orissa and the east coast

Jorge Reverter

have a look at blacksmiths at work in Hirapur. The pic is in my gallery in IM.

wonderwomanusa

//I havent been to Puri. So hows the beach there? //

Bad rip tide, so you have to be careful. Sometimes there's great-looking surf.

Beach is filthy near the fishing village, and crowded near the big hotels, so you have to find a point half-way between them for moderately clean and not overwhelmed with bathing pilgrims.

//Whats the sceen? Is it a hippie hang out or what?//

Not much of a hippie scene -- I think they all go to the West Coast beaches. Visiting NGO workers come for R&R, a few people stay for long periods of time. There's a big dance festival around early December that attracts a crowd.

Lots of good seafood (broiled tuna, fried mackeral...) and there's a Gujerati thali place on CT Road. Also, a decent Chinese restaurant (not "Indian Chinese").

seraph

Last time I was in Puri (Summer 2003) the Hotel owners on Chakra Tirtha road had organized a Hoteliers Association to try and improve their stretch of the Beach. They had already worked out an agreement with the Noliya fisherfolk that they should limit themselves to the beach in front of their "village". Also they hired two beach "helpers" whose job it is to prevent touts from bothering tourists who were hanging out at the beach.

At the Hoteliers meeting I, as well as several other guests at the Zed, were asked what I thought they needed to do to make the beach more attractive. I thought most of the suggestions (e.g. lighting, boardwalk, shops) would end up making the beach look alot like Kovalam or Mahabalipuram . I doubt that this is something that will happen anytime soon. Nonetheless, it would actually be nice if there was someplace to just sit and chill while you look out at the sea (OK, I mean other than the roof of the Zed).

If you go toward the Bengali tourist/pilgrim part of town (i.e South towards New Marine Drive) and pass that part where all the hotels are, there is a lovely, empty and clean beach within stone's throw of the city (10 minutes by bike). If you want your own private beach, just rent a scooter and head towards Konark. Get off wherever you like, cross a sand dune and enjoy.

Finally, the roughly 50 kilometers of sand strip that separates Chilika Lake from the sea is uninhabited for the most part. Go to Satapada (56km South of Puri) and negotiate with a local fisherman to take you to the New Sea Mouth area. Beautiful beaches and no one for miles . You can also stay in the Satapada Yatri Nivas Hotel for 150 Rs a night. There's really not much to do there, but it is relaxing and you can eat fresh fish at the Dolphin Restaurant.

//Whats the sceen? Is it a hippie hang out or what?//

The Chakra Tirtha area of Puri is pretty much the foreigner's strip and is not much of a "scene" (unless you count playing Chess at Mickey's as a "scene"!). There are a bunch of expats (I have met British, Italians, French, Australians) living long/short term in Puri who hang out in cafes in the afternoon and shoot the breeze.

Mickey's actually serves some wonderful pancakes and there is a nice restaurant called Wild Grass which serves Oriya and North Indian cuisine in a beatiful and peaceful Garden (they even have seating in a "tree house"). It is around the corner from the Chinese restaurant (Chung Wah).

Seraph

freemanx

didn´t make it to orissa
once i arrived in mumbai i changed to plan b and went to diu instead and than to the north.
orissa will have to wait till my 2nd trip.

wonderwomanusa

I met a Spanish woman last winter who was trying to donate 10 public toilets to the fishing village, so they wouldn't have to use the beach -- but she was having trouble getting permission to get them situated. That would go a long way toward cleaning up the area.

As far as deserted beaches go, I met three women who had been attacked when stopping at the beach between Konark and Puri -- and they'd been in the company of others, not alone. Clean is nice -- but safe is nicer.

seraph

[quote=wonderwomanusa]I met a Spanish woman last winter who was trying to donate 10 public toilets to the fishing village, so they wouldn't have to use the beach -- but she was having trouble getting permission to get them situated. That would go a long way toward cleaning up the area.QUOTE]

Yes, that would be great. Hopefully she will/did finally get permission. The only problem I can see is that, unless there is some kind of mechanism to ensure that someone (of the appropriate caste) will keep the toilets clean, they will be back on the beach in no time. When I was in Puri I met an Indian woman who works for UNICEF who said that this had been their experience when it came to donating toilets to villages.

In less than three months I will be there and promise to send a beach update.

And yes, I completely agree with you - Safety First!

Seraph