Touring - Anyone been to South India

Just seen this great website www.flyingpigtours.com these guys are offering trips in south India. Looks fantastic I am really fired up and ready to book. Has anyone been to this part of the world before, anything I should be aware of, whats the food like etc.etc.

Just seen this great website www.flyingpigtours.com these guys are offering trips in south India. Looks fantastic I am really fired up and ready to book. Has anyone been to this part of the world before, anything I should be aware of, whats the food like etc.etc.

Is this a supported tour? flyingpig.com is the website for Costco I think! India-well I haven't biked it but I've been to Jaipur, Agra, Delhi and Mumbai-
TB is a problem in the area and YOU CANNOT DRINK ANY WATER that did not come from a sealed bottle-you must see them OPEN the seal!
American Sensei

I haven't cycled in southern India but I lived there for 8 months on an National Endowment for the Arts scholarship. Yep, water is a big problem as is TB so be careful and don't accept any water that you didn't open yourself or see someone open for you... as mentioned above.

The food is fantastic... that is if you dig it spicy, very spicy. Odd how the hotter the climate the hotter the food. Their food in the south is much hotter by comparison than in the north I found. So allow for so acclimation to it or you'll find yourself doing the 'ol Squat-N-Shoot on a fairly regular basis. Be cool on any salads... a lot of folks use 'human fertilizer' if you know what I mean so any raw veggies can be problematic. Also, be very aware of asking for beef... cows are sacred so unless you see beef on a menu probably best to NOT ask otherwise you run a strong chance of offending some folks.

Feet, be cool with you feet too. Don't sit in a way that points the bottoms of your feet at someone... they are considered Unclean and therefore insulting. That includes touching your feet too... for instance a casual itch or even holding your foot while it's crossed over your other leg.

Weather is HOT. My first week there I clearly remember thinking, "If I walk more than 100 feet outside I'll keel over". Take your time to acclimate. I landed in Madras at 2am and getting off the plane and walking across the tarmac it was 98 degrees.

Make sure you check out the traditional classical music of the south... it's fantastic. Good luck and have fun!!

I've never travelled to India, but after seeing the following web page, I might go on an independent tour. Mr pumpy has a good attitude.

http://www.mrfelix.com/rides/9-india-south/BSA-India-1.html