India - Part II ( Day 6 - 11 )
Day 6 : 1st February 2012 ( Delhi )
Tarun's mom prepared Chai ( Indian Tea ) for us before we head out for our day tour by HOHO bus. Cool family He got there. Tarun drove us to the HOHO office and He left to office to work for the day. What a cool guy.
HOHO bus tickets available at : http://hohodelhi.com/index.html
*Watch out for http://www.groupon.co.in/ to get special discounts around India to help you plan your trip.
*We got 50 % discount on our HOHO bus tickets.
We went around Delhi and visited as much spots as we could:
(we visited the ones in yellow )
Day 7 : 2nd February 2012 ( Delhi - Goa )
We took the HOHO bus again and stop at Chandni Chowk for breakfast. Apparently celebrities came here to have their famous Paranthe Wali. It was indeed DELICIOUS !!! We decided to take away for snacks.
Breakfast - Rs 100 (average/pax)
We then head over to Rajiv Chowk via metro from Chandni Chowk : Rs 10/pax to do some shopping. Then continue with a tuk tuk ride : Rs10/pax for more shopping. FYI : I am not a shopaholic. Bargain hard to get the best price.
Tuk tuk driver dropped us at
Connaught Place . We then walked back to Tarun's office. He was kind enough to get us a taxi to the Airport : Rs150 / pax to catch our flight to Goa. We bid Tarun and Dafne good bye.
Not aware that we had to pay Rs 200 / pax for UDP ( some airport charges ) at Delhi Airport. We were not pleased to pay, but had to since we have no choice. They should have done better by informing us in advance. Oh well, it was all in a day's travel.
Arrived Goa airport at night about 10.30pm, local time. Took a budget taxi to Calangute : Rs 300 / pax
My Couchsurfing host decided to bail out by not replying my messages nor provide me with a phone number to ring. We were homeless when we arrived. Looking around for hotel was not easy as all were full.
Taxi driver decided to drop us outside of ( near to ) Goa Tourism board. It was almost midnight by then. Homeless and tired - a local guy approached by offering us hotel to stay. We decided to have a look and we said YES after a hard bargain.
Goa:
Jitu Guest House : Rs 800/pax for 2 nights.
(next to this restaurant)
Gold Fish Family Restaurant & Bar
Prakash Palace, Near Sai Baba Mandir,
Main Bus Stand, Umta Waddo,
Calangute, Bardez, Goa
Day 8 : 3rd February 2012 ( Goa )
We asked our guest house if they knew of any driver to drive us around Goa for a day tour. We managed to get one for Rs 1500 per day / Rs 500 per pax.
Below was what we spent during the day:
1. Breakfast at Jeffry Cafe : Rs 107 / pax
2. River Cruise (sunset) : Rs 150/pax
3. Lunch @ Swapna Hotel : Rs 160
4. Bought Banana from a local market : Rs 20
5. Chicken 65 on Cruise ship : Rs 40/ pax
6. Dinner: Rs 102 / pax
.
Day 9 : 4th February 2012 ( Goa )
We decided to drop by Goa Tourism to see what they have to offer, and got ourselves a North Goa Tour since we did not know what else to do for the day. This tour cost us : Rs200/pax for an entire full day tour on a Mini bus.
Places we went : ( Additional expenses as below ) :
1. Dolphin Sightseeing : Rs 200 / pax
2. Anjuna beach : Rs 25 for my kulfi ice cream.
3. Suragade : Rs 130/pax for lunch
4. Mayem Lake view : Rs 10/pax entrance fee
We then got the tour guide to drop us off at Goa Bus Station, where we took a local bus to Baga Beach : Rs10/pax, to watch the sun set.
Tuk tuk ride to Ingo Market : Rs 50/pax
**MUST DO while in Goa - Hyppie kindda market with all sorts of souvenirs/arts & crafts / clothings / foods / beers / bars etc etc.. the list goes on and on.... you just have to come here!!!
Enjoyed ourselves, then back to Baga beach by tuk tuk : Rs 200 for 3 pax. Walked by the beach under the moonlight to Calangute, had Banana Lasi :Rs 70 by the beach before we called it a night.
**There were guys trying to buy us beer - Please take care and be safe when you travel. We rejected and quickly walked away.
