December 25, 2016 – Traveling Tiger

Grand Hyatt Mumbai

For our brief stay in Mumbai (Bombay), I opted to reside at the Grand Hyatt. Located near the airport it offered some appealing amenities, including a spa and multiple restaurants.

Upon arriving at the airport, I was greeted by a driver from the Grand Hyatt and promptly taken to the hotel. There, I was greeted by a personal assistant and taken to the room. Talk about service! All members of the staff that I had the pleasure of interacting with were incredibly helpful and polite.

Room

I stayed on the second floor (third floor for those of you in the US), and though no suites were available for upgrade, this room was spectacular. Certainly not disappointed!

Somewhat narrow, but packed full of features!

Closet and a restroom that can be sealed off from the room

The view from the room… with a private park below

Lighting controls on the right side of the bed, window shade controls on the other side (not pictured)

Amenities

As I mentioned earlier, the Grand Hyatt houses more than one restaurant. Of these is one of the highest ranked Italian restaurants of Mumbai. Impressive!

Also at the hotel is the Oasis Spa, which I had the pleasure of experiencing. The prices are more than reasonable and I can’t recommend it enough. Do it!

Complimentary transfers are offered for those residing in suites, but as my upgrade request did not clear, I was only given a one-way transfer because of my status with Hyatt. Definitely not complaining, though, as it was the best hotel pickup experience I have had to date.

Vacation Report, India: Periyar National Park

Vacation Report, India: The Arrival

Vacation Report, India: Poetree Sarovar Portico

Vacation Report, India: Periyar National Park

Vacation Report, India: Grand Hyatt Mumbai

Vacation Report, India: Airport Lounges

Vacation Report, India: Departure

Periyar National Park

Periyar National Park, and the tiger reserve, is located in Thekkady within the state of Kerala. Situated around the Periyar lake, it is a protected region that offers for some spectacular views. Unfortunately, given the diurnal nature of tigers, we weren’t able to see any of them during our visit. 🙁 Alas!

I have quite a few photos, below, from our recent visit to the region. You can see that the water level is considerably lower than normal due to a few years of consistent drought. Given the use of hydroelectric power in Kerala, this has implications beyond that of the animals in the region.

Beautiful sculpture expressing the relationship between animals

An old palace… now on-park accommodations!

Regional Flora

At the entrance to the park are specimens of trees that are found in the area. They were kind enough to attach placards to the trees to identify them as well as their fruit and purpose!

Animals!

As I mentioned earlier, we weren’t able to see any tigers, which was sad though not unexpected given their diurnal nature. If you want to see tigers, the best times are early in the morning or during twilight hours in the evening, as that is when they are most active.

We were able to get rather close with many monkeys, however, as well as see water buffalo, an elephant, and many birds.

“If you aren’t going to give me treats, I’ll get my own!”

Or as our guide called them “Wild Piggies”

Now… remember kids… silence is a best. 🙂

Vacation Report, India: Poetree Sarovar Portico

Vacation Report, India: The Arrival

Vacation Report, India: Poetree Sarovar Portico

Vacation Report, India: Periyar National Park

Vacation Report, India: Grand Hyatt Mumbai

Vacation Report, India: Airport Lounges

Vacation Report, India: Departure

Poetree Sarovar Portico

This branch of the Sarovar resort chain is located in the hills of Thekkady in Kerala. Though not a long distance from Kochi, because of the switchbacks and road conditions, it took more than six hours to arrive.

Arrival

On the way we drove past quite a few tea plantations, which piqued our interest as all of us enjoy a nice cup of tea! (Though you’ll never hear me turn down a cup of coffee, regardless of the hour!)

The resort entrance was tucked away behind a few backroads and further up a hill, which made for an adventure in and of itself, but once we were there, it was smooth sailing.

Rooms

Our rooms were located a short distance away from the main building, and offered an excellent view of the valley. Most mornings we were greeted by the sounds of wildlife from outside.