India

[Redder Lurtz]

Anyone been there on holiday? Thinking of going next October. I've wanted to go for years but what with one thing and another I never got round to it.

 

Where are the best places to go? Goa is the obvious choice but I believe it's becoming like Ayia Napa so I'll be giving that shite a wide berth. I'd really be looking to chill the fuck out after what's going to be a hellishly hectic year ahead. A few beers, a beach and some fabulous food. Any tips?

[Lee909]

Don't touch Goa with a barge pole.

I have been there three times,the first two were excellent.It was a amazing place then(05-07),I went last year and it's gone right down hill.Its full of Russians and the sadly are ruining the place.The locals relied on the Europeans especially British tourists as we pay them fair prices for the stuff they sell and in general are happy to tip staff well,the Russians do not tip and knock the shop keepers prices down to extremes.The taxi drivers are pissed to as they won't take cabs or even when they do they won't pay fair prices.

All I took home last time was a nasty eye infection.

I'm planning in Kerala in the next couple of years,I work with some Indians and they say it's great.If you can't get a decent price on the flight here try King Fisher airways to Mumbai and get a connection from there.My flight home cost £280 single on 2 days notice.

Try Old Monk rum,it's a dark rum and pretty rough but everyone I know loves it,don't buy shots of it find a supermarket and it will cost about £2.50 a bottle same with Honeybee brandy.

I want to go to Rajasthan and up to Dharansala were the Tibetan government is now based.

I couldn't recomend the place anymore,the people on the whole are great.

It's mental at times especially on the roads and trains but amazing.

I'd love to take a year to travel there but it's not really possible for a long time yet.

 

 

The best place for you sounds Kerala,try going a little later than October,the monsoon has run late a few times over the past few years from what I have heard,though by that time it would be showers and most likely cheaper.Im sure others could tell you more on that

[Redder Lurtz]

Cheers Lee, I appreciate the advice.

[bri]

Varanasi it's fkin mental.

[Indian Red]

It`s a boss place. I havent been to all of it myself. Will soon put that right. Anyhow mate, Bombay is a must see. No place like homw

[Indian Red]

Oh, and if you`ve never been, I bet you`ll look at the world differently if you spend a few weeks there

[mattyq]

I'd love to go too.

Mountains in the north and Kerala in the south -lovely

[Redder Lurtz]

It's fuckin huge isn't it. I'd not really considered much more than visiting the South West coast. There must be stacks to see in other places though. I would really like to chill out while I'm there though. Life at home is chaotic enough without going on holiday for chaos. And I'd like a beach. Hence the attraction of the SW coast. Good job I've got a few months to start looking into this, I need to do some reading.

[Remmie]

I'm the opposite with holidays, like to see and do as much as I can while I'm there. You can relax in bed at home, whereas when will you get the chance to see as much of a country so far away again?

 

Each to their own and all that.

[Indian Red]

I`m like Remmie, when I travel, I try and get as much in as possible.

[Red Banjo]

Delhi belly

 

Be warned

[navbasi]

Kerala. I have never been but I have friends who have family there. A mate of mine was there last year on work and he said it was amazing.

[Trumo]

I also agree with Remmie in that I like to see as much of a place as possible when I'm there. I'm not one of those that will spend all day on a sunlounger and all night in a club because I find it so pointless to travel that far to do something so mundane. I've yet to visit India myself so I can't really offer any advice on that front.

[Strontium]

Watch out for the police, the most corrupt in the world. Probably worth ringfencing £200 of your spending money in case of bribes.

[Lee909]

I have been to India three times and never paid anything to the police.

[Remmie]

My mum is in Kerala at the moment, will let you know how she got on

[Strontium]

I have been to India three times and never paid anything to the police.

 

 

Maybe more of a Goa thing as I've heard so many horror stories from there.

 

Get caught with any illicit substances and you'll be lucky to get home with the shirt on your back.

[Lee909]

I have been in Goa.

It depends on what your up to I suppose,if you stay on the main roads they do not bother you,different story according to some of the roads and if your caught with drugs then that's your issue IMO.

You officially can't smoke when walking the streets in Goa,people do and if they decide to you can be fined 1000rps If my memory is correct.

To be honest it's not a big issue,it's like the rumour of all the manky dogs,most are feed and kept clean by the locals and bar staff.They just sit around waiting for food.

I sat feeding them once,I ended up like the bloody pied pipped the was about 20 if them coming for biscuits.

 

There is no country like it,cows wandering the streets(don't let walk in front of you,the reek and are often covered in shit).Nothing like seeing elephants on the rd on there way to work on either the building sites or painted up for pictures.

[Sandman]

The North West - Sikkhim, Mhow, Ladakh etc - is beautiful too. Not many people seem to head down there, but it's fantastic.

 

Get the Lonely Planet Guide, it's got a lot of info. And give me a shout out when you land in Mumbai, beer's on me.

[Redder Lurtz]

Kerala. I have never been but I have friends who have family there. A mate of mine was there last year on work and he said it was amazing.

 

My mum is in Kerala at the moment, will let you know how she got on

 

I reckon Kerala will be my aim. Picked up a couple of brochures today. There's loads to see and I reckon I could busy myself doing sod all on the beach between a few decent two or three day trips.

[Redder Lurtz]

Fuck sake. They've only got bastarding tarantulas in Southern India haven't they.

[Lee909]

Don't know,the have spitting cobras in the Western Ghats and jungles,crocodiles in parts of Goa and leopards and tigers up north.Oh yeah and bill sharks in parts of the ganges.Would worry about spiders.

[Redder Lurtz]

Don't know,the have spitting cobras in the Western Ghats and jungles,crocodiles in parts of Goa and leopards and tigers up north.Oh yeah and bill sharks in parts of the ganges.Would worry about spiders.

 

Not arsed about snakes really. And they have tigers in parts of Southern India too. I'll come home disappointed if I don't see one. I'll not be going in the sea though. Full of fucking sharky lurking bitey bastards.

[zigackly]

If you want a beach holiday without the Goa scene then somewhere like Varkala beach in Kerala might be your bag. There is also a hell of a lot to do other than lie on a beach. For instance, make sure you go on a Kettuvallam voyage in the backwaters and see the spice production, and also if you liked Vulva off Spaced, make sure you check out the Kathakali at Doctor Devan's in Cochin.

 

If you fancy any of the other Indian experiences (and it's a fucking vast country with a whopping range of cultural diversity) then I've been to a fair few places and can give you advice on other bits too.

 

If you want tigers though, you are in the wrong neck of the woods in Kerala, but you could make a fucking mammoth train trip to Bandhavgarh where Kipling based the jungle book.

 

It's probably best to focus on one place though unless you've got months, or even years to do it in. We did about seven months there and over 5000 miles overland and barely scratched the surface.

Edited November 23, 2011 by zigackly

[zigackly]

By the way, Kovalam beach might be better than Varkala if you want a more typical beach holiday, but I quite liked Varkala because of the sunsets and the stratigraphy.

 

I never saw any spiders though; the geckos in the hotel rooms would probably eat them.