Day 10 : 5th February 2012 ( Goa - Chennai )
1. Breakfast @ Calangute Beach : Rs 93/pax
*We had chocolate pancake
2. Swim and relax by the beach.
3. Ayurvedic massage : Rs 1500 for my pampering session.
4. Check out from Jitu Guest House
5. Lunch : Rs 113/pax
6. Taxi to Goa Airport : Rs 233/pax
7. Had instant noodles on board Spicejet Goa - Chennai : Rs 80
8. Banana leaf rice for dinner @ Amavarthi Restaurant, Chennai : Rs 116.75/pax
**Our Chennai host - Kalai ,picked us up from Chennai Airport and brought us out for dinner.
Day 11 : 6th February 2012 ( Chennai )
Apparently places that we would like to visit was quite a distance away. Kalai was happy enough to be our guide for the day, that was so kind of him.
We took the highway heading towards Pondi Cherry. Toll : Rs15/pax return.
Arrived Tiger Cave after 30- 40 minutes drive or so. Guide fee : Rs 12.50/pax
Had breakfast at Motel Mamalia : Rs 70.25/pax
Visited Mahalipuram Temple : Rs 10 - Local Price ; Rs 250 - Foreigner price
** Jyoti & I both got local price, while Su Yin got foreigner price.
Then, we went over to Dakshin Chitra : Rs 75 - Local Price ; Rs 200 - Foreigner price
** Jyoti & I both got local price, while Su Yin got foreigner price.
Had lunch at Hotel Bhima's : Rs 120 / pax.
Total Petrol cost for the day was about : Rs 600 ( Rs 200 / pax).
Since our flight from Chennai to Kuala Lumpur was in the evening, we decided that it was best for Kalai to drop us off at Chennai Airport on his way home.
Kalai being a very kind gentleman refused to accept our fare share even after much attempt. We had to respect his decission tho we were not satisfied that we did not do any contribution.
Tarun's mom prepared Chai ( Indian Tea ) for us before we head out for our day tour by HOHO bus. Cool family He got there. Tarun drove us to the HOHO office and He left to office to work for the day. What a cool guy.
HOHO bus tickets available at : http://hohodelhi.com/index.html
*Watch out for http://www.groupon.co.in/ to get special discounts around India to help you plan your trip.
*We got 50 % discount on our HOHO bus tickets.
 |
| Su Yin & Jyoti with the HOHO bus : New Delhi |
 |
| 3 of us in the HOHO bus : New Delhi |
 |
| There were also a FREE tour guide in every HOHO bus explaining each destination to you |
We went around Delhi and visited as much spots as we could:
(we visited the ones in yellow )
NO
|
|
1
|
Coffee
House
|
2
|
Feroz
Shah Kotia
|
3
|
Red Fort
|
4
|
Rajghat
|
5
|
National
Gallery of Modern Art
|
6
|
India Gate
|
7
|
Purana
Qila
|
8
|
Humayun’s Temple
|
9
|
Lajpat
Nagar
|
10
|
Lotus Temple
|
11
|
Mall of Saket
|
12
|
Qutab Minar
|
13
|
Hauz
Khas Village
|
14
|
Dilli Haat
|
15
|
Safdarjung
Tomb
|
16
|
Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum
|
17
|
Nehru
Museum
|
18
|
National
Musuem
|
19
|
Janpath Market
|
20
|
Jantar Mantar
|
Other destinations we visited were :
- Jama
Masjid
- Chandni Chowk
-Connaught Place
All accessed within walking distance from the stops. You just have to ASK people around you.
Entrance Fees :
Red Fort : RS 15 / pax ( I paid local price )
Camera fee : Rs 200 / camera
Humayun : Rs 10/pax ( I paid local price )
Qutub Minar : Rs 10/pax( I paid local price )
**NO entrance fees required for the rest
**I had a debacle with the security at Qutub Minar for not believing that I am local. I worked my way through and got it. :)
We then had our dinner at Dilli Haat to end our day : Rs 195 /pax for a dinner set.
-Very delicious local foods available here.
-One stop hub for souvenirs / books / arts and crafts etc.
 |
| Dinner at Dilli Haat |
Jyoti managed to get some information online while doing research on our trip and below are for reference purposes should you require them, I am posting with the purpose of sharing information with others (all copyrights reserved):
*Note : entrance fees might not be accurate - Please refer to the above entrance fee that I paid.
( I am not sure on how much are foreigner's price since I paid local price - below might be useful in that case)
·
Red Fort
Location: Opposite Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi.
Entry Cost: $5 or 250 rupees.
Free for children under 15 years.
Opening Hours: Sunrise until sunset. Closed Mondays.
Sound & Light
Show: 8.30 p.m. from January to April
 |
| red fort : picture from My own collection |
 |
| red fort : picture from My own collection |
·
Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid is another marvelous treasure of the
Old City, and is the largest mosque in India. A strenuous climb to the top of
its southern tower will reward you with a stunning view across the rooftops of
Delhi. Be sure to dress appropriately when visiting the mosque or you won't be
allowed in. This means covering your head, legs and shoulders.
