India

General Info

Last visited

October 2012

Traffic

Roads are haunted by whatever has wheels or legs. The stronger has precedence, all others have to make way. And of course, there's an exception, the sacred cows never move.
Suppose a VIP travels from A to B. Such an event can produce tremendous traffic jams. All roads are blocked for any traffic for about an hour before the procession is going to pass by. It happened to us between Trivandrum and Kovalam beach somewhere between the backwaters. First we had no idea what the traffic jam out of nowhere was for.

Poverty and crime

Poverty is all everywhere. However violence to foreigners is rare. Indians are peaceful in general.

Tipping

Tips for porters are about 20 INR, service personnel about 30 INR / day. If you have a private driver; about 50 INR per drive (1hr). No tips for service personnel at breakfast buffet. Cleaning personnel do not knock on the door for tipping any more (as it used to happen).

Food

Spicy varied cuisine. Curries are served with rice or nan, a bread which is flat like pizza. Indian people (especially in Tamil Nadu) don't use cutlery. They produce small balls of rice and curry with the fingers and throw them in the mouth.

Drinks

Fruit juices are very sweet and out of tins. Alcoholic beverages are expensive compared to food and drink prices. A bottle of beer (pint) costs from 180 to 450 INR, a dish costs from 40 to 400 INR. Coffee is generally quite weak, try Chai instead. It's tea with milk and spices such as cardamon and specially prepared at Chai stalls.

Shopping

Leather products are usually of good quality and fairly cheap. There's quite some carpet shops around. To detect good from bad quality is not that easy.

Don't

... eat with your left hand.

Agra

The city of Taj Mahal.

Bombay (Mumbai)

Is an interesting boomtown. Hotel Leela close to the airport is a place where you feel like being in carnival. People wearing turbans meet people wearing kimonos, chadors, ties, fancy airline uniforms. Taxi to gateway of india takes about 1.5 hrs and costs about 350 Rupies.

Delhi

Widespread. Many parks.

Jaipur

Intersting old town. Famous is the palace of winds.

Kerala

State in Southern India where women still are wearing saris and men dothis. It is famous for Ayuverda, its backwaters, has nice beaches, lots of palm trees. The state is dominated by the communist party. Red old Soviet Union flags are all everywhere. People are not that poor as in other states. There's quite a big catholic community having it's origine by the Portuguese colonialists.

Trivandrum

A lively city in southern Kerala. It has some historical buildings from the colonial period..... You'd rather stay at the beaches or backwaters which are nearby.

Kovalam beach

A fantastic tropical beach which is not yet under control of global tourism. There's more local people enjoying the beach and the sea than westerners. Indians use to stroll along the beach in big groups. Beach traders try to sell you fruit, sun-glasses, batic towls, beverage... and if you are asleep or have your eyes shut, they wake you up. So you better stay in a beach café and jump into the sea from time to time and have your beer wrapped in news-paper because the owner has no licence for selling alcoholic drinks. After dark people meet at the beach again for dinner. You can eat fresh tandoori fish or lobster for little money in one of the beach cafés.

Tamil Nadu

Is at the South-East coast of India. People follow still a very traditional live-style, are religious, many are vegetarians. On the other hand, there's Information Technology. Young developers travel through the world and come back home with new ideas.

Chennai

A cluster of suburbs which form a huge city. A lot of traffic jams. A beach which is large but not very inviting. A rare amount of cultural sites can be found here and there. Currently a metro is under construction as well as a new airport building.

Mahabalipuram

Two hours drive South of Chennai and you are in a perfect setting, temples, rocks of sandstone, monkeys, a backpacker's village with shops and restaurants and a beach. For 1200 INR you get here by cab straight from the airport of Chennai.

Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram is about two hours away by bus from Chennai. It is a temple town. Hire a motor rickshaw for 250 INR and visit the five most important temples. To be honest, neither of the temples was a real gem. They are mainly used by prayers rather than touristy sites.

Pondicherry

A French colonial city 3.5hrs south of Chennai. Another place for a weekend away from Chennai. Take an excursion to Auroville, stroll along the seaside boulevard and have a French fish meal at Le Club.

Links

India Visa Information

For hardcore travellers, trying to find their way by public transport through chennai

Nice small hotel at Pondicherry close to the seafront L'Escale

Taj Mahal - Agra

Palace of the winds - Jaipur

Fishermen coming back in the morning - Kovalam Beach

Beach - Kovalam Beach

A vegi dish - Chennai

Streetlife - Pondicherry