Wake and smell the coffee in Coorg!

What a way to start your day!

'The Plantation Trails' by Tata Coffee involves heritage bungalows, Coorg and coffee plantations. Its charming colonial properties located amid Tata's coffee plantations in Coorg paint a beautiful picture.  

You can choose from the many majestic bungalows Tata has here: Cottabetta Bungalow, Thaneerhulla Bungalow, Woshully Bungalow, Thaneerhulla Cottage, Surgi Bungalow and Glenlorna Bungalow.

Thaneerhulla Bungalow

The full bungalow comes with a small garden and sit-out and its rooms have attached bath, TV and air-conditioning. Every bungalow has a common living room and dining area. The bungalows even come with a butler and cook! Only if real life was like that too.

Apart from just lounging around, you can also take the ‘Bean to Cup’ plantation guided tour. Otherwise the mighty Irpu Falls is also close by.

Cottabetta Cottage

If you're also spiritually inclined, you could visit the nearby pilgrimage centre of Talacauvery and a quiet Buddhist town of Bylakuppe. There's also Nagarahole National Park close by but I personally am against tourists visiting wildlife safaris. 

Tata Coffee also has a private 9-hole golf course along with a neighboring sports center. 

Plantation Trails is a 5-hour drive from Bangalore.

 

Contact details
P: +91 (080) 2356 0761/ 2356 0695-97 (Extension 118)
E: reach.plantationtrails@tatacoffee.com 

Awesome waterfalls to visit in India this monsoon

Dudhsagar Falls, Goa
The Dudhsagar is one of world's most exquisite falls, also known as ocean of milk due to the transformation of the water colour from blue to white as it crashes to the bottom. The Dudhsagar Falls are located in the eastern border of Goa and Karnataka, 60 km from Margoa. A railway track is built right in the middle of the falls which looks magnificent. The Waterfall can be reached both by road and rail from Panaji. The blockbuster hit Chennai Express was shot there. 
Hotels.com recommends: Ramada Caravela Beach Resort (4*) 1 hr 40 min from waterfall. Save up to 30% on your stay. Rooms at Ramada Caravela Beach Resort are available from Rs 5,624*per room per night.

Dudhsagar Falls

Cheeyappara Waterfall, Kochi
Cheeyappara waterfall is also called the 'Wonder fall' of Kerala. Witness the cascading water down the seven steps of this Cheeyappara. A lot of people come here for trekking as well. Mornings are the best time to visit. You can reach here by bus, taxi or auto-rickshaws from Cochin city.
Hotels.com recommends: Hotel Millennium Continental Kochi (3.5)* 2hrs from waterfall
Save up to 20% on your stay. Rooms at Hotel Millennium Continental are available from Rs.3,272*per room per night.

Cheeyappara Falls

Jog Falls, Karnataka
Often called the Gersoppa Falls and Jogada Gundi, Jog Falls are the second-highest waterfall in India located at Sagara, Karnataka. What makes it even more interesting is its width and the force with which the water falls. 
Hotes.com recommends: Wild Woods Spa & Resort, Yedthare- 1 hr 40 min from waterfall. Rooms available from Rs 5,993* per room per night.

Jog Falls

Athirapally Falls, Kerala
The beauty of this fall has been beautifully captured in Mani Ratnam’s movie 'Raavan' starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. Athirapally Falls is also known as the ‘Niagara of India’. In addition to the gorgeous waterfall the area also has an abundance of wildlife, deep valley and dense greenery. Best time to visit is between September and May.
Hotels.com recommends: Vedic Village Resorts (3.5*) 1 hr from the waterfall. Rooms at Vedic Village Resorts are available from Rs 7,325*per room per night.
 

Athirapally Falls

Kune Falls, Lonavala
Lonavala-Khandala region is blessed with several beautiful waterfalls during the monsoons. Kune falls stand out because of its beauty. The Kune Falls measures 100 meters and splits into three before descending into the valley. The area is surrounded by thick forest making it a perfect for hiking.
Hotels.com recommends: Citrus Lonavala (3.5*). 10 minutes from the waterfall. Save up to 15% on your stay. Rooms available from Rs 5,112* per room per night. 

Kune Falls

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Bounce, bounce, bounce in Wales!

Wales will soon get the world’s biggest underground trampoline.

A huge slate cavern in Snowdonia, North Wales has been installed with the world’s biggest underground trampoline, which is set to open on July 4. This giant underground playground is the first of its kind in the world.

