Southern India with Ceylon Express International

I took a 20-day custom tour, Jan. 20-Feb. 2, ’03, arranged for me by Ceylon Express International (Huntington Beach, CA). The entire cost of the trip, including international and domestic air, hotels, breakfasts, my own car and driver and English-speaking guides in each city, was about $6,300.

Among highlights was Madurai, where a visit to the Meenakshi Temple is a must. In Periyar, bird-watching by boat is the thing to do. In Kanya Kumari, at the southern tip of India, I toured by boat the monuments built on rocks offshore and visited the temple to the goddess Kanya Kumari.

We drove to Kottayam, where I boarded the Vambanadu Kettuvallum, a rice boat. I had my own pilot, a cook and an attendant. The meals were cooked on board in a tiny kitchen and served in an open dining room. The boat also had a bedroom with an attached bath. It was very comfortable and quite a novel experience to be waited on hand and foot. My cook prepared some king prawns for me that I bought in a nearby market.

I took a flight to the Lakshadweep Islands, where I stayed at Bangaram Island Resort. Scuba diving and snorkeling are the activities there, but, for me, watching the sea change colors was sport enough.

In Mysore, a stop at Shravan Belgola is a must. I climbed 658 steps to see a huge statue of a Jain saint. In Chickmaglur I saw the temples of Halebid and Belur, which are built of granite but are so full of carvings they look like lace.

I believe I got my money’s worth on this trip. The hotels selected by Ceylon Express were all very comfortable and the food was tasty and cheap. On the domestic flights, on Jet Airways, service was courteous and efficient, and, no matter the duration, a hot meal was always served. The drivers were very good and the guides spoke excellent English.

SHERRY PAI
Silver Springs, MD