bPeteb
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It's annual new year's trip time.
Last year we froze in South Korea. This year we were thinking tropical but Thailand flight and hotel costs nixxed that idea. We've done Port Douglas and Palm Cove too many times so that was also crossed out. How about India?
Flights to Begaluru were very reasonable on Boxing Day, in y, queue shrieks from the assembled comfort only fliers. Exit row seats booked for return overnighter. Risking the 5am flight down to SYD on the morning of our 9.30 flight to BLR.
What to do and where to go?
Looked at a number of different options and chose a private tour with Payless India (more our style than Paymore) booked through TourRadar called Essence of Idyllic South India The best of Kerala in 9 days with idyllic houseboat and relax.
Communication was, interesting, with Neeraj at Payless Tours. Email was just too difficult (no responses) so we moved to WhatsApp where it was easier, and quicker.
I suggested that we would like to stay in hotels with character but that appeared to be a request just not understood. I managed to get one.
We added an extra night in Thekkady so that we could spend a full day at Periyar Tiger Reserve, extra nights at the start in Kochi and finish in Chennai and changed from three star to four star hotels. Total cost of the tour was USD6200. 12 nights, transfers, driver, breakfasts, some shows and entry fees.
Before I go any further I'd like to thank @somebol for his much appreciated India travel info gleened when we met up in Melbourne. Then even more his help in paying for our safari tickets at Periyar. No matter what I tried I could not get payment to go through . It could only be done from India, where @somebol is on his annual family holiday. Thank you thank you Ranga.
Our itinerary
QF501 BNE-SYD Y 26/12
QF67 SYD-BLR Y
Bengaluru one night - Taj Bangalore (at the airport)
6E 703 BLR-cough Y (changed from original flight booked due to IndiGo's ongoing pilot scheduling issues.
Kochi two nights - Bloom Boutique (I wanted to stay both in the waterfront area and at a hotel with character so this was a change)
Houseboat backwater cruise one night
Rajakkad one night - Lemongrass Inn
Thekkady two nights - Hotel Crystals Cove (full day rafting/walking safari Periyar Tiger Reserve)
Madurai one night - Astoria Hotel
Thanjavur one night - Sangam Hotel
Puducherry one night - The Bull Boutique Hotel
Mahabalipuram one night - Grand Continent
Chennai two nights - The Madras Grand (tour ends)
Indian Railways 22625 - SBC Double Decker Express Chair Class
Bengaluru one night - Radisson Blu Atria
QF68 BLR-SYD Y (low ball J bid submitted)
QF526 SYD-BNE Y 10/01
We're both hugely looking forward to this. Once I see our driver at the airport in cough I will finally be able to relax.
This time on Friday we'll hopefully be in our seats, the final door will have closed and we're powering up, ready to head to another new country.
Last year we froze in South Korea. This year we were thinking tropical but Thailand flight and hotel costs nixxed that idea. We've done Port Douglas and Palm Cove too many times so that was also crossed out. How about India?
Flights to Begaluru were very reasonable on Boxing Day, in y, queue shrieks from the assembled comfort only fliers. Exit row seats booked for return overnighter. Risking the 5am flight down to SYD on the morning of our 9.30 flight to BLR.
What to do and where to go?
Looked at a number of different options and chose a private tour with Payless India (more our style than Paymore) booked through TourRadar called Essence of Idyllic South India The best of Kerala in 9 days with idyllic houseboat and relax.
Communication was, interesting, with Neeraj at Payless Tours. Email was just too difficult (no responses) so we moved to WhatsApp where it was easier, and quicker.
I suggested that we would like to stay in hotels with character but that appeared to be a request just not understood. I managed to get one.
We added an extra night in Thekkady so that we could spend a full day at Periyar Tiger Reserve, extra nights at the start in Kochi and finish in Chennai and changed from three star to four star hotels. Total cost of the tour was USD6200. 12 nights, transfers, driver, breakfasts, some shows and entry fees.
Before I go any further I'd like to thank @somebol for his much appreciated India travel info gleened when we met up in Melbourne. Then even more his help in paying for our safari tickets at Periyar. No matter what I tried I could not get payment to go through . It could only be done from India, where @somebol is on his annual family holiday. Thank you thank you Ranga.
Our itinerary
QF501 BNE-SYD Y 26/12
QF67 SYD-BLR Y
Bengaluru one night - Taj Bangalore (at the airport)
6E 703 BLR-cough Y (changed from original flight booked due to IndiGo's ongoing pilot scheduling issues.
Kochi two nights - Bloom Boutique (I wanted to stay both in the waterfront area and at a hotel with character so this was a change)
Houseboat backwater cruise one night
Rajakkad one night - Lemongrass Inn
Thekkady two nights - Hotel Crystals Cove (full day rafting/walking safari Periyar Tiger Reserve)
Madurai one night - Astoria Hotel
Thanjavur one night - Sangam Hotel
Puducherry one night - The Bull Boutique Hotel
Mahabalipuram one night - Grand Continent
Chennai two nights - The Madras Grand (tour ends)
Indian Railways 22625 - SBC Double Decker Express Chair Class
Bengaluru one night - Radisson Blu Atria
QF68 BLR-SYD Y (low ball J bid submitted)
QF526 SYD-BNE Y 10/01
We're both hugely looking forward to this. Once I see our driver at the airport in cough I will finally be able to relax.
This time on Friday we'll hopefully be in our seats, the final door will have closed and we're powering up, ready to head to another new country.
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Let's go! 
