[guru0101]

Originally Posted by klassics45

I think its all about what you are interested on.
============
I can see it from here and its nothing interesting". She was not even to keen to touch it once or get close to it.

+1 for klassics45.
In this kind of topics, information with data like peak season, weather etc would be more helpful to others, rather than perspective of individual.

[dingolphie]

This should be a sticky

Stonehenge - it's like a movie without a climax. You go, was that it?

Bolgatty Palace, Ernakulam. The hill palace at tripunithura is so much better!

Sankhumughom beach - trivandrum. Still a decent beach, but not better or worse than any other part of the kerala coastline

Marina beach chennai - maybe cos I was spoilt with lots of beaches near my hometown in Kerala

[Xeno]

My tip for everyone here would be, never ever travel during peak seasons and stay in places far away from the main town/city.

Also avoid weekend destinations like Mount Abu or Shimla.

I know it's very difficult to plan trips during weekdays or off season when no one has holidays together (summer vacation, winter break) but I've completely stopped traveling around during peak season as you spend more just to get disappointed.

Below I'll list an example how a popular place like munnar still can be enjoyed in peace.

Example
Destination : Munnar
This is a snap from a hotel Oak Fields, the hotel is very much inside the tea gardens of munnar. This hotel mostly has few occupants during offseason so it seems deserted. The staff tries to meet your demands but they are mostly not prepared enough for room service for meals.

The hotel itself has bad ratings for service, I don't really want everything at my fingertips. I go to the main town to have food and carry some refreshments back for the night. This place doesn't even have cellphone tower range for most of the time.

The aroma from the tea gardens is amazing and at night its very cold and refreshing for walks around the hotel.

Serves the exact purpose for a vacation I have in mind, to get away from urban crowd and detox in peace.

[MSC]

Going by the current situation in Leh, unfortunately it has to be avoided if hoping for a peaceful, relaxing and safe holiday. Leave cars with yellow registration plates or the rental ones, even privately owned and driven vehicles are not spared. The incident might be one off but who knows who's next.
Now with the video of attack too surfacing, I just get shudders imagining myself and my family caught in similar situation. With big boulders being flung wildly, car panels being pierced with rods , window panes being smashed this has got really terrifying.
Leh might be a life time experience but definitely not worth putting yourself and beloved ones in life threatening situation.
At least till sense and law & order prevails, better keep off Leh.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by trek

Goa - Calangute and Baga beaches - Its their 'juhu' beach. Avoid always..

Originally Posted by clix22

5. Baga / Calangute strech, Goa - Dirty, overcrowded tourist trap.

Add Colva to that.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

[*]Goa &[/list]

So I'm a Goan and technically I should be upset that my hometown is an undesireable place for tourists. But I am not. I totally agree.

The true Goan in me feels pained to tell you not to visit my hometown. But the true Goan in me also does not want you to waste hard earned money on an unpleasant vacation. Here's why.

- Goa was famous for it's natural beauty. That has already been destroyed and whatever is left will soon be destroyed because the government lacks any vision.
- Goa was famous for it's food. However most shacks / restaurants have cooks who are not Goan. So most probably you're not eating authentic food.
- Goa was famous for it's music. Today a tourist hardly gets to hear that. Luckily the local have a few places where they can still enjoy that. Add to that the governement has put in several restrictions on sound.
- Roads. Once upon a time Goa had the best roads in the country. Today Mahindra can organize the Great Escape on the roads itself. No need of any off-road tracks.
- Prices. If you've been to Goa you'll know how expensive it's got.
- Garbage. You will find it everywhere.
- Tourist Guides and Touts. These are all not locals and know absolutely nothing about the place, the history and culture.
- Women. Unlike what is potrayed in Bollywood films the men are not permanently drunk and the women are not loose. Some people learnt it the hard way.
- Cheap booze. So why is this a negative? Because a lot of people come to Goa specifically for "Cheap Booze". So they are a nuisance and an hazard to locals and decent tourists like you.
- Cheap Petrol. Since most of you drive to Goa in Diesel cars.
- Entry Tax. Even if you come in a Diesel car you have to pay entry tax because of cheap petrol.

All said and done there are still some good things about Goa but you need to do your homework well to have a pleasant holiday.

[FuelInjector]

My picks and the reasons would be
1. Charing cross - ooty. highly crowded. no parking space. when it rains (which it does frequently) it gets real messy. Children find it difficult in claustrophobic conditions.
2. Botanical gardens - ooty. For anyone who has seen gardens with grass cover, nothing new here. Deadly crowded. Discipline is least maintained by the crowd by littering and trampling forbidden areas.
3. Doddabeta - the highest peak it just a watch tower. the view it offers of the valley is also not that great. on weekends and holidays, the queue is just unbearable. Children to avoid standing in queue. the winding stairs to the top of tower isn't that great as well. Its even more difficult getting down as folks would just not budge. I always wondered how that structure could handle so much weight!

[Sheel]

I may not visit Kali Ghat temple at Calcutta anytime soon.

