Lyndie - that is a good place to stay. I don't know the hotel, but I usually do love to walk by Marine Drive...If you need a car+driver, I may be able to help out..But in India you just need to bargain

Cicerone- You have some interesting points. However I would advice everyone to be alert, just like you would do in any other place.

I had the opportunity to read the messages on the board .Travel agents are also becoming a necessary evil at the same time if you can be little bit more efficient you can avoid them and use facilities at better cost and enjoy the trip .For example most of the hotel owners need only a confirmation for booking and they need not insist a payment if you pass them your phone numbers and address most of them are happy to do that .You need only take a taxi or train between the places .There are people to that for you if you pay a little extra for the effort they are taking .Lot of small places in India coming with owned and managed ny people from good families in India . there si some process going on for linking up these people.

Regards
appu
Kinldy vist the sites for giving a try

www.harithafarms.com
www.costamalabari.com

For the most comprehensive do-it-yourself website, go to
www.indiamike.com.

This (Fodors) website is excellent for the high-end traveller, and she can certainly afford travel agents, the LP website is dominated by the backpacking folks (very interesting reading), while indiamike is more for the mid-range tourists.

Very helpful tips and advice from everyone which I have been reading most avidly.

I worked really hard and corresponded with a number of Indian tourist agents for accommodation at the Imperial in Delhi for 3 nights including New Year's Eve. Needless to say, as is evidenced by others who have tried, the prices were exhorbitant. The best deal we got, eventually, was through a business contact in Delhi who managed to get us a discounted corporate rate for an Imperial Room which will be upgraded to a Heritage room at the same rate. The rate also includes breakfast and transfers. Our contact connected us with the hotel reservations manager who confirmed the reservations once we had secured it with a credit card which will only be charged at the time of our visit. So my advice to Mackenzie is that if you have business contacts to work through, try and use them to help you. As the old saying goes, "It's not what you know but who you know!" It is fairly late in the day, but cancellations happen close to the time of travel, so you might luck out. Persevere and pursue! Finalizing India was more demanding than any other travel planning I have done.

The reasons why India is getting expensive by the day are both intrinsic & extrinsic. These are:
a. Shortage of good accommodation.
b. A short duration tourist season. Normally the season is restricted to a few months beginning in October & ending by March. During this time the rates are full simply because of influx of numbers. These same properties have highly discounted prices till 30th September.
c. In metropolis like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore etc. a lot of corporate commerce is taking place, shooting up the tariff structures, of the best names in business like the Taj, Oberois etc. However, this has nothing to do with a sight-seeing tourist.
d. Of the extrinsic reasons, I feel it is the general perception of an American tourist as, high spending & for being comfortable with only the best in luxury. It is like always talking of Holland & Hollands, Purdeys or Thomas Bosses, while a competent shot gunner will take home a heavier bag with his Webley side lock!
e. For obvious reasons, a tour operator will always want to sell the Vanya, Amar or Udai Vilases. While you still have perfectly enjoyable properties & at fraction of the costs!!

Hi Mackenize10
I'm probably late with my informations, but I try anyway. I'm planning a trip to Kerala- India- for next January-February 2006. I did a great reserch on the web as I'm a wedding planner seeking for tips to suggest to my bridal couples and at the end I got the best and more efficient and most competitive prices with Indian Holidays ([email protected] ref mr Abhiji ). We booked everything with them and of course we will have escorted private tours for the 12 days. As this will be my first visit in India I choosed the best 4 & 5 stars hotels and tours with this company, but I got in contact also with some private hotel-owners (raintree lodge in cochin - mr Edgar, but I don't rememeber the email adress) that can be helpfull in arranging everything there. Life in India seems to be defenitely less expensive than in Europe, but the first agents that I contacted gave me prices at "european style". I do not like to be robbered, as probably most of us won't. It's common for them to have two prices, one for resident and one for tourists. Very strange, but really common.
I hope my tips will help you.
Have great time in India

I've been to India three times now, and yes it can be expensive, especially if you choose to travel like a Westerner. Prices are set at what the Western market will pay. There are many palms to be crossed with currency, and they all know you are fabulously rich or you wouldn't be there. If you want to travel India on the cheap, simply travel as the Indians travel. I'm not saying you'll be any where near as comfortable, but it is a whole lot cheaper. I've stayed in palaces for under $100, and I've spent $2 on a room in a small village. I traveled India two years ago on third class trains. You can't get any cheaper than that inside the train. You'd have to sit on the roof to get there cheaper. Just travel with a lot of patience, try to ignore all the persistent touts, and above all, be careful of what you eat and drink. And yes, you can still do India on the cheap.