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Southern India proposed itinerary-please review

Southern India proposed itinerary-please review

Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 11:16 AM
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Southern India proposed itinerary-please review

I am beginning to think about an itinerary for a tour of southern India beginning in mid Jan. We are a retired couple interested in UNESCO world heritage sights, scenery, culture and archetecture. We are not interested in shopping or beaches. We like to travel fairly quickly with not too much down time. We care more about seeing the sights than staying in 5 star hotels. We have been to northern India a few years ago, so we want to concentrate on southern India this time.

Please comment on the Itinerary and hotels I am considering:

Fly into Chennai and spend the first night there. (Residence Tower)
Nights 2 and 3-Malabalipuran (Radisson Temple Bay Resort)
Night 4-Pondicherry(The Richmond)
Night 5-Tanjore (Hotel Parisutham)
Nights 6 and 7-Madarai-(GRT Regency)
Night 8-Periyar Night
Night 9 and 10-Cochin (Tissas Inn)
Night 11 -Ooty-(Taj Savoy)
Night 12 and 13-Mysore (Hotel Sandesh the Prince)
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Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 01:18 PM
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Just a quick glance for now--first impressions:

One night in Coonoor instead of or preferable in addition to Ooty--one way would be to add a night in Coonoor, and take the Nilgiri Mt train to reach Ooty, or vice versa. It's a scenic journey and not long between the two places, so you'll get a 90 minute taste of it. Worth it.

Note that with Ooty, it's not the town, but the surroundings, that are the main attraction. The town of Coonor is smaller, less busy.

Add a night in Munnar between Periyar and Kochin, especially if you havent seen the tea plantation in Coonor.

I havent been there (yet) but in Pondicherry, the hotel that I've communicated with is Hotel du Parc. Check its website, check out tripadvisor reviews, and see what you think. To me it looks wonderful, and the manager has been great answering questions.

i realize my idea adds two extra nights. If that adds to much, decrease the time in Mahaballipuram to one night.
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Old Jul 25th, 2010, 04:43 AM
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Cali-I noticed in another thread that you had taken a 3 week trip to southern India in 2008 and are planning another in the future. From your experience, what were/are the highlights and must sees in view of my criteria stated above. I do plan to incorporate your advice to add a night or two in the hills and do the short train ride to Ooty. Do you have a preference in terms of scenery or hotels as to whether we add the day in Coonor or Munnar for tea plantations? We are not on a schedule, and have not booked international air tickets yet, so I can add as many days as necessary to see the best of the south. As a matter of fact, I want to be away for about a 3-4 weeks. I am thinking of flying to Aurangabad to see the caves or flying to Sri Lanka to extend the length of the trip, but I wanted to get this part of the trip done before adding on. I have not looked into the flights from Bangalore to Aurangabad or Sri Lanka, and price and schedule might have an impact on my decision. Thanks so much for your help.

.
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Old Jul 25th, 2010, 04:55 AM
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If you can fit it in, you might want to consider Vijayanagar and Hampi in Karnataka.

The Aurangabd caves are really amazing but it is a bit of a trek to get there. I would stick to the south this time. The weather is great in mid-January and ticket prices tend to drop around Jan 15.
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Old Jul 25th, 2010, 09:47 AM
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I will continue to follow Cali's answers to Shelleyk since I would have had pretty much the same questions. Right now I am concentrating on West Bengal and Sikkim. However, since I have been reading a lot of comments about the places in Southern India, especially the Tamil Nadu area, I am thinking to combine the two areas. I am also interested of the "must see" places.
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Old Jul 25th, 2010, 10:05 AM
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nalijo, we are headed to Sikkim, Darjeeling and Kolkata in November. If your trip is after that, my trip report can be a resource for you.

Hi shelly, I'm watching what you decide about South India. There is so much to see and do in India!
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Old Jul 25th, 2010, 11:27 AM
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Oh, Shelley--you are sooo lucky--up to FOUR weeks in Southern India! I have a dream trip in my head, as well as info from what we've done already: OK, let me for now throw some disconnected thoughts your way. Read assorted descriptions and reviews and see if some might appeal to you. Trying to take your stated interests into account:

Scenery: Plan some time in Kerala in "the backwaters" --which encompasses a lot of area. We stayed at a couple places--one 30" drive from Kochi/Cochin on the water which i would NOT recommend for a bunch of reasons...and one near Vaikom, on a farm/island on Vembanad Lake-you take a brief rowboat ride to get there--Phillipkuttys Farm.At fist glance it seems expensive, but it is worth every penny/rupee (and i am not one to spend too much on hotel accomodation if possible)

I cannot say enough good about this wonderful place. IF you decide on at least a BIT of "downtime"--the kind of place where you sit in front of your cottage and read a book and eat great food 4 times a day and watch the boats go by, this is a perfect place. The owner, Anu, and her mother-in-law, know everyone for miles around, and from there, can hook you up with wonderful ideas for a day trip. You return from day trips to your cottage there, for a sunset boat ride on the lake at Phlilpkuttys, late tea, and a fantastic dinner--my idea of a perfect day!

