I arrived in New Delhi from Amritsar via the Amritsar-Delhi Shatabdi Express Train, which is by far the quickest way between the two cities. The train left at 05:00, arriving at New Delhi Train Station at 10:30, with the same amenities included on the last Shatabdi Train: Tea, biscuits, water, breakfast and a newspaper. It is quicker then flying if you take into consideration the wait time at the airport, plus travel time into the heart of Delhi and is also considerably cheaper.
New Delhi was not as crazy as I was expecting, perhaps because I have been in India for over 2 months now, but for me it was definitely manageable. I was staying at Backpacker Panda, a short walk from the main station up Main Bazaar Road. I would recommend this hostel for the very comfortable beds, 24 hour hot water, good WiFi, a relaxing common area, a kitchen if you wish to cook, great location and it somehow blocks out the noise from the madness outside. It is within walking distance of many of the sights I wished to see in Delhi and if not there, is a Metro Station pretty much next door, meaning it had good connections to thec city and the Airport. Main Bazaar Road was incredibly busy, the streets lined with a plethora of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes and the streets swarming with a range of different people. There were business men in suits, beggars, shop owners, rickshaw drivers and locals all going about their daily business. Make sure you keep an eye on your things, but this really goes without saying everywhere in the world, it just feels more likely in this area.
The following day I set out to explore, walking to Connaught Place. This was a lovely area with ring roads of shops circling around a pleasant park. I then continued walking towards Urgasen Ki Baoli, a massive Stepwell situated in a now built up posh area. It was definitely worth the trip up there and was free to enter. I then continued walking towards India Gate, a fantastic archway situated in a large park. It was very busy around the gate but you can easily relax in the shade of the trees in the surrounding parks. I then took a long walk to the Humayuns Tombs, which were said to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. I had never heard of Humayun and I’m still none the wiser as to who he was, but it was definitely worth the 500 Rupee entrance fee. The building was incredibly impressive with a striking likeness to the Taj, just built with red stone instead of marble. It was a very quiet, peaceful area and the gardens were fantastic to relax in and remove yourself from the noisy streets. I think I walked about 5 miles in total so caught a rickshaw back to Connaught Place for a much needed coffee.
The following day I planned to go to the Red Fort in Old Delhi, but the price had been raised from 250 Rupees to 1000 Rupees so I decided not to go. I had seen many impressive forts in India, especially in Rajasthan, and I didn’t want to have to withdraw more money out on my last day. This brought me to the end of my 2 and a half months in India. I am now flying out of Delhi and heading to Athens and Santorini for a while, and from there, who knows!
The Jaipur-Agra Shatabdi Express train is a bit more expensive then your standard Indian train, costing around 700 Rupees (£8.40), but for me it really was worth it. The journey from Jaipur to Agra took 3 and a half hours, had comfortable reclining seats with tea, biscuits, water, a vegetarian breakfast and a newspaper included. I had my doubts about Agra from what I had heard from other travelers, but for me it was a very pleasant experience. I don’t think people give it the amount of time it deserves.
I decided to stay about a 15 minute walk from the East Gate of the Taj Mahal, down a road full of a range of different hostels. I went very cheap at 300 Rupees (£3.60) a night in Namastey Hostel, which had a comfortableish bed, a squat toilet and a hot, yet very weak shower. I could have spent 800-1000 Rupees (£10-12) a night and stayed across the road at either Moustache Hostel or Backpacker Panda. I spent 2 nights in Agra and went out to explore on the first day, after a short rest because of the early train. I walked down the road that approaches the East Gate and found the Taj Nature Walk on the right hand side. It cost 100 Rupees (£1.20) to enter the grounds but was incredibly peaceful inside. You can see a large variety of rare birds, peacocks weave in and out of the trees and confident chipmunks scurry around, not paying you the slightest bit of attention. You also get a fantastic view of the Taj Mahal from atop a hill with nobody else around and it offers some fantastic photo opportunities.
The following day I woke up at 05:30 to try and beat the crowds for the Taj Mahal. I left the hostel at 06:00 and made my way towards the Taj. The ticket office is on the left hand side, around 500 meters from the entrance. It opens at 06:45 and when I arrived around 06:15 there was already a quickly forming queue. There is a separate queue for foreigners and for locals, and also a hefty price difference, 10 Rupees (£0.12) for a local, 1000 Rupees (£12) for a foreigner… crazy. After grabbing your ticket don’t forget to pick up your free map, shoe covers (for inside the mausoleum) and bottle of water from just outside the ticket booth. If you can’t be bothered to walk the 500m or so to the gate entrance you can jump in a cycle rickshaw, but I wasn’t that lazy. You then join another queue to have your ticket checked, men and women queue separately, then you have a pat down and your bags searched if you have one. The Taj was as amazing as I was expecting, yet I was slightly disappointed in the scaffolding that was on one of the pillars. It was built in 1631 by Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial for his beloved wife Arjumand Bano Begumn, who died during her 14th pregnancy. There is a mosque on one side and an identical building on the other, which isn’t a mosque, it is simply there to keep the symmetry. The pillars all slant slightly away from the main building, in case of an earthquake, where they would crumble away from the Taj Mahal, so not to damage the main building. The gardens are equally as fantastic with the design taken from the Qur’ans description of paradise.
