Asian foodie travel – what to pack

Pack lightly and plan to wash and wear, to leave plenty of room to fit in shopping. Metallicus stores have great, quick drying, no iron mix and match pieces that roll up to almost nothing, often on sale. Join the loyalty club at no cost and get $15 off a shop each month that you spend at least $1. Rinse clothes out each night in the basin, using soap/bath gel/shampoo provided, wringing out well, laying flat in a towel, rolling it up and twisting it. Hang clothes on clothes hangers in air conditioning and they will be dry by morning.

Women

Men

Add sunscreen, insect spray (Bushman’s), alcohol hand rub, camera, phone, iPad/tablet/power plug adapter, toiletries, underwear, makeup, hairdryer, ear plugs, first aid kit (consult your own medical practitioner for your individual specific needs, but ask about medications for treating gastroenteritis and cold and flu (and preventing malaria)) also documents including e-ticket, passport, visa, booking confirmation print outs, insurance details, money, ATM cards if using, small change purses.

A 70 Litre backpack with wheels and daypack/ small bag is ideal. (Kathmandu has some good options when they are on sale.)

It’s a good idea to pack essential items and a change of clothes in carry-on luggage in case checked-in baggage is delayed.

Also consider packing a light extra bag that packs thinly, to carry-on extra shopping or fragile items on the way home.

Casa Anjuna, Goa – gorgeous shared spaces

While most of the rooms at Casa Anjuna’s are lovely to stay in. one of the villa’s best features is all the shared spaces to enjoy.

Balcony on first floor A block (outside rooms 10 & 11) Front garden

Restaurant

Pool

Foyer A block

Casa Anjuna, Goa – ideal spot to stay in the rainy season

Casa Anjuna, in quieter , leafier Anjuna, North Goa, is a converted Portuguese mansion, packed with character and charm.

It is open and full of gorgeous spots to sit, making it ideal in the rainy season for sitting and drinking marsala chai or a gin and tonic and watching rain fall on the lush garden setting.

Most rooms feature four poster beds and antique furniture and many have sit outs and balconies. There are so many lovely rooms, it’s hard to pick and even the base level rooms are a great choice.

Staff are friendly and immensely helpful, there’s a lovely pool, the restaurant offers a range of good choices and room prices start at $108 in the low season.

Around Anjuna – Goa

Anjuna is well known for it’s huge Wednesday flea market (October to April only), its hippy history and it’s parties. In low season however, it’s green and quiet ( really quiet as lots of places are closed).

Good places to eat in low season include Curlies that stays open all year round…

And Villa Anjuna Guest House….

…and the Burger Factory.

Oxford Arcade is a terrific small supermarket stocking great buys including alcohol.

$AUS3 for 750ml gin

Around Jaisalmer – worth a look

A few more interesting spots to visit around Jaisalmer that take you into the countryside, include….

Gadjisar Lake

Barabagh Royal Cenotaphs

The Sam Sand Dunes

Suryagarh Hotel Jaisalmer – absolutely delicious for food

Suryagarh Hotel, 16km out of Jaisalmer, is beautiful, but isolated in the desert.

While rooms can be quite affordable, especially in the low season, food and drink is expensive, at Australian prices.

That said, the dining is very, very memorable….and there’s a few ways to stay in budget.

Welcome drinks and snacks are amazing and extremely generous.

Then, through your stay, little treats and sweets arrive mysteriously in your room.

Breakfast is included in the room price and is incredible, including a ‘chaat bar’ (make your own snacks) and traditional Indian sweets, as well as Indian breakfast foods and marsala chai served in a variety of traditional ‘tea cups’.

The setting for breakfast is lovely and peacocks wander around the courtyard.

Dinner is silver service, glamourous and romantic in the courtyard and very, very good.

Safed chicken, rice, misi roti $AUS25 Bundi ladoo

If you have enjoyed the arrival snacks and sweets that arrive in your room, then really, one main, bread and rice is enough for two people…and helps to compensate for otherwise steep prices.

The complimentary sweets are very lovely too.

Another tip to stay in budget is to take some pre-dinner drinks and snacks out with you (a welcome tip from a fellow traveller).

Gin is $AUS3 for 750ml (a bargain)

Navaratri Celebration – a Canberra Spring Festival (with great food)

Spring is a great time to be in Canberra for festivals and September-October coincides each year with the Gujarati community’s Navarati Celebrations – colourful, spectacular and great fun, featuring amazing traditional clothes, music, dances and food!

Organised by the Gujarati Samaj of ACT, the Festival of Dance, Raas Garba and Dandia runs for ten nights – this year from 25 September to 4 October 2014.
The Sur Vrund Group from Vadodara, Gujarat India is providing some great music that inspires some amazing dancing.

Everyone looks so beautiful, dressed in some very special outfits and there is an obvious pride and pleasure in celebrating shared traditions and experiences.
Much effort has gone in to creating some wonderful traditional Indian vegetarian food with new dishes being added to the menu each night.

Chocolate Baklawa Methi na Gota $5

Ras Malai $5 & Mango & Cardamon Lassi $3 Behl $5

Samosa Chat $5 Dabeli $5

Pav Bhaji $7 Mancuria with Gravy $7

Mango Kulfi $5

And Canberra joins communities all around Australia and the world, celebrating Navarati at the same time.
Here’s a great fun Bollywood version of Garba sent by a lovely friend.

Suryagarh Hotel – Jaisalmer

There’s no substitute for staying in the fort wall in Jaislamer, but if you’re looking for something different, Suryagarh, 16 km out of town, looks amazing….and it is.

Rooms start from about $AUS14o for a double (which is all you need) in low season, $AUS 200 for a suite.

Suite

There are nice facilities and walk ways.

And the property looks lovely as the light changes in the evening…..

…when there is also some traditional music and dancing to watch before dinner.

But it is really isolated. (It was good to know to take some drinks and snacks). Rooms have no view (which is why a double is enough, the extra space in the suite is not all that pleasant for sitting) and it’s easy to get ‘cabin fever’. Outside the room, there’s no air-conditioning, so when it’s hot, it’s really hot. And the walkways are latticed after the ground floor, so it’s easy to feel a bit imprisoned.

Best to get to the hotel late afternoon. It’s not a place to spend the day at.

In fact the best parts are arriving, the evening and breakfast…in fact the food is absolutely delicious. But that deserves a whole story of it’s own…..

Lake View Restaurant – a handy spot for dinner in Jaisalmer

If you stay at Hotel Garh Jaisal Haveli, in Jaisalmer, it’s handy to know about Lake View Restaurant, at Hotel Surja Guest House, almost next door.

Hotel Garh offers a great breakfast, but doesn’t normally serve dinner. So at the end of a long day, to just go next door and enjoy an inexpensive but delicious meal with a drop dead view, can be perfect.

Catering especially for backpackers, the restaurant is great value and Raj’s hospitality and helpfulness invaluable.

Indoor seating Outside seating The ‘music wallah’

Great view Dal Tadka, Dessert beans, Roti, Jeera Rice, Marsala Paneer

Great Jaisalmer foods – through the day

Start the day in Jaisalmer with a traditional breakfast from one of the very popular vendors just outside the first fort gate in Gopa Chowk. (So popular, that it pays to pre-order.)