Most tourists are from within the country (and primarily on a weekend getaway from wither Pune or Mumbai), although there is a liberal sprinkling of tourists from around the world as well.

What you can expect from Murud Janjira is beautiful sunsets, few lessons in history, an unforgettable boat ride to the Janjira fort, beautiful and untouched nature and forestation, and visits to Buddhist ruins complete wit stupas –  what you will not see however is a crazy beach night life.

Where
Murud is a beach town located in Raigad district in Maharashtra and about half a days drive from Pune and Mumbai.

How to get there
Plenty of options are available:
- State transport and privately operated bus services are available from Mumbai , Pune and Alibaug
- Trains are also available from Roha
My personal pick however is driving down, there are plenty or beautiful locales en-route and you can also drop by Kashid and other beach fronts on the way to Murud. The roads are good and you can make better time in your own vehicle.

Sights and Culture
History
Janjira Fort
Plenty of history is in store if you venture around Murud. One of the reasons for popularity of Murud is the Janjira Fort, which comes peaked with stories of war, invincibility, town dwellings inside the fort and the sweet fresh water that ‘miraculously’ is available in the middle of the sea.
It is famous for being the only fort along India’s western coast that remained undefeated despite Maratha, Dutch and English East India Company attacks.

From inside the walls of Janjira

The design of the fort allows the main entrance to appear as one of the walls during low tide, while in high tide the entrance remains submerged and well hidden.

Kude Caves
Further inside and away from Murud, you will be glad you came here. Kude caves enjoys a vantage point that gives a sweeping bird’s eye view to the valleys below. You will see plenty of ancient architectural marvels in way if the ruins from what are Buddhist quarters and stupas inside carved caves.

Along your drives from one destination to another ask your tour guide or driver to stop at interesting places and you will see that there are pit stops every half hour – plenty of relics to see and ruins from very long ago.

Culture
Village Fair
There is a local village fair on specific days of the week and is quite a delight to visit. These fairs hold the old world Indian charm with cheap trinkets and local bite size foods available for take away. The fair is a riot of colour and light and the town people are clearly proud of it as you can see from their shining faces as they walk about in their ‘fair’ best.

Temples
Although we skipped visiting the temples the Birla Mandir and Sidi Vinayak mandir are quite popular here and are located to take utmost advantage of their sea side location.

Nature
The beach front in Murud is quite expansive and beautiful and offers great sweeping view of the Arabic sea (with Janjira Fort in teh foreground). You can climb up the many vantage points and catch breath taking view’s of the sun setting over the Arabian Sea

If possible do visit the jetty area near Murud and you will see fishermen lugging in their daily catch.

Gossip and Bollywood
You can see a lot of barricaded markings in the seemingly vast expanse of ‘no mans land’. Mention this to the locals and your tour guide/driver and he will point and say ” That belongs to Salman Khan” and “This to the Big B”,  it appears that almost all of B-town has invested in Murud town.

Town
The winding, narrow lanes and streets of Murud town in itself is quite a sight. There is a chaos of old and new in almost everything and the hustle and urgency in every transaction. The images of the local mosques, temples, vegetable market are the riot of colour everywhere is tattooed in my memory.

People
The people of Murud are incredible, the locals manage to create such a sense and feel for their region based on historical facts, architectural relics and geography.

Visit Janjira and you see pride and eagerness in each local individual – their stories creating a warmth and charm that is hard to miss and giving you a true essence of Murud and Janjira, its heritage and the fantastic stories from then and now.

How much time to spend in Murud
A weekend (+ 1 day at a maximum) is sufficient to take in the place. Do check with your hotel to arrange a complete tour of Murud and Janira – there are auto’s and cabs on hire with Drivers who will give you a guided tour of all the important locations around Murud and Janjira (it would also help if you negotiate on this as you book your stay.)

Where to Stay
There are plenty of stay options available in Murud, but only a couple of places truly offer sea facing views. Most of the hotels and guest houses can be rented on a shoe string budget.

During my stay in Murud I had stayed at Hotel Sea Face and after my visit here, I can safely say that this is possibly the best hotel to stay in Murud.

Hotel Sea Face is a low budget hotel  which offers rooms at rates raning from 600 to 3000 (try and get the rooms on the first floor with views to the sea). The rooms are all clean and the staff is incredibly helpful. Bang opposite the beach with an imposing view of the sea, this is probably the only budget hoteloffering fantastic views .

