DesiTraveller

  This is probably the first and most important question that needs an answer, documented in writing, before even thinking of making a reservation. The second question which I am adding after an experience at a property owned by one of India's biggest hotel chains is - do you have silent generators or what? We are on a bit of a West Coast of India drive as I type this. Highways are mostly brilliant, except ghat sections which have borne the brunt of higher traffic and stronger monsoons, and toll booths which are a disgrace to everything we stand for in India in context with cleanliness and good behaviour. Toll booths will be a separate article, post, essay - on how the typical behaviour especially towards those without FasTags continues to be that of extortion based collections.  Almost all hotels in India make a sizeable part of their revenue out of functions of all sorts. From early morning through till pre-dawn, and so be it, which is probably why room rates and breakfast a...

The long, scenic and slow, way from Goa to Bengaluru. Article coming up, but don't do this if you are going to be in a hurry.  Just look at this route for a bit. Coastal, hills, rain, highways, a car slips sideways into a ditch, help comes by way of a 4WD and a tow-rope, and then at the end - traffic jams!