1 month india "japanese style" or chill in south india

lisbethaliasgita

i know i m very late .... that s why i went to bed at 3.30 am last night ! i suppose it s a bit my style (in the last minute society we live in), ie the french style !
I will book my flight tonight frankfurt delhi + internal flights and do some more reading,
Can't wait to be there !

Darmabum

A couple of addresses for you, in Varanasi:
for the Kundalini master - B3/131A Shivala (Shivala is a part of Varanasi south of Dasashawamedh Ghat, about ten minutes by rickshaw/20 walking from there). If he is not the one you're looking for, he can tell you where to go. He is amazing though.
And the second: Dr. Ram Wyas Singh - Ph.D. in yoga; President of the Uttar Pradesh Yoga Culture Association. A great source of info. His latest cell # is 09450011439/ e-mail - ramwyas@yahoo.co.in

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lisbethaliasgita

Thanks a lot Darmabum, I will definively contact Mr Vyas (his contact was also mentionned in the LP guide). I did a teacher training course in sivananda yoga - i m not teaching tough yet - and i m convinced that having a few lessons with a yoga master will be a rich experience. and if i really like it there, i can always come back to varanasi for a longer study time !

Darmabum

he got a friend of mine hooked-up with a great hatha yoga teacher.
But I think my friend's most profound experience in Varanasi happened with the Kundalini yoga master. My friend has practiced hatha yoga - Iyengar mostly - for about nine years and it was good for her to explore other approaches.
Enjoy Varanasi. It is my home away from home.

Scott

lisbethaliasgita

Merry christmas to you and your family and friends !

I finally booked my flight to Delhi arriving on the 11th of jan departing on the 12 of feb !

I started to look a bit more into my trip to India (I know it s already late...) and more I do look into it and speak to people, the more i get confused ...

Some people I know from relatives etc told me i should not travel alone in india as a single woman and an indian Ayurvedic doctor i know from my yoga month just wrote :

"It is always good to come to India with someone or with a group. because life is completely different in India ,
Not easy to travel by train . you have to book in advance every thing. you must have someone to take care of your luggage etc.
I think you must cuncider these facts before you come to India.
may be you come another time with a group in which every thing is organised in advance."

No, no I m not panicking

So, finally, after studying my lonely planet and rough guide, my 3 different possibilities are :

1. delhi -flght to katmandu (10 days) - flight to Varanasi (4 days) - Delhi - flight to Trivandrum or Cochin (15 days) for ayurveda / yoga chill in varkala and visit backwaters - delhi

2. delhi - goa (gokarna) - hampi - mysore - ooty - cochin - varkarla - allepey - peryar - trivandrum - return to delhi - delhi - varanasi - delhi

3. delhi - varanasi - delhi - cochin or trivandrum (3 weeks tour with Amma through south india - see my other threat in the yoga and spiritualy section - or Yoga in Ashram)

Thank you very much for your advice,
Merci, Merci,
Om shanti, shanti, shanti,

Lisbeth

machadinha

Well, yes, there will always be those who say that won't there. All I can say is many women do it, many regular contributors to this board too, and you'll find many reflections on the subject if you do a search. In the end it's probably a matter of character; I'm assuming if you weren't up for it you wouldn't have come up with it. But hey, we don't know you.

(Oh and you will be scared before landing, I was too and I will be a next time, and I assume most people here were/are Once there, it should be easy, if perhaps not all the time and not equally on all visitors. If you're really worried about it, that Amma tour might be an idea.* If you like it, you can always return to go it alone. But in and of itself I wouldn't worry too much about it. Are you used to solo travel elsewhere? Should give you some indication of how you'll cope.)

Same thing I guess. Sounds well-meant but a little protective perhaps. As far as transport goes, I understand trains do get booked up easily these days. You'll be travelling out of season I think which might help. Other than that, you could fix your travel dates and book ahead, either via the web or (try to) upon landing (if it's not too late by then, you may be able to work something out taking alternative routes however -- or you may not be I guess). Not my preferred way of going. Buses make for a good alternative (not long-distance obviously but I think you're flying most of that anyway, if all else fails you you will survive a lengthy ride though, but going cross-continent would be ill-advised ), I'm not clear on whether these likewise easily get booked up these days. It used to be you just walk up to the bus station or enquire with one of any number of travel agents, preferably as soon as you can of course in a given town, and off you go. Perhaps train travel in the south will be a little easier, I don't know. As for looking after your luggage, you can carry your own pack right

Your itineraries all seem fine to me from a quick glance. I think #2 would be my way to go, but that's just me. Independent, bit of variation, manageable area, etc. Probably too many destinations (less than 3 days per place) but you could skip as you go. #1 Could be nice since I think you really want to see Nepal. Are there no direct or connecting flights from Varanasi down south? Just asking, I don't know. Would save all that backtracking via Delhi where you planned to.

Cheers.

*Can you provide a link to this, or a description? First time I heard of it, should be interesting to others as well. It's related to the ashram I assume? Is it like a "spiritual tour" or how does that work?

