South India Travel and Accommodation Details, Jan. 20 - March 27 2008

Thanks again Christos7...

Shall keep in mind what you said. Both of us prefer quite places (being avid Calcuttans to the core!!) and thats why one or two nights in a houseboat seemed like a good idea.

Abhi76

I have enjoyed reading your post. It is really a helpful one for those who are planning their travel.
Some of the points like 250 Rs entrance fee to see a temple or any such tourist place( which by the way will be very less like Rs 10 or Rs 20 for Indians ) & similar double standards for photography/videography is something that is really very bad.

The names of several places have changed , like Calcutta to Kolkata , Bombay to Mumbai , Madras to Chennai and especially names of people e.g Beadon Street to Abhedananda Road etc have been changed by various political parties in power , mostly as political gimmicks. Change is likely and more will happen

I hope you will enjoy India when you visit again , there are 4 other parts still remaining , the West ( Gujarat/Rajasthan/Delhi) , The north ( Kashmir/UP/) , East( Orissa/Sikkim/Bengal) and far North East( Arunachal/Meghalaya) of which I must recommend Kashmir,Garhwal and Meghalaya.

Thinking of staying at Ashtamudi homestay later this month, have been quoted twice as much for an a/c room (Rs1000). Is an a/c room, Alleppey in mid March, essential for a decent night's sleep?!

It really depends on your comfort level with hot weather. If I'm on my own, I never get an a/c room, even in the hottest weather. But if I'm escorting a tenderfoot, I'll usually suggest a/c, except perhaps in the coolest months, December and January.

Thanks Jean-Philipe, think I must be getting too concerned with my comforts as the years go by Just travelling by myself so I'll stop being dramatic and go for no a/c!

FYI - business is likely to be slowing down as the weather gets drippy, and you will almost certainly be able to negotiate both rates down by a 100-300R for one person per night. And hey, if the non-AC room (they do have nice rooms with good fans) gets too steamy for you after a night or three, you can switch to an AC room for a cool night's respite. Happy Trails and sweet dreams:-)

Born in India but came here to US 32 years ago. To read a westerner's impressions of a country that I left a long time ago which I still visit often was fascinating. I don't know what to call myself. An Eastern westerner !!! I loved the notes at the end specially the one about coming back transformed ! India is truly a Rubik's cube ! It takes a while to crack it