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Old 21st November 2018, 14:02   #121
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Re: The Travesty of Tourist Places!

To be honest, its the same scenario with most of the popular temples. Rather than it being a soothing/calming experience, i tend to come out more frustrated than before.
I guess, with the ever increasing population, there is no escaping from this.

But OP: You ain't alone feeling this way

Last edited by ampere : 23rd November 2018 at 07:16. Reason: typo fixed
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Old 21st November 2018, 14:05   #122
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Re: The Travesty of Tourist Places!

Best solution: Travel during the off-season. You get good discounts on hotels, tickets, etc and you get to avoid the crowd too. Another plus, expect better hospitality.

Here's one closely related thread that may also interest you: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/stree...ng-places.html (List of avoidable holiday spots & sightseeing places!)

Regards,
Saket
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Old 21st November 2018, 14:26   #123
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Re: The Travesty of Tourist Places!

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Originally Posted by vsathyap View Post
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.
I couldn't have put this any better. Agree 100% with all of your points. The explosive growth of the tourist class (as opposed to the travellers' tribe) has taken the sheen out of holidays.

The tragedy of tourism, as Bhpian airguitar so eloquently expresses in his recent travelogue.
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Of what use is that travel where you have to compete ( again ) with your fellowmen for resources ? Travel should be liberating, an escape from the rigmarole of life. If you find yourself fighting for that good position in a toll lane, for a good seat ( or even just any seat ) in a restaurant ( and I don't have to remind you of those situations when you can't even enjoy your meal, what with 'others' hanging around your table hoping that you will vacate your seat the next minute) , for a good room in a good hotel etc etc. Competition kills fun
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Do you have such places around your city / town which were once hidden gems and have now become a bane on themselves?
I would steal your own words to answer this.
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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!
All of the aforementioned places are close to me; places that brought me peace once upon a time. Sadly, no longer.
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Old 22nd November 2018, 12:34   #124
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Re: The Travesty of Tourist Places!

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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?
Great reminder to this discerning motoring community.

I realized this when i went to Kodaikanal in June 2013, during the peak summer season. Driving up the hill, it was choked with traffic. With the windows rolled down, as it should be when driving uphill, all we could smell was burning ceramic (from constantly applied brakes), metal (from abused clutch plates) and diesel fumes. The destination was like a crowded bazaar...

What I've realized is - the best time to visit a hill station in South India is in the off-season. Go to Kodaikanal in December and you'll find only locals there. Southern tourists cannot handle the winter in hill stations as it is "too cold". But if you're from the North or if you've already lived at -10 Fahrenheit in the western world, Kodaikanal in December is a cake-walk. Resorts and Hotels charge you less in the off-season; that's an added plus point to touring in the off-season. This won't always work if you have kids in school though; peak tourist seasons tend to coincide with school vacations.

Another off-season destination I've enjoyed recently - Kuttralam in September. The place was deserted like a ghost-town and the famed waterfalls had a lot of flowing water and we had a good time with cheap stay options.

Or else, travel to destinations with very little infrastructure. The Udupi region has beauties like Kudlu theertha/Sita falls and Kudremukh. You won't find as much as a tea shop in these places, but you'll enjoy nature at its finest without even a single human being around. Pack a picnic and get to these places and you're all set. Again, it may not work with most families; but for bachelors, it doesn't get better than this.
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Old 22nd November 2018, 14:53   #125
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Re: List of avoidable holiday spots & sightseeing places!

A few places of can-avoid from my side:
  1. Vaishnodevi - It is just too commercialized to feel special the way it did in 80s when you actually had to walk through the low cave in cold water, stooped half way!
  2. South Goa - Avoid. For those who seek the Goa as shown in movies, they are better off chasing the North. I stayed over at Fort Tiracol hotel last year and it was one of the best places I have stayed in Goa. Pristine, quiet, away from maddening crowd.
I was actually looking to book for a stay at Cecil or Chapslee as I really like the ambiance of these hotels from what I have read. Unfortunately, the fact they are quintessentially Shimla and so there is no escaping the town during the stay means I have reluctantly dropped the idea. Planning a vacation is a depressing activity these days!
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Old 22nd November 2018, 15:34   #126
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Re: List of avoidable holiday spots & sightseeing places!