The hotel has its own restaurant and also is walking distance from many of the other eating joints. It is through negotations with this hotel that we got a personal tour around Murud and Janjira for a very reasonable price. Further in case you need transfer from Murud back to Pune or Mumbai you can check with the staff for the best (and safe) deal.

Eating Out
Cramping all the sightseeing and relaxation on a two day weekend, we could not explore the food scene much.

Although I had read a lot on the amazing sea food that is available my actual experience was quite contrary and the food here left me absolutely unimpressed and uninspired.

Perhaps, it would be best to find out which houses cater to provide home cooked local delicacies and try the same. The restaurants I tried were not very good and the food I tried was just about average to say the least.

Some pictures from my trip to Murud Janjira can be found here.

In Conclusion
Murud is a good weekend getaway with plenty of sights to take in, the people are proud of their heritage and make excellent hosts. A visit to Murid Janjira is more than the  generic sun and sand kind of trip, with promise of surprises you cannot imagine a quaint sea side town could hold.

For any specific queries please leave a comment or write to me at jchaitanyareddy@gmail.com.

What is Mount Lavinia Like

Mount Lavinia is a laid back suburban town far enough from the madness of Srilanka’s capital Colombo. Depending on the time of your arrival Mount Lavinia could look lazy, touristy, crowded or even resemble a neighbourhood near a university campus teaming with (mostly young) people from across the world. Similar to almost all the beach front towns the alleys of Mount Lavinia are narrow with houses packed close to the beach front. Although a definite tourist spot there is a unique overlap of teaming locals and travelers, thus giving you ample opportunity to blend in and experience the local culture.

An itinerary is not needed to explore Mount Lavinia- wandering aimlessly , blending in with the locals, popping into local store’s, tasting street food and checking out the local architecture, watching the sun set over the Indian ocean and finishing of the day with a fabulous dinner on the beach is plan enough.

 Life is a beach in Mount Lavinia

Sights and Culture of Mount Lavinia

Architecture
A bustling mix of tourists and locals Mount Lavinia has preserved its local appeal while catering to travellers. One of the most charming things about this place is the architecture, each house is splendid in its design and the gates to the houses are all unique and wonderfully ornate. I could spend an afternoon just milling along the alleys and noting the architecture.

Activities and shops
Mount Lavinia is one of the more affluent areas in Srilanka and hence you will find plenty of spas, malls, gaming zones and restaurants along the main street area. A stroll along the main street will give you a fair idea of the amenities and the transport options.

Also the pet stores and automobile spare part shops are unlike anything I have seen before.

Sight seeing
The beach has a almost 360 panoramic view of the Indian ocean and the sunset is worth waiting for. Although, the beach does appear to get slightly crowded, venture out a little further and you can breathe free .( The locals warn tourists to not wander away from the well lit sections of the beach post 9 pm)

Food
Restaurants are plenty – beach side, on the main streets, in the narrow alleys.

The cuisine is mind boggling too the street vendors and restaurants alike offer almost everything ranging from Nasi Goreng, dumplings, Laksa to the local delicacies.

Night Life
Mount Lavinia has a thriving night life and plenty of options to choose from. Most of the beach side resorts/restaurants/dance floors begin setting the mood from the moment the sun sets.

Mount Lavinia Restaurants and eating out

Cuisine and Budget
Mount Lavinia can boast of street vendor and swanky restaurants that offer food options ranging from Nasi Goreng, Laksa, dumplings to Srilankan Specialities. Local fare of appam, string hoppers and kottu can be found aplenty.

The drinks
There are also plenty of options to keep oneself hydrated. There is the abundantly available fresh coconut water ,fresh squeezed juices and plenty of juice centers offering smoothies and milkshakes.

Bread and bakeries
The bread from Srilanka needs special mention, every few block’s there are bakeries churning out soft, fragrant delicious bread- a fairly recent development that the locals attribute to the tourist inflow

Also notable is plenty of cake shops selling perfect looking fresh pastries.

Eating within the hotel
Most of the hotels (budget or otherwise) offer reasonable priced breakfast, lunch and dinner options. The food served here is usually good quality, made by the local chefs and has good enough variety.

Yes there are KFC’s and Pizza Hut’s
Apart from the speciality restaurants and street vendors the options of Pizza Hut, KFC etc are also available and usually deliver to your hotel past 11 pm also .

Beach side restaurants
During the evening the beach atmosphere is nothing short of a fair and the usual ice cream vans and finger food vendors throng aplenty.

