Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Monsoon in Gokarna



Gokarna is a legendary town located in the district of Uttara Kannada in the state of Karnataka. It is popular destination for both tourists as well as for Hindu pilgrims. There are no doubts about the experience of Monsoon in Gokarna will kindle a different feeling in you once you are there.

History of Gokarna
Gokarna is a temple town that is located in the backwaters of Karnataka. The beauty of the place lies in its simplicity and serenity. The place derives its name from the Sanskrit phrase that when literally translated into English means “from the cow’s ear.” According to a legend Lord Shiva appeared from the ears of a cow on this very place and since then it was forenamed as Gokarna. In fact there are many more stories that you can lend an ear to once you are around the town.

Destination Gokarna
Gokarna is an ideal place for people planning a quiet trip. Now if you are planning a vacation to this tranquil town then you can be taking a bus, train, or a plane as well. The bus stand is the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the whole town is situated around this stand. There are many trains that pass through this town and the nearest airport would be that of Goa. You are free to make a choice of your own in this case.

The right time
Well to be honest you can always make a stopover a beach. However monsoons can be described as the best time to visit the place. That is correct monsoon in Gokharna can give you quite a delight in its own ways. There are a few reasons why this could be a good time to holiday at Gokarna. The first would be that is considered to be an off season in this part of the world. This gives you a chance to win discounted accommodation which already sounds appealing to you. Secondly the string of beaches that Gokarna is surrounded with look their best during this time. The freshly washed leaves of the coconut trees look greener and woods smell like heaven. This gives you a fair idea as to what a monsoon in Gokharna may actually be like!

The beaches and temples
Gokarna is full of exotic beaches that make your stay worth. You can take a walk along the beaches that have interesting nomenclatures like Half-Moon Beach, Om Beach, Kudlee Beach which is the largest beach, and Paradise Beach. As far as the temples are concerned you can pay your respects to Lord Shiva mainly and his shrine at Mahabaleshwara Temple. Apart from this the Uma Maheshwari Temple, the Bhadrakali Temple and the Maha Ganapathy Temple are few more that can be visited in a day.

The cool winds whispering into ears and caressing your face is a feeling that you need to undergo. Monsoon in Gokharna can give you the pleasure of a lifetime, if you really want to make it affair to remember!  

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Best restaurants in Hague


Although Amsterdam is the capital of Holland, yet The Hague is the administrative bench of the Dutch government. Besides, this city is located in the South of Holland and is also home to Queen Beatrix. It is a remnant of the age old Dutch culture. There is no need to explain this that The Hague is a major tourist destination spot. Being a tourist in this part of the world can give you plenty of options to visit. For example if you are a shopaholic, then you can definitely try your luck at the Noordeinde which has a string of fashion boutiques. Looking for something cheaper then you can opt for La Hague which has a collection of street fashion. Apart from this if you are foodie then it is obvious that you may be looking for best restaurants in Hague. In this light do tastes the Haagsche kakker which is a a tea loaf that is generously stuffed with raisin. So here is a guide that can help in the best possible ways.

Traditional Dutch cuisine is frugal in nature. That does not mean that Dutch food is bland but yes even they know that they were not at all best known for culinary skills. Their food used to be very simple without much of a spice. Their cooking changed with time and by getting to mix with other cultures of the world. It is believed that Dutch cuisine draws its inspiration from mostly French cuisine. In addition to this, another such influence is that of Indonesian food and to this day some of the renowned hotels in The Hague still bear the bits and pieces of the Indonesian influence. This is because Indonesia was liberated in the year 1945 and this city specially has vestiges of the Dutch-Indies gastronomy.

Even today you may find some quality Indonesian restaurants which are counted among the best restaurants in Hague. The Hague’s city center is brimming with eateries like Garoeda, Istana and Poentjak. In fact some of these restaurants have cozy seating arrangements and can make you feel special. Some outside the city center to be named are Tampat Senang, Keraton Damai and Sarinah. These bistros have it all right from beautiful décor to friendly staff. The food is not that expensive which is very much in the budget of $20 to $50.

Talking about exotic Asian cuisines, India cannot lag far behind. Yes there are quite a number of Indian restaurants that serve the famous Indian curry. There is no need to explain this that these Indian dishes are custom made for the Dutch taste buds. Nevertheless many tourists prefer tasting Indian food once they reach The Hague. Indian curry house is still rated among the best restaurants in Hague. On an average the range of meals start from $22 and goes as high as $60 at this joint.
The most famous of all is called the Basaal which when translated in English roughly means ‘basic’ is very popular with restaurant goers. It mainly serves simple food which is a combination of Dutch and Belgian food preparations. Approximately the cost of food starts at $30 and is located in Dunne Bierkade. You can find it easily marked in online maps for your convenience. For reservations you need to contact them as they are the best to help you in this regards.

On the whole it has to be mentioned that the best restaurants in Hague are multi cuisine restaurants. Another reason why these restaurants are so much praised by almost everyone who has been there is for the fact that these are well connected by transportation. Be it by car, bus or trams the city of The Hague has good inter connectivity which is quite impressive and useful as well. So these restaurants are a way to treat yourself to glory while in Holland for sure.