Personal: visiting India this month
In my ever expanding quest to see the world, I’ll be vacationing in India this month, starting next week. We’ll be in Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur over two weeks. I doubt I’ll have net access, so when post frequency drops you’ll know why. Expect a trip report on the other side.
If anyone has India travel advice (the usual what to wear? things to see? places to stay? lay it on me by all means)
my god, 2 weeks?! that is WAY too short. if anything, start for a month or so!
I just got back from my 2week christmas break there. (WAY too short!) some tips:
-bring COMFORTABLE things
-bring things you don’t mind losing/soiling/throwing away
-clothes are cheap there. buy as you need.
-internet is EVERYWHERE. but you may not have time to use it.
-tour books should be used for basic planning. locals knows best.
-get ready for curry morning, noon, and night!
-a sink plug
-pens for the kids
-sunscreen
-tiger balm or vicks
-the MORE you want something done, the LESS it will happen.
anyways, have fun!
2 weeks is actually pretty short, i’ll say give 2 days to mumbai, 2 days to delhi and rest to jaipur and the areas near jaipur. The weather is pretty nice this time of the year, not to hot and not to cold.
And yea some warnings, mumbai will be very crowded and dirty. Delhi would be very clean but it is polluted. Jaipur onwards would be very nice and worth your time in India.
Jaipur is part of Rajasthan state and the entire state is very famous for handicrafts, palaces, monuments, forts.. etc… So spend more time in Rajasthan, than any other place. You might want to check out a train called “Palace on Wheels”, which tours the entire state.
Dear Sir,
Nothing to worry while you are in India,
Hi Iam Mr G. Sunder & have been part of the holiday travel industry for more than 15 yrs. I am based at Chennai ( Madras), India, but can assist you with any kind of travel service / advice within India. feel free to contact me at any of the following Ph Nos – ( if you are dialing from within india ) 098410 13104 – 24 hrs access. Land Line – 044 28343104 , my mail id is funscapeholidays@yahoo.co.in – I specialize in Wildlife Sanctuaries & Nature & Activities..
Regards
Sunder
If you can, be sure to include a visit to a national park to give you a more balanced picture beyond, cities, palaces, farmland monuments, crowds & sooth in the air. Corbet National Park in the foothils of the Himlayas is quite beautiful this time of the year with clean air and refeshingly close to nature, very well maintained. The locals want you to have a nice time in their beautiful conutry. You will see wild elephants and with some luck a tiger in the wild.
In general, relax, don’t get ruffled or bullied by anybody, display a firm purpose and hangers-on will leave alone to look for other easier marks.
Enjoy.
Spent some time in Kerala a couple of years ago. Gorgeous. And 2 weeks is not enough :)
We found an easy way to get around was to hire a taxi driver by the day. If you find someone you click with it can be the most cost effective way of getting around with ‘free’ local knowledge.
By the end of 3 weeks we had gone totally vegetarian. The quality of meat can be questionable, and you really don’t miss out by going veggie – paneer (cheese) and dhal (lentils) is all the protein you need.
Bring light long sleeved and long legged clothing. Not only does this keep you cool in the heat, it means you don’t have the awkward moments wondering how to cover up when you visit the inevitable temples and such.
Getting through customs at the airport (in Trivandrum at least) took FOREVER! The days of the raj and bureaucracy for the sake of it is still evident – don’t let it spoil the holiday though – it’s worth the queue!
And if you have a favourite suit that you want copied (take it with you – the tailors are amazing copyists) or need dental work done(!), India is the place for it…
Have fun
– Different attitudes to time….
– Different cleaniness standards…
– Trains are part of the quintessential Indian experience….looks like you won’t have time though..
– Flea markets can be fun experience….bargaining very hard is part of the fun…if you like that sort of experience…
Some safety tips
– Take a few traveller checks.
– In extremely crowded areas, keep your wallet/passport etc. around your neck …inside your shirt…invisible Nothing like having these stolen to ruin your visit.
– Diahorrea pills specially if you are more adventurous with your diet
– Off the beaten track…tea is better than water….it will be boiled….and spiced tea takes getting used to but can be addictive.
