India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (10 page)

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Ply the Backwaters on a
Kettuvallam
(Alleppey and Kumarakom, Kerala): Aboard your private houseboat, you aimlessly drift past villages, temples, and churches, watching as village children, unperturbed by your drifting presence, play at the water’s edge, and elephants and water buffalo wade at will. Though the facilities might strike the well-heeled as basic, you’re looked after by a private team (guide, cook, and pilot) who manage to be both discreetly invisible and at your beck and call. See chapter 7.

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Quench Your Thirst with Fresh Coconut Water on a Tropical Island
(Lakshadweep): One of India’s best-kept secrets, the 36 atolls and coral reefs that make up the remote union territory of Lakshadweep are rated among the best diving destinations in Asia. Only 10 of the islands are populated, almost exclusively by Malayalam-speaking Muslims who make their living from fishing and harvesting coconuts. These relaxed islanders are supremely welcoming, happily climbing a towering coconut tree to help you quench your thirst. See chapter 7.

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Wake to Hear a Herd of Elephants Approaching
(Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala): The best way to experience this park—famous for its herds of wild elephants—is on a trek with the privately run Periyar Tiger Trail. Accompanied by a naturalist and a game ranger armed with a rifle, you are taken farther into the tourist zone than any other operator is allowed to penetrate. What’s more, you are looked after by a team of reformed poachers, who skillfully track and spot animals, carry all the gear, strike camp, cook, clean, and—most important—stand sentinel throughout the night when the danger of being trampled by elephants becomes a serious risk. See chapter 7.

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Immortalize a Wild Tiger from the Back of an Elephant
(Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks, Madhya Pradesh): With the densest population of tigers of any park in India, you are practically guaranteed a sighting at this relatively low-key, remote part of Madhya Pradesh. But it’s the approach that’s so exciting—elephant
mahouts
set off at dawn to track the royal cats. As soon as they’ve spotted one, you rendezvous with your pachyderm, which then takes you within striking distance of this most royal of cats. The tiger—unperturbed by the presence of an elephant—will then strike a pose of utter indifference for your camera. See chapter 10.

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Pick a Picture-Perfect Beach
(Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala): India has some of the world’s best beaches, most of them on the Konkan and Malabar coasts which make up India’s western shore. Easily accessed,
Asvem
(northern Goa)
is an idyllic haven, while just south of here,
Morjim
has been drawing Olive Ridley turtles to its shores for centuries. Both beaches were once well off the well-beaten tourist track, but now, like beautiful crescent-shaped
Palolem
in southern Goa, these lovely stretches have been well and truly discovered. If you’re looking for solitude in Goa, check out less-visited spots such as
Agonda
(just 7km/4 1⁄2 miles north of Palolem) and
Galgibaga
—another designated turtle breeding beach—a little further south. If you’re collecting special beach memories, you should head over the border to the sublime and, many believe, mystical
Om
Beach
(Gokarna, Karnataka). In Kerala, the competition is equally stiff, but we award the picture-perfect prize to the seemingly endless virgin beach that stretches off for miles in either direction right in front of the pretty new
Neeleshwar Hermitage
in the still-undiscovered far north. But the absolute stunner, if you can get that far, is at
Bangaram,
one of the
paradisiacal hideaways that comprise the truly unforgettable islands of Lakshadweep. See chapters 6 and 7.

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Find Divinity in
Devbhumi,
“Land of the Gods”
(Kinnaur to Spiti, Himachal Pradesh): The stark, rust-colored, snowcapped slopes in the Indo-Tibetan regions of Kinnaur, Spiti, and Lahaul are the stuff adventurers’ dreams are made of, offering sublime mountainscapes, flower-filled valleys, terrifying roads, atmospheric Tibetan Buddhist
gompas
(monasteries), and high-altitude villages that seem to cling to the mountainsides. The region is one of the most profoundly beautiful in the world, but the drive is not for the fainthearted. See chapter 13.

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Get a Rush While Rafting Down the Zanskar
(Ladakh): White-water rafting on the Zanskar is not only exhilarating and challenging, but you pass through the most incredibly desolate, scenic gorges and stupendous cliffs. A full river journey takes at least 12 days round-trip from Leh, so this is only for the truly committed—though there are slightly tamer options closer to Leh. See chapter 13.

6 The Best Eating & Drinking Experiences

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Street-snacking
(Mumbai): You need to be cautious about where you stop to indulge your curiosity and sample the overwhelming variety of street snacks available just about anywhere in India. In Mumbai—surely one of the world’s great cities for street food—there are numerous casual eateries where you can sample mouth-watering, totally addictive
pani puri
(a crisp, deep-fried flour ball, hollowed-out and filled with taste-bud-tingling morsels) made with filtered water, and
vada pav
(a bun stuffed with spiced fried potato). And if dining street side is beyond you, you can always head to the Taj Mahal Palace’s
Sea Lounge
for high tea, when traditional street snacks form part of the formidable buffet. See chapter 5.

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Bumping into a Bollywood Idol
(Mumbai): Nowhere in India is dining more rewarding than in Mumbai, where the streets are filled with literally thousands of restaurants representing every kind of Indian cuisine. But if it’s star-gazing you’re after, head for places like the
Olive Bar and Kitchen
restaurant in Bandra or
Enigma
nightclub in Juhu. Alternatively, hang out at
Leopold Café;
casting agents looking for foreigners to work as extras frequently scan the clientele at this favored travelers’ hangout. See chapter 5.

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Eating Alphonso Mangoes in Mumbai:
You may have eaten mangoes in Mexico, Thailand, or even in other parts of India, but until you’ve had an Alphonso from Ratnagiri in rural Maharashtra, you’ll be missing a sensory experience like no other. The king of mangoes has a succulent bright orange pulp, bewitching scent, and divine flavor. See chapter 5.

