Holidays in Goa without a tour operator. Preparing for an independent trip to India in Goa. Mumbai to Delhi by train

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Sergey, thank you very much for the kind words about the article and the opportunity to share your impressions of India with others!

Of course, I am not one iota close to answering your question: “Why am I drawn like a magnet to India”? My attitude to the country and its people is more emotional than head. I don’t have such a command of the “pen” that they, my emotions, can be written down in words.

And how can words convey the smell of India, the sound of the surf, the bliss of sunset? What about people? Where else can you meet such friendly and smiling people?

Last year, before going to Mumbai, I read Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. If I had not been to India, I would not have believed in the existence of such characters. The novel is fiction, in many ways, but the people are real.

Thanks again, and my apologies for the pics!

• Misha, I am infinitely grateful to you for taking the time to write a review about the trip! To be honest, lately, I've been thinking more and more about going to India as a savage. But, as I wrote in the preface, I didn’t dare ... On the other hand, somewhere on the hard drive, sketches of the route of independent travel are gathering dust and haunting ... 🙂

  Let's see how the economic situation will develop in the country... God willing, we will be able to earn money for a vacation trip to distant lands. Then, I feel, in India, nevertheless, I will go! 🙂

  You write amazing! The country has lost a good writer in you! And the fact that there are comments on the photographs, so you will have to go there and take pictures already “clean”! 😉

  • Varanasi, Amritsar - an old dream. I'm listening to Led Zeppelin's Kashmir: "... Open the yellow way in the desert, my way through those sands." I see myself there.

    Isn't it too cool for the first, especially independent trip to India? All the same, the "city of the dead" - the fires are burning. I believe in you, but wait for my Kerala story.

    "The country has lost ..." - too much, but the ear caresses, thank you! I tried Murdeshwar and Gokarna for the “finishing”, the world is fluid and changeable, Om Beach was hidden by the jungle.

    • Misha, reading the reports of other travelers, I realized that I needed to act: hit or miss! 🙂 Many, after all, go to India and then hate it ... If I don’t go to Varanasi on the first trip, later, maybe I’ll bite my elbows ... 🙂

      I think that Katya and I should be able to cope... After all, we have already undergone preliminary hardening in Sri Lanka. Now - and India does not care ...

      By the way, I want to recommend a very, very good Indian film "3 Idiots". It released in 2009 directed by Rajkumar Hirani. I rate it 15 points out of 10 possible. Just a masterpiece! I am almost 40 years old already, and like a girl, every five minutes I laughed, then cried... 🙂 It was amazing to find out that Indian people, like us, are tormented by the same philosophical problems...

      In addition, the film competently presents the beauty of nature in India. For example, despite the desire to see a couple of beautiful temples, I like to travel to various national parks more. The film takes place in the jungle, and in the mountains, and in the Himalayas (Lake Pangong Tso) ... They have very beautiful places ...

      • No, no ... India is not Sri Lanka at all! Not only the strait separates them. But in the main you are right: you will see more on your own. There is only one argument for a local guide, although it is weighty: domestic flights, tickets to museums ... The difference in price is very large.

        It seems to me that I have already told you: our Ajay, previously called his local acquaintances, they took over the tickets for us. In addition to Goa, tourism in India is tailored to its own, I will talk about this later. I'm pretty sure you'll like India.

        The film "3 Idiots" marked itself ...

        Misha, as I already said, was not going to India on vacation in the near future ... But the reviews of other acquaintances who had a rest both in Thailand and in India made me pay close attention to this country. Those still, here, described their Goa so delightfully ... Something hunting begins to become worse than bondage ... 🙂 In any case, I think that we will first go to Iran, and then to India ... 🙂

I compare Mikhail's report with my feelings that appeared after the photo report of Sergei Averchenko from India. I have never been there… Sergei hitchhiked there for more than two weeks. There are many photos in his albums in Odnoklassniki. Opinions about people and nature coincide. The ocean, the sunsets, the scents of flowering plants… were equally enchanting.

But I had no desire to go there. To each his own, probably ... No, I am more than delighted with the waterfall! Michael shot it very nicely. In general, I liked all the photos, even if the quality is not up to par. They have scope, emotions. Written and interesting, and instructive, and with great love for the country, customs, people.

And, nevertheless, I feel India as a bustling, multi-colored, filled with a mixture of customs, characters, religions, customs ... But I am not a fan of this. The beach, swimming I guess... tempting. But how long will you lie on the beach? And then in the heat, in the bustle of excursions?

The photo with the cars just shocked ... chaos! Yes, and in the text: traffic jams, slow movement ... They did not persuade. But to see and feel the country through your photos, Mikhail, I will not refuse again. Write well!

• Galina, thank you for your kind words!

  “And yet I feel India as a bustling, multi-colored, filled with a mixture of customs, characters, religions, customs ...” - That's right, maybe I would replace “fussy” with “lively” and “businesslike”. Religion itself does not allow fuss - alive, like mercury.

  We are different, so we are interested together, this is normal.

Fabulous! It's time, it's time for you to open a blog, here your storytelling talents shone like a cut diamond! And the pictures are interesting (you know about the quality). I especially liked the monkey! It’s a pity that it wasn’t filmed in RAW format - it would be a little, at least, to turn it in Lightroom ...

The only thing is that these same photos are not enough for such a “long” story, in my opinion. Of course, I read everything with attention, but for the "average" modern reader it will seem "too much BUKAFF." True, now I counted - the pictures are normal. Just this amount would be enough for twice the shorter text, in my opinion, again.

We look forward to continuing! Of course, Sergei and I “heard” a lot from you, but a coherent thematic story is much more interesting than fragmentary information.

• Oleg, thank you from me for your feedback! I don’t agree with you - for my taste, the amount of text is quite balanced. And Mikhail has such a pleasant style that it was interesting and easy to read. In addition, I practically didn’t hear anything from Mikhail about his travels - I don’t count short remarks upon returning from vacation. And the photos, even very good ones, are great. But if you supplement the photo with a description, and add audio or video, the effect will be even stronger.

  For example, I looked at his pictures from a trip to India in 2014, in particular, to Gokarna on the Mahashivaratri holiday (“the great night of Shiva”) - this is the holiday of the god Shiva. Here is a snapshot: fotki.yandex.ru/next/users/shmakov-misha2012/album/421334/view/1567008?page=0

  You look - crowds of people, festivity, but look how the effect intensifies when the author comments on the picture: “It is beyond words. At first, these are idle people, locals, tourists. But in the air - expectation, reinforced by not knowing the ritual, or the sequence of actions. Then - these drums, the rhythm of tension, reaching the physical limit. And suddenly - go! And these huge wheels that run over and close the horizon ... Well, I'm not a poet - I still don't have enough words! ..

  Agree, it is already perceived differently. And then Misha sent me a video with this wild cacophony of sounds… It seems that you even smell the smells… A story is 100 times stronger than just photos! Therefore, I would also like to read other stories about traveling in India, and they should not be short ... 🙂

  Oleg, dear friend, thank you!