Everyone out there is to rob you, the worst are the priests, I just hate that breed. I didn't want to visit there at the first place, but got dragged on by companions and what a disaster.

No, nothing untoward happened but whatever takes place there in the name of God or as usual/chalta hai, gets my throat.

[GeneralJazz]

Originally Posted by Sheel

I may not visit Kali Ghat temple at Calcutta anytime soon.

Everyone out there is to rob you, the worst are the priests, I just hate that breed. I didn't want to visit there at the first place, but got dragged on by companions and what a disaster.

No, nothing untoward happened but whatever takes place there in the name of God or as usual/chalta hai, gets my throat.

Please don't. I've been there a year ago and it was truly awful. It took us about 2 hours to reach Kali Ghat from Howrah. The traffic was unbelievable! You have to walk some distance to get to the actual entrance. And that road has stalls on both sides and is crowded to the point of insanity. My friend lost his wallet there. The actual temple is/was quite beautiful if you can imagine it without all the people. Move toward the river and you are visually assaulted by men, women and children of all ages stripping, some behind covers, others fully open. The condition of water made us rethink our plans to go for a dip. The queues outside the temples were we have to stand under the burning sun made us lose any remnants of devotion, except for one of us. Out of pure desperation, we left him there and went back to the hotel(another 2 hours). People come here to get some piece of mind, some serenity and leave with extreme frustration.

[asingh1977]

I found Amer Fort to be quite annoying as a guest visitor due to the hawkish: guides. We were a few kilometers away from the fort and we stopped for a photograph. Our driver clicked the photo. There was a man standing there with his bike. He said, he is a guide. And started to peddle his services. We declined and sat back in the cab and drove to the fort. Where the on-foot journey starts, this same man / guide started to harass us. I was shocked. In a full blown crowd he, had spotted us and again was targeting his value add-on to our experience. I kept refusing for almost 4-5 minutes. In the end I literally had to shout like a lunatic (at the top of my voice) at him and tell him NO...! Even then he just stood there. The whole crowd was staring at me an my wife, and it was so embarrassing. Even his fellow guides requested him to back off.

The whole experience was bitter, my forehead pulse was racing like hell, and I felt so uncomfortable and exposed. I seriously wish these guides would form an official union and start a service window. Where one can go and request a guide, pre-pay and take services. Like a pre-paid vendor cab. It even happened at another fort, where we had to buy the car entry ticket. The guides stuck their faces inside the car and started to sell themselves. It is so rude and a breach of privacy. And annoying too.

By the way:
Am from Mussoorie. It is a mess now. A good recluse is "Sisters Bazzar" near the TV tower. Away from the main market, and the highest point in Mussoorie. People can go there, and be away from the hustle-bustle of the once quaint, Queen of Hills abode.

[trek]

The Deterioration of Matheran:

Had the opportunity to spend couple of days at Matheran, a tiny hill station near Mumbai.

For people from not around here, Matheran is the smallest hill station in India and the only one where motorised vehicles are banned. Locals and tourists either walk or use horses and hand carts to move around.

I went there after almost a decade and few gawdy hotels and resorts have sprung up in the main market area near the station. They boast of open discotheques, karaoke bars etc with all intent to spoil the peaceful atmosphere. During weekends, they blast off Bollywood item numbers till late night in the name of entertainment! I fail to understand how people end up staying at such places when the whole intention of coming to a hill station is to relax and be away from the noise and hustle.

Apart from the above, the overcharging by horse owners and hotels remain a constant.

So a quaint hill station turns into a loud resort during weekends. Hope the municipality there can wake up and curb this menace before it becomes another Lonavala!

[mayankk]

I went to Kathmandu after close to 7 years now. Last time I stayed at a hotel near the Everest casino thing. Did not like the town then. This time I stayed in a quaint little place in patan in the temple complex. This was a totally different experience. Food, people, the general air, extremely accommodating and enjoyable. And food, meats, to die for!!
Next time, going to rent a bike for sojourns.
Also, no more pestering by locals for inr. All prices are quoted in nr now. Biggest surprise.
I got around this last time by telling people that I was from Pakistan.

[Kiterunner]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

So I'm a Goan and technically I should be upset that my hometown is an undesireable place for tourists. But I am not. I totally agree.

All said and done there are still some good things about Goa but you need to do your homework well to have a pleasant holiday.

Recently visited Goa and we completely avoided Calangute, Baga. Loved the Betalbatim beach; beautiful, no filth and very less crowded. Hope it remains like that at least for few more years.

Avoidable - the boat ride for dolphin spotting and the Monkey beach. My colleagues got conned into taking this ride, paid 1200 per person for 4 guys (includes food, booze, snorkeling and visit to Monkey beach). I had to reluctantly tag along.
Managed to see the tail of two dolphins very far away; mission accomplished for the boat guys. By the time we realized the mistake, it was very late.