Walk further down the beach stretch and you will find options of candle lit dinners bang on the beach. The staff will put your table as far out on the beach as safe and possible – this I highly recommend, nothing like the beach breeze, lovely music and the moon lit sea for a view .

Warning: The portions served in most restaurant’s are huge (by European standards ) so be warned and order appropriately, remember there is plenty to experience and experiment .

Mount Lavinia Shopping

General
The shopping stores in Mount Lavinia pack almost everything that you would need, so much so that I was taken aback that some brands and items that are available only in super markets in India are available in the ‘mom and pop stores’ in Mount Lavinia.

Clothing
Plenty of malls and local stores can be found along the main street. Further, the famous ‘House of Fashion’ is only a 30 minute ride by tuk-tuk or bus from Mount Lavinia.

There are also several stores that claim to make custom fit suits for men and women, although I could not try getting anything made here I would love to give these stores a try when my stay duration is more than a week..

How much time to spend in Mount Lavinia

That depends entirely on your budget, how much time you have and what your plans are.

Although 2-3 days is enough to explore Mount Lavinia and unwind , it is one of those laid back places where people come and stay for month’s at a stretch. My suggestion, plan your itinerary well and decide how much you want to laze around and give that time to Mount Lavinia .

What else can be done

If you choose you can completely skip staying in Colombo and do all the sight seeing while putting up at Mount Lavinia. Colombo is about 30-45 minutes from Mount Lavinia and you can explore the city and return to the calm of Mount Lavinia.

Most hotels also offer tourism packages ranging from 2 days to week around Srilanka covering places liked Kandy, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa etc. You would need to check with the the hotel you choose to stay with regarding the same.

Where to Stay in Mount Lavinia

This is a tricky one as the options are plenty. I stayed at Tropic Inn and was extremely satisfied with my stay here.

Tropic Inn Accommodation
The rooms are basic but clean. The hotel is a converted house and retains its cozy charm.

Tropic Inn Rates
The rates were way less than what my budget was but the amenities were just what I wanted. Does not kill to save up on budget .

Tropic Inn Service
The service at Tropic Inn is exceptional. The staff is prompt courteous and extremely helpful- and each one of them goes out of their way to ensure your comfort.

Tropic Inn Food
Tropic Inn offers breakfast, lunch and dinner at nominal rates. The food is well made with choices from local cuisine to more international dishes. Breakfast is buffet style and does leave you satisfied

In-fact the string hopper and its spicy chutney was the best I had in my entire trip to Srilanka

Tropic Inn amenities
Free Wifi
Prompt and safe pick up from the airport at any time at a nominal charge
Free pick up from Mount Lavinia Train station
Currency Exchange ( And they offered the best rate)
They offer Tour packages, which I was not aware of and did not try

Tropic Inn Location
2 minutes walk from the beach
2 minutes walk from the main street
15 minutes walk from the Mount Lavinia Train Station
30 minutes ride to ‘House of Fashion’ shopping area
45 minutes to Colombo (Galle Face)
1 hour from the airport
Plenty of restaurants within walking distance

You can visit the official Tropic Inn website here to learn more.
(P.S: I stayed a couple of nights in Taj Colombo during my trip to Srilanka and hands down would choose Tropic Inn for the service and ease , but more on that later ).

Some images from my travel to Mount Lavinia can be seen  here.

The interesting thing about Srilanka is that it can be the destination you want it to be and there is always something for everyone – there is much to be experienced ranging from the nightlife in Colombo, to the historical relics of Anuradhapura and the beautiful wildlife sanctuaries around Polonnaruwa, to the beautiful serene and cool Kandy Hill-station and a brisk trek in Sigiriya.

For a country so tiny Srilanka  definitely packs quite a punch.

You can read one of my earlier posts on travel in Srilanka here .

Just like when my own culture is subject to observation – everything is drama, everything is vibrant and beautiful and everyone is doing things strange, exciting and extraordinary.

There is much beauty in the island country of Srilanka, and planning an itinerary was challenging and not without flaws.

Where we traveled: Colombo-Anuradhapura-Sigiriya-Polannaruwa-Colombo

Anuradhapura : The resting place we chose, as we explored a section of the ‘cultural triangle’.  Once the glory and capital of Srilanka, Anuradhapura is now rich with cultural significance. Magnificent ruins are abundant and many a times even line the roadways. Along the area, many man-made lakes add to the serenity and remain as reminders of the fantastic architectural planning and well planned irrigation system of heyday.

