The highlights of my recent trip to south-west India included visiting waterfalls and historical sites, seeing elephants and tigers in the wild, and enjoying some cultural experiences as well Indian food.
The waterfalls, elephants and history were included on
my list when I discussed the possibility of a trip to southern India
with Ms Bharathi of Tour
Seed over a year ago. I knew before the trip that some
lucky tourists also see tigers in the wild but I wasn’t overly optimistic about
that. I knew I would enjoy the food but I didn’t expect the cultural experiences
to be as enjoyable as they were.
My first trip to India occurred in 2022 and was confined
to the north of the country. I wrote about it here. I
enjoyed my first trip to India so much that I wanted to see more.
My recent trip began in Bangaluru. From there I went
to Mysore, Kabini, Ooty, Athirappilly, Thekkady, Alleppey, and Kochi. The places
I visited are shown as red dots on the map.
Since this post is about highlights, I will focus on a
small selection of experiences.
The first highlight I have chosen is the palace of
Mysore. It was the royal residence of the Wadiya family, maharajas, who ruled
the Kingdom of Mysore
from the late 1300s until 1950. The Kingdom of Mysore covered a large
slab of southern India.
The Mysore palace is not particularly old. It was
completed in 1912, replacing a wooden palace that had burnt down.
It is easy to see why the palace is a major tourist
attraction. It is both opulent and beautiful.
The second highlight is the Kabini wildlife sanctuary,
where I saw tigers, elephants, spotted deer and other animals.
Athirappilly falls is the third highlight. The person
in the photo is my driver, Raju Gowda, who accompanied me to the base of the waterfall.
Raju showed great skill in driving under fairly challenging conditions - on
narrow winding roads in hilly country as well as in city traffic.
The fourth highlight was my visit to Thekkady. I
enjoyed being shown spice gardens, and a trekking and rafting experience but
the display of martial arts and gymnastics at the Kadathanadan Kalari Centre was
an unexpected pleasure.
I have chosen a food experience as the fifth
highlight. This is a meal I was served on a houseboat at Alleppey. I cannot
claim to have eaten it all, but I was able to eat much more than I had
anticipated when the meal was served to me.
Finally, there is my visit to Kochi. I enjoyed being
shown the historical sites of Fort Kochi, including tourist attractions celebrating
Vasco da Gama’s voyage of discovery. However, I have chosen the cannon ball
tree, with flowers growing out of its trunk, as one of the highlights of my
visit. I also enjoyed the Kathakali performance of the Mahabharata story. A
handout in English explaining the story line helped me to understand what was
happening.
Perhaps I should add a final word about the way my trip
was organized. When I tell people that the trip was tailored to my specifications,
that I had a driver, and stayed in excellent hotels, I sometimes also feel that
I need to explain that it was not particularly expensive. In saying that, I am
making a comparison with the cost of staying in similar hotels in group tours,
or self-drive holidays, in countries such as Britain or Canada, rather than
with the cost of backpacking. At this stage of my life, I feel inclined to leave
backpacking to people who are younger than I am.
No comments:
Post a Comment