(From top): The Beylerbeyi palace; a Turkish bazaar; villas and minarets co-exist on the shores of the Bosphorus

Legend has it that the Bosphorus owes its name to a jealous wife, an incorrigibly unfaithful husband and a beautiful other woman. That?s why the irony of it being called one of the most romantic places in the world, has never failed to amuse me. The legend goes that Zeus, the ever-unfaithful husband of Hera, fell in love with the goddess Io. In a mad fit of jealousy, Hera sent a swarm of gnats to irritate her adversary. The lovely Io, rather inexplicably, turned herself into a cow and jumped across the channel to escape being stung. Hence the name Bosphorous, the ford of the cow (bous means cow and poros, ford).

This historic strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara in Turkey, with its shores brimming with mosques and minarets out of Arabian Nights, bustling bazaars and beautiful palaces, has entranced travellers across centuries. Ulysses passed through. So did Ibn Batuta; Byzas, founder of Byzantium, later Constantinople; and Mehmet the Conquerer who laid siege on the city. He constructed two fortresses, Rumeli Hisari (fortress of Europe) and Anadolu Hisari (fortress of Anatolia) on its shores, to control the strait. Later, during World War I, the Bosphorus was the key to the Black Sea and Russia, and its strategic importance was immense.

I pondered upon its picturesque history as I waited in the port in Istanbul for our ship to begin its cruise of the Bosphorus. Traditional Turkish wooden boats, gulets, moved gracefully past ancient ferries groaning with passengers. In sharp contrast were the gigantic Russian ships carrying oil and the natty yachts of the rich. A sailor was enticing prospective customers for the cruise with cheaper and cheaper tickets. Just when I realised that we?d paid double of what the last passengers on board paid, the ship set sail.

But a gentle wind blew away some of my indignation. I forgot about the rest when I looked at the romantic (yes, there?s no other word for it) Sultanahmet area on our right with the conical towers of Topkapi and the minarets of Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque. The huge Suleimaneye Mosque reared up behind us, and the waters bustled with activity. ?It?s always busy here,? said our captain, ?whether its day or night!? Locals living on the Asian side cross over to their offices; ships sail to the Greek islands, Italy and the Black Sea; gigantic ships ferry goods to other parts of Turkey and beyond; and the ferry stations at Eminonou are always full of tourists wanting to sail on the Bosphorus. All kinds of cruises are on offer. The shortest one takes you for an hour up to the Sea of Marmara and back to Eminonou, past the Asian and European shores. Other, longer ones, stop at one or more Asian villages, but essentially follow the same course. The four to seven day cruises are often on gulets and sail further down the Aegean.

We sailed out of the mouth of the Golden Horn towards the ornate 19th century Dolmabahce Palace. Though it?s supposed to be in the style of European palaces, it?s just as opulent and over the top as one would expect a sultan?s palace to be. It was built by the Ottoman sultan Abdulmecid, who died shortly after it was completed. His successor, Abdulaziz was apparently so disgusted by its flamboyance, that he decided not to live there. Instead, he built his own palace, the Beylerbeyi. It is said that the Ottoman dynasty was almost completely bankrupted by these two palaces, but as we sailed past the Dolmabahce?s half kilometre long sea-facing fa?ade, it was definitely a visual treat.

Beyond the palace, on our left was European Istanbul, where stately mansions, docks and universities graced the waterfront. Our ship neared the first Bosphorus Bridge, an engineering marvel and one of the world?s longest single span suspension bridges. Beneath it was the lovely white Ortakoy Mosque. A chilly wind blew from the Black Sea, but the ever-changing view kept us on the deck of the ship. Sipping cups of sweet Black Turkish tea, we admired the waterfront villas, each with their own boat anchored outside. Behind them, traditional wooden houses clustered close to one another, while pine covered hills rose gently in the background.

As we neared Beylerbeyi, the quiet suburb where Abdulaziz?s summer palace is located, there were lots of inviting restaurants by the water. Tantalising aromas of grilled fish wafted up to us, making us wish we could drop anchor and get a bite. The arched gateway of Beylerbeyi Palace came into view shortly. From the water, it looked as ornate as the Dolmabahce, but was much smaller. Its gardens looked pleasant, with fountains and pergolas. The palace, we were told, has entertained many a royal guest ? Empress Eug?nie of France, Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia, Shah Nasruddin of Persia and others have enjoyed its comforts in the past.

