Latest news with #Bukhara
Times
3 days ago
- Times
Guided tours are bad tourism — here's how they need to improve
We stumbled off the coach, blinking in the harsh light but delighted to have arrived in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Some of us had been dreaming of this moment since Joanna Lumley discovered this Silk Road city in 2018. Others even longer, but in all the excitement half the group missed the guide's instructions to cross the road and were left behind. By the time they caught up, the vanguard was fighting through an international brigade of tourists to gain entry to the fortress of Nasrullah Khan, the 19th-century 'Butcher of Bukhara'. In a forest of flags held up by dozens of guides, some of us joined different groups. Others got lost. Alone, I blundered into the throne room in the same way Arthur Conolly had in 1841. He'd come to rescue the British spy Charles Stoddart from a three-year incarceration in the bug pit: 12ft deep, 4ft wide and regularly topped up with ticks, rats and scorpions. However, as Conolly was thrown into the same foul hole himself, he must have realised that all hope was lost. • 17 of the best Silk Road tours Now, 183 years later, as we were hurried up stairs, down alleys and along battlements, all trying to make sense of the garbled words in our earpieces, some of us shared Conolly's despair. I found one of our group slumped on a stone bench in the shade of an arch. 'This is not how I dreamt Bukhara would be,' she sighed. Guided tours have been around as long as tourists — Herodotus was unimpressed with his while on a Treasures of Egypt trip in 442BC — but the type in which a coachload of confused travellers follow a pink umbrella through the busy heart of an ancient city is a product of the industrial age. Groups were being led around Rome in the 1820s; the essayist William Hazlitt noted with disappointment that the Eternal City comprised 'an almost uninterrupted succession of narrow, vulgar-looking streets'. In the 1920s the Rev Henry Mullineux of the St Barnabas Society was leading group tours of the Western Front. A decade later coach tours were all the rage: in 1936 Yelloway Motor Services of Rochdale offered an eight-day guided tour of the West Country for £8.75 all-in. • I'm 62: here's what I've learnt during ten years of group tours But as the travel industry matured, the way in which tourists were shown the sights remained all but unchanged. The shepherd leads the flock through the streets, corralling them at each point of interest. Facts and figures are reeled off; Herodotus recounts how a guide read out a list, without context, of the names of 300 kings on a long afternoon in Egypt. Then the sheep are herded onwards. The route is fixed, the clients are passive, and if you don't want to traipse half a mile through a sullen neighbourhood to see some street art, tough, because you won't know where you're going until you get there. I have nothing against group trips. They're a terrific way of making new friends and sharing experiences in wonderful destinations, but that tour of Bukhara was disappointing. It was also uncomfortable. There's something infantilising about following someone with a microphone and a flag through crowded streets like a seven-year-old on a school trip. Fortunately, Bukharans still welcome tourists. The same cannot be said of Paris. Last September I joined a walking tour of the city led by one of the world's biggest group tour operators. Twenty-two of us trudged through Montmartre following two tour leaders and the local guide. We clogged the pavements. We stood in shop doorways. We walked in roads. And then we blocked the door of a bakery that had been on TV. As the guide told us about Amélie, Emily in Paris or Chocolat — I wasn't really listening — the tour leaders caught up on their social media. Engrossed in their phones, they didn't notice as locals became increasingly enervés, subjecting us to a tirade of obscenities. Another hissed 'Ce n'est pas Disneyland' — but worse was to come. A lady in a wheelchair tried to push through a group of nice people who had suddenly become the exemplars of the dumb tourist. Later I asked the tour leaders about the incident. They were dismissive. 'They need tourists in Montmartre,' said one. 'The wheelchair woman had plenty of space,' said the other. I asked if there was an acceptable number of locals they were allowed to upset in the pursuit of so-called sustainable travel, but they declined to comment. I cringe when I recollect that afternoon. Assigning 20 or more guests to a single guide may be a cost-effective way of conducting tours, but in a world where tourists are increasingly resented more than they are welcomed, stomping through cities like an invading army is not a good look. • 11 of the best group tours for solo travellers None of us like to feel unwanted, and yet when I spoke last summer to the citizens of Palma, Barcelona, Santorini and other destinations blighted by overtourism, the human centipedes came second only to Airbnb in terms of disdain. It's a problem easily fixed. Reducing group sizes to a maximum of six and taking different routes around attractions means visitors will have a richer, more intimate experience, locals will be less irritated and there will be more work for guides. Yes, it will be more