In Cochin at the moment and Varkala seems like months ago, we had an awesome time here, a ridiculously chilled out place, rocked up and snapped up an apartment for six quid overlooking the sea, with a hammock and the sound of crashing waves like a nightime lullaby. Everyday was a matter of beach, food, drink, cocktails, food and seafood, had som...

I knew I'd been in a chaotic city when I got to the airport today and enjoyed the calm and quiet. And while it was delux to so quickly progress from one place to the next, it set me up for another bit of culture shock. I'd heard Varkala, Kerala (waaaayyyy down south) was a good bet for some escape / beach time. I got here, found a guest house fi...

Today we set off to watch the great temple Elephant march at Kolam (Quilon). We had hatched the plan the night before to go with Sam who drove us to the Cape. Whilst the tour operators here were planning to take subscribers to the event, obviously tying in food and back water boating and about 25 quid per head, we decided that we would, along wi...

Mark: The beginning of our second month in India hit us hard... After the fresh, clean beauty of the mountains, shared with new friends, we hit the sweltering plains of Uttar Pradesh and the full-on Indian towns of Varanasi (read "Very-nasty") and Agra. It was a long train ride from Rishikesh to Delhi and from Delhi to Varanasi. I tried some veg...

Don't go to Varkala expecting powder white sand and gentle turquoise water. Expect a dramatic Arabian Sea and cliff top views. The golden sand beach is ideal for sunbathing, surprisingly without any hassle, but don't miss the morning fishermen bringing in and selling their catch on the beach, the holy men performing ceremonies, and the families ...

Maire and I have just arrived back in India from Sri Lanka.....The trip was a huge success and we both had a splendid time. We even managed to make our way by backpacking which was one of my aims for the trip. Sri Lanka is very different to how I imagined it to be.....it is VERY different to India. The whole feel of the place is much more "Weste...

After a 6am start, three trains and a tuk-tuk we finally made it to Varkala, Kerala, at 5pm and being out of the dustbowl, and back by the sea, immediately lifted our spirits. It's been worth the travelling time for the beach and the walks along the cliff top. We'll rest here for a while.

A typical day for us begins with a leisurely breakfast between 9 and 10am, overlooking the Arabian Sea (It's a tough job but somebody has to do it!) The only problem with this is that this is also the time when the street sellers and beggars begin their day's work. With the tourists come an army of outsiders from all over India, all chasing the ...

We've found Dahab in India. Varkala is about 3 hours south of Cochin and an hour south of Kollam, which is the well known place to beach bum in Kerala. The town is set on a cliff top with a 1 km beach at the bottom of some hairy steps down. There's a walkway along the cliffs lined with seafood restaurants, beach hotels, bohemian shops and Aruved...

Spent a week on top of a cliff eating, drinking, sleeping. Went on an elephant ride. Accomodation was 150 rupees per night for a non a/c room with bathroom. About 1.20 pounds per night. We might need to come home early if prices stay like this for the rest of our trip! Attempted to get flights to the Maldives for 4 days but all flights were book...