Saudi Arabian looted in Mumbai; gang targeted 44 Arabs

[Sargon of Akkad]

You are most welcome, it got me thinking about doing the same thing down the road as well...I haven't really done the west coast of India tourism wise.

As for TN coast that you are describing...it is not so "touristy" as much as the west coast in kerala and goa which has much longer history of tourism and infra there (resorts, lodges, cultural tours and groups etc). It is more off the beaten path and probably not ideal for a first time visitor.

That said more and more people are visiting this area too from abroad as they get bored of the first trip to the well known places.

Starting at southern tip and working your way eastwards...description wise its basically a lot of very long sandy beaches (compared to backwaters and coves of Kerala)....not so many coconut trees and lushness as Kerala....but lots more of sea side temples (many very old but still the hub of the coastal towns) and spread out fisherman communities and villages (and these folk are generally quite interested in foreigners visiting them). When you go upwards the coast a bit you will hit the Cauvery delta area which is a beautiful place with many ancient temples, coconut groves and rice fields. This was the cultural and economic hub of Tamil country since antiquity....and has many old canals and irrigation networks dating hundreds even thousand years old.

Then you will finally hit Chennai with its long city beach, marinas, cultural items and cosmopolitan feel...a smaller version of say Bombay but with Tamil as the main culture (mixed in with many others).

The other great cultural routes in TN are more interior which include Madurai (arguably the greatest and most famous of the south indian temples) and also Trichy/Thanjavur on the Kaveri river which has one of the other greatest temples built by the Chola dynasty (when Tamil power hit its peak in India and South East Asia) under the great rajaraja (king of kings) chola...whom my friend @Rajaraja Chola names himself after on this forum.

Tamil Nadu in brief:

One of the more famous sea side temples I am talking about:

This is repeated a lot across the coastline in general.

Another very valuable post. I appreciate it. By the sound of it Kerala/Goa appears to be more preferably as a destination for first-time traveller to India and South Asia as a whole. I always suspected this to be the case hence why my plan, if I ever visited India, was to visit that part of the country first.

@hinduguy I would have nothing against visiting Northern India or Pakistan, rather the contrary, however I believe that for a first-time traveller like me and for the type of holiday that I would like to have, South India ticks the most boxes.

Sounds like a visit to the bigger cities, even if a one-day visit, such as Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai etc. might not be worth it. Am I wrong here if I will be mostly based in Kerala/Goa and nearby areas?

I have tagged @nair now so if he sees our discussions he might give me and us all here some recommendations if he wants to.

@hinduguy that is exactly that type of exchange with locals that would be a very good thing I believe. Middle class people would actually be the best as I would rather not burden poor people. You know nothing big. Just to visit an ordinary family's house/apartment and see the food they eat and talk for a little.

As for backpacking, I thought about it (my initial plan was to visit Nepal) but such a project would be better to do with one of my brothers or some friends/relatives I believe.

How popular are hostels in Southern India? When you are on the run you do not spend much time in hotels/hostels aside from sleeping. I prefer it that way unless I am in some resort which as I wrote, in the case of South India, I would only want for preferably no more than 1 week. 10 days at most.

 

[Sky lord]

About being welcomed, staying at strangers house, that is a shame. I thought, do not know why, that this was somehow common in Southern India. What if I befriend an local who helps me with something and I politely ask if I/we could visit his house or village if he lives in such a thing?

Check with @nair . There are families in Kerala that take you in and offer you an authentic meal for payment.

Also ask around with your Kerala friends in Saudi, they would have relatives who can offer a local experience. People are happy to invite home once they have an introduction.

Kerala and Goa are both now basically middle class societies. Indian middle class standards not American middle class. There are very few beggars and such...the few there are basically imports from north and eastern India. It is also much cleaner than north India...however that doesn't mean you can drink the water and gastroenteritis is always a possibility. Goa is great for beer and dancing. Teasing women is prevalent in conservative Kerala but not so much in Goa....but unlike Europe or Mexico you cannot go bare breasted...obviously I am sure that would not be the case here anyways. Go for it..you will have fun.

 

[Post Colonnial]

You will stick out almost anywhere in India. Arabs look quite different to most Indians.

But South Indians will find you more intriguing and be friendly in curious sort of way....whereas north indians may be more snobby or rude (of course just a minority of them). If you stick to the major tourist circuits etc.... anywhere and pay attention to the common sense of touring developing countries....you should be fine.

Do a read up on the travel warnings of all the areas you plan to visit. Plenty of youtube videos and internet articles out there.

Actually in South and Western India, they are quite used to have Arab visitors these days. May of them visit holy 'dargas' such as the one in Nagore, Haji Ali etc. And then they stay in the resorts of western ghats for some cooling off.

North - I don't know since I have only visited Delhi, never lived there.

 

[livingdead]

@Sargon of Akkad .. hostel culture does not exist in India... somebody suggested airbnb... its an excellent way to live with an indian family.... and they might even cook you a dinner for a fee....

you already said you got interest in hyderabad(historical connection)... that makes it attractive to you.. otherwise its some building made of stone build by fcuk knows who and when...
so I wont be against it, i mean if you want to just fly in... domestic flight is quite cheap in some sector... indigo is a low cost airline with extensive network. check makemytrip.com for comparing flights...
for 2 weeks trip.. i wont do it... too much hassle... 3 weeks then yes.

 

[Madali]

In 2015, 8 MILLION tourists visited India. That's like a third of the population of Saudi.

And it has been growing year by year, with almost 5% increase per year. India has always been a popular tourist destination (I think my grandparents visited for their honeymoon eons ago). The hippies of the 60s had India as their top destination.

