1

From Mumbai to Kochi and then again towards Mumbai via Goa will result in avoidable expenses. Better fly down to Kochi ( Hope you get a direct flight ) then spend about 5-6 days in Kochin, Alleppoy, Munnat etc. Then Take train from Kochi to Madgaon and relax for 7-8 days in Goa. Thereafter visit Mumbai for 3-4 days and take a flight to your home. In Kochi, Mumbai you may try for home stay facility to save some money.

2

Hello. This home stay has received wonderful reviews. We are looking at staying at an Ashram in Trivandrum and a home stay in Cochin. Look this up: Beena Home Stay Kochi (Cochin), Sorry, I don;t know how to put links into these messages. There is a wonderful website that is all India call indiamike.com. Another excellent resource like Lonely Planet.

3

since you have time at kochi - maybe around 5 - 6 days... you can check out this place... maranat manna... i have stayed at quite a few homestays around india, but this one takes the cake. its an ancient house around 100 / 150 years old. and its the traditional kerala house. and the family still maintain it. only issue, its north kerala. but if your plans are still open right now, maybe you could work around it... another option around kochi is places maintained by CGH Earth or Neemrana Group... both of them renovate old houses / palaces, but they end up being expensive. and Jan would be peak season.

if it means that you need to fly in to mumbai and take-off from there too, i think it would make sense to fly from mumbai to kochi, but definitely take a train back from kochi to goa and then from goa to mumbai. its a good experience...

have a great trip

bhavani
http://merrytogoaround.wordpress.com/

4

Going to mumbai and then to kochi and then returning to kochi will incur unnecessary expenses. Instead, try going in one direction, either north to south ( mumbai_Goa _kochi) or south to north ( Kochi_goa- mumbai). Flights connect all these places. you can also take a train though i do not suggest that for a female travelling alone in India.
Hope you have a good time.

5

mimyj,have you noticed all of the replys are from men who have No history of posting on this site.# of posts;10 posts,1 post,23,11,..You are also recieving lots of PMs from the same jokers.

6

#6 fivejacks has summed up the situation well, albeit discreetly - you'll be pestered by lonely males sending you private messages - report them all to ThornTree as they try their luck with all single females. You will receive other hassle from travel agents and their touts whose sole interest is extracting as much cash as possible from you , some may be fraudulent - report all these also and DO NOT send money.

Looking at your topic, I am not sure you know what you want. We know nothing about your departure to India airport.

Have you bought a new guidebook yet? It wil save its cost a dozen times with help on accommodation and travel.

1) Have you bought your ticket yet? - if not then dont - you have chosen to go through Mumbai which is a modern Western megapolis with little interest for the traveller. There is no need to pass thru any Northern city, particularly if your interest is Kerala and Goa. My advice is to transit thru the Gulf on Etihad, or Qatar , Emirates etc say flying in to Trivandrum and out of Goa or Kochin.
2) You only have 2 weeks, so concentrate on lovely Kerala - and leave Goa for another trip, the beach resort of Varkala will negate any need to go to Goa. I have no idea of ashrams in Kerala but a trip starting in Trivundrum for Varkala and working up to Kochin via Kollam/Alleppy makes a lot of sense - there are a dozen recent itineraries on this site.
3) If you wish to visit Goa, then note that it is day's journey by train from Ernakulam (the station for Kochin) but you could organise your airticket accordingly.

My advice is stick to Kerala for just a fortnight's trip but sort out what you want to really do first - you appear to be floundering and you can always go back if you decide you like the place and this part of India is in many ways the best initiation - lessoverty, dirt and hassle with lots of like-minded travellers..

Edited by: Grahamapoole

7

I don't know about the rest, but at least I am not a tout. I am a honest, well- meaning person. If you do not wish to take my advice, so be it, but I am only trying to help.

8

hahaha true!

don't think fivejacks & grahampoole checked the profiles! i just got onto thorn tree and THUS i am 11 posts old! and i am no lonely male! :):):)

but there is a valid point in saying that there will be touts who get after you. and beware. but please don't let that ruin your holiday. i don't agree with #7 on bombay. it might not be tourist friendly, but then that's true for a lot of india... i would think... even for a local like me!

there is a history and an energy to mumbai that is amazing... there are different parts to it, and a lot to see and def worth a couple of days at least. but at the end of the day, it depends on what kind of a holiday you want....

have a great trip... do take a train ride once if you are up for the adventure of it! but book well in advance!

bhavani
http://merrytogoaround.wordpress.com

9

It would seem a shame to go to Kochi without spending time in other parts of Kerala - maybe you should pick either Goa or Kerala and focus on one area. I think you would be safe enough on overnight trains especially in 3AC or 2AC (and in SL if you met up with other people to travel with) so you could fly one way and take the train the other way (the idea state above of looking for flights into Sth India is even better). I didn't make it to the beaches of Kerala as we only ended up in Kochi in time to catch a flight out but I have heard Goa is better for the beach whereas Kerala might have a wider range of sightseeing type things to see. In Goa either North Goa (eg Arambol) or South Goa (Palolem/Patnem/Agonda) seemed nicest and we also made a brief stop in Panjim to visit Old Goa.

10

goa in all honesty is the worst place in india kerala is way better

11

Mangalan - I am sure your opinion is absolutely valid but for an 18yo to pass such an absolute view is a little bold - dont you think - how many nites have you spent in Goa and Kerala?

12

I'm giving #11 5.21 on my trollometer. Or should that be toutometer?