advice requested for South India

Krishnika

I'm planning a 3 week trip in South India in mid-Jan. and would like some feedback on how realistic the itinerary is, as well as comments on destinations, suggestions for any festivals going on, alternatives, etc.
I'm interested mainly in architecture, landscape, and places where normal life goes on without paying too much attention to tourists. I'd like to see as much as I can while minimizing transportation hassles and hotel changing. Maybe I'm planning to do too much? Any ideas about what might be cut out would be appreciated. Is bus travel a good way to see the hills or is it too crowded to be able to enjoy much? Are there any parts of the trip that would be worth hiring a taxi? Can you hire taxis only oneway?

day 1 train Margao- Hospet
day 2
day 3
day 4 train to Guntakal Jn. arr 18:40, to catch express from Bombay to Chennai which leaves at 19:00. (Is it just too ridiculous to expect this to work?)
day 5 arr Chennai 05:35, straight to Mamallapurum
day 6
day 7 taxi to Chengalpattu, train to Kumbakonam leaves 09:30 arr 16:20 (I'm skipping Gingee - is this a mistake? It just seems complicated for transport)
day 8 day trip to Gangaikondacholapurum
day 9 day trip Darasuram
day 10 early bus to Thanjavur visit temple, museum late bus to Trichy (should I leave more time in Thanjavur?)
day 11
day 12 train to Madurai leaves 13:05 arr 16:00
day 13
day 14 bus to Munnar
day 15
day 16 bus to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
day 17
day 18 bus to Kottayam, hire houseboat for 24 hours (can I get one here? Would they take me to visit villages and drop me in Cochin?)
day 19 get dropped off somewhere, hopefully Ernakulam. train to Margao leaves 19:55
day 20 arr Margao 10:25

I don't actually have to be back in Goa before day 22, so there's time for a few problems which I'm sure will pop up. What I'm mostly worried about is the night train to Chennai. If for some reason I miss that, I have no idea what would be plan B. Is there a better way to go from Hospet to Chennai? Or is there another way to get to Guntakal Jn. so I have more breathing room? I understand trains have to be booked very much in advance - all the ones I'm thinking of taking are express - but that doesn't leave any flexibility for sudden inspirations. How much advance is really necessary for the return train to Goa for example?
I read in the Lonely Planet that there are very good backwater tours that take you to see villages at work making boats, coir, etc. Has anyone done this? Is it only for official tours or will a hired houseboat be able to do the same thing? I've done the trip from Quilon to Alleppey to Kottayam, which I loved, and I would like this trip to be a bit different - the overnight part sounds great.

Thanks a lot in advance if anyone feels like responding.

Jorge Reverter

Hi Krishnika,

Is really a very loong and hectic journey. You should take it easier. You are supossed to travel by train/bus in India through Goa - Karnataka - Tamil Nadu
Kerala and Goa again.

Is a fantastic trip, but probably to enjoy the places you need at least ten/twelve days more.

Only in Tamil Nadu you have plenty, but really plenty temple towns beside your way.

Try to visit only Tamil Nadu and Kerala and leave Hampi for your next trip. Karnataka deserve a full trip as you have there a lot of places to see.
Personnally I'll be going end Nov to Karnataka and Goa (18 days).

Another idea is to travel by plane and car and driver. So, you can fly from Goa to Chennai and from Kochi to Goa. The full trip from Chennai to Kochi by car is a better experience having a limited time. Of course is more expensive, but not very expensive, and in my opinion worth the money you pay.

Jorge

brianct

you may like to visit Aranmula, famous fo its metal mirrors

http://www.keralaeducation.com/html/mirror.htm

brianct

for the first time in 10 years, the bod of St Francis Xavier is to be shown in Goa Nov 2004 - jan 2005


St Xavier exposition in 2004

DH News Service PANAJI, Sept 1

Putting aside speculation over the improbability of another exposition ever, Goa’s Archbishop Raul Gonsalves announced here that the 16th exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier would take place between November 2004 and January 2005.

The last exposition was held in in November 1994. The first ever took place 221 years ago in 1782.

Read FULL REPORT

Krishnika

Thanks for the input. If it were just me, I would do much less since I will definitely be going back to India on a regular basis. But this time a friend is joining me and it will almost definitely be his only trip there, although or course one never knows! I almost decided on a trip north since I feel everyone should see the Taj, Fatipur Sikri, Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, and actually at least a couple dozen other places, but I am not completely altruistic, and I have never been south other that a quickie plane to Kerala to do a backwaters day cruise. And the culture and food fascinate me. I could live on thalis. (have not found a place in Barcelona that offers them, although I can get a great fresh samosa at the myriad mini grocery stores around the city) So anyway, I realize the schedule is tight, but my friend has limited time and I would like him to see as diverse a swap as possible and still enjoy the experience. He's got a rather hippie mentality, being of the leftist Chilean crowd (although he does want to rent a houseboat - I imagine the only splurge) so he wouldn't be thrilled with taking planes and having a car and driver and his disposal, and is really looking forward to long train rides with the masses.

