julies

We’re looking for suggestions for a trip of 4 to 6 weeks in the southern half of India. Probably our trip will be right after the holiday season until the end of February. We’re in our 60s, well-traveled, independent, like history and cultural events, mid-range budget, adventuresome, interested in the unique, outdoorsy, enjoy nature, active people who enjoy things like hiking and kayaking. We don’t need or want the luxury experience, and we’re not interested in a trip to primarily go to the beach. We’re not shoppers.

This will be our second trip to India. In Feb./March of 2011 we spent 6 weeks in the north—primarily rural Rajasthan, Varanasi, Uttarkarhand areas. On our trip we didn’t do the usual tourist routine and instead did a variety of things and activities and visited places that met our needs. We really found the most enjoyable things in India to be visiting more minor sites, observing and participating in everyday life, doing some lowkey things, and interacting with native Indians (and not a bunch of fellow tourists) rather than the biggies and the places that all tour groups visit.

We really liked the small rural, off-the-beaten-path places we stayed like Fort Dhamli and Castle Bera (where we did leopard safaris) and Fort Bhadrajun. Varanasi was fascinating and so was another holy city on the Ganges, Haridwar . We really enjoyed our time in Jaisalmer and Orchha because they were unique areas that were also absolutely fascinating to just walk around and observe. The only two large cities we spent any time in were Jodphur and Udaipur; both were fine but weren’t the highlights of our trip. Ranikihet was so different from the rest of India and gave us a feel for the atmosphere of a true hill station.

We spent a couple days at three different rural resorts--two where we hiked and one where my husband went fly fishing for masheer; these were all unique experiences we’d do again. After having visited Corbett and Rajiji parks, we have mixed feelings and impressions about India’s national parks.

As for what we wouldn’t do again because it wasn’t us. Khajuraho was not a place that did anything for us, so I’d avoid places like this that are a lot of travel for a couple hours of sights on future travels. The luxury experience at Udai Bilas was also nothing we’d repeat.

So, do any of you have any great recommendations for places we’d really like in southern India? And, I should also add in here that I am also very tempted by northeastern India, but that seems as though it would probably have to be a different trip. But, maybe not; maybe we could do both areas.
Thanks much!

Kathie

I haven't been to south India yet, so I don't have specific suggestions, but have you seen Elizabeth's thread on their upcoming trip to South India?
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...erary-long.cfm

thursdaysd

I spent six weeks in south India a couple of years back - click on my name for my TR. You might like the place I stayed in Coorg, and possibly the place near Kannur which I visited for Theyyam rather than the beach.

Zambezi

Here is a unique destination that you might visit for a few days to see how Christian monasticism has been translated into an Indian setting. The place is called Shantivanam and it is the venerable Bede Griffith’s Benedictine ashram 38 km west of Trichy at Kolithalai. See www.bedegriffiths.com for details. Although I have not been there, friends of mine have. Father Bede has died subsequent to their visit, but his followers have carried on their mission of serving the poor and displaced in the community.

Unrelated directly to your question, but of great value, I believe, in understanding the social and economic situation of contemporary India is a 2012 book, set mostly in south India, by Akasi Kapur entitled, "India Becoming, A Portrait of Life in Modern India." Mr. Kapur is an Indian who graduated from Harvard, was a Rhodes Scholar, became a writer, and returned home to South India. ZZ

Zambezi

Addendum: You can get more information by putting "Shantivanam" and related words into a search engine such as Google. ZZ

julies

I appreciate the advice.

I've started to follow up on some of the things/places referred to in Elizabeth's thread.

Zambezi--I have started to read with interest the info about Shantivanam.

Thursdaysd (is it Karen maybe?)--I think I am going to need to take a couple hours reading through all of the info in your extended trip report from several years ago. I tried just scanning to find mention the Coorg and Kannur locales, but so much of the report looked fascinating I think I will just read all of it anyway. I just saw the part where you were commenting on the heat and humidity in southern India in early Dec. Now I am worried because we are shut up in our house with the AC on as Minneapolis endures another day of absolutely disgusting heat and tropical humidity. It is not for us!

Does anyone know when doing a search here of old threads how to find that search word within the thread without having to carefully read the entire thread?

thursdaysd

You should be able to just do Ctrl-F on a PC, not sure what the Apple equivalent is. (BTW, it's Kathy.) I'm sorry, but heat and humidity are what you expect in India, aside from the hills (that's why there were hill stations).

If you want just my text, with photos rather than chit-chat (although I did enjoy the chit-chat) start here:
http://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com/...20/into-india/