3 weeks in Goa & Kerala - help needed!

dave_is_away

Hi,

My flights are booked at last, my girlfriend and I are going to India for 4 months! 2 or 2 and a half months of the trip will be spent volunteering in Kotagiri (near Ooty in the Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu), and I want to be there around the 1st of June (this is a little flexible).

For the travelling around part of the trip, the budget will be US$20/25 a day, we are in are late 20s and would like a mix of culture, partying, beaches, sightseeing and meeting locals. This is our first time to India, but we have both travelled extensively before (South America, North America, Australia & Europe).

I arrive in Mumbai on the 15th of May. I need some help with the first part of my itinerary (until the 1st of June). I have been reading all the posts here and have been thumbing through the South India LP.

May 15th - arrive in Mumbai.
May 18th - take overnight train to Goa.
May 19th - arrive in Goa go to Palolem.
May 23rd - leave Palolem, take overnight train to Kerala/Karnataka.

8/9/10 days in Kerala - what are the highlights? I want to go to Kochi and do a backwater trip for 1 or 2 days (at least). What else would you recommend? I will be travelling around Tamil Nadu (and whatever I have missed in Karnataka) after I finish volunteering, so I would prefer to focus on Kerala (and a little of Karnataka) for these 8/9/10 days. I wouldn't mind a stop in Karnataka to break up the journey from Goa to Kerala.

June 1st/2nd/3rd - Leave Kochi, go to Ooty, then Kotagiri (Tamil Nadu).


All help and advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave


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I'd rather a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy

Wandering Around South America

dhans

As you don't have a lot of time: if you need help in Kerala contact jenny. She has a lovely guesthouse and runs a small travel company. Highly recommended.

Hans

Email: fourens@eth.net

Website: www.musiclink.co.uk/jenny

Indiamike: http://www.indiamike.com/reviews/sho.../cat/21/page/1

Tel 0484 2394989 or 0484 2436280
Mobile 94473 77788 or 94473 70707

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Tips for trips to India with (young) children: India with kids
Stories about our travels in India: Journal

seventies'hippy

dhans this link isn't working > Indiamike: http://www.indiamike.com/reviews/sho.../cat/21/page/1

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john.sw

The page on India Mike for Jenny's house is:

http://www.indiamike.com/reviews/sho.../cat/21/page/1

Her web site is www.cochinkerala.com

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www.nilgiris.asia your guide to the Nilgiris, Ooty, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Gudalur

haritha

May will be the time most places are with less travellers. There are lot accomodation in and around fort cochin available at that time . Having a decent guide book is the best solution. Every hotel will provide taxi services with good drivers to different places. If you can directly book the places you will get the feel of a place as well as money also will go to the local economy. If all travellers are going to use the services of tour operators from the cities and taxis waiting for them in different centres will in the end create regional imablances too. So give an opportunity to the people in the field, in different places to serve travellers.

Happy travels in Kerala --- This is a safe place .Travellers will be helped ... People can speak atleast some word in english as well as some point there will be help coming.You will be never stranded. Do not pre plan too much. You can plan according to pre monsoon showers or in case an early arrival of monsoon -- plan accordiongly.