General Tips For Travelers - South India

ACCOMMODATION : Check out time for most hotels is 24 hours, with exception to some resort towns like Munnar, Kumily (Thekkadi) in Kerala and Ooty (Udagamandalam) in Tamil Nadu,  check out time is by 12.00 noon. In big cities such as Trivandrum, Kochi and Bangalore ,  a 3-star hotel ranges from Rs 900 to Rs 2000 for a double room with A/C.  Other places you may find at Rs 200 to Rs 500 for a double. If your budget is restricted, get an non-A/C room if you're in Ooty, Munnar, Thekkady and Bangalore as these are highlands and all year round temperature is relatively comfortable. If you rent a car, a driver is always provided (they don't trust foreigner to drive in India ha ha ha), he could suggest you the kind of place you wish to stay.  Note that there is usually 15% tax on A/C rooms.  

FOOD: This is the best part. I love it spicy,  so I didn't have any problem. If you're not, then you'd be better off to spend a little more and stick to hotel food. Still it could be very spicy. In Bangalore, you'd find Pizza Hut and KFC. You're always in luck if you're a vegetarian and prefer it hot and spicy;  you'd never face problem in finding what you want  all over India. For a Zone diet follower, I found it difficult to get enough protein in the Indian vegetarian diet, as one fellow traveler puts it "this is a starch country". Unlike Malaysia, where you'd find soy-based in vegetarian meals, I didn't find this in India. Best option is to ask for an white-eggs-omelet, fish fry or buttermilk (in Kerala ask for mooru)  to  accompany your dosai, appom, chapati or idly. You must have the beriani. Tea (chaya in Malayalam) is best with cardamom though not common, prepared with cow's milk (not sweetened condensed milk like in Malaysia). If you're particular about your drinking water,  always ask for bottled-treated water (mineral) at any restaurant. Usually they serve warm water treated with some Ayurvedic herbs in restaurants ( for unknown reasons, they call restaurant as hotel there). Tip is certainly courteous especially from tourists (we don't tip in Malaysia!) and a mere Rs 10 to Rs 20 would do.  In Kerala,  you must try the thaali set (banana leaf style with Kerala rice and gravy, optional fish curry)  and also kappa with minnu kari (tapioca served with fish curry) 

CAR RENTAL: You can choose either a private or a company approved by the State Government. I would recommend the latter, as it is the safest mode and insurance-covered. Our driver was careful and courteous. An option is to check with the hotel concierge for the various companies available. Check the links for some contacts I made.  If you plan a long journey, confirm your itinerary before leaving and ensure if the permit  charges to travel to other states are already included in the total cost. Calculate your expected mileage, so get road maps to verify the total distance. Also ask your driver if he has the knowledge of the places you are going to. Most economical is car without A/C - Ambassador (Indian national car) about Rs 4/km. This does not include other charges such as night halt (Rs 100-150 per stop),  hill halt (Rs100). It is recommended you tip the driver after the trip. Private drivers usually require some advance to pay for fuel. We rented a Toyota Quales from Jayasree Travels & Tours Co. for 4 persons at Rs 8/km, air-conditioned, depending on where you want to go  and time duration. Later, we also rented a Tata Sumo from a private owner for Rs 6/km, without A/C, but the seats were uncomfortable for long distance.  I heard it was cheaper to rent car in Tamil Nadu. We rented our car in Kerala and fuel price is higher there  than other states. 

In places such as Goa and Kovalam, I've seen tourists renting motorbikes and bicycles. 

CITY TRAVELING: Although taxis (Ambassador A/C and Non A/C) are available in abundance in major cities and towns, best option is to hire an auto rickshaw. Sometimes for Rs 100 you could see all the tourist spots around the city e.g. in Trivandrum. Finalize deal before you get on for a ride. Normal fare for is Rs 7 per trip, though some drivers may charge Rs 10 to foreigners A little bargain skill is required here. Get local maps to plan your excursions. Road maps are cheap (from Rs 20 to Rs 150 at local bookstores).

TRAINS: Recommended is sleeper coach but limited seats available. You may have to pay a little extra than the published rate especially if you have not made any reservation prior to at least one week before your departure. 