Everyone from the West just freaks out initially with the traffic, crowds and dust :)
Most people begin to see the wonders of India only on their 2nd or 3rd visit.
My 2c: Disengage your brain and deep dive into experiencing India – meet local people, stay at cheaper hotels, visit not only the popular tourist places but all off-the-beaten-track places, bargain hard when you shop, eat local foods (when clean – avoid the “Delhi Belly”).
Have fun!
Thanks for all the advice!
If anyone has a recommendation for a Delhi hotel, that’d be great.
i would say one thing
go there enjoy have fun
india is a great country who will have the first hnd experience when you are there the places you are going to visit have all different character and diffrent climate not considerably different
i would suggest when you are visiting jaipur try to go jaisalmer
you will love it.
have a nice trip
When you come to India, you can experience the eastern philosophy here. Explicitly try to know it.
Dear Scott,
Try Hotel Metro Heights at Delhi
Sunder
You can take quite a few Pepto Bismol per day prophylactically – I’d recommend doing that, regardless of what you feel or what you eat – it’s pretty hard to figure out what not to eat – can you drink fresh juice? What if it’s made with tap water?
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In Mumbai make it a point to go to Elephanta Caves (in a small boat), Canary caves, and yes BARC (india’s nuclear hub). Try hacking up some connection if possible to have an inside tour of BARC. ITs residential quarters are just a marvel according to me. A 3-4 hr ride can take you to hillstations Lonavla , Matheran and Mahabaleshwar near Mumbai. Worth visiting is Matheran. Dont go to the beaches in Mumbai :-)
In Delhi, you will surely visit the Rashtrapati Bhavan (take its tour), India Gate. Go down to Agra for the Taj Mahal.
Japiur, Udaipur and surroundings. They are in Rajasthan. The charming thing i find about this state is that it has only a past, no present, no future (not in a -ve sense). They have retained their past glory in a wonderful way. Try reaching the border of India and Pakistan in the deserts. Its great.
I dont know if you can do all this in 2 weeks. But try it.
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Many a time I have seen people dont enjoy their overseas trips as much
as they could have. This is true of indians, americans, brazilians almost everyone except a very few .
My dad gave me this piece of advice while leaving for LA 2.5 yrs back:
“In America dont expect India. In India dont expect America. Just immerse yourself and you will enjoy”.
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Have a nice and safe trip.
“it’s pretty hard to figure out what not to eat – can you drink fresh juice?”
No! Stay away from the fresh fruit stuff, and take your antibiotics. My wife ate some fresh tomato, missed a day on her antibiotics, and ended up with dysentery. When you buy bottled water, check the cap to make sure it hasn’t simply been refilled with tap water and re-closed. (Speaking of antibiotics– you have visited a doctor already to prep for the trip, right?)
I don’t know the seasons too well– you’re probably good for mosquitos, but some seasons you want to use permethrin on those long-sleeved shirts and pants you’re wearing. (I agree with einalem on the clothing front.)
I wish I could recommend a hotel, but I didn’t find anything that thrilled me in the areas you listed. The Let’s Go/Lonely Planet stuff was solid if you like cheap lodging and bucket showers, which I do.
/second appa: off the beaten path can be not only great in India, but also less risky than in other destinations. :)
“If anyone has a recommendation for a Delhi hotel, that’d be great.”
Depends on your budget and what you expect..
What airline are you taking? how much are you paying?
We flew on British Airways – around $1200 roundtrip economy class. BA is a great airline – good service and worth the extra bucks given the length of the flight (18 hours: 9 to London from NYC, and 8 from London to Mumbai).
I collected some 30 blogs of foreigners who wrote their experiences and wrote their comments in my blog. Please see:
http://malapati.blogspot.com/2006/03/visiting-india-as-foreign-tourist.html
Raja
http://ruralindia.blogspot.com/
I m agree with your post. It is really nice.
India is a Cultural Country where you can see different culture here. In india There are most likable tour is golden triangle, most of the peoples like this tour package.
thanks