Kerala or Sri Lanka in June/July! or somewhere else?
 

My nephew is marrying an Indian woman in mid June at Jaipur. Since my wife and I are teachers, I'd figure we would spend a month there. Since we are in Jaipur and Delhi, we should do the Golden Triangle and try to find someplace with okay weather. We are wondering what would be better Sri Lanka or Kerala?

I visited India twice in the 1980s (4 months- Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Calcutta to Darjeeling, Nepal, Varanasi, Agra, Delhi) and 2 months(Mumbai, Ajanta/Ellora, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, & and Ladakh.) It would be nice to see somewhere new, is there somewhere else moderately pleasant? I'm in my 60s and have some knee issues, so I don't want a major trek, so just hanging at a hill station doesn't sound great, but any suggestions are welcome. My 18, 20, and 25 year old sons may accompany us. We live in Houston, so we know the heat and we've lived through the wet season in SW Cameroon, so we know the rain. We are campers and have travelled extensively in Cameroon, my wife's homeland.

My impression of northern India is crowded and aggressive (kind of like visiting Philly or Boston), while the south and Sri Lanka is more bucolic (greener/ quieter).. I am leaning to Sri Lanka, because I have read that the north and east, the two regions I haven't visited are nice during late June early July. Any suggestions?

Only My Opinion
 

I've ' done' most of India, including a lengthy stay in Kerala , but to answer your q , i would highly recommend Sri Lanka. A mini India: ( minus the Himalaya) beaches - heritage sites - two main cultures - easy travel, and traffic that actually stops at zebra crossings. Not sur of your interests , or time frame.
Regards T.T.

India is one of my favorites, but I have only spent 4 months there in total. As you already know, for when you'll be visiting, the weather is against you. So, Sri Lanka could be a good choice.

Or, I have been looking at tours in the Himalayas and your time frame seems good for visiting there. Look at these tours for some ideas. And, a place I really want to visit is Amritsar; perhaps you could start there and then head on up in to the Himalayas.

https://www.wildfrontierstravel.com/...tes-and-prices
https://www.exploreworldwide.com/hol...ival#itinerary
https://www.mountainkingdoms.com/hol...tour-of-ladakh

Thanks
 

Still haven't decided, but I am leaning to Sri Lanka. I want to see an interesting culture, but I think I'll get my full of heat and hassle in the Delhi, Jaipur, Agri triangle... Chill beaches and ruined cities with good weather sounds like a winning plan especially because it off tourist season. The monsoon cycle means the north and west should be nice. Thanks.... What guide books are good, my brother reports that Lonely Planet has become a travel brochure without real information.

first of all for the time you will be there it will be extremely hot. Unless you’re used to that kind of weather, just be aware of that. It will be scorching.

Friends of ours got back from India a few weeks ago and went to Kerala as well as their home. They really liked it and they got one of those houseboats that you can rent to go up and down the river. That looked pretty cool.

Sri Lanka has had a fair amount of problems with their infrastructure and economy, and it was teetering on collapse at one point though I think it’s much better now. You may want to look into that before you decide.

I agree with your brother, my favorite guides now a thing of the past. However. . . I’ve discovered that only the latest editions are useless due to the new owners’ changes. So the previous editions, published before the change in ownership, are the good ones. For instance, I looked over a copy of Mexico #18, a 2024 edition from the library & found it useless. But #17 was the old format & still perfectly useful. I was able to find a used copy online though new ones are still available.

Bradt, Rough Guides, and Moon Guidebooks. For some places, Fodors are pretty decent too. I agree about LP.

My choice would definitely be Sri Lanka. We spent a month there a few years back and despite numerous problems and frustrations, really enjoyed it. We used a combination of a driver/guide & car for part of the trip and DIY travel using public transport and taxis for the remainder. It is a few years ago now but here is a link to the trip report I posted at the time https://www.fodors.com/community/asi...-curry-880530/ .A return to the island is one of the options I am considering for next year.

There is such a variety of options in what is a very compact island; the hill country , fantastic beaches, ancient ruins, jungle and organise it in the right way and there is no need for any heavy trekking. Thought there are some classic sites like Adams Peak and Sirigiya that will require significant climbing though of course they are not obligatory. We didn't do it but if you are looking for luxury , then consider the "Tea Trails" staying in the tea planters bungalows in the hills which have now been converted to high end hotels. If you have a VPN take a look on BBC iPlayer for "Amazing Hotels - Life Beyond the Lobby" which goes into some detail on this places.

Re Jacketwatch's comment "Sri Lanka has had a fair amount of problems with their infrastructure and economy, and it was teetering on collapse at one point though I think it’s much better now" The country is thankfully now through the problems of a couple of years ago. I was with a Sri Lankan friend last week who still has family there and she was saying that things a re back to normal. She did mention that it was now very cheap there because of the effect of their economic and political woes on the fx rate. The rupee has fallen some 60% against most major currencies.

Re guidebooks. By their very nature , they are out of date as soon as they are published but many (myself included) tend to use them as a "comfort blanket" . I took one to Mexico for a month long trip this year, didn't refer to it once and left it there. It may be anathema to some but I am increasingly finding AI to be more and more useful in planning trips as long as you use it wisely and are aware of its limitations. If you want to play around with it both Expedia and Booking.com have AI capabilities.

An Indian friend of mine once told me that he would go to Sri Lanka anytime. This was before the troubles they had, but it’s good to hear that things are getting back to normal.

The late Anthony Bourdain had an episode, filmed in Sri Lanka and as usual it was more focused on people and culture rather than food and I must say it was excellent. If interested, I’m I’m sure you can find it somewhere. Maybe on YouTube or some other platform.