India Trip Feb 1-18/18
Mar 19th, 2018, 07:27 PM
#41
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Thank you so much jft for the continuing story of your wanders and impressions including other Ft Cochin hotels, dinner at Brunton Boatyard, and especially the Salmon backwaters tour.
We went into Brunton Boatyard yrs ago . While planning that trip, I had toyed with staying there so we had a look around (after ok from the security guar) . Iloved the lobby with its ceiling and old spice chest, but thought it was a tad too far from the FtCochin center. Maybe only a 20 min walk, but in the typical wintertime heat, that might be too much.
What did yo think of the area at Hotel Arches, compared to where Xandari Harbour is located? Last time I stayed right by Hotel Arches at Old Harbour Hotel, loved that little section of Fort Cochin by the park and fishing nets, and will stay there again next year...but am always eager to learn of new places
We went into Brunton Boatyard yrs ago . While planning that trip, I had toyed with staying there so we had a look around (after ok from the security guar) . Iloved the lobby with its ceiling and old spice chest, but thought it was a tad too far from the FtCochin center. Maybe only a 20 min walk, but in the typical wintertime heat, that might be too much.
What did yo think of the area at Hotel Arches, compared to where Xandari Harbour is located? Last time I stayed right by Hotel Arches at Old Harbour Hotel, loved that little section of Fort Cochin by the park and fishing nets, and will stay there again next year...but am always eager to learn of new places
Mar 19th, 2018, 08:56 PM
#43
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I had wanted to post the pictures from the backwaters trip earlier but ran out of time. I also have some difficulty downloading and posting photos on this website.
Regarding the Xandari - it had lots of pluses; beautiful restored structure where the restaurant is, a nice green courtyard with a beautiful pool overlooking the water where the boats were docked, big rooms with comfortable beds, quiet roomsand we had a great stay. My biggest issue was with mosquitoes which get in the rooms as they can cause serious health issues.
As Fort Cochin is not a huge area I think most locations would be fine. Perhaps someone who has spent more time there could comment.
Regarding the Xandari - it had lots of pluses; beautiful restored structure where the restaurant is, a nice green courtyard with a beautiful pool overlooking the water where the boats were docked, big rooms with comfortable beds, quiet roomsand we had a great stay. My biggest issue was with mosquitoes which get in the rooms as they can cause serious health issues.
As Fort Cochin is not a huge area I think most locations would be fine. Perhaps someone who has spent more time there could comment.
Mar 20th, 2018, 04:38 AM
#45
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We stayed at Hotel Arches for two nights in February 2017. There is a restaurant on the ground floor (didn’t eat there), two floors of rooms then a rooftop breakfast area netted to keep out the birds. Breakfast had fairly limited choices, but was cooked to order and delicious. Our room was adequate albeit had an awkward design, a large bathroom with a not quite contained shower, and no view (rooms at the front had a small balcony with street aspect).
We really enjoyed a north Indian thali at Dal Roti nearby in Lily St. The local area is great for strolling, the architecture dates from several centuries, street art and funky shops mix with daily life, and it’s not far to the main sights in Fort Kochi.
@jft, your terrific report evokes happy memories for me. Thank you.
We really enjoyed a north Indian thali at Dal Roti nearby in Lily St. The local area is great for strolling, the architecture dates from several centuries, street art and funky shops mix with daily life, and it’s not far to the main sights in Fort Kochi.
@jft, your terrific report evokes happy memories for me. Thank you.
Mar 20th, 2018, 12:31 PM
#47
Is this it, calinurse?
Hotel Arches, Fort Kochi | Fort Kochi Hotel | Ernakulam hotels
jft - continuing thanks for your lovely pics and descriptions of your trip. I am really enjoying them.
Hotel Arches, Fort Kochi | Fort Kochi Hotel | Ernakulam hotels
jft - continuing thanks for your lovely pics and descriptions of your trip. I am really enjoying them.
