India - talk to me.
Discussion
The other half really fancies going to India for 2 weeks soon but I havn't really got a clue about where to go and whats good so looking on advice really? I love the colonial history aspects i.e. the old palaces and so on but also would like a nice relaxing beach holiday kind of thing
So, where would you advise us to go and any specific things we should be doing?
Thanks
So, where would you advise us to go and any specific things we should be doing?
Thanks
Don't get hurt, The old gal is over there at the moment. She fell over on the ice in somesuchaplace and broke her wrist. It took 3 operations in 3 different hospitals before she was happy.
I say happy, she is still having flash back from the pain when the general anaesthetic wore off half way through one of the ops.
Other than that, she saw a Tiger eat a Deer. and has some amazing photos and experiences, and on the whole she is loving it.
A Tiger eating a Deer. I'd do it for that.
I say happy, she is still having flash back from the pain when the general anaesthetic wore off half way through one of the ops.
Other than that, she saw a Tiger eat a Deer. and has some amazing photos and experiences, and on the whole she is loving it.
A Tiger eating a Deer. I'd do it for that.
There's the "golden triangle" of the most popular cities in North India (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur), which is probably a good starting point. You'll probably be flying in or out of Delhi anyway, and there's plenty to see (Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, etc), Agra for Taj Mahal (but there's plenty of other stuff to see as well), then Jaipur for Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar plus a load of other forts and stuff.
If you actually mean colonial (ie. when India was colonised), that's all 17th century on. Shimla would be well worth a visit if so, it gradually became the British seat of power - initially to get away from hot Calcutta summers but they stayed longer and longer. Lots of grand buildings were put up for government departments and dignitaries through the 17th - 19th centuries. It's about a day from Delhi if you take the train, which includes the little "toy train" that snakes up the mountain.
Beach basically means Kerala or Goa. A long train or internal flight from Delhi or Mumbai.
This stuff is pretty easy to arrange yourself (can even book train tickets online via cleartrip.com) and travel is pretty cheap. I can understand though if you just wanted to be guided and have it all arranged - someone like Intrepid Travel could have something suitable eg. http://www.intrepidtravel.com/india/delhi-goa-orig... - which gives a couple of days on the beach at the end if you wanted.
If you actually mean colonial (ie. when India was colonised), that's all 17th century on. Shimla would be well worth a visit if so, it gradually became the British seat of power - initially to get away from hot Calcutta summers but they stayed longer and longer. Lots of grand buildings were put up for government departments and dignitaries through the 17th - 19th centuries. It's about a day from Delhi if you take the train, which includes the little "toy train" that snakes up the mountain.
Beach basically means Kerala or Goa. A long train or internal flight from Delhi or Mumbai.
This stuff is pretty easy to arrange yourself (can even book train tickets online via cleartrip.com) and travel is pretty cheap. I can understand though if you just wanted to be guided and have it all arranged - someone like Intrepid Travel could have something suitable eg. http://www.intrepidtravel.com/india/delhi-goa-orig... - which gives a couple of days on the beach at the end if you wanted.
Thanks, you've given me some places to research upon. I think a week in northern india then south somewhere on the coast could be a good plan but as yet its just an idea with the other half wanting to go far more than i do, so just trying to bring myself around to the place.
Thanks
Thanks
Edited by lewisf182 on Monday 11th February 13:16
There are a few companies that offer the tour type of holiday - Intrepid as has already been mentioned, Shoestring, and the Adventure Company off the top of my head. I did Shoestring a few years back. Typically it was 2-3 days in each place, with the first day "guided" and then any more days free, our group was 17 people. I don't normally go in for organized trips, but I think I would have struggled to step out of the hotel on the first day due to the culture shock - not just the poverty, but also how in your face India is! The guides were also useful in terms of providing names of restaurants to eat in where the food was safe so you weren't worrying about getting sick - I managed 3 weeks in India and Nepal without any Delhi belly!