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lisbethaliasgita

Thanks for your help and advice !

I really need to take a decision tomorrow between plan 1 and plan 3 !

Plan 3 is really tempting as you follow amma and discover a part of real spiritual india (participate to pujas, ceremonies, kirtans, meditation), meet and live with amma and her devotees, helping people without your self interest and forget your ego... I ve just watched the movie Darshan again, which is really great.

Have any of you participated to such a tour ?

Below some infos about the tour with Amma.
Amma's coming tours dates:


Short tour (5 to 10 January):

Jan. 6 (Thur) Calicut Public Program

Jan. 8-9 (Sun – Mon) Kodungallor Brahmasthanam Festival


South India Tour (20 January to 11 February):

Jan. 20 (Sat) Leaving Amritapuri

Jan. 21-23 (Sun – Tue) Coimbatore Brahmasthanam Festival

Jan. 25 (Thur) Trichy Public Program

Jan. 27 (Sat) Chennai Public Program

Jan. 29-30 (Mon – Tue) Chennai Brahmasthanam Festival

Feb. 1 (Thur) Nagapattinam Public Program

Feb. 3 (Sat) Madurai Public Program

Feb. 5 (Mon) Madurai Brahmasthanam Festival

Feb. 6 (Tues) Rameshwaram Public Program

Feb. 8 (Thur) Kanyakumari Public Program

Feb. 10 (Sat) Trivandrum Public Program

Feb. 11 (Sun) Return to Amritapuri

Indian Tours with Amma - 2007

General Information about Indian Tours with Amma for international devotees

1- When Amma is in India She often tours the country to hold public programs and Brahmasthanam Festivals. Whether it is a 4-day program in Kerala or an 8-week tour to North India, all international devotees and international visitors are welcome to be part of the ashram tour group.

2- The only condition is that you must register by email two weeks before the tour, be at the ashram one week before departure, and abide by the tour rules.

3- When you register by email, please provide your full name as per passport, nationality, gender and age. Send email to: tourswithamma@yahoo.com

4- The tour fees include food, accommodation and transportation by ashram buses. There is an option for traveling on ‘more comfortable buses’ for a higher fee.

5- The coming tours for 2007 are as follows:
a- In December, most likely, Amma will be spending the whole month in Amritapuri including Christmas and New Year.
b- In January, a mini-tour is planned from the 5th to the 10th. It includes a one-day public program in Calicut on the 6th, and a brahmasthanam festival in Kodungallur on the 8th and 9th.
c- The 3-week South India Tour will follow from 20th January till 11th February. It includes stops in Coimbatore, Trichy, Chennai, Nagapattinam, Madurai, Rameswaram, Kanyakumari and Trivandrum.
d- As per the North Indian Tour usually taking place in February and March, it is likely to start a bit later than usual this year and be a bit shorter, including more one-day programs. But nothing has been decided yet. Dates will probably be finalized only around 15th January.

7- People are expected to register and commit for a whole tour. Doing parts of a tour is possible only with a special permission and only if one has to leave the country because of visa problems or work commitment.

8- As per last year's prices, the fees for the South India Tour should be around $200, and for the North India Tour around $900. Payments can be made by cash or travelers checks upon reaching the ashram.

9- Things that one might consider bringing for the tours:
Thin easily inflatable sleeping mat, shawl for cold nights, dust masks for road traveling, eye mask, ear plugs, inflatable neck pillow, medicines, anti-bacterial topical cream (for cuts), Emergen-C and other vitamins, anti-bacterial wet-ones or gel, flash light, alarm clock, small packs of Kleenex, protein bars and map of India. Much more detailed information about what to bring and how to prepare is available once you arrive at Amritapuri. Other useful items that are not listed here can be purchased at the ashram.

whatiyam

i havent been to hampi but looks like it is a favorite on this site. i have been to Kathmandu several times, but not on trek in country side. it is fabulous place, especially if you are Buddhist like myself with Sawyambu and Boudhanath. and the mountainous countryside and views. i have been to Varanasi to go Sarnath, the site the Buddha first taught.

comparing the two areas you are looking at, north india and nepal and south india, are like comparing apples and oranges. just go with your feelings, and make adjustments as you go along.

machadinha

Yes, so thanks for having us think along about plan 2 What was that about self-interest and the ego?

Making up your mind is something you'll have to do alone I'm afraid. Considering your interests that Amma tour might really be something for you, and yes, if that's your kind of thing then being close to others with similar interests sounds nice right. But again, who are we to say. What are all these "public program" dates anyway?

If you opt for the Amma tour I think you'll regret doing that short Varanasi sidestep just after landing btw. Maybe see if you can fit it in at the end. Varanasi is great but Delhi & Varanasi won't be your best introduction to India I think. It will just be hard for you to appreciate either place. In any case, Varanasi is worth more than a hurried visit. You seem to think you'll be visiting a different region this way, but in fact you'll just be dealing with 1 hectic city that will be hard to cope with especially at first. But again, what do we know, maybe you'll love it.