Mar 20th, 2018, 04:16 PM
#48
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Oops. In above post, sorry for the confusion, Annhig et al. I meant Hotel Koder which is right by Old Harbour. Sorry for the onfusion I never noticed Hotel Arches, but will have a look next Janurary. Iirc, I once looked into it as place that seems well located but at an excellent ("budget" price in an area of higher priced hotels. Thanks for the review, Sartoric. Those "not quite contained" showers...I'll pass! (Thre's another rdsicssion of them on Hucktrav's trip planning thread)
Yummmyyyy...Dal Roti. Northern India ...in South India!! My first ever lunch in Kerala, nearly ten yrs ago. Glad it 's still great!
More thanks JFT. Ahhh...the serene, yet with local life, backwaters!
Yummmyyyy...Dal Roti. Northern India ...in South India!! My first ever lunch in Kerala, nearly ten yrs ago. Glad it 's still great!
More thanks JFT. Ahhh...the serene, yet with local life, backwaters!
Mar 20th, 2018, 05:23 PM
#49
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Is this it, calinurse?
Hotel Arches, Fort Kochi Fort Kochi Hotel Ernakulam hotels
jft - continuing thanks for your lovely pics and descriptions of your trip. I am really enjoying them.
Hotel Arches, Fort Kochi Fort Kochi Hotel Ernakulam hotels
jft - continuing thanks for your lovely pics and descriptions of your trip. I am really enjoying them.
Mar 22nd, 2018, 02:17 PM
#52
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Iradined , you should post your question as a separate thread for any country to which you'r considering a trip. Imho would nuts to take a toddler there, but without any other information about your traveling style, who you'll be with (maybe other family members to help) how lhe plane flights, etc, it's impossible to definitely answer.
Thanks Sartorial for the description of Hotel Arches. Re the different hotels: Arches, or Koder House or others in Fort Cochin (I loved Old Harbour 3 yrs ago, but it 's pricier) and elsewhere in places mentioned in JFT's report, including Tamil Nadu... "you get what you pay for" is quite true. Ime, South India is not a good place for "budget"hotels. Compare for example to Hanoi (the only SEA big city of which I have experience) where a great modern beautiful place with everything you could want, can be found for less than $100/night.
Planning a trip for next January, I see prices have gone way up in many places since my first rip to Kerala ten yrs ago...when a decent modern clear fully functional western-toilet enclosed shower
place could be had for less than $100/night. Apparently decent hotels at least in Fort Cochin and the big cities in Tamil Nadu, that 's no longer the case . On other hand, paying more than that--with Xandari Harbour 's review by JFT as an example-- is no guarantee of efficient service and functional chairs!
I appreciate these reviews/descriptions as I narrow down "value for money" lodgings. I also have learned the hard way to book well in advance of a trip, as the choice places fill up quickly. Thanks partly to these reviews, which are a sort of kick in the behind, I will be booking within a week for stays ten months from now in small hotels in both TN and Kerala.
There are still city homestays in Fort Cochin that are priced less, and could be ok. I'm considering one--I think California Lady stayed there--called Waltons which has been around with a great reputation, for many, many yrs. As always, in addition to stories on sites like this, or advice of friends and travel planners, read reviews for any place under consideration, thoroughly and meticulously, on booking.com and tripadvisor
Thanks Sartorial for the description of Hotel Arches. Re the different hotels: Arches, or Koder House or others in Fort Cochin (I loved Old Harbour 3 yrs ago, but it 's pricier) and elsewhere in places mentioned in JFT's report, including Tamil Nadu... "you get what you pay for" is quite true. Ime, South India is not a good place for "budget"hotels. Compare for example to Hanoi (the only SEA big city of which I have experience) where a great modern beautiful place with everything you could want, can be found for less than $100/night.
Planning a trip for next January, I see prices have gone way up in many places since my first rip to Kerala ten yrs ago...when a decent modern clear fully functional western-toilet enclosed shower
place could be had for less than $100/night. Apparently decent hotels at least in Fort Cochin and the big cities in Tamil Nadu, that 's no longer the case . On other hand, paying more than that--with Xandari Harbour 's review by JFT as an example-- is no guarantee of efficient service and functional chairs!I appreciate these reviews/descriptions as I narrow down "value for money" lodgings. I also have learned the hard way to book well in advance of a trip, as the choice places fill up quickly. Thanks partly to these reviews, which are a sort of kick in the behind, I will be booking within a week for stays ten months from now in small hotels in both TN and Kerala.