Past the ancient Rumeli Hisari, its stone ramparts all the way down to the sea, we saw the ancient Maiden?s Tower on a rocky outcrop in the middle of the sea. The story goes that Emperor Constantine shut his daughter up in it after it was prophesied that she would die of snakebite. But a snake did bite her, when it sneaked in across the water in a basket of grapes. Across it over the mouth of the Bosphorus, Topkapi came into view. Looking at it from the sea, one could appreciate how well located the palace was. High on a hill, it afforded views on all sides, and was extremely well secured by fortified walls.

Back to Eminonou where we?d begun, our magical cruise was over far too soon. Suddenly, a now familiar smell of grilled fish wafted to our greedy noses. Mackerel, caught on makeshift lines over the Galata Bridge and grilled on portable barbecues, was being sold there by street hawkers. ?Do you think Ibn Batuta and Ulysses ate fish like this after they sailed across the Bosphorous?? said my husband, taking a huge bite. ?Don?t know,? said I, ?but if they didn?t, they certainly missed out!?

Photographs by Geetanjali Krishna

Kerala at cut rates

Make the most of God’s own country while it’s raining discounts, says Aarti Dua

It’s that time of the year again, when the schools have reopened and the holiday crowds have abated. And hotels and resorts still have slashed rates to woo the off-season traveller. Last week, we looked at what the resorts in Goa had on offer. This week, we move further down the coast to Kerala.

There is a lot that the state offers — even in the rains — from the pristine beaches at Kovalam to the famous backwaters at Kumarakom and Alleppey to the wildlife sanctuary at Periyar-Thekkady to hill stations like Munnar. And if you can bask in these delights on some great deals, why not? The monsoon holiday packages range right from the upscale Taj group of hotels to the government-run Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC).

There’s even a package from the Casino group at the famous Coconut Lagoon and Spice Village. Located on the shores of Lake Vembanadu in the backwaters of Kumarakom, Coconut Lagoon is cited among the world’s top 10 heritage resorts with its individual cottages designed in traditional Kerala style. The resort, which can only be reached by boat, has 14 mansions and 28 bungalows.

In the peak season, double room rates start at Rs 10,810 a night plus a 25 per cent tax. In the monsoon, the Casino group has a seven-nights, eight-days package for Rs 21,500 per person on a twin-sharing basis plus 15 per cent tax. The charge is Rs 9,500 for children aged between five and 12. Apart from one compulsory night at Hotel Casino at Cochin, you can divide the rest of the days between Coconut Lagoon, Spice Village at Thekkady and the Marari Beach at Alleppey. The package includes meals plus inter-city transfers. Be warned though: the group gives no refunds for cancellations in peak season but off-peak, they just might consider giving you a credit if you cancel 10 days in advance.

Or you may want to opt for the Taj group’s five-night and seven-night plan-your-own-holiday packages. Choose between the Taj Malabar at Cochin, the Taj Residency at Ernakulam, the Taj Garden Retreats at Thekkady, Kumarakom, Varkala and Madurai, and the Taj Green Cove Resort at Kovalam. The cost: Rs 36,000 a couple for the five-night stay with Rs 6,000 for a child between five and 12 years and Rs 7,500 for an extra adult in the room. For seven nights, it’s Rs 46,000 a couple with Rs 8,000 for a child and Rs 10,200 for an extra adult. One child below 12 can have a complimentary stay. All charges include taxes.

The package includes breakfast and a meal credit of Rs 1,000 per couple per night. For kids, the meal credit is Rs 350 per night. It also includes inter-city transfers in an AC car and sightseeing. There is no refund if you cancel within 14 days of check-in but refunds are available for cancellations prior to that.

The five-night and seven-night Taj packages are also available at a Rs 18,400 and Rs 23,400 a couple respectively. But this is minus food credits, transfers and sightseeing. Only breakfast is included.

The Taj group is also offering three and four-night packages at Rs 11,000 a person and Rs 11,700 a couple. For the former, choose any combination between the Taj Malabar and the Taj Garden Retreat at Kumarakom. The four-night package is split into one night each at Kumarakom and Varkala with two nights at Thekkady. These packages include breakfast only. Transfers and sightseeing cost extra. But two kids below 12 can share their parents’ room with extra bed and breakfast on the house.

