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India 2022-23India 2022-23
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India 2022-23

December 2022 - January 2023
An Intrepid Travel tour and then safari!
https://www.intrepidtravel.com/uk/india/southern-india-125562?date_start= Read more
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  • TravelerIndia 2022-23
    Day 1

    Travel day. Home to Kochi

    December 20, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    I'm including this day only because it bookends the whole trip itself but nothing very exciting happened.

    We left home at 9am with a taxi to Stroud railway station for the train to Paddington and then the Heathrow express to the airport. We checked in and went through to the lounge. There was a short delay to our boarding and we eventually left just after 2:30 p.m..

    I had a couple of gin zings as an aperitif and then what turned out to be quite a nice meal. The flight took around 9 1/2 hours and we landed on time just after 5:30 a.m. in the morning in Chennai.

    We didn't have much time and after immigration collected our bags and checked in at the domestic terminal for our short flight to Kochi. Pretty impressed with the efficiency of the airline itself and less than an hour after taking off we were landing at our destination.

    Our bags came through quickly and we left the airport and booked a taxi to our hotel. The driving in India wasn't as bad as I remember it, although it wasn't like anything you'd see in the UK and the trip itself took about 90 minutes. Fortunately we were able to check in to our hotel after a short wait despite it being only 11: 30am and after that we settle down to try and get some sleep.    Read more

  • TravelerIndia 2022-23
    Day 2

    Kochi

    December 21, 2022 in India ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Having had a couple of hours sleep and a shower. We felt refreshed enough to head out into the town for a wander. The weather was warm and the sights and sounds (and smells) of India came flooding back.

    We're staying at the hotel Fragrant Nature (https://www.fragrantnature.com/mobile/kochi.html) which is right at the North of the island and is a bit of luxury before or tour starts.

    We walked from the hotel and through the streets around it heading for the coast. The roads are all quite narrow and bustling with auto rickshaws bikes, motorcycles, cars, people, goats and other animals. Our aim was to walk to the place where the Chinese fishing nets are and this was about 15 minutes walk away. But we had to walk along a canal which is really rather smelly and then down some side streets before we ended up on the coast and saw the fishing nets.

    Quite a few locals said hello and one pair were even keen to have a selfie with us.

    Having seen the fishing nets and walked along the shore for a bit, we headed back through the town and to our hotel. Now it was around 4:00 p.m. and definitely time for a refreshing beer on the rooftop.

    We returned to the room and whilst Ed had a rest, I went back up to the rooftop for a swim in the pool. It was lovely to be able to swim whilst overlooking the rooftops and onto the water with the sun setting.

    After a quick shower and a phone call where I spoke to the group leader for our upcoming tour who suggested some things we could do before the tour starts on Friday, we went downstairs for a drink and some food. Full and tired we headed back to the room for an early night.    Read more

  • TravelerIndia 2022-23
    1
    Day 3

    Kochi

    December 22, 2022 in India ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Despite being woken up before dawn by the Muezzin calling people to prayer I slept well and late!

    After breakfast in the hotel..a mixed bag(!), we headed out to explore. We walked back to the coast near Fort Kochi, across the very smelly canal, and through the residential areas to the ferry landing. We bought a ticket for the ferry to take us across the busy straight to Vypin. The ferry was relatively modern but very chaotic but for 3 rupees (3p) we were about to travel with other pedestrians, mopeds, cars and lorries across the water. The journey itself took about 10 minutes!

    Once in the other side we disembarked and walked along the coast past some more fishermen using elaborate nets. This time we saw them in operation and could see that they were counterweighted with rocks held on with rope.

    We reached as far as we could go and do turned around and headed back to the ferry for the return trip.

    Once on the other side it was almost 12 and so with the sun almost past the yardarm we agreed that it was time for a beer in a nearby bar.

    Refreshed we negotiated an auto rickshaw ride to Matta cherry palace, an old Dutch palace with impressive murals. Having spent some time looking around it was by now very warm and so we wandered through the Jewish area (with lots of persistent shop keepers) before finding another sanctuary of a bar by the water for some refreshments.

    Sated, we did a bit more sightseeing in the Jewish area, including seeing the outside of the oldest synagogue in the commonwealth although we didn't go in. After this we decided that it was time to head back for a rest so we hailed an auto rickshaw to take us back to the hotel.

    After a break we had a beer in the hotel and a snack... Some spiced chicken. Later, we walked back to the port area for another drink and some food. This time we ate at the Brunton Boatyard, a smart hotel near the water. The good tasted good, although it was a little bony (!) And we also had a lovely bottle of Indian red wine, at least it was lovely once it has warmed up from fridge temperature.

