Places to stay

Where you stay makes a big difference to how much you enjoy your trip. Here, I’m going to list all the places I’ve stayed at on my travels. I’ll provide phone numbers and Web links wherever I can. If you want to know something more about the place, you can always write to nabila.tazyeen@gmail.com and I’ll tell you more.

P.S: The two most important things I look for are 1. clean room 2. clean bathroom. Everything else is a luxury. So you’re bound to find places that are high-end and extremely basic. Just, preparing you. Oh, and also, the currency I refer to is Indian Rupees only.

Aurangabad

Meadows Resort. Spacious rooms, decent-sized bathrooms, double beds, 24 hour hot water supply, room service, restaurant attached. About 3,500 bucks per night on twin sharing basis, meals not included. Highly recommended.

Web site: http://themeadowsresort.com/

Coorg

Chang’s Estate, Polybetta. We had the bungalow across the road all to ourselves. Clean, great home food, surrounded by coffee plantations.

Dream Inn, Iruppu. Rooms are in a sort of outhouse, clean, basic. It’s approximately a kilometre’s walk to Iruppu Falls, one of the most picturesque falls in Coorg.

Bamboo Loft, Kushalnagar. Rooms are situated in a huge hut on stilts. Made entirely of bamboo. Clean, double bed, 24 hour hot water supply, home-cooked meals. Sometimes, wild elephants stray onto the property. (But I didn’t spot any.) About 2,500 bucks for one person for a night, inclusive of all meals.

Honey Valley, Kakabbe. Lovely home stay in the middle of mountains. Secluded, clean, budget rooms with a 360 view of the jungle. Most people who want to climb Coorg’s highest mountain make Honey Valley their base. About 1000 bucks per night on twin-sharing basis. Highly recommended.

Web site: http://honeyvalleyindia.in/

Dandeli

Hornbill River Resort. Large-sized property situated by the Kali river. They have independent tented cottages, bungalows and tree houses. Clean bathrooms, clean rooms, lip-smacking food. Ideal for a quiet getaway. Priced at 4,000 bucks (and more for the tree house) on twin-sharing basis. Highly recommended.

Web site: http://hornbillriverresort.in/

Delhi

Delhi Bed & Breakfast, New Friends Colony. This was the first time I stayed at a bed and breakfast and Delhi, and it’s not an experience I regret. Run by Pervez and his wife Lubna, it’s a lovely three-storey home with a little sit-out on the ground floor as well as the terrace. Clean rooms, clean bathrooms, home-cooked meals on request, and affordable. Breakfast included. And the best part? They’ll give you the inside view on places to shop, eat and see in Delhi! About 3300 bucks per night on twin-sharing basis. Highly recommended.

Web site: http://delhibedandbreakfast.com/

At the Airport, Sector 23, Dwarka. Service apartments with home-cooked food; located in a residential area, tasteful interiors, fairly spacious and clean rooms, decent-sized bathrooms (with a bath tub!), close to the Terminal 1 and the cantonment station. About 2,500 bucks per night on twin-sharing basis. Ideal for an overnight stay. Breakfast included.

Web site: http://attheairport.in/

Gokarna

Hotel Gokarna International. The staff was not very friendly, they screwed up on the room availability, but the rooms themselves are standard. Clean, double/single beds, large bathroom, 24 hour hot water supply. It’s biggest advantage: step out of the hotel and you’re on the beach. About 1000 bucks  a night on twin-sharing basis.

Goa

South Goa:

Holiday Inn, Cavelossim. Five star, so it comes with everything you can dream of – even its own private beach.

Web site: http://www.holidayinngoa.com/index.php

The Lalit Intercontinental Goa, Canacona. What can I say? The property is huge, with its own golf course, private beach, life-size chess board on the lawn, a decent-sized pool with an attached bar, and a discotheque. The rooms are spacious, the bathroom has a glass-enclosed shower and a tub with windows next to it that open out to the room and give you a view of the television. They’ve taken care of everything, so there’s no need for you to go anywhere else. Oh, and the last time I checked, it was a seven star.

Web site: http://www.thelalit.com/the-lalit-golf-and-spa-resort/overview

Soul Vacation, Colva. A concept hotel, fabulously done with a very Mediterranean look and feel. Rooms are extremely comfortable though not too big, bathroom is absolutely lovely, 24 hour hot water, room service, pool with a lounge bar attached, spa, the works. The advantage: it’s a two-minute walk from Colva Beach. Hard on the wallet, but worth the money. Highly recommended.