  You are right about everything: the pictures are terrible, and the “bukff” is over the edge. Moreover, I had not reviewed the pictures for a long time, and I was sure that not everything was so bad. And then, in random order, I began to pull out from different albums, I'm not talking about the composition - where there, elementary - weakly technically. Now I ask myself: “What kind of incense was it to open a hole like that”?

  The wife added oil: “Are you writing a guidebook?” The guidebook is not a guidebook, but the experience seems valuable to me. Sergey is used to traveling on his own, we don’t have such experience, but here, in Kerala, the meeting party simply abandoned us: he drove the Indian to the hotel, and hello: “I’ll call you on the eve of departure.”

  In general, I left it for now.

  • Well, you see, opinions differed slightly with Sergey. 😉 Well, we are together because opinions differ, sometimes even polar ones. We agree on one thing - the article is very good! And this is the main thing, and we will discuss the rest. And we will know where to go. Here I also posted the 1st part of the article about Egypt on li.ru in the community (Geo_club), so someone likes it, and one lady criticized the type, but she was immediately put in her place. 🙂 Enough of networks in which there are only likes, I want comments, if not critical, then at least “discussive” in nature.

1. Sanya, I have a certain strategy for the development of the site. In the future, a significant expansion of both functionality and, in general, its positioning is planned ... For now, articles can be published in this mode. The terms of reference are described in the "About the Author" section.

   • • Well, these are questions for Mikhail himself. I think a short biography (a story about yourself, about your life, experience in photography and travel) would be of interest to many. Here I agree with you, Alexander.

       Hello Alexander!

       The interest is understandable, but I’m afraid I will disappoint, because everything is like everyone else: I was born, studied, married, I don’t have, I didn’t belong, I wasn’t attracted ...

       I was fond of many things, but I didn’t show any special talents (I quickly cool down and am excessively lazy). I can’t say that I have been passionate about photography since childhood. I was lucky: at home I had a Zenit 3M SLR equipped with an Industar-50 3.5 / 50 lens. How she ended up in the family is not clear, since her father did not take pictures. At the age of 16, I took it, and under the guidance of a friend, I began to click. They printed from him, the enlarger is “a luxury that no one needs”. At the time, something worked. But the process was more fascinating: it was never known in advance what would happen. I took out the film after developing - and the emulsion was washed off! I think a lot of people are familiar with this.

       In my adult life, I used Zenit 3M to “capture the moment” for a home photo album. In 1991, in Beloretsk (Bashkiria), I loaded a film into it for the last time and now it lies, gathers dust - the shutter is jammed.

       Going abroad for the first time, I bought a Canon EOS 500D SLR camera. Nothing has changed in my attitude to photography: a photo in an album is where I was. I tried to shoot in manual mode, transferring the experience of a film camera to a digital camera, I was embarrassed that I could not cope with the white walls against the dark background of the sea. Now I've revised it, some of them are better than those from Goa, and the settings were reasonable. Of course, there are many questions about the composition ...

       We all know this dude with a cool DSLR who shoots in auto mode, and he was like that. This continued until the trip to Kerala. In search of information about the place of the future vacation, I came across the fact that the reviews of those who have been there are completely polar. Photos on Yandex-Photo looked like the height of objectivity.
       Decided to post my own. But, really, seriously, I took the shooting only in Malaysia. The task of filming the Petronas Twin Towers ignited me - I can do it!

       And now it’s like this, I set the task - I did it, I just took a picture of “what I see” - it turns out to be utter dregs ...

       • Nice to meet you! 🙂 This paragraph is also about me: “... but I didn’t show any special talents, I quickly cool down and am excessively lazy ...”

         Sanya, I think with such a description, many recognized themselves. I am exactly 100% description of the image! 🙂

Misha, thanks for the photobiography! I advise you to set goals for getting first-class pictures before a new vacation! 😉 And not just go for a walk in Vietnam... 😉

I read reports of independent travelers about a trip to mainland India. As far as I understand, the state of Goa is still a sterile, deeply disinfected zone, if you compare it with other regions ... 🙂 I have a question: did you get vaccinated before the trip? It is recommended to get vaccinated against hepatitis, typhoid and similar passions... Looking at the mountains of garbage and organics in all cities everywhere, it seems that such advice before traveling to India is not a whim...

• And you read the novel by the Australian writer Gregory David Roberts "Shantaram" - you might even get sick of it. There he describes his struggle with cholera in the Mumbai slums. 😉

  • Oleg, usually described in fiction (and Russian news channels, by the way, too) needs to be filtered. For both writers and reporters, in order to increase circulation, like to embellish their stories ... 🙂 When we were going to Mexico on a trip as savages, half of our acquaintances firmly believed that we would not return back - the mafiosi would cut into pieces and feed local drug lords to dogs ... 🙂

    • For those who think so, they need to read the book "Trust me - I'm lying!". The book was written by a media manipulator. That's where all the subtleties of newspaper headlines are revealed! 🙂 Where Grandma cut her finger, the title says that there is, almost, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. 🙂 🙂 🙂 A great example is about the Chelyabinsk meteorite. 🙂

      • Shantaram is a good novel based on real life and events. The main thing in it is people, Indians, everything is very true. Of course, the images are collective, but truthful. I think that the main value of India is people. It reads like a stamp, but it's true. I also think: we are very similar, adjusted for climate.

        Intrigued by this novel... 🙂 You need to look for a book and buy it. I mean Shantaram...

With Vietnam, the problem is a forced choice. I saw pictures of Oleg (Apis), I had a daughter a week last year, I know about the Vietnamese in basins (instead of boats, children swim up to offer fruit). All. History is the war with the Americans. Nothing sticks. Maybe nature, jungle mountains? But the issue is resolved - the flight of the fifth.

About vaccinations before traveling to India

Sergei, my wife is a doctor, a very good (in the sense - competent). If they thought it was necessary, they would take root.
"Mountains of garbage and organics" have you seen in my pictures? There is one, the old one from Gokarna: an old house, a cow and a mountain of rubbish. Last year, I wouldn't have made one like this. In Mumbai ("Shantaram") we lived exactly where the events of the novel took place (by the way, the action of the novel takes place in the 80s). The slums were not seen. This does not mean that they do not exist, they are simply driven out to the outskirts.

Mumbai is a beautiful, modern city with historical buildings in Colaba. Delhi is dirty, but again, not everywhere. In the film "3 Idiots", at the beginning, shots of the "ministerial" street (all ministries and the presidential palace), the memorial complex to those who died in the First World War "Gate of India" (in Mumbai - "Gate to India").
fotki.yandex.ru/next/users/shmakov-misha2012/album/255356/view/552856?page=0

And next to it:
fotki.yandex.ru/next/users/shmakov-misha2012/album/255356/view/1477851?page=0

Immediately, the barber cleans the ears of a passer-by, in the literal sense ... So I sprinkle on the article.

In short: do not drink tap water, do not eat unwashed fruits, do not drink cane juice on the street (they crush it right there, in a meat grinder on wheels), do not climb bushes and jungles, do not go into the water - at night, there is a life there.

Typhoid fever and hepatitis are oral-fecal transmission, i.e. don't eat poop sandwiches. The risk seems to increase during the rainy season. But it is unlikely that you will go to India in the summer. Of course, you can get vaccinated if you want.