There are still city homestays in Fort Cochin that are priced less, and could be ok. I'm considering one--I think California Lady stayed there--called Waltons which has been around with a great reputation, for many, many yrs. As always, in addition to stories on sites like this, or advice of friends and travel planners, read reviews for any place under consideration, thoroughly and meticulously, on booking.com and tripadvisor
Apr 4th, 2018, 06:38 PM
#54
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I thought the half day trip with Peter of Salmon Tours was a great way to get a sense of the backwaters without allocating a lot of time. The following day Krishna drove us to the Cochin airport where we flew on Jet Airways to Mumbai, our last stop in India.
When we arrived at the airport in Bombay there is a booth where you can book a taxi which you prepay. You then go downstairs with a voucher and shortly after you are off in your taxi.
We stayed at the Trident Nariman Point which is right on the water and has a beautiful pool overlooking Back Bay. It is a convenient area to explore many of the tourist sites of Bombay.The breakfast included with our hotel rate was probably the best of the trip; great selection of both international and Indian specialties. The hostess that seats you was a bit slow but otherwise service and quality was excellent. There is a lot of common space in the hotel and I loved sitting in its expansive lobby and people watching, especially guests attending the different weddings that were held there that weekend. All those beautiful saris!
Just exiting onto the pool deck there is a memorial tribute to the hotel guests that died during the terrorist attack of Nov 26, 2008 at this hotel as well as the Taj Mahal Palace.
Being quite tired after our travelling day we cancelled our dinner reservation that would have meant long taxi rides to and from the restaurant. We decided to walk to Francesco's Pizza ( not a very scenic walk, some would prefer a taxi.) Pizza was delicious and cheap in this hole in the wall restaurant , it was clean and the server was excellent.
We had arranged an early morning walking tour with Reality Tours, where we covered many of the sites on foot before the city got crazy busy and noisy or hot. Bombay is the most cosmopolitan of the places we had visited in India. You can envision the grandeur of it in its heyday but you are also aware of how much of it is in disrepair. The tour was private for the 4 of us and the tour guide was really nice and did a great job. I enjoyed learning about the lives of the various guides and drivers we had on our trip. Reality tours gives a large portion of the cost of the tour back to the community to better the lives of the less fortunate.
My friends enjoyed a lunch at Sequel Bistro and Juice Bar. We walked around and visited the Prince of Wales Museum now called Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, one of the few museums we went to during our trip. I thought it was excellent and a nice reprieve from the heat. Afterwards we grabbed a bite to eat at a cafe. We went back to the hotel and later that evening met up with our friend's son and his wife for dinner at Mamagoto Restaurant which served Asian Fusion Food. We were supposed to go to Ling's Pavilion but because it was Chinese New Year it was closed. Mamagoto had a really nice vibe and the food was very good. There was a beautiful chocolate/french pastry store nearby but I was too full from dinner to eat another thing.
The following day we had a midnight flight back to Toronto. We took a walk along the boardwalk by our hotel but we were pretty exhausted from the whole trip and mostly hung around the hotel. Our 16 1/2 hour flight home was actually great! We had reserved bulkhead seats and I think I slept about 7 hours which for me was amazing. We arrived in Toronto around 6 am in the morning after a most wonderful and busy 18 day trip.
When we arrived at the airport in Bombay there is a booth where you can book a taxi which you prepay. You then go downstairs with a voucher and shortly after you are off in your taxi.
We stayed at the Trident Nariman Point which is right on the water and has a beautiful pool overlooking Back Bay. It is a convenient area to explore many of the tourist sites of Bombay.The breakfast included with our hotel rate was probably the best of the trip; great selection of both international and Indian specialties. The hostess that seats you was a bit slow but otherwise service and quality was excellent. There is a lot of common space in the hotel and I loved sitting in its expansive lobby and people watching, especially guests attending the different weddings that were held there that weekend. All those beautiful saris!