Web site: http://www.soulvacation.in/

The Retreat by Zuri, Varca. I think it’s called White Sands now, but no matter the change in name, the resort is quite stunning. Tastefully done up, comfortable rooms, not a very big bathroom, nice pool area with a sun deck, spa, restaurant, room service, television with cable. It’s pretty far away from the most happening places, though.

Web site: http://www.thezurihotels.com/group.html

Chattai Beach Resort, Palolem. Budget place with individual huts boasting sit-outs mostly on mezzanine level. The entire place is done up with bamboo and chattais with fluttering white muslin as curtains everywhere. the huts have double beds with a mosquito net, the bathrooms are big, clean and basic. You’ll have to carry your own toiletries. Overall, the place is beautiful, lush green, and surrounded by forest on one side and a beach on the other. Highly recommended.

Web site: http://www.chattai.co.in/

North Goa:

Hallmark, Baga Road. Basic, beautiful and surprisingly quiet for being right on Baga Road. The rooms are spacious and clean, the owners extremely sweet and accommodating, and the rates don’t go beyond 3500 bucks per night during peak season. It’s biggest advantage: Roll out of the place, and you’ll hit Kamaki in front of you, Cape Town to your right and Tito’s/Mambo’s to your left. It’s heaven for the party goers. Highly recommended.

Web site: http://www.hallmark-guesthouse.com/

Golden Eye Resort, Calangute. Clean and spacious rooms, clean bathrooms, 24 hour hot water supply, 45 seconds from the beach. The beach-facing rooms are situated in a modern building but there are rooms beyond that which are housed in a rustic-looking building made out of sea-stone. The view from the top floor rooms is beautiful. About 2500 bucks for a night on twin-sharing basis.

Web site: http://www.hotelgoldeneye.com/index.htm

Chalston Resort, Calangute. Quite a big four star property with a pool, restaurant, own beach section and spa. They have family rooms as well and offer a great view of the sea framed by swaying coconut trees. Rooms are spacious, bathrooms are normal-size and clean. The deluxe room costs about 4,500 bucks for a night on twin-sharing basis.

Web site: http://www.chalstoningoa.com/ 

Jaipur

Om Niwas, Bani Park. Their sister-hotel, Arya Niwas, is extremely popular with non-Indian as well as budget travellers, but I liked Om Niwas better. Exceptional service, extremely affordable, tastefully done rooms and bathrooms, finger-licking food. We stayed in the Family Suite (2 bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a kitchenette and a living room), and it cost us 4,500 per night. Breakfast included. Highly recommended.

Web site: http://omniwas.com/

Kodaikanal

Villa Retreat, Coaker’s Walk. Friendly staff, clean and well-maintained rooms. 24 hour hot water supply, room service. Independent cottage rooms are sort of tiny with a standard-size bathroom. The view from the rooms is breathtaking. Slightly expensive, but opt for the packages, they work out cheaper. Highly recommended.

Web site: http://www.villaretreat.com/kodaikanal/

Leh

Spic n’ Span Hotel, Old Leh. Clean and spacious rooms with heaters, clean bathrooms with running hot water, good food. And of course, a good view of the mountains from specific rooms. Very close to Leh Market. Room rates start at 4,000 bucks for twin-sharing.

Web site: http://www.spicnspanladakh.com/

Hotel Dragon, Old Leh. This is not the same as The Grand Dragon, which is a luxury hotel and costs about 7,000 bucks or more. Hotel Dragon is right next to Spic n’ Span and offers beautiful views of snow-capped mountains; I found it more charming than Spic n’ Span. Clean rooms with heaters and decent-sized bathrooms. Room rates start at 2,800 bucks for twin-sharing. Opt for rooms on the top-floor because the view is breathtakingly beautiful.

Mumbai

Transit, Vile Parle. A stone’s throw away from the domestic airport terminal – in fact, on the airport premises. Clean rooms – although slightly smaller than most other hotels I have been to, but it’s alright because it’s Mumbai – and clean bathrooms. Good food. Rooms start at 4500 bucks, so slightly hole-burning for the wallet. Is it worth the money they charge? Umm, not so sure.

Web site: http://www.hoteltransit.in/