India

South India Highlights 2020

South India Highlights 2020 of our trip to Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in South India in January 2020. From the deserted village destroyed by a tsunami at Rameshwaram, the tea plantations at Munnar and Fort Kochi, in the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil...

Munnar

Kashmir of South IndiaHigh in The Western Ghats The best parts of Munnar are on the outskirts of the town and the drive up and down to the hill station. Munnar is a hill station high in the Western Ghat mountains at around 1,600 meters above sea level, which...

Marari Beach

Miles of beach The Chill capital of Kerala? Marari beach is a short tuk tuk ride from the busy town of Aleppey and if you have a choice, stay at Marari beach and travel in when you need / want to. In terms of culture and sightseeing, well, there is ,not much...

Menal Shiva temple complex

Ancient TemplesMahanaleshvara temple Menal was a huge surprise for us - our driver mentioned, on the way to Bundi that he knew of an interesting temple that we could visit. We expected it to be crowded as usual, but the surprise was that it was completely...

Madurai the jasmin city

The city of TemplesThe Meenakshi Ammanahanaleshvara temple The city is centred around the spectacular Meenakshi Amman Temple, with, amongst other sights, the 100 pillared Mandapa Nayaka Mandapam, a pillared corridor with different animal sculptures at the top of...

What to do and see in Haryana, India Podcast

In this podcast episode, I speak to a local from Hisar, Haryana about Haryana : Things to do Places to see What to eat & drink Things to be aware of All the best advice given by a local for travellers to Haryana. [powerpress...

What to do and see in Calicut, Kerala, India for two days Podcast

In this podcast episode, I speak to a local from Calicut (Kozhikode), Kerala about Kozhikode : Things to do Places to see What to eat & drink Things to be aware of All the best advice given by a local for travellers to Calicut (Kozhikode). [powerpress...

What to do and see in Kasargod, Kerala, India for two days Podcast

In this podcast episode, I speak to a local from Kasargod, Kerala about Kasargod : Things to do Places to see What to eat & drink Things to be aware of All the best advice given by a local for travellers to Kasargod. [powerpress...

Kumarakom

The backwaters Back to nature One of the first things that you notice in Kumarakom is the peace and quiet along with the very laid-back feel of the place. We travelled the short distance from Allepey, where we spent a day and a night on a rice barge, which was...

Kanyakumari

The southern tip of IndiaBeautiful sunsets Kayakumari is at the very southern tip of India surrounded by three seas; The Arabian Sea, The Indian Ocean and The Bay of Bengal and is a popular destination for pilgrims who come to the Thiruvalluvar Statue and...

What to do and see in Mumbai for two days Podcast

In this podcast episode, I speak to a local from Mumbai about Mumbai : Things to do Places to see What to eat & drink Things to be aware of All the best advice given by a local for travellers to Mumbai. [powerpress...

A stroll around Fort Kochi

A stroll around the market and alleyways of Jew Town in Fort Kochi, Kerala, India. The shops were once owned by Jewish merchants, but the population in 2020 was down to just 6 Jewish people, however, the shops still display the star of David and the original (or made...

Kodaikanal

The princess of hill stationsCool down At over 2,100 metres above sea level, Kodaikanal is a welcome breather from the hot lowlands of Tamil Nadu. The hill station was used by The British, escaping the heat of Madras during the mid 19th century, there are traces...

Fort Kochi

The old fishing village The Chinese fishing nets If you arrive by air to Kochi, you may be surprised at the time that it takes to get from the airport to Fort Kochi - we imagined a 20 minute drive, but even at midnight it turned out to be about an hour, so I...

Jodhpur

The Blue cityThe clock tower & Market Jodhpur is famous for three main things mainly; it is called The Blue City, Sun City and for the eponymous, tight horse riding trousers. The sun city, ok, it was sunny all the time we were here, and very hot. The blue city,...

Fatehpur Sikiri

Fatehpur SikriAkbar's PalaceThe city is predominantly built from red sandstone, about 40 kms from Agra - built by the Mughal Emperor Jalal-ud-din Mohammad Akbar, or Akbar the great, in honour of the great Sufi saint Salim Chisti. Akbar’s tolerant religious views and...

