India

[Remmie]

The train and fly idea sounds great actually, I love a train journey, though I have been prepared as to what to expect on an Indian train. What my bird fancies is a different matter though so I will give it some thought, cheers...

[Harry Squatter]

They aren't that bad to be honest, you get an allocated seat and get served dinner, don't bother looking at those photos of 250 people sitting on top of a train because that's not what it was like.

[Remmie]

My mate went 6th class or something and said he'd wake up with 4 people virtually sitting on him and an army rifle poked in his face from the person sitting beneath him. He was doing India properly. I am sort of jealous.

[Nomad]

I went early this year. Late march. Went to a boss place called Varkala, about an hours drive from Trivandrum. One of he best most relaxing places I have ever been the food people and location was perfect. Would highly recommend.

 

Spent around £250 in two weeks it's that cheap and that's food, shopping, beer. Everything.

[zigackly]

The missus and I travelled round India in 2004 on a budget. Did just over six months and somewhere round 5000 miles overland. Buses, trains, rickshaws and taxis; only flights were in and out. Stayed in the cheaper places most of the time, ate where the locals do, and interspersed it with the odd comfort break in a top hotel, which were still cheap as fuck compared to here. It is a mindfuck of an experience doing it that way, and I'm bloody glad we did. Cost us about ten grand for the lot, including putting our stuff in storage while we were away. 

 

Not going to even try to explain the huge differences from anything you will ever experience in the "first world", but I think you either embrace it or you will definitely go batshit insane within about two weeks. I fucking love India despite it's dark, grimy undercurrents, and would deffo go again.

 

I'd hesitate to say what the best bits were, because it's all such an experience. Probably the bits that stick out in my memory would be the worst bits for most people, but I remember them fondly now.

 

If you just want a nice holiday without all the madness, I'd agree with Kerala.

[Lee909]

I thinking of going to go again in 2015 but unsure if ill go to North India or to go into Nepal or Mongolia.I want to get fit again so a trekking holiday in one of those countries is a good goal to set.

Anyone been to either?

[zigackly]

I thinking of going to go again in 2015 but unsure if ill go to North India or to go into Nepal or Mongolia.I want to get fit again so a trekking holiday in one of those countries is a good goal to set.

Anyone been to either?

 

No mate, closest we got was Mcleod Ganj and the Manali valley. We were going to go up into Leh, but the Kashmiri separatists started kicking off and lobbed a grenade into a hotel lobby so we dodged it and went to Chandigarh instead. Tell you where I would fancy trekking if I could get a visa though, is Bhutan.

[Lee909]

One of the trekks goes up to Manali and McLeod and looks fantastic as I have wanted to go to Dharamsala for a while.

Bhutan looks beautiful but costs a bit more. Im interested in Mongolian history so thats the one im siding with but im unsure wether the trekking or the camel riding the Gobi is best.

[zigackly]

Camels are bastards, that's all I have to say on that subject.

[s(k)aturation]

Tasty enough to eat though.

[Jarvinja Ilnow]

No mate, closest we got was Mcleod Ganj and the Manali valley. We were going to go up into Leh, but the Kashmiri separatists started kicking off and lobbed a grenade into a hotel lobby so we dodged it and went to Chandigarh instead. Tell you where I would fancy trekking if I could get a visa though, is Bhutan.

fucking great reflexes you have, Zig!

[lifetime fan]

Indian women are the most underrated birds of all.

Never been...hope that helps.

[Remmie]

Going next month, got a wedding in Pune and then heading to Kerala. Got about 11 days there but am tempted to jump on a plane and go somewhere different for 3-4 of those days, maybe mountains or jungle, something fun. My Indian housemate reckons stay in Kerala as there is loads going on with mountains and backwaters anyway, so not sure. Any recommendations?

[Lee909]

If you want mountains what about Dharamsala. Its were all the Tibetan refugees are and home pf the Dalai Lama and rest of tge government in exile. You get there on a short flight from Dehli if i remember correct

[Dr Nowt]

The Keralan backwaters are stunning, we only spent one afternoon there and it's one of my regrets from India that we rushed it. You can do them in far greater style and comfort over a few days and nights, and I imagine that's a great experience. That said less is more, so you probably wouldn't want to over-do it.

 

Have you considered Hampi, a village in Karnataka, the next state up? It's a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the ruins of what was one of the richest and largest cities in the world in it's prime, and is like 20 odd miles square of Stonehenge and temples. People spend weeks there, riding bikes round to find the best rock formations to climb and sitting smoking weed when they reach the peaks. Doing that as the sun goes down is a treat.

 

Without leaving Kerala you also have the potential to visit some of their tea plantations, which I never did and sound beautiful.

 

Alternatively you can go to the opposite corner of the country and India's Land's End of Kanyakumari on the East Coast, where the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea come together.

 

"One of the fascinating things about this place which makes it not only a pilgrim centre but a tourist spot, is the fact that here at the tip of the holy land of Bharat one can watch the setting sun and the rising moon at the same time. This is an unbelievable scene especially if we are lucky enough to be there on a good day when the sky is clear. Another interesting thing is that we can see the sun rising in the morning and setting in the evening from the same spot. The confluence of the three oceans as well as this phenomenon of the sun rise and sun set are said to give special spiritual vibrations to this place. It is a unique experience to watch the three oceans beating on the rocks and watch the sun set and moon rise at the same time."

 

So much to do, best advice I have is to try and not spread it too thin, as is always the temptation over there.

[Lee909]

Bad bad memories of Hampi. The local gotels were shite and i ended up taking a spray dump at a world heritage site and paid to be bussed back to the hotel

[Dr Nowt]

Hahaha. That wasn't what anyone who witnessed it saw in the brochure.

[Lee909]

I bet it wasn't

Im just hoping the monkeys threw it at tourists after i left

[Lee909]

I should add its not my proudest day

[Trumo]

Avoid Gujarat. There really is fuck all to see there unless you want to visit loads of Hindu temples. Plus, the state has banned alcohol meaning you need to know some nudge-nudge-wink-wink-say-no-more-say-no-more types to get hold of some moonshine that can also be used as anti-freeze.

[Remmie]

Being pulled in 2 directions - the Mrs wants lots of beach time in Kerala and I want to explore as much as I can, I've managed 9 places in 20 days in Thailand before and love constantly being on the move and seeing lots. At the same time I've seen some of these amazing private resorts in Kerala and it just sounds like paradise.

[Remmie]

Any recommendations for things to do in Mumbai?

[Strontium]

Tour of the local call centres?

[PestiRed]

Not only verging on boring UKIP racist shite but also factually incorrect

[skend04]

Tour of the local call centres?

Are Atheists allowed to stereotype?