'Bounce Below' has three huge trampolines hung in the old slate cavern at varying levels, linked together by 60 ft slides.

You will be taken to the impressive 100 x 60 foot cavern by an old mining train and kitted out in special overalls and a helmet before being let loose in the caves to bounce, climb and slide!

The walls will be lit with technicoloured lights. Looks pretty psychedelic! The LEDs highlight the beauty of the underground cavern, which was apparently dug out by hand for 4,500 hours to remove 500 tons of rubble in a process akin to the slate mining that took place there.

'Bounce Below' is located at the world’s largest zip-lining zone - Zip World Titan site - near the historic town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. 

At the site is the Slate Caverns which offers tours 500 feet underground to discover the dangerous mining past of these mysterious 170-year old caverns. A new ‘Deep Mine’ tour was unveiled in April 2014 including caverns which had not been seen for decades.

Tickets cost £15 per person (introductory rate). Visit the 'Bounce Below' site for more information or book tickets. 

A wee bit oo' craic in Ireland!

For those who don't know, it's pronounced 'crack'. And for the others who don't know what that means in Irish parlance, it means... no, not that! It means fun!

No one really needs a reason to visit Ireland - we just need some money - but a great time to travel there is during festival time. It's a good thing they have loads of it!

Ireland is a nation of festivals the year round, but in the summer there are literally hundreds going on, with dozens on an average weekend. Here’s a guide to some of the best summer festivals in 2014.

July
Fantastic urban vibes
Every year, acts from around the globe head to Dublin and Cork to compete for the Street Performance World Championship (Dublin, 11-13 July; Cork, 19-20 July). You will see jaw-dropping jugglers, acrobatics, sword swallowers, balloon artists, food venders and all sorts of quirky art installations.

In Dublin, the action takes place in Merrion Square; in Cork it centres on Fitzgerald Park. The audiences vote for their favourite performers on site and the act with the most public votes is crowned champion. What fun!

Unique Scots-Irish culture
A thunderous roar will resound from glen to glen for the Dalriada Festival in County Antrim (13 – 19 July). This culture fest is dedicated to the shared Irish-Scots heritage that makes Northern Ireland so distinctive. The setting is a joy – the grounds of Glenarm Castle in the rugged Glens of Antrim.

The festival kicks off with the Champion of Champions Highland Games, which sees the thunder of Scotland come to Northern Ireland to pit strongman against strongman. A high quality musical line-up includes chart-topper Nathan Carter who will headline on 13 July with special guests. The Dalriada Sessions will also feature traditional music from Haste to the Wedding, gypsy jazz swing from Manouche Swing and an award winning Jonny Cash and June Carter Show.

The sporting action includes Super Endurocross, a beach mounted rally, Dalriada Wipeout, Kids Duathalon and a fun run. There will also be traditional entertainment, food, games and local culture at the Auld Hirin’ Fair. Across the festival visitors will be treated to celebrity chef demos, the world’s only Chic Sheep Fashion Show, a craft village, fine food and of course dancing.

The festival will give one final roar as its closes on Sunday, 19 July with spectacular fireworks, street entertainment, rowing regatta, fancy dress parade, live music and lots more.

Epic artistry and culture
The Galway Arts Festival (14 – 27 July) is Ireland’s largest annual arts festival, taking place every July in the city of Galway on Ireland’s west coast.

Galway Arts Festival is a stunning fortnight of cultural activity and celebration bringing a palpable vibrancy to the cobble-stoned streets of a city known the world over for its friendly people, shopping and nightlife. Hundreds of writers, artists, performers and musicians will gather in Galway to create theatre, spectacle, street art, music, comedy, literature and music.

Theatre highlights this year include the world premiere of a major new play by one of Ireland’s leading playwrights Enda Walsh. Marking the return of Irish star Cillian Murphy to the stage, Ballyturk isgut-wrenchingly funny and achingly sad, and features jaw-dropping moments of physical comedy.

Following its world premiere at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre, the Festival’s co-production of Chapatti, by acclaimed Irish playwright Christian O’Reilly, can also be seen at Galway’s Town Hall Theatre from 15 –27 July.

On the musical front Brooklyn based indie rock band The National will headline the Festival Big Top stage on 16 July, while the reigning queen of rockabilly, Imelda May, will also return (18 July). Irish rock band The Coronas are also are set to play and they will be joined by upcoming Irish band Walking on Cars on 19 July.