Two days in Delhi

Two days in Delhi Colourful cacophony Delhi is big, really big, noisy, polluted, crowded but full of history. We flew in from Bangalore in the south and I swear the pollution could be smelt even before the plane landed. Travel in and around the city can be done by...

The Amer Fort Jaipur

The Amer Fort JaipurAmer or Amber?The Amer fort, often referred to as the 'Amber Fort' is just 20 minutes outside of Jaipur and dominates the hillside, as it was meant to. Built over an 11th century for in the 16th century, it is still as impressive today as it was...

The Jal Mahal Jaipur

The Jal Mahal JaipurWater PalaceAs you may know, 'Mahal' in Hindi means palace, as in Taj Mahal, and 'Jal' means water and you may run into this in other cities in India where there are water palacces. It was originally built as a duck hunting lodge by the...

Gaitore

Legendary KingsMemorialsAfter the buzz and noise of Jaipur, aitore is a welcome oasis of silence in beautiful green gardens and on the road to The Amber Fort. Gaitore was the royal cremation ground of the Kachhwaha Rajputs from 1733, the only memorial missing is for...

Jaipur the pink city

Jaipur The pink cityThe city palaceJaipur The pink city is so named after the pink coloured sandstone from which many of the buildings are built, that shimmer in the hot Rajasthani sun. We are also from a pink city, Toulouse, named after the pink brick used in the...

Ellangudipatti

Sacred grovesSilenceArriving at one of the sacred groves in the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu is quite a surreal experience. We expected to be confronted by ticket booths and all the rest that you get in tourist sites in India, but not at all. There is a rather grand...

Chettinad villages and houses

Villages and HousesPast gloryChettinad is a region in Tamil Nadu in south India which is made up of 70 odd villages that seem almost stuck in time. The name comes from the caste of traders, Chettiars, mostly bankers and financiers who did most of their business in the...

Exploring the City of Bangalore

City of TemplesIndia's Silicon ValleyExploring the City of Bangalore (Bengaluru) known as 'The Silicon Valley of India' due to the number of big international IT companies in the city. Arriving at Kempegowda airport, you are hit by the real international feel of the...

On The Backwaters of Aleppey Kerala

The backwatersVenice of the eastAlappuzha the venice of the East - The Alapuzzha backwaters are dubbed 'The Venice of the East' by the tourist books, but then again, so is Udaipur , but arriving in Alappuzha, you can sort of see it, as there is water and boats,...

Udaipur the beautiful city of lakes

Udaipur the beautiful city of lakes Udaipur the beautiful city of lakes - When you first arrive in Udaipur, the first thing that you notice is that you cannot enter the city, but you arrive at a car park where the final leg of your journey to your hotel is by tuktuk...

Bundi Rajasthan

Bundi Rajasthan Bundi Rajasthan - Bundi is one of those places that seem to be forgotten by the groups of tourists who do the organised 'Golden Triangle' tours of Rajasthan and pales into virtual insignificance against Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Agra. If you have...

Riding The Nilgiri Mountain Railway

We decided that The Nilgiri Mountain Railway was going to be on our travel itinerary for our latest trip to Southern India and booked in through IRTC (Indian Railways) when back in France and it is highly adviseable to book as it can get very packed and sells out...

Dhanushkodi the ghost town

Danushkodi is on the very far southern point in India, just 24 kilometers from Sri Lanka, on the island of Pamban, separated from the mainland by the Palk Strait. It shares the only land border between India and Sri Lanka, which is one of the smallest in the world at...

The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings in the world, the mausoleum of Shah Jahan's favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the world, and one of the three World Heritage Sites in Agra. Completed in 1653, the Taj Mahal was built...

Chinese Fishing Nets Kochi India

One of the attractions alongside the waterfornt in Fort Kochi are the Chinese fishing nets, operated by a team of 5 or 6 men, they are an unusual, traditional and historic method for catching fish. The mechanism is made up of a large net, bamboo poles and teak struts,...

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