Some very valid points discussed. However, I forgot to add that not everyone will have the convenience of visiting such places during off season months or even weekdays. There are several factors like kids having school, to not getting leaves at work and family members' preferences and availability may differ. Moreover, visiting beaches during monsoons may not be a good thing to do, esp when family comes into the picture. Same with visiting hill stations in winters - I'm all for it, but creature comforts need to be addressed while family is involved.

When I do solo trips, I get the luxury of having all the good things during that trip - off season, hotels of my preferences and liking, etc. A simple example to this is my annual trip to wildlife reserves like Bandipur or Kabini during late Feb or early March. Being exam season, most of the tourists are off the roads and off the grid!

Coming back to the main topic, the massive increase in "reach" both in terms of vehicle ownership, accessibility (both monetary and physical) and last but not least, vastly improving infrastructure like good fast roads, more flights per day, ease of cabs and taxis, etc. have had a compounding effect to this phenomenon.

Which brings us to a full circle - the minute I have to plan something with my family, the default options are weekends and long weekends and other "tied up" holidays, which give me that frayed brow and added tension. And to add fuel to the fire, we have some amazingly talented folks driving on highways who are constantly tailgating, flashing their headlights, and are hell bent on overtaking you - no matter what! And - the long line up at tolls and the madness at the gates with cars trying to sneak into that 2ft gap ahead of you so that they go first at the toll.

Phew - just writing this is making me slightly twitchy! God bless our holidays!

Last edited by vsathyap : 22nd November 2018 at 15:36.
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Old 22nd November 2018, 15:54   #127
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Re: List of avoidable holiday spots & sightseeing places!

I can't believe I missed this thread ! My recent visits to Mysore would've been so much better if I had checked this thread. A few suggestions from my side.

1: To Bhpians who are travelling to Kovalam in Kerala, try Varkala. The beaches are clean, the cliff right next to the beach is an awesome viewpoint and there's no rush (a little maybe on holidays). There are a lot of restaurants, some might try to fleece you but menus are placed outside so you can see what you are getting into. Sea food is excellent and you can take take a walk on the beach after dinner, its safe and there are cops everywhere. During the day you can sit back and enjoy your meals and drinks in full view of the sea.
2: Instead of your regular Aleppey house boat rides try Ashtamudi Backwaters in Kollam. Might not be as scenic but it's not as crowded and you can enjoy your cruise in some privacy. One sour point is there are only two good hotels and during peak seasons, it might get a little expensive (subjective) for what they offer.
3: Poovar in Trivandrum. Again, an alternative to crowded beaches and spaces , perfect for a romantic getaway, honeymoon or family trips. Beaches are clean and only accessible by boat. You pay some cash to the boat guy and extend your boat trip duration. Ideal for people who just want to get away from cities and just chill for a couple of days. But a couple of things you've to consider is that it is an hour drive away from Trivandrum city, you might not have a lot of options to dine out other than the hotel/resort you're at.
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Old 22nd November 2018, 16:07   #128
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Re: List of avoidable holiday spots & sightseeing places!

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A few places of can-avoid from my side:[list=1][*]South Goa - Avoid.
I completely agree with you on this one. This time we stayed and limited ourselves only to North Goa. Did not even see beaches like Baga etc. Mostly stayed in Mandrem. Very less crowd, not much partying, cleaner beaches, friendlier people. Generally, it was way better than the touristy one we did in our last visit and stay near Baga.
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Old 22nd November 2018, 17:04   #129
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Re: List of avoidable holiday spots & sightseeing places!

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Originally Posted by Hells Bells View Post
A few places of can-avoid from my side:
  1. South Goa - Avoid. For those who seek the Goa as shown in movies, they are better off chasing the North. I stayed over at Fort Tiracol hotel last year and it was one of the best places I have stayed in Goa. Pristine, quiet, away from maddening crowd.
How is Gokarna as an alternative to Goa? For a family with pure vegetarians, everyone being teetotallers and in which no one consumes any recreational drugs (alright, I'll tone down the snarkiness, sorry), how good is Gokarna to just rent out a cottage by the sea and enjoy a crowd-less experience?