Location: Opposite Chandni
Chowk, Old Delhi. Near the Red Fort.
Entry Cost: Free, but a camera fee applies.
Opening Hours: Daily, except when prayers are being held from 12.15 p.m. to 1.45 p.m. It closes just before
sunset.
 |
| Jama Masjid: picture from My own collection |
 |
| Jama Masjid: picture from My own collection |
·
Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk, the main street
of old Delhi is one of the oldest and busiest markets in India, its narrow
winding lanes are full of inexpensive jewelry, fabrics, and electronics. For
the more adventurous, Chandni Chowk is an excellent place to come to sample
some of Delhi's street food.
Location: Old Delhi, near the Red Fort and Jama Masjid.
·
Humayun's
Tomb
If you think Humayun's Tomb looks a bit
like the Taj Mahal in
Agra, that's because it was the inspiration for the Taj Mahal's creation. The
tomb was built in 1570, and houses the body of the second Mughal emperor,
Humayun.
Location: Nizamuddin East, New Delhi. Near the Nizamuddin train station,
off Mathura Road.
Entry Cost: $5 or 250
rupees. Free for children under 15 years.
Opening Hours: Sunrise until sunset, daily. It's best viewed in the golden
light of the late afternoon.
 |
| picture from My own collection |
 |
| picture from My own collection |
·
Qutab Minar
Qutab Minar, the tallest brick minaret in
the world, is an incredible example of early Indo–Islamic architecture. The
tower has five distinct stories, and is covered with intricate carvings and
verses from the holy Quran. There are also a number of other historic monuments
on the site.
Location: Mehrauli, south New Delhi.
Entry Cost: $5 or 250
rupees. Free for children under 15 years.
Opening Hours: Sunrise until sunset, daily.
 |
| picture from My own collection |
 |
| picture from My own collection |
 |
| picture from My own collection |
A visit to Gandhi Smriti will show you the
exact spot where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948. He lived
in the house for 144 days up until the time of his death. The room that he
slept in, kept exactly how he left it, and the prayer ground where he held a
mass congregation every evening are both open to the public. Plenty of photos,
sculptures, paintings, and inscriptions are also on display.
Location: 5 Tees January Marg, central New Delhi.
Entry Cost: Free.
Opening Hours: From 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday
 |
| picture from my own collection |
·
India Gate
The towering archway of India Gate at the center of
New Delhi is a war memorial, built in memory of the Indian soldiers who lost
their lives fighting for the British Army in World War I..
Location: Rajpath, near
Connaught Place, New Delhi.
Entry Cost: Free.
Opening Hours: Always open.
 |
| picture from my own collection |
 |
| picture from my own collection |
·
Bahai (Lotus) Temple
The Bahai Temple is commonly referred to as the
Lotus Temple, as it's shaped like a lotus flower. It's particularly pretty at
night, when it's attractively lit up. Made out of white marble, the temple
belongs to the Bahai Faith, which proclaims the unity of all people and
religions.
Location: Near Nehru Place,
south New Delhi.
Entry Cost: Free.
Opening Hours: Daily, from 9.00 a.m. until sunset.
 |
| picture from my own collection |
·
Connaught Place
Connaught Place is a hub for speciality
and multi-cuisine restaurants and fast-food joints. You will find good places
for any budget and preference.
Shop: While at Connaught Place, go
shopping. You can either buy branded stuff or collect souvenirs from the
Central Cottage Industries Emporium or the Emporia Complex on Baba Kharak Singh
Marg.
·
Akshardam Temple
Recognised as the Largest Hindu Temple
Complex in the World - Guinness World Record Committee.
A 12 Minute Boating Experience Showcasing
World's Oldest Vedic Village and Bazaar.
Location: The Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple is situated on NH 24 near
Noida Mor, towards East Delhi
Nearest
Metro Station: Akshardhm
Entry
Cost: Free (for
exhibition halls and theatres, adult: 125 Rupees
Visiting
Hours: 9 am to 9 pm (Tuesday – Sunday). Closed on Monday
·
Cathedral Church of Redemption
Location: Located east of Parliament House and Rashtrapati Bhavan: located on the church Road, between Jaipur Column and Sansad
Bhawan near Connaught Place
·
Hauz Khas Village
Hauz Khas Complex in South Delhi houses a
water tank, an Islamic seminary, a mosque, a tomb and pavilions built around an
urbanized village with medieval history traced to the 13th century of Delhi
Sultanate reign.