expensive, because more guides will have to be paid. But if that's the cost of a happy memory, I'll pay it. As for the guiding, I want storytellers not statisticians. I don't really care what year any cathedral or castle was built, or how many hectares a ruin occupies — and I certainly won't remember. But tell me the tales of the people who lived and died there and I'll be boring people in pubs about it for weeks. By Richard Mellor Launched in 1998 by the travel writer Jonny Bealby, Wild Frontiers crafts itineraries where the routes, transport and places to stay are painstakingly considered. Groups have an average of nine and prices tend to include all meals, permits and entrance fees. Most guides have deep regional knowledge, language skills and local contacts (which can translate into special access), while the firm seeks out unusual destinations — epitomised by a new Pioneer collection, and its Mongolia tour, which takes in giant ancient petroglyphs, remote mountain lakes and a golden eagle hunters' Twelve nights' full board from £4,195pp ( Fly to Ulaanbaatar Rated consistently highly for its tour leaders and customer service, Explore! offers more than 350 trips to about 100 countries — everything from Inca Trail hikes to cycling in Kerala. An average group size of 11 means that tours are flexible, and can emphasise locally owned hotels and restaurants. Potential travellers can find out who has already booked on a particular trip (age range, solos or couples, etc). This summer's tours include Slovenia via laid-back Ljubljana and the photogenic, mountain-backed Lake Seven nights' B&B from £1,595pp ( Fly to Ljubljana Steppes's biggest USP is the chance to travel with some true experts — think Jonathan Green, the founder of the Galapagos Whale Shark Project, or the author William Dalrymple on an Indian train charter. The average group size is ten and accommodation is mostly luxurious, highly characterful or both. Run by a team of ex-rangers, guides or camp managers, it focuses on culture, history, good old-fashioned adventure or iconic animal species — such as a boat-based November tour where you can snorkel alongside killer whales in northern Seven nights' full board from £7,559pp, including lectures ( Fly to Alta Are you a fan of guided tours — or not? Share your views in the comments
The Star
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Jhol KL offers fabulous coastal Indian cuisine by celebrity chef Hari Nayak
Growing up in Udupi in south India, celebrated chef Hari Nayak says a love of food ran through his veins from his childhood – a familial trait he probably shares with his grandfather, who once ran a restaurant in Udupi. 'My grandfather was a restaurateur. My father did not continue that business, but growing up I would hear a lot of stories about how my father grew up in this restaurant world and the amazing Udupi food they served,' says Hari, a humble, eloquent man. As a young adult, he went to a hospitality school in India and worked for a spell at Bukhara, a celebrated Indian restaurant in New Delhi. Then, he moved to the United States where he learnt culinary arts at the renowned Culinary Institute of America. 'Honestly during that time, I was like 'Oh, I'm going to get out of Indian cuisine and go to the West and learn everything about Western food'. I was trying to run away from Indian food, technically. 'And I think that's because my first experience in an Indian kitchen was not the best – I was given 50kg of onions to peel! 'The old-school Indian chefs were not really teachers – they would hide the recipes, whereas in the West, they welcome you and teach you,' he says. Hari is a celebrated chef and author who opened Jhol KL in tribute to coastal Indian cuisine. Yet Hari's Indian roots proved strong because despite having worked with top chefs in the US like Daniel Boulud and Marcus Samuelsson, he began re-examining Indian food through a new lens. This eventually birthed his first cookbook, Modern Indian Cooking – which was considered ground-breaking during its time. 'Back then there were only a few chefs in London who were kind of into this modern cooking world. And for me, working in a French kitchen, I think it naturally kind of helped me think differently. So the book was all about how to use Indian traditional flavours with Western cooking techniques,' he says. Now 25 years into his career, Hari has come full circle and no longer believes Indian food needs to be adapted, modernised or messed around with. 'As I've matured as a chef, I've realised Indian cooking does not need reinvention. Of course, when you present traditional food, you want to give something different, but I think that can be done without diluting the essence and the Indian-ness of the recipe,' he says. Over the course of his career, Hari has opened a string of restaurants all over the world, including Sona in New York, which was a huge hit when it launched a few years back, in collaboration with Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas. The eatery has since shuttered. The restaurant combines elegance with a casual charm. — Jhol KL His most recent restaurant is Jhol in Kuala Lumpur – a beautiful space that is sophisticated and yet very, very charming. The restaurant – which opened in partnership with Clifftop Group Asia – is a representation of the