India. Greasy tea. Beggars. What else?
Discussion
An Indian penpal of mine suggested I visit them. In fact, both of my never before met Indian friends suggested as much. I'm grateful and intrigued that they are both well versed in English. One has multiple company directorships so should pass any PH censorship, the other is a doctor. They speak like Englishman with an educated understanding of what we might expect but will not find there.
Greasy tea, locals s
tting in the street, no snakes (that I hoped to see) and a warning of swarms of beggars like in films.
I'd planned to go dressed in my usual attire, as Indiana Jones, but didnt want to surround myself with yet more people fascinated by my good looks. Where is good to go? Short trip, under 10 days, I'd like to see a snake park preferably which allows supervised handling - from what I'm told, it will all be so completely alien it doesn't matter where we go.
Beach and sun is, if we go, not important.
Your ideas welcome.
Greasy tea, locals s
tting in the street, no snakes (that I hoped to see) and a warning of swarms of beggars like in films.I'd planned to go dressed in my usual attire, as Indiana Jones, but didnt want to surround myself with yet more people fascinated by my good looks. Where is good to go? Short trip, under 10 days, I'd like to see a snake park preferably which allows supervised handling - from what I'm told, it will all be so completely alien it doesn't matter where we go.
Beach and sun is, if we go, not important.
Your ideas welcome.
parapaul said:
This'll get moved to the holidays & travel forum I suspect... Or food & drink if the mod spots the greasy tea first 
I'd move it myself now, if I could borrow the current logins on short notice. Forgot about food n drink, didnt realise we had th other.The poor and ramshackle half invitations I received, were twice as appealing as the brochures.
A better thread title would be "how to stay healthy and safe in India"
Absolutely fantastic place and more so the people.
The best holiday destination I have been to - and I like five star all the way.
The people are friendly - The food was great - The nightlife and culture is amazing.
South Goa is beautiful - North Goa is just like Thailand these days.
Never got the Squits once - as long as you obey the golden rules.
My girlfriend once a few years ago stepped on a cobra nest just off the beach in the sand dunes. I took a piss down by a river on a night time once and had to run back up the bank as I just heard thrashing around - Could have been my winkie unravelling itself or more possibly a crocodile. Got pish all over my pants.
I still have Indian friends that I met playing football out there. Definitely reccommend
The best holiday destination I have been to - and I like five star all the way.
The people are friendly - The food was great - The nightlife and culture is amazing.
South Goa is beautiful - North Goa is just like Thailand these days.
Never got the Squits once - as long as you obey the golden rules.
My girlfriend once a few years ago stepped on a cobra nest just off the beach in the sand dunes. I took a piss down by a river on a night time once and had to run back up the bank as I just heard thrashing around - Could have been my winkie unravelling itself or more possibly a crocodile. Got pish all over my pants.
I still have Indian friends that I met playing football out there. Definitely reccommend
Not sure if you can still get up to the lakes in Srinigar (Kashmir) but worth a trip if you can.
If you have time, take a train down to Tamil Nadu (Madras) maybe they still have the swaying elephants in the Temples down there. If swaying elephants are your thing
Your hosts will clue you up on the beggars, previously they operated as organised syndicates, possibly things have improved.
Basically if you give some food to a starving beggar and he throws it on the floor and curses you.
You can be sure he is part of a syndicate and has a quota to meet.
Eat the food, even the street food, most of it is survivable
You could get some practice around Heathrow
If you have time, take a train down to Tamil Nadu (Madras) maybe they still have the swaying elephants in the Temples down there. If swaying elephants are your thing
Your hosts will clue you up on the beggars, previously they operated as organised syndicates, possibly things have improved.
Basically if you give some food to a starving beggar and he throws it on the floor and curses you.
You can be sure he is part of a syndicate and has a quota to meet.