One other company to look at is Rickshaw travel, they offer both group trips and private (more expensive) versions of the same thing where you have a car and driver to take you around more at your pace, and you can customize the itinerary to suit yourself - I looked at them for a trip to Cuba, which has unfortunately had to be postponed due to lack of funds, but they seemed like a really good halfway house between everything being organized and arranged for you in terms of hotels and entrances to things like cigar factories etc., but with the flexibility of not being part of a large organized group.
One other company to look at is Rickshaw travel, they offer both group trips and private (more expensive) versions of the same thing where you have a car and driver to take you around more at your pace, and you can customize the itinerary to suit yourself - I looked at them for a trip to Cuba, which has unfortunately had to be postponed due to lack of funds, but they seemed like a really good halfway house between everything being organized and arranged for you in terms of hotels and entrances to things like cigar factories etc., but with the flexibility of not being part of a large organized group.
sjg said:
There's the "golden triangle" of the most popular cities in North India (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur), which is probably a good starting point. You'll probably be flying in or out of Delhi anyway, and there's plenty to see (Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, etc), Agra for Taj Mahal (but there's plenty of other stuff to see as well), then Jaipur for Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar plus a load of other forts and stuff.
If you actually mean colonial (ie. when India was colonised), that's all 17th century on. Shimla would be well worth a visit if so, it gradually became the British seat of power - initially to get away from hot Calcutta summers but they stayed longer and longer. Lots of grand buildings were put up for government departments and dignitaries through the 17th - 19th centuries. It's about a day from Delhi if you take the train, which includes the little "toy train" that snakes up the mountain.
Four of us did the Golden Triangle and Shimla in November. Undoubtedly the best holiday of our lives.If you actually mean colonial (ie. when India was colonised), that's all 17th century on. Shimla would be well worth a visit if so, it gradually became the British seat of power - initially to get away from hot Calcutta summers but they stayed longer and longer. Lots of grand buildings were put up for government departments and dignitaries through the 17th - 19th centuries. It's about a day from Delhi if you take the train, which includes the little "toy train" that snakes up the mountain.
India is a fascinating place with something new to look at at every turn. The people were charming. The service everywhere was from a bygone age. The six hour drive from Delhi to Jaipur will live with me for ever. Although there were some of the sights I rather wish I hadn't seen...
However Shimla was rather disappointing. I was expecting more of an Himalayan wilderness, not the 250,000 soul metropolis that greeted us at 8000ft. That said, I wouldn't have changed it. The 'Toy Train', or mountain railway was a real delight, and worth the trip alone. The Cecil Oberoi there appears stuck in a nineteenth century time warp. Class and opulence personified.
We stayed at the Samode Palace near Jaipur for a couple of nights as well. Google it. Well worth it.
Don't forget that your pound goes quite a bit further in India than just about anywhere else in the world, so it doesn't work out to be an expensive holiday overall. It probably cost the same for two week as two or three days in Dubai.
India - do it. It won't be long before we return. It's a big place.
lewisf182 said:
These escorted group tours kinda thing, is it like you all get on a coach and get taken around places with strict time schedules and so on? That really isnt my idea of a holiday. I'd prefer to be able to do what I wanted when I wanted
We went with Western & Oriental. Four of us in a private mini bus with personal driver and guides. Went where we wanted when we wanted - within the confines of prearranged hotel bookings. The idea of a 52 seater Saga trip would leave me cold as well.My brother in law back packed there 25 years ago, and had a similar, if less opulent, experience. So it's fairly easy to sort yourself out on an independent basis. It's just that it's such a full on experience, it would probably help to have a little guidance on your first trip.
lewisf182 said:
It does sound amazing and I am warming to the idea its just a problem on deciding where to go really. But all places mentioned so far have been noted for my weekend research!
Try not to get carried away. It's a big country and very full on. Last time I went we got a driver and car* for two weeks and went from Delhi to Agra and around Rajastan seeing three or four cities/towns and we should have limited it a little.* A City Rover of all things, I'd have preferred something a little more crash resistant.
