An Indian wanting to share my knowledge of India...any takers?

MadnoMad

Hi All,
I'm an Indian who is currently in Kuwait and have lived most of my life in India. I have traveled extensively throughout India which includes places like Goa,Tamilnadu,Kerala,the Himalayas, Delhi,Mumbai,Bangalore etc...and I have spent quite some time in these places....if anybody is plannin a trip to India or seeking some general or specific info or even writing a thesis on the cows on the streets will be glad to help...

Cheers

__________________
One world, One man, One plan....Travel...unfortunately just one life!

wonderwomanusa

That is very generous of you to share your knowledge!

__________________
The map is not the territory. --Alfred Korzybski

MadnoMad

Hi WW,
Thanx ...but its the least I can do to help fellow travelleres who are drawn to my wonderful country...hope to visit SF someday...always wanted to see the birth place of the flower power movement...

wonderwomanusa

Let me know when to expect you, MM... there's still a little flower power left around here.

MadnoMad

Hey WW,
thats amazing...I thought all the flower power stuff was over...it would be really wonderful to experience some of that classic culture if its still exists in SF...was jus wondering...whenever I talk to ppl about FP...the term Haight and Ashbury keeps popping up...never been able to figure out what that is...could you shed some light on that...also do u still get cool spychedelic posters and stuff in SF...would love to pick up or have some sent over...

wonderwomanusa

Not wanting to get too far off the topic of India questions, I've sent you a private message about this.

oxen

wow, thanks for the offer MadnoMad!

We are 2 girls who are about to take our first trip to India, and we're just starting to do our research.. so it would be great to get some reccomendations..
We are travelling December to February, and want to explore the South of India. We're flying into Mumbai.

do you have any suggestions of must see places, things to do, or possible itiniraries??

many thanks!!

MadnoMad

Hi Oxen,
if you wanna see the south of India then it wouldnt make sense to land in mumbai...try getting a flight to chennai which is in the south and it should cost you much leseer than going to mumbai besides you get a lot of direct flights from oz into chennai I think qantas or SIA or MA fly direct into Chennai...once you land in Chennai it would be easier for your southern sojourn!!...heres a possible itenary..check it out

Land in Chennai thers lots to do in Chennai you can visit the following places in Chennai City

1. Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore - This is a very old temple built almost a few hundred years ago and its in the heart of the city ...you can visit the temple and the surrounding areas will give you an idea of how chennai used to look a 100 yrs ago.. it is a temple dedicated to lord Shiva.

2. St.Thomas Mount - This is small hillcok close to the airport it is beleived that St.thomas was killed here by the pagans when he was preaching christianity in india it also has a small beautiful peaceful church..nothing of the sort you would find in europe but a very calm and serene place..worth a visit

3. Marina and Elliots beach - this is the famous coastline of Chennai which is supposed to be the longest stretch of coastline in entire asia...I wouldnt advise swimming or even stepping into the water coz its bloody dirty mate...if you wanna swi then you will have to head towards Mahabalipuram which is to the north of chennai which will be covered in this suggested itenary later on.

4. Kanchipuram - This place is home to the famous Kanchi Madam which is one of the most prominent religious centers of the hindu shivite religion...kanchipuram is also world famous for its silk sarees , here you can visit the silk weaver's co-operatives and get a look at how silk is made and woven into beautiful sarees you can slo pick up a saree if you want as it will be much cheaper here than in the city...but DO BARGAIN A LOT...coz the colour of your skin might inspire the prices to shoot skywards..

you could also visit other places like the Ashtalakshmi Temple in Besant Nagar, The Kalashetra Foundation which is also in Besant Nagar and is a world famous dance school which has a lot of foreigners coming down to study there.

Once you are done looking around Chennai you can head off to Thanjavur.

Thanjavur was the capital city of the ancient Chola kingdom which in its heydays ruled lands as far away as thailand and cambodia, hence the hindu influence there....in thanjavur there are lots of beautiful temples and ancient historic monuments, of special interest would be the Vydeeshwaran Temple and the Big Temple.Near the Vydeehswaran temple you can also try out the peculiar form of astrology called "Naadi Josiyam" the practitioners of this type of astrology claim to trace out your history from your past births..most of it is hogwash but good fun to try..you just might have been an exotic indian princess in your last birth for all you know.....but be careful of how much they charge you

from Thanjavur you can move onto chidambaram which is home to the famous chidambaram temple which hosts a super huge classical dance festival every year...the temple itself is worth a visit..

From chidambaram head for pondicherry the nearby state, the unique thing about pondicherry is that the official language here is french and not english because it was an erstwhile french colony, even today half of pondicherry is french citizens and the other indians though all of them are indian by origin!!....in pondicherry you can visit the famous auroville settlement which is housed inside the aurobindo ashram....it definitely worth a visit...pondicherry is also home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the south you can relax by the beach and then move on back to chennai which is just a 2 hour drive away...on your way back to chennai if you take the east coast road then you can stop by at Mahabalipuram which is famous for its beaches as well as its rock cut sculptures and temples.whle you drive down from Mahabalipuram to Chennai make sure to stop at a place called "Dakshinachitra" which is a sort of theme park..but no rides or anything...its a cultural theme park where the entire area has been split into the four states thematically not geographically...each division will showcase all aspects of life in that state starting from the type of architecture to the kind of utensils used and the kind of food eaten there...its worth a visit.

once you are back in chennai you can head off to Kerala which would be an all new world...a world of cocnut palms, lush green countryside and beautiful backwaters.

head for Kochi in Kerala, Kochi has a lot of small sialnd around it and each island has something special for the visitor...you can take a ferry ride and visit all of them, the local tourism authority offers tours to all the authorities tickets can be bought from the boat jetty which is on marine drive, each island has something different one island has the only jewish settlement in India witha synagogue which has the remains of the great portugese explorer Vasco De Gama, another has a factory that makes chines fishing nets, another has a coir factory and another has an old palace which has been converted to a hotel its called Bolgatty Palace this place is important coz if you r gonna be there in dec then they have a spice fair in the hotel which would be complete treat for all your senses...dont miss it.