Forewarned is forearmed. But no one is safe from anything...

• No, Misha, when I meant "dirty India", I was talking about such places as in the report: http://forum.awd.ru/viewtopic.php?f=231&t=180569 and the like.

  Every second traveler writes that upon arrival, he didn’t get off the toilet for three days - diarrhea. It seems that the virus is right in the air… 🙂

  But in general, you convinced me that not everything is the hell as it is painted .. 🙂

  • I will add. If you increase the budget ... What is 1700 bucks for a trip across the entire subcontinent and for a ten-day beach holiday? Moreover, in Kerala (it is twice as expensive as Goa), for example, for hotels - three rubles, and renting a car, and not traveling by bus, is quite.

    In order not to overpay for tickets, for example, to the Taj Mahal, you just need to go to the ticket office with an Indian guide. There are plenty of them for this occasion. Our Ajay did just that. True, he knew them all, they took tickets, and one of them just walked along without interfering.

By the way, I often said that no matter how much I looked at reports on Vietnam, they did not touch me. And then I saw these photos and my soul trembled ... fotki.yandex.ru/users/koziuck-vladimir/album/209647/

I wanted to study in more detail the route of a possible independent trip.

• Seryozha, it’s probably not very dangerous to travel around Vietnam on your own, but the language problem is acute. Today, most Vietnamese do not know foreign languages ​​AT ALL: neither English, nor French, nor Russian, even those working in the tourism sector. Therefore, you need to understand that the routes must be laid and worked out in advance, at key points you need to know where to go for help, not necessarily medical, problems arise. Learning Vietnamese is probably not easy. If you arrive and depart from one point, then it would be optimal to find a "guide" - at least just a native speaker like a schoolboy.

  It's a shame, of course, that my photos about Vietnam "didn't catch on", but I took them even "before Apis", and most of them don't like it myself. And I can say that the best thing in Vietnam is people (Misha, this is infa for you), so you need, first of all, to communicate and film people.

  • Oleg! The photos are not something that you didn’t like, but you can’t make a picture from them. Here is Dalat: why did you get there? Take a photo of the "archer" and a few panoramas? Not for the sake of the view from the mountain you were taken there?

    I understand that the main thing there is nature, but against the backdrop of crowds of tourists. Or you need to plan your own itinerary. The last time I was on a group tour was in February 2011. Summing up, I do not expect anything from Vietnam; I won’t take a car, but in a group you won’t see much, and we’ll pass by all the wonderful views.

    Misha, I don’t trudge from photos either, and it’s also difficult to understand why we went where. By the way, the excursion to Dalat was almost individual: in addition to the two of us, there was another couple with 2 grandchildren, schoolchildren from Ussuriysk. Very nice travel companions. And the guide is a Russian woman.

    It cost, like, 35 bucks per person with lunch - it’s cheaper only for nothing, given that it’s not a dipped beam to go. If you wish, you can go for 2 days: have a quiet dinner and walk around the city in the evening, the cuisine is very praised there, this is generally one of the most pleasant “entertainments” in Vietnam, given the low prices for alcohol with excellent quality. And we visited the rest of the sights.

    I plan to write more details on my blog, but Dalat is a must-see for the south of Vietnam. By the way, which resort are you going to?

    Phan Thiet. If confirmed, the hotel will be Blue Shell Resort 4 *. No enthusiasm on my part, the choice was left to my wife. I slammed my passport: it was valid for 6 months, but back to back, I had to urgently make a new one, and then the New Year holidays ... I received it on the 23rd, I didn’t have time with a visa to India (and Goa, for the price, is preferable of all).

    I was leaning towards Sri Lanka, assuming the beaches near Gale, so as not to get bored in the evenings, but they were washed away (beaches), the typhoon of 2006 (?) makes itself felt. Vietnam remained acceptable for the price (although the price tag, for two weeks of a beach holiday, is still shocking).

    There was no time to organize something, following the example of Sergey, on my own. And, in general, this vacation was a big question. Technically, I have 20 more days in June, and 21 days in October. Only in the current situation it is a sin to guess. Moreover, we have reorganization and optimization, no one knows what it will result in.

    Although I like to eat delicious food, I can easily do without a crocodile and fried snakes. Alcohol - I prefer pure gin or Irish whiskey (I turn to Sergey - here is another medicine when traveling along Indian roads - DISTILATES!), But I don’t drink more than a hundred grams even before dusk. This is my rule.

    I'll take the camera, but I'm not making plans.

    Misha, when did you manage to wash away the beaches in Sri Lanka? After all, my wife and I traveled half the country in May 2013. And the first night was 30 km from Galle Fort ... 🙂 Was there another flood after that?

    No typhoons or floods. We were told at the agency, the employee literally returned the other day, and I looked at the latest reviews at home. Before, by noon, during the tides, they were flooded, the shales had to be tied to a deck chair - they carried them into the sea, and now they were completely washed away or covered with fragments of corals.

    There is nothing to cripple nature. At first, local residents built houses from corals, and then a typhoon finished off this natural barrier.

    Sri Lanka, maybe so, but you've seen my travel report. Some write comments after the trip. If they were really washed away, people would probably unsubscribe. Well, it doesn't matter, you're going to another country.

    Regarding car rental in Vietnam, I did not study the issue in depth. But on the website of the British government in the section "Tips for tourists in this country", they write that in order to drive a car, you need to get a local license: in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Contact the Department of Public Works and Transportation. I suppose that in practice the procedure is similar to how we received a driver's license to drive a car in Sri Lanka: we sent the documents to the rental office, she issued the rights.

    They also write that insurance, often, does not cover expenses, and if an English tourist has an accident, gangsters can “put it on the counter”. Probably Vietnam is not the country where you should think about renting a car without a driver…

    Sergey! We were with you at the same time in Sri Lanka, in February 2013. I don’t feel like rummaging through the Internet now, I saw fresh pictures (January 2015) - from the beach, and so not wide, there was a narrow strip covered with large pieces of coral. This is in Unawatuna, most likely not everywhere. For example, the man-made beach in Negombo is unlikely to be washed away.

    Pay one and a half hundred and suffer from the beach - fire. Renting a car - I have my own reasons, a whim, if you like. While my daughter was studying (graduation classes and university), I was coffined by a cab driver at night, for almost eight years, driving makes me sick, I drive only when necessary.

I periodically used a translator from Google on my smartphone, since there is a Vietnamese language there. By the way, Vietnam is also relatively well reflected in Google Maps, the main thing is to download the cache in advance so that you can see everything in the absence of a network.

• Misha, you are going on vacation to Bali in October. Today, the news agencies trumpeted that Look at the situation in Indonesia and look into the water more often when you swim in the sea.

Misha, I don’t know, of course, which resort you plan to go to and whether there will be an opportunity, but, in general, if you relax in some village, you could try to rent, at least, a bicycle. You probably saw us cycling around the area in Yangshuo village in China for two days. There were interesting places in Mexico, in the area of ​​​​our resort of Tulum and in Sri Lanka too (but in these two countries we rented a car and there was no need to rent a bike).

