©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 532 Behind the Scenes SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK We love to hear from travellers – your comments keep us on our toes and help make our books better. Our well-travelled team reads every word on what you loved or loathed about this book. Although we cannot reply individually to your submissions, we always guarantee that your feed- back goes straight to the appropriate authors, in time for the next edition. Each person who sends us information is thanked in the next edition – the most useful submissions are rewarded with a selection of digital PDF chapters. Visit lonelyplanet.com/contact to submit your updates and suggestions or to ask for help. Our award-winning website also features inspirational travel stories, news and discussions. Note: We may edit, reproduce and incorporate your comments in Lonely Planet products such as guidebooks, websites and digital products, so let us know if you don’t want your comments reproduced or your name acknowledged. For a copy of our privacy policy visit lonelyplanet.com/ privacy. Greg Kroitzsh, Rishupreet Oberoi, Bindu Panicker, OUR READERS Aditya Dhanwatay, Ashok T Kadam, Abha Lambah, Many thanks to the travellers who used the last Karina Aggarwal and Pankil Shah. edition and wrote to us with helpful hints, useful advice and interesting anecdotes: Paul Harding Daniel Morris, Della Matheson, Jacob Joseph, Thanks to all my dear friends in Goa and Kerala Julia Butterworth, Lauren McAlee, Linda Mlynski, who helped out with company, advice and friend- Malcolm Beck, Michael Fairbairn, Patricia Keith, Paul ship – you all know who you are. Thanks also to Thompson, Rafael Zamora Riesco, Ramavtar Garhwal, new people, travellers and locals, I met on this trip. Stine Porsbjerg, Uwe Düffert, Will Pitcher. The biggest thanks goes to Hannah and my worldly young daughter Layla for accompanying me at least part of the way and putting up with my absences at WRITER THANKS other times. Isabella Noble Sarina Singh Thanks to everyone in Tamil Nadu, Ashish and Rucha Gupta and Shoshana Treichel in Chennai, Bernard Thank you to everyone who worked on this edition, Dragon and Michel Adment in Chettinadu, Raja with special thanks to Joe for being such a fab Balasubramanian in Trichy, Junaid Sait and team in destination editor. Gratitude, also, to the many Ooty, Vijay Kumar in Kodai, and Mr Krishnamurthi readers who took the time to send in their feedback on the Kanyakumari–Puducherry Express. In and travel experiences – much appreciated indeed. Madhya Pradesh, huge thanks to Belinda Wright and Finally, warm thanks to my wise and wonderful Saptarishi Saigal. Thanks to the dream India co- parents who have always encouraged me to walk my author team, especially John Noble for laughs, tips own path. and tiger safaris. At home, extra-special thanks to Jack, Andrew and Sarah. Iain Stewart Thanks to Trent Holden and John Noble for tips and Kevin Raub contacts, and Joe Bindloss and the Lonely Planet Thanks to my wife, Adriana Schmidt Raub, Joe team in London and Melbourne. On the road I was Bindloss, Sarina Singh, John Noble, Izzy Noble, Paul helped by Jonty in Hyderabad, Poornima Dasharathi Harding and all my partners-in-crime at Lonely Planet. in Bengaluru, the teams at Golden Mist in Kodagu On the road, Anil Wadwa, Amit Arora, Dhanya Pilo, and Uramma in Hampi, Prakash in Vijapura, Oliver the Sarita Hedge Roy, Tanvi Maidkaker, Roshnee Desai, yogi in Gokarna and Vijay in Vizag. 