I decided to leave the Taj Mahal via the South Gate, so I could grab a Costa Coffee for the first time in over 8 months. This was a little bit silly and more expensive then I could really afford, perhaps that’s because I had 2 lattes and 2 chocolate brownies, however a diabetic has to treat himself once in a while! From Costa I walked over to Agra Fort, something which is often missed by visitors, as they are only interested in seeing the Taj and then leaving. The Fort cost 500 Rupees (£6) to enter but was brilliant, built in 1565 in a striking red sandstone. It is absolutely huge and you can easily lose a couple of hours exploring this fantastic old building. From the fort I took a walk back to the hostel, through a beautiful quiet park leading up to the West Gate of the Taj Mahal. This is the way I would recommend walking to the Fort from the Taj if you’d don’t want a cheeky Costa! In all fairness it was quite a long walk, around 35 minutes but it was nice, quiet and very relaxing.
The following day I caught a night train to Amritsar, leaving at 16:20 and arriving in Amritsar at 08:10. Of course the train didn’t leave and arrive at these times, there are always delays, but it was close enough! I was travelling by Sleeper Class for the final time and it was by far the busiest it had been, due to the fact the train was passing through Delhi. It seemed like every person in India was squeezing on the train, which was quite an experience, but I eventually got my bed around 23:00! I arrived in Amritsar just before 09:00 and caught a 100 Rupee rickshaw to the hotel. I was only staying about a mile away from the train station but didn’t fancy the walk, due to me messing up the dates of the trains I had booked and having under 24 hours in Amritsar. I checked in at 10:00, had a shower and some breakfast and set out to explore, my first and only taste of the Punjab state. It is a predominately Sikh state and for me it felt different from the other areas of India. It was busy, chaotic and noisy (nothing new there) but the rickshaw drivers took no for an answer, everyone appeared happy and there were not many beggars on the streets.
I walked over to the Golden Temple and after depositing my shoes for free, washing my feet for free, covering my head for free and entering the Golden Temple complex… for free, I was greeted with the magnificent temple glowing in the morning sunlight. Everywhere you go in India there is a tourist price for everything, hence why I was so surprised that everything was free. Inside the temple complex there was a fantastic atmosphere with thousands of colorfully dressed people who flock there each day to wash in the Holy Water or accept a free meal. The queue to enter the temple itself was humongous so I decided not to go in, the wait was over four hours. I took my time strolling around, taking photos with beaming school children and soaking up the fantastic atmosphere, it was one of my favorite experiences in India. After, I walked for 20 minutes over to the Hanuman Mandir Temple, which looks pretty much identical, however it is a Hindu Temple not a Sikh Temple. It was very quiet with only 4 other people inside. Clearly nobody knows, or perhaps cares about this one, however for me it was definitely worth the walk.
I then headed back over towards the Golden Temple and visited Jallianwala Bagh, a memorial for the hundreds of innocent people killed by the British, when they were peacefully protesting for independence. It was a nice area to visit and interesting to see and read about, there are bullet holes still visible in a couple of places where the shootings took place. I then grabbed some food in Neelam’s, which I would highly recommend, especially the Punjab Thali, before I went back to the hotel ready for my 05:00 train to my last stop in India, Delhi.
From Udaipur I caught the 06:00 train to Ajmer, the closest train station to Pushkar, around 12km away. I left the hostel at 5am and soon found a rickshaw to take me to the station. I was originally worried that I wouldn’t be able to find a rickshaw at this time of morning, but the drivers know people are going to the station so are up nice and early to take you there. If you can’t find a rickshaw then it’s only a 3km walk to the station, but you don’t want to really be doing that at 05:00. After a bit of bartering I took the rickshaw for 100 Rupees. I had booked a Chair Class train for 400 Rupees, which was actually quite pleasant, and taking just over 5 hours. The carriage had 3 seats on one side and 2 on the other, and was a little cold, make sure you wrap up warm at that time of the morning.
Once at Ajmer Junction you can catch a rickshaw straight to Pushkar or to the Bus Station, or do as I did and walk the 1.5km to the bus station. Once leaving the train station take a right and follow the road straight until you reach the bus station. The bus takes around 30 minutes and cost 16 Rupees. It leaves from near stand 21 and you buy your ticket on board, despite there being a ticket window at the station saying PUSHKAR. I spent 3 nights in Pushkar, which is a holy Hindu town but in all honesty there is not an awful lot to do, which was lovely. I would recommend booking a nice hotel to relax in with a view of the Ghats. I stayed in Bharatpur Palace, which directly overlooked the Ghat where some of Gandhi’s ashes were scattered, which meant I got to view hundreds of colorfully dressed people coming down to pray and go about their daily lives. There are cows walking the streets, monkeys swinging from the rooftops and flocks of birds trying to steal the food from the monkeys and cows.