So, from the experience of renting a bike in China, it's very interesting to ride a bike through the surrounding villages, see how the peasants live, wander through the fields!.. And what entertaining pictures you can take with a description of the life of local residents ...

• Sergey! I - I can, but to imagine a wife is not great - with difficulty. Although ... I will offer. It would be possible to rent a car, but based on the experience of Rhodes, it makes no sense to take one or two trips: the fee hides the benefit. We are good walkers, but... I don't want to guess.

  Sergey, thanks for the warning! You can’t foresee all the dangers on vacation. In February, we were bitten by jellyfish on the island of Penang in Malaysia. I don’t know, “boats” or some others, but it was very painful. It is usually advised to rub the burn with a tomato, but it is better with wet sand. Like a scrub effect. Tested on myself several times.

  I read more information about how dangerous these jellyfish are. According to studies, 381 cases were registered in Thailand from 2003 to 2009 (of which 200 victims were foreign tourists). I just don’t understand, we are talking about deaths, or about all those stung: in English it sounds like “detected 381 toxic jellyfish cases from 2003-2009”.

  On the one hand, it’s an awful lot, on the other hand, with 25 million tourists a year coming to Thailand on vacation, it’s not so…

  This is probably not about those jellyfish that you mentioned. "Portuguese boats", judging by the descriptions, sting in such a way that you will remember for a long time. Moreover, even pieces of tentacles floating in the water from dead jellyfish are dangerous.

Sergey, we have been to India four times: on two trips, every day there is a new hotel. And so - for 5, and then - and 7 days. No problem.

I will say right away - I am capricious in food. In February, Kerala, I had a problem, and Trivandrum almost did not see it. But it was rather nervous. If you read the report, you will understand. I just got gastritis.

Our guide Ajay said that the mineral composition of water in different states of India is very different. He is a native of Delhi. Has trouble drinking local water while traveling (we're only talking about bottled water). We didn't notice. Just in case, we have a full set of medicines.

Moreover, such an abundance of spices in food works as an antibiotic. We met a girl in Gokarna. She and her husband and two tiny children rented a room in a private house on the beach, with no hot water. By the time we met, they had been there for three months.

You were in China, you ate a snake, as I understand it, this is a street cafe. Was in Thailand, ate, I think, not in Michelin-starred restaurants, were there any problems? I represent Thailand in Malaysia: from the window of our hotel, from a height of 10 floors, I watched the inhabitants of the houses throw garbage into the trash from the window, from different floors, and with different accuracy. Of course, not all houses, but so - in appearance, like slums.

About drugs. India has very good medicines. It was we, in Russia, who destroyed the production of substances for medicines, and vice versa, the pharmaceutical giants moved production there. With our money (before the crisis) everything cost a penny. Sometimes it is difficult to find a pharmacy and explain yourself: they pronounce cucumber as “cucumber”, but there are medicines.

When you go on an independent trip, do you take out insurance?

• Misha, dispelled the last doubts about a possible trip to India... 🙂 You talk so enthusiastically that I'm starting to fall in love with this country in absentia... I don't like the recommendation "not to climb bushes and jungle", because usually on vacation my wife and I do just that... 🙂 But I'm starting to believe that if you approach the issue correctly, you can avoid many problems. 🙂

  Yes, when we are going on an independent trip, we always take out insurance. Moreover, if we are going to rent a car, we must indicate this, since insurance companies believe that we plan to engage in active sports ... 🙂

  So far, insurance was really needed only in the Philippines - my ear was inflamed (otitis media) from sea water, and the pharmacy refused to sell medicines without a doctor's prescription ... But I never went to the doctor - I bought drops from an underground pharmacist ... They didn’t help ... But there already it was time to go home.

  Also, in the report on the ascent to the sacred mountain, Adam's Peak said that his wife became ill and she rolled head over heels down the stairs. She peeled off her knees and elbows a little, but they did not go to the doctor.

  However, I think that going abroad without insurance is a rash decision.

  Thanks again for the report and for the comments about India! Your enthusiasm is transmitted ... 🙂

  • You can not climb at night, and into the water, and into the jungle. It is believed that in Kerala, in every yard, there is a family of cobras (and in every village - a working elephant), traditional medicine, Ayurveda are very developed, poison is collected and handed over. They did not see snakes, they lived for five weeks in total.

    We didn’t go into the jungle, but along the paths, along the country roads, along the surf line, we wound quite a few. Going to Goa, I did not read anything special, only a guide. Then I and Jawaharlal Nehru read The Discovery of India, something from Gandhi. Of ours - Natalya Guseva, I don’t remember the exact name, like, “Such unusual Indians.” By the way, she is a supporter of the unscientific Arctic theory (you can find information about this on Wikipedia). From Hindu texts - read the Bhagovad Gita.

By the way, you don't have to go far to find the slums. 🙂 In recent years, I have been on business trips in Uzbekistan ten times. Most places are fine. But, as you climb into the mountain village - the same India! 🙂

• Near Kovalam (Kovalam, കോവളം), there is a village, you can see it from the lighthouse. We went there. It is divided into two parts: Muslim, and the second is divided by Catholics and Hindus. Muslim - three huge mosques and terrible poverty in the houses, the second - prosperous and one Catholic cathedral, but did not catch my eye.
  fotki.yandex.ru/next/users/shmakov-misha2012/album/257767/view/1060111?page=1
  To the left - another, larger green, pink.

2. I suppose that the picture does not accurately convey the feelings that you experience standing at this structure in reality ... And how could all this be built several hundred years ago, when there were no cranes, concrete plants and AutoCAD programs? ..

   • Sergey, to our regret, this is a remake. Concrete. The Portuguese destroyed almost everything. I emphasize: "to ours"! In an article about Kerala, I will return to this topic.

     Hindus do not think about the "time" of construction. Here is the holiness of the place - yes. So, at least I understood. Although, the prayerfulness of the place matters.

     I am not a specialist in Hinduism, communication with the Indians was hindered by the linguistic difference. No matter how well they speak Russian, the terminology is specific. There is little superficial information on the Internet. Probably, there are experts - maybe they will tell.

     About the complexity of translation: the concept, for example, "dharma" has no translation into any language. Literally, it means "that which supports".

     I agree that photographs do not always convey the grandeur and feeling that one can experience while being with an object. But here you did a good job of conveying all this.

Hello, Misha! Despite the situation with the exchange rate, I dream of going on vacation someday. Your spell and report worked... I think next time I'll fly to India.

The route has not yet been planned. In the Himalayas, it seems, it’s not in season for most of the year, but I really want to ... I read the report of a Russian traveler who was there in December. In the Parvati Valley… I’m trying to find out how it is with transport… I’ll dance from this fact…

Mandatory points of the trip plan to India on your own:

1) Kaziranga National Park and rhinos.
2) Kerala resort.

Under consideration:

3) Amritsar is a beautiful city with Indians in blue turbans and white robes.
4) National parks with tigers Ranthambore or Bandhavgarh.
5) Keoladeo National Park, where you can ride a bike without a guide.
6) Varanasi is a city with a history of 5000 years.
7) Jaipur - well, there is the beauty of Amber Fort.