original Jhol outlet, which opened in Bangkok, Thailand in 2020 and has been hugely popular since. At Jhol KL, you can expect to feast on coastal Indian cuisine from Indian states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashta, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal and Goa. Coastal Indian cuisine is typified by spices like mustard seeds and fenugreek; the liberal use of coconut; a focus on seafood; rice as a binding agent; and the use of ingredients such as mangoes, kokum and curry leaves. The menu at Jhol has traditional roots but isn't entirely traditional. In fact, you will find thoughtful, calibrated touches that add uniqueness and a point of differentiation to a meal here. At the moment, the a la carte menu hasn't rolled out yet, so Malaysian diners will only be able to sample The Culinary Journey tasting menu, priced at RM310+ per person. The trio of snacks that prologue the meal offer texture, flavour and contrast in one fell swoop. — Photos: Jhol KL Highlights from the menu include the trio of snacks that form the prologue of the meal, like the Calicut Pepper Crab. Framed as crab on toast with a garlic-yoghurt infused pachadi to break through the barriers, this is a peppery, aquatic flavour bomb that forms the basis for instant addiction. One of the signature items at Jhol is the Masala Muska Bun (add RM45+). The buns are fashioned after Bangalore's famed Iyengar Bakery's potato masala buns. The masala muska bun is a thing of beauty that forms a successful union with the curry leaf butter provided on the side. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star In Jhol's iteration, a potato bun is stuffed with a masala-decked interior, with pav bhaji butter and curry leaf butter served alongside. The bread is a golden goddess that is meant to be pulled apart. This doughy delight is incredibly fluffy and soft as a cloud, with the masala gilding its inner core like a fiery, spirited vixen. Of the butters on offer, the curry leaf butter is sensationally good, yielding herbaceous, oleaginous roots that have sprouted and flowered into the flavours so familiar in the Indian sub- continent, yet couched in an entirely original configuration. Perhaps one of the most memorable offerings on the menu is BFC or Berhampur fried chicken with Jhol hot sauce. Crunchy, crackly and insanely juicy, this is the fried chicken of your dreams. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star The chicken wings here are deboned, cooked and piped in again, then coated in a spice-riddled tempura batter and double-fried and served alongside a chutney. The result is chicken that is oh-so satisfyingly crackly and crispy to the touch, eliciting crunch with every morsel and yielding to juicy, tender meat within. It's the sort of fried chicken befitting emperors and kings. The Surti Anda Ghotala is essentially chilli cheese toast with shaved truffle. The dish hails from Gujarat, where it is a popular street food essential. In this variation of the dish, toast is added to the egg-and-cheese mixture and truffles are heaped atop for added opulence. Created in tribute to a Gujarati street food staple, the chilli cheese toast with truffles cleverly fuses tradition with innovation. The eggs are creamy and jiggly while the masala in the mixture offers spicy nuances to what would otherwise simply be eggs on toast. It's an unpretentious homage to tradition that kicks things up a notch with the evergreen allure of truffles. The next series of dishes are served sharing-style, replicating the comforts of a traditional Indian meal. Of what's on offer, the Kundapura Ghee Roast Chicken served with a cone-shaped dosa and coconut chutney is an immediate scene-stealer. The chicken is slow cooked with red chilli and ghee and is a spicy, masala-riddled offering. Mop up the goodness of the chicken with the dosa, which is firm yet succumbs to a yeasty interior that is instantly alluring. End the savoury part of your meal with the Alleppey Fish Curry, served with kappa (a traditional Kerala-style tapioca dish) and matta rice (a popular Indian rice known for its health benefits). The Alleppey fish curry features fish and green mangoes swimming in a rich, creamy gravy. — Jhol KL The fish curry is cooked with green mango, which is what gives it a slight tanginess amidst its creamy richness. The kappa is also very, very good - starchy, sticky and flavourful while the rice is the perfect receptacle to soak up all these diverse flavours. Dessert takes the form of the Tender Coconut Payasam with jaggery sesame snap and mango sorbet. Here, coconut, jaggery and mango form the cornerstones of this sweet seductress, which is soothing and yet somehow euphoric all at once. Ultimately, Hari says he hopes Jhol KL will be a landmark restaurant for refined Indian flavours that are familiar and yet take diners on a journey through brand new terrain. 'I always believe that I want to create dishes that my family would enjoy. And if I see myself eating here twice a month myself, then I feel like that's the kind of restaurant menu I want to create,' he says. Address: The Met Corporate Tower, Jalan Dutamas 2, Kompleks Kerajaan, 50480 Kuala Lumpur Open daily: noon to 2.30pm; 6pm to 10.30pm
NDTV
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Watch: Gujarat Titans Players Recommend What To Eat In Delhi