Just exiting onto the pool deck there is a memorial tribute to the hotel guests that died during the terrorist attack of Nov 26, 2008 at this hotel as well as the Taj Mahal Palace.
Being quite tired after our travelling day we cancelled our dinner reservation that would have meant long taxi rides to and from the restaurant. We decided to walk to Francesco's Pizza ( not a very scenic walk, some would prefer a taxi.) Pizza was delicious and cheap in this hole in the wall restaurant , it was clean and the server was excellent.
We had arranged an early morning walking tour with Reality Tours, where we covered many of the sites on foot before the city got crazy busy and noisy or hot. Bombay is the most cosmopolitan of the places we had visited in India. You can envision the grandeur of it in its heyday but you are also aware of how much of it is in disrepair. The tour was private for the 4 of us and the tour guide was really nice and did a great job. I enjoyed learning about the lives of the various guides and drivers we had on our trip. Reality tours gives a large portion of the cost of the tour back to the community to better the lives of the less fortunate.
My friends enjoyed a lunch at Sequel Bistro and Juice Bar. We walked around and visited the Prince of Wales Museum now called Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, one of the few museums we went to during our trip. I thought it was excellent and a nice reprieve from the heat. Afterwards we grabbed a bite to eat at a cafe. We went back to the hotel and later that evening met up with our friend's son and his wife for dinner at Mamagoto Restaurant which served Asian Fusion Food. We were supposed to go to Ling's Pavilion but because it was Chinese New Year it was closed. Mamagoto had a really nice vibe and the food was very good. There was a beautiful chocolate/french pastry store nearby but I was too full from dinner to eat another thing.
The following day we had a midnight flight back to Toronto. We took a walk along the boardwalk by our hotel but we were pretty exhausted from the whole trip and mostly hung around the hotel. Our 16 1/2 hour flight home was actually great! We had reserved bulkhead seats and I think I slept about 7 hours which for me was amazing. We arrived in Toronto around 6 am in the morning after a most wonderful and busy 18 day trip.
Last edited by jft; Apr 4th, 2018 at 06:47 PM. Reason: typos
Apr 5th, 2018, 09:07 AM
#57
Yes, thanks for sharing the end of your trip with us. Glad you had such a good light home -I'm afraid to say the 16 hours in a plane is my idea of hell but sleeping would probably help.
I've been rather put off going to Mumbai by reports of pollution and traffic, though it interests me greatly; my grandparents met there and my mum lived there until she was 7. one day, perhaps.
I've been rather put off going to Mumbai by reports of pollution and traffic, though it interests me greatly; my grandparents met there and my mum lived there until she was 7. one day, perhaps.
Apr 5th, 2018, 08:17 PM
#58
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Annhig, it's a quick 2 hour flight between Chennai and Mumbai. Perhaps your India trip should be called "Annhig's Heritage Tour" The pollution the day I went wasnt noticeable--maybe it 's the invisible kind. People there told me the bad stuff gets blown out to sea, vs trapped as in landlocked Delhi.
Jft, continued thanks for your informative and interesting report and your excellent photos! Loved the pix from the university near the Oval Maidan, and of the synagogue. I hope the work is finished if I am lucky enough to get back to Mumbai. Thanks for the photo from inside the Prince of Wales Museum...another must-do, now that you've described it, for next time.
How wonderful that your trip worked out well!!!!!
The pollution the day I went wasnt noticeable--maybe it 's the invisible kind. People there told me the bad stuff gets blown out to sea, vs trapped as in landlocked Delhi.Jft, continued thanks for your informative and interesting report and your excellent photos! Loved the pix from the university near the Oval Maidan, and of the synagogue. I hope the work is finished if I am lucky enough to get back to Mumbai. Thanks for the photo from inside the Prince of Wales Museum...another must-do, now that you've described it, for next time.
How wonderful that your trip worked out well!!!!!
Apr 6th, 2018, 05:22 AM
#59
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Annhig, the only place where the pollution really affected me was in Delhi where a light scarf over part of the face was useful. At times my husband wore a paper mask. Definitely there was a haze in Mumbai as seen from the hotel window overlooking the bay.