August
Celebrating a literary giant
The Happy Days Festival (31 July – 10 August) celebrates the work and influence of Irish Nobel Prize-winning writer Samuel Beckett. It takes place annually in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, where Beckett spent his formative years attending Portora Royal School.

Ireland’s only island town, Enniskillen is at the heart of the Fermanagh Lakelands, amidst some of the most beautiful landscape in Europe. There will be 10 full days of Beckett mania in this setting this year, including two different productions of Beckett’s 'Waiting for Godot'.

Classical music, the popular talks series, visual art installations, theatre, readings and the FAB (Fooling around Beckett) comedy and slapstick programme will also form part of this major cultural event.

International street arts
The Spraoi Festival is Ireland’s specialist street theatre and spectacle event, taking place in medieval Waterford (1-3 August).

Spraoi, pronounced ‘spree’, is the Irish word for fun, exuberance and celebration, and this is the inspiration for some 200 street theatre and music performances, mostly free and family-friendly, taking place over the three festival days.

This one is about live music, street theatre and the main event, the Spraoi Parade, one of the most anticipated outdoor arts performances in Ireland. The parade lights up Waterford with a colourful mix of fancy dress costumes, exotic floats and impressive special effects. It regularly attracts 30,000 spectators of all ages as it winds through Waterford’s ancient streets and historic buildings.

Founded by the Vikings in 914, Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city and all through 2014 is celebrating its 1100th anniversary. Major attractions such as the Viking Triangle, the House of Waterford Crystal, the award-winning Waterford Museum of Treasures which includes three uniquely historic sites: the Bishop’s Palace, Medieval Museum and Reginald’s Tower, are well worth experiencing after Spraoi time.

A true experience of Ireland
The All-Ireland Fleadh, the world’s greatest traditional Irish music festival returns to Sligo in 2014 (10-17 August).

This one is a stimulating, family-friendly week of Irish cultural entertainment featuring music competitions, hundreds of pub and street sessions, pageants, concerts, singing, dancing, busking, marching and ceili bands, as well as fun-days, plays, street theatre and tours.

Attracting thousands of musicians and hundreds of thousands visitors every year, the annual Fleadh was originally established to set standards in Irish traditional music through musical competition but has developed into a much wider cultural experience.

And for those who just want to know more about craic, read here!

Recipe: Lavender chocolate and dates torte

Okay, fine! So, I'm branching out!

Here's a recipe of a lovely dates and chocolate torte, which i love. I have beautiful childhood memories of monopolising an entire box that had home-made date torte except that it had a lot of almonds and pistachios. 

This recipe is by Dr Soundararajan P, corporate executive chef at Mahindra Holidays & Resorts.

Lavender chocolate and dates torte
(A lavender-flavored dense cake made with chocolate, dates and cashew nuts)

Dried dates: 100gm
Cashew nuts: 100gm
Milk chocolate: 200gm
Egg white: ½ no
Lavender essence: Few drops
Sugar: 1 tsp

Method
• Chop dried dates, cashew nuts, milk chocolate to the size of a brunoise 
• Beat the egg white with sugar to the foam consistency 
• Mix all chopped ingredients along with beaten egg white and add lavender essence 
• Pour in the mould or baking tray, which is already greased 
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 160 degree C
• Serve warm with your choice of garnish

Australia beckons all Epicureans!

Australia is leaving none of the senses untouched. Appealing to all gourmandizers out there who will do anything for a plate of good food, Tourism Australia has launched a campaign that promotes food and wine experiences from around the country.

Dining with the tides, Orpheus Island, Queensland

Called ‘Restaurant Australia,’ the new $10 million campaign showcases Australia as the world’s greatest restaurant.  

Their research shows that, and foodies will agree with me, food and wine is a key factor in holiday decision-making and an important emotive trigger for influencing people’s destination choice.

Picnicking in the Barossa Valley with fresh local produce, South Australia

If you're planning to visit Australia anytime soon and want to get involved with this delicious campaign, click the 'Restaurant Australia' website.

Select the region you will be visiting and find out which are the top local restaurants and wineries you can indulge at!

Happy masticating!

Indian restaurant at The Venetian Macao

Many travelers are now opting to try local cuisine while traveling rather than seek Indian dishes. But for one such traveler are 100 others who still demand Indian food. This post if for them!

