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Trip Report
Backpacking & Other Travel Destinations In India
Our 1 month backpacking India trip which included: Kerala, Goa, Hampi, and Uttarakhand. We started in south India and ended north for hiking in the Himalayas.
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Highs & Lows
Hiking in the Himalayas
Lots of people asking for money
Itinerary Overview
We flew into Kerala, to start our journey from the South of India all the way to the North. As we stepped off the plane, we were hit by the heat and humidity and didn't stop sweating from here until we reached the Himalayas. The roads were chaotic and loud with the persistent honking. Our homestay was peaceful and quiet, with a lovely rooftop terrace where we ate breakfast every morning. Our days in Cochin were spent wandering around, looking at the markets and eating delicious curries. We also went on a boat trip to see the more rural areas around Cochin. From here, we took a bus to Periyar National Park. We stayed in Green View Homestay with a great terrace, surrounded by the jungle. On one day we went to Elephant Junction. We thought that is was an Elephant reserve, however, were disappointed when we were there. The elephants had chains around them, and they use them to move logs. Your money pays for you to go on a 30 minute ride during which the elephant gets hit with a stick and then to feed the elephant some fruits. I would not recommend this place as it is not an elephant sanctuary. We had an amazing meal at Grandma's cafe which has a great atmosphere, I would definitely recommend this.
Q & A
What would you have changed?
Would have obviously loved more time to visit the NorthWest of India - including the blue and pink city and the desert.
Anything go wrong during the trip?
Landslide season meant we couldn't take the bus as far as we planned. Be sure to agree on prices before doing anything and what that includes as we had a few discrepancies during our trip on.
How was the food?
The food in India is sooooo good. We tried everything from street food, to restaurants, to sweet treats from bakeries. See some of my tagged places
What tips would you give a friend?
Anything hot is safe to eat! Get to know what prices to pay for things early on as its normal to be charge triple the price if not more for things.
Transportation Tips?
Tuk tuks are the easiest way to get around in cities, otherwise the night buses and trains were great. Sometimes you can pay extra for a meal with your ticket.
Booking details?
We didn't book anything except our first homestay - this allowed us to go with the flow which is perfect in India as nothing runs to time.
Lodging
Saj's Homestay, Cochin. Lovely family, delicious breakfast, clean room. Green View, Kumily. Large terrace and plenty of hammocks!
Beach hotel
We stayed in a bamboo hut across the river, small cheap and simple.