DECISIONS, DECISIONS ...

In the face of two excellent travel providers, how does one decide which way to go?  Click HERE for the process and outcome. 

Kruger National Park, 2016

UDAIPUR: LAST STOP IN INDIA (Part 5 in a Series)

Any and all questions about Indian hospitality, service and generosity were permanently cemented at the Jaipur airport prior to the short flight to Udaipur for our final stay in India.  We left the terminal via shuttle on the tarmac for the walk to our Spicejet prop plane.  Once strapped in but prior to departure, I could not find my camera bag containing not one but two cameras.   Good lord, why was the bag NOT on my shoulder as it had been since leaving the hotel??!

The hubby jumped up and alerted the flight attendant to contact the terminal folks so they could search the area where we had been sitting. Outcome?  Found right where I left it, placed on a dedicated shuttle, and returned to me at my seat.  Theft is clearly not an issue among these wonderful folks. 

But pity the poor pilot who hitched a ride on our flight and took the seat next to me. Surely he wasn't anticipating the slew of questions (are these planes safe?  how long have you been flying? and on and on). Typically needless worry; the flight was short and uneventful.  

The entrance to the Oberoi Udaivilas was by a small hotel tender across Lake Pichola. From quite a distance, evidence of the four-day wedding extravaganza taking place at nearly every venue in the area could be seen in all full spendor. 

Grand entrance to the wedding luncheon

The bride is second from left Three Jews crash an Indian wedding ... appropriately attired; no?

Inside the swag area.  Pedicure anyone?

As talked about in the previous post, we were "invited" to attend as we were just about the only guests in the hotel not there for the wedding. We ventured into the arrival area and the massive tent constructed for the day's luncheon hosted by the bride.  Beautiful silk bags were being handed out to the female guests, and I was given one in navy. Want the definition of chutzpah?  I asked for a different color -- pale grey. No harm; no foul.  

There was a separate area for different types of "swag" -- everything from colorful bracelets to henna painting to pedicures and mini massages.  It's hard to describe the detail, but clearly the most colorful and beautiful event imaginable. 

I thought this was a tribute to a lost loved one.  Turns out it was for the caterer, indeed alive and well and brought in from Thailand.  A very small corner shown below of the incredible food and dessert spread.

We were told that there could be 60-70 of these weddings from October-May, which is the high season. It is clearly a huge business, what with wedding planners, caterers, decor and you name it.  Get this -- for all of you who have wedding plans in the future -- the groom's family paid for all of the guests' accommodations, buying out every 5-star hotel in the area.  A little background digging by yours truly discovered the father of the groom can well afford it; he is the wealthiest man in Nepal. Travel companion/Aunt Judy Stone dug up this article providing more wedding and guest list details.  Coincidentally, two days later we flew from Delhi to Colombo (capital of Sri Lanka).  Someone pointed out the Prime Minister on the plane a few feet away. But via commercial transport?? Mon dieu!

Flowers and glorious decor inside and outside the tent.

Wedding festivities notwithstanding, we used the two days in Udaipur to relax in a gorgeous setting, although the hubby and Aunt Judy did a half day of sightseeing in the older part of Udaipur City including the palace.  But our fascination with the whole scene was a big part of the experience.  As the hubby says, women love two subjects:  weddings and babies!  Can't say he's wrong about that...

Spa pool just out side our room, with the lake in the background.

A member of the lovely and hospitable staff.

Hotel front

Last night together ... in the lobby of the hotel en route to the Leela Palace for dinner

City Palace viewed across Lake Pichola by day and by night

My final thoughts on 10 pretty incredible days in India:

1) I can't recommend highly enough andBeyond (in particular our planner Devika Surie) and The Oberoi Hotels for their extraordinary care of us;  

2) We traveled very well with Aunt Judy from NYC!  She may have 10 years on us, but she was game for everything. We had a great time together;  

3) Nearly every time I thanked someone for something in India, I got this response: "Madam, it's a pleasure."  The pleasure was all ours ...

Next stop for the hubby and me: The Magnificent Maldives.

A GRAND JOURNEY BEGINS IN DEHLI (Part 1 in a Series)

The annual privilege of uttering three favorite words for the hubby and me arrived April 18th: "And we're off!"  And where to?   First (and first visit) to India; southwest to the magnificent Maldives; east via flights through Sri Lanka and Singapore (been there but no time to stop this trip) to Western Australia to visit Perth and exploring the wine area; finally north en route back home with roughly 26 hours in Hong Kong (i.e., plenty of time to do damage).   

 

How was the decision made?  Bucket list?  Yes, in the case of the Maldives (anybody NOT want to go there??).  As for India, that became much more "doable" upon learning that the company used for last year's African adventure -- the sensational andBeyond -- also specializes in India.  As for Perth?  The hubby has a client whose family is in the wine biz there, so voila.  And it's not much further traveling there from where we were than if you were heading west from Sydney (visited in 2010, along with Melbourne, Cairns and New Zealand). I mean, once we were already in the "neighborhood," why not?

