P.C: Annie Spratt
If you are planning a trip to the southern peninsula of the country, prepare to lose yourself amidst the chaos, hustle-bustle and beauty of the inexplicable natural splendour. The four of the main states in this peninsula are Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. With different languages, customs, eating habits, rituals, each of these states is unique in its own particular way. Although the states greet its visitors with complete enthusiasm and warmth, your trip to south India will be a more interesting one if you get to indulge a bit into their traditions and customs.
1. Dress Like The Locals
P.C: 𝚂𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚊 𝙿𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚑𝚢
Don't get startled with the stark cultural differences that you get to witness here and steer away from your usual wardrobe staples if you are packing for a trip to South India. What do most travellers pack? Depending on the weather and the climatic conditions, resort for a comfortable travel wardrobe. Try to incorporate loose cotton trousers that make the perfect travelling pants for hotter climates. For female travellers, pack your choicest ethnic accessories to lend interest to lightweight and simple ensembles. Pop in a large scarf so it comes handy to cover your head, shoulders, or legs if need be.
2. Brace Yourself For The Uninvited Cacophony
P.C: Malhar Garud
With stringent driving and traffic rules prevailing all over the world, prepare yourself to be a part of unwanted honking, roads jam-packed with all sorts of vehicle and exasperating traffic jams if you are a first timer in South India. With overcrowded buses, auto-rickshaws, bikes, trucks, cars flooding the highways and the streets, it is advisable to avoid travelling to a metropolitan city on a Friday night, as it will generally take more than the usual time to reach your destination. With mind-numbing traffic dissonance petrifying your senses, travelling on a Friday night is a big no-no if hectic travel is not on your list.
3. Climatic Condition
P.C: Andrew Ruiz
Most part of the South India experiences hot and humid climatic conditions all throughout the year with a pleasant and moderately cool winter. Bangalore's weather remains pretty agreeable throughout the year but apart from that most of South India knows of hotter climates. It is best to avoid travelling to this part of the country during the summers, as the climate gets piping hot with temperatures soaring till 40°C.
4. A Hello To Inquisitive Strangers
P.C: Jezael Melgoza
Don't get offended if you come across a bunch of people persistently inquiring about details related to your travel and life. Being a quite curious and friendly lot of people, you might get dragged into casual conversations involving interesting stories and experiences or there even might be a time where banter would escalate to a point where you are confronted with personal questions as well. In no time you will realise how warm and friendly are the strangers you meet on your way.