First Time To India

Hi Nishi- Good to know your plan to visit Mumbai and Goa. Both these places their distinct charm and several site seeing places and you will enjoy the trip. It looks like you are an Indian. For details search on MTDC & Goa Tourism as these sites will provide you most details and still if you have any specific query this forum is the place-Regards-Naval

Dear Naval,

Thank you so much for valuable contribution.  I will indeed look through those sites.

:)Yes, I have complete Indian ancestory but have not yet visited India!!

Looking forward to an incredible first time visit.

Regards,
Nishi

Hi Nishi,

do visit Tamilnadu ,if you like to know our ancestors architectural talents.there are many temples like Big Temple( Lord Pragadiswara) in Tanjavur which is 1000Yrs old & Sea shore temple at Mahabalipuram near chennai which was built during Mahabharat Period.

Dear Vijay,

Thank you so much for your suggestion. 

It had always been a dream of mine to visit the temples of India when I visit there.  I am sure they are very beautiful.  Perhaps I should consider going on retreat at some time.

Regards

hi dear Nishi,

first of all - best wishes for a wonderful and joyous travel to India.

one suggestion from my side  - state of kerala. It is a wonderful box of treasure for people like you.

It is a small strip of land in the southern tip of India on the western side with tall Western ghats mountains on eastern side & Arabian sea on the west. In between there lies the state of kerala - a true piece of heaven on our earth. 

It has got evergreen tropical rain forests, a hub of bio-diversity which only Amazon rain forest stands ahead of it. Wild life consists of tall tusker elephants, tigers, snakes, bisons - dont get afraid - there are beauty-full butterflys, birds, antelopes, monkeys, horn-bills, cute wild goats and about a million variety of medicinal herbs and tall trees.

One of its attraction is Idukki district also known as spice box of the world - got most beautyful tea estates, cardamom estates, black pepper,cloves,cinnamons and what not? You name it, it is there. The sparkling mounts of Munnar, Sandal wood forest at Marayur, misty meadows of Rajamalai and overall greenary - a unique place.

Another places are Cochin,(the queen of Arabian sea, spice trade centre) Alappuzha, (Venice of East and venue of Snake boat race) Kumarakam( wonderful backwaters, paddy fields, house boats, fried fish, duck roast and pristine green villages) Trivandrum(the capital city and Padmanabha swamy temple - the richest temple in the world)

Further the temple festivals of Thrissur and Palakkad districts, processions of caparisoned elephants, thunder sounding Chenda( musical drum instrument), Classical art froms like Kathakali, Mohini attam, abundant folk lore -

All these things may have influenced the National Geographic Society to list Kerala as one among the ten places in the world, which one should visit in his lifetime.

Now the decision is yours and I am sure, if you missed it - you missed a lot.

regards

Gopakumar

gopakumargovind@yahoo.co.in

Dear  Gopakumar,

You have described this piece of heaven  so very beautifully that I want to be there yesterday already. Indeed, all about it appeals to what I am interested in.
   
In South Africa too we have no dearth of wildlife, big game, and always they hold such fascination.
 
I am so eager to visit Idukki district, as you have described it to me.  Will surely be spice haven?   Estates you say?  I may not want to leave the Sandalwood forest at Marayur!! 

The temples, the paddy fields, all of it actually.  I can understand exactly why Nat Geo has listed it as a must visit place.

I will not miss this wonderful, soul uplifting experience.
Thank kindly

dear friend nishi,

thanks for the reply.

you may check the details about kerala - places to visit, travel information, climate and of-course google for the images. There are N number of sites for that.

If you prefer air travel, there are three international airports in this small land strip, they are Kochi, Trivandrum & Kozhikode (or calicut). (you can imagine how many travelers are coming here - and ofcourse keralites are one of the largest expat communities in the world - and a story goes like when Niel Amstrong landed on moon, he saw a keralite running a coffee shop there)

I don't know when you are to visit India. For visiting kerala it will be nice from August to December.