More scenery:take a "county boat" ride through some of the narrower "canals"in the Kerala backwaters. YOu willl hear a lot about overnight houseboats, but given your not wanting too much down time, it may not be for you. We did NOT do it b/c daughter thought it would be too boring, and I'd read too many mixed reviews on experiences with it.

WIldlife: you mention Periyar. So i am guessing you want to see some wildife in natural habitat during your trip.For wildlife, our decision was: Periyar or elsewhere on our route. We decided on Kabini Lake--much nearer to Ooty /Mysore part of your route. We stayed at Cicada Resort, individual cottages, which we loved. The ownership has changed since then but hopeful it is still great. They do safari both in the jungle (on their safari jeeps have leather seat and on the lake, We were fortunate in seeing a tiger and crocodiles--among many other animals--elephant families, monkey "herds" (although you'll see plenty of monkeys on the raods verywhere) etc etc .Note" next door is Jungle Lodge Kabini, run by the gov't, and it's supposed to be lovely--perhaps a bit more rustic and less $.For VERY high end, there's Orange County Kabini (not Orange County Coorg( coffee planation area) , where we did stay--more in another post)

Culture: Kerala Kalamandalam Dance School. We stayed at nearby River Retreat, the former home of maharajah of Cochin-basci bu lovey in its own way--far simpler than some of the elaborate heritage places . The school itself was unexpectedly closed for pre-Chirstmas holiday when we were there--some of the students were there, but we were unable to see their practice . The tour there, is supposed to be fascinating, but to go is a bit of a detour.IF you love elephants (my daaughter does) not too far is Thrissur, where the elephants--about 60 of them--are kept. TO us, it was very touching to see so many in one place, to see the loving care and rspect their mahouts give them, but sad to see them chained by one leg! However these elephants are revered in Kerala and used on festivals.

We did not make it to Hampi, it just seemed too far out of the way, and three weeks (which inclued some down time when we arrived into Kochin via BLR, just to unwind from 30 hour total travel time. We did go to the temples at Belur and Halebid (look on map, see if location fits in for your route) --fascinating!! We stayed at a hotel that was basic /ok, but next time I would stay at a homestay place (ideas avail on request!)

Mysore--Sandesh the Prince is supposed to be excellent--good choice.In fact, the person who helped with travel planning usually recommends it, but i had stated preference for "heritage"/older type places and she instead booked us into Royal Orchid Metrople. It is next door, gets mixed reveiews, but we loved it for its "old"feel, mooseheads in the dining room, etc (speaking of wildlife

Tea plantation: a must-do, IMHO those lush green rows of tea, the ladies hard at work--it'll give you a new appreciation for your next cuppa!

That was our another choice: Munnar or Coonoor? We finally decided on Coonor, because we already knew we wanted to be in the Nilgiri Hills. We decided not to make the extra trip to Munnar, although it is not far east from where we were near Vaikom and Kottaayam. If you are going to be that area--coming from TN into Kerala--you wont be far, and why not do both if you are nearby anyway, and time allows? I have NOT been to Munnar (suggetion was based on your stated route, and my own research) but it is on my on my "future dream list." We loved Coonor, the lovely misty hills, the little English cottages on the road to the tea plantations, the lovely dining room at the Gateway (?) in Coonor--a smaller scale town than Ooty, just delightful. ON way up the hill to there--we stayed at Kurumba Village, but please red up o nit--it may be a bit too "down time"per your preference...or might be worth an overnight relaxation stay on way to Coonoor and Ooty , for its gorgeous scenery(as well as monkeys jumping all over the paths).

Perhaps this will help you decide, for you'll have a look at the scenery of Munnar: Try to rent DVD"After the Rains" a wonderful/sad story.It was filmed in the area around Munnar (although if i recall right, the story takes place in Wayanad, further north in Kerala)

For the Nilgiri Blue train, I recommend first class--you'll be in a cozy front car and have a better view not to just the sides, but also ahead of you. If you are lucky to have a great train driver as we did, he'll point out interesting spots as they are about to come up! We loved that little journey!!