I will book domestic flights and trains later, as I will draw up the route ...

Questions for you about organizing an independent trip to India:

1) I didn’t quite understand if there are beaches in Kerala without crowds of people ... The ones in your report and many others are like Negombo in Sri Lanka (it seemed to me): a lot of people, a lot of cars, shops ... I want to, . But you wrote that it's dangerous on a deserted beach?

2) On which side to sit on the plane (left or right) to take a beautiful view of Delhi from above through the window?

• And next time we will fly to Mumbai again for 4 days. I keep thinking about my reports, and I realized that they are one-sided: temples and palaces! This time I want to go to the theater for a classical Indian dance, without a photo (there is no light lens). Go to the cinema in Mumbai - here God himself ordered.

  I don't know which side to sit on. I do not remember. Keep in mind that in some parts of India (for example, in autumn in Delhi) it can be cold.

  • Everyone, I'm throwing rhinos. I leave only the states of Ladakh and Kerala ... 🙂 I have long dreamed of getting to India in Ladakh, but I thought it was not the season in late autumn. OK… Found reports of people traveling to these states off season.

    I'm not sure what I'll like in the Indian cinema: they'll be in Hindi, or in English they will twist films. But it seems to me that it will be interesting to go to the theater with an Indian performance. Costumes, makeup, emotions. True, in India, as far as I heard, women cannot act in the theater, so men play the female roles. 🙂

    • Why, if you go to a movie with English subtitles, then completely. I understand the dialogue, I hope. As a child, they took me to the village for the summer. There was a cinema (now a gym, and more recently a liquor store), the repertoire was ordinary, but sometimes amazing things happened. Somehow I got on the "Cherbourg Umbrellas" (Les Parapluies de Cherbourg). Film in French. But no translation was needed. Music! Love, separation - no translation required.

      With the theater you are not quite right. This is Kathakali, and this, by the way, is in the state of Kerala. I highly recommend, only make-up is applied for several hours! But in classical Indian dance, the performers are women. In addition to the dance itself, there is also facial expressions and sign language (mudra). If I'm not mistaken, eight styles. In the temples of Karnataka, black, round, granite platforms, polished by the feet of dancers, have been preserved. Unfortunately the pictures are not very good. Yes, and usually I lay down on it to photograph the ceiling.

      And I talked about the performance in the theater of Agra.

It already turns out that there is no snow in Ladakh in autumn, but it is terribly cold ... It would be a feat to go in November, you need in September ...

Where the rhinos are (Kaziranga National Park), I didn’t find anything interesting anymore ... In short, I will change 100 more times.

Questions about Kerala were only, is it possible to find a secluded beach there ... And in general, maybe the state of Goa is better for relaxing in India? Namely, to relax on the beach after 10 days of traveling around the country.

• ABOUT! I read on Wikipedia that not only rhinos, but also Bengal tigers are found in the Kaziranga National Park. A lot of them have bred here: from 30 pieces in 1972 to 86 pieces in 2000. Thus, Kaziranga National Park has the highest population density of tigers in the world: 0.2 cats/km². Since 2006, it has received the official status of a tiger reserve.

  Somewhere in the reports of tourists there are no photographs of tigers ... Strange. True, in the Kaziranga Reserve, only a small part of the territory is open to visitors ...

  • Encounter with a Bengal tiger! If you bring a picture of a tiger, I'll choke myself with envy! 🙂 I'm going to the photo studio to be photographed for a visa to India. You need two in numbers and two on paper: color with dimensions of 3.5 * 4.0, the face should occupy an area of ​​​​25-30 mm.

    • It seems that a visa can now be obtained via the Internet? To apply for a visa for a trip to the USA, Germany and for a passport, at work I took pictures of 10 people on a soap dish, on a loggia. We have a white wall there - it's convenient. And savings, again ... 🙂

      To meet a tiger in a national park in India and have time to take a picture of it, judging by the reports of tourists, is a great success. Although, I read reviews about trips to the national parks Ranthambore and Bandhavgarh. I have a feeling that 1 tourist out of 5 is lucky. At the same time, he lays down three or four days for a visit. Then there are chances that he will bring photos. Tigers are secretive animals. It often happens: in front of the jeep, he jumped out of the bushes and disappeared into the grass right away ...

      They say that seeing a leopard on a safari is also good luck. In Sri Lanka, in the Yala National Park, we saw him. True, from afar: he was sitting high on a tree, 100-200 meters from the path. It can be said that I saw only a red spot with spots ... 🙂

      • We also do a visa to India through the Internet. There is one questionnaire of three pages (where you served, in which troops, whether you were in Islamic countries, who you work for, etc.). But, probably, from the fact that we live in Moscow, we will receive at the visa center.

        My wife went to yoga. 🙂 And I downloaded Hindi lessons. At the first lesson, the enthusiasm ended: I'm not a polyglot! 🙁

        If you are going on a safari in India, crash, but find a good TV, otherwise you will bite your elbows! Can someone give bail?

        This is how I tried to learn Sinhalese before going to Sri Lanka. I opened the alphabet and realized that I could not master it. I only learned a couple of phrases. One should have seen the surprised eyes of the Sri Lankan pioneers in the mountains, when their joyful cries of “Hallo!” - I answered: "Ayubowan!" 🙂

        On a safari in the Yala National Park in Sri Lanka, I went with a Nikon D5100 DSLR with a Nikkor 18-55 whale lens. Let's consider that a trip on a tiger safari to India with a Nikkor 70-300 telephoto lens is an improvement in my photographic equipment. I don't want to rent. I borrowed a polarizer from Mikhail for a trip to China in 2014 - the lid cracked ... I rented a tent to Bashkiria - the support cracked ... The polarik bought him a new one, took the old one for himself. Fixed the tent. But I swore off borrowing and renting a camera and lenses ... Look, Daniil asked me for my Nikkor 70-300 on vacation, I refused.

        So, on a safari in the Kaziranga National Park I will shoot with my dark Nikkor 70-300 lens ... Judging by the photographs of those tourists who went there, a large focal length is needed only for birds. Animals can be easily shot at 300 mm. True, I would replace my telephoto lens with a Nikkor AF-S 300mm f / 4G VR ... 🙂 But I liked the words of Svetlana, whose examples of photographs taken with an old Nikon D50 DSLR I recently published in the “Photography” section: “I’m better off with that money, what I could spend on a camera and a lens for it, I’ll go on vacation, than I’ll sit at home with a new camera, but not know what to shoot with it! 🙂

        By the way, Namaste, the emphasis is on "e" (namah - bow, te - to you). Well, the traditional addition of palms at the level of the heart. You have almost two months, you know English (there are a lot of words from English in Hindi), download the Polyglot program by Dmitry Petrov, it was on the Culture channel. There are 16 lessons. His wife is Indian. Watch the first lesson and you will understand why I advise. His approach to language is very original. And the letter is useless. I just can't force myself. Although I watched the first lesson and remembered it.
        Here is a link to youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=2rbJ60UbYVM

        A good thing! This is how I learned German - there is an uncle from Great Britain. He has a course in several languages ​​from scratch. Actually, I listened to 6 hours of classes and began to more or less understand the Germans.