    By now it was almost 10pm and so we tried to hail an auto rickshaw, without success. So we ended up walking the mile or so back to our hotel... Through residential alleyways... Despite the darkness, it didn't feel at all unsafe (unless you count having to continually avoid mopeds weaving through the narrow alleyways.

    Back at the hotel, it was definitely time to call it a day.... Tomorrow we meet our fellow travellers on the tour!    Read more

  • TravelerIndia 2022-23
    11
    Day 4

    Kochi

    December 23, 2022 in India ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Another late start: think I'm catching up with missed sleep. After breakfast we packed and checked out, although we left our bags in the hotel while we went to explore.

    We walked back towards the fort area and we're looking for the biennial arts festival that was opening today. It was based in the Aspinwall building and we timed our arrival for 11:00 a.m.. After a shortish queue we purchased our tickets and headed on in.

    It's fair to say that I probably don't appreciate art that much, but there were some interesting exhibits and the setting was what made it special. In typical Indian style the exhibition was late opening by a few days and yet when we went in, the things were not finished and there was still work going on! Nevertheless, it was good to see. There were also some great views out over the bay from the back of the building.

    After having our fill we decided to take a break and had a beer and a snack. We then walked back to our hotel and collected our bags before getting an auto rickshaw to the hotel, Hotel Abad, (https://www.abadhotels.com/m/fort-chullicakal-k…) where we would be starting our tour about 3km South.

    We checked in and then had another wander back up to the hotel Ginger where we'd had a drink the previous day. By now it was time to get an auto rickshaw back to the hotel for a shower before the welcome meeting at 6!

    After meeting 5 of the other 6 travellers on our tour, asking with the tour leader, Pooja, most of us went out for a meal. The journey was made in two tuk-tuks and was back up near the Chinese fishing nets. Not a cheap meal by Indian standards but the food was excellent and I ended up with a seafood platter.

    It was then a tuk-tuk ride back to our hotel to settle in for the night .. An earlier start awaits tomorrow!    Read more

  • TravelerIndia 2022-23
    Day 5

    Kochi (Christmas Eve!)

    December 24, 2022 in India ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    There is something slightly incongruous about being somewhere with Christmas trees (artificial), Christmas lights and 30 degrees heat. Can't work out yet whether it's a good thing it not although I'm definitely enjoying the break.

    We had an earlier start today with breakfast at 8 and then a guided tour which started at 9am. We went by tuk-tuk to the Dutch palace where we walked around the upper floor (yes we'd been here before) and had an explanation of some of the 300+ year old murals on the wall.

    Next we walked along the Jewish shopping street to the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. We couldn't go on because it's Saturday.

    Walking back down the shopping street we then had tuk-tuks to the Fort Cochin area and walked around seeing the old Catholic church and also the oldest church in Kerala, originally built in the 16th century. The Catholic church was decked out in Christmas lights (which we saw later all lit up). The oldest church, At Francis, used to be the burial place of the Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama. (his body was moved soon after back to Lisbon for re-burial) Finally, for the walking tour, we went back to the Chinese fishing nets.

    Tour complete, we all headed to a local coffee shop where I had a fish burger and pineapple Lassi. It was now early afternoon and the group went their separate ways with Ed and me going for a refreshing beer! After a couple of drinks we caught an auto rickshaw back to her hotel for a shower and change grit the evenings activities.

    We met the group, including our final member, at 5.15 for a quick summary of tomorrow (Christmas day) before getting yet another tuk-tuk to a Kathacali performance. When we arrived the actors were having their make-up done on stage. Once complete the narrator gave an explanation of what we would see and the fact that the acting would all be by gesture and facial expression.

    The performance was impressive (if not a little too long) with two drummers and a narrator who sang! The whole thing took about 1.5 hours!

    From here we walked to a restaurant for dinner. (Kerala roast chicken for me) before a ride back home to the hotel for 10 pm. (Don't think Father Christmas is coming here, but you never know!) 😉🎅🌲    Read more

  • TravelerIndia 2022-23
    Day 6

    Kochi to Coonar (Christmas day)

    December 25, 2022 in India ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    After a reasonable night's sleep we had breakfast at 7.30am and then had a trio of auto rickshaws for the 20 minute journey from our hotel to the station. Today our destination is Ooty, a hill town in the southern part of the Western Ghats - the mountain range that runs along the west coast of India from North to South.

    On arriving at the station, Pooja located the right platform and then found the carriage that we were travelling in. The train itself must have been at least 20 carriages long and we were booked into second class a/c!

