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Southern India 1st Time Mom/Daughter HELP

Southern India 1st Time Mom/Daughter HELP

Old May 26th, 2016, 03:53 AM
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Southern India 1st Time Mom/Daughter HELP

Hello- Now I've got the plans for my Northern trip with my son in March, it's time for the South!

Going with my mom (70) to Southern India in late Oct/Nov. Planning 12-day (ish) trip. 1st time in the south, so want a taste of places without rushing from one to the next. Do not need animals as she has been on safari in Africa. Would love: some markets, history/architecture, city time and country, a stop where yoga/massage is possible (does not need to be Goa), fun cooking class, a hike/walk?

I know we want to see Kochi and can fly Emirates into Kochi and out of Mumbai. Happy to take express train (she's not keen on multiple interiors flights, and I love trains). Def want rice barge/backwater houseboat. Do not really need tons of time on beach lounging (more active holiday).

Please advise itinerary, even if it means tacking on 2 additional days at end for Mumbai.

She wants higher end accommodations, but prefers heritage over swanky new places.

Advice appreciated.

THANKS!
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Old May 26th, 2016, 04:33 AM
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Am thinking we probably can't get to Channai with limited time...so what if we focus on: Cochin, Munnar, Mysore, Madurail, Alleppey, with possible night or two in Trivandrum or Kovalam...with Mumbai at the end? (And how best to get back there?). Thanks.
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Old May 26th, 2016, 05:55 AM
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Can you fly into Kochi and out of Chennai instead of Mumbai? Because that way you could see some of the temples in Tamil Nadu. Otherwise with only 12 days you would need to go north from Kochi, probably via Munnar or Coorg and Mysore. Remember - India, slow travel. Look at the map, and use cleartrip.com for train schedules.
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Old May 26th, 2016, 07:19 AM
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I can fly into Kochi and out of Chennai, but would miss out on Mumbai (?! I would really like to visit there, but guide me if I'm wrong).
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Old May 26th, 2016, 11:40 AM
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Why do you want to visit Mumbai?
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Old May 26th, 2016, 06:37 PM
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Recommendation: start a new thread with your Southern India questions
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Old May 26th, 2016, 06:38 PM
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Oh sorry--LOL! YO DID start a new thread!!!Smart!
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Old May 26th, 2016, 07:15 PM
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I did not like Mumbai at all. Every five seconds someone was trying to rip us off. I have never seen such aggression in a foreign country. Here are just three examples:

1. The airport cab driver tried to double the fare, and then chased us into the hotel when we gave him the original amount.
2. On the boat to Elephanta Island, some guy tried to charge us extra for sitting on the top of the boat.
3. Some guy blocked the door when we entered the food market, claiming we had to buy a ticket.

Also, I did not think the sites were interesting. The caves at Elephanta Island are just so-so, and not worth the schlep on the boat. We also did a walking tour of the city, but the buildings are Victorian, so there is nothing unique about the architecture.

If you are truly curious about going there, one full day of sightseeing is enough.
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Old May 27th, 2016, 09:26 AM
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Hi. What about this:

Fly into EITHER Mumbai OR Bangalore - spend 2 nights (note: 1st night we arrive at midnight) - thought it would nice to start in a city. Correct me if I am wrong...

Mumbai or other city Emurates flies to - 2 nights

FLY to Kochi

Kochi - 2 nights at Malabar (?)

Backwaters - 2 nights (where? No idea...boat? boat and hotel?)

Munnar - 2 nights (Windermere?)

Madurai - 2 nights Heritage (?)

Kovalum or something like it for YOGA SPA - Niraamaya? Leela? Beach, massage, good food, yoga...3 nights

Fly home from TVR
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Old May 27th, 2016, 09:27 AM
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They do fly to Chennai...? Should we start there?
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Old May 27th, 2016, 09:52 AM
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I wouldn't bother with Bangalore. I'd fly into Kochi.

Do you mean Malabar House in Kochi? It was very nice when I stayed there, although that was a while back. They also have somewhere on the backwaters.

You're doing too many two nighters. Have you looked into travel times?
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Old May 27th, 2016, 11:48 AM
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I agree with thursdaysd on flying straight to Kochi. I was in Bangalore for a 5 day business trip, and it has its charms, and I also really like Mumbai, but for the amount of time you have, I wouldn't do either. Kochi has a good international airport and is a great low-pressure entry point into India.

