DesiTraveller

  Our new Tata Nexon Prime EV, with just about 53 kilometres on the odo, is almost here. Barring the registration and the plates and the FasTag and rest of the documentation, we should be ready to roll across India soon. One recharge at a time. Why the Prime? Frankly, the driving dynamics are better than the Max, for us. And we like to go slow and easy.  Why the Tata Nexon? Well, we always wanted one, and no better time than now. Keep watching this blog for more.

  At the oldest and newest and best bespoke 5 star hotels in India, the word is out - the era of the wealthy Indian tourist in India is truly here. Just about a week ago, I was staying at the best hotel in Kolkata, not one of the new pretenders or the old relics, but one with lineage as well as class, not to mention style. The breakfast buffet is amongst the most opulent I have seen, and they also have, in addition, a separate card for South Indian filter coffees and yet another card for freshly cooked Indian breakfasts from different parts of the country. And yes, Eggs Benedict, with double proper pork ham is what I found on the card too. The evening before, we were parked at their bar, exercising our elbows. And there also, the finger foods served were from the best of Indian options, with a huge range of Indian origin spirits and beverages. Unlike in the past, when I had stayed at this grand old hotel, however - there was one huge change. There were no foreigners in the bar and ...

  A wee bit off-topic but relevant all the same? A year or so ago, I withdrew my booking for a new car just short of the time of purchase, because the dealer staff referred to their stockyard as “dump”. It starts from there. Are you looking at buying a new car? Insist on going to see their stockyard first. Amongst all the mass purchase car brands in India, the only one that came anywhere close to being acceptable for me was Toyota, and they are not one of the biggest sellers of cars in India - as yet. But more than the condition of the dealer or manufacturer stockyard, is the way they treat the new vehicles there, and it is not as though they can not do better. I have seen the condition in which the same cars are loaded on Pure Car Carrier ships and trains meant for export shipments, and why they can not do the same for the domestic market is beyond me. There are customers like me who shall willingly pay extra for a new car to be treated better when in transit. Buying a new car is ...