    We boarded the train and found our seats with the train leaving on time at 9.10. the journey to our stop was scheduled to be about 3.5 hours and the train initially meandered it's way through the suburbs of Kochi, passing the airport after about 40 minutes. We made steady progress towards our destination, passing through a few towns and fields of rice, along with some palm trees, and eventually arrived at the station in Coimbatore at around 1.10pm. We'd now travelled Interstate to Tamilnadu. Here we meet up with a driver and boarded a minibus for the next stage of our trip to Ooty.

    After a short while we stopped at a local restaurant for some food...Puri Masala (a potato curry) for our Christmas lunch, washed down with fruit juice and a filter coffee. Not bad for the equivalent of £2.50 each!

    We boarded the minibus again to continue our journey. As with the train, the first part was getting out of the suburbs and from then on we drove through farmland. After about an hour, we reached the foothills and stopped for a quick comfort break and for some of the group to buy water bottles as plastic is supposed to be prohibited in the area that we are travelling to.

    From here the road got narrower and we started to climb through forest landscapes. We continued on up and up, seeing rhesus macaques on the side of the road. The roads continued to climb on a very windy route with the temperature starting to drop.

    Eventually, after an hour and a half, we arrived at Coonar and our accommodation, Tiger Hill Cottage. We're now at around 2,600m and high in the hills with tea plantations all around. The place we're staying is a guest house which we have to ourselves.

    After checking in to our spacious, if not basic rooms, we had a walk through the tea plantation with the rest of our group. The mist lifted and we had a great panorama of the hillside and land beyond.

    By now it was 6.30 and so after a quick change we met back up in the living area and sat down for a Christmas dinner... Indian style. The curries were finished off with an Indian style black forest gateuax.

    After this we were planning on having a bonfire but because it was raining we ended up staying in and playing a game of yahtzee with the group. We spent the rest of the evening chatting before eventually turning in at just before midnight. Indian Christmas ✔️    Read more

  • TravelerIndia 2022-23
    Day 7

    Tea, trains and Ooty

    December 26, 2022 in India ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    After breakfast at 8, which included pancakes, omelette, banana, papaya, watermelon juice and coffee we set off a day of sightseeing.

    First to was a tea plantation. This area is in the Nilgiri hills and was identified during the colonial times as a good place for tea growing. Having seen the plants, viewed the processing factory and tasted a few varieties of tea, we got back in the bus to go to Conoor where we would be catching the train to Ooty.

    Tickets purchased we waited for the train to arrive. This line is narrow gauge and the steepest in India and runs for 45km. We boarded the train when it arrived and set off at 12.35pm. the track climbs pretty much continuously, pushed by a powerful diesel engine. The views were incredible and we also passed through forestry areas.

    We arrived at Ooty (nicknamed Snooty) just before 2pm and met up with our driver again to take us first for some lunch at a restaurant where I managed to spill half of my fruit lassi over me and then on to a biological garden in Ooty. We spent an hour or so wandering around and the rain stopped and the sun tried to come out. There were loads of locals in the gardens and it all felt very Indian, with some of the plants a bit rough around the edges and needing dead-heading.

    At 4.30pm we met up again with our driver for the hour long drive back to our accommodation.

    After time for a quick (and dribbly) shower we all met up again downstairs for dinner. Tonight this consisted of peppered chicken curry, dhal, chickpea curry, Gobi 65 (deep fried cauliflower in spices) and some Indian bread), washed down with some more local beer!

    We spent a great evening then with the group playing games, listening to music and chatting over beers before turning in at about midnight.    Read more

  • TravelerIndia 2022-23
    1
    Day 8

    Conoor to Bandipur National park

    December 27, 2022 in India ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    An earlier start this morning, with breakfast at 7.30 and bags needing to be packed ready to leave. In the end we left a little late and drove for about an hour before stopping for a toilet break in Ooty. The weather this morning was wet, misty and a little chilly.

    After Ooty, we didn't about two hours winding our way down from the hills until we reached a town just before the entry to Mudulmai national park. This park is linked to our final destination of Bandipur national park. After a quick stop we continued for about an hour driving through the park. About half way we crossed the border into Karnataka state. We continued through the park spotting some Langur monkeys and spotted deer as we went. Eventually, just after 1pm we reached the edge of the park and our accommodation for the evening is located just the other side of the park edge.

    We checked in to our lodge accommodation and then went for a buffet style lunch of curries, Dahl and chapattis, finished off with some ice cream.

    At 3pm we met up to be taken to the start point for a safari about 10 minutes away. We climbed in to a large safari vehicle asking with an Indian family who are also staying at our accommodation.

    During the almost 3 hour Safari we were lucky enough to spot quite a few different animals although sadly no tigers!