From Kochi you can head for alleppy which is home to the famous backwaters of Kerala you can head for Kumarakom and relax by the backwaters, you also get amazing authentic ayurvedic massages here...its amazing what a little bit of medicinal oil a pair of experienced hands can do to your body..relaxation redefined.

Once you are done with Kerala you can head off to Karnataka via Mangalore which is abeautiful small coastal town which has a diff language culture and cuisine...this was a portugese territory in the past mangalore has a lot of beautiful scenery and some excellent seafood cuisine....from Mangalore head for Bangalore which is the capital, Bangalore is the pub capital of India at last count there were 300 pubs big and small..its also my favourite city in India!!...chill out in the pubs of bangalore...you have pubs that cater to every taste of music and alcohol..and most of them are located within walking distance from each other on MG Road and Brigade Road...if you like classic rock then head for Pecos on Rest house Road if you like Hard Rock then go to Guzzlers Inn which is across the road from Pecos or go to Styx which plays a lot of the newer rock and its on MG road, if you are into the trance and techno scene then head for Urban edge, Sparks or 180 proof, if you are into Hip-Hop the thursday is the day to be in Bangalore...most of the pubs go all out hip-hop on thursdays!!...bangalore also has a very good lounge bar called FTV bar at the Le meridien hotel on sankey road...once you are done pubbing head for lalbagh botanical gardens or the bull temple which is good for a change from the pub scene!...from bangalore head for Mysore a small beautiful town which was once the richest kingdom in India you can visit the Mysore palace and take a walk around the other sites in this small town....from mysore you can head off to Hampi which was the capital of the ancient vijayanagar empire which is now in ruins though but it is worth a visit...for its beautiful ruined temples,palaces and other rock cut marvels...hampi has also got a pretty happening trance scene now......from hampi you can head for "koti lingeshwara" which is aite where you will find 1 billion shiva idols in the "lingam" form all around the place...its an awe inspiring site....from there head off to GOA!!...the motherland of trance,raves and feni and also some awesome sun and surf and sand.....if you want more info on goa then that by itself would be another mail but do let me know would be glad to help you with any info about goa....I make it a point to go there atleast once a year for a month during dec unfortunately this year I woudnt be there coz I"m not in india anymore I have moved to Kuwait and am working here..... from Goa you can head off to mumbai and then back to OZ or if you wish you can go further up north....

I'm sorry the info I have given is quite sketchy but then India cannot be inserted into an email!!..also I'm a hard core psy trance junkie therefore you will find music featuring prominently in the info i've given...sorry if u r not interested in that kinda stuff....anyways do buzz me if you need anymore info...hope this info helps...adios

MadnoMad

MadnoMad

Hey Oxen,
Almost forgot...India is a very safe place for travel...esp for women...you wouldnt get into any trouble as long as you ignore most of the men you meet...use your judgement when you talk to men and chatter away with the women...they would be more than happy to talk to a foreigner about their lovely country...while you go to temples please make sure your body is completely covered and generally when you go to markets or bazaars keep yourself completely covered...coz white skin is a rare commodity and thanx to english films that promote white women as nothing more than sexually frustrated bimbos...there are quite a few indian guys who beleive that all white women jus wanna get laid...so watch out for those kinda characters,....the thing bout those kinda guys is that they only try to act funny when you are in a crowd..coz they dont have the balls to approach you when you are alone...so stay away from crowds if you can...if its inevitable then keep your hands folded accross your chest and your torso completely covered...no spaghetti straps, no tank tops....coz the minute you show a lil skin some guys tend to think you wanna get some attention from them....

what I've told you only applies to the jerks..not Indian men in general..most indian men are courteous and very helpful..and they respect women ...its in our culture...i'm sure wonderwoman would vouch for that!!...adios

MadnoMad

wonderwomanusa

Yes, I'll vouch for that -- most Indian men are kind and polite and very nice. But you can't tell who are the bad apples, so cover up with clothing that doesn't immediately show the shape of your body (full shirts NOT tucked in, full-legged pants NOT tight leggings) and be polite. Don't let yourself get into weird situations.

Don't leave your "street smarts" at home. It's great to meet cyberpals from these message boards, but arrange to meet people for lunch (daytime) in restaurants (other people around) so that you are not compromised.

oxen

well, thanks very much for the advice girls!
we've been doing our own research, and this forum has been a great help, thanks to people like you..
thank u!!!

:>

MadnoMad, we've been reading up about the places you've been telling us about, and getting really excited to go... but wondering if we could cover all those places in a matter of 2 months?!?!

guess we can always plan, but our plans will change once we get there, huh?