3 Weeks In The South Of India – My Latest Intrepid Adventure

Kerala backwaters.

On Wednesday I fly out to India for the very first time, with one night in Singapore on the way. I will have three weeks exploring the south of the country thanks to Intrepid Travel, Flight Centre and the New Zealand Herald. Look out for a trio of articles about the trip in the Herald as well as my first foray into video blogs as I film a series of travel diaries. Will be fun.

As for why I’m going to the south of India rather than the more touristed (and more populated) north, my love of the equatorial tropics and South East Asia in particular has drawn me to another part of the world with some definite points in common. As in, South India is from what I gather not too dissimilar to parts of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia in terms of some of the geography: lush, green backdrops, beautiful beaches.

Varkala Beach.

Then there’s also the appeal of the heat, the general manageable mayhem and the historic and cultural mix of centuries old temples, mosques, churches and palaces. So I guess in a way I’m being safe for going for what I know and being daring for exploring somewhere I’ve never been. And my experiences in traipsing across every country in South East Asia over the past decade (with the exceptions of East Timor and the Philippines) tells me that while these countries all have aspects in common, they also all have their own unique charms and peculiarities.

Some of the places I’m visiting are included in these photos, notably the beaches of Varkala and Goa, the jungles of Periyar National Park (where there are between 35-40 elusive tigers), the temples of Hampi and Madurai, the palace of Mysore, the backwaters of Kerala and the cities of Kochi and Trivandrum.

I’m back on-air on Friday October 24th, ’til then, take care and thanks as always for reading The Roxborogh Report and for listening to my shows on Newstalk ZB – it’s always hugely appreciated.

 

A beach in Goa.
Hampi.
Mysore Palace.
Temples in Madurai.
Kowdiar Palace, Trivandrum

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