Author: Prabhith Prabhakaran

We stayed in this hotel for 4 nights in November 2021.

This is a 4 star hotel (around 19 floors) conveniently located, 10-15 minutes’ drive from Dubai International Airport and Downtown.

More Details:

Check in Time: 3 PM

Check out Time: 12 PM

Minimum Check in Age: 21 Years

Address: InterContinental Hotels, Dubai Festival City

Dubai Festival City, PO Box 45777, Dubai, UAE

T: +971 (0)4 701 1111    F: +971 (0)4 701 2223

E: reservation.dfc@ihg.com

For meetings and events: 

E: imeet@ihg.com

Key notes:

Mainly there are 4 dining options available here –> Sirocco, Zeste, Joes Backyard, Z Garden.

Guests can also benefit from free internet access in all areas.

Holiday Inn & Suites Dubai Festival City offers free parking.

All 496 rooms boast comforts, such as 24-hour room service, in addition to perks, such as air conditioning and dressing gowns.

Pets are not allowed at Dubai Festival City.

This hotel has 6 meeting rooms over 2 floors (325 is the maximum capacity in the largest room).

The breakfast buffet has so many selections.

Each member of the staff was helpful, courteous, and attentive.

The bar at 19th floor is excellent.

Concierge team was very helpful in arranging the taxis.

What’s nearby

• Zabeel Park 6.2 km
• BurJuman Mall 6.6 km
• Emirates Towers 7.6 km
• Dubai Museum 7.6 km
• Grand Mosque 7.7 km
• Gold Souq 8.1 km
• Dubai Mall 8.3 km
• Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo 8.5 km
• The Dubai Fountain 8.7 km
• Burj Khalifa 8.9 km
• Jumerah Mosque 9.4 km
• Al Mamzar Park 11.1 km
• Ikea 500metres

Service & facilities

• Hotel-owned car park
• Marked disabled parking space
• Outdoor swimming pool (8AM-8PM) / Indoor pool
• Fitness centre (8AM-10PM)
• Concierge Services

Room facilities

• WLAN with Internet access in rooms
• Wheelchair-friendly rooms in accordance with DIN 18024, 18025
• Satellite TV
• Desk
• Room safe
• Mini-bar
• Fridge
• Coffee machine/tea-maker
• Ironing machine for pants
• Iron + ironing board
• Temperature controls
• Hairdryer
• Bathrobes
• Emergency Cord/Button in Bedroom

In-house services

• Air conditioning in public areas
• ATM
• Classic concierge service
• Business center (24 hours)          
• Printer
• Copying
• Scanner
• Sightseeing tours
• Laundry service
• Store/mini supermarket

Kids Stay and Eat Free!

Kids aged 12 and under stay for free when sharing their parents’ room. Up to 2 kids ages 12 and under eat free per adult ordering from the main menu in any Holiday Inn on-site restaurant. Up to 4 kids per dining party.

Entry to Festival City Mall

There is a direct access from this hotel to Festival City Mall, offering over 500 stores.

The mall has everything you need supermarket, bank, dinning and shops like IKEA, Carrefour, Lulu Hypermarket, MAX and so on.

Slight Concern:

There are not enough staff at the reception area for such a big hotel, which makes check in or check out a bit delayed.

We stayed at ‘The Ritz-Carlton’ Resort Abu Dhabi for a night in November 2021.

Set against the backdrop of the Grand Mosque, this resort is spread across 57 acres and is located around 20 Kms (around 20 Minutes) from Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The hotel’s position is on the right side of the canal and most of the rooms on the pool/canal side have a good view of the same.

Guest Room Features & Amenities

• Separate shower and Bathtub
• Separate WC 
• High-speed wired and wireless Internet access 
• 42-inch LCD TV with local and international channels 
• Safety Locker
• 24-hour in-room dining 
• Laundry services
• Spacious wardrobe 
• Balcony with a good view of the pool/private beach

Property Features & Amenities

• Five Star Property
• 447 rooms and suites and 85 private villas.
• Private beach
• 1,600-square-meter outdoor pool (one of the city’s largest outdoor pools)
• 24-hour fitness centre
• Dedicated prayer rooms for ladies and gentlemen
• 24-hour currency exchange and ATM
• 8 Restaurants (Note: We didn’t have any food from the restaurants in this resort , so cannot comment much on the food quality/rates)
• Very near to Grand Mosque
• 15 minutes to City Centre
• This resort is 16 kms from Al Wahda Mall and 16.3 km from Abu Dhabi Mall.

