Kerala Travel Tips
We have put together a
couple of simple general guidelines for you to follow, to make your trip
to India a truly pleasant one. India is a land of diversities, quite
different from any other country. Each state in India has its own distinct
culture, language, traditions and food habits quite different from the
rest of the states country – so it is advised that you read the following
guidelines carefully to avoid any hassles or unwanted troubles along your
journey.
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Clothes & Accessories –
India due to its huge geographical size does not fit a particular climate
zone. Generally speaking you must include cotton outfits, sunglasses,
hats, mosquito repellant cream/lotion, shoes/ light sandals, moisturizing
lotion and sun-block lotion mandatory, while planning your trip. If you
are traveling to hill stations or the Himalayas do ensure that you carry
woolen outfits with you. When in public places, care must be exercised to
ensure your clothes are within the purview of decency to avoid unwanted
attention.
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Water – Carry a bottle
of mineral water with you at all times. Do ensure that the seal is not
tampered with when buying mineral water bottles. Do not drink water from
public taps or road-side vendors. If you feel like having a juice, please
have it from a hygienic restaurant than from a road-side shack.
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Transportation – Buses
are the cheapest option, auto-rickshaws, cabs and trains come next in the
line. When traveling on a rickshaw or cab do ask the rates before you
board the vehicle to avoid any problems and confusions. Also it is
advisable to check the rates with some authority figure beforehand. When
traveling in a train for long-distance reserve your tickets in advance,
you can also get reserved tickets for short-distance which is the best way
to avoid the heavy rush in un-reserved compartments. If you don’t get your
tickets through the regular way you can get them through the “tatkal’
quota by paying a little extra charge. Do ensure to carry toilet paper
with you when you are going on a long distance journey in train. Most of
the train-stations have a pre-paid rickshaw counter, which is the best way
to avoid bargaining and squabbling with the rickshaw driver.
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Money - Foreign
exchange including foreign currency, traveler’s cheques, drafts drawn on
banks in India or letters of credit can be brought into India without any
limit. However, if the gross amount brought into India in any form at one
time exceeds USD 10,000/- or its equivalent, it is required to be declared
by the holder to the Indian customs authorities on arrival on a Currency
Declaration Form. The forms of which are available with the
airport/seaport customs department.
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Banks & ATMs – The
nationalized banks are open for business from 10.00 in the morning to
14.00 hrs in the afternoon. A couple of private banks are open for
business between 8.00 in the morning to 8.00 in the night. There is also
an extensive number of ATMs spread across the metros, towns and villages
of India.
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Best Time to Visit
–India is a land of celebrations and festivals. In the Northern parts of
India Diwali, Baisaki, Pushkar fair, Holi, Kumbh Mela, and Goa Carnival
are some of the prominent ones. Down south, it’s an altogether different
set of celebrations - Pongal, Karthigai Deepam, Kavadi are some of the
prominent ones. Kerala has a set of exciting festivals and events like
Onam, Thrissur Pooram, Boat races to mention a few.
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Food –Do make it a
point to savor some of the authentic Indian cuisines, garnished with
exotic spices and herbs, while you are here. North Indian cuisines are
quite different from their Southern and Eastern counterparts. In fact,
each region has different types of cuisines and methods of cooking, quite
distinct from the other. Do make it a point to savor the regional
specialties when you travel.
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Temple Codes – If you
are visiting a temple, please do ensure that you understand the rules and
regulations concerning that particular temple before going in. Each temple
has its own rules and codes of conduct that must be strictly adhered to.
In general, non-Hindus are barred from entering most of the temples.
Wearing footwear and particular type of clothes inside the temple premises
are also strictly banned.
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Ayurvedic Treatment –
Tourists flock to Kerala for Ayurvedic rejuvenation therapies. A lot of
fake Ayurvedic centers have mushroomed across the state of the late, so
care must be exercised to check the authenticity of the place before you
book your therapy. You must consult a certified Ayurvedic practitioner
before you enter into any sort of Ayurvedic treatment. To avoid any
serious side effects, the treatment must be properly customized based on
your medical history and body conditions.
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Electricity: The
standard voltage of electric supply in the whole of India is between 220 –
240 Volts. Two and three pin plugs are widely used and you will have to
get a voltage converter if the devices you carry do not accept 240 Volts
at 50 Hertz. Voltage converters are easily available in the electrical
stores. The voltage converters that are adaptable to the Indian voltage
are Resistor Network Converters (50-1600 Watts), Transformers (50-1000
Watts) and Combination Converters.
Pre-departure tips
-
India’s time zone is
GMT/UTC +5.30, so chances of jet lag cannot be ignored. It is advised that
you get onto India’s time zone as soon as you leave home and try to eat
and sleep on Indian time. Also, if you reach India early in the day, try
to stay awake – this will help the body’s internal clock to reset.
When Can I Visit
Kerala ?
-
Round the year(12
months)
-
High Peak Season(
October to March)
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Peak Season( April to
June 15th)
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Off Season( June 16th
to September)
Which Season is the
best and low priced ?
-
August and September is
the best in terms of low price and good climate (No heavy rain)
-
June and July is the
best, If you want to enjoy your holiday with rain
Which are the must
see destinations and how many days need to spend in each destination ?
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Munnar(2N)
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Houseboat(1N)
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Thekkady(1N)
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Kumarakom(1N)
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Kovalam(2N)
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Cochin(1N)
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Kanayakumari(1N)
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I have only 2N/3D time,
Which one is the best option ?
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Munnar(2N/3D) Package
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I have only 3N/4D time,
Which one is the best option ?
-
Munnar(2N)
-
Houseboat(1N)
I have only 4N/5D
time, Which one is the best option ?
I have only 5N/6D
time, Which one is the best option ?
-
Munnar(2N)
-
Thekkady(1N)
-
Kumarakom(1N)
-
Houseboat(1N)
I have only 6N/7D
time, Which one is the best option ?
-
Munnar(2N)
-
Thekkady(1N)
-
Houseboat(1N)
-
Kovalam(2N)
Which Operator I can
use to organize my holidays / honeymoon ?
Can I bargain and
reduce the price ?
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Negotiate for best
deal, but never bargain much and spoil your holidays or honeymoon
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Always remember low
price deliver low quality
-
If any operator reduce
the price considerably, remember you may not get quality service
How much advance I
need to pay for confirming the packages ?
How to pay remaining
amount ?
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