If you find yourself in this now-overly-commercialised-city often referred to as the Las Vegas of the Far East, you could throw in a visit to The Venetian. It is an experience. And while there, when you feel the need to fill your stomach, which you will because you will get tired walking around, look for The Golden Peacock restaurant.

This Michelin-starred Indian restaurant has recently launched a new vegetarian and non-vegetarian a la carte menu which includes:

* Sona Mor Shikampuri, made of bananas, sweet potatoes and golden apricot

* Kandari Murgh Tikka, organic chicken boiled with beetroots and served with pomegranate

* Goa-style Scallop Ambot Tik, pan-fried Scottish scallops served on spicy tomato jam

* Dal Sath Nizam, made of seven kinds of lentils, pink onion, royal cumin, tomato and Kashmiri chilli

* Badal-e-Jaam, baked Italian purple eggplants served with homemade yogurt and sour cream 

Dessert lovers will not want to miss their Assam Tea Chocolate, Sandalwood Ice Cream and Coconut Lychee Mousse.

 

The restaurant's one-star listing in the Michelin Guide to Restaurants and Hotels Hong Kong & Macau 2014 edition says “a very good restaurant in its category,” and “a place offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard.” 

It is also one of only nine Indian restaurants worldwide currently starred by Michelin, and the only one in Asia. Which is ironic - the only Michelin-starred Indian restaurant is not even in India. 

The ingredients are imported direct from India and the dishes are created by a team of chefs that includes 13 from India, led by Kerala-native Chef Justin Paul. 

For reservations or private events, email goldenpeacock.reservation@venetian.com.mo

The 7-year old hotel is famous for its replicas of the famous canals and architectural icons of Venice. It has 3,000 suites, more than 30 restaurants, 1.2 million square feet of convention and meeting facilities as well as a 15,000-seat Cotai Arena designed for events. 

 

Celebrate Diwali at Times Square

If you live in New York and miss celebrating Diwali with your family, come to Times Square this September and celebrate it with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). And some white and desi strangers.

Like last year, MTDC will again re-create the atmosphere of Diwali at Times Square on September 20. There will be vendors serving Indian food, with fashion shows and live performances from celebrities like Rishi Kapoor, his wife Neetu Singh, and son Ranbir Kapoor.

The festivities will begin at noon and will include a variety of Indian food, dance workshops, Indian arts and crafts, a fashion show, photo booths with ethnic outfits, celebrities and more. 

To see last year's event, see some YouTube videos. Check out the Diwali At Times Square website for more details.

India snapshots win NZ bank teller award

Joshua Donnelly, who has been working as a bank teller at ANZ in New Zealand since the last 10 years, was named the Cathay Pacific Travel Photographer of the Year. And his award-winning photograph was shot in India last year!

Joshua Donnelly

Donnelly, a former travel agent, has travelled the world extensively. He has only been taking photos seriously since 2009 and he beat a field of professional photographers for the award.

He entered four photos into the competition. Three had been previously published in a photography magazine. "India has always intrigued me. I always thought I had to do it; I was a bit scared because the perception is it's dirty and filthy, but it was amazing," he said.

Women at Jama Masjid, Delhi

He was here for two weeks and said the photos he took reflected capturing people "in the moment". In a black and white photo taken at Jama Masjid in New Delhi, he said he needed to wait until the right time to capture the atmosphere. "I didn't want any tourists in there, so I waited for quite a bit. I think it has a very authentic feel to it."

Another photo shows a man sewing rice sacks together in Tordigarh. 

Man sewing rice sacks

He had previously got $5000 for winning a House of Travel photography competition, which he spent on the trip to India. Next on his travel list is Cambodia for which he won flights in this competition.

Donnelly said he wants to return to India - "it's one of the greatest places to photograph."

Do you love Kenya?

Even though you need Yellow Fever shots to go there and sometimes its just not that safe to travel, and the fact that you haven't really been there, you will still love Kenya! The world’s leading safari destination is beautiful!

And to recover from the declining arrivals because of the political instability, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), aka Magical Kenya, has launched a global online media campaign under the hashtag #WhyILoveKenya to garner support from travellers worldwide. 

See what's happening here on Twitter now.

Fact is, unlike India, Kenya has largely been safe for visitors. KTB will be engaging audiences to send goodwill messages accompanied with images of tourist sites through the social media platform.