My friends had done just that - they took sea-side cottages and just chilled by the sea or in it - but way back in 2011. I have no idea how Gokarna is currently.
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Old 22nd November 2018, 18:36   #130
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Re: List of avoidable holiday spots & sightseeing places!

Going on holiday these days is an incredibly tiring experience, within India.
One just ends up exchanging one set of woes for another.
How sad to see beautiful quiet little places like Ooty, Munnar, Kotagiri and beyond, all invaded by hordes of unappreciative, non-nature focused, demon-tourists!
The journey to and from these places is also quite horrid. Too much traffic. Too many people all crowding around.
Unbearable.

I vastly prefer to sit at home and read a few books and chill.
Off Season, or during the working week, are the only possible times one can consider going on holiday in India, if at all.

The normal “school holiday” season is probably the worst possible time to go anywhere, as are these “long weekends”. Hordes of horrid creatures all over the place. Not a moment of peace.
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Old 22nd November 2018, 18:39   #131
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Re: List of avoidable holiday spots & sightseeing places!

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How is Gokarna as an alternative to Goa? For a family with pure vegetarians, everyone being teetotallers and in which no one consumes any recreational drugs (alright, I'll tone down the snarkiness, sorry), how good is Gokarna to just rent out a cottage by the sea and enjoy a crowd-less experience?

My friends had done just that - they took sea-side cottages and just chilled by the sea or in it - but way back in 2011. I have no idea how Gokarna is currently.
I haven't really explored Gokarna yet so can't help on this one. What I have realized is that unless you get a rush by being in midst of a crowd, staying on periphery with your own transport is always a better deal. I always drive over to Goa so transport is not a problem. With Gokarna, any trip towards Goa will take you via Karwar which is an issue as the traffic is very messy. No personal experience of staying at Gokarna though.
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Old 23rd November 2018, 06:51   #132
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Re: List of avoidable holiday spots & sightseeing places!

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How is Gokarna as an alternative to Goa?
Have gone there once about 2-3 yrs ago. It wasn't crowded at all then. Seemed like a fine enough place and you could get some private space at the beach too. Food was bit of a problem. Hopefully they have improved that now.

We took one of those sleeper VRL buses overnight from B'lore. What I thought was a wise choice before the journey started, ended a nightmare. Vowed never again to step on such a thing till roads in the country improve by leaps and bound!

From my Sikkim diaries - It is still fine for off-season travel, but peak season is a mess. The locals there mentioned there's been steady increase in tourists over the last 10-yrs but a dramatic increase in last 2.
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Old 23rd November 2018, 12:32   #133
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Re: List of avoidable holiday spots & sightseeing places!

I invite all the non Bangalore folks to visit Bangalore on holidays - long weekends and festival season. Bangalore is beautiful, calm and pleasant during those days. I prefer to stay back in bangalore visit couple of attractions(non touristy) inside bangalore during those days.
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Old 23rd November 2018, 12:49   #134
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how good is Gokarna to just rent out a cottage by the sea and enjoy a crowd-less experience?
I would say, look no further!!

I had been there a couple of years back and some of my friends went recently, and the crowd was pretty much the same, which is less.
Since you are interested in relaxing by the beachside, I would suggest you get one of those cottages on Kudle beach, which is quiet and not too commercialised, unlike Om beach.

The most serene place to stay would be the Half Moon beach, which I believe has only one setup of cottages, so pre-booking would be ideal. This beach is not vast, and is hardly ever populated by not more than 50-60 folks. The only problem is accessibility. You need to either take a long hike or a boat ride from Om beach. So if you have got elder folks with you, better stick to Kudle.

Ahh, food. That is a problem. On top of that, getting veg is another task. Unless of course you guys are okay with eating veg food from a "co-eat" place (if that is even a word). Point being, you'll only find pure veg restaurants in the city and not on the beach side, which is quite some distance.

But, all in all, it's a great place and you'll find yourself craving to go back again and again.
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