Hotel Policies:

• Check In Time: 3 PM
• Check Out Time: 12 Noon
• Pets are not allowed
• Valid passport/Emirates ID required at check-in for each guest

Different Room Types:

• Junior Suite
• Executive Suite
• Club Executive Suite
• Garden Suite
• Garden House
• The Ritz – Carlton Suite
• Royal Suite

More details in official website : https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/uae/abu-dhabi/

Address: Al Maqta, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Pros:

Large room with balcony

Excellent / Friendly Staff

A short walk from the main building is Venetian Village, which offers additional waterfront dining outlets.

Housekeeping and check-in staff were very supportive.

Staff at the pool was hard working and very attentive. 

Being a very large property, it’s very interesting to explore around.

If you are looking for Taxis, Concierge team will arrange the same.

Check-in Process was very smooth (even during late night)

Good sound insulation in the rooms

Cons:

Bathroom fittings were slightly outdated

The Pool Noise levels were slightly on higher side

There are no much restaurants/shops nearby.

Summary:

The Ritz-Carlton is a large, well-designed hotel surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens and with an enormous pool sitting in the centre. Definitely Recommended.

We had travelled to Toledo, Madrid (Spain) in April 2019.

Toledo is one of the oldest and most unique cities in Spain. This city has made an important contribution to Spain’s history and heritage.

Toledo is a cute Medieval Spanish city. Before Madrid became the capital of Spain in 1561, the Spanish kings and queens ruled from Toledo. It is surrounded on three sides by water(Tagus River) and the fourth side by walls. Due to its position, it was very easy to defend and hence was the capital of Spain for a long time.

Coaches travelling from Madrid to Toledo (approx. 70 Kms) depart from the Plaza Elíptica transport hub (level -1).

We had bought the ticket from the point of sale in the Eliptica terminal Ground Floor. The travel duration was 1.5 hours (Check for Direct Bus availability). The price of the ticket was around 6 Euros/adult (1 way).

You can also book the return trip from the same ticket counter. You can book the coach in the ALSA website –> https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/coach/madrid-toledo

There are trains also running from Madrid (Puerto de Atocha station) to Toledo, which takes only 33 minutes in a high speed train. I think there are trains running every hour. The price is around 12 Euros/adult (one side)

More Details Here –> http://www.renfe.com/

The bus station in Toledo is on the bottom of the city. Once you reach the bus stand, you must come outside the station and walk in the right direction. At the extreme end, you will find an escalator. This is infact a series of elevators which will take you till the top of the hills. This is very convenient for the travellers.

Toledo is known as “the city of three cultures” (Christians, Arabs and Jews lived there together for many years) and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was declared so in 1986 for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage. It boasts 2,000 years of history, and is filled with small hidden squares, winding side streets and historic buildings and monuments at every turn.

Toledo is famous for traditional metal work and the production of blade weapon. That’s still a big industry today and they supply many film sets, including Lord of the Rings with stage weaponry and sell replicas as souvenirs. Toledo is famous for making the best swords in Europe.

You can easily cover the entire place in a single day. However, if you still want to stay and relax in Toledo, hotels are available.

In the interest of time, we decided to take an ‘Hop on Hop off’ bus. The price of the ticket was around 15 Euros/adult. The duration is around 50 minutes and the frequency is around 30 min.

Best time to visit:

Toledo is centrally positioned in a plateau on the Iberian Peninsula and it sits about 500 meters above sea level. It enjoys a continental climate which is mostly dry and sunny throughout the year. With the crazy network of old streets aside, the city is compact enough to be explored on foot. 

Some places of interest:

1) Cathedral

One of Toledo’s standout historical landmarks is The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo (or simply, Toledo Cathedral)

2) Alcazar

3) Synagogue

4) Museums

5) Walls

6) Plaza Zocodover

7) Jewish Quarter

8) Cristo de la Luz Mosque

9) Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes

10) San Martin’s Bridge

The only challenge is that people are less likely to be able to speak English.

