Any suggestions for holiday in Kerala?
-
Greetings! This year for our holidays, my partner and I have decided to go out to see a bit of Kerala in Southern India. I'm so excited I'm pretty much ready to burst! It's my first time to India, although my partner has been a couple of times before, once to Kerala, and once to Goa. I know there are a few guys on the board who have lived\ do live in the Trivandrum area, and I thought I'd ask if anyone had any 'must-do's' whilst we were there. We will be there between 24th of November, and the 8th of December, staying in a resort in Kovalam. Whilst sunning ourselves, and getting over the stresses of work is pretty important, we will be bored senseless if we do nothing more than lounge around the pool. We've planned to travel up to Cochin by train, spend a night or two there, and then come back via the back-waters. I think the plan is to hire a rice barge to get back, which hopefully will be relaxing. We both love food, and watching the world go by, so recommendations for places to get food would be great. My partner is Vegetarian, whilst I'll eat pretty much anything that's put in front of me. Is there anything we should do in Trivandrum or Cochin for that matter? We don't want to spend too much time travelling, and we probably don't want to go much further north than Cochin. Also, do places get more lively at the weekends? Any advice you've got would be greatly appreciated; it's always better to get the low down from someone who's been there, than to rely on guidebooks. Thanks in advance, Tom
-
Greetings! This year for our holidays, my partner and I have decided to go out to see a bit of Kerala in Southern India. I'm so excited I'm pretty much ready to burst! It's my first time to India, although my partner has been a couple of times before, once to Kerala, and once to Goa. I know there are a few guys on the board who have lived\ do live in the Trivandrum area, and I thought I'd ask if anyone had any 'must-do's' whilst we were there. We will be there between 24th of November, and the 8th of December, staying in a resort in Kovalam. Whilst sunning ourselves, and getting over the stresses of work is pretty important, we will be bored senseless if we do nothing more than lounge around the pool. We've planned to travel up to Cochin by train, spend a night or two there, and then come back via the back-waters. I think the plan is to hire a rice barge to get back, which hopefully will be relaxing. We both love food, and watching the world go by, so recommendations for places to get food would be great. My partner is Vegetarian, whilst I'll eat pretty much anything that's put in front of me. Is there anything we should do in Trivandrum or Cochin for that matter? We don't want to spend too much time travelling, and we probably don't want to go much further north than Cochin. Also, do places get more lively at the weekends? Any advice you've got would be greatly appreciated; it's always better to get the low down from someone who's been there, than to rely on guidebooks. Thanks in advance, Tom
I am not from Kerela, so I won't be able to help you much, but if you have never had South Indian food, try having it once before you finalize your plans. I like South Indian food myself, but not everything. And not everyone (especially non-Indians) like South Indian food. I am not talking about _Idli_s, _Dosa_s, _Uttapam_s, and _Vada_s. Those are really nice, especially with Nariyal Chutney, but are only snacks, though many people have them as proper food too. Find a restaurant that serves South Indian food, and ask them to serve you lunch or dinner, South Indian style. I was sitting across a person from the US once, and he was telling me about a South Indian restaurant that he had been to (in India). He was being polite and about to say the food was good, but the poor guy couldn't do it. He just ended up frowning and said, "It was... well, er, cough... different." :laugh: So be sure to try it out before you finalize your plans, otherwise you may end up starving yourself if you hate the food. Sorry I can't help you more, but there are several others here who will be able to. All the best with your trip!
