|
 Karnataka boasts
not only of famous temples but also good hoteliers. Udupi, which is
a town in Dakshina Kannada, houses ‘Udupi Krishna’, installed by
the founder of the Dvaita philosophy, Madhvacharya. The culinary
skills of the people of Udupi
are also famous.
One of those
remarkable chefs was Vittaldas, who hailed from Pandeshwer, a tiny
hamlet of Udupi. A humble man, he exhibited his cooking expertise by
managing a hotel in the garden city of Bangalore. The icy hands of
death snatched him away and the family was left in the lurch.
Not knowing what to
do in Bangalore, the family moved to its ancestral home in
Kotishwara. Meanwhile, the eldest son of Vittaldas started helping
his friend in running a hotel as he had inherited his father’s
talent. The family could live comfortably thereafter.
P Ganesh, another
son of Vittaldas, got an opportunity to work with a travel agency in
Woodlands Hotel in Bangalore. An adolescent who had just finished
schooling, he was devoted to his profession. He was exposed to the
intricacies of the field. His wide experience in ticketing and
reservations laid the foundation for his future. Ganesh’s sojourn
there proved to be a turning point in his life.
 He started ‘Kamadhenu
Travels’ June 4, 1981, in Bangalore. Since the travel agency was
situated on the premises of Kamadhenu Hotel, he named the agency
after it.
Hard work and
devotion made Ganesh climb the ladder of success very quickly.
Wedded to his profession, he wanted to give it a new dimension. In
1988, Railways gave him the licence to book tickets. He later added
booking bus tickets. A perfectionist to the core, he won the award
of Best Professionally Managed Company.
A true blue
entrepreneur, he wanted to expand his agency and open a branch at
Thousand Lights, Chennai. Chennai, the cultural capital of Tamil
Nadu, houses many leading travel agencies. But Ganesh was not
deterred by their presence.
Initially, he didn’t
do very well but pulled it off slowly. When shuttling between
Chennai and Bangalore became a problem, he migrated to Chennai with
his family.
He has had his ups
and downs in business. The unquestioning support of his brothers is
his ‘mantra for success’. Now, Kamadhenu Travels Chennai Pvt.
Ltd is wholly owned by Ganesh and the one in Bangalore is owned by
his brother Suresh.
This agency books
more than 300 railway tickets per day. Ganesh is an authorised agent
for Indian Airlines, Air Deccan and Sahara.
In order to ease
the travails of booking, Ganesh has introduced online booking of
train and plane tickets through his website www.kamadhenutravel.com.
People need to register with us first. We then take care of
everything, from booking to ensuring that the tickets reach them on
time. It is not just the general public, we have a lot of corporate
clients also to satisfy, explains Ganesh.
Stretching the
scope of his agency and using his passion for trekking and
mountaineering, he now organises various kinds of tours. He has
brought about a renaissance in the travel business by starting
adventure tourism in Chennai.
 His Base camp
Adventure Holidays has opened up new vistas in trekking. Ganesh,
with M Palayam, an ace mountaineer, has done exhaustive research on
the selected locations by checking out the sites before taking the
tourists there. Their jungle retreat at Nagari Hills on the Andhra
Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border is very popular with tourists. Being one
with nature and sleeping in caves is not only unique but also
exciting, they say.
Treks to Ooty, the
Queen of Hill Stations, Kodaikanal,
Wayanad and
Coorg, are
attracting tourists who love adventure. Trekking amidst the
meandering rivulets and cascading waterfalls makes one ecstatic,
says Ganesh. Such jaunts not only rejuvenate people’s spirits but
also cleanses their body and mind, he insists.
The trekkers are
taken in small groups of 50, from all walks of life and irrespective
of age. Palayam, who has tremendous experience in mountaineering,
guides the trekkers wonderfully.
But with people
leading sedentary lives these days, is it not a big risk to take all
and sundry on treks? Absolutely not. We tell the tourist what to
expect, from mode of transport to the amount of trekking/walking
they will have to do. Don’t you think they would feel rejuvenated
after a trip to such natural surroundings than living the sedentary
lives that they are leading now, he asks in return.
Another comforting
factor is that the organisers have well-equipped and knowledgeable
guides to lead the team. As this includes cooks and doctors,
tourists feel very comfortable in taking up these tours.
 Their novel one-day
trip to Pulicat Lake and Alampara is worth a try. Pulicat Lake needs
no introduction: A favourite spot for ornithologists, it beckons
tourists for a boat sail in the backwaters. Similarly, Alampara
welcomes the fatigued city-dweller to a soothing sea bath amidst
placid waters and under an azure sky with a crumbing fort for a
backdrop. The company also organises boat races to the delight of
the tourists.
Ganesh and Palayam
look beyond the boundaries of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and
Karnataka. They have some great trips to spots in the Himalayas.
Himalayas is naturally a trekkers’ paradise and Base camp Adventure
Holidays offers exotic packages to these places.
Garhwal Himalayas
is the gateway to the valley of Gods for several famous temples,
like Badrinath and
Kedarnath, are housed there. The combination of
spiritual, adventure and leisure in a trip draws lots of people. Man
of the Mountains, Palayam, has an interesting tour schedule for
these trekkers.
The company also
organises foreign tours to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Best
care and attention is given to the tourists. The company has package
tours to Port Blair and Lakshadweep. Service is our motto, says
Ganesh, who wants to cater to the needs of tourists in the best
possible way. His staff, treated like family, are a big asset to him
as everything depends on liaison and interaction with the public.
The next halt for
this adventurous businessman? Kailash-Mansarovar. He hopes to do the
reccy sometime in July/August before he offers the package to the
public. Get ready with your backpack if you are the adventurous
type!
For more details, please contact:
P Ganesh,
Kamadhenu Travels,
3 (Old No 2B), Ramanathan Street, T Nagar,
Chennai – 6000017.
Ph 24320222/24310086/24361836
Website: www.kamadhenutravel.com
| Places |
Packages |
Group
Size |
Accomodation |
Activities |
| Nagari
Hills |
1
night 2 days |
20
- 25 |
In
the jungle under the sky. |
- Jungle trekking,
rapelling,swimming,campfire etc.
- This trek is meant for
those who like roughing it in the jungle. Expect no
luxuries.
|
| Kodai
& Ooty |
1
night 2 days |
20
-
40 |
In
decent hotel or resort. |
- Trekking in Ooty &
Kodai high altitudes.
- Sight seeing, boating,
elephant safari etc.
- This outing is meant for
those who like light adventure cum leisure.
|
| Wayanad |
2
nights 2 days |
20
- 40 |
In
decent hotel. |
- Trekking & Climbing
Chembra Peak.
- Sight seeing - visiting to
Meenmuty falls, Idakkal Caves, Chain tree, Pookot lake
etc.
|
| Coorg |
2
nights 2 days |
20
- 40 |
In
resort or decent hotel. |
- Option 1: Light
hill treks around resort team games, camp fire.
- Option 2: Jungle
trekking in Brahmagiri reserve forest (moderate to tough),
climbing Brahmagiri peak 5300 ft, campfire etc. This trek
is meant for those who like roughing it in the jungle.
|
Usha Raja
|
