After weeks of trying to decide where to go in November (picking between Kerala/Maldives/Dubai or Vietnam/BKK and Cambodia), we have decided to go to Kerala!! I just had to share that decision...

I now have to find a hotel that we can afford in the Maldives. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know..Thanks.

So whre really are you going finally? To Kerala or to Maldives or both places? If you're looking for a hotel in Kerala, what is your budget per day?

We are going to Kerala, Dubai and the Maldives...Right now we just need a hotel in Trivandrum for 1 night and the Maldives for 3 nights and Dubai for 3 nights..We are part of a tour in Kerala where we stay on the backwaters, a houseboat and the beach for the other nights, so our hotels are already provided.

In the Maldives tops we would like to spend is $200.00 U.S. per night (hopefully less)...The rest of the nights in Trivandrum and Dubai, $100.00 or less. I have a few ideas in the Maldives, but as we aren't going until November, some hotels have not released their prices yet.As well, some hotels I have emailed and have never heard back, even after 2 or 3 attempts..

In Kerala you may want to avoid TOURINDIA(p)Ltd of Alleppy and Trivandrum.In Feb we took booked a 2 night rice boat cruise with TourIndia.Neither the boat nor a rep from TOURINDIA showed up at the appointed time.Since we prepaid to them by cash,there was not much we could do to get a refund.These people are unreliable,unethical and unprofessional.Avoid them like the plague.

About 10km outside Trivandrum, you could try Davina Lagoona, I didn't stay there but went for dinner, it's away from the tourist area, and a gorgeous setting by a lagoon. Look on i-escape.com for more details. It might be too quiet for a longer stay, but 1-2 nights would be perfect.
As an alternative to the Maldives you could consider Bangaram in the Lakshadweep Islands. You can fly from Cochin in less than 1 hour plus 1 hour boat ride. Supposedly it is less touristy and busty that the Maldives and better than the Barrier Reef for diving.

I agree with the Bangaram suggestion, but you might find it difficult to rearrange trip plans. I think November will be peak season in the places you are visiting. If you could do it, I would suggest that you prepone your trip to September, when the climate is not that different, and the rates are low. Of course, depending on your luck you still might get into some rain!!
In Maldives, I have heard good reports of the Taj groups hotel...I suppose you could check out the prices at their website. In Trivandrum, if you're spending one day in transit, I would recommend staying in the city, rather than in the outskirts. Alternatively, you could book yourself into one of the hotels at Kovalam beach, about 20 km outside the city. However, in peak tourist season, you might want to avoid Kovalam. In the city, the Mascot hotel might be a good option, as might be the Muthoot Towers. You could try www.hotelskerala.com for info about these various hotels.

Sorry, but that 'prepone' is an Indian English word...though you could probably find it in the latest edition of the Oxford dictionary...it means to....well...prepone [as against postpone!!!!]

ayakkadan we are already staying in Kovalam for 2 nights.We aren't going to be spending much time there as from there we are going to Kanyakumari for the day..Just wondered if it is worth staying in Trivandrum for a night as well. What is it like?? We can't PREPONE (good word)our trip to September..Our holidays are booked for November and we have booked alot of things already..So I think we will stick with November..Plus September is one of our nicest months of the year where we live, so you hate to travel then!! But thanks for the suggestion..annah I think i have my heart set on the Maldives..If we can find a room that is..I will check out the hotels that you guys (or gals) have recommended, thanks.

Hi Tracy B, if you are already spending time at Kovalam, I don't think you're going to achieve anything further by staying in Trivandrum city for another night. Most sights to be seen near the city are almost as easily accessible from Kovalam as from the city. Plus the city is known for occasional long traffic jams, and you don't want to get caught in that! Maybe you could plan a half day trip or something. If you are reaching Tvm one day before your Kerala tour starts [as I suspect you are from what I can make out from your messages], then you could stay at one of the hotels I mentioned previously [Mascot hotel run by KTDC or the Muthoot Plaza]. I'm not sure of Davina Lagoona, but since a fodorite has recommended it, you might take it as good!

Thanks, that's what I thought..We have the extra night or 2 at the end of the tour...and it would be before we leave for the Maldives..If we don't end up going to the Maldives at all, then we have about 5 days and then would consider Goa..No sure Goa is for me though...

Goa will not be significantly different from Kerala as far as the geography is concerned...or even when you look at the houses...it is just the cultures which differ....so the first question you need to ask yourself is...what are your expectations out of a trip to Goa. Its just that Goa was a tourist destination earlier than Kerala, and so may be more overrun bu tourists than Kerala. There are both advantages and disadvantages to that!

Thanks..I think we have decided to go to the Maldives instead of Goa..We will be so close and it is on my list of places I want to go, so it would be a shame to miss it... Just waiting to hear back from some hotels...It is very expensive, but I am looking for moderately priced over the water bungalows...There are a few...

Tracy, I would also check out the Maldive hotel prices through tour operators. I found they were cheaper with Kuoni than booking direct. You don't have to book the whole trip just the hotels.

Hi Tracy..I am wondering what mid-price over water bungalow you found in the Maldives. My wife and I decided to go to India this December and would like to hit the Maldives for a few days after India.

Let me know.

Kevin

http://www.fihalhohi.net/english/

Hi, so far this is the best deal I have found..You can't book directly, but if you email them, they will send you a list of tour operators that are selling their property..I am booking from a tour operator in Amsterdam (and I am from Canada) because we are going there in a few days. Anyhow, they have a nice website, check it out..They are saying $222.00 U.S. for a water bungalow including breakfast and supper!!