During our recent three-week trip to India, we toured a vast area of northern and central India and the large distances meant having to change hotels every two days. This allowed us to experience and compare different hotel experiences in a short amount of time. We stayed at hotels of each of several major luxury…
Interesting facts about the Sacred Cows of India!
We are all familiar with the ubiquitous presence of cows in the streets of India. Here are a couple of interesting facts about the sacred cows of India: Factoid #1: Did you know that the cows are considered a source of life not only for the milk they provide, but also for their dung,…
Want to go to Paradise? Well, we just found it!
Uncovered while visiting Humayun’s Tomb in New Delhi, the origin of the word “Paradise”. The Iranian Farsi word for “Walled Garden”, a treasured feature of the palaces of the time, is “Pairi Daeza”! Stay tuned to BonVoyageurs.com for more Countries of the World as we share our joie de vivre from around…
The Master Weavers of Mughal Town
The Master Weavers of Mughal Town in Varanasi India. Read our previous posting: “The colorful Ghats of Varanasi India” Every Indian girl, I am told, dreams of getting married in a Varanasi-woven silk saree. The art of weaving silk is a centuries-old tradition in Varanasi, passed on from generation to generation among the Moslem…
Varanasi India : The Colorful Ghats of Varanasi
Varanasi India On the western shore of the Ganges river, between the Varuna river on the north side and the Asi river on the south side, (hence the origin of the word Varanasi), lies one of the world’s most colorful and fascinating stretch of real estate, the ghats of Varanasi. Varanasi is one of the…
Mumbai India : the future of India at least for the men
Mumbai India. Even before we landed, the majestic skyline overlooking the Arabian sea made a powerful statement – Mumbai is one of the world’s financial and business capitals. Surely, it would be forward-focused on the future. I wasn’t surprised when we drove by the architecturally stunning Rajiv Ghandi sea link (bridge) reflecting the modernity of…
A Royal Welcome at the Taj Nadesar Palace !
Nadesar Palace. The Taj Nadesar Palace Hotel is a property owned by the maharajah of Varanasi and managed by Taj Hotels. There are only ten suites in this luxurious hotel. Ours happens to be the Queen Elizabeth Suite, so named because that is where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stayed on February 25th and…
Mumbai, the Vibrant Heart of Today’s India
The heavily visited cities of the Golden Triangle - Delhi, Jaipur, Agra - highlight the glories of India’s past with their forts, mausoleums and other centuries-old monuments. However, for a real sense of today’s India, head to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment capital of India. This metropolitan area of about 21 million…
Romantic Dinner at Jagmandir Island
Jagmandir Island Palace. Magical moments are what creates memorable vacations. Unfortunately, guidebooks don’t always help you discover the magic of a place. Enchanting Udaipur has the feel and charm of a resort town combined with the intrigue of a city steeped in history. The old city around the City Palace is filled with handicraft and…
Tiger : In Search of a Big Cat
Tiger. With CNN’s recent citing of Ranthambore National Park as India’s best park for “scenic tiger photos”, I was optimistic. We would actually get to see this majestic cat whose numbers are seriously dwindling. Or maybe we would have the privilege of encountering the famously reclusive leopard. Ranthambore is not in the traditional tourist golden…