feb twenty - Mar twenty seven, 2011: Let me preface the subsequent by saying that i used to be a primary time traveler to India, spent but ten weeks traveling through Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and currently came to the USA will pay many months (or years...) processing my expertise of South India before coming back to any "definite" conclusions. (In my travels I actually have learned that it takes time for one’s experiences to assemble themselves in some coherent fashion, and this can be definitely as true for a westerner in India because it should be for "easterners"(?) when confronted with our foreign sensibilities.)
And therefore i will be able to *try* to be as objective and practicality-oriented as potential, whereas presenting the still contemporary (but half-baked ;-) details of my travels for the advantage of first-time travelers specially. (I expect that almost all India-philes who scan this can wobble their heads in amusement, however there are a couple of details which can profit them conjointly :-)
My expertise was any restricted by time, language and transportation: I actually have worked as knowledgeable driver in la and ridden motorcycles for 20+ years, however didn't rent a automotive or otherwise drive in India; I don't speak any Hindi (besides Namaste;-), nor the languages additional commonly utilized in completely different elements of S. India; and that i was among my female friend throughout the primary 2+ weeks of travel. Also, i'm a white "middle-aged" (ouch!) , middle-class (only apparently ;-) yank male, who spent the remainder of my trip traveling alone.
Also of importance to notice is that everything is extremely subject to change: the 2010 LP Guide was correct concerning 1/4 of the time (which makes it frequently disappointing however price carrying...), which the speedy rate of modification occurring in India means even initial hand data which might somewhat be thought of current ("I got from purpose A to purpose B on this bus/train etc. for this worth during this quantity of your time last month", etc.) removed from a walk in the park. In fact, obtaining sensible data *from anyone* in India is amazingly difficult; as an example, the obstacles that arise whereas attempting to book a train at a web Café (before the operation "times out" or the server becomes unavailable) is frustratingly applicable to any or all sources of traveler data, human and otherwise... (Also, the electricity cuts out frequently and randomly EVERYWHERE, as will the web itself, though in fact additional typically....) I found solely 2 Indian Tourism Offices open, one in Alleppey (manned by gangsters), and therefore the alternative in Hampi, where an recent gentleman quoted transportation schedules apparently from a bygone era...
So for what it's price, and with sincere because of all who helped me, I supply the following: (I am listing the small print within the order that I visited every place between feb. twenty one and March twenty six.)
And therefore i will be able to *try* to be as objective and practicality-oriented as potential, whereas presenting the still contemporary (but half-baked ;-) details of my travels for the advantage of first-time travelers specially. (I expect that almost all India-philes who scan this can wobble their heads in amusement, however there are a couple of details which can profit them conjointly :-)
My expertise was any restricted by time, language and transportation: I actually have worked as knowledgeable driver in la and ridden motorcycles for 20+ years, however didn't rent a automotive or otherwise drive in India; I don't speak any Hindi (besides Namaste;-), nor the languages additional commonly utilized in completely different elements of S. India; and that i was among my female friend throughout the primary 2+ weeks of travel. Also, i'm a white "middle-aged" (ouch!) , middle-class (only apparently ;-) yank male, who spent the remainder of my trip traveling alone.
Also of importance to notice is that everything is extremely subject to change: the 2010 LP Guide was correct concerning 1/4 of the time (which makes it frequently disappointing however price carrying...), which the speedy rate of modification occurring in India means even initial hand data which might somewhat be thought of current ("I got from purpose A to purpose B on this bus/train etc. for this worth during this quantity of your time last month", etc.) removed from a walk in the park. In fact, obtaining sensible data *from anyone* in India is amazingly difficult; as an example, the obstacles that arise whereas attempting to book a train at a web Café (before the operation "times out" or the server becomes unavailable) is frustratingly applicable to any or all sources of traveler data, human and otherwise... (Also, the electricity cuts out frequently and randomly EVERYWHERE, as will the web itself, though in fact additional typically....) I found solely 2 Indian Tourism Offices open, one in Alleppey (manned by gangsters), and therefore the alternative in Hampi, where an recent gentleman quoted transportation schedules apparently from a bygone era...
So for what it's price, and with sincere because of all who helped me, I supply the following: (I am listing the small print within the order that I visited every place between feb. twenty one and March twenty six.)
