Looking for Quick 7-Day Getaway Ideas in India? Share Your Tips and Experiences Here

Hi,

Whenever I have a stretch of 9 days of holidays, my imagination runs wild thinking about a quick getaway for a 7-day sojourn. I am not keen on visiting cities, crowded places, or planning elaborately 2 months in advance for a holiday. So, if you can suggest any places to go on short notice, please add your tips here... preferably in this order:

State:
Places to visit: For a seven-day trip, ideally 2 locations are good, max 3; so if you suggest, then pair up 2-3 places at a time.

No. of days required to visit a place: Plan the time keeping in mind visiting surroundings, sitting idle enjoying nature, some activity (sports or adventure), shopping.

Interests: In more detail, what exactly is there for which one must visit the place, also mention how much time is required for each activity/attraction.

Hotel: Tariffs may range from budget to luxury hotels, Rs 500 per night to Rs 3500 per night. Apart from usual hotels, if there is an option of a homestay with a family like in Coorg, in a calm and quiet place with natural surroundings, that would be great.

- And lastly, the transport, in detail once you land in the main city, from there what are the best options to commute to all your places of interest.
- What is a good stay option in the main city for a night stopover or for a few hours break.
- You may also suggest which are the closest places to the main city. Usually, there would be a minimum of 2-4 cities in each state that are spread across the state. So if you land in Madras, you don't need to be suggested Kanyakumari as the first choice.

I wish good Samaritans will add their knowledge and tips with appropriate internet links to create a good repertoire on Incredible India...:icon1:.

Here you go...

Thanks, Geeta

Geeta,

Hi, I am from this industry and have a few queries:

1. Where are you currently located?
2. Which places have you already visited?
3. What is the general period of your travels?
4. What mode of travel do you prefer? (Air, Train, Road - Public transport or self-drive, etc.)
5. Do you prefer quality hotels, backpacking, or rustic stays?
6. Based on the above information, there are plenty of options available.

Please let me know if you need more information or assistance.

Thank you!

Hi,

I wanted all Cite HR members to share their personal experiences and add their tips here, not someone from the industry. This thread is intended to serve as a valuable source of knowledge among friends. No business, I mean...

Anyway, could you tell me what the accommodation options are in Gokarna and Hampi? Also, how can I reach Hampi from Bangalore? I will be arriving in Bangalore by 4 pm. I have already conducted my search on the internet.

Thanks,
Geeta

Thanks for starting this thread. :-) I may seek suggestions for self after a couple of months (December gives me some free time!) I will need to spend some time on this and suggest the best plan one can have in Kerala. In the meanwhile - are you a vegetarian or non-vegetarian? I shall revert while at home... can try and get you the route map too. Please let me know the starting point...

Hi Asha,

Well, you have to suggest, if I say start from Bangalore, which is the nearest entry point to Kerala? And I will prefer a maximum of 8 hours from Bangalore by road, and 10 hours by train. I am a vegetarian and will prefer places with fewer/no crowds, beaches, jungles, nature, and if a golf course is around, that would be a bonus to make my holiday.

So please think well and give your valuable opinion. I hope other pals will also add to this thread.

Thanks,
Geeta

You are based out of Bangalore.

So I guess rather than taking a traditional tour in Kerala - (house boat, or beach.... You could try the Kerala - Karnataka Border.

[Unseen Paradise in Kerala Karnataka Border](http://www.indiaonrent.com/view/u/unseen-paradise-in-kerala-karnataka-border.html)

I think you could start like this:

Start from Bangalore to Cochin.

Let's check this route and see if someone has a better plan (I got this after some research on the net!)

This is for road:

Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri: Highway (120 KM)

Krishnagiri to Dharmapuri: 40 kms

Dharmapuri - Salem: 70 kms

Salem to Coimbatore: 120 kms

Coimbatore - Palghat: 35 kms

Palghat to Trichur: 80 kms

(You could stop for lunch at Vadakkancherry - Aryas... just an ordinary veg restaurant).

If this is evening time, you will find small shops selling chips and Vadakkancherry is famous for their tasty banana chips.

Trichur to Cochin: 78 kms.

And you could choose to stay at the Taj: [Taj Hotels](http://tajhotels.com)

Or [Taj Hotels](http://tajhotels.com)

The next day you could try the Marine Drive: [Marine Drive, Kochi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Drive,_Kochi)

After that - on the same day, try [Vembanad Lake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vembanad_Lake)

From here you could choose to go further south or north.

Going south will take you to Alappuzha - where you will see the houseboat, Athirapally waterfalls.

If not, you could choose to go north and take some time to relax in the Kerala Karnataka border. I will get back with the route direction to further north in Kerala as I am sure you will love to be in a silent and calm atmosphere than further south... I would suggest a train journey within Kerala, that's the best way to enjoy this place! Provided you get a side seat... else you might want to jump off the train!

What do you mean by "you might want to jump out of the train"? Is it because the sight is so beautiful or the inside is so unbearable?

Okay, thank you for this much information. I will go through the links and get back if I have any questions.

No doubt now I get to understand why you have such an active fighting spirit. Okay, I saw the links and route too, dear. Tell me which is the nearest place in Kerala from Bangalore? Cochin? That is about 450km, which means by road it will be a minimum of 12 hours, and it will be painful.

I cannot plan much for a train journey because then reservations will be a problem. Sometimes you want to extend/truncate your stay at a place. My flight to and from Bangalore to my place is the only thing fixed; rest all journeys cannot go by reservations. So travel by road is the other option. This I am telling because this is how one will plan a trip of 7 days. Few things well organized and few things going by flexibility.

And where exactly is this place in Kerala Karnataka border - unseen paradise? That link had come to me as a PPT sometime back, but it does not talk anything about the location. I could spend all my days there...

If you plan air travel, the nearest from B'lore is Cochin.

And the next option is Trivandrum.

And... Calicut.

Let me get back with these:

If you reach at Cochin: Allepey is where you need to be - (similarities to Kerala Karnataka border) [Coir Village Lake Resort](http://www.coirvillage.com/) [Marari Fishermen Village Beach Resort](http://www.mararifishermenvillagebeachresort.com/), is an exquisite beach resort situated at Mararikulam [Alappuzha.com-A unique Site on Alappuzha and Its Beauty-A Worldviewer.com Site](http://www.alappuzha.com/htm/beach.htm)

If you plan to go to Trivandrum.... Kovalam is the best option.

[The Leela Kempinski Kovalam Services - luxury resort with ayurveda treatments, India](http://theleela.com) *[link updated to site home]* *(Search On Cite | Search On Google)*

(What better than a Leela Kempinski treat!.. no harm in being pampered once in a while...)

I don't know if this is because of extensive research since last night... but to be frank, I feel like quitting from the job and taking a break! I might come up with a decision in the middle of October 2009! So... I need to finish off a few things at work for now and see if I can be completely free by then. I will either quit - or take a break... a 2-3 weeks break.

Wow, I never knew that India is this beautiful until I searched for more pics of my native.

Though I travel frequently to Cochin... at least once a month, by car (for me it's just a matter of a 3.5-hour journey!)... I have never really taken the time to "relax."

So... I will get back with a "good" plan that can accommodate even last-minute changes, and would require less planning and reservation from your end.

Geetha, I never meant it as a business. I'm sorry if you have construed it wrong. Anyway, I am happy Asha is helping you out. If anyone is interested in knowing anything about India, you are welcome. Otherwise, my contribution to this thread ends here.