The main bazaar is fantastic for shopping with rows of shops selling brightly colored fabrics. I ended up buying a coat and scarf for £6 as I was really starting to struggle with the cold at night. When I say cold I mean 15 degrees at night, I’m just so used to the heat now. It’s definitely worth buying something here as they give you fantastic fabric bags to take your products away in, not the horrible plastic ones you get everywhere else in the world. There are some fantastic restaurants around, including La Pizzeria, which sells lovely, massive pizzas starting at 170 Rupees. It is rated number 1 out of 80 restaurants in Pushkar on Trip Advisor and I can see why. I know I’m meant to be eating the local food, but I was craving a pizza! One thing to note is that because this is such a holy town, there is no meat or alcohol for sale in the restaurants, unless they are being naughty. I would recommend Pushkar for a couple of days, just for the experience, but make sure you have a nice place to relax.
From Pushkar I caught a taxi back to Ajmer Junction for 350 Rupees, and then the 4 hour train to Jodhpur, the blue city. I booked a Sleeper Class train for 175 Rupees, leaving an hour and twenty minutes late and arriving in Jodhpur at 18:50. I caught a rickshaw to the hotel for 150 Rupees after some really hard haggling. It should have been a lot cheaper than this but not one driver was budging on their “lowest” price, after starting ridiculously high. The driver I got had absolutely no idea where he was going, turning the 10 minute trip into well over half an hour. He went the wrong way 6 times, asked 12 different people for directions and crashed into a parked bicycle. After eventually finding the hotel, and despite me telling him we were there, he decided to carry on driving around. In the end I got him to stop and walked back down the street to the hotel. I stayed in Jodhpur Heritage Haveli Guesthouse for 400 Rupees a night, which I found at a cut price on Booking.com. It’s well worth having a look on there as you can get some great deals and it saves you the hassle of trooping around in the dark with big backpacks on.
I ended up staying 4 nights in Jodhpur, despite there not being that much to do. Most people only spend one full day to see the impressive Mehrangarh Fort but I didn’t want to rush through. Mehrangarh Fort is incredibly impressive and well worth the 600 Rupee entrance fee for the museum (to walk around the grounds is free). You also have to pay to take pictures, 100 Rupees a camera/phone. The price includes an audio guide which is very interesting and informative, and explains in detail about the different sections of the fort. You can really imagine how the Maharaja’s lived in the years gone by and how they defended the fort from attackers. Not once in its entire history has the fort ever been taken. You also get a fantastic view of the old blue city from the far end of the fort. You can either walk 300 meters up a steep slope/stairs, or catch a rickshaw up the 5km snaking road. I decided to walk up which gave some great views of the fort and the city and it wasn’t too strenuous at all.
I spent a day walking the street and alleys of Jodhpur, immersing myself into the culture and really getting a feel for Rajasthan. The streets are colorful, lively, noisy and exactly how you expect India to be. There are small winding alleys with local craftsman and tailors going about their daily business, rickshaws and motorbikes squeezing past cows laying in the road, dogs risking a blow from a cow’s horns as they try to steal the food and, all in all, a terrific buzz and a sense of excitement. There are also some quiet colorful alleyways and a wide range of rooftop restaurants that give you a perfect view of the towering Mehrangarh Fort which dwarfs the city. The Clock Tower and Clock Tower Market are worth a visit where you can find everything you have ever needed, plus more.
Pushkar and Jodhpur were both fantastic places, one holy and the other with a classic Indian fort. They are both a must do if you are in Rajasthan and both offer something completely different. A lot of people do only spend one day in Jodhpur but its well worth taking a bit more time, really exploring the streets and soaking up the atmosphere. From here I’m heading to the Golden Fort of Jaisalmer, around 100km from the border with Pakistan and then on to Jaipur.
I left Hampi after 5 nights having had a great time, despite having to spend one night sleeping on a restaurant floor. In order to get to Mumbai, I had to catch 2 trains, one from Hosapete to Hubballi, and then from Hubballi to Mumbai. I booked these trains a week previous costing us a grand total of £8 in Sleeper Class. Hosapete is the closest train station to Hampi, 12km away and costing around 250 Rupees by rickshaw, or a couple of Rupees by bus. I decided to jump in a rickshaw to guarantee I was at the station in time, which was irrelevant as the train was one and a half hours late. This meant I ended up with a 45 minute turn over at Hubballi, rather than over 2 hours. The trains were not too bad, just a little long, with a total of 22 hours travelling. This was my first time in Sleeper Class which wasn’t a bad thing, I just wasn’t prepared for the cold. The previous trains had all been 2AC where you are given bed sheets and can wrap up at night, whereas in the Sleeper Class you are not. I wasn’t prepared for this and spent the whole night shivering in a ball, with a microfiber towel laid on top of me.
I arrived in Mumbai around 08:00, surprisingly only 30 minutes late and set about securing a rickshaw to the hotel. I was staying up near Lokmanya Tilak Train Station, around 20 minutes from the airport as I had a flight to Udaipur the following day. I got told all kinds of stories about the hotel by the drivers and that they could take me to a better one. My favorite was “it wasn’t even a hotel, it was a restaurant” to which I replied “don’t worry, I’m used to sleeping on a restaurant floor” which of course he didn’t understand. I eventually caught a taxi to the hotel, costing 89 Rupees by the meter, which ended up being in a slightly run down area, even for Indian standards. However the accommodation was ok, it was cheap enough and I got to see parts of local Mumbai. The following morning I caught a rickshaw to the airport, internal flights go from terminal 1B, taking around 20 minutes and costing 148 Rupees by the meter. The flight to Udaipur was slightly delayed meaning I landed around 19:00.