        But I won't learn Hindi. All India speaks English. Laziness… 🙂

        Although, my experience of interacting with foreigners suggests that just a few words in the native language of the country you are visiting can melt any ice in a relationship. Therefore, it is worth preparing a little for a trip to India, even if you fly to rest in Goa (where there are many Russians). You will compare favorably with other Russian tourists.

        I remember that in the Philippines, a taxi driver was surprised that I spoke English well: “Usually, Russians poke a piece of paper in the face with the words “Take me to the airport.” And you can easily discuss local life, politics. How so? 😉

        Misha, hello! I want to thank you so much for opening my eyes, forcing me to pay attention to India as a possible place for independent travel!

        We returned to Russia after a two-week trip to the four states of the North-East of this wonderful country. At first, he complained about the local cuisine - the “rice diet” was difficult: breakfast, lunch and dinner - rice or rice noodles. But in the second half of the vacation, we gained experience and managed to eat very tasty food. Although, of course, food in China and Thailand is several orders of magnitude tastier and more varied.

        We really enjoyed our stay in India. It is impossible to single out where it was better. In the holy city of Varanasi, mind blows, you feel like you are in the 16th century in a time machine. In the Himalayas - a special beauty. He photographed yaks in mountain forests, climbed to a height of 4500 meters, visited those parts where Nicholas Roerich worked. In the Kaziranga National Park in the state of Assam, elephants have been tracking rhinos, which turn out to be not so easy to spot on a foggy morning in the sedge thickets near the swamp along the banks of the Brahmaputra River.

        In general, now I’m going on a business trip for a week, and then I’ll start sorting through the rubble of photos and, slowly, share my impressions.

        By the way, this trip to India independently broke all records for efficiency. All turnkey expenses (flights and trains, hotels, meals, and private tours) totaled $2,480. At the exchange rate of the beginning of 2014 (32 rubles per dollar), this would be 79,366 rubles. For comparison: a vacation in Sochi in the summer of 2006 cost 81,000 rubles (we lived in a private guesthouse), in Turkey in 2007 they spent 76,000 rubles (a 5 * hotel) ... How much did it cost to relax in India 7-9 years ago?

Let me reason, and you will weigh and choose.

What to choose for a holiday in India: Goa or Kerala?

First, and probably the most important, will you be renting a vehicle? I'll take the rights, but I'm not sure whether I will rent a car. I want to ride to Goa in Panaji and Margao, most likely I will use the train.

I have already seen the Bhagwan Mahavir Reserve with the Dudhsagar Waterfall, so I will leave if there is an opportunity for an individual tour. Murdeshwar, Gokarna? Lived and seen. Most likely, I look like fishing villages on foot.

If I were in your place and chose the state of Goa, I would ride from top to bottom. From Arambol to Polem. I would choose five beaches for a stopover. Along the way, we stopped at the reserve and visited Panaji.
More about the beaches. People, tourists, will be everywhere here, but even on the most hyped beaches you will not see crowded sunbeds. This is not Spain, and not Egypt. And if you don’t care whether it’s a sunbed or sand, then a few steps away from the cluster of sunbeds, you will find peace.

Although November is a very high season, there is a huge plus in choosing November - the monsoons have long ended, and nature has still retained the freshness of colors.

Vacation in Kerala.

This is probably the preferred option for you. If you plan well, then Kerala alone would be enough for a first, but deep enough acquaintance with India. For the base, I would choose Kovalam, that is, where we were. First of all, close to the airport. I would go to the beach to the Lila Hotel, where the hotel guard drives away the curious, but you have to lie on the sand, they won’t let you into the hotel’s sunbeds.

It can be different: as I said, in Kerala there are five famous beach resorts, you can live in all of them. Pay attention to Varkala. When planning a trip through canals and lakes, take a boat for a few days. Sunsets on the lake, fishing, a huge number of birds. Silence and peace.

Do not swim at the confluence of rivers into the sea in Goa (currents of different density and temperature), do not go into the water next to the rocks in Kerala. Pass the first wave sideways, or dive.

Another thing: in Kerala, almost every village has its own working elephant. Moving along the roads of Kerala, here and there you will meet them peacefully walking along the roadside.

• Misha, thank you for such a detailed story. Then I stop at Varkala. I won’t take a car - in general I don’t feel like it in India (I came across, however, reports - a man drove half the country on a motorcycle).

  With the route of the trip around India, I decided on 70%, although, without exact dates yet. Here is the proposed itinerary:

  Part 1 - approximately 10 days:

  - Arrival in Delhi, in the evening - flight to the city of Siliguri or, located next to it, Bagdogra airport.
  – Transfer by minibus to Darrjeeling. Here we watch the sunrise on Mount Kanchenjunga (Kanchinjunga, 3rd place in the world, height 8586 meters). We look from the observation deck in Darjeeling (Darjeeling). November is the season there. We get a permit to visit the province of Sikkim.
  – Transfer by minibus through the mountains to the capital of the state of Sikkim.
  – Obtaining a permit and buying an excursion (2 nights, 3 days to the Yumthung Valley).
  – Return to Darrjeeling and a trip by minibus to the Kaziranga National Park (rhinos).
  — Flight to Kerala by low-cost.

  Part 2. The first part of the trip to India will take 10 days. Second - 4-5 days.

  - Beach holidays in Kerala.
  - Tired - we will ride along the canals, go to the tea plantations or to the national park.
  - Flight back to Delhi.

  • • Ay, Misha, I have now, until I book the tickets, there will be such a period - every day is new ...

      I tried to figure it out: I don’t have time in 2 weeks ... Too short a vacation. Either rhinoceros or mountains should be thrown out of the trip plan ... Or Kerala ... The wife stands behind Kerala with her breasts ... 🙂

      Sergey, do not think that I dissuade. My opinion is: either the plain or the mountains. Mountains require special training. As a rule, Ladakh, this is a religious journey in the company of Buddhists, two. We were going too, but one photo report stopped me. I read the comments on the photos, and there something like this: “We had to stop here, the road crumbled, we waited 4 hours for them to dig higher.” And a photo of the mountain: it is clear that the entire slope is covered with roads, one crumbled, they dug higher. Here is a ladder, four. The goal is a small monastery on the mountain and communication with the guru. Yes, beauty! Mountains at dawn are painted with gold!

      There was also a report from your fellow countryman, because of his pictures I ended up in Kerala. He climbed the mountains with a group on motorcycles. Disappeared from the network somewhere. Measure three times...

      There is another argument: you were embarrassed by dirt, unsanitary conditions, lack of civilization, and in the mountains of India, I think you will get it to the fullest.

      By the way, when I wrote that I was afraid of unsanitary conditions in India, I meant that, according to the reviews of many tourists who traveled “to the mainland” from Goa, it is customary for them to relieve themselves of great and small need right on the street, without hiding. I saw many photos of these from different travelers: an uncle sits by the wall of the house and does business ... Therefore, they say, it sometimes smells like sewerage and muddy streams flow right down the street ...

