’, I am not sure.

Our ride back was adventurous. We were stuck mid-air between Phase 2 and Phase 1 for about 30 minutes. Our company was two pairs of Punjabi uncles and aunties, who kept up a constant commentary on Indian tourism (vs Canada). One of them also proceeded to call up someone in the tourism ministry. Ironically, thanks to the sun beating down directly and the ventilation being poor, it got hot inside the gondola. Thanks to the ordeal, we skipped Phase 1 and took the ride back to terra firma. Our gondola from Phase 1 stopped midway too, but only for 5 minutes. In later conversations, it turned out this was a regular occurrence.

After a quick lunch, we got out and on the way down to Gulmarg, stopped at the Habba Khatoon viewpoint.

Pahalgam

We stayed at The Chinar for a couple of nights. This is reasonably away from everything, which is what we wanted. But there are other options nearer to town, as well as resorts within walking distance from each other. The restaurant buffet was not bad at all, so we didn’t really miss anything.

The panorama pic doesn’t do the view justice. But it was fantastic and we spend hours just looking at it from the balcony.

The hotel grounds were pretty too, and D did her morning walk ritual to capture some beautiful shots.

See/Do

Baisaran Valley is on the list of must-do. Thing is, you can only do this by pony. And depending on the spots you want to see, the rates can go from Rs. 1800-4500 per person. The ride one way is close to an hour. The ponies love to walk near the edge to troll you! And if the snow has melted, be ready for mud baths courtesy the pony in front of you!

And this is what you get to see. One of the many mini-Switzerlands in this part of the world.

The other regular itinerary here is called ABC – Aru, Betaab, and Chandanwari. We chose to see only the second, thanks to D’s Sunny Deol fandom. 😉 This is just 30 minutes from town, and a great place to simply walk around and enjoy the vista.

Around Pahalgam is also the best place to get your lil DDLJ moment. 🙂

Our trip back was also adventurous. Though we were well in time for the flight, thanks to everyone scaring us to expect at least 3 hours for security checks (we got lucky and it got over fast), that itself was delayed by several hours. We had to catch the connecting flight from Delhi and that meant light cardio happened as we ran to the gate, not helped at all by a young, lackadaisical person from Air India.

Our Kashmir trip was 7D/6N and cost us a little less than 2L, mostly thanks to the stay. The itinerary was Srinagar – Sonamarg – Gulmarg – Pahalgam (2N) – Srinagar. The drive between these places is between 3.5-4.5 hours. Also, at all these places, you’ll need to hire local drivers for the local sightseeing, as they have unions.

A good idea to really hunt for a sensible driver. Ours wasn’t and couldn’t even suggest clean restaurants with loos. If your driver is useless, a good idea would be to do everything at hotels/resorts and avoid breaks for this. Also, when you pick restaurants, don’t always go by Google ratings, check as many photos as possible. A classic example is The OTR in Pahalgam! Has a 4.6, but I am now trying to banish that memory!

A few days after we finished our Kashmir vacation, the friend I mentioned in the previous post started his travel business. If you’re planning a trip, do check it out. The idiot showed me those lovely properties after I completed the trip. With friends like these… 😂

May 12, 2024
Kashmir : Srinagar, Sonamarg

We missed our flight! In more than two decades of travel, this was a first, and needed to be documented. The good news is that it didn’t derail us much, and we landed in Kashmir a couple of hours later than planned.

Srinagar

The one-hour drive from the airport was made pleasant by an unexpected but lovely sunset at Dal Lake. We go chasing sunsets when we travel, so this was a lovely surprise.

Stay

We stayed at The Dewan, and quite amazingly were the youngest guests! I think the hotel had been attacked by a bus full of elderly tourists, many of whom appeared to be from Bangalore. Decent rooms, and we were there only for a night. This is away from the centre, but close to Shalimar and Nishat. Our plan was to visit at least one of these soon as we landed, but we couldn’t thanks to the delay.

On our last night in Kashmir, we stayed at Sukoon houseboat. On Dal Lake, this is likely the best one. You could also check the options at Nigeen Lake, which apparently is even more quieter.

But we loved Sukoon. Excellent, comfortable rooms though I found them a little anti-national because there were no jetsprays in the toilet.

Callback to an old era. Just like the books in the reception lounge area.

There are some excellent vantage points. This is at the entrance.

…and this is on the roof.

This is the fantastic view in the morning.

…and this one is towards the end of the day.