Basic online search will throw light on the culture, historical significance and the must visit attractions. We chose to go with no specific expectation and agenda, giving ourselves a chance to explore at leisure. Our visit, however was extremely informative, fun and relaxed thanks to the company of Anura(who took us around in his bluebird) and Charita(who was our tour guide for the city of Anuradhapura).I cannot stress enough on how important it is not only to visit the three places with an open mind , but also to get a good guide and a good ride (you can travel around the area in a tuk-tuk but the roads are uneven and the weather too hot).
There are many many ruins to see and without a guide, it would feel that you are walking around in circles, watching variations of the same monument/stupa/ruin without understanding the significance.

Personal recommendation: Fix an appointment with Anura (he will bring his blue bird promptly to take you around), and ask for his best friend Charita too – a guide with much knowledge, who will give you free history lessons as well . Both these gentlemen are extremely polite and pleasant, and made sure we covered as much as possible without draining ourselves out.

Sigiriya: For me this was the highpoint of the 3 days spent at the cultural triangle. Right from when I saw the images of this rock online, I knew the trip would be incomplete if this place was missed. Not really a trek, this tour involves a climb along rusty spiral stairs to reach the highest point of the rock palace (the spot where the kings quarters once were). Unfortunately, during our visit the palace and its surrounding architecture was only partially excavated and restored.A lot of restoration work is in progress, but judging by the massive areas of the ancient city that still stay buried under, it is difficult to say when the city will be open for visitors in its entirety.

Personal recommendation: At the entrance, you will be approached by several local guides who charge tourists approximately 800 LKR to 1000 LKR for a guided tour. Go ahead and hire them to ensure a detailed viewing of the site.

The first glimpses, as we approach Sigiriya lion rock.

Polonnaruwa: Even a breezy trip along this ancient city, will be enough for you to admire the architectural genius reflected in its ruins. You can almost imagine the beauty of this extremely organized, well planned and ornate city.
Like Anuradhapura this city is also peppered with many man-made lakes and detailed stone carvings. On some occasions the significance of the carvings/walls/pillars remained a mystery, as even the information notices only provided a approximate guess on what the ornate stone structure could have been.

Personal recommendation: Spend some time at the Gal Vihara, the serenity and beauty of the single stone carving is not to be missed. Also unique is the posture of the standing image of Buddha, which has been reason of much dispute.

Unique standing posture of Buddha

All in all I am glad, that these places were a part of our itinerary. All along our sight-seeing here, the roads blended in beautifully with the wilderness and the jungles welcomed whoever ventured.I loved, how the roads vanished along corners, almost apologetic of being intrusive and sticking to being as narrow as possible.

Colombo: This city was our first as well as our final destination in the country.  While we spent the first day of our trip relaxing on the beach in Mount Lavinia. The final days in Srilanka were spend shopping and walking around along the streets of the capital city.

Where we stayed:
Anuradhapura: Palm Garden Village resort
One of the better hotels to stay in Anuradhapura, while the living quarters were great, the service was good and the food could use a lot of improvement. I felt no warmth from the staff and there were hitches in the services.
It was from here that we ventured out to Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa.
Personal Recommendation: Choose between half board and full board options if staying here. There are no restaurants close by and for food you will have to travel to Anuradhapura town (reachable only by tuk-tuk).
Mount Lavinia (Colombo): Tropic Inn
Without any doubt the best accommodation in our entire trip. The rooms are cozy and clean, the staff uber friendly and attentive, what’s more the beach is 1 minute away. All the shopping centers are 15 minutes by tuk-tuk or bus and the train station is two blocks away.
Personal recommendation: If in Colombo for leisure stay at Tropic Inn, even if you have the budget for a fancier hotel. I very highly recommend this place, for not only is it in the middle of all the goodness and convenience, it is also very easy on the pocket.

Colombo: Taj Samudra
This was the regular comfortable Taj experience, I have nothing to complain about (except that they forgot to pack our breakfasts well and hence we had to leave the same back). To reach the beach from the hotel you need to cross a road.However after 6 pm, you can only view the sea from a raised platform as the sea rides up and covers the narrow beach front. After the cozy experience of the Tropic Inn, Taj fades in charm.
Personal recommendation:If you must stay at the Taj Samudra, choose the sea facing rooms. Also, the spread in the lunch and dinner buffet is enticing and sometimes really good as well, for non-vegetarians that is, as a vegetarain while you may not go hungry, you will certainly miss on variety and taste.