With the Indian Premier League in full swing, every cricket fan in India is glued to their screens. But today (May 18) is extra special as Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, are all set to face off against Delhi Capitals, captained by Axar Patel. The match will be held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Ahead of the big game, a fun video was shared on the official Instagram handle of Gujarat Titans. It shows the players boarding a flight to Delhi. But before takeoff, someone behind the camera throws in a delicious question: 'What is one thing you would recommend to eat in Delhi?' Let's take a look at what the players had to say! Ishant Sharma didn't hesitate and said, chole bhature. Ashish Nehra, the coach, went for golgappe, and couldn't resist teasing Ishant by saying, ' Akele ja raha hai chole bhature khane, hume leke bhi nahi jaa raha. [Going to eat chole bhature alone, not even taking me along.]' Sai Kishore agreed with Ishant and picked chole bhature too. Rehmatullah Gurbaz recommended the flavourful palak patta chaat. Mahipal Lomror joined the chole bhature club with his own nod to the popular dish. Anuj Rawat opted for the classic Delhi street food – chole kulche. Mohammed Siraj leaned more towards the meaty side and recommended nalli nihari and biryani. Cricketer Shahrukh Khan (not the actor!) said, 'One restaurant that I would recommend to everybody is Bukhara in ITC.' Skipper Shubman Gill also joined the Bukhara fan club, saying, 'One dish that I would recommend to eat in Delhi is the dal from Bukhara restaurant.' Washington Sundar picked a comforting classic – kadhi chawal. Sai Sudharsan echoed the same and picked Bukhara's dal as the best dish in the capital. Karim Janat said the tandoori raan at Karim's is a must-try. He also mentioned the ice golas near India Gate, which he thinks are really good. Gurnoor Brar added his voice to the chole bhature fanfare as well. Kagiso Rabada also gave a shoutout to Bukhara as a must-visit food spot. Rashid Khan couldn't pick just one place – he recommended both Karim's and Bukhara as the best food stops in Delhi. 'Admin's food plans are fully sorted in Delhi, thanks to our Titans!' read the text attached to the post. Watch the full video below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans)
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Business Standard
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
ITC Hotels net profit rises 41% to ₹257 cr in first quarter after demerger
ITC Hotels reported a record 40.8 per cent rise in consolidated net profit to ₹257 crore in the fourth quarter of financial year 2025—its first quarter post demerger from consumer goods major ITC Limited. The company had posted a net profit of ₹182.5 crore in the same period last year. Its revenue from operations rose 17 per cent to ₹1,060.6 crore from ₹907.3 crore a year ago. Profit before interest, depreciation and tax (PBIDT) rose 12.1 per cent year-on-year to ₹365 crore from ₹325.7 crore. For the full year, the company reported a net profit of ₹634.5 crore and revenue from operations of ₹3,559.8 crore. Room revenues continued their strong growth trajectory, driven by broad-based performance across segments such as retail, contracted bookings, weddings and airline crew. 'The average daily rate (ADR) at approximately ₹12,500 and occupancy at 73 per cent saw robust year-on-year growth, supported by sustained demand across key markets and smart revenue management,' the company stated in a release. For the quarter, room revenues increased 16 per cent, buoyed by strong ADRs at approximately ₹15,000 (a 14 per cent increase) and high occupancy levels at 79 per cent. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) grew by 17 per cent. A significant portion of recent room additions came through management and franchising contracts. 'The strategy envisages driving growth while reducing capital intensity of operations by focusing on strong partnerships with asset owners, leveraging brand credentials, and providing operational expertise,' the release said. The company also expanded its footprint in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where demand for premium hospitality is rapidly growing. Additionally, the company's food and beverage segment—comprising brands such as Dum Pukht, Bukhara and Avartana—recorded 'robust double-digit year-on-year growth' during the quarter. Aggregate room demand in India is expected to outpace supply. To address this, the company has a pipeline of 50 hotels with over 4,500 keys, including a high proportion of brownfield assets. It aims to reach a portfolio of 220 operational hotels with more than 20,000 keys by 2030. The owned/managed keys mix is expected to shift from the current 42:58 ratio to 30:70, with management fees projected to grow 2.5 times over the same period. In the past 24 months, the company has signed 54 properties and opened 30 hotels across brands. ITC Hotels is also investing in scaling up its portfolio of owned properties. 'Construction of a greenfield project at Puri and a new block at the existing Welcomhotel in Bhubaneswar are underway. A new 200-key hotel is also planned in Vizag with an investment of ₹328 crore. The construction of the hotel is expected to be completed by 2029,' the company stated.