Nick-H

Kumarakom to Cochin by boat: It is 4.5 hours in one of those general-purpose motor boats. I don't know, maybe the houseboats may be slower. It would be a substantial chunk of your one day on a houseboat, most of the trip is in open water: you just get to see coconut-palm-lined shores. I did it because I love boats...
Mahabalipuram: Two days? A few hours is enough. You might as well at least see some of Chennai --- maybe Kapaliswara Temple, or visit one of big sari shops. Kanchipuram has more to offer, or Pondicherry is a nice place.

I've never done the houseboat thing, but the seem to be som many of them now that I'm sure you won't have a problem getting the kind of trip you want.

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Krishnika

Why such a short time in Mamallapurum? It seems to be such a great place with a lot to see.

Jorge Reverter

Hi,

It's a lot to see, but monuments are not far away each other. I personnally enjoy Mahab., at the beginning of TN just for avoiding Chennai and if you are at the end of the journey, to rest two or three days it's OK.
The atmosphere, the beach and the food is nice, people as everywhere in TN is kind, but is only a small village of stonemasons. From there you can visit Kancheepuram (one of the best temples towns in India, and if interested in sarees, probably the best place in the south)

Krishnika

It does seem like a major detour geographically if I'm just going to visit Mamallapurum in the Chennai area. I suppose it would make more sense to either include some parts of Chennai or Kanchipurum or skip the area altogether. I found a train that goes from Guntakal Jn. straight to Trichy. Would it be better to have more time around Trichy-Thanjavur or pass through Chennai, see more, but spend more time traveling? I should mention that 2 weeks before and 1 week after the trip will be with family in Goa relaxing, so I'm not so interested in the beach scene at Mamall. On the other hand, there's plenty of time to recuperate from any strenuous travelling that we do.

Krishnika

oops. Apparently the train Guntakal-Trichy only runs on Tues. Won't work.

Jorge Reverter

Probably you are right and should leave Mahab. and Thanjavur (it's a pity) for next time.
If you go straight to Trichy don't forget Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Gangakondacholapuram and Thanjavur. In Trichy the fort is just interesting, main site is Sriramgam, 3 km from the city.

Nick-H

Well, I haven't been there since my first trip to India in '97. As I remember, the shore temple and the Huge sculpture are well worth seeing. But, unless you have a particular love, or technical, interest in them, a few hours is enough. I went there with a guide, and we covered Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram in one day.

I'd rather have spent more time in Kanchipuram. There are dozens of temples, both working and non-working. You can see the multi-coloured silks hanging out to dry after being died, you can see the sari shops, and see the looms in action. (buying silk, however is probably cheaper in Chennai!)

Back to Mahabalipuram. I was interested to go there when I was in Chennai in August, but the chennai-native friend I was going around with was not at all keen. She told me (and I have heard this elsewhere too) that it is now very run down, the 'admission' fees for the monuments are far too high, there is a lot of litter and the touts are really, really, really intrusive.

Krishnika

Well, I've switched plans to spend 2 full days in Kanchipurum instead of Mahabalipurum. By the way, which name is used more often - Mahabalipurum or Mamallapurum? I've noticed a lot of posts with people unhappy with the place lately. Is it so unpleasant as to warrant not going? I was thinking of taking a bus there from Kanchipurum in the morning and staying only 1 night, leaving the next morning for Kumbakonam.

gluedtoweb

Mahabalipuram is classical and Mamallapuram is local and traditional name.
Also Mahabalipuram is not that bad place. Only thing is it is not worth to spend more than half a day when you have such a short time.
cheers

Krishnika

I finally tweaked a 22 day itinerary into my idea of happiness, and I just got the news that a wedding has been rescheduled and the trip can only be a maximum of 15 days. I'm so disappointed - it's surprising how attached you can get to places just by reading and dreaming about them. I had planned on doing the following:

Hampi 3 days - night train to Chennai
taxi for the day, most of it in Mahab
Kanchipurum 3 days - night train
Kumbakonom 2 days
most of the day in Thanjavur - in and out by bus
Trichy day and a half - train to
Madurai 2 and half days
3 days in the hills with car and driver - Munnar and Periyar
4 days in Kerala backwaters between Kottayam and Cochin incl overnight houseboat.

So I have to make some decisions about what to change. I don't want to spend less time in any of the places - I would rather pick a few places to leave for another time. Hampi is probably the first to go - it was causing transport scheduling problems anyway. Or I could do a RT to Hampi from Goa after the wedding and break the traveling into 2 bits. Of the 3 main temple areas - Kanchipurum, Trichy-Thanj-Kumba, and Madurai - I don't know what to cut. Perhaps Madurai? If I stick with Kanchipurum, I would have to fly to Chennai since the night train only runs on Thursday. Drastic change for the budget. I suppose I could just take a but through instead of actually spending time in the hills - directly from Madurai to Kottayam, and limit the backwaters to a daycruise from there, since the money would have to go towards plane fare. Hmmm...none of these ideas is sounding so good to me, except making Hampi a separate trip. Any thoughts would be very welcome.