I was really pleased with our itinerary as we covered such a variety of landscapes, sizes of towns/cities, sights. I loved the fact that while being driven you go through towns and markets seeing people going about their daily activities.i recommend having a good driver and they will make sure things go smoothly and you will not waste too much time.
i had two guidebooks, Lonely Planet 2017 which I borrowed from the Library and Eyewitness India which I bought. Both do a decent job in the Golden Triangle and some specific sites in the south but area such as the Chettinadu mansions and Munnar were not so detailed. I chose to by Eyewitness because of the pictures but in areas it can be lacking. Lonely Planet is a bit dry. Because we had our friend’s son with us who had a wealth of suggestions re restaurants, etcetera I did not consult the guidebooks as much.
I thought the food was fantastic, the people really nice and the hospitality excellent. Everyone seemed eager to please. It was sunny all the time and a great break from our Canadian winter. I felt very safe walking around and didn’t feel hassled. I think it’s worth it to stay in nice hotels if you can afford to. The differential in cost is less than when travelling to many other parts of the world. In the heat it’s nice to come back to a beautiful, clean hotel/home stay with lovely common spaces and a delicious breakfast to start the day. I have travelled a lot and more often than not stay at moderately priced accommodations. When using a travel company, I think it is good to ask them why they are choosing a certain hotel and what your options are. Also some accommodations in smaller towns fill up early so booking early is advisable.
Thank you to the Fodor Forum India crowd for your helpful replies and lovely trip reports. It seems to be a rather small group but as usual very helpful.
I was really pleased with our itinerary as we covered such a variety of landscapes, sizes of towns/cities, sights. I loved the fact that while being driven you go through towns and markets seeing people going about their daily activities.i recommend having a good driver and they will make sure things go smoothly and you will not waste too much time.
i had two guidebooks, Lonely Planet 2017 which I borrowed from the Library and Eyewitness India which I bought. Both do a decent job in the Golden Triangle and some specific sites in the south but area such as the Chettinadu mansions and Munnar were not so detailed. I chose to by Eyewitness because of the pictures but in areas it can be lacking. Lonely Planet is a bit dry. Because we had our friend’s son with us who had a wealth of suggestions re restaurants, etcetera I did not consult the guidebooks as much.
I thought the food was fantastic, the people really nice and the hospitality excellent. Everyone seemed eager to please. It was sunny all the time and a great break from our Canadian winter. I felt very safe walking around and didn’t feel hassled. I think it’s worth it to stay in nice hotels if you can afford to. The differential in cost is less than when travelling to many other parts of the world. In the heat it’s nice to come back to a beautiful, clean hotel/home stay with lovely common spaces and a delicious breakfast to start the day. I have travelled a lot and more often than not stay at moderately priced accommodations. When using a travel company, I think it is good to ask them why they are choosing a certain hotel and what your options are. Also some accommodations in smaller towns fill up early so booking early is advisable.
Thank you to the Fodor Forum India crowd for your helpful replies and lovely trip reports. It seems to be a rather small group but as usual very helpful.
Apr 6th, 2018, 12:55 PM
#60
Thanks, calinurse - I hope you won't mind if I borrow that! I hadn't considered that as a route - it's one that I could do very easily i think. One major consideration however is whether I would want to do this trip alone - I realised in Bologna that really I wasn't very good at spending long periods by myself. plus the cost of such a trip for one person is considerably higher per person than it would be for two. OTOH I'm also not convinced that a group is for me, not least because they don't necessarily go where I want to go. That said, I have found quite a few tours of Southern India that follow more or less the route I want to do, and I could always "top and tail" it with longer in Mumbai and Chennai. Another problem is that my mum hasn't been very well and whether I want to take a long trip far away next winter is a matter for debate.
sorry for the diversion, jft, and thank you for answering my question about pollution. It sounds as if Mumbai might be a better bet than Delhi from that PoV.
And thank you too for the TR. It's been so entertaining and helpful - who could ask for more?
sorry for the diversion, jft, and thank you for answering my question about pollution. It sounds as if Mumbai might be a better bet than Delhi from that PoV.
And thank you too for the TR. It's been so entertaining and helpful - who could ask for more?