·
Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Rashtrapati Bhawan is an eminent
monument of British Empire which is said to be the palace of the Viceroy of
India. Rashtrapati Bhawan of Delhi is considered to be the best known monument
of India next to glorious Taj Mahal and Qutub Minar. Rashtrapati Bhawan is the
house of the President of India.
·
Birla Temple ( Laxminarayan Temple)
This is one of the landmarks in the
nation’s capital New Delhi. This temple was built over a six year period (1933
- 1939) and was opened by Mahatma Gandhi. The architecture of the Temple looks
imbibed from the Orissan Style. The temple has tall spires and it looks
magnificent raised in red sandstone.
Location:
The temple is located on the Mandir Marg, situated west of the Connaught Place
in New Delhi. The temple is easily accessible from the city by local buses,
taxis and auto-rickshaws. Nearest Delhi Metro station is R.K.Ashram Marg,
located about 2 km away.
 |
| Souvenirs available at Dilli Haat |
 |
| Metro in Delhi : Rs 18/pax - we took metro back to our host's apartment |
 |
| Metro in Delhi : Rs 18/pax - we took metro back to our host's apartment |
 |
| Ladies coach available too !!! |
Day 7 : 2nd February 2012 ( Delhi - Goa )
We took the HOHO bus again and stop at Chandni Chowk for breakfast. Apparently celebrities came here to have their famous Paranthe Wali. It was indeed DELICIOUS !!! We decided to take away for snacks.
Breakfast - Rs 100 (average/pax)
 |
| Took us a while to find this shop. |
 |
| having our breakfast with new friend - Daphne |
 |
| take away |
 |
| where breakfast was made |
We then head over to Rajiv Chowk via metro from Chandni Chowk : Rs 10/pax to do some shopping. Then continue with a tuk tuk ride : Rs10/pax for more shopping. FYI : I am not a shopaholic. Bargain hard to get the best price.
 |
| Riding the tuk tuk for shopping |
 |
| Su Yin getting some help on this "Malaysian" saree. (Look a lot like Malaysian Flag ) |
 |
| Satisfied customers. |
 |
| Tarun - Far right ( on the phone ) & Dafne : Girl in Blue |
Not aware that we had to pay Rs 200 / pax for UDP ( some airport charges ) at Delhi Airport. We were not pleased to pay, but had to since we have no choice. They should have done better by informing us in advance. Oh well, it was all in a day's travel.
 |
| Spicejet Charged us RS200 each for UDP ( no idea what was that for ) |
 |
| On board SpiceJet : Delhi to Goa |
Arrived Goa airport at night about 10.30pm, local time. Took a budget taxi to Calangute : Rs 300 / pax
My Couchsurfing host decided to bail out by not replying my messages nor provide me with a phone number to ring. We were homeless when we arrived. Looking around for hotel was not easy as all were full.
Taxi driver decided to drop us outside of ( near to ) Goa Tourism board. It was almost midnight by then. Homeless and tired - a local guy approached by offering us hotel to stay. We decided to have a look and we said YES after a hard bargain.
Goa:
Jitu Guest House : Rs 800/pax for 2 nights.
(next to this restaurant)
Gold Fish Family Restaurant & Bar
Prakash Palace, Near Sai Baba Mandir,
Main Bus Stand, Umta Waddo,
Calangute, Bardez, Goa
Day 8 : 3rd February 2012 ( Goa )
We asked our guest house if they knew of any driver to drive us around Goa for a day tour. We managed to get one for Rs 1500 per day / Rs 500 per pax.
Below was what we spent during the day:
1. Breakfast at Jeffry Cafe : Rs 107 / pax
2. River Cruise (sunset) : Rs 150/pax
3. Lunch @ Swapna Hotel : Rs 160
4. Bought Banana from a local market : Rs 20
5. Chicken 65 on Cruise ship : Rs 40/ pax
6. Dinner: Rs 102 / pax
 |
| Jyoti & I at the Sunset River Cruise |
 |
| Day tour around Goa |
 |
| Day tour around Goa |
 |
| Local market at Goa |
 |
| Jyoti & I after sunset @ River Cruise, Goa |
 |
| One of the many cultural show on board the River Cruise. |
Day 9 : 4th February 2012 ( Goa )
We decided to drop by Goa Tourism to see what they have to offer, and got ourselves a North Goa Tour since we did not know what else to do for the day. This tour cost us : Rs200/pax for an entire full day tour on a Mini bus.