The tourism board expects tourism to improve during the annual wildebeest migration in Masai Mara Game Reserve. 

Let's hope it does. Meanwhile, show your solidarity with Kenya! Follow @magicalkenya 

Can you ignore Thailand's biggest shopping festival?

Even though the curfew has been lifted in Thailand and the destination is now as safe as ever to visit, travellers are still wary. But will they be able to bypass the 'Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2014' touted to be the biggest ever so far? 

A record 15,000 establishments in seven of Thailand’s cities are participating in this sale which will be held between 15 June and 15 August, 2014. In fact. the Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a special website to promote the annual shopping event, which will be held in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Samui.

Participants include department stores, shopping centres, hotels, spa and beauty, golf courses, entertainment centres and restaurants.

The website also features shopping tips to help visitors get better deals, understand the VAT refund process and avoid buying sub-standard products. A special section has also been created to promote the locally-made products that goes towards supporting local artisans.

There are two activities during the 'Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2014':
• Up to 80% discounts at department stores, shopping centres, spas, hotels, etc

• Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Shopping Challenge; On June 18, 2014, celebrities from various fields from Asian countries will have a shopping competition in participating complexes and centres. A total of 15 teams from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar,Taiwan, China, Japan and Korea are competing this year. The winner team will receive a cash prize of 100,000 Baht.  

This year’s event has also been enhanced by two lucky draw prizes of Travel 365 days in Thailand for two couples (one from abroad, one local) to enjoy a trip within Thailand. 

So.... do you want to be part of Thailand's tourism recovery?

Stroll Florida's coastline with this Beach Finder!

The tourism board of Florida has launched online tools - namely the Beach Finder and Street View in Google Maps - to allow armchair travelers to virtually walk miles of beautiful beaches from Miami Beach to lesser-known sanctuaries like Cayo Costa in the Sunshine State.

Here’s how it works. 

'Tune' your preferences in four ranges of beach personalities. You could choose between 'Action-packed' and 'Secluded' depending upon your moon. Or maybe somewhere in between? Florida Beach Finder immediately delivers visual choices that match your input. Every time you tweak the tuner, the options change on your screen.

You can also 'walk' the Florida beaches with the new immersive Street View imagery in Google Maps.

For this, Visit Florida and Google collaborated on a four-month trek to photograph Florida’s beaches. The same technology that lets viewers mouse around their city streets and tour monuments now lets us to view the sand, sky and shorelines of the beaches to explore – all in 360-degree panorama!

With each beach, Florida Beach Finder users can absorb videos, photography and feature stories written by Florida journalists. 

An all-inclusive package at this Maldives resort is perfect for honeymooners!

Maldives is one of world's most romantic destinations for honeymooners and couples who want some alone time. And if you have a great all-inclusive package to boot, it can make a holiday even better!

Centara Grand Island Resorts & Spas in Maldives is located on its own island in the South Ari Atol! So you have the option of taking a seaplane from Malé airport and landing just off the resort's white beach! Oooh!

The all-inclusive program really does include everything, from champagne breakfasts through to sunset cocktails, and lazy times in the spa to exciting off-island excursions. I like the concept of all-inclusive because you don't have to worry about budgets and carrying wallets around.

Their water villa accommodation offers plenty of privacy and each villa has a balcony with steps that lead down to the lagoon from where you can snorkel together. 

If you are a honeymooning couple then you will get a bottle of sparkling wine on check-in along with a personal gift from the resort!  

You can do a lot here - like snorkeling and diving excursions, island trips, feeding the sting rays and swimming with whale sharks, banana boat rides and a host of water sports, fishing trips, and a sundowner cocktail party on the beach every evening.

Eat it!
The resort has a great choice of restaurants and lounges, with breakfast, lunch and dinner all included in the program. Azzuri Mare serves Italian cuisine, with an emphasis on seafood, Lotus serves Thai food and conducts Thai cooking classes, while Reef is an all-day diner serving international and Asian favorites.

All the restaurants serve wine, which again is included, as are the drinks available at the Coral Bar and the overwater Aqua Bar. The best part is that the minibars in all the accommodations are free and replenished daily!

If you want to surprise your partner, you can ask the resort to arrange for a private romantic dinner on a completely deserted beach, with oil lamps and candles laid out on the sand, a table for two, and butlers serving from a beach-side mobile kitchen. 

Contact: For more information and reservations, see their website here. For updates, check out their Facebook page and Twitter handle.