Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Dr Ambedkar Rd; admission ?5; 10.30am-6pm Fri-Wed)
This simple museum is dedicated to the
life of the Maratha hero, Shivaji. Its collection includes a 500-year-old chain-mail suit and
a copy of the Quran handwritten by Aurangzeb.
Tours
Classic Tours (
Click here
) and the
Indian Tourism Development Corporation
(ITDC; 2331143)
both run daily bus tours to the Ajanta and Ellora Caves. The trip to Ajanta Caves costs
?450 and the tour to Ellora Caves, ?300; prices include a guide but don't cover admission
fees. The Ellora tour also includes all the other major Aurangabad sites along with Dau-
latabad Fort and Aurangzeb's tomb in Khuldabad, which is a lot to swallow in a day. All
tours start and end at the MTDC Holiday Resort. During quiet periods, these operators
pool resources and pack their clients into a single bus.
For private tours, try Ashoka Tours & Travels (
Click here
)
, which owns a decent fleet
of taxis and can personalise your trip around Aurangabad and to Ajanta (?1600 for up to
four people) and Ellora (?1100 for up to four people).
Sleeping
HOTEL
$
Hotel Panchavati
( 2328755;
www.hotelpanchavati.com
; Station Rd West; s/d ?525/625, with AC ?775/900; )
Panchavati is
popular with budget travellers, and for good reason. On offer are a range of compact,
colour-themed and thoughtfully appointed rooms, with comfortable beds and balconies.
Choose between front-facing, park-view rooms, or the much quieter, tree-view rooms at
the rear. There are two restaurants and a bar. The managers are efficient and friendly and
the hotel sits easily at the top of the value-for-money class.
HOTEL
$
Hotel Oberoi
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
( 2323841;
www.hoteloberoi.in
; Osmanpura Circle, Station Rd East; s/d ?855/969, with AC ?1082/1197; )
Cheekily named, and nothing to do with the five-star chain, this recently renovated hotel
is nevertheless a good budget option in a convenient location. Rooms are noticeably mod-
ern with flat-screen TVs and comfy beds, and the bathrooms are gleaming, with no loose
plumbing! Also on offer is complimentary pick-up from rail or bus stations.