Bill said:
Try not to get carried away. It's a big country and very full on. Last time I went we got a driver and car* for two weeks and went from Delhi to Agra and around Rajastan seeing three or four cities/towns and we should have limited it a little.
* A City Rover of all things, I'd have preferred something a little more crash resistant.
What you did does sound appealing, what was the cost roughly for car and driver as it sounds expensive but then with it being India it might surprise me?* A City Rover of all things, I'd have preferred something a little more crash resistant.
In India a taxi is very cheap and usually hired for an extended period, rather than the single trips we are used to in the West. Nobody seems to hire a "self-drive" car, for reasons that become apparent within 10 seconds of setting off on your first journey!
In each city there will be Travel Companies with fleets of these white tourist taxis, whom you can arrange to meet you at the airport. A friend of mine owns such a company, which is affiliated to an India-wide franchise. I have just spent 11 days over there with him and we used taxis from his own and other franchisee Travel Companies around the country. If you do book a trip, then feel free to PM me for his company details and they can give you a more exact idea of cost, when they know your itinerary.
The pricing seems to be a combination of the following factors:
1) Car size.
The smallest is a Tata Indica hatchback, usually with no a/c. City Rover to you and me. Not much luggage space and best avoided.
Next up comes the Indigo, which is as above + boot for an extra suitcase.
Then you get the non-Indian brands like Ford: something like a booted Fiesta with a/c. These are a good compromise.
For longer journeys most people use the a/c equipped Toyota Innova MPV or equivalent, which will have plenty of luggage space and may even have individual reclining rear seats for dozing on longer journeys.
2) Mileage
3) Time
The 11 days I spent in India required a mixture of the more expensive two options listed above and cost a total of 42,500 Rupees. Admittedly the mileage driven wasn't massive in my case, but that works out at GBP 510 or about GBP 46 per day. That's not bad when you consider that the driver is pretty much at your beck and call throughout the time you hire him and also includes tolls and inter-state taxes.
As for the Golden Triangle, most people go from Delhi to Agra to Jaipur. It's a very popular route for Indian tourists as well as Westerners. The new motorway road from Delhi to Agra has recently been completed and has dramatically reduced the journey time for that leg of the Triangle. Other routes are not so good.
In each city there will be Travel Companies with fleets of these white tourist taxis, whom you can arrange to meet you at the airport. A friend of mine owns such a company, which is affiliated to an India-wide franchise. I have just spent 11 days over there with him and we used taxis from his own and other franchisee Travel Companies around the country. If you do book a trip, then feel free to PM me for his company details and they can give you a more exact idea of cost, when they know your itinerary.
The pricing seems to be a combination of the following factors:
1) Car size.
The smallest is a Tata Indica hatchback, usually with no a/c. City Rover to you and me. Not much luggage space and best avoided.
Next up comes the Indigo, which is as above + boot for an extra suitcase.
Then you get the non-Indian brands like Ford: something like a booted Fiesta with a/c. These are a good compromise.
For longer journeys most people use the a/c equipped Toyota Innova MPV or equivalent, which will have plenty of luggage space and may even have individual reclining rear seats for dozing on longer journeys.
2) Mileage
3) Time
The 11 days I spent in India required a mixture of the more expensive two options listed above and cost a total of 42,500 Rupees. Admittedly the mileage driven wasn't massive in my case, but that works out at GBP 510 or about GBP 46 per day. That's not bad when you consider that the driver is pretty much at your beck and call throughout the time you hire him and also includes tolls and inter-state taxes.
As for the Golden Triangle, most people go from Delhi to Agra to Jaipur. It's a very popular route for Indian tourists as well as Westerners. The new motorway road from Delhi to Agra has recently been completed and has dramatically reduced the journey time for that leg of the Triangle. Other routes are not so good.
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