533 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Climate map data adapted from Peel MC, Finlayson BL & McMahon TA (2007) ‘Updated World Map of the Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification’, Hydrol- ogy and Earth System Sciences, 11, 1633–44. Illustration pp186–187 by Michael Weldon. BEHIND THE SCENES Cover photograph: Fishing harbour near Kovalam, Kerala; Tuul & Bruno Morandi / SIME / 4Corners Holden, Isabella Noble and Iain Assisting Editors Imogen THIS BOOK Stewart. This guidebook was Bannister, Bruce Evans, This 9th edition of Lonely produced by the following: Victoria Harrison, Charlotte Planet’s South India & Kerala Destination Editor Orr, Gabrielle Stefanos guidebook was curated by Joe Bindloss Cover Researcher Isabella Noble and researched Product Editors Rachel Naomi Parker and written by Isabella Noble, Rawling, Catherine Naghten Thanks to Daniel Fahey, Kevin Raub, Paul Harding, Cartographers Gemma Graham, Indra Kilfoyle, Sarina Singh and Iain Stewart. Lonely Planet Cartography Kate Mathews, Claire Naylor, The previous edition was Karyn Noble, Martine Power, written by John Noble, Abigail Book Designer Katherine Marsh Kathryn Rowan, Tom Stainer Blasi, Paul Harding, Trent ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 534 Index A Anegundi 217 B beer 70, 178, 466 accessible travel 505 animals 484‑6, see also Babu Amichand Panalal Bekal 322‑3 accommodation 494‑6, see crocodiles, elephants, Adishwarji Jain Belur (Beluru) 200 also individual locations leopards. lions, tigers, Temple 53 Benaulim 151‑3 vultures activities, see also individual backwaters 9, 258‑9, 266, 5, Bengaluru (Bangalore) 39, Anjuna 137‑40, activities, individual 138 8, 258‑9 169‑82, 170 locations aquariums Badami 219‑20 accommodation 174‑6 Adivasis 448 Varkala Aquarium 275‑6 Badshahi Ashurkhana 228 activities 174 Agonda 153‑4 Araku Valley 252 Baga 133‑7, 134 drinking 178‑9 AIDS 519 Arambol (Harmal) 146‑8 Bandipur National Park 194‑6 entertainment 179 Aihole 220‑1 archaeological sites 17 Bangalore, see Bengaluru food 176‑7 air travels architecture 11, 184, 481‑3 bargaining 471, 500 nightlife 178‑9 airlines 507‑8 area codes 504 bathrooms 504 shopping 179‑80 airports 15, 507‑8 arts, see also dance, music, bazaars, see markets & sights 172‑4 painting 477‑80 to/from south India 15, bazaars tourist information 180‑1 507‑8 art galleries, see museums beaches 17 tours 174 within south India 508 Ashoka, Emperor 434 Alleppey Beach 283 travel to/from 181 airports 15 ashrams 32 Anjuna 137 travel within 182 Matha Amrithanandamayi Ajanta 10, 95‑8, 165, 96, Aswem 145 betel nut 461 164‑5 Mission 282 Chennai 331 Bhaja Caves 107 Alappuzha (Alleppey) 282‑8, Sivagiri Mutt 275 Cherai 311‑12 Bhandardara 85‑7 284 Sri Aurobindo Ashram Cola Beach 152 bhang lassi 500 Alleppey 282‑8, 284 360‑1, 11 Corbyn’s Cove 412 bharatanatyam 477 altitude sickness 520‑1 Vivekanandapuram 389 Gokarna 207 Bheemunipatnam 251 Amaravathi 247‑8 Assagao 