Note: Apart from Toledo, Segovia is another popular day trip from Madrid

Ezharakund waterfalls in Kudiyanmala, Kannur is a tourist destination maintained by the Kannur District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC).

This is one of the most picturesque waterfalls of Kannur district, situated on the Paithalmala valley close to the Kerala-Karnataka border, located at about 50 Km Northeast of Kannur via Sreekandapuram and Kudiyanmala.

Address: Kudiyanmala Pottenplave Rd, Pottenplave, Vellad, Kerala 670582

Roads in this part of Kannur are really good (mostly tarred roads). At some places, it’s a bit narrow.

The name Ezharakund  literally translates to seven and a half pits in malayalam (local language widely spoken in Kerala, India).

This waterfalls comprises of multiple levels of rocky natural pools of varying sizes and depths that contain crystal clear water for most period of the year.

We covered this destination as a part of a day trip from Koyilandy. During this one day trip we covered Parassinikadavu Temple, Palakayyam thattu and Ezharakund waterfalls.

We parked our taxi (parking charge for Innova was around Rs.50) near to the base station.  

Please remember there is an entry fee of Rs.100/person.

You are not allowed to take your vehicle directly to the falls (at the top) from the base station.

From the base station we hired a local jeep to reach the top of the waterfalls.

You can request for a jeep at the reception of the base station and they will arrange one for you.  The jeeps are not readily available at the base station. It will take some time for the jeeps to arrive at the base station. There are seats available near the base station and you can also capture some photographs while waiting for the jeep.

The jeep charges was around Rs. 300 (one side) and you can pay the money (cash only) to the jeep driver after reaching the top of the falls.

Our recommendation is to take a jeep one side (preferably onward journey to the falls) and you can return from the falls to the basestation by walk.

However we have seen people who walk both up and down the falls and please remember that it would really test your fitness levels.

The jeep journey is really nice and you would love that trip, for sure.

While going in jeep, you will find few houses on both sides of the road.

The jeep will take you to the topmost part of the falls. After getting down, you need to show your tickets to the staff at the gate. From that gate, it is hardly few meters to the falls.

There is also a small observatory tower, from where you can capture some good photographs of the falls.

The falls make a unique scene. It is like few kettles stacked one after the other. As the water over flows the first, it fills in the second kettle and so on. The area is still a hidden treasure although the state government is working to develop it.

We had visited this place in December and during that time,  we could see people swimming / bathing in the water.

There are two pools which is safe to swim. These are watched over by life guards and life jackets are also available. There are also changing rooms near the falls.

After exploring the falls, you can walk back (at your own time convenience) to the base station.

Its almost 1.2 km walk from the falls to the base station and would easily take around 1 hour to reach down. Children can also easily walk.

Tourism department has constructed a pedestrian pathway  from the base station till the falls.  

The pathways are properly marked and safety rails are fixed in many places in order to prevent people from entering the stream. These metal rails are very  helpful to hold, while walking.

On certain points throughout the walkway, there are guards on duty. We were told that there are around 20 guards in and around this place at any point of time.

In many sections of the trail, benches are placed to rest and enjoy the views. Overall, this is a very family friendly place, catered for  any age group.

Please note that this place is relatively busy on Saturday/Sunday and on Public Holidays. There is a small shop serving snacks and tea are present near to the base station. There are a few home stays and resorts near by.

Best time to visit: 

Due to the abundance of shades along the walking trail, you can visit here anytime of the day and will have a good experience.

People say that Monsoon time mainly june – August is the best time to visit this falls.

However, it might not be a good idea to visit during heavy rainy days  as the stream and the waterfall can overflow to the trails

Opening time is 9AM – 6 PM

How to reach
Ezharakund Waterfalls is located from Kannur around 50 km via Chirakkal – Kololam Rd. The nearest railway station is Kannur, about 39 km and Kannur International Airport, about 59 km.

Popular destinations near by:

1. Parassinikadavu Sree Muthappan Temple
2. Palakkayam Thattu
3. Paithalmala

Summary : Ezharakund falls in Kannur is a real gift of nature . Though not that popular yet, we definitely recommend you to visit this place to experience the beautiful waterfalls and the walking trail. You would never be disappointed, that is a GUARANTEE..

