23 days, mostly in the south, by plane and train and ??

Hello all!

My bf and I have 23 days in India this June (no way to come in the cooler season without waiting years). I am hoping to tap into the collective wisdom here and get some suggestions. Here's what we're thinking so far:

Arrive Mumbai early morning June 7th. Stay somewhere nice-ish to deal with culture shock and jetlag. Already saw great suggestions on the hotel section here.

June 9th, leave via plane or express train (if we can get reservations) to Goa.

In Goa, check out some extremes of busy/calm. We're thinking Calangute & Baga, then Palolem (will Palolem have enough tourist infrastructure during what might be the beginning of monsoon?) Other ideas for Goa during monsoon or pre-monsoon?

June 12th, take train to Hospet/Hampi.

June 15, train to Kerala: Alleppey, then Kollam.

June 20, train to Coimbatore (mostly to catch a flight).

June 20/21, fly to Chennai. See Chennai and vicinity (Mamallapuram and Pondicherry) via hired car?

June 24, fly to Delhi (Air Deccan seems to be cheapest? Thanks, Rav, for that suggestion.)

See Delhi and Agra (whirlwind tour -- would especially welcome suggestions here).

June 28th, fly from Delhi to Kolkata.

June 30th, onwards to Bangkok and elsewhere...

Any advice for us? Too ambitious? Not ambitious enough? Cities/regions we should consider instead? Thanks!

Surprised the weather choir doesn't sound out

All I can say is the itinerary looks reasonable enough to me; if you can pinch off some days here or there and add them to your Kolkata stay I'd advise you to, it's a fascinating city and massive so takes some time to explore. (Probably godawful hot and/or flooded that time of year too.)

Thanks

Re weather: I gather we are going to be (variously) horribly hot, sticky, drenched by monsoon, and will have our travel plans delayed by rain/flooding. I'm still hoping against hope that India in June will be better than no-chance-of-India-for-years. But maybe I'll post from a hill station in a few weeks, hanging my head in shame.

I'd tend to agree but I can't say I've experienced it so... I've survived hot + sticky places though.

Well the good news is it's very easy to change your plans around or zip across the country at no major extra expense so yes that's the spirit and never drop your head please

re: Hotels they're very easy to find as you go so I wouldn't really worry about it.

I was thinking from Chennai to M'puram and Pondy is not difficult to arrange by public transport but given your limited time there a car is not a bad idea. Also, for Tamil Nadu you might want to consider visiting some towns from Kerala or something, I really liked Chennai but I had time and it's not a very highlight kind of place, same for Mahabalipuram.

For Kolkata I'd pinch off some time from your Delhi/Agra bit, although Delhi also has a lot of hidden charms which take some time to discover.

Well before I run into a fight with both the Chennai and the Delhi gang here I'll leave you to your own devices. Have a nice 1

What is the reason to go to Coimbatore?Just to take a flight from Coimbatore to Chennai?...If so....here is the suggestion:
You can take an overnight train from Aleppey or you can take a train from Trivandrum or Cochin.You can also take a flight from Trivandrum or cochin to Chennai.

Sugegst you to stay one day in Chennai and then move on to M'balipuram where you can stay in the beach lodges/hotels as Pondicherry is only one hour drive !!

One more suggestion..Yes Air Deccan might be cheaper but flights get cancelled too due to many reasons so be prepared for such cancellation also.

Makes much more sense. Thanks!

Thanks citybell and machadinha We're first-time visitors and this advice means the world to us!

Yr welcome Lizardqueen. btw You managed to squeeze in a sizable and interesting portion of the country into your three weeks and what looks like quite doable so excellent work!

Yes, I had the same thought about the train to Coimbatore. But it is Allepey to Trivandrum or Cochin is hardly overnight: it is just a few hours.

Cochin is the more interesting place for tourist sites, but the airport is quite far out of town. An overnight stay there would be good; the hotel would arrange a half-day tour for you.

Trivandrum, you could visit Kovalam, which is very touristy beach but fun for a visit. Airport is nearby