      But I don't know who to believe. 🙂 You say you've never seen anything like it. And with you, Misha, I communicate more than with those travelers. 🙂 In the mountains of India, I think the toilet is 2 sticks: you hold on to one, the other fights off the wolves. 🙂 And the unsanitary conditions there are only in the fact that dirty linen is in the rooming house ... So for this we take sleeping bags with us.

• Sergey, in Delhi I saw a similar picture: a man coped with a big need at the fence. In Murdeshwar (Karnataka) on the beach - he got into a mess, barely washed his sandals. In Gokarna, during the Shiva holiday, huge crowds of pilgrims polluted the beach near the city (you yourself understand: not a single toilet can cope with such an influx of guests), but immediately after the holiday, the beach was cleared. I have never seen rivers of urine on the streets of India.

  Misha, I watched the film "Gandhi". It seems to me only that India is slightly embellished there. Judging by the photos of tourists from trips around the country, and according to your reports, too, even in the state of Goa, which, for some reason, seems to me not as scary as other provinces - a little dirtier ... 🙂

  And, of course, Gandhi's personality is quite idealized. Politics is a dirty business, and the main character is shown simply as a saint. Can't believe me. But I did enjoy the movie.

  • Sergey, you ask difficult questions. I'll start with Gandhi. He is just like that, and the figures surrounding him from the national liberation movement led by Nehru are, of course, politicians in the true sense of the word. I would say that he is an icon for the Indians, but almost 70 years have passed since his death, and people tend to forget the good. Yes, and literate, with a population of one billion three hundred million - only 65%. I think that the remaining 35% have not heard not only about the philosophy of non-violence, but also about Gandhi himself.

    Of course, India is embellished in the film. Why Indians throw rubbish on the ground, I cannot answer. Note that this is not the case everywhere. The countryside is noticeably cleaner. Mumbai, Colaba district - for sure, generally stands apart, not like Delhi. Although, I cannot be completely objective: both there and there I saw only certain areas of the cities.

    In Gokarna (Karnataka), every evening the streets of the city were cleaned. Each merchant puts things in order at his shop. Of course, there are stinking heaps. The estuary on the outskirts of the city is more like a sewer drain. In Kerala, next to the Uday Samudra Beach hotel, there is an ever-burning garbage dump. So eternal that it serves as a guide. So in the reports, tourists write: “To get to the beach near the Lila hotel, you have to go past the ever-smoking garbage dump and, using the steps, overcome the rock next to it.”

    If you think about dirt and infection all the time, then it is better to stay at home. People go to India for spirituality, to get to know the ancient culture, in extreme cases - just to hang out on the beaches of Goa.

    I think, nevertheless, with Gandhi, in a sense, the same story as with grandfather Lenin. As a child, during the days of the official communist ideology, I had a more respectful attitude towards him, to put it mildly, than now ...

    Garbage is thrown not only in India. In Yekaterinburg, too... It's just that in other countries, not even the most advanced (in my understanding), at least somehow, they begin to fight this phenomenon. I heard, for example, that in Egypt they banned plastic containers, everything is required to be sold in paper packaging. In Thailand, when we went to the Erawan National Park to the waterfall, we handed over water in plastic bottles at the entrance ...

    No, I no longer care about getting an infection while traveling in India. I read many opinions, not only yours, that the epidemiological situation there, the likelihood of illness is the same as throughout Asia. When I asked to compare holidays in Goa and Sri Lanka, I meant, so to speak, the general cultural and mental level. For example, in Thailand I was more pleasant than in the Philippines simply because in Thailand people are more friendly, civilization is closer to ours ... If we compare Sri Lanka and Thailand, then, in my opinion, it is also more civilized and closer in mentality to Russians (if they can be compared).

    I don't know if I manage to explain what I mean... 🙂 I'm leaning towards the fact that Varanasi is a tin. And there were doubts that I wouldn’t panic there ... 🙂 I watched photos, videos ... It’s better not to do this before the holidays! 🙂 Although, you need to prepare mentally... 🙂

    Sergey, you are going to India for new impressions, emotions and, to some extent, for knowledge about the world. Isn't that the most important part of the journey? This is the first, and the second - I told you about the tradition of the Parsis: they give their dead birds. This is a deep meaning: impure bodies should not defile the earth.

    Hindus cremate their dead, and give the ashes to the sacred waters of the Ganges. The spectacle, of course, is breathtaking. I have not witnessed such a ritual, it is not put on display, but in Gokarna, in the temple, there is a small reservoir - I saw the ashes of brahmins there (a mountain of ashes and pieces of bones).

    It is believed that if it is given to die in Varanasi, then by doing so you will interrupt the cycle of lives (Moksha). I am not very strong in Hinduism, but as far as I understand, samsara, a series of births and deaths, is not good. So, the deceased in Varanasi receives the coveted. Take it for granted. Nobody is forcing you to watch it.

    We speak different languages, Misha! When I wrote that I was beginning to have doubts about Varanasi, I did not mean the burning of corpses in ghats. In general, he talked about what kind of bedlam is going on there. For example, here is a video showing traffic in Varanasi.
    

    Traffic. So that's why I never rented a car in India! By the way, what year of shooting can not be checked? I mean, I've only seen cycle rickshaws in Delhi. Of course, the states vary greatly in terms of welfare, but still ... Yes, and I have not seen such an abundance of cyclists either in Rajasthan, or in Kerala, or in Karnataka. It's funny to talk about Goa.

    Here are a variety of motorcycles - in abundance. Well, the randomness of movement - that is, that is! But this is - in cities, on highways - quite normal traffic: the speed limit is within 90 km / h. Sometimes (as a Muscovite and a summer resident) it infuriated me: 90 and not a single division more. Although I fully admit that only tourists are carried this way.

    I am now trying to remember last year's trip to Karnataka - and so, there is nothing left in my memory, except for a huge number of pilgrims in red and orange clothes, wandering from temple to temple along the roadsides. Also carts pulled by oxen. The Golden Triangle is a continuous traffic jam, and the road between Bangalore - Mysore - Hassan - Gokarna - nothing remains in my memory.

    In Hassan, however, there is a dead road, and not all of it, but a segment to the city of Shravanabelagola. But once again: I have not climbed this far (Varanasi) yet, and the east coast is a blank spot on the map.

    Specifically, this video was uploaded in October 2009. But I looked at the latest reports on the Vinsky forum, for 2015, and there I saw a similar “report”. Nothing changed! 🙂 So it seems to be.

Remembered! Also stock up on a set of adapters to the outlet. There is no single standard (either the American one is like our sockets in the USSR, then it is the European standard, and sometimes there are slots for flat contacts). Sometimes in the same hotel, otherwise you will insert matches or fasten wires to the fork Spending precious, now, currency, is stupid. You can, however, ask at the reception, but it's better to be independent.

• Thanks for reminding me about adapters, Misha! After I spent a week without energy in Mexico and was wiser there with a home-made adapter made from a Mexican extension cord, I came home and ordered a universal adapter in China. The main thing is not to forget it at home, when I get ready to go to India. 🙂

Well, well, now there is nowhere to retreat - visas in your pocket! Nearby, wall to wall, with our hotel Palolem Inn there is a guest house "Maria". The room costs 1200-1500 rupees per day, their kitchen is great! And we have to teach the cook to make scrambled eggs! I mean, English does not help everywhere in India.