    Spotted deer
    Elephants
    Langue monkeys
    Rhesus macaque
    Barking deer (heard)
    Crested hawk eagle - catching and eating a lizard
    Indian Gaur (bison)
    Peacock
    Leopard
    Samba deer
    Sloth bear

    The safari vehicle dropped us off back at our accommodation just before 6.15 and we were served masala chai. Dinner was a buffet arrangement again after which we sat around outside chatting and having a beer before an early night at 10!    Read more

  • TravelerIndia 2022-23
    1
    Day 9

    Bandipur to Mysore

    December 28, 2022 in India ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    After breakfast we left our accommodation at 9am to travel to Mysore. The journey was on much less windy roads and dropped us further into the plain in the foothill.

    We drove for about 90 minutes before arriving the outskirts of Mysore where we visited the Sri Chamundeshwari temple. This is an active temple you the god Vishnu and sits high on the hill above the city.

    There were hundreds of other people at the temple and we queued for a while to get in. Unlike most temples, non-Hindus are allowed to go inside. After about 45 minute we eventually got to the front of the queue and had about 10 seconds in front of the statue before we were ushered on.

    At around midday, we returned to the minibus for the 20 minute journey to our hotel, Sandesh the Prince, where we were able to check in.

    After a chance to freshen up with a warm shower and some food, we met the group again at 2.45pm to visit the Mysore Palace. We walked for about 20 minutes before arriving at the palace and met up with a local guide. After removing our shoes (because of the floor tiles and not fit any religious reasons, we went inside. The guide was interesting and explained that the palace is the second just visited place in India, after the Taj Mahal and also that it was rebuilt in the early 20th century after a fire destroyed the old wooden palace. The architecture is a mix of Christian, Muslim and Hindu styles to reflect the fact that the Hindu King recognised all religions.

    Much of the structure seemed to have been imported with iron columns from Scotland, ornate gates from Austria and bronze statues from England. Unfortunately, it appeared that half of the population of India was also visiting at the same time and it was very very busy and noisy, not helped by the guards visually blowing whistles. Definitely good to experience and see although it made it difficult to hear the guide!

    At night, once a week, and all over the Christmas and New Year period the palace is it up with 97,000 bulbs. We only saw it from a distance but our guide who went out for the evening sent us a picture of what it looks like!

    It was almost 6 by the time we returned to the hotel and we had a beer with the group before you've to freshen up. Most of the group then went out for food to a hotel with a rooftop restaurant. I went for a more western mean as a change from the three times a day curry that we've been having and we then had another early night.    Read more

  • TravelerIndia 2022-23
    1
    Day 10

    Mysore

    December 29, 2022 in India ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We opted for an early start at 7.30am this morning to beat the crowds to visit a disused temple about 45 minute drive from Mysore. The drive took us through small towns and lots of countryside with paddy fields on both sides of the road. On arriving we had a marsala chai whilst we waited for the temple to open.

    The Keshava temple at Somonathapura was built over 65 years in the 13th century and was beautifully ornate. The guide explained about the various carvings, made of soapstone and the reason why the temple is no longer used for pooja (worship) which is because it was damaged during attacks by Muslim invaders. When the images of the gods are damaged then worship can no longer be undertaken there. We spent about an hour looking around.

    It was certainly worth the early start as by the time we left, hoards it school children were arriving! We boarded the minibus for the journey back to Mysore.

    After arriving back at the hotel we had a shower and then packed our cases so that they could be moved to a day room that we'd be using until later. We took an auto rickshaw to a coffee shop about 15 minutes away where we had a great coffee and some food.

    Next we took another auto rickshaw to the market area and meandered through the market looking at the various sections, including flowers, spices, perfumes, fruit and veg.

    On leaving the market we took another auto rickshaw to St Philomena's church which is modelled on the cathedral in Cologne. It looked strange to see the architecture in an Indian setting! After taking some photos we grabbed one final rickshaw back to our hotel. By now it was around 2.30pm and so we went to the poolside for a beer!

    At 4pm some of us had said that we'd do a yoga class and the teacher arrived poolside where we laid out some mats and were put through our paces. It was good but I think that I'll regret it in the morning! (I'm not sure that it helped having an audience!) After the class there was just time for a beer for refreshment before it was time to leave.

    It first stop was at the home of a local family where we were served huge portions of biryani. The husband used to be a tour guide but had now started a business and also hosts Intrepid tours.

    After eating, it was time to head to the station to catch it overnight train to Chennai. Despite it being 8.30, the station was bustling. We found our train, the Kavari express, and located our berths. The train left on time and we chatted for a while before deciding that it was time to get some sleep. (The train is due to arrive in Chennai at 6.45am and at the tube of writing, we're yet to meet our fellow travellers who will be sharing our part of the train!)    Read more

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