The Intersight group also has packages in tie-ups with the Taj group and with KTDC. Take the seven-nights, eight-days package with KTDC, which includes one night each at Cochin, Thekkady and Kumarakom and two nights each at Munnar and Kovalam. Two variants are available with deluxe and ‘moddrate’ hotels. The former include prime KTDC properties like the Bolgatty Palace hotel at Cochin, Tea County at Munnar, Aranya Niwas or Cardamom County at Thekkady, Waterscapes Backwater Resort at Kumarakom, and Udaya Samudra at Kovalam. This is priced at Rs 14,999 per person on a twin-sharing basis with Rs 7,999 for a child above five or extra adult. The ‘moderate’ hotels version is available at Rs 9,555 per person on a twin-sharing basis. The package includes breakfast and inter-city transfers in a non-AC car. You may have to forfeit a day’s tariff if you cancel 10 days before check-in, though.

In tandem with the Taj, Intersight has a six-night, seven-day package that covers two nights each at Kumarakom and Munnar, and one night each at Thekkady and Cochin. This will cost Rs 16,666 per person on a twin-sharing basis. It includes breakfast and inter-city transfers in an AC car. But unlike the other packages, which are valid till September, this one is only available till August 31.

KTDC, with some of the best-located properties in the state, has packages ranging from five-nights-six-days to seven-nights-eight-days. The five-nights (one at Cochin and two each at Munnar and Kumarakom) costs Rs 14,911 per head on a twin-sharing basis with Rs 10,255 for an extra adult. And if you’re in a group of four to six and share a Qualis to travel, your per head cost comes down to Rs 12,645.

The seven-night package has two variants — one covers Cochin-Munnar-Thekkady-Kumarakom while the other includes Kovalam-Alleppey (houseboat)-Kumarakom-Thekkady-Munnar-Cochin. Both cost around Rs19,600-Rs 19,800 per person on a twin-sharing basis. If you’re in a group of four to six sharing a Qualis, the cost can come down to Rs 17,500 per head. The KTDC packages include meals, sightseeing and inter-city transfers in non-AC cars.

You can shop around for packages offered by local tour operators too. For instance, Trident, a travel agency in Mumbai, has a five-night package covering Cochin, Munnar, a one-night stay in a houseboat in Alleppey and one night at a resort in Alleppey that costs Rs 18,000 a couple (including breakfast and inter-city transfers).

While the Taj hotel packages are inclusive of all taxes, you have to pay 4.08 per cent tax to travel agents for packages booked through them.

Don’t let the rains dampen your spirits then — especially if you don’t have school schedules dictating your holiday time. Go for it — God’s own country is waiting for you.

My favourite holiday

Locket Chatterjee,
actress

I hardly get an opportunity to go for holidays as my schedule is terribly hectic. I get away from the city when I’m shooting in some place or the other. Otherwise I’m usually city bound with my family.

That said however, I went to north Bengal last year in August for a commercial shoot. The place we shot in was Mansong in the Darjeeling district and it was just beautiful. We stayed there for four days shooting around the clock. Yet it was so serene and peaceful that I couldn’t help but fall in love with the place. It is surrounded by verdant hills and we stayed at the government bungalow where the chowkidar would cook for us. What I liked about it was that unlike Darjeeling and Gangtok which are overrun by tourists, Mansong is unexplored territory. All I did when not shooting was walk around and soak in the natural beauty of the place.

Route map

• In a bid to stop passengers from switching to low-cost carriers, Indian Airlines is offering the Monsoon Super Saver ticket, which offers 12 coupons for unrestricted travel in India in both Economy and Executive class. You’ll spend a single coupon between cities where there is no change of aircraft or the flight number. The all-inclusive fares are Rs 48,500 (Economy) and Rs 72,500 (Executive). The tickets are available till August 5 and will be valid till March 31, 2006.

The airline has also just launched the Easy Fares plan with discounts of up to 60 per cent — in a modified version of the existing special fares such as Fly Select Fares, APEX fares and Positioning Flight Fares. The key point about this scheme is that you don’t have to buy tickets weeks in advance. These fares are level-based and also sector specific, which means that once the number of tickets allotted for the lowest fare are sold, the fares climb to the next level.

• There’s good news for all of you who are planning to hit Malaysia soon. To celebrate India’s Independence Day and Malaysia’s Independence Day (on August 31), Malaysian Airlines is offering three special flights to Malaysia at rock-bottom prices. The flights will take off on August 13, 15 and 17 only and head for Kuala Lumpur (KL), Penang and Langkawi, as well as Singapore. The special airfare is an attractive Rs 7,000 (exclusive of airport tax). That’s a cool difference of almost Rs 9,000 (current airfare to KL, Penang and Langkawi is Rs 15,790). The last date for booking is July 31. For further details, contact your nearest AITA travel agent or Malaysia Airlines at 2282 4433.