|
India - our Grand Tour
with highlights, best hotels
and best meals
|
Our routes around India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh
and Sri Lanka in 13 visits over 17 years. |
|
State / Union
Territory |
Places |
Visit |
Date |
West Bengal (WB) |
Kolkata - Fairlawn hotel,
ladies' singing club (first visit), Great Eastern hotel, Manthan restaurant
murg resmi butter masala, (Jimmy's - kung pao is too hot) |
1, 7, 8, 9 |
2006, 2013, 2014, 2016 |
|
Sundarbans |
8 |
Mar 2014 |
Coromandel coast
|
|
|
|
Orissa (OR), now Odisha
(OD) |
Puri - Konorak temple,
Sea Shore rm 202 Bhubaneswar |
1 |
Nov 2006 |
[Chhattisgarh (CG)] |
(created 2000 out of Madhya
Pradesh)
[not visited]
|
|
|
Telangana (TS) |
(created 2014 out of Andhra
Pradesh)
Hyderabad - Marriott hotel,
Golconda, Charminar
|
1, 10, 13 |
Nov 2006, Feb 2017, Feb 2023 |
Andhra Pradesh (AP) |
Tirupati - temples
|
13 |
Feb 2023 |
Tamil Nadu (TN) |
Chennai - Marriott, Amethyst
restaurant
Kanchipuram
Mamallapuram - elephant carving,
Santana guest house and restaurant prawns
|
2, 10-13
2
2, 10-13
|
2008, 2017, 2018, 2023
Jan 2008
2008, 2017, 2018, 2023
|
Puducherry UT (PY) |
Pondicherry - Villa Cavi
room 203, Lakshmi the temple elephant, Le Club seafood soup, happy hour
at Promenade hotel, Les Saveurs prawn and lobster thermidor |
2, 10, 11, 13 |
2008, 2017, 2018, 2023 |
Tamil Nadu again |
Gingee fort
Chidambaram, Thanjavur, Trichy
Madurai - bedtime of the gods ceremony
Tirupparakundram
Rameswaram
Tiruchendur - shore temple, pilgrims
Manapul - Holy Cross shrine
Kanyakumari
Thovali - flower market
|
10
2
2, 11
11
2
11
11
2, 11
11
|
Feb 2017
Feb 2008
2008, 2018
Nov 2018
Feb 2008
Nov 2018
Nov 2018
2008, 2018
Nov 2018 |
(Sri Lanka)
|
Colombo, Sigiriya, Kandy,
Nuwara Eliya, Galle and lots of temples |
- |
Aug 1992 |
Malabar coast
|
|
|
|
Kerala (KL) |
Padmanabhapuram - palace of the rajahs
Trivandrum - Puttan Malika palace, Chaithram hotel and bar
Anjuthenga fort
Kollam (Quilon) - British Residency, backwaters rice barge tour
Alleppy
Cochin (Kochi) - Gran Residencia, Koder House, tomato soup at
Elite Bakery, samosa chaat at Teapot café;, huge prawns cooked
at Kafe D'Kochi
Cranganore, Chennamangalam - elephants |
11
11
11
2, 11
11
2, 10, 11
10
|
Nov 2018
Nov 2018
Nov 2018
Feb 2008, Nov 2018
Nov 2018
2008, 2017, 2018
Feb 2017
|
Tamil Nadu again |
Mettupalayam, Ooty |
2 |
Feb 2008 |
Karnataka (KA) |
Mysore - Maharaja's palace
Halebid and Belur, Bangalore
Nandi Hills - Grover vineyard
Bijapur - Gol Gumbaz
Hampi - all the temples
Badami, Pattadakal, Aihole
Bidar - Vybe hotel, fort,
gurudwara
|
2, 10
2
10
1
1, 10
10
13
|
2008, 2017
Feb 2008
Feb 2017
Nov 2006
2006, 2017
Feb 2017
Feb 2023
|
Goa (GA) |
Panaji - Panjim Inn
Anjuna beach - tandoori chicken
|
1 |
Dec 2006 |
Maharashtra (MH) |
Mumbai - Bentley's Hotel
room 15, Taj hotel sea view, lobster at the Gaylord restaurant, Tingting
Tea, Café Mondegar spicy baked beans, butter chicken and sparkling
wine, Indigo deli
Matheran - Verandah in the forest
Lonavla - Karla caves
Fratelli - vineyard tours
Pandhapur, Solapur
Aurangabad, Ajanta, Ellora -
temple no. 16
Nasik - Sula vineyard and
Tiger hills restaurants
|
1-5, 7, 13
13
13
13
13
4
5
|
2006 - 2013, 2023
Feb 2023
Feb 2023
Feb 2023
Feb 2023
Feb 2010
Mar 2011
|
Madhya Pradesh (MP) |
Indore - egg curry at
