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TRAVEL MAIL30 Mail Today, New Delhi, Sunday, July 3, 2011

by Shikha Mishra

TO SAY that Im a huge fanof Salman Khan would bean under statement. I havebeen obsessed with theactor since as far back as Ican remember. So it was

with extreme reluctance that I gaveaway my first day-first show ticket tohis latest blockbuster Ready to boarda flight to Kerala.

Landing in Kochi airport after a five-hourflight from Delhi, I was disoriented thanks toan interrupted dream of dancing with Mr Khanaround some coconut trees. But, a few min-

utes out of the airport into the fresh air soonfixed that!The hour-long drive to the historic

Fort Kochi area is bursting with gre-enery and giant hoardings of gold jew-ellery stores (a recurring theme onmost of the states highways) but isthe perfect way to ease into the slow-paced life in Kerala. We checked intoCGH Brunton Boatyard, that hasbeen resurrected from the remains ofan old shipyard and retains both thenautical theme and the colonial touch,thanks to the antiquepunkahs on thesweeping ceilings, old maps on thewalls and an iron anchor on the lawns.

There is no better way to exploreKochi than on foot, ambling alongslowly. Begin with the Dutch cemeterythat was consecrated in 1724 and ismanaged by the Church of SouthIndia. The haphazard tomb stonesstand testimony to the Europeanswho left their homeland to expand

their colonial empires. Take a left turnand you will reach the Jewish Syna-gogue with its numerous glass lamps,frescos and a large clock that has beenkeeping time since the Synagogue wasbuilt in 1568.

RIGHT across the corner isthe Mattancherry TouristJetty where hundreds ofpeople use the waterwaysto commute among the

islands. Walk past the Jail on the cor-ner and you will walk right into the gor-geous Dutch Palace where muralsdepicting Hindu temple art, portraitsand exhibits of the Rajas of Kochiawait for you to feast your eyes on.

Dont miss the St. Francis Church,the oldest European church in India.

It has seen life in a variety of avatarsever since the Portuguese built it in1503. Now the church is under theChurch of South India. It was in thischurch that Vasco da Gama wasburied and where his tombstone canstill be seen.

This entire stretch is peppered withvintage and antique stores whetheryou want furniture, spice boxes, crock-ery, old cameras, photographs, coins,carved decorative items or even theentire length of an intricately carvedwooden ceiling or floor you will find

it all here.The Vasco da Gama square was our

last stop and being near our hotel, itwas the perfect place to round off thelong walk. The Square is always throb-bing with activity. Stop by the bluepainted Suresh Chip Stall wherethinly sliced potatoes are deep friedquickly and served with a dash offreshly-ground pepper and paprika.Munch on the chips and watch theChinese fishing nets billowing in thebreeze. These nets had been erectedhere between AD 1350 and 1450 by the

The writer forgets adate with Salmansnew film as Keralasbackwaters cast a

magical spell on her

When youre in Periyar, do visit the Elephant Junction. The sight of thegiant being given a spa treatment is the stuff memories are made of.

THE CHECKLIST

Malaysian Carrier Goes to SibuThe Malaysia Airlines subsidiary, Firefly, hasstarted operating twice-daily Boeing B737-800services on the Kuala Lumpur-Sibu route fromthis past Friday. The move follows its parentairlines decision to withdraw from this sectorfrom August 1. Sibu is in Malaysias nature tou-rism magnet, Sarawak, and it is also the maingateway to the Upper Rajang river, a favouriteof cruise operators. You can buy tickets for the115-minute flight from Fireflys website, but theairlines facility for through check-in of baggagewill become effective only from September 1.

Two Goan Nights @ `20,550Delhi-based Swan Tours (www.swantours.in)has a two-night package priced at `20,550 forcouples at the much-acclaimed Taj Exotica, agreen getaway located in 56 acres of lush gar-dens in Benaulim, Goa. The package, which isvalid till September 30, includes accommoda-tion, buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner fortwo adults, 20 per cent discount on food andbeverage, and all applicable taxes. For details,go to the official website and dial 011-23415601.

Stay Two Nights & Thirds Free

WelcomHeritage has rolled out an offer that letsyou have a complimentary night if you spendtwo nights at one of its specified hotels. Theroom-only offer from the fast-expanding chainof 61 heritage hotels, which has a presence allover the country (from Woodville Palace in Shi-mla to Fernhills Palace in Ooty), is valid till Aug-ust 10, 2011. For reservations, call (011) 46035500or send an email to holidays@welcomheritage-hotels.com. To learn more about this and otherdeals, visit www.welcomheritagehotels.com.

Your weekly update on the best deals, newvisa procedures and must-visit placesYour weekly update on the best deals, newvisa procedures and must-visit places

Go Cave Hopping in Malaysia

Tourism Malaysias Indian traveller-orientedwebsite, www.malaysiajao.com, comes loadedwith information on offbeat destinations. Its lat-est suggestion for an unusual Malaysian holidayis a round of that countrys famous caves, start-ing with Kota Gelanggi in Pahang province, whi-ch has the brilliantly lit show cave, Gua TerangBulan. Other attractions, in the same province,include the Gunung Senyum subterranean com-plex of 20 fascinating caves and the Gua Charastemple cave, famous for its statue of the reclin-ing Buddha. Visit the website to learn more.

From July 7 to September 30, Country InnBhimtal is offering a two night-three day

package for couples starting at`10,999 forluxury deluxe rooms and going up to `12,999

for cottages. The rates go up `15,999 to `18,999 only for the Independence Day long weekend.An additional bed comes for `3,500 (for anadult) and `2,500 (per child; 5 to 12). The pack-age covers accommodation on a twin-sharingbasis with taxes, buffet breakfasts and dinners

for two, and complimentary use of the gym,indoor swimming pool and discotheque.

British Airways is allowing studentstravelling to the UK, US, Canada and

select destinations in Europe carry oneextra piece of baggage weighing 23 kilosabsolutely free. All you need to do is book

your flight and travel to these countries byNovember 15, 2011. The deal comes with stu-dent offers being dangled by VIP Bags, CromaRetail, ICICI Bank travel cards and MatrixCellular. Go to www.britishairways.com/tra-

vel/student-promo/public/en_in for moreinformation and to make bookings.

If you fancy a fortress, prison or a man-sion, Britain has plenty of them. History

buffs can take advantage of VisitBritains buybefore you fly facility to get the Great BritishHeritage Pass for 35.10 (earn a 10 per cent dis-count if the booking is made by July 8). Youll gete-vouchers that you can exchange for passes atone of 16 locations in the UK. Each pass allows

free entry to over 580 British heritage sites. Visitwww.visitbritainshop.com/world/ attractions/-passes/product/great-british-heritage-pass.html.

If you have information to share, send it tosourish.bhattacharyya@mailtoday.in