-
Greetings! This year for our holidays, my partner and I have decided to go out to see a bit of Kerala in Southern India. I'm so excited I'm pretty much ready to burst! It's my first time to India, although my partner has been a couple of times before, once to Kerala, and once to Goa. I know there are a few guys on the board who have lived\ do live in the Trivandrum area, and I thought I'd ask if anyone had any 'must-do's' whilst we were there. We will be there between 24th of November, and the 8th of December, staying in a resort in Kovalam. Whilst sunning ourselves, and getting over the stresses of work is pretty important, we will be bored senseless if we do nothing more than lounge around the pool. We've planned to travel up to Cochin by train, spend a night or two there, and then come back via the back-waters. I think the plan is to hire a rice barge to get back, which hopefully will be relaxing. We both love food, and watching the world go by, so recommendations for places to get food would be great. My partner is Vegetarian, whilst I'll eat pretty much anything that's put in front of me. Is there anything we should do in Trivandrum or Cochin for that matter? We don't want to spend too much time travelling, and we probably don't want to go much further north than Cochin. Also, do places get more lively at the weekends? Any advice you've got would be greatly appreciated; it's always better to get the low down from someone who's been there, than to rely on guidebooks. Thanks in advance, Tom
-
Greetings! This year for our holidays, my partner and I have decided to go out to see a bit of Kerala in Southern India. I'm so excited I'm pretty much ready to burst! It's my first time to India, although my partner has been a couple of times before, once to Kerala, and once to Goa. I know there are a few guys on the board who have lived\ do live in the Trivandrum area, and I thought I'd ask if anyone had any 'must-do's' whilst we were there. We will be there between 24th of November, and the 8th of December, staying in a resort in Kovalam. Whilst sunning ourselves, and getting over the stresses of work is pretty important, we will be bored senseless if we do nothing more than lounge around the pool. We've planned to travel up to Cochin by train, spend a night or two there, and then come back via the back-waters. I think the plan is to hire a rice barge to get back, which hopefully will be relaxing. We both love food, and watching the world go by, so recommendations for places to get food would be great. My partner is Vegetarian, whilst I'll eat pretty much anything that's put in front of me. Is there anything we should do in Trivandrum or Cochin for that matter? We don't want to spend too much time travelling, and we probably don't want to go much further north than Cochin. Also, do places get more lively at the weekends? Any advice you've got would be greatly appreciated; it's always better to get the low down from someone who's been there, than to rely on guidebooks. Thanks in advance, Tom
mincefish wrote:
We both love food, and watching the world go by, so recommendations for places to get food would be great. My partner is Vegetarian, whilst I'll eat pretty much anything that's put in front of me.
There are a few good places in Trivandrum - for the really good places, you'd *need* a local to guide you - since they are small restaurants that do not come under the tourism radar. If I was there, I'd have been glad to take you around (or at least to give you exact directions/information). But since you guys are going to be on your own, I'd suggest that you stay off the unorthodox places. For Tamil-style south Indian veg food, there's a place called Arul Jyothi (it's in Statue junction/MG Road). Any cab or autorickshaw will be able to take you there. There's another one called Arya Nivas (near the main Railway Station). Try one, and if you are okay with the taste, try the other two. [btw, the autorickshaw rides should itself provide some entertainment - though your hearts may be in your mouths - but don't worry - no one gets hurt (not that frequently anyway)] Then, you should try Muthoot Plaza (it's a 4 star hotel). They have a Lounge bar/restaurant - some good cocktails, and some really cool Indian sides (Chicken Tikka, Chicken 65 etc.) The cocktails are sorta Indianized, so if you ask for a Martini, don't be surprised to get lemon juice with Vodka (and if you are lucky, a few drops of Vermouth). Other hotels where you have good lunch and dinner buffets are Mascot and South Park - some of the dishes would be Indianized chinese/continental, but they all serve a good amount of proper Kerala food too.
mincefish wrote:
Is there anything we should do in Trivandrum or Cochin for that matter?
Try and see if you can get someone to get you some Arrack (it's a local alcohol that's been banned for several years because of deaths due to Methyl alcohol poisoning). But good Arrack is excellent and *very* strong - it's not supposed to contain Methyl alcohol, but some idiots make it with traces of that too - which leads to blindness and sometimes death. You have to be 100% sure your source is good - else you risk poisoning. On second thoughts, forget it - but just be aware of what it is, so you have it as a remote option, if a good friend recommends it. In its raw form, Arrack is almost 80% alcohol by volume, so think of it as doubly concentrated vodka. And it's best to dilute it w
-
Chadlling wrote:
Nish?
I've provided some pearls of wisdom :rolleyes:
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. Also visit the Ultimate Toolbox blog -
mincefish wrote:
We both love food, and watching the world go by, so recommendations for places to get food would be great. My partner is Vegetarian, whilst I'll eat pretty much anything that's put in front of me.
