Want to travel to Orissa

Clare Turland

I’d like to visit Orissa. I am specifically interested in the tribal areas. I’d like to spend time with some of the different communities. Since some of them are considered primitive is this safe?
I have considered going through a local agent but from all reports they aren’t that knowledgeable, let alone respected by the tribal community. Which also leads to the question – should I even be considering visiting in light of this kind of hostility? Maybe they just want to be left alone to live their lives undisturbed as they have for centuries.
Anyone care to share their experiences and/or thoughts?

wonderwomanusa

My own inclination is to leave the tribals alone.

I've been in the position where tours of strangers came to observe my lifestyle and didn't enjoy it at all. And the tribal people's way of living is being eroded by commercial ventures infringing upon their land and the goverment wanting them to live in concrete buildings instead of their traditional dwellings.

vonkla

When we want to visit Orisa we contacted several local travel agents and wrote that we wanted someting else then just the weekly markets. We selected http://www.indiatribaltours.com/index.htm and had a wonderfull trip with a very good guide.
We visited some popular markets but stayed also in a tent in a small hamlet. For more detailled information see the link below.

What ever we do the life of these people will change. We felt somewhat uncomfortable when we, with a bunch of other tourist were looking, to the tribal people on their way to the market. But where very much at ease in the smaller markets and villages.

Jan

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zwala

I thought like wonderwoman til last year when a friend of a friend put me in touch with Grass Routes. We spent a week camping, cooking and walking alongside different tribal communities and not once did I feel like an intruder. This was undoubtedly thanks to our guide Pulak who had travelled extensively throughout the region and developed good relationships with the tribal communities we visited. I felt this was an important foundation and as such we were related to by the locals as Pulak’s friends.
From our experiences the tribal community in Orissa is facing a lot of challenges as huge steel companies move in to claim tribal land. The easy assurances and hug sums of money that are tempting the tribals are sure fire ways to erode their ancient culture & traditions. I think it as POSCO or TATA steel that intended to buy the hill where a primitive tribal community reside. There was resistance within the community but with little resources I’m not sure how far they will succeed.
I’m glad I visited Orissa when I did and the way I did it. With Pulak as our translator we were able to communicate with the people we met and engage in some of their daily activities. We learnt simple things like how to forage for food in the jungle, how to carry baskets on our head, how to paint using natural pigments etc... But in some small way I felt we ‘bonded’ with the people we met and this was as reassuring for me as it was for the people we encountered. Unlike vonkla we didn’t experience a moment of discomfort. I will always remember with some amusement the faces of the tourists we saw at one of the weekly markets; think the last thing they expected to see emerge from the jungle alongside other tribal women was a bunch of travellers balancing baskets precariously on their heads! Lol!
Clare I suggest you get in touch with Grass Routes (http://www.grassroutesjourneys.com). And let us know how it goes!
Happy Travels.

waving monkey

On the whole how would the members rate Orissa alongside the other states.
I think some places have the wow factor and some quite
little rest stops.These broad questions are not popular I know.
So let say Puri region overall.The big city Bhubaneswar?I am asking cause my bank branch is located there.

wm

machadinha

You don't need your own bank branch to get money anywhere.

Really.

You may need to plan ahead for heading out to out-of-the-way places where there are no banks or ATM's etc., or where you run the risk of the one bank in town temporarily not accepting your particular brand of traveler's cheque for some reason (usually too much fraud with the same going on at that particular time), or something.

But in none of these cases does it have to be your bank.

Really. I swear. It's one of those very few things I'm very very sure of.

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waving monkey

yea but Machadina,

non member withdrawals are 4% and thats a lick when your
as low budget as I.

But also, there are times that you have to take the hit.

I have tried to contact SBI they have yet to reply.NRO's
sound promising if I qualify.

thanks for responding

wm

wonderwomanusa

I like Puri a lot, and I'd hate for you to miss Konark, as the temple is quite wonderful. I have never spent much time in Bhubaneshwar; I'm sure it has its good side.

I'm hoping to hit a few more towns in Orissa when I'm in India this year.

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vonkla

Puri is a fine place to be and the sun temple at Konark is worth to visit.
In the old part of Bhubaneshwar it is wonderful to walk around but there are a lot of temples. The newer part of the city is not that nice with broad rectangle roads.
If you like nature go to the Chilika Lake, some 100 km south of Bhubaneswar.

machadinha

Yes, I see, hadn't thought of it. I also take it from reports here US cards work differently than mine would (and I don't think I'd have a branch of my own there anyway).

I don't know; aim to stock up on cash at your own branch then I guess, or make fewer and larger withdrawals (hm, not very productive if it goes by percentage though, come to think of it. I think for me it would be a set fee. Hm. Complicated, isn't it, this travel business.)

Maybe TC's (traveler's cheques) are a good old solution after all then? You'll pay a little for buying them, and perhaps again for cashing them in, but it's manageable and they're pretty safe & refundable in case of loss or theft, that's pretty much what they're there for.

Jorge Reverter

I've been many, many times in India and Orissa is since always for me one of the greatest experiences, the tribal regions are enough reason to visit Orissa but Puri, Konarak, Bhubaneshwar, Chillika lake, Chandragiri, Taptapani, Hirapur etc., are more reasons to travel there.In my photo gallery as well as in my son's gallery (jorge jr) you can see quite a lot of pictures taken in Orissa especially at the tribal areas.

Jorge

singsub

i concur

safari vala

orrissa is great. I have been twice.

grace lam

safari,

would you pls recommend some places which is worthwhile to go 7 days in orissa ??

safari vala

for 7 days you can see in a leisurely way , konarak,Puri, Bhubaneshwar and surrounds incl. the jain caves and possibly a day trip to another place such as the bhuddhist ruins at the three hills (I forget the name of the places but it was too far to go from Bhubaneshwar in private car on my budget) using Cuttack as a base.