See/Do

A shikara ride was part of our package, and we did this around sunset. ‘Sukoon’ is the perfect way to describe it. It really gives you a great feel of a way of a way of life.

We saw some other pretty houseboats…

…a full fledged market

and mobile stores for everything from flowers

to fruits

..and desserts!

The Tulip Festival was what we had timed this trip for. Thankfully, the tulips behaved well and were in full bloom… Expect the place to be packed, though the queue per se wasn’t bad at all. It didn’t help that our visit coincided with the day after Eid.

After you’ve had your fill of tulips, walk around and enjoy the vista too.

In a toss up between Nishat and Shalimar, we chose the former. Very pretty, but it’s sad how we trash the place. The staff were busy picking up plastic in the morning. 😐

It provides a lovely view of Dal Lake.

At Pari Mahal, people tend to do the ‘I believe I can fly’ pose (top left)…

I have to admit, it’d be a great view if we could fly!

The burning question for me as we climbed up to the Shankaracharya temple was how he managed to do it without thermals. Even if he visited in summer…

Anyway, the view from the temple is just breathtaking.

Eat

What’s a visit to Kashmir without the wazwan? We were lucky enough to have a delicious version of it at a friend’s home, and then Ahdoos went and created a benchmark on how a gastronomic experience should be. As is par for the course, we did spend some time waiting in a queue, but the ambience, the involvement of the service staff (history, context, how-to, all in commentary, and adding stuff gratis just so we enjoyed the experience) and the delectable food – presentation and taste, all make it an absolute must-visit. Cannot recommend it enough.

Le Delice was a great suggestion from my friend, and we visited one of their outlets in City Mall, which, I have to mention, does not have escalators going down!

Since we had a multi-hop return flight, we packed ourselves a marble cake and a walnut brownie. Both excellent. Sigh.

Our best meal though was the one we had with a school friend of mine. Though he is Kashmiri, he has lived more in Kerala and Bangalore! 🙂 We had a lovely time with his family who fed us way more than our capacity. It continues to amaze me how we can quickly form a lifetime bond with people we have never met before, and whose affection makes our best memories from the trip.

Sonamarg

Our first stop was Sonamarg, and the route was all postcards.

The mountains got snowier and closer as we drove along.

We even saw the remains of an avalanche!

Sonmarg, or at least the part that is in the must-see list was insanely crowded. Thajiwas Glacier is the thing to see here, and you have multiple ways of reaching it – snow bike and sleds. A combination of the crowd, the incessant pitches by touts, and the Bajrangi Bhaijaan association ensured that we skipped it.

Stay

Instead we drove on to a place aptly titled for the context – Village Retreat – where we planned to stay. Very comfortable, though you might want to ask for a room with a view if you’re so inclined. But if you don’t get those, don’t worry, you can sit on those chairs outside their restaurant…

…and you’ll have this view. We sat there as the temperature dropped to a little below zero, but there was no snowfall. Peaceful and serene.

A mutton Biryani and a fiery Kashmiri Chicken lunch at the restaurant kept us full for the rest of the day.

We pecked at a Chicken Kanti (listed as a local favourite everywhere) for dinner.

This was part of a week-long trip to Kashmir. The remaining days were in Gulmarg and Pahalgam, and that’s what the next post will be about.

May 5, 2024
Varkala

After Kovalam and many trips to Kochi, the toss up was between going to the north (of Kerala) or discovering a bit more of the south. We chose the latter and specifically Varkala for now, but need to get moving in the other direction soon! “Keral Pradesh ke Varkal mein vacay” was how my Insta reel went. But yes, playing tourists in our homeland is now an annual practice.
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February 11, 2024
Hakone, Arashiyama & Nara

While we stayed in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, we also made day trips to a few places.

We reached Kyoto via Hakone. Hakone’s claim to fame is the Mt.Fuji view, and yes, it delivers. On paper the ‘Hakone Round Course’ looks like a sprint, but with the Hakone Day Pass and some planning, it’s quite a breeze. We started early and the Kodama 703 was our very first Shinkansen ride, to Odawara.

Hakone

We first used the coin locker system in the Odawara station, dropping our large bag so we didn’t have to lug it around. A local train took us to Hakone-Yumoto, where you start the Hakone Round Course, which can also be done in reverse. It uses five different modes of transport – train, cablecar, ropeway, boat and bus. The first trip is on the cute Hakone Tozan Railway to Gora. D decided to do some drama by pretending to lose her Hakone Day Pass.
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May 14, 2023