Dunluce Castle is a medieval Irish Castle located on a clifftop along the Causeway Coast in County Antrim and is quite near to the Giant’s Causeway UNESCO site. It is about 1 hour drive from Belfast.

Address: 87 Dunluce Road, Bushmills, Co. Antrim, BT57 8UY, Ireland

The scenery in this part of County Antrim is simply spectacular, and Dunluce may be ONE of the most photographed castles on the island of Ireland.

We happened to visit Dunluce castle as a part of the day drip from Dublin to Northern Ireland. The Tour was organised by Wild Rover Tours, which is a Dublin-based family business who arrange tours throughout Ireland.
The normal itinerary for this tour includes Giants causeway, Belfast City and Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge. Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge was closed for maintenance and wildrover group arranged Dunluce castle as an alternative. Entry tickets to Dunluce castle was also included in the package.
We highly recommend this day trip with Wild Rover Tours. They tried everything possible to make this trip a memorable one. The guide and the pilot were very friendly and supportive.

Details : https://wildrovertours.com/activity/giants-causeway-belfast-city-carrick-a-rede-rope-bridge/

Ideally, there are multiple ways to reach this place:

• Train:

You can get trains (Derry Direction) from Belfast Lanyon or Great Victoria Street Train station. You will reach a station (around 1.45 hours) named Coleraine. From there you can hire a taxi (around 15 min)

• Bus:

You can get bus 218a from Great Victoria Bus station to Coleraine Bus Stand. From there you can hire a taxi (around 15 min)

• Car:

This might be the most preferred means of travel as the route is very scenic. (around 1.25 Hours)

Take the M2 motorway / A26 Combination from Belfast.

The route towards Dunluce Castle from Belfast city is quite scenic.

Please note that there are very less parking (means really less 😊) options available near Dunluce castle.

The castle stands mostly in ruins today, but the walls and remains of some of the buildings can still be seen. This castle was mainly built out of local basalt stone, known for its strength and durability.

There is a path beside the castle which takes you down towards the sea. As the title says there are 109 steps which was fine going down a little challenging on the way back.

Dunluce Castle has been a location for many movies like Game of Thrones.

Its also said that the castle was once owned by Winston Churchill.

This castle is a great place to enjoy the history of Ireland and to take in the beautiful scenery of the land.

There is a huge history behind this place. So its worth spending some time in google (Key word 😊 : MacQuillan family ) , if you are really interested to know that.

Points worth to note:

• Opening hours:
  • February to November : Daily 9.30am to 5pm.
  • December/January : Daily 9.30am to 4pm.
  • Last admission 30 minutes before closing.
  • Adult 18+ Years – £6 per ticket
  • Child 5-17 Years – £4 per ticket
  • Child Under 5 – Free

• It is excellent for visitors of all ages.
• Restrooms are available.
• There is a little gift shop available.

The closest town is Bushmills, home to the world-famous Old Bushmills Distillery.

The tour company had guided us for lunch to a restaurant named ‘The Giants Barn’, which was just 8 minutes drive from the Dunluce Castle.  

This restaurant is also located in a very scenic location.

Some places nearby:

• Bushmills Distillery (around 10 minutes’ drive)

This is the oldest whiskey distillery in the world.

• Few of the Antrim coast attractions like Giants Causeway, Carrick-a-rede, Ballintoy Harbour and so on

• Portrush Beach

SUMMARY : Dunluce castle is a great tourist destination and you should never miss this place if you are preparing a Northern Ireland or County Antrim itinerary.

The Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel located in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Managed by Jumeirah hotel group, it is one of the tallest hotels in the world, eventhough 39% of its total height is made up of non-occupiable space.
This is one of the famous and luxurious hotels in the world, which was opened to public in 1999. This is considered as the only 7 start hotel in the world (probably a debatable topic)

Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island that is 280m from Jumeirah Beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to resemble the sail of a ship. It took 2 years to build the island and another 3 years to build the hotel.

For the first time in history of 20+years, Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab welcomes guests to an exclusive tour, to discover the untold stories of a true UAE landmark.
The ‘Inside Burg Al Arab’ tour started on 15th October 2021. It means you don’t have to book a room here to get an access inside the hotel.

