Anyone been to India?

India is definitely on my list of places to go (at some point), I'd love to go there for our honeymoon, trailfinders keep sending us amazing packages of different places to go.

I'd also love to go to Indonesia & Thailand, Vietnam....oh god just stick me on a plane and let me explore!

H and I went to India a couple of years ago. We started in Bangalore and then travelled around the south, mainly in the hills and on the coast. I really recommend Kerala and an overnight trip on a house boat. Alternatively in the north you have the cultural triangle and you can go into the national parks and see tigers etc.

It would all be fine for a honeymoon, just make sure you wash you hands religiously and eat and drink sensibly and there's no reason to get ill. Unless you're one of the unlucky ones to get an airborne bug that is. Neither H or I was ill when we were there and we were 'slumming' it and staying in places that cost about 50p a night.. and eating street food.

WKS re handwashing and being careful what you eat-I got ameobic dysentary which is great for weight loss, but not good on HM!

We did the cultural triangle of Delhi, Agra (Taj) and Jaipur. it was fascinating (part of round the world trip in 1996). Sounds like Kerala would be great for HM, with some time on the beach in Goa or around there.

Hiya Kirsty S,

Wow! Sounds like you had an amazing time! Yes we fancy Kerala. We're just not sure about the weather though as it says June, July and August are the rainly times! We get married 20 June so will be there end June and early July!

What sort of spending money do you need out there? I hear it's very cheap! Was it a good experience eating out?

One of the tailormade tours includes a house boat for one night with a meal cooked for you. Sounds fab! The tour includes a car with a private driver and guide. Is this what you had?

Any more info would be gratefully recieved!

S xxxxx

Hi, fabuolus day to get married on, its my birthday!!

I went to Goa about 10 years ago, I know alot can change in 10 years but we stayed in touch with a chap who owned his own beach shack and his best mate who owned his own taxi! I would say the roads are scary but quite a thrill basically the bigger vehicle gets right of way and pot holes are everywhere but it adds to the character of the place. The food i thought was beautifull nothing like we get here. They dont concentrate their taste in the sauce its all done in the meat and old style clay ovens to cook the breads. I would highly recomend the banana pancakes they are lush! I was fine with the food my friend was a little ill for a few days but we took some anti poop stuff which even 10 years ago was good enough to work! A word of warning the children are sent to essentially beg for money so you may come home with lots of sarongs! Dont be pressured a strick No will make them go away most of the time.

I loved india and would recomend it to travel to! Another place i loved was Borneo and again would highly recomend it. You are kept busy with trips and stuff but we booked a few extra days for next to no money which gave us pool/beach time to relax so for me it was best of both worlds.

Good luck

Simonne xx

My fiance went there for work and he is in no hurry to go back!! The taxi rides he had to take for work were the most scariest, with no seatbealts and hell, drivers drove wherever they wanted, either side of road. Despite being holed up in a hotel for most of the time he tried to get out and about but was rarely taken where he wanted to go 'you visit my sisters shop' etc etc plus the sewage ridden streets didnt quite do it for him either, lolol. Ah well least hes been there now but doubt he'll ever go back! Goodluck with your search.

Hi Mccaules,

Hubby and I went last year in Oct..........and spent two weeks travelling around....1 week in the North seeing the normal tourist sites and then a week in the South. I've listed all the hotels we stayed in and where below as we tailormade it before we went. I would highly recommend this as negotiations with taxi driver and tour guides can take a lot of your time......whereas booking it before they'll pick you up at a time you want to take you to all the sites shows you the best bits and help keep the locals from going on and on and on.........I'm a brunette and I was constantly starred at so I would dread to be a loan blonde female. But please don't let any of this put you off as it's one of the most beautiful countries I've been too and that includes the people.

Ironically a friend of mine who also went once described the Taj mahal as "the most beautiful site surrounded by ***" .....it is a little but so worth it and I'm sure that's what helps it's splendor.

BUT my most fav' part would have to be the kerala backwaters and taken the overnight trip on the boat.........HTB and I said it would've made a lovely honeymoon and I'd recommend two nights or more.......we only had one and it was so relaxing we didn't want to get off. The people in the south are also so much more chilled ;-)

Fav hotels were Amar Villas (I have never been treated with such luxury as there.......they couldn't do enough for us) and the Samode Haveli.....we had the mirror room and this was really different and huge.

Sorry I've just realised my essay ?

Good luck!!

Hi, just thought i'd add my two pennith!, We have a place in Goa and have been going for arond the last 14 years!

If you dislike rain then avoid Goa and Kerela in June, July and Aug! Its monsoon season until the end of Oct, its still very beautiful but very wet and can be quite cold!. The South West of India suffers monsoon from May - Oct, shame as its a beautiful place x

Just to add, you also need a visa to enter India, its vaild or 6 months and cost around £30 each. Kerela is much more expensive than Goa as its still 'Indian' where as Goa is an independant state so still relatively cheap. Dont let folks tales of taxi rides put you off! yes some of them make your toes curl but on the whole its a wondeful place. Oh and most of the hotels and beach shacks dont let beggers on to their 'bit' of beach so you wouldn't/shouldn't be bothered by them.

Sounds like there are some mixed opinions of the place, but with somewhere so beautiful but so poor (in places) I suppose this is always going to be the case.

I am relly dissapointed that its monsoon season when we plan to go! Should this put us off? It probably would be better to go when it's nicer weather and we can fully enjoy it.

Where else could we try instead that's a similar experience? We love culture ad trying different foods and wines etc but want to do a bit of relaxing to begin with.

S x