A Pain You Can Choose To Avoid!. Review on Amblee Holiday Resort, Mandya

I had spent considerable time on the internet evaluating various holiday options in and around Bangalore. I came across mixed reviews on'Amblee Holiday Resorts on the net; and having always claimed to be a non-fussy character I decided to be game for it, nevertheless. Also, I had a family group of 7 members, and the seemingly lower rates blurred my senses! In addition, it was convenient to drive down as well(only 220 kms from Bangalore). Added to all this, the place is always overbooked, and I had to book well in advance - my logic - bad places are seldom in demand. But the truth is that the rooms are limited, and distress visitors(who may not get booking at other places) are always there.I owe my family a big apology for my misadventure that spoilt their long republic day weekend(January, 2007).

The very first glimpse of the resort(from the bridge on the main road) itself makes you jittery; it resembles a typical old government college hostel than a resort, by all means! I had to keep my fingers crossed, and the first experience gave me good enough hope - a helpful security guard, and lots of swans at the entrance by the artificial river that made my 2 years old son run with glee.

Your joys do not last long and'moments of truth'  in store are not that enjoyable; you are guided towards your rooms, and the lack of proper maintenance and management apathy can be seen all around - dull paints, lifeless gardens, and glum faces of employees. You suddenly realize that what's shown and written on the website is absolutely not in sync with the realities in stock! The rooms are painfully small, the so called deluxe double rooms are no way better than the regular single occupancy lodge rooms. Bathrooms are cramped, unclean and the water with its depressing dark color defies all signs of purity. The cable TV was not working in my room; but to be fair it was all perfect in the other rooms(my wife was happy at this one, though! may be she was right - why do you want TV when you are out on a weekend break with your family). 2 guys took turns to set my connection right for an hour, and finally my wife did the honors herself!(thankfully she is not a gadget dud as me).

Apparently there is a dearth of room service boys and waiters(thats not my problem, though) and you are made to feel that they are feeding you for free. Room service oder should be given atleast 45 minutes in advance and the room boys will get agitated if there are any additional orders/servings required. Food and taste are not even distant cousins at Amblee, and anybody who is contemplating a'weight loss' crash course  better change their minds! The Amblee food will naturally kill your appetite and make you lighter by a ton in no time. They serve some local bottled water brand that none of us have ever heard of; take refuge in the'rosary' or'hanuman chalisa' depending upon your releigious orientation, before you quench your thirst. Tips are more of a right, and you could feel those prying eyes looking for that extra money for anything and everything.

Am not sure, if the swimming pool is ever cleaned at all and keep your dermatologist's number handy before venturing in - unless, you have recharged your risk appetite by downing a couple of extra pegs! I tried to move to another resort by the next day morning, but the ones that had free rooms were as bad or worse than Amblee. Good ones like Young Island and other hotels in Mysore were fully booked for the weekend. Then we decided to stick to the'being a roman in rome' philosophy and tried to focus on the positives around for the next 2 days that we were going to be there. Focusing wasn't a problem at all, as there weren't too many positives to distract you:) Spending time in river cauvery is a soothing experience. The boat ride on their artificial lake(though the water stinks) fills you with abundant joy. End of good times. Period!

We spent one evening at the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, which is hardly 10 mins drive form the resort. There was light drizzle in the air, and the ambience was truly spectacular. The master stroke was the boat ride we took. Never miss it, and please do not settle for a shared ride with strangers. Go for a private ride(its as cheap as 250 Rs a ride) and pay the boat man another 50-100 Rs for a blissful encounter with nature. Also, make sure that you do not hit the resort at the wrong time, mornings or evenings(strongly recommended) are the best!

We were back in bangalore on Monday, and what followed was a'sickness' week that all of us would, like to forget. My son was the worst hit with non stop vomiting and dysentry. My wife and mom in law were also hit badly by dysentry. It may not have anything to do with the resort, but may be my experience along with other reviews on this resort will help you make a balanced and studied judgment. I waited for 5 months, hoping that my anger and disappointment will subside. For a change, I also wanted to stick to that advice of my prof - never react when you are too angry or too sad; chances are that your power of judgment may be reasonably skewed. But believe me, even after 5 months, am still fuming to let the world know this story.

My family's Recommendation - Strongly Avoidable.Embrace at Your Own Peril - Especially for families. **May be bachelor groups who do not mind taking chances can try the place and keep us posted of the developments! Good Luck!