SQ / 9W: SIN-BOM-GOI-BLR-SIN with a mix of J and Y with various hotels….

[Mlee888]

After this I head off to work for the day. Work finishes and I arrive back at the hotel with the rain still falling and the light beginning to fade.



My colleagues and I head off to a restaurant 15 minutes away. The name of the place is called Martin’s Corner.





Had to try the light spiced Goan Crab. This was delicious. To go with this, we ordered a coconut chicken and a spinach dish. Also delicious.





A lovely restaurant, named after the original owner now passed down to his children.



After dinner, it’s back to the hotel for a bath and shower in one.



Never seen this concept before. Wasn’t sure if this was a good idea or a bad one. Having a bath in this wasn’t very comfortable. This brings my stay in Goa to an end and the next day will see me fly to Bangalore for the final stage of this trip report.

To be continued.

[yflyer]

Goa is still on my to-visit list. Never been there!

Martin's Corner restaurant in Goa looks like an interesting place to dine. Unusual to find this sort of menu in India -- are those dishes common there?

The Park Hyatt Goa looks very good! Any good jogging routes in the hotel grounds, or in the surrounding area? I guess if all else fails, one could go for a jog along the beach...

[Mlee888]

The locals told us the restaurant was probably the best in the area. I hadn't come across any of these dishes in Bangalore, Delhi or Mumbai. The crab was excellent. Would love to eat this again!

Jogging wise, at the hotel the gardens are quite big and you could do a couple of laps there. I didn't really see much else around to be honest as the days were mostly covered by rain so most of my time was spent indoors.

[Savage25]

Martin's Corner is a great restaurant. Its in my food recommendations for Goa:
http://www.sqtalk.com/forum/showpost...6&postcount=10

The beef tongue and and Goan Sausage Chilly Fry is a must-try if you're there.
And yes, Goan food is very different from most Indian food.

[Mlee888]

Martin's Corner is a great restaurant. Its in my food recommendations for Goa:
http://www.sqtalk.com/forum/showpost...6&postcount=10

The beef tongue and and Goan Sausage Chilly Fry is a must-try if you're there.
And yes, Goan food is very different from most Indian food.

Wish I had read this before I went. Will try those if I am lucky enough to go there again.

[Mlee888]

Day 5: 9W2952 GOI-BLR Y Class ATR 72. Hotel JW Marriott

Unfortunately, due to plenty of travel and friends visiting, my latest update on this report has taken a lot longer compile than expected.

Day 5 began with breakfast and then a quick 2-hour flight from GOI to BLR on board an ATR 72. GOI was nothing to write home about. High security before checking in at the airport followed by separate queues based on gender to go through departure security. The women’s queue was a lot shorter than the men’s with many folks trying to push in. Be warned that getting through security can take some time.

Once past security, the airport itself does not have much to offer. Not much choice for food so do ensure you are full before heading to the airport. I hate to see what the airport is like during peak travel period, not long after this photo was taken, the airport got crowded quite quickly.



After a brief delay of maybe around 30 minutes, our flight is called for boarding. The notices for the flight were a bit confusing but eventually, myself and a fellow passenger managed to work out where we had to go. Coincidently, she was going to be my seatmate for the next 2 hours.

We board a bus that takes us on a quick 30 second journey to our plane.



For those interested, you board this aircraft from the rear and not the front.



Seating is in a 2x2 format with 1 class only.



Seating space was adequate.



A snack consisting of sandwich and muffin was served almost immediately after takeoff.



We arrive in Bangalore in good time and pleased to say there was no rain.

A quick shot of the front of the craft before we head off to the hotel.



After collecting my luggage, I decide to grab an Uber, partly because the hotel taxi was going to cost around 8x more. I had to walk about 10 minutes from arrivals to the designated Uber pick up point. Taking an Uber was a great idea, but Uber really needs to signpost this better as it can be quite confusing.

In my Uber on my way to JW Marriott….



This driver was a complete c#@k. The maps used by Uber (I am assuming it’s Google Maps) were slightly wrong and he had to drive an extra 150-200 metres to reach my destination. He demanded a tip from me because the maps were wrong, in fact he was quite threatening. Needless to say I told him I’ll be contacting Uber management about what’s happened. Anyhow, not sure if Uber are still associated with him.

