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saLT |
the-south-asian Life & Times July-Sep 2011 |
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Sports Tennis Feature Indian
Military Lt Gen R S Sujlana - A Conversation
Royals in
Uniform Art
Adventure 60
Years of Indian
Travel
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Pride of
the South’
-
A Five-Star Time Travel
Through Karnataka
The Golden Chariot could well be a Time Machine,
travelling back and forth 1,800 years in time - from the fourth-century
caves in Badami to the 10th-century Jain statue, the 15th-century ruins, the
20th-century Mysore Palace and back to the 21st
century Goa – all in 7 days. The luxury train ‘Golden Chariot’ travels through Karnataka to destinations with some of the most spectacular monuments, temples and heritage sites to be seen anywhere in the world. It offers two itineraries – Southern Splendour & Pride of the South. SALT covered the former last year and the latter features in the following pages. Pride of
the South is an epic five-star journey through Karnataka.
The seven-day route, linking some of the
world’s greatest destinations, is an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime
experience. It is a rare package of ageless monuments, world heritage sites,
forests, wildlife, spectacular temples, golden beaches, and vibrant art and
culture. These destinations, scattered over the length and breadth of
Karnataka, are otherwise accessible only to the most committed of tourists,
and
involve seemingly interminable drives. They
are not near any major airport or even a train station. One would have to
hire a taxi, and drive back the same day for the lack of any good hotels. To
cover all the destinations that the train takes you to, would require
operational and tactical planning on a big scale
- how to get there, where to eat, where to
stay, where to get a guide from – these would be the top concerns. The
Golden Chariot takes care of every little detail – and in style, comfort and
with ease.
Its passengers enjoy Karnataka's and also
the world’s greatest destinations without any of the hassles. The
train is truly a five-star experience - handsomely crafted en suite
personal
cabins equipped with modern conveniences - power showers, and wall-mounted
LCD TVs;elegant dining cars serving gourmet meals on fine china and white
linen tablecloths, carefully prepared meals that use local ingredients
whenever possible, and a selection of decent wines from around the world.
There is plenty of personal attention on board with around-the-clock
personal butlers for the duration of the journey. Two luxury companion
coaches travel alongside the train – and carry the guests from the train
stations to all the sites. From the
moment the drummers welcome you aboard the Golden Chariot in Bangalore, to
the moment you return to this vibrant city, light years away from some of
the sites visited, you are in the very best of hands, on the very best of
trains. The luxury is not unprecedented – but the destinations are. A word
of caution though – this particular itinerary of the Golden Chariot, called
Pride of the South, requires a certain amount of cardiac fitness. One has to
labour up 635 steps at Shravanbelagola,
250 at Badami Caves, and some at Hampi
(these are not in life-threatening numbers). This would be the platinum
standard of TMT!
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