The airport in Udaipur is situated 25km east of the city, so I decided to use the pre paid tax service at the airport. I showed the man the hotel address and he quoted 650 Rupees and carried on doing his thing. I didn’t believe him as everywhere in India they up the price for foreigners, so I asked to see a price list. He entered the address into his database, the price came up as 650 Rupees, he printed the ticket and we were on our way. I don’t mind paying the money if they can prove that its the correct price, I just don’t like it when they make up numbers to get more money. If I would have turned up earlier in the day I’d of caught a bus into Udaipur, but when its dark and you arrive in a new place, for me its worth paying a little extra money to ensure you arrive safely.
Udaipur was a fantastic place, one of my favorites in India so far. It is set around Lake Pichola, which is so named after the village that was flooded when the water was diverted into the lake years ago. The streets are filled with rooftop restaurants and bars offering fantastic views over the city, lake and surrounding mountains which makes them the perfect place to relax and watch the sun go down, the sky exploding into a magnitude of different colors over the rolling mountains. The streets are small and windy with beautiful old building tucked in next to each other, which are fantastic to explore, to me each one felt like a different part of Hogwarts. The City Palace is well worth a visit and worth the 250 Rupee entrance fee. It’s worth noting you have to pay an extra 250 Rupees for your camera which you cannot get away without paying for. There are guards situated around the Palace looking for the tag connected to your camera or phone to prove you have paid.
After the Palace I continued through to the waters edge, where you pay another 30 Rupees to explore, but there are some lovely gardens, views of the lake and a restaurant on the waters edge serving very expensive beer. You get a great view of the Taj Lake Palace, which is where Octopussy, the James Bond film was partly filmed. Udaipur seems very fond of its James Bond link, there is a classic car collection you can visit with the 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom used in the film, and across the footbridge there is a café showing the film every evening. It’s worth crossing the bridge to explore the other side as there is a fantastic green area with a coffee shop to relax and take in the views of the Palace from the other side.
I had a fantastic time in Udaipur and it was a great introduction to Rajasthan, I just couldn’t believe how cold it was. I say that, it was 23 degrees but I’ve been so used to 30 degrees plus that I needed a jumper and jeans, especially in the evening. On the rooftops it can get quite windy so it’s worth packing or buying something to keep you warm. From Udaipur I am heading to the holy city of Pushkar and Jodhpur, continuing north through this fantastic country.
I arrived in Hampi from Goa, in the middle of the Indian Republic Day holiday (26/01), which also overlaps the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s Death (30/01). I was unaware of this at the time, so did not realize the whole of the Indian population takes a holiday and books a weekend away! The train to Hospette from Margao went by without too much of a hitch, leaving and arriving 30 minutes late and taking around 8 hours. I did get on the wrong carriage for a part of the journey, apparently carriage 2A and 2AV are not then same, meaning at one stop I had to get off and rush 6 coaches down and get on the correct one before the train left the station! From Hospette I caught a rickshaw the 12km to Hampi Bazaar costing 250 INR with some amazing scenery on the way. It was just getting dark so the sun was setting over the palm trees and ruins, which really was an amazing site.
Upon arrival at Hampi Bazaar I went to every single guesthouse/hostel/hotel/homestay that I could find, but everywhere was full due to the holiday. At this point it was pitch black and I was in a right pickle. I was advised to cross the river to Virupapura Gaddi, as there were meant to be more accommodation options. First I had to get across the river. There is the option of walking across the rocks and shallow water, but I didn’t fancy that in the dark, so decided to take the boat. I paid 75 INR, normally 50 but it was past 18:00 so the price goes up… apparently. I was shoved into a circular boat, not a motorized one and was paddled across, the boat spinning its way through the rocks and boulders before landing at the other side. Again, I visited every single guesthouse/hostel/hotel/homestay I could find but to no avail. Eventually I was offered a place on a restaurant floor by a lovely restaurant owner, which was incredibly lucky or I would have been on the street! The guy was really nice, allowing me to sleep in the restaurant and giving me a sleeping bag so I didn’t get cold. The following day I ended up going to a bar with him to watch the cricket, which England obviously lost!
The following morning I checked into one of his rooms for 2 nights, as one became available after an early check out, and I had a much needed shower. The sleep in the restaurant wasn’t too bad really, it is where all the staff sleep as they come down from the north of the country to work. I did however get a couple of mosquito bites on the forehead. I went for a walk in the day, exploring the landscape with some HUGE boulders and taking a trip up to sunset point, to watch the sun set over Hampi. It was beautiful and really made up for the night before.
The next day I hired a moped for 250 Rupees and paid 180 Rupees for 2 liters of fuel. I drove out to Hampi Waterfalls, which were in fact not waterfalls at all. It is a lovely setting on the river, surrounded by rocks and huge boulders, but the waterfalls were just hoses. I then visited Anjanadri Hill and hiked up the 575 steps to Monkey Temple and the amazing views from atop the rocks. On the ascent and the decent I ran into a family of mischievous monkeys, with some babies who were messing around in the trees. This is well worth the visit and effort to climb all the steps. From there I headed back towards Hampi Waterfalls, but took a right at the crossroads to Rangapura, instead of a left towards the falls. This is a fantastic road to drive on, with new tarmac and some amazing scenery. You drive past a beautiful lake, some small villages and the landscape is like nothing I have seen. I stopped in the Whispering Rocks Cafe a few miles down the road which I can highly recommend. The food was fantastic and there was a very relaxed atmosphere in a beautiful setting.