If you have been always curious (like me) to know what is inside the most expensive hotel in Dubai, then book this tour and give a pause to your quest.

There are various ways in which you could reach this place. Few of them are captured in the below image (taken from their official website).

There are a few tour options available, but the General Admission Guided Tour for 90 minutes (accompanied with a dedicated butler) is the most popular one out of all tours. The charge is around 249 AED. Kids of age 12 or under have a charge of around 99 AED. Children up to the age of 4 years are free of charge when accompanied by a full paying adult.

NOTE: Its good to note that the ticket price for this tour is still on a higher side, when you compare the ticket price with other tourist destinations in Dubai. But this would be a completely different experience.

There are around 20 different time slots (per day) available starting from 9:30 AM till 8:30 PM with a interval of 15 minutes, so that you could book the one which is most convenient for you. This is a group tour and the group size is restricted to around 12 people (in respect of social distancing). This tour starts from the Ticketing lounge. You would be asked to reach this lounge atleast 15 minutes before your designated tour time.

As soon as you enter the lounge, you would be received by the staff at the reception who would cross check and confirm your tickets.
They would also serve you with a special drink.
The tour starts in a buggy from the entrance of the lounge.
There is a special pathway for the buggy, to reach near the iconic Burj Al Arab.

The first stop of the buggy will be at a short distance from the iconic hotel where you can get some beautiful snaps of the hotel and its surrounding beach.

After that you would be taken to the ground floor of the hotel, where you would be received by few other staff’s who would take you inside the hotel through a separate entry gate exclusively for the non-guests who come as a part of this guided tour. You will also be given a specific Burj Al Arab hand towel.

From there you would be taken through the colourful lobby of the hotel (includes a visit to the famous hotel atrium/fountains) to the panoramic elevator that will take you to the 25^th Floor. You would also find some luxury brands showroom, enroute elevator.

You will then be taken to the royal suite, wheer you will be greeted by the private butler, the suite sits over two floors, the second of which is reached by an ostentatious gold and marble staircase, lined with leopard print carpet..

Now this royal suite is not given for hotel guests and its exclusively for the viewing purpose of the non guests who book this tour. Earlier this suite was given for guests for a rate of 25000 USD/Night. You will be guided to different places like the reception room, his/her bedrooms, living rooms, TV room and so on.

‘Her’s’ features a luxurious pink-hued lounge and a huge round bed with a mirror on the ceiling, marble bath tub and Hermes products. ‘His’ has a dramatic round bed that actually rotates a pillared marble bath tub and a walk-in shower fitted with 24-carat gold tiles.

Throughout the tour, you will get countless opportunities to capture some very iconic moments.

There is a royal touch (like a palace) in each and every part of this suite (including the bathrooms) and you would never feel that you are inside a hotel room or suite.

After the suite, you will be taken to the experience centre, where you can see the history of Burj-ul arab,  guests who stayed , why and how it was build and so on.

In the Architects studio, you could get to see the very first sketch of this hotel.

You would also be served with Arabian Coffee and dates.

This would be the last part of the tour, after which you would proceed back to the exit door. If you are interested in doing some shopping, dont worry; You would find a gift shop (INSIDE BURJ AL ARAB BOUTIQUE) near to the exit.

The tour ends back at the ground floor where you can experience the beautiful views of the Arabian gulf. A buggy would be already waiting for you at that place which will take you back to the Lounge.

You can find more details about this tour in the official website : https://insideburjalarab.com/

Summary / Important information to Note (courtesy: https://insideburjalarab.com/)

• The tour takes 1.5 hours on average.
• Visitors are not allowed to bring food and beverages with them.
• Tour ticket enables access to the 25th floor and inside Burj Arab only.
• Be advised to arrive 15 minutes earlier to take your ticket and have a valid photo ID with you.
• Please mind that the tickets are non-refundable or transferable and valid only for the time slot and date marked on your confirmation.
• In case of late arrival, guests may join the next tour when it is available and may be asked to pay an additional charge.
• Please respect other guests’ privacy and comfort when visiting the place.
• It is not permitted to take flash photos and use professional cameras.
• Burj Al Arab is a place of luxury. Please don`t put on beachwear. Smart casual clothes are appropriate.
• Tickets cannot be cancelled.
• As a part of tour, they will take your photograph at 2 different occasions (with some extremely great background). You could buy these photographs, offcourse with an additional payment.
• It is possible to extend your tour with drinks, high tea, lunch or dinner after the tour (includes additional payment).
• If you are planning to include this tour in your itinerary, its better to book a slot well in advance.
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels.