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Eating with Your Hands:
Though it may initially go against the grain, there’s something immensely rewarding about digging into a delicious meal with your hands. Indians generally do, and—at least once—you should follow suit. Note that ideally you only use your right hand, and in the north, where the food is “drier,” you are traditionally not supposed to dirty more than the first two digits; in the south you may use the whole hand. See chapter 2, “India in Depth.”

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Sipping a Sweet Lassi:
A delicious drink of liquefied sweetened yogurt, this is almost a meal in a glass and should definitely be sampled (some of the best we’ve tried were in Amritsar, Goa, and Jaipur). Do, however, make sure that no water has been added (including ice), and beware the
bhang
lassi—spiced with marijuana; it can make the usually dreamlike scenes of India a little too out of this world.

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Dining Alfresco on the Rooftop Terrace of the Taj Lake Palace
(Taj Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur): There’s something very surreal about a romantic candlit dinner on the roof of the Lake Palace Hotel. It’s as if you’re watching television at the same time: the History Channel in an IMAX theater, staring directly across the water at the uplit 16th-century City Palace whilst sipping champagne and eating organic, free range lal maas. Be sure to press “record.” .

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Sampling
Bod-Jha,
Tibetan Butter Tea, with a Buddhist Monk
(Leh, Ladakh): Many people gag at the taste of butter tea, made with salt and—you guessed it—a good dollop of the clarified butter known as ghee. It’s an acquired taste, but if you get the hang of it, sipping the buttery concoction with a friendly Buddhist monk when you visit one of the many monasteries tucked in the lunar landscapes around Leh is a truly memorable experience. See chapter 13.

7 The Best Ayurvedic Pampering

For the ultimate Ayurvedic treatment—not so much pampering as a full-on rejuvenation experience that emulates the philosophy of health as a way of life espoused in ancient Indian texts—there’s nothing that comes close to
Kalari Kovilakom.
The health programs offered there are so special, in fact, that we’ve included them amongst India’s best spiritual experiences, earlier in this chapter.

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The Marari Beach
(Alleppey, Kerala): Ayurveda is taken very seriously at this attractive beach resort in South India, not far from Kerala’s tantalizing backwaters. The well-stocked Ayurvedic center is run by two physicians, who dispense sound medical advice as well as treatments, and your program is backed up with special Ayurvedic meals at the resort’s restaurant. Or forgo the rules and just head for the beach, cocktail in hand.

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Kumarakom Lake Resort
(Kumarakom, Kerala): The swankiest of Kumarakom’s retreats, this has an extensive Ayurvedic spa—one of Kerala’s most sophisticated, catering primarily to the well-heeled globetrotter—but there’s more besides, like the exquisite, traditionally styled teak-and-rosewood houses with open-air garden bathrooms, a fabulous restaurant, and superslick service.

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Somatheeram
(Southern Kerala):
This shabby-chic center, carved out of red sandy soil and perched on a terraced cliff overlooking a beach, is more hospital than hotel, but it has been inundated with awards for “Best Ayurvedic Center” (mostly from Kerala’s Tourism Department). Ayurvedic therapy is the primary reason to book here, joining the many European “patients” who shuffle around in pastel dressing gowns, serene expressions on their tanned faces.

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Shalimar Spice Garden Resort
(Kerala): Not far from Periyar Tiger Reserve, this lovely inland resort occupies a 2.4-hectare (6-acre) plantation scented by exotic spices. Over and above the enchanting Euro-chic accommodations designed by Italian architect Maria Angela Fernhof is an intimate Ayurvedic center drawing a regular European clientele. Built according to traditional specifications, with a stone floor, handmade brick walls, and an open fire for heating the medicated oils, the small space is always filled with the aroma of coconut oil.

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SwaSwara
(Om Beach, Gokarna, Karnataka): With meditation sessions in a gorgeous blue-domed building alongside the pool, and regular yoga classes that encompass a wide range of techniques presented by a skilled master, guests at this top-notch retreat are offered every imaginable type of Ayurvedic treatment, combined with a specialized, individually designed diet, with lectures and art classes to aid in your discovery of self. Set in a superb location just a few minutes’ walk from the much-venerated Om Beach, this inspiring resort features wonderful indoor-outdoor suites, designed a bit like traditional Karnataka homes, with open-to-the-elements bathrooms and air-conditioned sleeping quarters.

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Wildflower Hall, Mashobra
(near Shimla, Himachal Pradesh): The
pièce de résistance
at what once was the mountain retreat of Lord Kitchener and is today the most beautiful resort in the Himalayas is the spa—not only because the highly trained therapists offer the ultimate rubdown (Balinese, Thai, Swedish, Ayurvedic—and that’s just for starters), but because it takes place while you stare out blissfully at snowcapped peaks and a magnificent deodar valley, swirling with mists.

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Ananda-in-the-Himalayas
(near Rishikesh, Uttarakhand): The 1,951-sq.-m (21,000-sq.-ft.) Wellness Center at this destination spa resort, located high above the Ganges, is rated one of the best in the world. This reputation is well earned—thanks not only to its ultraefficient team of therapists, masseuses, and yoga instructors, but also because you are totally pampered from the moment you wake (to a steaming cup of honey, lemon, and ginger) until you retire to a bath (where a candle heats fragrant essential oils) and a bed (warmed by a hot-water bottle).

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Shreyas
(Bengaluru, Karnataka):
Simplicity is the catchword, but attention to detail is never compromised. Relaxed, minus any ostentatious predictability attached to most spas, Shreyas believes in detoxifying the spirit as much as the body. This is as perfect as it can get.