After checking in, I make my way to my room and grab some quick shots of the view before I head to dinner.







Semi view of the stadium next door…

[Mlee888]

I head to the restaurant for buffet dinner before the evening rush arrives.











The choice of food was quite excellent, especially the desserts. After 3 rounds, I decide to call it a day with my decision to go early a winner as after this, the restaurant got quite busy.



The JW Marriott buffet restaurant is one of my favorite places to dine in during all of my stays here in Bangalore.

Some final snaps of the hotel room before I get down to work for the night.



Spacious even with 2 queen beds in the room.



A lot different compared to the shower in Goa….



Bathroom with a view.



JW Marriott is probably one of the best hotels in India that I have stayed in. It’s comfortable, spacious and has a lovely atmosphere. There is also a shopping mall next door with a number of restaurants. I ate in a Mexican restaurant the last time I was here, as well as a Chinese restaurant. None however were as good as the hotel hence why I decided to eat there this time.

My stay here lasted one night only. Once morning came, after a day of meetings it would be off back to the airport for a red eye flight back to Singapore.

[SQueeze]

Goa is still on my to-visit list. Never been there!

Martin's Corner restaurant in Goa looks like an interesting place to dine. Unusual to find this sort of menu in India -- are those dishes common there?

The locals told us the restaurant was probably the best in the area. I hadn't come across any of these dishes in Bangalore, Delhi or Mumbai. The crab was excellent. Would love to eat this again!

Goan food is indeed quite different (flavour-profile wise).
It has european and chinese hints.... The curries have earthy tones and less pungent. And there are things like caldinho which looks curry-ish but the taste is only faintly indian. Similar to Louisiana type of cuisine (creole).

In Mumbai, i usually go to SoulFry in Bandra West for my fix of Goan food. very comforting food although the place is just rather basic.

[CarbonMan]

Goa is still on my to-visit list. Never been there!

Martin's Corner restaurant in Goa looks like an interesting place to dine. Unusual to find this sort of menu in India -- are those dishes common there?

The Park Hyatt Goa looks very good! Any good jogging routes in the hotel grounds, or in the surrounding area? I guess if all else fails, one could go for a jog along the beach...

If you do visit, yflyer, you should also consider staying closer to Panjim, north of the airport where the town is. Panjim has the feel of a small town in Singapore/Malaysia back in the fifties. The beaches are not as nice but you will have access to more food and also to old Goa which is about 30mins due east of Panjim. It's the more historical part of Goa with the old cathedral and churches. Lots of iron ore mines dot the surrounding area, which was my reason to visit it some years back.

[Savage25]

Goan food is indeed quite different (flavour-profile wise).
It has european and chinese hints.... The curries have earthy tones and less pungent. And there are things like caldinho which looks curry-ish but the taste is only faintly indian. Similar to Louisiana type of cuisine (creole).

In Mumbai, i usually go to SoulFry in Bandra West for my fix of Goan food. very comforting food although the place is just rather basic.

Goa Portuguesa in Mahim is a better choice in Bombay.
http://www.goaportuguesa.com/contact.php
http://www.goaportuguesa.com/menu.php

[SQueeze]

If you do visit, yflyer, you should also consider staying closer to Panjim, north of the airport where the town is. Panjim has the feel of a small town in Singapore/Malaysia back in the fifties. The beaches are not as nice but you will have access to more food and also to old Goa which is about 30mins due east of Panjim. It's the more historical part of Goa with the old cathedral and churches. Lots of iron ore mines dot the surrounding area, which was my reason to visit it some years back.

Indeed it is. Most people are in North Goa (with its parties), or South Goa (quieter hideaways). Panjim gets overlooked quite a bit. There, I like one place called Mum's Kitchen

Goa Portuguesa in Mahim is a better choice in Bombay.
http://www.goaportuguesa.com/contact.php
http://www.goaportuguesa.com/menu.php

Yes, I know Goa Portuguesa too.

[yflyer]

If you do visit, yflyer, you should also consider staying closer to Panjim, north of the airport where the town is. Panjim has the feel of a small town in Singapore/Malaysia back in the fifties. The beaches are not as nice but you will have access to more food and also to old Goa which is about 30mins due east of Panjim. It's the more historical part of Goa with the old cathedral and churches. Lots of iron ore mines dot the surrounding area, which was my reason to visit it some years back.