Eat the food, even the street food, most of it is survivable
You could get some practice around Heathrow
Go outside now and eat some dirt, then go and drink a cup full of water from either a stagnant pond or the toilet at a strangers house. Then wait a bit and see if you get bad guts, if you do then keep on eating odd/dirty things until you either build up a tolerance to it or get hospitalised. You will either be so put off the idea of going to India to face more interesting belly sensations you won't want to go or you will go and be hailed as a national hero for your well formed poos.
Extraordinary place - we finance a couple of orphanages / schools out there (in ultra poor areas). I've taken each of my kids there so that they will get a perspective on life in the west - and it worked!
Hate the smell, hate the environment, hate the poverty, hate the corruption. Love the people. Everyone should go there once in their life I reckon!
Hate the smell, hate the environment, hate the poverty, hate the corruption. Love the people. Everyone should go there once in their life I reckon!
Boozy said:
Don't eat any food if it's not from a hotel or drink any water if it's not bottled.
Seriously.
My MIL used to visit India every year for about a 5 year period.Seriously.
She was ill once - from food in a 5* hotel...
I think it's one of those places where if you have a sensitive constitution, you'll have a nightmare regardless of where you eat/drink.
Over the course of a couple of years nearly 100 people from my work went out. I cannot recall anyone saying they didn't get 'ill' at least once.
Just make sure you know where your nearest toilet is at all times and carry some hankies. You will need them.
The country does smell funny (expecially when warm) but I couldn't recommend it high enough! Amazing things to see and do
Just make sure you know where your nearest toilet is at all times and carry some hankies. You will need them.
The country does smell funny (expecially when warm) but I couldn't recommend it high enough! Amazing things to see and do
I did something similar 15 years ago, met a friend in Bombay and him and his family acted as personal tour guides for 7 days, we jumped in a small suzuki car (6 of us!) and went via Pune to the tablelands (about 600kms) for a few days, even stayed in low end 'hotel' for a night!
Only drank bottled water, and they checked the places out we ate in prior to eating there.
One of my most memorable hoidays ever!
My friend was actually the live-in manager of the b+b I stayed in for quite a while in Slough, when he was not tied to the desk (or rather when the b+b was full!) I used to drive him round to visit his friends, had many free indian meals and trips to Edgware road just to get a shwarma.
(I had a week in singapore afterwards and hated it, got food poisoning for 3 days after eating a mcdonalds as soon as i got there!)
Only drank bottled water, and they checked the places out we ate in prior to eating there.
One of my most memorable hoidays ever!
My friend was actually the live-in manager of the b+b I stayed in for quite a while in Slough, when he was not tied to the desk (or rather when the b+b was full!) I used to drive him round to visit his friends, had many free indian meals and trips to Edgware road just to get a shwarma.
(I had a week in singapore afterwards and hated it, got food poisoning for 3 days after eating a mcdonalds as soon as i got there!)
pherlopolus said:
I did something similar 15 years ago, met a friend in Bombay and him and his family acted as personal tour guides for 7 days, we jumped in a small suzuki car (6 of us!) and went via Pune to the tablelands (about 600kms) for a few days, even stayed in low end 'hotel' for a night!
Only drank bottled water, and they checked the places out we ate in prior to eating there.
One of my most memorable hoidays ever!
My friend was actually the live-in manager of the b+b I stayed in for quite a while in Slough, when he was not tied to the desk (or rather when the b+b was full!) I used to drive him round to visit his friends, had many free indian meals and trips to Edgware road just to get a shwarma.
(I had a week in singapore afterwards and hated it, got food poisoning for 3 days after eating a mcdonalds as soon as i got there!)
I think I can see where you went wrong...Only drank bottled water, and they checked the places out we ate in prior to eating there.
One of my most memorable hoidays ever!
My friend was actually the live-in manager of the b+b I stayed in for quite a while in Slough, when he was not tied to the desk (or rather when the b+b was full!) I used to drive him round to visit his friends, had many free indian meals and trips to Edgware road just to get a shwarma.
(I had a week in singapore afterwards and hated it, got food poisoning for 3 days after eating a mcdonalds as soon as i got there!)
M.
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