For the next 2 nights I decided to move across to Hampi Bazaar, back across the river, as the Indian holiday was over and there was accommodation available. This gave me best of both worlds, 2 days in Virupapura Gaddi and 2 in Hampi Bazaar. I booked into Kiran’s Guesthouse and went for a short walk to explore the temples and adjoining temples. The main temple was lovely, but pretty busy and cost 2 Rupees to enter. I did however see Lakshmi the temple elephant inside, munching away on a mountain of bananas. If you head up the granite rocks behind the temple there are hundreds of ruins that nobody seems to bother with, offering lovely views of the valley. I spent a bit of time exploring and chilling in the shade before heading to the Mango Tree restaurant for dinner.
The next day I rented a bicycle for 50 INR for the day, and set out for some more exploration. I cycled toward the Vitthala Temple Complex, locked up the bike and walked the remaining 1.5km to the temple. You can get right to the gate by bike but its a 12km road around the rocks, so I decided on the 1.5km walk, which went past some more fantastic ruins and gave beautiful views of the river in the valley. A ticket into the Vitthala Temple Complex costs 30 INR for a local and 500 INR for a foreigner. Then is a crazy difference which I really wasn’t happy paying, so I didn’t. It turns out I should have paid as the ticket gets you into most of the paid sites, which I ended up visiting later and therefore paying the 500 INR. After walking back to the bike, I cycled for around 20 minutes to a large collection of ruins, including the elephant stables, which is where I paid for my ticket and explored for a couple of hours.
Hampi is amazing place, like no where I have been in the world and is a must do if you are in India. However if its an Indian holiday make sure you have some accommodation sorted, or risk sleeping on the streets. Across the river, at Virupapura Gaddi, there is a lovely atmosphere with some chilled out bars and restaurants. Across at Hampi Bazaar the atmosphere isn’t as good but is still a lovely place. Nowhere is allowed to sell alcohol as its so near the temples, whereas on the other side of the river they are. Just something to think about if you like a drink. I’d recommend 2 full days on each side of the river, taking in the best of both worlds. From Hampi I am heading to Udaipur via Mumbai.
As my time in Kerala was drawing to an end I was still yet to catch a train in India, as I’d had some trouble with obtaining tickets in the past. I managed to secure some tickets online using the IRTCT website, costing 2300 Rupees (£28), leaving at 21:30 from Ernakulam and taking just under 12 hours. This was a lot more than I was expecting to pay even for 2AC, the highest class, the only one that was available, although I booked 7 days before the scheduled departure date.
The train left Ernakulam without a hitch, leaving on time and arriving in Madgaon, in south Goa a few minutes early. As I said it was my first time on an Indian train but I can’t see how Sleeper Class is going to be any different form the 2AC Sleeper that I was on, just the prices are considerably cheaper. (I may be eating my words later, I’m currently on a train to Hampi and have a Sleeper Class train booked to Mumbai next week.) The train carriage had a simple layout, with 2 lower and 2 upper bunks running vertically on one side, and 1 set of bunks horizontally on the other, the whole way down the carriage. I was given bed sheets and a pillow but had no curtains for any privacy. I was also given a towel, a cold face wipe, water, mango juice and a vegetarian breakfast, maybe that was what my extra £20 was paying for! I did however finally have a chance to wear my Christmas socks.
I arrived in Madgaon at 08:45 and planned to head straight to Palolem Beach for a couple of days. To get between Palolem Beach and Madgaon there are three options: A bus costing 40 Rupees (£0.50), a rickshaw costing 1000 Rupees (£12.50) or a taxi costing 1200 Rupees (£15). I had every intention of catching the bus, which leaves from the South East side of the Municipal Gardens, a 20 minute walk west of the train station but heard some people ordering a taxi so decided to jump in with them, paying 300 Rupees (£3.75) each for the 4 of us. A taxi is considerably quicker, with the bus being slow and bumpy but is only worth getting a taxi if there’s enough of you to split the cost.
Palolem Beach is gorgeous. There are plenty of accommodation options along the beachfront and also some set off the beach, about a 3 minute walk away. On the beachfront, intertwined with all the bars and restaurants are a variety of beach huts ranging from 500-5000 Rupees a night. I decided to stay a short way back from the beach in a hotel, as the cheapest hut I was offered was 2000 Rupees a night. However I later met some guys who were renting a beach hut between them for 500 Rupees, if only I had explored a bit more. The original plan was to spend a couple of days at Palolem, then head down to Gorkana, around 2 hours south of Goa. However I loved Palolem so much I didn’t want to leave and ended up staying 8 nights and I may be planning to go back at the end of my time in India. I’m not too sure why I loved it so much, I mean it can’t have been the palm trees, the calm sea, the soft crescent sandy beach, the dolphins, the relaxed atmosphere and the great food, it must have been the beer. Coming from a dry state that Kerala is, to then find beach bars selling beer for 60 Rupees (£0.75), with the sun setting over monkey island and a cool breeze in the air it was just beautiful. The restaurants on the beach are a bit more expensive then on the road, 3 minutes away, but there’s something about eating in the evening, sitting on the beach and hearing the sea rolling in the background. There’s a wide variety of food, from Indian, to Italian, to Chinese and lots and lots of seafood. If anyone’s interested in watching sport whilst they are there, the Cafe Del Mar has 2 big projectors, where I finally saw England win a game of cricket in India, after 8 attempts.