140‑1 Havelock Island 417 Bhongir 243‑4 Amaravati 245 Aswem 145 Kattoor 288 bicycle travel, see cycling amoebic dysentery 519‑20 ATMs 500 Kerala 264‑5, 264‑5 Bidar 223‑4 Amrithanandamayi 282 Aurangabad 87‑91, 88 Khancola Beach 152 Bidar Fort 163, 223‑4, 163 Andaman Islands 13, 40, Auroville 366‑7 Kollam 280 Biligiri Ranganna Temple 408‑26, 13 autorickshaws 511 Lighthouse 271 Wildlife Sanctuary 195 climate 408 ayurveda 29, 279, 31 Little Andaman 426 birds 485‑6 highlights 409 Alappuzha 283 Malvan 104 birdwatching tourist information 410‑11 Bengaluru (Bangalore) Mamallapuram 174 Backwoods Camp 126 travel seasons 408 (Mahabalipuram) 349 Goa 119 Hampi 212 travel to/from 411 Mandrem 145‑6 Kochi 302 Mumbai (Bombay) 59 travel within 411‑12 Mangaluru (Mangalore) Kollam 280 Ranganathittu Bird Andhra Pradesh 39, 225‑6, 203 Sanctuary 194 Kovalam 271, 274 226 Marari 288 Thattekkad Bird Mamallapuram 349 climate 225 Morjim 144 Sanctuary 297 Mandrem 146 food 225 Mumbai (Bombay) 53, 56 boat travel, see also highlights 226 Mysuru (Mysore) 185 Neil Island 421 houseboats Periyar Wildlife travel seasons 225 Palolem 154‑7, 155, 9 local transport 511 Sanctuary 291 Patnem 157‑8 within south India 508, Puducherry 362 Payyambalam Beach 320 509 Thiruvananthapuram 259 boat trips 19, 266‑7 Map Pages 000 Visakhapatnam 249 Ayyappan 290, 454 Alappuzha 283 Photo Pages 000 bedbugs 521 Candolim 131 535 Goa 123‑4 Cauvery River 369 Chidiya Tapu 416‑17 Periyar Wildlife Kerala backwaters 9, caves & cave temples children, travel with Sanctuary 291 258‑9, 266, 5, 8, 10, 165 35‑7, 53 Coonoor 398‑400 258‑9 Ajanta 10, 95‑8, 165, 96, Chinese Fishing Nets 299 costs 494 Kodaikanal 392 164‑5 Chinnar Wildlife courses Kochi 303 Aurangabad Caves 87‑8 Sanctuary 298 art 333 Kollam 280 Bhaja Caves 107 Chola 371 cooking 137, 141, 154 INDEX Lakshadweep 323 Borra Caves 252 Cholamandal Artists’ language 333, 498 Ooty 403 Cave Temples (Badami) Village 346 martial arts 259 cholera 518 Periyar Wildlife 219‑20 meditation 30 B ‑ Sanctuary 291 Edakkal Caves 317 Christianity 457 yoga 30 D Puducherry 362 Ellora 10, 92‑5, 165, 93, churches & cathedrals credit cards 490, 500 482‑3 Valiyaparamba 164, 164‑5 cricket 450 backwaters 322 Armenian Church 333 Guntupalli 165 crocodiles 346 Bollywood 73 Karla Caves 107 Basilica of Bom Jesus 128 Cubbon Park 173 Bombay, see Mumbai Tiger Cave 346 Church & Convent of St culture 428‑30, 446‑51 (Bombay) Trimurti Cave Temple Cajetan 129 cultural programs books, see also literature 350 Church of Our Lady Puducherry 362 architecture 481, 483 cell phones 14, 503‑4 of the Immaculate Thiruvananthapuram art 478 Cellular Jail National Conception 121, 123 259 culture 447, 448, 450 Memorial 412 Church of South India Thrissur 314 dance 477 cemeteries 315 curd 461 food 459, 461, 463, 464, Dutch Cemetery 301 Luz Church 333 currency 14 465, 466 chai 466‑7 New Jerusalem Church customs regulations 496, health 517 Chandor 150 369 499 history 431, 432, 436, chapati 459‑60 Notre Dame des Anges cycling 508‑9 438, 441, 442, 443 Chapora 141‑4, 142 362 Kochi 303 religion 454, 456, 457 Chennai (Madras) 40, Our Lady of Immaculate Kodaikanal 392 Brahma 452 Conception Cathedral 324‑47, 325, 328‑9, Mamallapuram Brahman 452 362 334‑5 (Mahabalipuram)