So there are hordes of literature on travelling to India. Lonely Planet probably has immense material on it, p!us travel blogs, plus sites like wiki travel or TripAdvisor.

 

[Nilgiri]

How popular are hostels in Southern India? When you are on the run you do not spend much time in hotels/hostels aside from sleeping. I prefer it that way unless I am in some resort which as I wrote, in the case of South India, I would only want for preferably no more than 1 week. 10 days at most.

Did the site just go down? Lost a post

Anyway:

Plenty of cheap no fuss options are available given the tourist circuit is well developed.

@nair can give you some ideas about the best plan of attack. if you are doing just a 1 week in kerala thing.

hostel culture does not exist in India... somebody suggested airbnb... its an excellent way to live with an indian family.... and they might even cook you a dinner for a fee....

Its a pretty good idea (airbnb), but there are also cheap, clean no fuss places to stay in the touristy areas in Kerala and Goa. @nair can expand on what the situation is for kerala.

How popular are hostels in Southern India? When you are on the run you do not spend much time in hotels/hostels aside from sleeping. I prefer it that way unless I am in some resort which as I wrote, in the case of South India, I would only want for preferably no more than 1 week. 10 days at most.

Plenty of cheap no fuss options are available given the tourist circuit is well developed

Actually in South and Western India, they are quite used to have Arab visitors these days. May of them visit holy 'dargas' such as the one in Nagore, Haji Ali etc. And then they stay in the resorts of western ghats for some cooling off.

North - I don't know since I have only visited Delhi, never lived there.

Oh ok didnt know that. Maybe you can a few tips to @Sargon of Akkad if you are from the area?

 

[Śakra]

@Sargon of Akkad

You seem to be a person of means. I would suggest Rajastan over anything else tbh, it is for a wealthier tourist market and is cleaner, with no crime or beggars or any of those things that ruin an expierence

 

[Sam.]

@Sargon of Akkad

You seem to be a person of means. I would suggest Rajastan over anything else tbh, it is for a wealthier tourist market and is cleaner, with no crime or beggars or any of those things that ruin an expierence

Ahh just stop it and read the racist/inferiority complex South Indian like nilgiri comments and just enjoy the show how South India is heaven and North India is hell.

It's open my eyes of how much they feel inferior to us so i will go back to my North Indian slum and loot someone.

Now final touch from me will be posting racist picture so here is my karma -

 

[Śakra]

Does that make them Swedish or Germans?

Idk I heard Germans love curry... currywurst!

 

[unbiasedopinion]

Ali baba and 40 thieves...

 

[Nilgiri]

Ahh just stop it and read the racist/inferiority complex South Indian like nilgiri comments and just enjoy the show how South India is heaven and North India is hell.

It's open my eyes of how much they feel inferior to us so i will go back to my North Indian slum and loot someone.

Now final touch from me will be posting racist picture so here is my karma -

What did I say that was racist?

Crime, sanitation, hygiene, income, health, education...all is much worse in North India...especially rural areas.

Does not mean its a 100% affliction.

Want me to post the numbers?

It is clear who has the inferiority complex here.

 

[Śakra]

Does that make them Swedish or Germans?

Ahh just stop it and read the racist/inferiority complex South Indian like nilgiri comments and just enjoy the show how South India is heaven and North India is hell.

It's open my eyes of how much they feel inferior to us so i will go back to my North Indian slum and loot someone.

Now final touch from me will be posting racist picture so here is my karma -

This is what I've been saying, these South Indians are massively jealous of us. I've been to Chennai, that place is worse than Agra. No amount of propaganda is going to change the reality that south India is worse than North India, the real North India not Eastern UP and Bihar which are Eastern India.

Where does the Vedas come from? North India
Where does Bollywood come from? North India
Where do saris originate from? North India

Their religion, their architecture, their philosophy, their whole culture, it all comes from North India. They know it and they hate that.

 

[Nilgiri]

This is what I've been saying, these South Indians are massively jealous of us. I've been to Chennai, that place is worse than Agra. No amount of propaganda is going to change the reality that south India is worse than North India, the real North India not Eastern UP and Bihar which are Eastern India.

Where does the Vedas come from? North India
Where does Bollywood come from? North India
Where do saris originate from? North India

Their religion, their architecture, their philosophy, their whole culture, it all comes from North India. They know it and they hate that.

Yup we are worse than some 3rd rate BIMARU city that is only known because of Taj Mahal and also its pagal asylum

 

[Śakra]

Crime, sanitation, hygiene, income, health, education...all is much worse in North India...especially rural areas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_states_and_territories_by_Human_Development_Index

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_states_and_territories_ranking_by_crime_rate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_states_ranking_by_literacy_rate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India...ories_ranked_by_prevalence_of_open_defecation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_states_by_life_expectancy_at_birth

In all accounts (crime, sanitation, income, health, education) North India does MUCH better than the south.

 

[Sam.]

This is what I've been saying, these South Indians are massively jealous of us. I've been to Chennai, that place is worse than Agra. No amount of propaganda is going to change the reality that south India is worse than North India, the real North India not Eastern UP and Bihar which are Eastern India.

Where does the Vedas come from? North India
Where does Bollywood come from? North India
Where do saris originate from? North India

Their religion, their architecture, their philosophy, their whole culture, it all comes from North India. They know it and they hate that.

Haha you just need to poke em and you can see his racist tendency to get out like a toad from pond. Now he says North India is 3rd world bimaru state. hahahaha

Yup we are worse than some 3rd rate BIMARU city that is only known because of Taj Mahal and also its pagal asylum

Damn it we Haryanvi are soo poor and need to migrate to rich first world south India @ranjeet bhai kab migration start kare?