India 25 day tour - my findings
Discussion
We've just completed a 25 day full guided tour of North to South India, West. Now have our feet in the sand in Goa. We did it with Distant Journies, who I have to say, were excellent, other than an issue with one hotel which I got sorted directly (minor). We did a private tour (their 25 day "grand tour") - I paid extra for that of course, and I'm glad I did really - we ran into one of their groups, and several others, and just listening to them at dinner on the nearby tables, we affirmed we made the right decision. Groups are not really out thing. Anyhow... India....
First the experience:
The North is grubby, busy and full of litter. That is unnavoidable. Its also spectacularly steeped in history.
The sights are mind blowing.
The people are lovely. Just about every single soul , from servers, to poor people on the streets, to to traders, children (and adults) passing by in buses and trains, police men , airport staff and security - you name it - they were all uber polite and smiley. Such friendly people.
Locals will often come and take selfies with you when sight seeing - once you venture off the Golden Triangle , often, you are one of very, very few white faces at the temples and forts.
No one, in 5 weeks, smelt.
I got the s
ts on the very last night for asking to have my curry hotter. It was sorted within the same day. No food poisoning. We ate in posh hotels, but also restaurants out and about that locals use. Never street food.
We took sanitiser but never really felt the need to use it.
The food is out of this world, especially the breads (which are thinner and way tastier). No, we did not get tired of curries - they are never the same, and there is so much choice. Western food is catered for if that's your inclination, and some days, it does not harm to have a bland pasta if your bum is starting to sting :-)
Delhi - Airport - easy to navigate, no hassle
Delhi - is really a st hole and the "winter" smog is horrific. We did only 2 nights luckily, and the sights we went to were very forgettable. Sure, Ghandi's shrine is a bit moving, but we stood in his footsteps elswhere. My advice, fly in and fk off elsewhere :-)
Shimla - fab - cought the Kalka Express train (comfy, good fun, not hectic in any way) from Delhi, then the Toy Train up th Shimla. Beautiful and fascinating
Amritsar - unmissable - the Golden Temple is a thing of wonder, as are the people and the free kitchens.
Agra- Taj Mahal - pretty, but touch underwhealming. Busy as hell - on teh Golden Triangle.
Rathambore - OMG - we saw tigers twice, with three walking right up to our vehicle. Mrs G was in tears.
Jaipur - Amazing Fort, Palace, and went to see a Bolywood movie in a very famous mahoosive cinema
Udaipur - Beautiful lakes, lovely palace
Mumbai - fun - kond f like London in India - clean, upmarket, cosmopolitan for INdia. Elephant island is fascinating.
Cochin (Kerela) - the SOuth- an utter change form the North. No litter, no grubbiness. Beautiful, green, really relly lovely.
Alleppey - fab boat trrip overnight (private boat)
Thekkady - Green and pretty
A real rough summary - this isn't a travel blog.
If you are thinking of doing India, I'd say go for it. It has been wonderful. We've been spoilt with lovely hotels (mostly Oberoi and Trident), but we've also got out and eaten our own way too. I haven't st myself to death, we've never felt in danger. The driving is exceptionall in it's insanity, but it seems to work, in the day time at least.
Air India - used twice - absolutely fine. Same with Air India Express
IndiGoGo - used trice - absolutely fine.
Tipping - I gave 10% when out. £5 a day for our deticated driver and car, and £10 a day to our deticated live-in guide - paid them at the end of their tenure (changed guide and driver after flying South). They did absolutely all the heavy lifting for us, including jumping queues at all the attractions, checking us into hotels , portering, paying the sundry tips etc.
Loved it. Exceeded expectaions by a long way. So many amazing sights and memories.
First the experience:
The North is grubby, busy and full of litter. That is unnavoidable. Its also spectacularly steeped in history.
The sights are mind blowing.
The people are lovely. Just about every single soul , from servers, to poor people on the streets, to to traders, children (and adults) passing by in buses and trains, police men , airport staff and security - you name it - they were all uber polite and smiley. Such friendly people.
Locals will often come and take selfies with you when sight seeing - once you venture off the Golden Triangle , often, you are one of very, very few white faces at the temples and forts.
No one, in 5 weeks, smelt.