BUSES: Recommended are luxury coaches for long distance but I did not try this. I noticed local transit buses could be uncomfortable, usually packed and routes are written in local languages and characters. Locals are usually friendly and helpful, but be wise to choose whom you ask for directions. 

INTERNET & PHONE: You can find Internet cafe/kiosk and phone booths in almost every major town. You can call/fax  to any part of the world from the booths. Calls are rated by a special meter and you could stop if it exceeds your budget. Cheapest rate is from 11.00 p.m. to 9.00 a.m. If you plan to stay longer, get yourself a prepaid phone. Make sure the phone provider allows roaming in a few states. We got one from Escotel for Rs 500 (limited calls) to roam in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.   

CURRENCY EXCHANGE: Major hard currencies are accepted at authorized moneychangers such as Thomas Cook (including Malaysian Ringgit). Check the local daily (The Hindu or Indian Express) for the latest rate. Rates are better in the black market. You may do this at your own risk. Some taxi or auto rickshaw drivers are willing to take you to one,  among some of the many places you might want  to go to  (ehem). During November 2002, best rate for Malaysian Ringgit was RM1 = Rs 11.35 (bank) and RM1= Rs12.40 (black).

CIGARETTES & BOOZE: You'd find only local brands, therefore bring as many as you can from home, but you are limited to 2 cartons upon entry. At some tourist spots and big cities, you may find US brands. Warning: they might be of old stock and overpriced. Again, only local brands are available for alcoholic drinks and they are cheap. Goa offers the cheapest wine and spirits due to its duty-free status. You may have to declare upon exit and entry to another state. To avoid any hassle at the state border, I'd finish them all before leaving.  Wine shops in Kerala are operated by the State Government, so their booze is "kosher". There were reports that in other states, drinks are mixed with unknown elements in bars and wine shops. Try the locally brewed Kingfisher or ICE beer.  If you're adventurous, try Kalle (toddy)  with chicken or liver curry.   

 Smoking is prohibited in all restaurants & public places. This applies to Kerala state only.

AYURVEDIC MASSAGE: Kerala is known for Ayurvedic treatment.  There are massage parlors everywhere.  For general massage, price ranges from Rs 200 to 500.  Usually, masseurs are students under supervision by a doctor. Don't expect female to male massage (he he he... this is not Thailand).

LANGUAGE: English is widely spoken all over India. While in Kerala, best is to speak Malayalam although Tamil could prove useful in some places. In Goa, it is practical to know some Hindi. I noticed Tamil was useful in Bangalore and Mysore. People in Karnataka whom we met seemed to be trilingual (wow!).

Nao fala-se portugues na Goa. Tem gente, da geracao maior que falam o portugues, mas a lingua coloquial e anticua e dificil para comprender. 

VISA: For Malaysians, you require a tourist visa that can be arranged by your travel agent.  Indian High Commission charges RM156 (6 month-visa)  additional RM20 for runner fees, unless you prefer to submit your own application.  

HOW TO GET THERE: We flew to Trivandrum from Kuala Lumpur on Sri Lankan Airlines with one night stopover in Colombo. You may break journey in Sri Lanka on the way back for no extra charge. I'd rather take a direct flight for my next trip though. There are flights direct to Kochi and Trivandrum on Silk Air (ex-Singapore) and direct flights to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai  and Chennai on  Malaysia Airlines.

There are daily flights from the Gulf countries  (Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Muscat) to Trivandrum, Kochi,  Calicut and also Bangalore. Check with Saudia,  Qatari Airways, Omani Air,  Emirates, Gulf Air for further details.   

From Europe (with connections from the US & Canada),  there are daily flights to Mumbai or Delhi with connecting flights to Trivandrum, Bangalore and Goa. Lufthansa flies direct to Bangalore. 

Para mis amigos en Sud America, temo que hacer la conexion en la Europa u Sud Africa para conectar con los vuelos para el sur de la India.  

Author, after an elephant ride in Kumly (Thekkady), Kerala. Nov 27, 2002 

Best viewed in 1024 x 768

Information provided here is for reference purposes only and reflects personal opinions and views. It strictly refers to places the author has covered in this trip and may not serve useful for other areas of the sub-continent. The details are correct at the time of publishing and the author is not responsible for any anomaly that may occur.

November 2002

Contact author.