There are a few good places in Trivandrum - for the really good places, you'd *need* a local to guide you - since they are small restaurants that do not come under the tourism radar. If I was there, I'd have been glad to take you around (or at least to give you exact directions/information). But since you guys are going to be on your own, I'd suggest that you stay off the unorthodox places. For Tamil-style south Indian veg food, there's a place called Arul Jyothi (it's in Statue junction/MG Road). Any cab or autorickshaw will be able to take you there. There's another one called Arya Nivas (near the main Railway Station). Try one, and if you are okay with the taste, try the other two. [btw, the autorickshaw rides should itself provide some entertainment - though your hearts may be in your mouths - but don't worry - no one gets hurt (not that frequently anyway)] Then, you should try Muthoot Plaza (it's a 4 star hotel). They have a Lounge bar/restaurant - some good cocktails, and some really cool Indian sides (Chicken Tikka, Chicken 65 etc.) The cocktails are sorta Indianized, so if you ask for a Martini, don't be surprised to get lemon juice with Vodka (and if you are lucky, a few drops of Vermouth). Other hotels where you have good lunch and dinner buffets are Mascot and South Park - some of the dishes would be Indianized chinese/continental, but they all serve a good amount of proper Kerala food too.
mincefish wrote:
Is there anything we should do in Trivandrum or Cochin for that matter?
Try and see if you can get someone to get you some Arrack (it's a local alcohol that's been banned for several years because of deaths due to Methyl alcohol poisoning). But good Arrack is excellent and *very* strong - it's not supposed to contain Methyl alcohol, but some idiots make it with traces of that too - which leads to blindness and sometimes death. You have to be 100% sure your source is good - else you risk poisoning. On second thoughts, forget it - but just be aware of what it is, so you have it as a remote option, if a good friend recommends it. In its raw form, Arrack is almost 80% alcohol by volume, so think of it as doubly concentrated vodka. And it's best to dilute it w
-
mincefish wrote:
We both love food, and watching the world go by, so recommendations for places to get food would be great. My partner is Vegetarian, whilst I'll eat pretty much anything that's put in front of me.
There are a few good places in Trivandrum - for the really good places, you'd *need* a local to guide you - since they are small restaurants that do not come under the tourism radar. If I was there, I'd have been glad to take you around (or at least to give you exact directions/information). But since you guys are going to be on your own, I'd suggest that you stay off the unorthodox places. For Tamil-style south Indian veg food, there's a place called Arul Jyothi (it's in Statue junction/MG Road). Any cab or autorickshaw will be able to take you there. There's another one called Arya Nivas (near the main Railway Station). Try one, and if you are okay with the taste, try the other two. [btw, the autorickshaw rides should itself provide some entertainment - though your hearts may be in your mouths - but don't worry - no one gets hurt (not that frequently anyway)] Then, you should try Muthoot Plaza (it's a 4 star hotel). They have a Lounge bar/restaurant - some good cocktails, and some really cool Indian sides (Chicken Tikka, Chicken 65 etc.) The cocktails are sorta Indianized, so if you ask for a Martini, don't be surprised to get lemon juice with Vodka (and if you are lucky, a few drops of Vermouth). Other hotels where you have good lunch and dinner buffets are Mascot and South Park - some of the dishes would be Indianized chinese/continental, but they all serve a good amount of proper Kerala food too.
mincefish wrote:
Is there anything we should do in Trivandrum or Cochin for that matter?
Try and see if you can get someone to get you some Arrack (it's a local alcohol that's been banned for several years because of deaths due to Methyl alcohol poisoning). But good Arrack is excellent and *very* strong - it's not supposed to contain Methyl alcohol, but some idiots make it with traces of that too - which leads to blindness and sometimes death. You have to be 100% sure your source is good - else you risk poisoning. On second thoughts, forget it - but just be aware of what it is, so you have it as a remote option, if a good friend recommends it. In its raw form, Arrack is almost 80% alcohol by volume, so think of it as doubly concentrated vodka. And it's best to dilute it w
Thank you so much for the advice, Nish. The restaurants especially sound like good options, and will give us something to aim for initially. I'm sure we'll come across places in our journeys.
Nishant Sivakumar wrote:
good Arrack is excellent and *very* strong - it's not supposed to contain Methyl alcohol, but some idiots make it with traces of that too - which leads to blindness and sometimes death.
:^) ... Maybe I'll give that a miss... unless I'm sure :) I'll try and stick some photos up when I get back; From what I've read there should be some pretty good photo opportunities! Thanks again. Tom