What we ate:

Hopper in the making, this is a plain one. Another popular variation is the egg hopper.

The food in Srilanka is a blend of many cultures. What you immediately notice is the striking similarity to Indian cuisine (specifically with the cuisine from Kerala), abundance of fresh baked homemade bread, spiced curries that are milder on the senses and definite influences from the eastern as well as the western countries . Tea and coffee is a common accompaniment with all the major meals. (I even tried a cold beverage, which was a blend of tea, coffee and milk with sago).  I spotted different eateries that advertised authentic European,  Malaysian and Chinese dishes.What I loved most though, was that no matter where we went there was always access to fresh fruit juice and delicious at that (our trip was in the middle of the Mango season and we tried several sensational mixed fruit blends). If nothing else is available, the sweet coconut water is available in even the most remote areas. Sea food as expected is plenty, and is a popular snack along the beach front.
Personal recommendation:
Kottu at the Taj (the best we had)
String hoppers with the Sambal at Tropic Inn
Vadalaaapm at the Family restaurant in Anuradhapura Town
Egg hopper at any local eatery (Divine!!)

I have deliberately left out the places we visited within our pit stops, for much information exists on the same, and the experience of a first hand visit is something else.
Tips:
1. Mosquitoes are plenty, carry a repellent cream, or make sure it is the first thing you buy there
2. The only issue we encountered was that the ignorance of the language made us venerable. If you are from India, there are very high chances that you can pass off as a Srilankan, I recommend you learn some Sinhala prior to your trip.  This can also save you some money .
3. Shop wisely. You could not be saving much and carrying extra baggage back.
4. Srilanka is a safe, civilized and organized place. However, check at the hotel counter before venturing out too late in the night.
5. Once again, if you are from India, take some saris as gifts for people you may like there. You can often hear the locals complain about how marked up these are sold there.
6. The most comfortable footwear to wear are slippers, for three reasons: around the cultural triangle you will be expected to remove the same, the weather is hot and humid, you will spend a lot of time on the beach.
7. As much as possible, plan the details of commute between destinations prior to the travel.

Useful links  that will help you plan your trip:

1.  Site useful to plan itinerary and gather idea on some good hotels.

2.  Srilanka destination guide

3.  Review of the Tropic Inn hotel

If you need any specific information and think I can help, do leave a comment.

One of the many lakes around Anuradhapura- teaming with life these man-made reservoirs add to the beauty of the area.

While first impression’s may allow you to think that the sights of Srilanka are reminiscent of those in India, almost immediately the differences are visible everywhere. The lack of chaos,  auto rickshaws replaced by the more colourful tuk-tuk’s, everyone dresses for comfort (even the locals always look like they are on vacation, the women dress up in colourful shirts and white flowing skirts, the men in ‘Hawaii’ shirts), trucks are few and far between and it is the buses that are ornately painted and decorated, fruit sold on the streets are hygienically packaged. There are no stray dogs, but plenty of road-side pet stores that urge you to  “make  a good dog, better”, always a nip in the air and wide open sea along the local train track.

Srilanka is a country that I could resonate with, not just because of its wonderful people and beauty but because it allowed me to be a tourist- living my life elsewhere, while always making me feel at home.

For those wondering about the title of the post, Stuti in Sinhala means “Thank you”  .

UPDATE October 2011 : Detailed inputs on sights, experiences, culture, food and staying options in Mount Lavinia can be read here.

Below are two short videos that I took during my trip to Srilanka, one shows making of the Srilankan dish Kottu and the other gives a fair idea of the view from rooms at Taj Samudra (Colombo, Galle Face).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77Z9SfXy_TU[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgIAzA5hpps[/youtube]

Chinese Hakka noodles, veg-manchurian, egg-soft noodles – almost like a staple diet, Chinese food is readily available in most of India’s busy street corners. The truth in the recipe and use of authentic ingredients in these ‘Chinese’ delights however, is highly questionable. The street vendor adds a quick dash of spice and chilli to suit local tastes. What we eat is usually a localised version of the original recipe, so distorted and far away from the original that the only similarity is perhaps just the name.

Makes me wonder, is it really possible to stick to the original recipe?

Forget the street vendor who is looking for brisk business, what about the hugely successful chef at a five start hotel. Does he not personalise cuisine just a tad .. a swig of cilantro or any another local herb, a drizzle of secret sauce perhaps. 
Personal touch, regional influence or business sense – you can never tell the original unless you chase the treat in its own land.