I'm adding the apparent Amma website for other possibly interested parties: http://www.amma.org/ , although there seem to be a number of different sites, unsurprisingly perhaps (such as http://www.amritapuri.org/ ). Found nothing there on any North India tours in a hurry, but maybe if you browse around. $200 For that southern trip sounds most reasonable to me, if they mean the extended one.

Not that much leeway in a month and given the OP's many interests however I think.

Anyway, best of luck with it. Hey the good news is you'll have decided by tomorrrow evening Then all you'll need is to start packing

lisbethaliasgita

Namaste !

"I want it all : ayurveda, yoga, trekking, classes, relaxation, chilling, spirituality, good veg food, authentic places, pujas, temples... !"
So,after some reading, I have come with following programm, which might be a bit tight. 24 th of januar to 9 of feb are open and instead of travelling from goa to kerala, i could also stay in kerala only...

For some of you interested... http://bheeshma.free.fr propose course in dance, kerala "martial art", cuisine etc. i contacted them and don't have a response as yet but from their website, they seem really pros promoting "sustainable" and not "mass tourism" (it is in french though).

So,

11 / 01 Flight Delhi – Katmandu
12 / 01 Flight to Lukla – Phakding
13 / 01 Trek to Namche Bazaar
14 / 01 Acclimatisation at Namche Bazaar
15 / 01 Trek to Tengboche
16 / 01 Trek to Monzo
17 / 01 Trek Lukla
18 / 01 Flight Lukla – Kathmandu
19 / 01 Kathmandu
20 / 01 Kathmandu – Varanasi
21 / 01 Varanasi – Sarnath
22 / 01 Varanasi
23 / 01 Varanasi – Delhi
24 / 01 Delhi – Goa
25 / 01 Goa – Harambol
26 / 01 Goa – Hampi
27 / 01 Hampi
28 / 01 Hampi – Chimagalur (Adoor Gajamela, January 28, 2007, Parthasarathy temple, Adoor)
29 / 01 Belur – Mysore
30 / 01 Mysore - Ooty
31 / 01 train to Mettupalyam
01 / 02 drive to periar wildlife
02 / 02 periar wildlife
03 / 02 kumarakom boatcruise
04 / 02
05 / 02 Varkala beach / Ayurveda and Yoga
06 / 02 Varkala beach / Ayurveda and Yoga
07 / 02 Varkala beach / Ayurveda and Yoga
08 / 02 Varkala beach / Ayurveda and Yoga
09 / 02 Varkala beach / Ayurveda and Yoga
10 / 02 Amma Public Programm in Trivandrum
11 / 02 Flight to Delhi
12 / 02 Flight to Frankfurt

A bientôt !

Lisbeth

daresendez

Go with plan #2

If you get restless you can always move on, just make sure to have a few alternate choices that you know you can make on the whim (you might want to start another thread on that issue, or just ask for advise on last minute whims in this one). Enjoy!

lisbethaliasgita

Hello !

How long would you stay in Varanasi ?
2 or 3 full days knowing my schedule is

19 / 01 Kathmandu – Varansi
20 / 01 Varanasi
21 / 01 Varanasi – Sarnath
22 / 01 Varanasi
22/ 01 or 23 / 01 Varanasi – Delhi
23 or 24 / 01 Delhi – south india
24 or 25 / 01 to 11 / 01 - south india

For info, there are very cheap flights from varanasi to delhi (around 600Rs) and only 1 hour flight. Can give you some more infos is you wish,

Thanks !

Lisbeth

machadinha

In and of itself, the longer the better I'd say. However your final itinerary gives me a headache just looking at it so I really don't know what to say anymore. I hope you're a lover of transport as you'll see a lot of it.

tacita

lisbeth, just remember that a one-hour flight could mean about 7 hours of travel time. there's the trip to the airport, the security and boarding, possible delays, working through crowds, flight time, travel from destination airport to destination lodging (not to mention finding lodging if you haven't yet booked). just looking at a map, it's seductive..., i.e., "i'll just hop over there by plane" when, in reality, it can be quite demanding to be in transit as much as your itinerary calls for, especially inasmuch as it appears you'll be visiting for the first time (as i will be, in february). your itinerary looks pretty packed! with so many destinations, and so much time in airports and on planes, it's a wonder you'll have time to see anything, get a flavor for the "mood" of a place, it's tempo, people, the nuances of the culture...

as i've said, i've not been to india, so i humbly concede i can't speak from experience. however, the guidebooks are pretty consistent in their admonition not to try to cover too much in too short a time. for example, LP suggests a full two months even for just just a "northern highlights" OR a "southern highlights" tour, and three-to-five months for "the best of india." and with your nepal leg of the trip, you're tossing in a whole extra country!

obviously, only you can decide how you wish to travel and how deeply you wish to immerse yourself in the experience and culture. but if one of your goals is spiritual, a frenetic, whirlwind pace may prove antithetical.

however you decide to arrange your itinerary, though, i wish you the wonderful, safe trip of your dreams.

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lisbethaliasgita

maybe i should really listen to you all...