Indeed it is. Most people are in North Goa (with its parties), or South Goa (quieter hideaways). Panjim gets overlooked quite a bit. There, I like one place called Mum's Kitchen

Thanks, CarbonMan and SQueeze!

Goa Portuguesa in Mahim is a better choice in Bombay.
http://www.goaportuguesa.com/contact.php
http://www.goaportuguesa.com/menu.php

Lots of useful info in this thread!

[Savage25]

Indeed it is. Most people are in North Goa (with its parties), or South Goa (quieter hideaways). Panjim gets overlooked quite a bit. There, I like one place called Mum's Kitchen

Yup, that's another great one. Its a 5 minute walk from where my parents live.

[Mlee888]

Day 6: SQ503 BLR-SIN J Class B777-200 ER

After check-out in the morning, it’s time for me to make my way to a series of meetings before I head back to the airport. These days, checking out of hotels has become extremely easy and simplified. I was the only one at the counter with the whole process taking less than 2 minutes.



The décor inside the hotel was magnificent, the last time I was here I recall seeing the huge space filled with a Christmas tree so this part never stood out as much.



To reach my meetings, I give myself 2 hours and decide again to take an Uber instead of a hotel car. This resulted in a bit of excitement. My driver accidentally took a wrong turn and ended up on a one-way street, it was difficult for him to know it was a one-way street as Google Maps took him down this direction. There was heavy traffic coming towards us and unfortunately police came by and forced my driver to pull over requesting him to hand over his ID card. After around 30 minutes the driver paid a fine and then given back his card. We were then permitted to be back on our way. The police stopped everyone going the wrong direction.



My meetings end and after being warned it may take a couple of hours to reach BLR, I decide to head straight to the airport for what potentially could get me in time for when check-in opens or a couple of hours early. Better to be early than late! Along the way, I spot one of many motorcycles and auto rickshaws (tuk-tuk) on the road.





With little traffic and less than an hour on the road, I spot the ATC for BLR.



As you can see, there’s still plenty of light outside and with my flight being a red eye, it was going to be a long wait inside the terminal before I could check in. Only ticketed passengers are allowed inside the terminal so there’s not much happening inside with most of the café’s and eateries situated outside. Also, once you enter the terminal you are not permitted to leave so for smokers, be prepared as after this you only be able to smoke once you are past immigration / security.

I grab myself a spot and stay here for a few hours watching a movie on my iPad.



3 hours before my flight, check-in opens with the normal channels of separate desks based on travel class. All check-in desks were empty.



After checking in I head for the departure area and again experience the joys of being pushed around during security. Not to worry, this adds 10 minutes only and eventually I reach the lounge. With the day being more than 12 hours already, it’s time to grab a shower and slip into travel gear for a red eye flight.

Shower was nothing special but comfortable enough to freshen up for your flight.





Inside the shower room was also a massage table in case you wanted one on offer. The sign asks you to Respect the Masseuse.



Back to the lounge itself, there was a bar, cooking station with plenty of items on offer.

[Mlee888]

Seating area was a plenty but it did get full pretty quick.



View from inside the lounge is of the shopping area after immigration.



For food, I go for a cooked to order pasta with a chocolate pancake for dessert. This washed down with a local IPA and a can of Pepsi.



I was quite hungry so this went down pretty quick and I have to admit, it tasted quite good. After catching up on some emails, I head to the gate with around 10 minutes to go before boarding. The terminal is very nice, with a nice ambient feel to it.



Next time, I think I will come here for a drink before my flight. Looks pretty chilled out and relaxing.



The gate had security personnel dressed up in army gear. After your boarding pass is checked, the guards check to see if your carry-on luggage has been stamped by security otherwise they will rummage through your stuff before you are permitted to board. Separate boarding channels as expected.



With this being a 777-200, tonight’s red eye in J class will be on the regional 2x2x2 layout.





Entertainment is on the old set up. This didn’t concern me as the flight would be 4 hours 30 minutes only and after supper I planned to grab some sleep.