Sorry this is a bit scattered --gotta get ready for work!
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Old Jul 25th, 2010, 12:09 PM
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Shelly,my mistake. The name of the film is "BEFORE the Rains"...not "after!!
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Old Jul 25th, 2010, 08:21 PM
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I just returned from two weeks in Pondicherry, which I have to say is turning into one of my favourite Indian cities. I had previously only been there for a brief overnight stay about 10 years ago. We stayed at the Athithi, which was perfectly fine, about a 3 star and close to a 4 star. (See http://www.atithipondicherry.com/front/index.php) They have excellent food I must say, and a very pleasant rooftop pool. They are just on the edge of the French area, and it is an easy and interesting 10-15 minute walk to the main parts of the French area and the main shopping streets.

You say you don’t want 5 star, but you might want to look at the Promenade, which is a very nice boutique hotel. I saw the rooms, which were good size, well-maintained and lovely. They have a very nice rooftop restaurant that is worth a trip if you don’t stay there, although it is expensive relative to other places in town. They also have a smaller hotel in a restored colonial building nearby which I did not see called Le Dupleix, see http://www.sarovarhotels.com/index.shtml for both. The Promenade is on Beach Road in the French quarter, which is a good location and offers sea views. Two other hotels on this same road which seemed interesting from the outside are the Seaside Guest House 14 (all rooms have balconies facing the sea, can’t find an official website ) and the Villa Bayoud (see http://www.villabayoud.com/index.htm). I did not go into either. The Richmond appears to have a nice location in the French quarter so you may just want to stick with that.

The Hotel du Parc also looked charming from the outside and is in a nice location in the French quarter and across the street from the Vinayagar Temple (where you can get the local elephant to bless you for a small fee). Another hotel which has always seemed interesting to me is the Hotel de L’Orient. It is run by the Neemrana group which operate several other interesting hotels in India, go to www.neemranahotels.com/. They also have a hotel called Bungalow on the Beach in Tharangambadi which is which is a former Danish colonial outpost further south of Pondicherry.

I have some restaurant and a few shopping/tailor suggestions for Pondicherry if you are interested. Be sure to go to Chidambaram. There is also a mangrove forest area nearby which you can take a short boat trip into which is marginally interesting. I found Auroville more than a bit oddly cult-like but interesting as well. The video is a hoot. If you can get tickets to go inside the Matrimandir (we did not) that would probably make the trip more interesting.

If you are driving down from Chennai to Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry, be sure that the driver takes the East Coast Road, which is extremely scenic and has light traffic. Don’t take National Highway 45 which is inland, far more crowed with trucks, etc and not really scenic at all. Plus it is undergoing some major reconstruction at several parts (which may be finished by January but from the look of it, seems unlikely).

For the rest of your itin:

Chennai – for hotels, there is a very good Courtyard by Marriott and also a new Hyatt will be opening shortly, so if you have points at either, or want to splurge, you might consider them. (The Hyatt may be offering opening specials.) I don’t know the Residence Towers (is it the Residency or the Residency Towers? If so, I know the general area off Anna Salai Road, but have not been inside the hotels.)

Pondi generally – I think this deserves more than 1 night, esp. as I don’t know your exact timing for arrival and departure, and if you plan to go to Chidambaram. Lots to see and do here.

Mahabalipuram – I am not sure that 2 nights is necessary, but as I don’t know how much of this is devoted to travelling down from Chennai and on to Pondi, it’s hard to say. I did this as a day trip last Friday. I would say 5-7 hours to see all the various parts is ideal, and more if you want. So one night may be enough and you could then add a night in Pondi. The various bits are a bit spread out, the shore temple and Five Rathas are not really walkable from the main area around Krisnha’s butter ball, so a car with driver might be useful (or bikes if available). There is a sculpture museum which we saw very quickly but I would say would be worth some more time. Mahabalipuram unfortunately has some aggressive touts in some areas (thanks I think to UNESCO status) but try to just ignore them. I would suggest a guide to take you around, if for nothing else to help you find the various areas, and the touts would tend to leave you alone a bit more if you have a guide. (You can also go back later without the guide to see things in more depth if you wanted.) I think the Radisson is about the only good place in town; I did have lunch on Friday at the Hotel Sea Breeze and saw some rooms, they were OK, but I was shocked by the prices for the sea view deluxe rooms (their very best) at US$150 a night for what is a fairly average room. But nice spot on the beach, and walkable to the shore temple, which is lit at night. Can’t find an official website.