We stayed (2 nights) at Au Revoir resort during our Malampuzha trip in December 2021.

This resort is located near to the Malampzuha dam reservoir and its around 15-16 kms from Palakkad KSRTC Bus Stand and 57 kms from Coimbatore.

The landscape in and around this resort is nice and peaceful and its spread across 4.4 acres of land.

Few Facilities within the resort includes:

Belvoir:

They have a Multi cuisine restaurant named Belvoir (next to Lobby), which serves traditional and many other varieties of food.

The food was tasty and was slightly overpriced.

The Restaurant is open for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

LeSpring:

There is a Banquet hall/Convention center with a seating capacity for 300 people.

Rimini:

There is also a outdoor Amphi theatre with 50+ seats.

It is strategically positioned in the center of the property.

La Brasserie:

Near to the reception area (left side), there is a Coffee Shop. I believe its open 24/7

Brillante Business Center:

There is a small business centre near to the coffee shop which includes internet, hi speed Wi-Fi  and so on.

There are also other facilities like Tea shop and so on.

Apart from that, they also have :

Swimming Pool

Travel Guide

Wifi

Ample Parking

Health Club

Taxi service

Indoor Games

Sight seeing arrangements

Campfire

Travel desk

Cycles

Buggy service to rooms: The guests and their luggage are moved to the respective rooms using the buggy service as the resort is in an hilly landscape.

There is huge list of amenities available in this resort. The below list is picked from Au revoir website.

Different types of rooms are available like:

Row House

Honeymoon Villa

Deluxe room

Eventhough the Resort is newly build (I believe it was opened in 2021) with latest facilities, we felt that the facilities/fittings in the room were slightly outdated. They could have taken a little more care while deciding on the room design/fittings. But this is just a remark. But overall the ambiance in and around this resort is very good. We believe this is one of the best property, if you are looking for a stay option near Malampuzha dam. The staff was very helpful and supportive.

Please note that this property is around 6Kms from Malampuzha dam.

The road towards the resort from the dam is a bit tricky especially around the night time.

Its quite narrow and is just beside the reservoir without walls/fence. So pay good attention while driving.

Its not a road with lot of traffic. At times, you will find lot of  gravel and mud on the road.

Incase if you are driving to this place for the first time, we would strongly suggest to reach there before it gets too dark. Once you are more familiar with the road, then its should be ok and you would be comfortable driving even at night time.

During day time, you can really enjoy the scenic route to the resort which is adjacent to the dam reservoir.

They also have an Ayurvedic treatment centre offering different packages (around 10 different options to choose from)

More details can be found at : https://aurevoir.co.in/ayurvedic-treatment-package

Note: We have not tried any ayurvedic package and hence cannot comment much on that part.

Seems like they also have a fully-qualified yoga expert available within the resort.

Seems like this is also a common stay option for Film stars while they have shooting in and Malampuzha area. During our stay, we saw Tamil stars like Arya, Simran and others. There was also a small cake cutting function in connection with Arya’s birthday.

More details can be found @ https://aurevoir.co.in/

Address:

AuRevoir Resort Palakkad

Malampuzha Dam Ring Road,

South Malampuzha, Palakkad, Kerala, India

+91 97784 12247

+91 97784 12236

reservations@aurevoir.co.in

 As far as I remember, there is no direct Booking option available in their website, instead you should provide your details around the travel plan in the form of a message.

Overall Summary:

We would certainly recommend including AuRevoir (as a option to stay), in case if you are planning for a Malampuzha trip.

Thera are lot of tourist attarctions in Malampuzha.

Malampuzha Dam & Ropeway:

Malampuzha Dam is the second largest dam and reservoir in Kerala.

Malampuzha Ropeway was South India’s First Rope way project and it was commissioned in 1991.

