India /Kerala trip suggestions please
 

Hi I will be travelling to India in November with my husband. After 6 days in Delhi this is our planned itinerary for Kerala :
Cochin Brunton Boatyard 2 nights
Spice Cruise house boat 1 night
Coconut Lagoon 1 night
Bangaram Island Laccadives 4 nights
Casino Hotel Cochin 1 night
Bombay 1 night - any ideas for a nice hotel? Suggestions welcome.
As you may have spotted most of this is with the Earth Group Hotels. Do you think it's crazy not to go to Periyar? Would it be too tight to fit in the Nature Reserve if I added an extra day? It seems too far from the other places but distances in India can be misleading.
Thanks a lot for any suggestions.

I would recommend Periyer not so much for the Nature Reserve- nothing especial,but for the great spice estates, everything from tea/coffee to cinnamon, Cardamom, to pepper. We really enjoyed numerous tours of the spice estates and just walking though the beautiful, quaint town.

looks like a lot of moving around to me....how will you enjoy any one place with so much moving around??

I thought all these places were pretty close to each other ie under 3 hours travel......also presumably we can leave most of our stuff in the Cochin hotel as we move around. People on this board suggested one day on the cruise ship was more than enough which is why we decided on one night at Coconut Lagoon. Unfortunately time as always is limited and there's so much to do and see!

sorry house boat not cruise ship!

Hello an namaste. Ur trip to Kerala and Lakshadweep Island looks very interesting and although I generally live, am based in Delhi, Kerala is definately one of my favorite Indian States for travel and exploration. And by the way, u metnion 6 days in Delhi. May i ask what will be keeping u in Delhi for that time, or will u be doing a Northern loop or Golden traingle of India?..Anyways, Kerala, so much to see, and yes, for the most part the place su plan to visit in kerala are close to echother, but it is a journey of course to get to Bangaram Island, in the Lakswadeep islands...By all means, Cochi is a wonderful port city and everytrip to kerala should include at least one night on a backwater cruise via Allepy/Quillon, etc. And yes, love Coconut Lagoon, very beautiuful but wld probably go for two nights, as 1 night here, 1 night there does get a little jumpy...I do see your have four nights in the lakhswadeep islands, at teh Bangaram island resort, and that about sounds right if u are going for pure relaxation and nature, plus it is quite the journey to get there, I beleive u must fly and than take a boat/hotel ferry. There are, of course, many more places to actually visit in kerala, but it so depends on your intersts. There is the Tea plantations of Munnar, and yes, Periyar is a lovely area too, and there are the cliff top beaches at Varkala too..Also, i see u are thinking of the Brunton Boatyard, very good property, and on the tail end, the Casino, a modern property. About Bombay hotel choices, i am partial to the Old wing at the Taj Intercontinental in colaba, but u might also consider the ultra Lux Oberoi, The Hilon Towers, The Intercontinental or the Marine Drive, all on Marine Drive..Feel free to drop me a line/ happy to help [email protected]

I would not add Periyar but further I would not do Coconut Lagoon for a night. It is 3-4 hiurs driving from Cochin so 1 night will not do justice IMO. Ditch the 3rd night in Cochin would be my advice. In Bombay you have a choice of staying in the suburbs or town - what time does your flight get in and what time is your departure?

Hi, better late than never - have been on holiday! I thought I would reply to Bonita and those of you who kindly added to this post. We will be in Delhi for 6 days taking part in the World Cup of the game of carrom which some of you may know is a very traditional Indian indoor game similar to billiards. Because of this game we have been to india many times though never to Kerala.
Hobbes -Our one night at Coconut lagoon won't involve a lot of driving as our kettuvallam will drop us off at the resort. Unfortunately the last night in Cochin is because we can't get a flight in the evening.....
Thanks for advice on Mumbai hotels - I think we will opt for Marine Drive. Thanks for all the suggestions!

I am a fan of Periyar, but you would need to drive up one day, (best from C-C-Lagoon), an afternoon boat ride and maybe a spice village visit, then a morning boat ride and drive to Cochin. Hotel Orchid, near Mumbai airport is fantastic.

But how far is Mumbai airport to the centre? If the traffic is anything like in Delhi...... I wouldn't want to spend the short time I have in a taxi!

Mumbai airport into town is an hour plus in traffic, a bit less otherwise. The Orchid is a 5 star hotel just 20 minutes from the airport, and they provide transport.
Unless you go out to Elephanta Island and want a close look at Victorian Colonial architecture, the ride through the traffic is wearisome.

Hi there CArrom!
The Hotel Marine Drive is a lovely boutique hotel on Marine Drive where most rooms have gorgeous views out to the SEa! It is a great choice and will put you in a good postion to explore downtown Bombay! Also, nice rooftop pool, and great bar too!

In terms of traffic from the airport to downtown, yes, there is certainly traffic in Bombay, getting worse all the time.. Travel from the airport to the city which is really only about 30 km. can take anything from 45 minutes to 90 minutes, so much depending on time of travel..

But, i do think it is worth to try to get to the thick of the city if u are up for it. It is a exciting, vibrant and dynamic city, and certainly worthy of some exploration.

HAPPY travels NAMASTE..

Hi Bonita, thanks we have decided to take your advice and book Marine Drive in Bombay since it's our last day we don't want to waste time. If you are going to be in Delhi you could pop in and watch some of the carrom world cup games going on 16-22 november (see my earlier reply to you - why we are in delhi for six days). Should be fun and different!

Thanx for the invite 'Carrom', but i will be on the NORTH india roads leading a tour thru Rajasthan during those dates! HOWEVER, if my schedule changes, perhaps our paths will cross. Good luck to u, tAKE care and namaste.

Hi, I have read all these posts and suggestions with interest. I am coming to Mumbai and Kerala next month. I want to go out to the caves but have some questions. Are Ajanta and Ellora caves really worth taking 2-3 days to go see? I only have about 8 days between Mumbai and Kerala. Are the caves worth taking 2-3 of these days? How do the Elephanta Caves, much nearer Mumbai, compare with the Ajanta/Ellora caves?

We're really torn, because I'd love to see those caves but I'm debating whether it is worth it. Our Mumbai hotel reservations are at the Ascot, and the flight leaves at 7 am. How long will it take us to get to the airport from there?

Also, are there no evening flights from Mumbai to Cochi??? All I can find are morning or early afternoon flights.

There is no comparison between the Elephanta caves and Ajanta and Ellora - A&J win hands down. Whether A&J are worth visiting depends on your interests. I preferred Ellora (sculpture) to Ajanta (frescoes). Not sure why it would take 3 days, especially if you're flying, day 1, fly in and see Ajanta, day 2, see Ellora and fly out - or vice versa. There are also night trains, although I don't think they would help this itinerary.

Ajinta and Ellora are well worth the trip - they were one of the highlights of our trip. We had our 4 week trip planned and ended up changing the last 4 days to fit in a stop in Aurangabad to see the caves (you need 2 days). There are also interesting caves near Nasik (we visited enroute to Mumbai). Also we had a wonderful driver from Kerala for our South India travels arranged by a family owned travel busiess in Cochin- I can provide more info if anyone is interested. Periyar and the spice planations are interesting. We also enjoyed the relaxing houseboat experience.