As for the India details, we'll concentrate our time in the area known as "The Golden Triangle" shown below.

The hubby and I tend to make the big spring trip just the two of us.  For this one, we're very happy to have Aunt Judy Stone joining us from New York.  This is Judy's first India trip as well. While she and her husband are avid travelers, he is among many who have no interest in India.   Remarkably, Judy's eastbound flight and our westbound flights arrived in Delhi within minutes of each other. Wonders of modern air travel!  We'll have a fascinating 10 days together before she heads home and we proceed on our way.

After a "swift" 23 hours total (LAX-Hong Kong-Delhi), we were transported to the Lodhi Hotel on the border between the old and new sections of the city.  A beautifully modern structure, with a plunge pool standard for all accommodations, we were happy to arrive and greet Judy in the 2-br suite.  The hardest part is acclimating to the local time (+12.5 hrs from LA).  The goal for day 1. is a bit of sightseeing, a trip to the spa, and early night, then progressively gearing up. With the heat index at 110F, that was all any of us were up to doing. But, you know, at least no humidity ... 

Clockwise from upper right:  In the Lodhi Hotel lobby; Humayan's Tomb built prior to the Taj Mahal but also as a shrine to a spouse; War Memorial; President's residence

I love this group of school kids on the grounds of Humayan's Tomb getting in close for a selfie.

Serious stuff in front of the President's palace.

A quintessential experience of India was the visit to the Old Dehli marketplace and Spice Market.  I'm no lover of 100+ temperatures with wall-to-wall vehicles and people, but this was not to be missed.  Our guide told us that, appearances notwithstanding, many of the "stores" have been been in the same family for generations and provide quite a nice living.  

	Clockwise from upper left: En route to Old Dehli in typical traffic; getting ready for prayers at the Mosque; Jalebis which you'll know if you saw the movie Lion (I did on the plane!); Judy & I in necessary coverings at the Mosque

Wires and cables galore in Old Dehli; looking over the hubby's shoulder in traffic so close you can touch the passing vehicle.

At the Lodhi Hotel in Delhi with our incredible trip arranger from andBeyond, Devika Surie, and equally sensational Delhi guide, Gagan Anand.  Off to Agra ...!

AFRICA, PART 1: CAPE TOWN AND MORE

It is finally time to utter some of my favorite words:  "And, we're off!" Every year at this time, the hubby finishes tax season (for which I thank him profusely) and we are fortunate to take off to yet another planned out, thought through, thoroughly explored part of the world for roughly three weeks.  This year it is South Africa, Zimbabwe and four days of lying on the beach in Mauritius (not shown, but further out in the Indian Ocean).  Lucky us, indeed.

And then there is the getting there ... it is a long way, no matter what route is employed.  In this case, it was via AA and BA: LAX with plane change in Dallas, about 8 hours in London and finally arriving in Cape Town after 36 hours. Kudos to BA's first class cabin. I don't recall how this leg ended up being a true first class experience -- the other two were business; all three using miles-- but it was great.  PJ's, blanket (both of which I kept) and really good food ("to your liking"); but the best was when the staff made the seat into a flat bed complete with sheet and comforter.  That made the 11.5 hours extremely comfy to say the least.

Some shots from the BA flight to Cape Town above;
below is our travel journal and messenger bag courtesy of andBeyond

For this particular journey, my step-by-step path was recounted in a previous post. In short, I was fortunate to have been referred to the company andBeyond, whose planning and guidance proved to be invaluable. Planner extraordinaire Kirsten was amazing, patient, informative and now retired (hope it wasn't me!). The CEO of andBeyond is Joss Kent, whose father founded the iconic Abercrombie and Kent. Joss left A&K and went to their biggest competitor, which I think you might find to be an interesting story.

Our four days in the Cape Town area were based at the One and Only Hotel right on the V&A Waterfront -- walkable and safe for shops, restaurants and getting the lay of the land.  You can read about how we "crashed" a Passover Seder the day we arrived, recounted in another post. Below are photos from the hotel, including a turn-down service wishing us a Happy 30th (not until August but much appreciated!).

The hotel grounds top; extraordinary turn-down with early anniversary wishes

A must-see in the area is The Old Biscuit Mill particularly on Saturday mornings where it is an insane scene of food stalls, arts & crafts and wall-to-wall people.  This was among the main sights seen and enjoyed as we navigated around the city in our rental car while becoming reacquainted with driving on "the wrong side" -- particularly when making turns.   That can be most challenging.

