On my very first visit to India, we touched down at the Bangalore Airport, after 30 some hours of traveling. Many westerners experience this airport as a nightmare but I was quite used to 3rd world standards by then. We stepped out into the hot Indian night, made our way through thousands of local vendors who were trying to sell us everything from taxi rides and phone cards to jasmine petals.  We got ourselves a car and started riding towards Mysore. The car was what they call an Ambassador there.

It is an old HM, and seemed to have the power of a sewing machine.  Anyway, this car looks and sounds like something stolen from a museum, I however grew to like the bumpy rides it provides.

So we left Bangalore, and on a very very bumpy road, rode down to Mysore. An immaculate four lane highway has since replaced this bumpy road, but back then, a few years ago, really, it was a 5-6 hour ride.  This is after the 30+ hours we had already spent in the air and airports.

It was around 4 in the morning when Geoff and I arrived at the Southern Star in Mysore. I literally had no idea where we were as everything was so dark. While they carried our luggage in, we sat outside on some stairs by wet potted plants where incense was burning.  The air was hot and some young boy from the hotel brought us some green tea. I loved the hotel from the moment of that 4 am sitting on the stairs on.

We stayed there a few more times on return trips. Even when we stayed in other places we would always come by for dinner.

The rooms were very charming and rather large. Nice bathrooms. A restaurant and a bar downstairs and a small shopping arcade with gorgeous Indian fabrics and jewelry.

Actually, there is no point in describing this hotel any further, as it’s been completely remodeled since. The remodeled version is quite different, a lot more Western, very modern, and a lot more comfortable even if it lost that good old Indian charm.

I am going to say that the staff were wonderful. They always remember us, even the shopkeepers do.

When we returned from Tamil Nadu after months of tsunami relief work, they put us in a huge suite for no extra charge as their way of thanking us. We sure appreciated that!

So, back to the hotel. They do have a massage place and beauty parlor downstairs. I have used the beauty parlor many times and was happy with it.

I had my hair washed and blow dried there a lot, I did waxing, eyebrow threading and henna paintings.

(To read more about eye brow threading, click here.)

There’s a swimming pool outside and a garden restaurant. The inside restaurant has western and Indian buffets and they have fresh juices. They have a huge lobby , car service, travel desk, etc. They have a live band playing at night (Garden Restaurant) and we found the Indian rendition of Lodi by Creedence Clearwater Revival quite entertaining ;-).

Agnes