Discovering South India: Tamil Nadu and Kerala (page 7 of 8)

Why not! 😏

Thanks and kudos to both of you—these are the kind of travel journals we love, perfectly illustrated by Kate’s talent!

For the next destination, I’ve got a few clues… 😉 But if there’s a vote, I know where my 3 points will go! !

If following along is still this enjoyable, I’m afraid you might settle into a bit of a routine. For your next trip, why not step out of your comfort zone—Kate on the keyboard, Richard with the Kodak? Or how about hitting the Pan-American Highway on a Harley or a Mustang?

Don’t care ‘cause I’m sure Sandrine doesn’t read VF

Watch out, though—there’s a Sandrine registered here under the username Sardineverte. Even if her prolonged silence suggests it’s just a coincidence.

I’m not going to be very original, but thank you both so much for sharing this! I really enjoyed it, with a special shout-out for the backwaters photos—just stunning 🤩 Looking forward to reading about your next adventures! Christelle

Thanks to everyone (using inclusive writing just in case...) for your always-welcome comments and for patiently following us. Ben, actually Kate and I had talked about swapping roles. The problem with her Nikon is that I don’t even know where to press! 😏

Apparently, for the next trip with the four of us, Laos and Cambodia are leading the way. Have a great evening, everyone! 😉

Apparently, for the next trip with 4 people, Laos and Cambodia are the top choices.

Great destinations! I’m all for it 😊

Maybe we’ll cross paths there—I’m heading to Laos in November. Thanks for this lovely travel journal.

Hi Kate and Richard, With the avalanche of VF messages informing me of new replies on this travel journal, I realized it must be finished and we’re moving on to thank-yous. Unfortunately, I haven’t finished reading it yet because, as you can guess, my days traveling in Thailand right now are pretty packed, and I don’t get much time to read here... But I promise, I’ll finish reading it in March once I’m back in Kerala. And I’ll add my final comment. I can already say that I really love when you share your raw emotions—joys, disappointments, etc. In short, it’s a personal and moving journal at times. Sometimes naive and innocent too, when discovering a country for the first time. I’ll also take this opportunity to tell Christelle, since she’s following this journal, that I’ll read hers when I get back...

Thanks Marien for your feedback. Keep enjoying Thailand! 🙂

Jen takes the opportunity to tell Christelle, since she’s following this travel journal, that I’ll read hers too when I get back...

Oh, that’s so cool, Marien! I thought you’d blacklisted my journals for being a bit too "everyone’s beautiful and kind" for your taste 😄 Have a great trip!

Marien is just like me, not at all as mean as he looks 😉

Oh, I never thought Joel was mean! Just that I had to inflate him with my angelic tourist perspective and my laughing emojis everywhere 😂 (and one more!)

I’m hanging onto your travel journal for a future trip (fingers crossed...). Thanks for this moment 😉

Thanks Valérie, we really enjoyed writing this travel journal! 😉

@Max68

I was actually thinking of asking you about your impressions of the north vs. the south, since you’ve done both in travel conditions similar to ours? 🙂

Different vibes. It was in Rajasthan that I discovered India. I let go of my bearings, pushed myself far out of my comfort zone, and once the initial shock wore off, I savored every minute of that incredible trip—soaking in its wonders while reflecting on a friend’s spot-on remark: "There’s India, and then there’s the rest of the world." The south was different. We’re still in the same country, but the surprise was more subtle. I loved the calm of Chettinad and the serenity of the backwaters, even as I relished—with a touch of masochistic pleasure—the chaos of the big cities. That contrast suited me perfectly. If I had to go back and could only choose between these two regions, it’d be the south. But I’d return elsewhere too—the country’s vast... As Richard wrote, India hasn’t told us everything yet.

How about you? What were your impressions?

Especially since this usual north/south divide of India is really oversimplified. There are actually multiple norths, souths, easts, wests, and even centers, plus all combinations of these cardinal points. Ladakh has nothing in common with Rajasthan, Odisha is strikingly different from Kerala, and there are so many other contrasts to note.

Hello Kate,

Thanks for your reply. I have to admit that in South India, we weren’t really pushed out of our comfort zone... though we weren’t exactly looking for that either 😉. That doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy it—proof being we’re thinking of going back!

I loved the monuments (even if we saw a few too many), the people, and the history of these states, plus the food. On the other hand, I didn’t find the landscapes *wow*.

The areas I’ve looked into for a potential trip: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Seven Sisters.

Small informative document... (domestic flight with Indigo between Cochin and Chennai)

Hello and thank you so much for this travel journal. We’re planning our second trip to Kerala for November 2026 and have scheduled almost the same route as you, extending to Pondicherry. It’s going to be incredibly helpful, especially since I’ve noted some places in Kerala we didn’t visit last time. Thanks again, and let’s stay positive and tolerant—this site has very few controversies, which is what makes it so great, unlike other travel sites. Thanks again for the interest in your journal and the time you’ve put into it.

Hi there,

Richard and I are thrilled this travel journal could inspire you. We hope you have as wonderful a trip as we did in India 🙂 One of our hosts told us that November is a great time for travelers.

I’m just finishing up your travel journal... a thousand thanks... it’s a goldmine for the South India trip we’ve got planned for next January. Our itinerary looks a lot like yours.... and like you, I wander around with my Nikon around my neck ;-).