Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report A world away in 5 weeks

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)

- Asia (https://www.fodors.com/community/asia/)

- - A world away in 5 weeks - India to Sri Lanka and back (https://www.fodors.com/community/asia/a-world-away-in-5-weeks-india-to-sri-lanka-and-back-1669259/)

No pressure. They are worth waiting for.

Oh I’m sill here too. I recognise some of those places, thanks for the memories:)

Oh, good to know, sartoric! Thank you for letting me know. More pix to come soon...busy right now, but I will post shortly!

In Tamil Nadu, the gopuram (towers) of the temple complexes are often remarkable structures, and the Meenakshi temple in Madurai is no exception. There are a total of 14 towers, brightly colored and multi-storied and the biggest can be seen from virtually any spot in the city!

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f15b5a0c0f.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...14a1c2f96b.jpg
From a restaurant rooftop

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...99a2872a0.jpeg

Our time in Tamil Nadu has come to an end; it was a fascinating visit, with the remarkable Chola temples, though we definitely found we had temple overload after a while. I loved seeing the living Chola temples, with people worshipping or just hanging out; the many shrines; the colors; and always, the energy! Some are no longer "living" temples, but are architecturally stunning, and one of our favorites was Dharasuram in Kumbakonam. Tamil Nadu is one of the poorer states, and it shows - driving along the roads, we saw countless makeshift cities which were built by the lowest castes. But the people we met were generally warm and welcoming, and we found this almost everywhere we went.

Now off to Kerala, a wealthier state in India, very different in look and feel. As we crossed into Kerala, the land became much greener and tilled.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4458df9295.jpg

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...55114ef0b.jpeg

Our destination for the next night was the Kalaketty Estate homestay; my review of our visit there...

"Our stay at Kalaketty Estate was a wonderful surprise. Our agent, Tim, at IndianPanorama, had recommended it, and I’m SO glad that we included this lovely place in our itinerary. I only wish that we stayed for more than one night!

The hosts, Anuja and Kurian, could not have been warmer or more welcoming and made us feel completely at home on their beautiful estate. This is is a beautiful, traditional kerala home on a rubber plantation, which has been in the family for 3 generations. We loved walking through the estate with Kurian, learning about the process of rubber being tapped and seeing it firsthand, as well as seeing the many other crops that are also grown. We also visited a local beekeeper and got a sampling of the different types of honey that he produces.

Guests stay in a spacious and airy 2-story family bungalow, with lovely views of the estate from the windows. Our room was on the top floor and had an enclosed porch running the length of the room with beautiful views. Meals were served in the dining room of their home, and we not only shared our meals with Anuja and Kurian, but also enjoyed interesting conversation about their life. The meals, all delicious, were some of the best meals of our 5-week trip, and were cooked by Anjuja and their wonderful chef.

As others have said, this is a truly special place. I was so glad that we had the chance to stay in this beautiful part of Kerala with such wonderful hosts!"

not sure about Temple overload but I've got wonderful photo envy overload. Such lovely smiles - yours included.

That homestay is just the sort of thing I'd love i'm sure.

Thanks, annhig! The Kalaketty homestay was such a delight, too. These are people who don’t need to do it for money, but they do it because they genuinely like to have people visit. And the food was fantastic, there was just one other couple there and we really enjoyed being there a lot.

I loved seeing the temples but there is truth to the idea that there can be too much of a good thing!

Still following!! Thank you Progol for continuing.
Great report which brings back many wonderful memories of my time in those areas. Next time I will book Kalaketty.
i miss India!!!!

Thanks, CaliNurse,
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the photos and that they’re bringing back such good memories! And more to come soon...I’m sure you would really love Kalaketty. It was a special place.

After our too-short visit in Kalaketty, we were off to the backwaters of Kerala! Again, we were just struck by the difference from Tamil Nadu, just a few short hours drive away. Everything is so lush! And, having suffered severe flooding last year, it was amazing how little we were aware of the devastation.

We stayed at Emerald Isle, a modest homestay that was located off one of the many inlets in the backwaters. We enjoyed our stay there and took advantage of some of the small boat excursions that they offered. Riding through the waterways and was really relaxing while also people-watching -- women washing clothes, children walking to school, people paddling their own boats - just watching local life as we rode by. A lovely region to visit, with no big sights!

awesome trip
the temple is so classic
thank for pic

Vegus, I'm glad you liked the photos!

Cochin

Well, it's 2 years on, and I thought I would attempt to finish this trip report! It's been too long and my memories have faded, but fortunately, I have lots of photos to remind me of our trip.

From the lovely backwaters area, we traveled on to Fort Cochin for 3 nights, our last stop in India during this leg of the trip. We were fortunate to stay in the very classy Old Harbour Hotel, and enjoyed the wonderful service provided by this old-fashioned place.

Cochin, or Kochi, was an important city for trade for, and was especially important for the spice trade. From ancient times, different migrations of travelers made their way through this region – Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch and Portuguese. And this can be felt while exploring the city, seeing the colonial architecture, the Chinese fishing nets, and even visiting the area known as Jewtown, known for its beautiful historic synagogue.

Our guide in Cochin was delightful, and we had a terrific time visiting the sights with him.

First, we spent a few hours in Jewtown (yes, that is what it’s called), and visiting the Paradesi Synagogue, the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations. The Jews of Cochin, known as the Malabar Jews, settled here after the expulsion from Spain. At the time we were there, only 26 Jews were left in Cochin, but the synagogue is a popular place for visitors (no photos allowed).

We stopped into Sara’s shop – at the time, she was the oldest Jew in Kerala – and we were fortunate to meet her, as she has since passed away.

We visited the Dhobi Khana, a local laundry done in the traditional (hand washed) way. This was one of my favorite stops in Cochin. It was started in the colonial period, with British officers bringing Tamil villagers to Kochi to work as washerman, and they have remained here ever since.

The Chinese fishing nets are still there, but is mostly there for the visual – most of the fish comes from large sea-going ships. Still, there is a vibrant fish market along the water.

We were fortunate to be there during the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, an international exhibition of contemporary art. An amazing experience!

And we ended our visit by attending a kathakali performance. Kathakali is a “story-play”, and is a traditional style of classical dance. It’s notable for its elaborate make up and costume. The first part of the “performance” was observing the actors putting on their makeup. Before the actual performance, there was a demonstration of the various forms and positions representing different emotions and actions.

We then watch the story of the killing of the evil Kichaka, who is seen trying to seduce Malini. She escapes and runs to her husband, Bhima, who makes a plan to kill Kichaka. And the mission is accomplished in dramatic fashion!