There’s the option of renting Kayaks on the beach and paddling out around monkey island for a bit of dolphin spotting. The sea is a bit rougher round the back of the island, but nothing too major. There are plenty of places to rent Kayaks but the cheapest I found was outside D’Costa, 100 Rupees for an hour. Another day I took a 2 hour boat trip for some more dolphin spotting, some fishing and to relax for a bit on butterfly beach, only accessible by boat. It was a great 2 hours, which we managed to get for 200 Rupees (£2.50) per person, whereas other people on the boat were paying 800 Rupees (£10) per person. It wasn’t really fair, just make sure you haggle hard!
From Palolem I caught the local bus back to Madgaon for the train to Hampi, the only problem being it was a public holiday in India. This meant that the bus was absolutely packed, filled to the brim and I really struggled to find accommodation in Madgaon, the night before the morning train. I eventually found a room, after an hour of searching in the dark, for 2100 Rupees (£26) which was stupidly expensive, yet there was no other option. Apparently everyone flocks to somewhere near the beach on a public holiday, but I wasn’t to know, I only found out that day it was a holiday. I’m now approaching Hampi, an 8 hour train ride inland from Goa, so I’m off to explore the ruins.
Places visited: Trivandrum, Kollam, Amritapuri, Allappuzha, Fort Kochi/Ernakulam.
After a fantastic 2 weeks in Poovar over New Years with my family, it was time for me to head back to reality. I enquired at the resort about a taxi to Trivandrum and the price they quoted was 1600 Rupees (£21), this was too much. Instead I managed to bag a free lift to Poovar Bus Station, a 5 minute drive after getting off the boat from the resort, with the bus to Trivandrum costing 22 Rupees (£0.28) and taking just over an hour. I was not originally planning on spending a night in Trivandrum but a friend had an issue with her 12 Month Working Holiday Visa application for New Zealand. Because she had been in countries that were not classified as ‘Low Risk TB’ for a combined total of over 3 months, she had to provide a chest X-ray in order to prove she didn’t have TB. As you can imagine this was great fun to sort out in the middle of India… but she managed to do it. There are only certain hospitals which are approved by the New Zealand government (you can find the list on the NZ Visa website) and one of these was in Trivandrum, The Kerala Institute of Medical Science. She had rung up 2 days previous and booked her an appointment. The appointment was at 10:00 in the Visa Medical section of the hospital on the 9th Floor. We turned up at 09:00 and she was called in at 09:30 and we were out by 11:15. If you just need a chest X-Ray it costs 1200 Rupees (£15) and for the full body medical scan it costs around 5400 Rupees (£68), a lot cheaper then having it completed in England. In fact if you need a full body medical scan I think its cheaper to obtain an Indian Visa, book a return flight and have the scan done, then it is to have it done in England. When I was 18 I applied for a working visa before I went to New Zealand, and needed a full body medical as I was diabetic and I seem to remember them trying to charge me £800. I could be wrong, it was a long time ago. India is part of the e-medical scheme so the X-ray and form were both sent electronically by the hospital, meaning she didn’t have to visit the embassy to submit the forms herself. The Visa cost £113 + £15 for the X-ray, not too bad for a year’s Visa and to follow her dream, anyway I digress.
From Trivandrum, the bus to Kollam costs 62 Rupees (£0.78) and takes around an hour and a half. I headed to a hostel that was recommended in the Lonely Planet books, Karuna Residency and it was disgusting. It was very cheap and I could see why, there was no way we were going to stay there. I proceeded to walk around for an hour, as every hostel/hotel I visited was full. I eventually found Hotel Zodiac Regency, which costs 1200 Rupees for the night, quite a bit more than I was expecting to pay. The hotel however was lovely, with fantastic food in the adjoining restaurant and only a 5 minute walk from the dock where I was planning to catch a boat the following morning. I ventured down to the dock to enquire about the boat to Alappuzha (Alleppey), with the intention of stopping in Amritapuri first for a 2 day stay in an Ashram. Five different people told me that the government boat wasn’t running and was under repair, including three in the ticket office and the man in the Tourist Centre. I didn’t believe them, I think they were all I’m cahoots with each other. The government boat was due to leave at 10:30, costing 170 Rupees to Amritapuri and 400 Rupees to Alleppey. I arrived at the dock at 10:10 the following morning to see if the government boat turned up and were told by another 3 people that it wasn’t running. I was offered a place on a private, 30 person boat for 300 Rupees to Amritapuri but was told I had to get on and leave straight away. I didn’t know what to do. It seemed weird that they wanted to get away before 10:30, the time the government boat was meant to turn up, but I really wanted to get the boat. For me it wasn’t worth the risk to see if they were lying when 8 different people told me the same thing, and it was only £1.60 more. The boat journey was brilliant, sailing down the backwaters with palm trees either side and it is definitely something you should do if in the area. I arrived at Amritapuri at 13:00, after a 30 minute break for lunch in a hotel on the river. The lunch was a very nice all you can eat buffet costing 125 Rupees and I would definitely recommend eating there, mainly because if you are heading to the Ashram, lunch would have finished by the time you arrive. To read about my time in the Ashram take a look at my Amritapuri Ashram – The Hugging Mother post.
