Discover South India

Traveler Reviews

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  Kevin4.0•March 2013
  My wife and I chose this premium trip because we thought it would be a gentle introduction to India. We were not...
  My wife and I chose this premium trip because we thought it would be a gentle introduction to India. We were not disappointed. The hotels were very comfortable; the food was good; the travelling was not too hard; and the towns, while busy, were manageable. Although most people remain poor, there was little "in your face" extreme poverty. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? There were a lot of good sights (my own favourite being the Pallava temples and rock carvings at Mahabalipuram) and memorable moments (including the bustle of Chennai station in the morning, the elephant encounter that Michael Canham has mentioned, and sunset on the beach at Varkala).  But for me the most inspirational moment was on the houseboat in the evening, listening to beautiful singing/chanting from the nearby village.  I found out the next day that this was a prayer service for a lady who had recently died. What did you think of your group leader? Santosh was an excellent leader, with lots of local knowledge and contacts, and good at reconciling the disparate tastes of our group.  He regularly went the excellent mile in organising extra little things to do, and found us some truly excellent restaurants in Kerala. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? You will eat best if you stick to Indian food.  While most of our meals were very good, we had a couple of disappointing lunches when we were taken to places catering for more "western" tastes. Is there anything else you would like to add? We, and most of our group, were disappointed by the backwater cruise.  The standards of food, service and general housekeeping were poor.  Also, the houseboats were newer and bigger than advertised (4-5 bedrooms), and too big to go into any side channels.  So we just went up and down the main channel, with a lot of time spent moored up.  Having said that, the cruise does get you closer to village life, especially if you take the opportunity to go for a walk whenever the boat is moored, and I got a lot of good pictures (plus the inspirational moment noted above).Show more
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  Michael4.0•February 2013
  4th trip to India, bit of a different world in the South, probably go back North next time. What was the most...
  4th trip to India, bit of a different world in the South, probably go back North next time. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? A Tiger, some happy!!! elephants, a remarkable encounter with a very sad!!! female elephant. A rarely seen event, a privilege, probably the wrong word just about everyone was in tears by the end. Waterbottles in the bed.  What did you think of your group leader? The usual very high standard for an Exodus group leader, just the same as for the other 16 trips. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? If you are new to this form of travel trust the leader he will only take you to places where the food is safe and the beer is cold. Is there anything else you would like to add? The last 2 nights, make sure you eat at a beach side restaurant afer 6pm, big fish maybe the best you'll ever get.Show more
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  Nicholas5.0•November 2012
  This trip offers a broad variety of experiences and a good introduction to the country for India virgins, without...
  This trip offers a broad variety of experiences and a good introduction to the country for India virgins, without being too in your face or overwhelming. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The experiences were so varied it's hard to pick out one, so here's a selection: seeing a tiger in the wild, drifting along the Kerela backwaters in a houseboat, sampling the food, the friendliness of the people (we never felt threatened or hassled), the train journey, the hill stations .... What did you think of your group leader? Suresh is considerate, hugely knowledgeable and quietly effective.  His clear confidence and comptence allowed us to relax into a hectic environment and just enjoy the holiday. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Relax into the trip.  Practically every day is different, so it takes some energy to get the best out of it, but it's worth it.  Although this is a premium offering (and the accommodation is very good), we were exhausted at the end, but in a good way. Is there anything else you would like to add? If you are new to India but are a bit worried about the crowds, noise and dirt, then this is the trip for you. Sure, there are lots of people, but never in an overwhelming way.  Sure, you will see poverty and beggars, but not all the time.  The food is basically vegtarian and sticking to veggie dishes will probably reduce the chances of contracting Delhi Belly - but you must, you really must, enjoy curry to enjoy this holiday.  You will come away with a good taste of India and probably tempted, having broken your duck, to return some day and maybe sample the more hectic north.Show more
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  Susan5.0•November 2012
  We chose this trip because the itinerary was interesting and varied and it more than lived up to our expectations in...
  We chose this trip because the itinerary was interesting and varied and it more than lived up to our expectations in every respect. We have been on lots of Exodus holidays and this was our first "Premium" holiday. It ranks as one of the best we've done. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? It's really hard to pick the best from this fantastic trip. Southern India is wonderfully fertile and we loved seeing everyday activities in the countryside - tea picking, the rice harvest, carrots being washed (yes really!), sugar cane converted to sugar. Our guide Lukose often just stopped our minibus to pick up on activities as we passed by on the road. We were a small group of six and the group dynamics worked well, always a bonus.  Accommodation was excellent throughout. Cruising along the backwaters in a houseboat is a very special experience too. I should mention that at "Ooty" we found ourselves involved in a celebration of 140 years of the railway and were the VIP guests being interviewed for the newspapers and TV - we have press cuttings of our moment of fame!! What did you think of your group leader? Lukose Thomas is a  really professional leader who takes his job and responsibilities seriously. He is clearly a leader of many years experience and not fazed by any difficulties - for example when we found I'd left my credit card in the machine at the previous hotel! He worked hard at following our interests and was keen to research any areas where he didn't know the answer. This doesn't mean he lacked a sense of humour either - we all really enjoyed his company for our two weeks and felt privileged to have such a great leader. Do you have any advice for potential travellers?  The climate is REALLY humid and you have to get used to being permanently damp. Because you stay in some hotels for two nights it's possible to get laundry done and we all found that necessary - it's returned beautifully pressed, and on one occasion in a lined basket with flowers on top! It was quite cold and very wet up in the hill station so a waterproof and/or umbrella is essential. Some of the hotels have good swimming pools and there was time on this trip to take advantage of them.There is a lot of curry - it's possible to eat it 3 times a day, but if you're not keen on spicy food it is possible to find alternatives.   Is there anything else you would like to add? It was our second visit to India, the first with Exodus and it was good to be back with our favourite travel company! Travelling with Exodus you get a real feel for the people and the way of life as well as the country itself.  There is a fair amount of driving on this trip and Lukose had some ideas for improving the one very long day's drive which are worth following up. We were just six in a nine seater minivan, not counting driver and guide so were comfortable - with nine it would have been a bit cosy. Train travel  in India is just a brilliant experience, not to be missed.Show more
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  Jane5.0•November 2012
  An amazing trip giving you a wonderful taste of South India at a leasurly space but managing to pack in a wealth of...
  An amazing trip giving you a wonderful taste of South India at a leasurly space but managing to pack in a wealth of experiences. The hotels were of very good standard and the choice of food available would cater for every palate. Simply an excellent trip with a wealth of experiences. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The Toy Train of the Niligri Hills was wonderful with  breathtaking scenery.  The houseboat on the backwaters was just inspirational and gave you a wonderful glimpse of village life and wildlife.  Where else but India can you drive along and see oxon being shod, fish being dried or carrots being washed and bagged on the road side. What did you think of your group leader? Our group leader Lucose Thomas was great.  Extremely knowledgeable, nothing was too much trouble for him.  He had a lovely sense of humor and he kept the group together and interested the whole time.  A number one guide. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Travel light, plenty of opportunites to have laundry done very cheap and you can then fill your case with wonderful spices, silks and crafts.  The best silks were in Couchin. Is there anything else you would like to add? If it would be possible to cut the overnight stay in Coonoor and the last day at Trivandrum so you could visit a spice factory and the temples at Trivandrum would make the trip perfect.Show more