The festival of ONAM (a post harvest festival) to commemorate the rule of King Mahabali. Though he was an Asura (demon) by birth, he was one of the greatest kings known in the history - who loved and lived for his subjects. Though many consider him as a hero of myth, I beleave that he ruled my country. The entire state will be in a festive mood for two weeks - many cultural extravaganzas, snake boat races, parades, shows, traditional dress, unique kerala food -

From august to december it is peak tourist season in kerala - and you have to plan and make the bookings in advance. Other alternative is that, if you got any good friends  at that part of the world you can take good suggestions from them too, and sure they will help you to enjoy the visit and reduce the cost of visit.

Dont forget to try the traditional kerala food - boiled rice - pickles - veg dishes like sambar,avial, thoran, kalan, olan, koottu curry, rasam, pappadam (type of fryms) and if you like non veg there are specialities like karimeen fry, neymeen fry, chemmeen fry, matthy meen fry (meen = fish), kappa (steam cooked tapioca with coconut milk, seasoned with green/red chily, curry leaves, mustard, ginger, turmeric etc. And at the end the payasam (kheer) and banana chips.

Humble request - don't forget to take the best cameras with you -at least two of them, one as a spare if the other stops work. Though i like digital photography, film photography is my passion - though I am not an expert to comment on that.

regards

gopakumar

Dear Gopakumar,

Yet again thank you for valuable input.

Yes i will research as well as get back to you closer to the time.  I have also asked a beloved Indian friend of mine to read your notes and assist me with planning. Sadly, I do not know anyone from that side of India.  However, I would love to meet the people too.

Being a person that enjoys travelling at leisure, I prefer not to visit in the busy months.  However, I do enjoy witnessing festivities and the likes. 

Now you talk of food and photography!! Two things to absolutely enjoy!!!
So, I believe we have to move our conversation to email now.  You can share your photography tips with me too.

Regards

it is true What Gopakumar said, Kerala as God's own country, manythings to see around, the beautiful back waters , Beaches and wild life....Never miss it

wishing you a happy time

I am living at the center part of kerala ,at cochin city
for further information , keep in touch
Email : binuguitar@yahoo.com

regards

Hi good sir,

Thank you for your contribution.  We definately have got Kerala on our must see places. 

As you are living in this beautiful side of the world,  and involved in tourism too, we will meet for sure.

Regards

Dear nishi

it is a good idea, seeking help from someone you know, who is in India. i am sure he may help you in planning the trip.

Always keep the eyes, ears and mind open while traveling. Make use of every chance to interact with people and I am sure you may learn at-least one new thing, get one new piece of information each time you talk with the people around you.

regards

gopakumar

Visit aamchi mumbai

hey Wilson.... thanks for that .... would you care to tell me why Aamchi is on your list?

Love the icon, by the way ...Hehehe.... 

Nishi wrote:

hey Wilson.... thanks for that .... would you care to tell me why Aamchi is on your list?

Love the icon, by the way ...Hehehe.... 

Aamchi Mumbai Means Unity

hi nishi u must visit udaipur in rajasthan.another name for this b'ful city is city of lakes .

MUmbai - Goa - Gokarna - Humpi - Bangalore - Kerala (Old hippy route)

From Kerala - Tamil Nadu (Pondicherry & Kodaikanal) - to North eastern himalayas (Sikkim, arunachal) - to North Indian Himalayas or Nepal ..

However, goa may hold u back longer than expected heh


all the best.. welcome home dont b shy to use the toilet.

Hello Vikram,

Yes all of India is so appealing... It seems for sure that I will need more than one trip to the ancestral land.  But hey, I am not complaining. I look forward to visiting all of incredible India.

Regards

yea me too i prefer to go 1 place and just bliss out for 10 days and get absorbed in the local culture for real

hello 'Psysid'

Hippy route sounds like it could be lots of fun.

And truly I may need many visits to India...  all about it is so interesting.

Goa will hold me back you say?  Then certainly I will extend my stay ... I have to inhale all of the beauty of Goa and Kerala too before i leave incredible India.

Whats this about toilets? sorry i did not catch that joke!

Thx for feedback and
Take care