The rest of your itin seems fine, although I think you might want more than 1 night in Periyar. Check on the timings for the wildlife drives/boat trips, and make sure you have enough time for at least 2, one morning and one afternoon/evening. The more drives you do, the more wildlife you can see.
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Old Jul 25th, 2010, 08:27 PM
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Shelly if you can be away 4 weeks then take it all for India!You have already been north so it is great to focus on the south. Cali has given you some great info. It has been many years since I was in Southern India so I don't have any details to give you really. However I would try to spend a few days is the backwaters of Kerela. I only had a couple of days there & felt I was leaving too soon. The very southern tip of India is an interesting place just to see how the locals enjoy it. Two oceans meet there. There is a real carnival atmosphere with the local people. The Ooty area felt cool & relaxing by Indian standards. The temples of Tamil Nadu are so colourful compared to thier northen relatives. The southern food has more spice I found I loved it! If I was you I would take the max time I could to explore the area & not feel too rushed. Enjoy!
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Old Jul 25th, 2010, 10:04 PM
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Shelley,more thoughts, now that i've more time.

While in Mabs area (short for Mahaballipuram) i would (and will, when i get finally get there!!) go to Dakshinachitra to fulfill one aspect of your self-described cultural interests in the arts including architecture. When first heard of it,in a superficial way, it sounded kind of hokey... but have heard from visitor to it that it is quite interesting--you get to see different So Indian states' "villages" and are helping to make sure of the continued existence of this special place. Check for a website which should describe it in more detail.

I think there is also a famous turtle--or is it crocodile? --farm--and orchid farm---nearby--not sure if you are interested in either of these, but google search should turn it up. I think the orchid farm is cross referenced on the site for Ideal Beach Resort--same owners.

Also note that if you are interested in dance, you will be in two cities renowned for different types of Indian dance : Kochi--where you can see Kathakali Dance performance (it is this dance is taught at Kerala Kalamandalam) and Chennai --where (again, memory is not too exact) there is a school and performances of Bharatnatyam, a classical Tamil dance form. Also, during your arrival time in Chennai, the annual Margazi Festival happens in and around Chennai--it is a famous, once a yr festival of the arts--dance and musical performances. (I almost detoured to Chennai just for that--but arrived too early in December to see it. ) Exact dates very somewhat , but it is usually through most of January. Also, i think performances are in both Chennai and Mahaballipuram.

So IF reading about this seems interesting, you may want more than one night in Chennai.

Wow, CIcerone--THANK YOU for the great and very helpful info on Pondi and other areas--sightseeing and hotels . I will look all those up, ina ddition to the Hotel du Parc--makes such a difference when someone has actually seen them, so thanks for your from-the-scene impressions.I am ready to book a flight to Chennai NOW and head down the coast. Didnt know GRT Temple Bay is now a Radisson--good. Our driver on the trip in 2008--who is from Madurai--said Temple Bay was the best of the lot of Mabs hotels
Did you happen to see the Swamimalai Hotel near Auroville? It used to be part of Sterling chain. It sounds like great fun--built like a little village. Very tempted to stop there when i do make it --the "cult" aspect of Auroville has me both intrigued and "creeped out."

Krishna's Butter Ball--LOL


Have fun googling and researching, Shelley. Now, off I go to Cicerone's website links!!!
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Old Jul 25th, 2010, 11:36 PM
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Calinurse, I did not see the Swamimalai hotel and don’t remember passing it. But as Auroville is only about a 30 minute drive from Pondi, I think I would say to just stay in Pondi and make a half day trip out to Auroville. No need to move hotels. If you want to go inside the Matrimandir, my understanding is that you have to go one day and get a pass for the visit another day; but see their website because maybe you can make an advance booking for that, see http://www.auroville.org/. Also perhaps a hotel in Pondi or one of the many Auroville shops in Pondi can arrange this. (The shopping at Auroville is amazingly excellent, probably the best in Pondi, but they also have outlets for most of their shops on Nehru Street and Mission Streets in Pondi, so you can do both. I did not expect shopping to be available, as it sort of doesn’t fit with their criteria. And lots of Hindu religious stuff for sale at a place which has “no religions” as part of its creed. Yes, odd. But it’s not an ashram, so no one running around in red or orange robs chanting or anything. No one tried to speak to us or get us to join either. Good café too.)
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Old Jul 26th, 2010, 05:33 PM
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Cali and Cicerone-Thank you so much for the time you spent to provide such detailed information. I so appreciate getting advice from people who have been there and have no vested interest in the recommendations they provide. Cicerone, several years ago you gave me some advice for my visit to Hong Kong, and it made it so much easier to plan my 4 days there. I am sure I thanked you then, but I want to thank you again. Cali-I saw Before the Rains when it first came out. I remember liking the story a lot, but did not know that it was filmed in Munnar. I will rent it to see it again and will be more observant of the scenery than I was 2 years ago. I never would have guessed then that I would be planning a trip to south India. I am going to do more research, read some more guidebooks and then I am sure I will be back with more questions. Meanwhile, if any one else has any recommendations on must see sights in the south, I'd like to hear from you.
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