From the Ashram I decided to take a bus the rest of the way to Allappuzha as it is quicker and cheaper than the boat. I had already had 3 backwater boat experiences so opted for the bus. There are 2 options from the Ashram, catching a rickshaw to Kayamkulam Bus Station, 14km north for 250 Rupees, or 10km south to Karungapally Bus Station for 200 Rupees. I chose to pay the 50 Rupees more as I was heading north and didn’t want to go back on myself. The bus ticket cost 42 Rupees and arrived in Allappuzha after an hour and a half. When I boarded the bus there weren’t any seats available, and I ended up standing at the front next to the fantastically dangerous driver. He spent more time on the wrong side of the road, he’s speedometer didn’t work and his rev counter was stuck on 1500 revs, no matter how fast he went… he went faaaaaasssst. Once in Allappuzha a Rickshaw from the bus station to the beach costs 70 Rupees. I asked around for a bus to the beach but everyone said it didn’t exist. Allappuzha itself was quite disappointing. The area down by the beach is a big building site, I imagine it used to be nice but it looks like they are building a bridge, which has ruined the area. I rented a bicycle for 100 Rupees for the day and cycled along the canals which was quite nice but I wouldn’t recommend going unless you are starting or ending your backwater experience. There is nothing much to the temples and not an awful lot to do.
From Allappuzha I caught a bus to Ernakulam, the last stop in Kerala before a night train to Goa. I caught a Rickshaw to the bus station and found a bus that looked like a city bus from England. It had comfortable seats and an electronic board displaying Ernakulam, a lot different from the beat up old buses I had been on before. I decided to go for it. The journey was very pleasant, however it was double the price of the beat up old buses, costing a whopping 119 Rupees (£1.48) for the 1 hour and 45 minute journey. I decided to stay in Ernakulam, in John’s Residency, a nice little hotel a 5 minute walk from the dock (to catch a boat to Fort Kochi) and only a 30 Rupee Rickshaw ride from Ernakulam Central Train Station, where I was boarding a night train to Goa. The boat to Fort Kochi costs 4 Rupees and leaves every 15 minutes or so. There is a ladies queue and a gentleman’s queue and each person can buy up to 3 tickets. Fort Kochi is a lovely area, a mixture of France, Portugal and England, with lots of nice cafes, art galleries and shops to fill your day. My favorite café was called The Teapot Café, which served over 18 varieties of tea in a lovely building resembling Yorkshire. Another lovely place was Kashi Art Café which serves a fantastic Granola with fresh yoghurt and fruits, and the portion is massive. Of course Fort Kochi is not all about the cafes, it’s a lovely little town to walk around, see some Chinese fishing nets in action and just relax in the quiet, yet bustling seaside town. It was a lovely ending to my time in Kerala and I am now heading North to Goa, to see what else this amazing country has to offer.
Arriving in Amritapuri I had no idea what to expect. I had signed up online for 2 nights in an Ashram, the famous Ashram of one of India’s few female gurus, Amrithanandamayi, also known as Amma (meaning Mother in many Indian languages) or ‘The Hugging Mother’. This is in reference to the “Darshan” she offers, hugging thousands of people in one day. It is estimated she has hugged 34 million people in her life and I am now one of them! I’m still not sure I fully understand what happened in the 2 days I was there, why I was there, or why people stay for a prolonged period of time, but then again I’m not a spiritual person in the slightest. I’m going to try and answer some questions I had before I arrived. You weren’t really allowed to take any photos so I only took 4!
I arrived via boat from Kollam (there is information on this in my ‘Continuing Through Kerala‘ post) and crossed the bridge via foot, arriving at the Ashram 5 minutes after docking. There is an entrance up on the left a short walk from the foot of the bridge. Once entering the Ashram the International Office is on the right hand side, where you check in and can find out some more information. There are signs on the wall informing you at which times each day there are orientation tours in your preferred language. You will be given a form to fill out, including entering your passport and visa details, then given a key to your room and are sent to pick up your bed sheets. This is in the same building as the International Office, just round the corner. It’s worth noting they keep your passport for the duration of your stay, in a “safe safe”. I found my own way to the room, floor 13, room 13, on Friday 13th, its lucky I’m not superstitious hey! The rooms are incredibly simple but nicer then some of the places I have stayed. There was one single bed with 4 mattresses piled up. There were pillows provided in the room, along with a toilet, a shower with lukewarm water, a sink tucked round the corner and a stunning view overlooking the beach, sea and the forest of palm trees surrounding the Ashram.
