We are creating a special north India holiday itinerary which features the Jaipur Literature Festival as its central cultural component. This important international festival will be held in Jaipur, Rajasthan between 20th and 24th January 2012. Among the well known writers speaking at the festival are: Salman Rushdie, Wole Soyinka, Ian McEwan, Vikram Seth, Simantini Range Raghav, Niall Ferguson, Sheen Kaaf Nizam, Roberto Calasso, Roddy Doyle, Lawrence Wright, UR Ananthamurthy, Kiran Desai, Pico Iyer, Simon Schama, Thomas Keneally, and Hanif Kureishi. Our special itinerary will also include a visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra, the tiger reserve at Ranthambore and time in either Delhi or Mumbai. If anyone has an interest in the Jaipur Literature Festival tour please let me know.
Jaipur Literature Festival
April 19th, 2011Customers’ photographs on flickr
December 3rd, 2010We have established a gallery of Ellison Roberts customers photographs on our flickr site.
Please visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/53108354@N06/sets/ to view and to comment.
Among the new photographs is this lovely Kerala backwaters image by Liz Story – a frequent Ellison Roberts traveller.
Graham – www.ellisonroberts.co.uk
Down to earth
October 15th, 2010The Sri Lankan Airlines flight from Colombo to Heathrow was smooth and efficient, landing 10 minutes early. However we waited over an hour for the bags to appear on the carousel!! Staff shortages apparently!!
Our FAM [familiarisation] tours are quite intense and generally it is just one night in each place, then hours in the car. This time we managed one day off in three weeks. But it has to be done as we do the hard miles so you don’t have to.
Among the highlights this time were: an excellent fish dinner at Taj Green Cove; the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage; the bird-life at Vill Uyana and Galle Fort. Memorable among the many hotels we visited were: Le Colonial in Cochin; Shalimar Spice Garden in Thekkadey; Tientsin Tea Bungalow; Tamarind Hill in Galle; Reef Villas near Bentota and The Park Street in Colombo. All excellent. Many many thanks to Nilesh Shaw in Delhi and to Aloy Diaz and the staff at Walkers in Colombo, and to our excellent drivers; Santosh in Kerala and Sunil in Sri Lanka.
The pool at Reef Villas, Sri Lanka
Graham – www.ellisonroberts.co.uk
A very steep hill
October 4th, 2010Sigiriya (Lion’s rock) is an ancient rock fortress and palace ruin situated in central Matale District, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. As it is a popular tourist destination I thought it needed to be experienced. From a distance it is impressive as the massive rock rears 700 ft but close up it looks daunting with a lattice of rickety steps clinging to its face.
Sigiriya
But the steep climb can be accomplished in 40 minutes at a steady pace with frequent stops to rest. At the top there isn’t much of the palace left but the views are quite stunning and a reward for the effort.
Sigiriya was built during the reign of King Kassapa I (AD 477 – 495), and it is one of the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.
Graham
Airports – a world apart
October 2nd, 2010Trivandrum, the state capital of Kerala, has a brand new international terminal. However it has yet to open, several months after completion, because the Politicians cannot agree on who is to make the inauguration speech. As they all stand on their dignity travellers have to endure the existing facility which is 20 years out of date. But that is modern India!
By contrast Bandaranaike International Airport, between Colombo and Negombo in Sri Lanka, boasts a new facility that is a joy to use. The modern terminal is the equal to anything in Europe with pleasant, smiling, helpful staff at Immigration, Customs and baggage reclaim. They are only 220 miles apart in distance but a world apart in reality.
Still by next month they might have agreed on the order of ceremony and all will be well!
The elephants are coming
October 2nd, 2010In Pinnawela a soldier walks down a narrow street. He carries an air-horn. He sounds the horn and it blares ‘THE ELEPHANTS ARE COMING’. Doors close and shutters come down. His horn blares out again ‘THE ELEPHANTS ARE COMING’. They appear at the head of the street, they fill it completely and the herd, forty strong, makes its unstopable, stately progress to the river.
The Sri Lankan Government Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawela has been operating for over 30 years, nurturing orphaned calves, treating the feeble and the injured. Today the orphanage has over 60 elephants and hundreds of people flock to watch the feeding of the babies and the daily bathing in the river.
Elephants at the river, Pinnawela, Sri Lanka
Graham
Shalimar Spice Garden Thekkady
September 29th, 2010Shalimar Spice Garden nestles in the jungle on the outskirts of Thekkady, bordering on the Periyar wildlife reserve in central Kerala. The resort was originally designed and operated by Maria Fernhoff, something of a legend in these parts, and combines Italian chic with Keralan traditional style.
The cottages are surrounded by trees and spice bushes and blend into the hillside. The staff are attentive and friendly and Betty, the hostess, runs an orderly house. Dinner during our all too brief stay was memorable with a range of dishes from both north and south India very well cooked by the accomplished chef.
It’s a jungle out there
September 29th, 2010The road from Cochin to Thekkadey climbs 3,500ft over 80 miles and it takes you on a journey of discovery.
The road to Thekkadey
Tea growing near Thekkadey in the Western Ghats
Marari Beach
September 29th, 2010On the beach at Marari, south of Cochin, on the shores of the Arabian Sea. Staying at Beach Symphony, a small exclusive resort of four fishermen’s cottages all renovated with taste and style by Jan and Christa the Belgian owners. The new pool is a great addition and will prove very popular I am sure.
Take a stroll along the deserted, palm fringed, beach to the nearby Marari Beach Resort for dinner. We have been using this top quality resort for many years and it does not disappoint.
Earlier in the day a visit to Marari Villas proves well worthwhile. Rupert Evers and his partner Olga have taken three cottages close to the beach and created fully serviced villas for short term rent. Each has a small kitchen so you can self cater should you wish but there is also a full time cook in attendance . The fixtures and fittings are all high quality and I am sure they will prove a great success. Book early to avoid disappointment!
Steve
Cochin hotels
September 25th, 2010Hotel inspections can be a bore but today we enjoyed discovering three Cochin hotels of exceptional quality. Chitoor Palace is the erstwhile residence of the Maharajah of Cochin, now restored and converted into an exclusive private hotel with just two beautiful guest rooms. It is accessed by boat and if you want privacy, exclusivity and style this is the place.
In Fort Cochin The Old Lighthouse Bristow Hotel combines contemporary styling with old fashioned, high quality service and excellent food served in its sea-view terrace restaurant.
Le Colonial plays on its heritage and the large well appointed rooms have names like Vasco Da Gama and TipuSultan. The furniture is genuine antique of superior quality and the ambience is stately and refined.
A suite room at Le Colonial, Fort Cochin
Graham