Well... Its finally going ahead... 3 months travel in India.
Hi, I'm Alan. I'm new to traveling, i haven't even really been out of the UK(bar a family holiday to disneyland when i was a teenager) but that's all going to change in six weeks time. My lady and i leave on november 3rd, our basic itinerary looks a little something like this:
Home - Delhi - Agra - Jaipur,
Shimla - Manali - Manikaran(possibly Rishikesh too),
Pushkar(for the camel fair) - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer - Udaipur,
Deolali - Mumbai - Goa(for xmas and new year)
Kumarakom - Trivandrum - Kanayakumari,
Bangalore - Delhi - Home.
That is presently my 'Skeletal route' as they are all one after the other... We'll be going from Delhi to the mountains(trying to get there before the snows stop us) then on to Rajasthan, stopping at Pushkar in time for Pushkar Mela. After that, the only time frame we have is to be in Goa before Christmas.
We will be passing through Maharashtra and Karnataka along the west coast and i was wondering if anyone has any idea's about where to visit in these two states as i dont know much about them. Also if anyone knows of anywhere else of interest to vist in the hindu south of the subcontinent and in Tamil Nadu, i would be very grateful for any advice or assistance.
Also, any tips and hints on travel itself would be extremely appreciated.
Thank you all, Alan.
Reply to this In Maharasthra try Nasik for a medium sized pilgrim town or Kolhapur for a lovely, unassuming place with a nice temple, lovely people, little visited and a great fort just ouside town. Oh, and Kolhapuri curries are amazing. Miss Mumbai. In Karnataka try Gokarna (beaches and chill vibe - like goa 20 years ago), Hampi (just incredible scenery and great temples) Hassan, Mysore (a really pleasant city, great shopping) and Subrahmanya (a little visited temple town in the western ghats)
Tamil Nadu is a great state, not been recently though. Try the usual suspects of Mamallapuram, Madurai, Tanjore, trichy, Kodaikanal.
In India, especially for a first time visitor, the cities can very quickly become a real struggle. Try to get off the beaten track as much as you can as you will find a much more genuine response from the people and have a much better time. India is an AMAZING country, so beautiful, fascinating, warm, friendly and inspiring but you must travel here with patience, an open heart and an open mind. The hardest thing to do is to leave your western nurturing back home and to never judge or to jump to conclusions. So often any "problems or issues" are the result of misunderstanding or cultural insensitivity. I'm India at the mo, try my blogs (got some on Maharasthra and Karnataka) and if you need any detailed help, pm me.
Scott
Reply to this 
