Weekend Getaways

Kesaroli Hill Fort, Rajasthan
Set at a small height amidst pleasant rural surroundings, this tiny fort is a wonderful place to visit with children. It is about 2-3 hours from Delhi. It is safe for even small children and for city kids it provides an ideal exposure to fields, crops, village life and a vast variety of birds. It even has a resident peacock! I found that my son loved the place so much, he didn't want to come home.

Bannarghata Park, Bangalore
A rare chance to roam freely in one of the few open safari parks in the country. A treat for children of all ages.

Raichuk Fort, Diamond Harbour
Very expensive but very beautiful place. It is not a historic fort but a hotel shaped like a fort. It is however situated near such historic places as Fulta-upon-the-sea. A good weekend getaway for families, but watch younger kids around the river.

Sunderbans, West Bengal
If you live in or visit Calcutta, without taking a trip into the Sunderbans, consider yourself a failure as a serious tourist. More importantly, you may prevent your children from a chance at ever seeing the endangered Bengal tiger or even take a look at the unique but fragile eco system of the mangrove forests. The wild beauty of the world's largest estuarine mangrove forest is worth a visit for its own sake but for older children, it is also a valuable learning experience about the dynamics of such closed eco systems. For younger children, glimpses of deer, a variety of water birds and the occasional crocodile will prove entertaining. For you, it could be like a trip into the ancient past as your boat glides past tiny island villages unchanged over the millennia, and also past small fishing boats cum houses trawling for crabs. Just don't forget to carry along your permit from the forest authorities.

Restaurants

Suribachi, Panchsheel Park, Delhi
Suribachi not only offers good Chinese food but is one of the few restaurants in India that is child-friendly. Not only do they keep a high chair for children, (something most Indian restaurants have never heard of,) but they also keep in mind that, for a couple to enjoy a meal, their child has to be kept happy and occupied. Children are kept busy with pouches of sweets, fish tank etc. Plates are placed before the younger children also and they are served just like adults. I even saw the staff allot a 16 seater table to a couple who wanted a sofa seat to put their infant to sleep!

 

Outings within the city

Deer Park, Delhi
Living in a city like Delhi often means depriving children of green places and exposure to nature. Of course there are exceptions, such as Deer Park. You can take your children here for a quick nature walk or just a playful romp on the lawns. The park has a small rather dirty pond with lots of geese and ducks. You can feed the deer or admire the rabbits and guinea pigs - unfortunately through cages only. In general, however, the park is a good visit with magnificent trees, a variety of bird life and a play area for children.

Funkie Orbit, Ansals Plaza, Delhi
This is a new "playstation' which has just opened up at the Ansals Plaza mall in Delhi. Based on the American model, this is a combination of a children's play area and cyber café. The idea is good but it needs to be modified to suit the needs of Indian children who are generally used to greater care and supervision. Also, the implementation needs work. The playstation is a two-storey area of big plastic pipes that a child can crawl through eventually sliding down into a pit filled with Styrofoam coloured balls. It is advertised as an area for children from 2-14 years of age. In my opinion this is dangerous for children below 6 years. To start with a 2-3 year old cannot crawl up this structure on his own and if he gets stuck anywhere, he will not only be extremely scared, but may also tend to suffer from claustrophobia in later life. Further, though the station advertises the presence of "park rangers" in case of difficulties, I saw only 2 both of whom were more concerned about whether we had paid the entry fee of Rs. 150 rather than the safety of the children. Take your kids there only if they are 7-8 and above or if there are older children in the family to look after the younger ones.