Loud Bollywood item songs were at full blast in the boat. I was already getting a headache. Reached a spot were there were some 10 boats anchored and snorkeling was happening at full swing. Passengers were given dirty broken equipment and asked to jump. We didn't participate. By the time others came back, the boat was completely filthy with salt water, wet cloths and smell of alcohol.
The Monkey Island experience was even worse. A small beach of maybe 1 KM with close to 600 people jostling for space. Rowdy tourists from other states were trying to get friendly with foreigners and take photos. Fight broke out in between. We quickly ate some food and came back on the first boat back. One day wasted in an otherwise good trip.

[hothatchaway]

^^^We generally keep to south Goa - Palolem, Agonda et al. It makes up with its quaintness what it lacks in the so called 'buzz' department - which we are not looking for anyway. The only reason we head north beyond Canacona is to have another look at the grand churches of old Goa and Fort Aguada. I visited Baga/Calangute only once and never went back.

[vsathyap]

BHPians,

When was the last time you went off on a holiday to a 'tourist' place or town and felt like you were better off staying home and relaxing?

Off late, I am experiencing this very worrying phenomenon across our country. When I am on a holiday and visit a 'touristy' location, I find myself getting irritated more - quite contrary to the original idea of taking a break and heading out to nice places and chill out on a holiday.

Don't mistake me here - I am very well aware of the fact that there are TONS of places that are not yet very "touristy" where we can go and still have a good time. However, we are bound to visit the more touristy places at least once (due to family requests / majority preferences, peer [influence/pressure]? ) and live to tell the testing times we experienced there.

For example, we recently visited Ooty as it had been more than 10 years we went there and thought we'd check out the lovely green hills again. To our utter frustration and rampant commercialization, Ooty had turned into this lunatic place with crowds everywhere! Believe me - one evening, we had to jostle and push and tackle our way into a newly opened A2B restaurant when we went there for dinner! I had not experienced that kind of rush even in Bangalore's restaurants that we frequent! I mean, what a way to ruin a holiday! Wait for 1 hour outside for a seat and then wrestle your way in to take that seat?!

Another recent trip to Goa had me in a similar bad mood. Absolutely crazy traffic and zero discipline on the roads! Goa was such a wonderful little calm and easy going place from my memory, but the recent visit changed all that! Its now become a very crowded, dusty and highly commercialized place and I felt that it was no different from Bangalore - with its notorious narrow roads getting blocked due to some moron who had parked their car without caring two hoots about basic civic / common sense. Oh - and the road rage too! Seriously?! I could never imagine witnessing a road rage incident on Goa's (erstwhile) serene roads.

Same case with Leh/Ladakh! The place has become a high altitude garbage dump. All through my recent trip, I saw the roads littered with cans of energy drinks, wrappers of chocolates, protein bars and what not! Dont even get me started on the beer bottles and water bottles carelessly strewn around major attractions! We did our best to pick up the litter from these roads and by the time we traveled from Leh to Nubra, we had 2 gunny bags full of trash!

Until as recently as about 5-6 years ago, visiting Mysore was a very relaxing weekend holiday - an easy going cultural refreshment to the tired urban souls of Bangaloreans. Now, the very thought of visiting Mysore on a weekend gives me shudders! Same case with Coorg and Chikmagaluru. Off late, Kemmangundi and Kallathgiri & Jog Falls too!

I'm not against the growth of tourist places - I'm all in for the immense job opportunities these places create and how much tourism has helped the locals. All I'm worried about is the uncontrolled growth of these places and how its affecting the common man's holiday experience.

Sure - we can take a holiday into unknown, less traveled roads and have a lovely experience (and TBHP's travelogues are filled with such wonderful write-ups). But, what about those instances where one ends up going to these touristy places and ultimately has a very frustrating experience that leaves a bad taste in the mind?

Do you have such places around your city / town which were once hidden gems and have now become a bane on themselves? I'd like to read your experiences and how you handle the inevitable irritation that has become a part of such "package deals" during your holidays?

Note to mods: I'm posting this thread as we're approaching the year end holiday season and the crowds are going to get crazy (which drives me crazy!) As I could not find a relevant thread, I have created a new one. This question may have been discussed elsewhere - if so please merge to the relevant thread.

[am1m]

Always the case these days.

But I'm not sure I'm justified in complaining about how crowded a place is when I'm a part of that crowd too!

For a long time I've avoided the 'season' periods when visiting popular tourists spots. I always travel during the off-season and outside of long weekends and festivals. I love monsoon travel, visit beaches during the summer (not really so bad - the lack of crowds makes up for the weather) and stay in Bangalore over a long weekend (Bangalore itself feels like a holiday on a long weekend!).

I have that flexibility because I don't have to travel with family and not being religious, have no requirement to go to religious spots during festivals.

Some more tips for solo/couple travellers: Talking to tour operators I've realized that the majority of non-work related travel in our country happens for religious purposes. So if you avoid those times, you can visit religious places outside of the "auspicious" times in peace. Hostels are coming up in a big way and are the perfect places to stay for individual or 2-3 travellers travelling together. Since they are not really suited for families and big groups, you'll avoid those crowds. Do your own research and be flexible, there's a TON of information out there. If you leave the planning in the hands of a tour operator, you can hardly expect them to deviate from what everyone else is doing, right?