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• Overpay for Marginal Food at Tiger Treat Resorts Near Ranthambore

  In Avoid, Food / By Chris Chopp / 1 April 2012 / 1 comment

  

  I knew better then to stop at Tiger Treats Resorts, a newly built dhaba along Rajasthan’s Highway 24 which connects Jaipur to Sawai Madhopur, but sometimes a weary traveler needs to eat. Too many red flags went shooting up my pole from the moment we pulled into the empty parking lot save for a tourist bus (not a good sign) so I’ll let my stupidity save you from overpaying for [...]

   

• What’s In Store When Shopping For Leather Bags of Jaisalmer

  In Avoid / By Chris Chopp / 27 February 2012 / 0 comments

  

  An endless array of leather bags in all shapes and sizes, colors, and embellishments adorn Jaisalmer shop fronts as if they were rocks mined from the earth. Nowhere else in India have I seen handmade products like Jaisalmer leather bags. Dark brown, light brown, cordovan red, sun faded orange… Duffel bag, shoulder bag, messenger bag, purse… Lined, unlined, zip closure, snap closure…  Not one single item permeates the markets more [...]

   

• Kesroli Hill Fort Hotel Not For Me, Maybe Not For You

  In Accommodations, Avoid, Rajasthan Hotels / By Chris Chopp / 4 February 2011 / 5 comments

  

  Something was just not right from the moment I passed a small, discreet sign pointing toward Kesroli Hill Fort Hotel, roughly 12 kms from Alwar, Rajasthan. The property intrigued me at first introduction; A 14th century Hill-Fort, Kesroli is the oldest heritage site in India where you can stay. It’s owned by the Neemrana Hotels Group whose heritage properties are spread across India. Included in their impressive list of hotels [...]

   

• Skip Shahi Palace of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

  In Accommodations, Avoid, Rajasthan Hotels / By Chris Chopp / 29 November 2010 / 0 comments

  

  A disappointment from the beginning, Shahi Palace of Jaisalmer proved that travelers should always follow their instincts. Initial impressions were sadly far different from the images conjured from whimsically written reviews by guide books and the property’s own website. Descriptions of buildings nestled within the quiet and charismatic streets of the old city were in reality, buildings lining a narrow alley which shared storage stalls, small businesses and homes barely [...]

   

• SKIP: Trichy, Hotel Breeze Residency

  In Avoid, Tamil Nadu Hotels / By Chris Chopp / 9 June 2010 / 1 comment

  

  Fifty-three percent (53%) of travelers on TripAdvisor do not recommend Hotel Breeze Residency, and I couldn’t agree more. While doing my pre-trip research Stateside, a brief perusal of the hotel’s website looked and read like any other mid-range property. Though in reality, this older hotel has seen much better days.

   

• Take a Pass on Shiv Mandir, Bangalore

  In Avoid, Religion / By Chris Chopp / 1 April 2010 / 0 comments

  

  Open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day for your scalping pleasure. Shiv Mandir, located on old airport road in Bangalore, is the epitome of crass tourist traps. My travel bud and I had a few extra hours to burn before leaving for the airport, we’d already done the city tour and partaken of the sights we were interested in. In a local guide book we found a very [...]