Map In My Pocket

Category: Hotels & Stays

Hotel Review: Maison Perumal, Pondicherry
Maison Perumal, a sepia serigraph of another time – dusted off perhaps, but not retouched.

Says CGH Earth‘s website for this property of theirs, Maison Perumal, Pondicherry.
& I couldn’t have put it better myself.

CGH Earth has two properties in Pondicherry – Maison Perumal in the Tamil Quarter and Palais de Mahe in the French Quarter just off the famous Pondicherry promenade. We split our time in Pondicherry in two parts – two days in the Tamil Quarter and two in the French, and stayed at both of these boutique hotels. One a restored Tamil home, another a recreation of a French home.

Definitely amongst the most charming of boutique hotels in Pondicherry, Maison Perumal is the one hotel there that I haven’t had enough of. Just as much as I can never tire off being in Pondicherry, I can’t think of not wanting to go back to this beautiful heritage home.

Maison Perumal Review: Past Perfect in Pondicherry

Location

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Restored by INTACH, this heritage building in the Tamil Quarter of Pondicherry was once – nearly three hundred years ago – a Chettiar mansion in the affluent neighbourhood around the temple. Maison Perumal is located right at the heart of the bustling side of Pondicherry, where the locals go about busily attending to their day’s work away from the precise boulevards of the French Quarter where most of the tourists restrict themselves to. It is the perfect location for those wanting to get a glimpse into the local Tamil way of life and still be able to get back to the promenade and its chic cafes and boutiques on a whim.

Design

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From the redoxide flooring to the typical colonial Indian wooden furniture, Maison Perumal, transported me straight back to my grandparents hundred and eighty year old house in Visakhapatnam and I happily walked straight back to those summer holidays of my childhood. This beautiful house is tastefully done up in furtniture and accents that are are alive with detail. And, the sunlight that filters in through stained glass windows only adds dimension to this heritage home sequestered away in the colourful lanes of the Tamil quarter.

Our Room

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Quietly elegant, the rooms are furnished keeping with the Franco-Tamil character of this property and this corner of India that is Pondicherry.

Restaurant + Food

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The smell of cooked fish that wafted from the kitchen clung stubbornly to all that came out of the kitchen. So much so that I couldn’t gulp down more than a sip of my fresh watermelon juice the first night we were there. Making the one restaurant in the hotel, out of bounds for vegetarians, especially for those like me, who have been so all their life.

& NO, there is no room service.

But having said that, the food is delicious and is served hot and fresh by staff who are willing to whip up whatever it is that suits your preference. Like they did for us.

Service

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We had checked into the hotel only late in the night, way past dinner time but the staff were so welcoming and helpful, they rustled up a quick vegetarian dinner for us by the time we were through checking-in. Not only did they suggest this themselves (we were too tired to even think of dinner!) but they did it happily too.

And, just for that they deserve a big thumbs up!

Convenience

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Wifi

Unlike most other hotels, wifi works well in the rooms too.

Drinking Water

Two litres of bottled water replenished daily.

Getting Out & About

The leafy lanes of the forgotten Tamil Quarter are shady, colourful and peppered with just the right amount beautiful old buildings. Add to that there is only the occasional tourist that wanders on to this side of the canal that divides Pondicherry into precise cultural quarters, there is much to explore right outside the Maison Perumal. The staff are also helpful enough to find you a “tuk-tuk” for those times when you aren’t just up for a walk and would rather head straight to the promenade or the more happening neighbourhood of Pondicherry.

Value for Money

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While Palais de Mahe, has the feel of a modern day hotel with all the amenities, Maison Perumal which is priced a little lower feels like an old lived in home, which is what it is. And, for those who love staying in heritage homes, Maison Perumal at around Rs.10,000 (150 USD) is good value.

My Take on Maison Perumal

Would I stay at Maison Perumal again?
Most definitely, yes!

What did I love about Maison Perumal?
Genuinely helpful staff
Decor and Ambience
Courtyard Cafe

What did I hate about Maison Perumal?
Smell of sea food. But thats just a personal quirk. ?
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Address

58, Perumal Koil Street
Puducherry

Find it on Google Maps.
July 25, 2018
Hotel Review: A Sneak Peek into Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty

Modern yet with a personality that is all old school elegance, The Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty truly lives up to the Grand Hyatt’s motto of #livegrand.

Classy and understated, Grand Hyatt’s newest luxury hotel on the Bolgatty Island in Kerala’s port city of Kochi is set to open its doors on the 29th of this month.

Here is an exclusive sneak peek

The Presidential Suite & Others

Swanky.

Straight out of Gossip Girl, I could imagine living here in this super sumptuous condo style Presidential Suite while my penthouse in the city was being redone for the 100th time !!

This mini home that comes at a price tag of roughly a lakh of Indian rupees a night, definitely made for one of the most fun property tours I have been on.