Places we went : ( Additional expenses as below ) :
1. Dolphin Sightseeing : Rs 200 / pax
2. Anjuna beach : Rs 25 for my kulfi ice cream.
3. Suragade : Rs 130/pax for lunch
4. Mayem Lake view : Rs 10/pax entrance fee
We then got the tour guide to drop us off at Goa Bus Station, where we took a local bus to Baga Beach : Rs10/pax, to watch the sun set.
 | |
| Very unique lady in the bus |
Tuk tuk ride to Ingo Market : Rs 50/pax
**MUST DO while in Goa - Hyppie kindda market with all sorts of souvenirs/arts & crafts / clothings / foods / beers / bars etc etc.. the list goes on and on.... you just have to come here!!!
 | |
| Su Yin - Sunset @ Baga Beach, Goa |
 | |
| Jyoti got hyped up at Baga Beach,Goa |
 |
| Jyoti's - new hair-do |
 |
| Ingo Market, Goa |
 |
| Live Band - Ingo Market, Goa |
 |
| Beach by night. |
Enjoyed ourselves, then back to Baga beach by tuk tuk : Rs 200 for 3 pax. Walked by the beach under the moonlight to Calangute, had Banana Lasi :Rs 70 by the beach before we called it a night.
**There were guys trying to buy us beer - Please take care and be safe when you travel. We rejected and quickly walked away.
 |
| Goa Tourism office |
 | |
| Goa Tourism Bus |
 |
| One of the beaches in Goa |
 | |
| Dolphin Sightseeing |
 |
| One of the place visited |
 | |
| Me at Anjuna Beach |
 | |
| At Mayem Lake View : You can opt to go on the paddle boat at additional cost. |
Day 10 : 5th February 2012 ( Goa - Chennai )
1. Breakfast @ Calangute Beach : Rs 93/pax
*We had chocolate pancake
 | |
| Breakfast : Chocolate pancake |
2. Swim and relax by the beach.
3. Ayurvedic massage : Rs 1500 for my pampering session.
 |
| Rs 1500 Ayurvedic |
4. Check out from Jitu Guest House
5. Lunch : Rs 113/pax
 |
| My Lunch : Kashmiri Pulao |
6. Taxi to Goa Airport : Rs 233/pax
 | |
| Checking in at Goa Airport - Bound for Chennai. |
7. Had instant noodles on board Spicejet Goa - Chennai : Rs 80
8. Banana leaf rice for dinner @ Amavarthi Restaurant, Chennai : Rs 116.75/pax
**Our Chennai host - Kalai ,picked us up from Chennai Airport and brought us out for dinner.
 |
| Waiting for Kalai - Our Chennai host to pick us up at Chennai Airport |
 |
| Dinner at Amavarthi Restaurant , Chennai. |
Day 11 : 6th February 2012 ( Chennai )
Apparently places that we would like to visit was quite a distance away. Kalai was happy enough to be our guide for the day, that was so kind of him.
We took the highway heading towards Pondi Cherry. Toll : Rs15/pax return.
Arrived Tiger Cave after 30- 40 minutes drive or so. Guide fee : Rs 12.50/pax
 |
| Kalai & us at Tiger Cave, Chennai. |
 |
| Some words on the wall at the Temple |
 |
| An Elephant structure at the Temple |
 |
| 3 of us |
 |
| Me and Jyoti |
 |
| Some old lady while there |
Had breakfast at Motel Mamalia : Rs 70.25/pax
 |
| Our simple yet delicious breakfast. |
 |
| All of us during breakfast. |
Visited Mahalipuram Temple : Rs 10 - Local Price ; Rs 250 - Foreigner price
** Jyoti & I both got local price, while Su Yin got foreigner price.
 |
| Us at Mahalipuram Temple |
Then, we went over to Dakshin Chitra : Rs 75 - Local Price ; Rs 200 - Foreigner price
** Jyoti & I both got local price, while Su Yin got foreigner price.
 |
| Dakshin Chitra |
 |
| Dakshin Chitra |
 |
| Traditional houses at Dakshin Chitra |
 |
| Traditional houses at Dakshin Chitra |
 |
| Traditional house at Dakshin Chitra |
Had lunch at Hotel Bhima's : Rs 120 / pax.
Total Petrol cost for the day was about : Rs 600 ( Rs 200 / pax).
Since our flight from Chennai to Kuala Lumpur was in the evening, we decided that it was best for Kalai to drop us off at Chennai Airport on his way home.
Kalai being a very kind gentleman refused to accept our fare share even after much attempt. We had to respect his decission tho we were not satisfied that we did not do any contribution.
 | |
| Bye Bye India - Hello Malaysia ! |
Pity Su Yin ! LOL
ReplyDeleteHi Jas ! Yes, pity Su Yin.. I tried helping her. But it's ok since we all spent less than budgeted. Keep on reading !
Delete