Hotel Sunder
Mandu, Sanchi, Bhopal
|
4 |
Feb 2010 |
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
UT (DN) |
Silvassa |
7 |
Feb 2013 |
Daman and Diu UT (DD) |
Daman - Hotel Marina
room 10, Daman Delite restaurant
Diu - Sanmaan Palace room
101, fish market, Hotel Alishan restaurant
|
7, 8
3
|
2013, 2014
Jan 2009
|
Gujerat (GJ) |
Palitana - 3,000 steps to
temple, Veraval, Junagadh,
Jamnagar
Baroda/Vadodara, Champaner, Jambughoda
|
3
5
|
Jan 2009
Mar 2011
|
Rajasthan (RJ) |
Udaipur - everything!, Kankarwa Haveli, meals at Ambrai
and Udai Kothi
Kumbalgarh, Ranakpur, Dungapur
Jodhpur - Singhvi's Haveli, City hotel dosa
Jaisalmer - Pol Haveli, Trio restaurant
Osiyan, Bikaner - Temple of the rats
Chittorgarh, Bundi
Pushkar - Seventh Heaven hotel
Jaipur, Amber |
4,5,10,11
5
3, 5
3, 5
3
4
4
4
|
2010,2011,2017,2018
Mar 2011
2009, 2011
2009, 2011
Jan 2009
Feb 2010
Feb 2010
Feb 2010 |
Delhi UT (DL) |
Delhi - Crossroads restaurant
shredded lamb in hot garlic sauce, Sechuan chicken and sweetcorn |
4 - 7 |
2010 - 2013 |
Haryana (HR) |
Chandigarh |
3, 6 |
2009, 2011 |
Chandigarh UT (CH) |
Chandigarh |
3, 6 |
2009, 2011 |
Punjab (PB) |
Amritsar - Golden temple |
3 |
Feb 2009 |
(Pakistan) |
Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad
|
3 |
Feb 2009 |
Jammu and Kashmir UT
(JK) |
Jammu
Srinagar - the lake
|
6 |
Sept 2011 |
Ladakh UT
|
Leh (revisit)
|
6
|
Sept 2011
|
Himachal Pradesh (HP) |
Manali - soup at Bee's
Knees restaurant
Chamba, McLeod Ganj
Shimla - Clarke's hotel
|
6 |
Sept 2011 |
Uttarakhand (UK) |
(created 2000 out of Uttar
Pradesh)
Mussoorie, Rishikesh, Haridwar
|
6 |
Sept 2011 |
Uttar Pradesh (UP) |
Vrindavan
Fatehpur Sikri, Agra - Taj
Mahal
|
8
4
|
Mar 2014
Feb 2010
|
Madhya Pradesh again |
Gwalior - fort
Orchha - palaces and pilgrims
Khajuraho - temples |
8 |
Mar 2014 |
Uttar Pradesh again |
Lucknow
Chitrakoot, Allahabad
Varanasi - bathing ghats
Sarnath
|
7
8
|
Feb 2013
Mar 2014 |
(Nepal) |
Kathmandu - lots!
Pokhara - lots!
Jomsom, Lo Manthang
Lumbini, Pokhara, Kathmandu
|
-
-
-
7
|
Oct 1996
Oct 2012
Oct 2012
Feb 2013
|
Bihar (BR) |
Patna
Bodhgaya - Mahabodhi temple
|
7 |
Feb 2013 |
Jharkhand (JH) |
(created 2000 out of Bihar)
Dhanbad Junction
|
7 |
Feb 2013 |
West Bengal again |
Darjeeling - Planter's
Club, log fires, rice pudding, Glenary's breakfast
Kalimpong
|
1, 9
1
|
2006, 2016
Nov 2006
|
Sikkim (SK) |
Gangtok
Pelling
|
1
9
|
Nov 2006
Mar 2016
|
(Bhutan)
|
Paro, Thimpu |
1 |
Nov 2006 |
Assam (AS) |
Jorhat, Majuli Is, Dibrugarh
- Cub House Ledo, Guwahati - temple |
9, 12 |
Feb 2016, Oct 2019 |
Meghalaya (ML) |
Shillong - Pinewood hotel,
living bridge, cleanest village |
9 |
Mar 2016 |
Arunachal Pradesh (AR) |
Dirang - stone town, Tawang - gompa
|
12
|
Oct 2019
|
Nagaland (NL) |
Dimapur, Kohima - heritage
village |
9 |
Feb 2016 |
Manipur (MN) |
Imphal - Classic hotel,
women's market, Loktak
lake |
9, 12 |
Feb 2016, Oct 2019 |
Mizoram (MZ) |
Aizawl |
9 |
Feb 2016 |
Tripura (TR) |
Agartala, Udaipur |
9 |
Feb 2016 |
(Bangladesh) |
Rangpur, Dhaka
Dhaka - Anchor hotel, nearby
bar, Rocket Paddle Steamer
Bagerhat
|
-
9
|
Oct 1996
Feb 2016
|
Andaman and Nicobar
UT (AN) |
Port Blair, Havelock Island,
Ross Island |
7 |
Mar 2013 |
Lakshadweep UT (LD) |
Agatti Island,
Bangaram Island - palm-fringed beaches |
11
|
Nov 2018
|
|