And another question. Earlier I said that for some reason, in the subconscious, it was deposited that Sri Lanka is a more cultural version of India. Now I am looking at photographs of travelers who have traveled to India and the thought arose that this opinion is erroneous. You, as a person who has traveled to both countries, what do you say: if you choose between Goa and Sri Lanka, are there differences? Or in terms of mentality, in terms of the general situation, these are two identical regions. It is clear that from Goa you can go to other regions and see many historical and architectural sights. But, if the vacation is 2 weeks, then in Sri Lanka you won’t have time to see everything that you would like ...

First of all, what do you mean by "more cultured"? If what is less dirt on the streets, then probably yes! This is easily explained: Sri Lanka's tourism business is focused on foreign tourists, unlike India, where preference is given to fellow countrymen. The state of Goa stands apart, and it joined India relatively recently: in 1974. The people of Goa are mostly Catholics.

I liked both there and there. But if you choose, I would prefer Goa. Because of the people. Indians are very subjective, friendly and disinterested. There is another aspect: the devastating tsunami in Sri Lanka destroyed the natural coral barrier protecting the coast from waves. In February of this year, while choosing a vacation spot, I looked at reviews of Unawatuna Beach. A year ago, in 2013, it was, although not wide, but quite a decent beach with yellow sand and gentle sea. Photos taken in December 2014 and January 2015 revealed a narrow strip of sand littered with coral fragments.

Here is a list of mistakes made by tourists traveling to India for the first time. I think it should be in the form of a commentary on this review of a vacation in Goa. Maybe it will be useful to someone.

Mistakes of tourists on vacation in India

1. Drink bad water
If you get sick while traveling, you will not only feel bad, but also disrupt the travel plan. It must be remembered that in India, not only can you not drink tap water, but you should also avoid drinking drinks with ice, since it is not known from what water they are obtained. Please note that cocktails can be poured into a glass that has been rinsed with tap water. If you buy water in a bottle, make sure it's unopened. Restaurants catering mostly to European tourists are usually aware of this precaution and are said to have never cheated using tap water.

2. Paying too much for transport
Travel expenses take up a significant part of the budget for traveling in India on your own. If you pay what you are asked to pay, you will soon run out of money. A rickshaw without a meter will ask you up to 10 times more than the fare really costs (and this is not an exaggeration). Before you go, you need to find out the distance and cost per 1 km in order to imagine how much the fare will be. Local taxi drivers will demand from you at least 2 times higher than from Indians. Try to find a rickshaw with a meter, and make sure it includes a daily rate, not an overnight one.

3. Not Prepare for the Noise and Crowds of People Everywhere
Surprise! India is a noisy country! There are always and everywhere a lot of people! Have you seen the crowd on City Day in your city? In India, so many people will always surround you. You will not have personal space, in intercity buses full of passengers, be sure that 5 young people will play on mobile phones with loud sound turned on. What seems wild to us is normal in India.

4. Plan your travel budget incorrectly
Reading the reports of independent travelers, one can see stories that they travel around India, spending 10 dollars a day. You can be upset and you will be upset. A budget trip to India differs from the same trip to Europe in terms of the quality of accommodation and food. You need to count on at least $20 a day. It's better to save yourself a reserve than to be nervous later. Here, as elsewhere in the world, prices are rising daily.

5. Come to rest in India in the off-season
If you come to Goa during the monsoon season looking for psychedelic parties, you will be disappointed. If you try to go rafting in Rishikesh in December, get ready for the freezer (even if you can find a tour). Kolkata during the monsoon season? Wow! Find out the right time to vacation in India, read about the seasons in this vast country. In most places, the best time to travel is from October to March, with the exception of mountainous areas where the passes may be closed during this season due to snowfall.

6. Trying to see too much
Once again, you need to repeat: do not try to see all of India at once. First, if the travel plan contains too many attractions, the vacation will turn into a race. Secondly, India can be the most stressful place you've ever been. Trying to move quickly around the country can make you tired, irritated, hating the region. Travel in a relaxed way while enjoying the diverse attractions of the country.

7. Inappropriate clothing
When Western tourists come to Goa on vacation, they dress up in whatever they want. If someone tells you to dress more traditionally at this resort, you won't take them seriously. But in Delhi, in Mumbai, in small villages? For girls, for example, it is better to hide more, not to show a decollete and not to wear tight clothes.

8. Don't ask for less pepper!
No need to be shy. Don't eat food if it's too spicy and you have stomach problems or don't like spicy food. Indians simply do not think that Europeans find their local dishes too peppery. Even the locals sometimes ask for "no spicy".

9. Do not monitor the safety of luggage in transport
There is nothing worse than being robbed while traveling. Buy a chain with a lock, a lock for backpacks and use them even in air-conditioned 2nd class carriages. On the train, you should always keep valuables with you, not in your backpack. When you go on vacation to India, buy a body wallet to be calm.

10. Not taking the right things on a trip or taking too much luggage
Don't go crazy preparing for your trip to India. Believe it or not, but in this country you will find any medicine you need, if you forgot your glasses, get tested for free and buy new ones for yourself here. Do not carry five pairs of shoes and a pile of shirts and other clothes that take up a lot of space. To better prepare for your trip, make a travel list and check yourself before you leave home.

Yes, you can. We walked here on foot to the dam (Chopoli Dam), which supplies fresh water to part of the Canacona teskhil in South Goa. On the way back, the kids also flew up, but only the ISO had to be set at least 3000, and then - at the limit.

In general, this time there are only oversights with photographs. I put and removed the gray filter (the polarizer is in a completely terrible state) and did not fix the hood. A lot of photos went to the trash, it makes no sense to cut. I took pictures without looking at the lens, I forgot my tripod, I just put it on the stones: “I froze the water”. Have you seen my photo of a female spider on Facebook? Filmed in the jungle.

• Misha, you're on vacation! India relaxes - there is no hurry. 🙂

  I looked at what natural attractions can be seen in South Goa. It turns out that there are three national parks nearby: Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary (81 km from Panaji, ecological and tourist complex), Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park (57 km from the capital), Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary (80 km). So, there is a place for a photographer to roam while on vacation in India. 😉

Sergey, how can I make it so that from the letter following the link go directly to the comment? It is forbidden? You have 119 comments in this report about your vacation in Goa, you are lost! And to your review of the Nikon D610 DSLR “I wanted to buy it, but I took it ...” - more than 300 in general!

In Goa, and indeed in India, there is where to see wildlife! But you have to prepare ahead of time. Bye, tomorrow we are going by train to Old Goa. Adventure! We learned the schedule, saw the trains and the Canacona station. Drive 70 km. And two hours on the road. The windows and doors on the trains are open. Ticket for one person - 25 rupees one way.

• Misha, when you receive an email about a new comment, there is a "Permalink" at the bottom. If you open it, you will go to this message. On such a train, I would also like to ride around India (we will have night crossings in higher class cars).

  • I think that you will go on the same train, but a carriage of a different class. The train we were going to take was an express train to Delhi. As already mentioned, the trip was postponed until a day. Air conditioners got me!