Flying over the garden at a height of 60 ft., providing the best panoramic view of the beautiful landscapes, the twenty minutes sky-ride on Malampuzha Ropeway provides an unforgettable experience.

Malampuzha Snakepark:

Snake Park, is a reptile rehabilitation centre,  situated close to Malampuzha Dam and Malampuzha Garden.

It is maintained by the Kerala Forest Department, Palakkad.

Various poisonous and non-poisonous reptiles are exhibited in the Snake Park.

Malampuzha Garden:

Malampuzha Garden is a beautifully landscaped garden on the front side of the Malampuzha Dam. It is full of lush green lawns with well laid-out flower beds. There are pathways to watch and enjoy variety of fountains and marvelous sculptures.

Malampuzha Rock Garden:

Malampuzha Rock Garden, maintained by the District Tourism Promotion Council, Palakkad, was the first-of-its-kind in South India.

The Garden is filled with architectures made of waste stones and plastic.

I am a Platinum holder of IHG Rewards Club. I stayed with my Family for one night at ‘Holiday Inn Pattaya’ in March 2015 and its indeed one of the best Holiday Inn Hotels that I have stayed in.

The kids pool and the bigger pool near the Restaurant area is really awesome.

The hotel also had a kids play room with different activities.

Its in the other end of the walking street and hence its in a less noisy area compared to other hotels.

The staff’s were very helpful.

Tiffany show theatre is just 10 minute’s walk from the hotel.

We got a Beach facing room and the view from the balcony was excellent.

There are a couple of Indian Restaurants nearby but we didn’t try food from there since we had a feeling like Indian Restaurants are costly in Thailand.

They will help you to get some good deals for Pattaya city tours.

More details in https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/pattaya/pyxpa/hoteldetail

Novotel Phuket Resort is nestled on a hillside overlooking Patong Bay on eight acres of tropical landscaped gardens, near to Patong Beach. The hotel features 217 contemporary rooms plus three-tiered pool facing to the Sea. We stayed in this hotel in March 2015.

Pros:
This is a beautiful resort near to the Patong Beach.
The staff is excellent, always willing to take care of every need with a smile.
On request, they had provided an excellent Beach/Sea facing room. The room was very large with multiple beds.
There are 3 pools with comfortable water temperature. Pools here are really nice and well maintained.
Walking around the hotel is interesting and curious. Lots of great photo spots.

Cons:
This is little far from the main city center. However, resort provides back And forth shuttle service. Do check with the resort for the timings.
Note : The last shuttle is at 7pm and the return is at 7.15pm, so if you are planning to go for dinner to the centre of Patong, you must come back using some other transportation options (Ex: Taxi, Bike Taxi)

The resort is on a hillside. Normally they arrange an electric vehicle for the travel from the main road to the reception area; else, you will have to climb slope/staircases.

Stayed with my family at ‘iCheck inn, Sukhumvit, Soi 2’ during March 2015.

I booked this hotel through my Country Club India membership.

Country Club has mixed type of properties, some are really good and some very bad. But this hotel at Bangkok was really a nice one.

(Special Note to country club, India members: I am quite sure that you might think twice before booking a country club property, may be due to some personal experience or due to some bad reviews read on Internet. But I can guarantee you that this is one of the good hotels, that you can book through country club. I have stayed here with my wife and kid for around 3 days)

Highlights:

– Situated near the Busy Sukhumvit street.
– Not a very big property but its clean and neat.
– Staff is friendly.
– They don’t have a full course of breakfast and have a limited menu. Food rates are on the higher side.
– They arrange Tuk-Tuk (regular) service from and to the main street.
– There is a metro station near by (you can take the Tuk-Tuk from the hotel).
– They have a good locker facility.
– Rate is very much affordable.
– Car parking seems to be limited, but not sure.
– Staff @ front office spoke English very well, which was very helpful.
– They arranged a private taxi for us to have a one day tour, It was quite safe and reasonable.
– There is a 7/11 shop , and a supermarket available at a walkable distance.

More details in : https://icheck-inn-sukhumvit-soi-2-bangkok.booked.net/

One Line Summary: Basic , Neat and affordable hotel in Sukhumvit street, Bangkok