While on the topic of travel, Sulekha is running a holiday contest, if anyone is interested. The last date is February 24, so hurry!

If you’re planning to visit the state in the near future, I’ve put together a few tips and pointers based on my recent trip. If I had the opportunity to spend a few more days, then I could have probably written a book 🙂 But for now, here are a few suggestions. You can use what’s useful, and ignore the rest (as usual)! Unless you are planning to rough it out, plan in advance. Preferably get your hotel bookings beforehand too, since during the peak season, there are a lot of tourists! We found most of the hotels we’d short-listed full when we reached there. Nov-Feb is a nice time to visit. It is warm during the day, but cooler at night. The monsoons are avoidable for sightseeing, but the right time if you’re going for an ayurvedic treatment package. The damp rainy season is apparently the best for ayurveda. Because of the presence of a number of water bodies, mosquitoes abound in the state. Carry an insect repellant if mozzies like your blood! Be …