100 journeys before i die : 80-71

recap!!!

100. goa with friends

99. wild wadi water park, dubai

98. taj mahal by the full moon

97. amsterdam's red light district

96. bhaang in jaisalmer

95. coffee plantations in coorg

94. jogging in central park, new york

93. crossing the panama canal

92. driving on the autobahn, germany, austria and switzerland

91. dev deepavali, varanasi

90. driving a vintage in udaipur

89. walking through pondicherry'e french quarter

88. fly over mount everest

87. roller coaster riding at six flags great adventure

86. fete de la musique in paris

85. switzerland, yash raj style

84. ride on the tgv

83. incan and mayan ruins in central america

82. cross the karlov most

81. ecology lessons at lake baykal

now for 80-71

80. ajanta and ellora



simply put, visit the best collection of rock cut caves that exist.   i have a personal bent towards rock cut architecture and caves, and the few i've seen have been awesome, and the rave review i've heard for ajanta and ellora do not lower expectations.

where to stay : in nearby aurangabad, but you're safest at the nice but normal taj residency

79. wander through bundi

bundi is rajasthan yet unknown. its picture perfect, and its free of touts and tourists alike. just waiting to be explored.

where to stay : unless you can buy and refurbish a haveli in this pretty town, you'll have to make do with a comfortable enough haveli braj bhushan jee. otherwise its the nondescript charms of nearby kota.

78. club hopping in tallinn

tallinn is not a name off your lips. its in estonia, its in east europe and was once the part of the ussr. today, its a city known for its edginess, its superb old town and an overwhelming quantity of 'good looking part scandinavian-part east european' blondes. beyond that, the old town is full of chic and funky clubs, ranging from the wild to the artsy. up my street, definitely.

where to stay : the three sisters is a set of restored townhouses, slightly esoteric, but perfectly luxurious.

77. under the andalusian sun

andalusia is spain's southern country, home to mosques turned churches, grand palaces, medieval cities and happening beaches. wander through the alhambra in granada, jet ski on the beaches around malaga, indulge in the romance of seville, et al. a traditional holiday, but what the hell.

where to stay: plenty, considering all andalusian old towns have more than a handful of reconverted mansions. hospes, a local chain, has done a great job at hospes palacio de los patos in granada while hospes palacio del bailio in cordoba is equally chic. casa morisca in granada is your pick for moorish-mansion-revisited. alfonso xii in seville is the definitive grande dame of the region.

76. yunnan

come again? yunnan is the southernmost part of china, wedged between tibet, north east india, burma and the rest of south east asia, carved by the valleys of major rivers, replete with high mountains, lush tropical vegetation, smiling oriental villagers, spectacular geological formations, picture perfect villages and a clutch of top notch resorts. the communists call it the 'official' shangri-la, and bureaucratic brouhaha notwithstanding, yunnan is regarded as a rewarding experience.

where to stay : the two banyan tree resorts, one in ringgha and one in lijiang are the places to see and be seen at, along with the luxury of their spas.

75. cross the danube in budapest

budapest, at first glance, seems like a bombay-cross-calcutta-plonked-in-east-europe, but beyond the dilapidated facades is a magical metropolis with its broad avenues, sweet natured populace, and above all, an enchanting riverfront, best crossed across on erszebet hid (elisabeth bridge) or szechenyi lanchid (chain bridge). better still, do it at night, when the city is lit up along with its bridges, and the banks of the mighty danube become breathtakingly beautiful. for reference, hark back to the 'italy' shown in hum dil de chuke sanam.

where to stay : the four seasons gresham palace sits in a restored art nouveau palace at the very edge of the chain bridge - next to the riverfront, the best shopping areas, and in perfect view of the nightly lightworks, apart from fancy four seasons service.

74. durga puja in calcutta

calcutta is a rewarding experience in all seasons - its a city that grows on you despite its less-than-impressive first glances - take in its colonial hangovers, its serene waterfronts and the overwhelming flow of culture. better still, enjoy calcutta in durga puja, when the bongs are in celebratory mode, the city is chock-a-block with elaborate pandals and serpentine queues of pandal hoppers.

where to stay : the oberoi grand is the best bet for a stay high on service, while itc sonar may be a bit far flung but soothes with its design. the park, however, flaunts edgy design, operates a clutch of awesome eateries and located bang centre on park street.

73. amazon rainforest

does it need introduction? think of a river ten kilometres wide and inhabited by flesh eating fish, wetlands famous for oh-so-long snakes, impenetrable jungles full of dinner plate sized spiders, species on the brink of extinction and lost tribes. you are in the amazon, nature's way of saying, ha ha you poor idiots.

where to stay : anavilhanas is in the middle of the jungle and still has lcd screens hanging above the all glass doors to the mid-jungle deck, and the usual eco-chic.

72. the beijing-tibet railroad

the highest railroad on earth may have taken the sheen off the once mystic journey from beijing to lhasa over high passes, but the landscape is the same, the mode of travel faster and more comfortable. just for the pleasure of taking a railway that pushes boundaries, as well as visiting a forbidden land.

where to stay : in beijing, start either with the aman at the summer palace (aman luxury is incentive enough, plus its a set of restored mansions dating from some dynasty or the other) or the commune by the great wall, a set of high-design villas in the foliage, right next to the great wall. at the other end of the line, in lhasa, expect little, with the best hotels sporting names like 'tibet international grand hotel', of which the 'international' and 'grand' nature are very dubious, or manage permits from chinese bureaucracy and camp your way through tibet, an infinitely superior experience.

71. learn tango in buenos aires

in south america, two cities fight for cultural relevance. while rio di janeiro is the sexy one, buenos aires turns out to be the sly seducer with its spanish hangover, latin passion, and all coming over in tango, argentina's single greatest export to the rest of the world. where better to grab a latina/latino and dance the dance of passion? that may be flowery language, but trust me, tango is one dance with an immense capability to turn you on.

where to stay : park hyatt palacio duhau - a restored palace is enough to get me hooked, and add good design and reliable service, and voila.

current score - 8/30
next time, sugar, salt and spice. (sad teasers, rejoice)