And since you're looking for "higher end accommodations, but prefers heritage", consider Old Harbour House in Kochi, which CaliNurse likes, and we also really like it a lot. We stayed there in January.
You can see photos I took of it here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129067...57666098286066

And Malabar has a beautiful small property in the Backwaters area called Purity, where we also just stayed. It is an old building on the lake, beautifully re-done, filled with Indian antiques, and you can take a boat right from their dock. They have a houseboat, but we preferred a day boat into the small canals. There are pictures in the link above.

thursdaysd has another good point, consider travel time between the places you mentioned. I think they are doable, but you have to be OK with some long drives.
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Old May 27th, 2016, 01:08 PM
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Hi- I asked a driver about times as he responded with the following:
Kochi-Backwater 1 hour
Backwater - Munnar 4 hours
Munnar - Madurai - 4 hours
Madurai - Kovalam 4-5 hours

Does this seem like too much? Not to me, if there are things to see along the way...But PLEASE correct me if I'm underestimating the draining nature of road travel.

If we were to trim something (which already seems so difficult since I'm leaving out the entire middle/eastern areas), what would we trim? Knowing my mom wants a mix of markets/history/city AND country/yoga/spa...
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Old May 27th, 2016, 05:43 PM
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I don't think it looks like too much, BW. Ahhhh...to have loads and loads of time! Sadly, we don't all have the luxury of time and/or money of MORE than two nights in every place we ever want to visit in the world.

I had a great time in Cochin and didn't feel at all deprived the two times I was there, with "only" one day/night each time .Your two nights there is fine. Two nights in all the places you've mentioned are going to be ok, either based on my own experience, or on that of friends.

Those travel times look correct--but remember, in India, expect the unexpected!

Old Harbour in Cochin is indeed a wonderful hotel, as RJE mentions, but if you decide on it, don't wait to book!! It fills up very, very fast! My knowledgaeable travel planner/agent said there may be some new requirement to book a ackage" with breakfast AND dinner included in the room price, so check on that. If you decide against it , no worries: There are loads of other heritage hotels in Cochin and throughout the South. You already have one on your list for Madurai, in The Heritage, where the main building was designed by a world famous architect. Word is that for a little extra money at that property, you should spring for the more "deluxe" villas with their own little pools.

Daughter and I LOVED Philipkuttys Farm along Vembanad Lake near Kumarokom, as a possibility, in addition to RJE's personal favorite Purity, for your "backwaters" stay. You can get a boat from there which will take you into the narrower surrounding canals, or they'll hire a taxi/driver for you toexplore farther afeiedl. Food and family are wonderful! Research it on assorted sights. It truly is a special place to put your feet up, and/or take the canoe across the water from there to do other activities which Anu, the lovely owner, will arrange.

Carry either meclizine (non-drowsy antinausea for motionn sickness, avail as swallowable pills or chewables)or use the Godsend which Progol reminds (thanks for rescuing my last two big trips, Progol!)-- the scopolamine patch! The roads around Munnar are winding!
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Old May 28th, 2016, 03:26 AM
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My mother and I are prone to horrible motion sickness (and I am one of those people who get slurry vision from the patch so can't take that)...UGH!?
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Old May 28th, 2016, 03:33 AM
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Also...instead of Mumbai, we could fly into Bangalore or Chennai - perhaps see Pondicherry which I think my mom would really like. We would have 2 nights. Should we do this or stick to a simpler Mumbai plan?
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Old May 28th, 2016, 04:45 AM
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You could fly into Chennai and go straight to Pondy. Or Mamallapuram. As I said, I recommend skipping both Mumbai and Bangalore.
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Old May 28th, 2016, 05:04 PM
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BW, if you and your mom have tried things, and are miserable with vertigo on winding roads...maybe skip Munnar? Have "non-drowsy" antihistamines like meclizine (bovine, etc0helped?
There are loads of other alternative pllaces you can see, e.g. Pondicherry (as you and Thurs both mentioned) . You can still get to places you want to see, and bypass Munnar. I don't recall any winding roads in the Cochin or backwaters area. (But on this or future trip, avoid the winding roads up to and in the Wayanad area--father north in Kerala.) Maybe RJE and Dgunbug, who were both recently on the Madurai--Munnar road, and other areas of TN, can weigh in as to the nausea-potential of that, and if any other roads they traveled.
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Old May 29th, 2016, 02:07 PM
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The road from Kochi to the backwaters are flat and straight.

The road from Kochi to Munnar goes up a very winding mountain road. And then down a very winding mountain road to the plains of Tamil Nadu. However, once you get to Tamil Nadu, the roads are flat and straight.

There are not a lot of ways to get from Kochi and the backwaters without going through the mountains. There is no good train route, and driving means going way around to the south or north. Maybe someone here can weigh in on this.

And of course there are short flights from Kochi to Madurai...
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Old May 29th, 2016, 02:17 PM
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Since you need to avoid winding roads, maybe it would make sense to take a "V" shaped itinerary:
Kochi - Backwaters - Kovalum - Madurai.

And then continue through Tamil Nadu to Pondicherry.
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