There are four waterfront villas too that sit serenely away from the main building.

The standard rooms too are done up tastefully and offer beautiful panoramic views of the city and its backwaters. Thoughtfully designed furniture like the table that does double duty as a work desk and for in-room dining, only adds to the snugness.

The Colony Club & Its Wall of Whisky

The club is atmospheric and inviting. What with its dark wood panelling and gold trimmings, the plush velvet cushions and travel inspired vintage decor set against the backdrop of the tranquil Vembanad Lake.

The pièce de résistance of this old world gentleman’s club though is the Whisky Wall. Here is where members can store their whisky bottles for the future, to be reopened only for them.

I only rue not getting to watch the sunset from the rooftop sit out while sipping on a tall glass of super cold ice tea.

Food, Coffee & The Restaurants

Thai Soul

Hands down the best Thai Street Food I have ever had. Having been a vegetarian all my life I usually find it difficult to eat Thai Cuisine because of the lingering smell of sea food that literally kills my appetite. But here the vegetarian fare is so clean and delicious that not once was I uncomfortable or unsure about trying something new.

From the tangy raw papaya salad to the stir fried spicy noodle, the food was just the right amount of spicy and delectable with all the flavours distinctly enjoyable.

Also having the first taste of mango this season might have sweetened the experience just a little bit! ?

Malabar Cafe

That pretty blue ceramic serve ware. *sigh*
But yes the coffee was good too.

Clubhouse Grill

I Did not really get to try out anything at the Club House Grill, but from what we had elsewhere in the Hotel, I can vouch for it.

April 10, 2018
The Goat Village: Take me away!

Have you ever longed to escape to a place that would take you far far away from the madding crowd? the hustle and bustle of your city life?? Then, The Goat Village in Tehri, Uttarakhand ought to be on your travel bucket list!

The Nag Tibba Trek is today one of the most popular treks in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas and is fast catching on as the ideal weekend trek from Delhi due to the fact that it is only 57 kms from Mussorie and also, of course, for the thrill of scaling the highest peak of the Lesser Himalayas. Believed to be the seat of Nag Devta or the Hindu Snake God, the Serpent’s Peak or Nag Tibba as it is called, is home to a shrine to the god who lends this Himalayan peak its name. With one of the nearby villages as a base, the scenic trek through the Himalayan forest to this temple can be done in a day or two, depending on the route one takes.

& Half way up this trek from the village of Pantwari is The Goat Village.

Of the many initiatives by The Green People to revive abandoned villages in Uttarakhand and encourage reverse migration of farmers, The Goat Village is one. A farm retreat of traditionally curated Garhwal homes built only from wood, mud and slate that chips and falls off the mountains.

So, here is this little village of wooden cottages nestled in the Himalayas, where to touch the clouds all you have to do is extend your hand and where there is no electricity or Wi-Fi that you end up doing anything but checking your phone every few minutes for updates!

This is where I was invited to recently to experience this ‘Happier Himalayan Village’ first hand and I came away from probably one of the most wonderful trips I have taken in a while. So much so that, when I sit down to blog about it, I notice a sudden slight tinge of the dreamy in my writing style!

Rooms

Ever dreamt of a log cabin on a far away mountain, while you curled up in your cosy corner reading your favourite fairy tale??

Wood, Stone, some Wild Flowers.

& yes, a Window Seat!

Polyhouse + Cafeteria

My camera loves this Polyhouse +Cafeteria!

All that wood and glass, with the fog just out of sight and the cold mountain air creeping in. Neither could I stop myself then, from clicking photos every time I was in there nor can I stop myself now, from reminiscing and missing the time spent there.

Oh yes, and those cherry tomatoes right there. :)

Food

Home grown. Organic. Fresh.

Bread made from Raagi (finger millet – the traditional equivalent of Oats), Tea flavoured with the wild mint that grows on the mountain side..need I say more?

With this initiative, The Green People are not just offering an interesting way for travellers to escape the mundane and a chance to experience a Himalayan Village in the most earthy way possible, but are also bringing development to these remote areas in a way that the locals themselves are involved – from getting trained in the hospitality sector before they start work at any of The Goat Village properties in the mid and lower Himalayan region, to farming and goat rearing at the village itself to procuring the farm produce from other locals to be promoted under The Green People’s brand of Organic Himalayan Products, Bakri Chaap.

So, if off beat places call to you and you are someone who wants a bit of adventure in your holiday, the trek to Nag Tibba with a stop over at The Goat Village would be just about perfect.

Also, the “no electricity” living takes this experience to a whole new level and this little fellow here chomping on the sunlight – to charge – just stole my heart!

Explorers Guide

Getting There: The nearest airport is the Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun from where Pantwari is a 6 hour drive. From here on, it is a 40 minute drive and a 2 hour trek up the mountain.

Read Next: In Pictures: The Valley of Flowers

October 16, 2016