A fabulous and interesting dinner was right in the same area, at The Test Kitchen, the only restaurant on the African continent listed on the World's 50 Best. The booking was made as far in advance as allowed, which turned out to be fortuitous.  I was told repeatedly how difficult it is to get in; in fact, Ellen DeGeneres made quite a stink last year when they would not accommodate her and wife Portia -- the story made the local press.

 

The drive around the Cape of Good Hope is also a must-see.  Eagerly anticipated was the visit to Boulders Beach in Simontown at the penguin colony.  They are abundant in numbers.  Fortunately for both the tourists and the penguins, barriers are set up providing protection from getting too close (their beaks are sharp and they might bite).  What is it about them that is so captivating?  

 

"Baboon crossing" signs along the highway were a good thing.  The traffic stopped dead as the animals emerged on the side of the road and indeed crossed.  Everyone warned us not to feed the baboons as they can become aggressive, so the windows stayed up (except for a few pix).  The Cape itself is breathtaking, as is False Bay.  We took the funicular up near the top while many others braved the steep terrain by hiking up to the original lighthouse or down the sloping rocks.

Baboons above; Cape of Good Hope below followed by a view of False Bay

I am proud to have braved the Cape wheel (with enclosed cabins) for a sweeping view of Table Mountain and Lions Head as I am not a lover of heights. It was worth it on a gorgeous, clear day.   Our last dinner was at The Butcher Shop for steaks cut and served "to your liking."  We are loving the exchange rate in South Africa.  The cost of the prix-fixe dinner at The Test Kitchen was about half what it was at comparable restaurants in Spain last year.  The steak dinner with wine plus 20% tip: about $65 usd.   Good for us; not so good for this country.  Off we go exploring the Cape winelands, to be covered in the next post.

PLANNING A TRIP TO AFRICA

I am an adept travel planner -- both for myself and for clients -- and likewise undaunted by it.  The hubby and I tackle fairly ambitious itineraries for three weeks each spring, and I do all the planning.  None of these trips are with groups nor are they via cruise ships, and many involve driving wherever we go.  But when it came to planning the upcoming trip to Africa, I'll admit I needed to call in the heavy artillery.  How does one even begin to decide where to go on this massive continent with 54 countries?  Obviously one can rule out those on the travel advisory/warning lists, but that still leaves a huge number of countries offering safaris and destinations friendly to tourists.   Alas, what to do.  Forthwith, my step-by-step ...  First, who do you know that's been to Africa who travels in a similar manner to yours?  Whenever I encountered someone I knew who had been, I did some brain-picking:  Where did you go?  How long?  What time of year?  Did you use a travel company?  Likes and dislikes? How did you fly there?  But - and this is a big but - as with anything you can spend all your time collecting information that does nothing more than serve to be confusing.  Outline a basic framework and stick to it!  Don't be susceptible to constantly changing your mind by adding yet another piece of info.  Through trusted contacts (beginning in 2014) I was referred to three invaluable resources:  DK Grand Safaris, African Travel Resources and the company ultimately chosen: andBeyond.  From there I was on my way.  Note, like getting to Africa itself from Los Angeles (28 to 30+ hours or more), this is not a short process ..  Once you decide on who you are going to work with, narrow down your choice of countries to a few and then go deep into finding out which work best for your particular goals.  A big one is the time of year you want to or can travel, because heavy rains can play a big part.  Obviously cost is another big one ... and this is not a budget destination for sure.   Another key point is determining how to get to where you are going.  I am a strategic, long-range planner regarding award seats with a pretty great track record.  Many times the itinerary is planned based on the best air and then settling on the ground game, so to speak.  We are flying through London and then south to Cape Town as our starting point; coming home is from Johannesburg to Hong Kong for a completely different experience.  Options are key and I must give kudos to the folks at American Airlines for their help.   The potential downside to booking far in advance are the schedule changes. About six weeks out, I was reviewing our seat assignments (about which I am admittedly obsessed).  I couldn't access some info online so I called American and spent a good hour on the phone.  One flight had been changed, and I was concerned that any delay from our departure (not exactly a long-shot) would result in a missed connection with a domino effect.  I had them change us to an earlier flight which added a good connection cushion.  Had I not called ...! The takeaway is to reconfirm all your booking details!  Well worth the investment of time. In a little over two weeks, the hubby and I will be heading to Africa having been vaccinated, equipped with copious amounts bug repellent, stocked with extra camera batteries, neutral colored clothing, duffel bags, no jewelry, and a sense of adventure. Every person I spoke to who has been to this part of the world absolutely raved about the experience.  So I look forward to sharing my stories with you ...  Are you thinking about going somewhere but are stuck getting started? Do you need some ideas and/or expertise in planning your next adventure?   Instead of spending your valuable time, send me an email (travelwithterib@gmail.com) and let's see how I can help you!