This is what the new notes look like.

On 8 November the Indian Prime Minister made the surprise announcement that existing 500 and 1,000 rupee banknotes will be withdrawn from circulation with immediate effect. We understand this is because there are a large number of counterfeit notes of these two amounts. New 500 and 2,000 rupee notes will be issued to replace the withdrawn notes. Arrangements will be made at international airports for foreign tourists who will be able to change up to 5,000 rupees of the withdrawn notes. We recommend that in the short term when exchanging money you do not accept any denominations higher than 100 rupees.

For up-to-date information – go to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website – Travel Advice:

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india

As a Kerala specialist we like to think we can offer our customers anything and everything that is possible in Kerala.  For some customers this may include some ‘adventurous activities’.  In 2000 I attended the very first Kerala Travel Mart and at that show I met Commander Sam T Samuel – recently retired from the Indian Navy (where he was a pilot – landing planes on the backs of aircraft carriers).  Sam, along with his colleague Commander Thomas had the idea of starting up an adventure company in their home state of Kerala.  This was unheard of outside the Himalayas but the Western Ghats are an impressive range of mountains so why not offer trekking, camping and cycling here?

I immediately took to Commander Sam and felt sure that with his naval background he would look after our guests.  Shortly after that meeting we had a customer wanting some trekking and camping so we arranged it through Sam and his new company called Kalypso Adventures - that was their very first guest.  We have been working with Kalypso ever since. They have expanded and have a tented camp and offer kayaking on the backwaters etc and also activities beyond Kerala.

We are delighted to report that they have just won the National Tourism Award for the Best Inbound Tour Operator for 2014-15.  When they informed us they thanked us for ‘believing in them’ and ‘supporting them when they most needed it’.  We would like to thank them for providing a service that was not otherwise offered and for looking after our ‘adventurous’ customers so well over the last 16 years.  

If you are interested in learning how to cook authentic Kerala meals you may be interested to see the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/kerala-india-connections/marys-kitchen-in-fort-cochin/1035476046473628?notif_t=like

It has come to our attention that there are some scam Visa websites. To obtain your visa you need to make an online application. The official website is https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/ This is used for eTVs and for regular visas (although British citizens go through VFS Global). But some of our customers have recently discovered that there are ‘Visa Agencies’ that appear to be the official site. The site has a visa application form and the text may be an exact copy of the official site – but they are agencies and if you are successful in completing the application (so far none of our customers have been and this was how we were alerted) it you can expect to pay extra for their service. We have no idea if they will actually supply you with a visa! Ensure you go to the site listed above. If you are in any doubt – contact us. 

We offer an eTV service to our clients (for a small fee). If you do it through us then you know you are getting a genuine visa.

From 1 January there are new rules regarding the clothes you may wear to visit a temple in Tamil Nadu. The new code was announced with immediate effect and the list of clothes visitor are allowed to wear inside the temples are all South Indian local clothes and nothing that a foreign tourist is likely to have in his/her suitcase! The rules specifically state that jeans and tight leggings would not be allowed. The ruling is being disputed and we hope that something more sensible will be agreed upon. In the meantime we recommend to all our customers that they dress modestly and respectfully. Cover your legs and shoulders and don’t wear anything too tight or revealing. At this stage I don’t think you will have to go out and buy a South Indian outfit! Suggest you discuss this with your driver as they are likely to know the current situation.

We are very pleased to report that it has just been announced that the UK has been added to the list of countries that can obtain their Indian Tourist Visa on arrival.  The e-Tourist Visa (eTV) process will begin on 15 August 2015.  

The eTV fee at US$60 appears to be cheaper than the current system (UK£82 plus charges of £7.44 or more) but there are limitations eg it allows a maximum of 30 days in India and single entry only.  Also you must arrive into an Indian Airport that is set up to process the eTV – there are currently nine: Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Trivandrum with a further seven added from 15 August: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Gaya, Jaipur, Lucknow, Trichy, Varanasi.  Unfortunately Calicut is not on the list and this is an airport we regularly book for our customers.

Tourists can still get their visa in advance and for arrival into Calicut or holidays longer than 30 days some people will have to.  But for most people this announcement is good news – although you may find that it takes longer to get through immigration.
We will monitor the situation and update our Visa Advice as we learn more.

Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR is a new piece of legislation that has not yet hit the headlines. From 1 October 2015 all businesses in Europe must offer their customers a method of resolving disputes without the need to go through the small claims courts which can be costly, time-consuming and stressful for both parties. As ABTA members we already give our customers the option to use their arbitration service. The good news is that ABTA’s ADR scheme has been approved by Trading Standards – in fact it is the first in the travel industry to be approved.

I am pleased to report that so far – since we launched this company in 1998 we have never had a complaint that we have not been able to resolve. But it is good to know that ABTA have an approved scheme that we can offer our customers.

We were delighted to see that Sarah Baxter in her article 'India’s Beautiful South' (2 October 2013) featured our lovely new tour HIDDEN GEMS OF SOUTH INDIA in the Independent and The i. She also recommends a number of hotels that we promote including the Chittoor Kottaram, The Lotus houseboat, the Vivanta by Taj at Bekal and Marari Villas (Hibiscus, Palm and Orchid).

If you missed it - check out the article on their website at:

www.independent.co.uk/travel/asia/indias-beautiful-south-8852061.html

Episode 10 of the latest series (3) of this Chanel Five programme (shown on 6 December 2010) featured Kerala and the Maldives. Kerala Connections was responsible for arranging the accommodation and transfers in Kerala for Robson Green, the production and film crew. In Cochin they stayed at the Tea Bungalow Hotel in Fort Cochin. This hotel had not been open very long at the time of their visit. They really enjoyed their time at this small heritage hotel and Robson said that he would like to return there with his family for a holiday. The houseboats (three houseboats were used) were owned by Lakes and Lagoons. The visit to a resort to participate in Kalaripayattu (which we also organised) was Coconut Lagoon at Kumarakom. It was unfortunate that in Kerala he only “caught tiddlers” but I am pleased to report that there were no complaints about our services and organisation.

In March 2010 Gary Tree, Sales Consultant at Kerala Connections, had the opportunity to travel on the Golden Chariot Luxury Train. The route included Bangalore, Mysore, Nagarhole, Hassan, Hampi, Bijapur, Badami and Goa.  There are a number of luxury trains operating throughout India. These trains cater for visitors only (not commuters) and offer routes that take you to places of tourist interest. At each destination vehicles (usually coaches) are laid on to take you from the train to the tourist attractions. Guests have their own en-suite cabin within the train and there is a restaurant, bar, lounge and usually a spa/gym on board. Effectively your hotel moves with you, which enables you to see a lot of places in a short space of time without the need of tiring car journeys or a lot of packing and unpacking.  It also enables you to visit places that are otherwise difficult to get to (eg Hampi, Ajanta and Ellora). 

If you are interested to know more about including a luxury train as part of your holiday please ring Gary on 01892 722440 to discuss.

Kerala Connections was delighted to be asked to include a wedding celebration on a houseboat as part of the honeymoon package arranged for Jerry Dohnal and Chandra Wilson. This took place on 23 September 2011 and the press turned out in full.