I set out to explore the Ashram, trying to gain a basic understanding of what it was all about. From what I understand it’s a spiritual place, where people come to find themselves with meditation, yoga and taking long vows of silence, extraordinary austerities or unusual spiritual practices, with Amma being the spiritual leader/guru. Everyone staying for a long time is looking for something, even if they don’t know what themselves. You can tell the long term residents from the short term residents by the way they dress. They wear white, baggy clothes, with big scarves and hippie style bags, some people with bandanas, some with dreadlocks. There are a lot of older residents, some women with short hair, some men with long hair, all here for the same reason, to find something new in their lives and possibly to try and put right what has gone wrong.
At 17:00 I went to the front of the temple for the orientation tour, where I was shown round the Ashram and had everything explained. The big hall serves 3 meals a day: Breakfast 09:00-10:00, Lunch 13:00-14:00 and Dinner 20:00-21:00. These are simple meals which are all included in the price of the stay, 500 Rupees per room, 250 Rupees per person. There is also a Juice Stall, a Coffee Bar, an Indian Café and a Western Café which offer alternative food throughout the day, for a small price. The main temple is where Darshan takes place (more on this later) and there are lots of places to meditate, including a section of the beach owned by the Ashram. Along with the different food outlets, there is a shop, a bank, a photocopying service, laundry service, internet area and a few different souvenir shops. If you decide to stay a long time and immerse yourself in the Ashram’s ways, there is no reason to leave the premises. The orientation tour takes you down to the beach, where you can choose to stay or head back with the guide to watch a short video on what Amma has achieved. I decided to stay at the beach and see what the meditation was all about, I didn’t last very long. Walking up to the beach I didn’t see a big rock sticking out the sand and managed to take a big chunk of flesh off the underside of my big toe. I have a rule whilst travelling, if I haven’t used something in 3 weeks get rid of it, its taking up space in your bag and you don’t need it. Well I hadn’t used my first aid kit for over 6 months but luckily I hadn’t thrown that out. I hobbled back to the room, trying to prevent sand and dirt getting in my open wound, whilst trying to stop the blood going everywhere. I made it up to the 13th floor, washed out the wound, applied some Germolene to stop infection and bandaged up my big toe, looking like something out of a cartoon! Protecting your feet is very important for a diabetic as if you have bad control it is often your extremities that suffer first. I’ve always tried to look after them, minus breaking a few toes playing football and the last thing I wanted to do was to get an infection in the middle of India.
After my toe incident it was time for me to participate in Darshan. This isn’t something you have to do, however Amma isn’t in the Ashram that often so we were ‘lucky’ she was here. You pick up a token from outside the temple. There are 4 letters and you are allowed to enter when your letter is displayed. I had a W, which was displayed in the evening, after the orientation tour. I hobbled over to the temple, removed my flip-flops, carefully guiding them round my bandaged big toe and took a seat inside. It was quite confusing at first as to what was going on. I took a seat on the right hand side and a lady in orange was directing people around. I was right at the back but from what I could work out they were taking 10 Indians, then 10 Westerners and so on. I waited about 20 minutes before being guided near the front, standing up every few minutes to move chairs. I had to wipe my face with a cloth as I didn’t have a scarf, I have no idea why, and was shown a sign saying I had to pray or chant mantras once on stage. I wasn’t allowed to touch Amma and I had to support my own weight on the arms off her chair. Once through the doors, level with the stage things started to become quite frantic. There were people pushing, shoving and directing me in all kinds of directions. When you can’t put any pressure on your big toe this isn’t the best experience. Somehow I found myself on the stage, was forced down onto my knees, more toe pain, and was pushed forward towards Amma. I didn’t have time to chant any of the mantras I knew… none, or say any prayers I knew… none, before my arms were on the arms of her chair. She grasped me round the neck, pulled me into her chest and chanted into my ear like someone possessed. I was then given a sweet and some ash, forced back onto my feet, more toe pain and exited the stage via the same side.
I took a seat as I didn’t know what else to do and was told I wasn’t a woman so I had to go to the other side. All I really wanted to do was get out. Once round the other side, the men’s section, I had every intention of leaving, but this is when Amma decided to leave the stage. People around me were crying, holding their arms out to touch her and there was nowhere for me to go. I was stuck for what felt like a lifetime before more tears, cries of Amma, and arms in every direction trying to touch their Guru as she re-entered. It turns out the side of the stage, after the hug, is for you to sit for 45 minutes and meditate close to Amma. The ash is for you to put on your head and the sweet I believe is for you to eat, both of mine ended up in the bin.
Another thing to do is Seva (selfless service), where you sign up to participate in the life of the community for a few hours a day. The whole Ashram has only a few paid staff and everything else is run voluntarily. If I was staying for a long time I would have participated, but with 2 nights and only 1 full day I didn’t. Amma does put her life and soul into the Ashram, never appearing to have a moment’s rest, with daily events such as Darshan, group meditation and evening singing sessions. I enjoyed my time at the Ashram but I still don’t think I fully understand what went on. I think I can understand why people do it, but to get so involved and to cry when Amma walks past is beyond me. In the book Eat, Pray, Love she spends 4 months in an Ashram trying to find herself, so if you are interested read the Pray part of the book. The Ashram isn’t for me I don’t think, but that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the experience, perhaps one day I will return with dreadlocks looking to find myself. I will now continue North through Kerala.
