Kovalam

• Best time to visit Kovalam is Dec-Jan. Christmas and New Yr celebration here is grand and looks exotic given the number of foreigner tourists.
• Beach is shallow and among the most playful in India. Hotels are numerous so a deal is possible on last minute booking.
• Dont miss top view from lighthouse. It closes down early. Dont miss the Poovar Island trip. It adds to the charm of Kovalam.

Last time I came to Kovalam was with college friends on the eve of new year of 2008. It was a short and not so sweet stay at this lovely beach town. The way foreigners, specially white people, are preferred by restaurants here will give you a pretty good feeling of how apartheid felt like in South Africa. This time around the plan was to stay longer and experience a little more. Kovalam is more of a landmark in the 5000 miles long sea shore that belongs to India.

Sea View from Lighthouse @ Kovalam

Kanyakumari

• Sunset is among the most beautiful I have seen anywhere. The crowd throngs at the main beach to watch the sea gulp the sun slowly.
• Ferry ride to Vivekanand Rock has pros and cons. While the island and adjacent Thiruvalluvar Statue are worth the visit, the queues are a killer on both sides.
• There are several food joints along the beach facing the sea with authentic south Indian cuisine worth trying.

Trip: Bangalore > Kanyakumari > Kovalam > Trivandrum > Rameswaram > Bangalore

Kanyakumari is like one of those beautiful Russian spies. Allow them to nudge you and you will bleed dry. Stay game and you will be allowed to play a little. Fate let us arrive at this southern most tip of peninsular India on a Christmas morning.

Vivekananda Rock & Thiruvalluvar Statue

Ajmer Sharif

Jaipur - Ajmer - Chittorgarh - Udaipur

• Ajmer Sharif is one the most crowded place we have been to. Park at your hotel or before you enter the area.
• There are tiered entries. The less you have to offer, the longer queue you will be asked to join. Offering at different prices is available in the market leading to the shrine.

It was a whirlwind drive that took us out of the labyrinthine roads of Udaipur to the expansive hill fort of Chittorgarh, to the crowded Ajmer Sharif and finally halted at a modest accommodation in Jaipur all in one day. We drove close to 200 miles, spent decent time in each of the four cities and still managed a breakfast and a dinner.

Way to Ajmer Sharif

Jain Temple, Ranakpur

• Ranakpur is 50 miles from Udaipur. A private vehicle will be handy to cover nearby Kumbhalgarh Fort as well in a single day. Start early.
• The Jain Temple does not allow entry in shorts or half pants hence dress fully. The campus also offers delicious thali at bare minimum charges.
• Do take an SLR to capture the intricate marble work. You need to pay nominal camera charges along with entry fee, all of which goes to maintain this magnificent structure.

The next morning we started for Ranakpur. It's 90 km from Udaipur through a tortuous but smooth road mostly into hills. The place is famous for Ranakpur Jain Temple which has exquisite carvings on marble. Whatever we had heard about this place was going to be dwarved by what we were going to witness.

Elaborate ceiling carvings @ Ranakpur

Udaipur

Jaipur - Ajmer - Chittorgarh - Udaipur

• Book a hotel on the lake side preferably facing the palace. This would also mean you are in the old part of Udaipur which has a different air about it.
• The City Palace is among the most preserved ones I have seen. The paintings and even utensils are kept for view. Area around palace is also full of artistic work.
• Go for Monsoon Palace for the sunset. There is a restaurant at the top that serves good snacks which along with the location makes it very special.

We reached Udaipur by noon and started searching for a suitable hotel. It was serendipitous for us to find Hotel Lake Pichola at such short notice. It is one of the hundreds of hotel adjacent to Pichola Lake but also has a view of palatial complex across the lake. Our room was modest in a royal fashion.

City Palace across Hotel Lake Pichola @ Udaipur