HERE IS WHAT SOME TRAVELLERS HAVE TO SAY

1. There are...

very few things that you can't buy (or do without) on the road.

My strategy is to take those things which are very hard to find in a local market (my passport, money, ticket home) and an initial supply of those things that I know I'm going to need (soap, shampoo, basic clothing, etc.).

I take enough first aid stuff to take care of immediate needs. 2-4 bandaides will get me by until I can pick up some more in any pharmacy.

Keep it simple, travel light....

bob
http://www.pbase.com/bobtrips - SEA and Nepal
New Feature - Myanmar Nat Festival

2. water bottle!

Bring a good water bottle if you plan to do any trekking. The Nalgene and Sigg bottles are unavailable in India (some in Nepal in trekking shops), and you'll find it hard to get a durable bottle which has a well-sealing screw top anywhere.

http://kickme.to/toke

3. Soap

Dettol soap is sold almost everywhere in india.
It's much better than those western perfumed soaps
which attract mosquitoes.

4. things to pack and some wisdom to go with it.

Take surfboard wax to Kovalam, the local surfers (2) need some.

Dont eat Seer Fish (barracudda) they can have Ciguatera, a bad disease.

Leave Kovalam before the 747's full of English arrive for one week drunken jaunts.

Take a Mozzie net and about 10 m of cheap strong braided nylon cord.

A pair of cheap small binoculars is well worth the carrying.

If you are in a place for 4 or more days tell the sellers of beads, sarongs etc that if they gave it to you for free you would give it back. It means almost no hassles for the last couple of days.

Thiruvananthapurum is an easier airport than Delhi.

International flights go to both Thiruvananthapurum and Cochin.

Lunghis can be bought more cheaply from fixed price handloom weavers association stores in cities.

1000 Rs makes the cops go away.

( WEBYATRA - The following is for Kerala)

I didnt manage to arrange a day offshore in a boat, all asked for more than 800 Rs per hour, with one driver, compare to 80 Rs per hour for rice barge, two polers and a chef with all food!!!!

We had a one bedroom 24 hr rice barge trip with all food and a taxi from Coochin to Alleppy for 2500, so you could probably get it for 2000Rs from Alleppy.

Thedacky/Kumily/Periyar seem to refer to the same place but different people seem to use different names and dont understand the other two!!!

Enjoy.