I got the s
ts on the very last night for asking to have my curry hotter. It was sorted within the same day. No food poisoning. We ate in posh hotels, but also restaurants out and about that locals use. Never street food.We took sanitiser but never really felt the need to use it.
The food is out of this world, especially the breads (which are thinner and way tastier). No, we did not get tired of curries - they are never the same, and there is so much choice. Western food is catered for if that's your inclination, and some days, it does not harm to have a bland pasta if your bum is starting to sting :-)
Delhi - Airport - easy to navigate, no hassle
Delhi - is really a s
t hole and the "winter" smog is horrific. We did only 2 nights luckily, and the sights we went to were very forgettable. Sure, Ghandi's shrine is a bit moving, but we stood in his footsteps elswhere. My advice, fly in and fk off elsewhere :-)Shimla - fab - cought the Kalka Express train (comfy, good fun, not hectic in any way) from Delhi, then the Toy Train up th Shimla. Beautiful and fascinating
Amritsar - unmissable - the Golden Temple is a thing of wonder, as are the people and the free kitchens.
Agra- Taj Mahal - pretty, but touch underwhealming. Busy as hell - on teh Golden Triangle.
Rathambore - OMG - we saw tigers twice, with three walking right up to our vehicle. Mrs G was in tears.
Jaipur - Amazing Fort, Palace, and went to see a Bolywood movie in a very famous mahoosive cinema
Udaipur - Beautiful lakes, lovely palace
Mumbai - fun - kond f like London in India - clean, upmarket, cosmopolitan for INdia. Elephant island is fascinating.
Cochin (Kerela) - the SOuth- an utter change form the North. No litter, no grubbiness. Beautiful, green, really relly lovely.
Alleppey - fab boat trrip overnight (private boat)
Thekkady - Green and pretty
A real rough summary - this isn't a travel blog.
If you are thinking of doing India, I'd say go for it. It has been wonderful. We've been spoilt with lovely hotels (mostly Oberoi and Trident), but we've also got out and eaten our own way too. I haven't s
t myself to death, we've never felt in danger. The driving is exceptionall in it's insanity, but it seems to work, in the day time at least.Air India - used twice - absolutely fine. Same with Air India Express
IndiGoGo - used trice - absolutely fine.
Tipping - I gave 10% when out. £5 a day for our deticated driver and car, and £10 a day to our deticated live-in guide - paid them at the end of their tenure (changed guide and driver after flying South). They did absolutely all the heavy lifting for us, including jumping queues at all the attractions, checking us into hotels , portering, paying the sundry tips etc.
Loved it. Exceeded expectaions by a long way. So many amazing sights and memories.
Edited by Griffith4ever on Monday 9th December 05:39
We did the 17 day golden triangle, with Goa in February. We also went with Distant Journeys, but in a group. We really enjoyed it and managed to see a tiger on my birthday. The guide we had on the tour was great, his name was Deep and was good fun. I would go again, but with less temples thrown in.
Sounds like you did a very similar trip to my wife and I back in 2015 as part of our honeymoon. Shimla was spectacular. Did you go on the railway? Only thing I didn't enjoy was the train North to South, but it was a (smelly) experience for sure.
You're right about Delhi, the pollution is insane, spent 2 days in New and Old Delhi and was blowing black crap out of my nose for a couple of days after.
We finished in Kerala rather than Goa.
We also didn't get sick of curry, even for breakfast but I did make the mistake of sampling the street food despite our tour guide giving me a bking for doing so. Probably wouldn't go back, but really glad we did it.
You're right about Delhi, the pollution is insane, spent 2 days in New and Old Delhi and was blowing black crap out of my nose for a couple of days after.
We finished in Kerala rather than Goa.
We also didn't get sick of curry, even for breakfast but I did make the mistake of sampling the street food despite our tour guide giving me a b
king for doing so. Probably wouldn't go back, but really glad we did it.AB said:
Sounds like you did a very similar trip to my wife and I back in 2015 as part of our honeymoon. Shimla was spectacular. Did you go on the railway? Only thing I didn't enjoy was the train North to South, but it was a (smelly) experience for sure.
You're right about Delhi, the pollution is insane, spent 2 days in New and Old Delhi and was blowing black crap out of my nose for a couple of days after.
We finished in Kerala rather than Goa.
We also didn't get sick of curry, even for breakfast but I did make the mistake of sampling the street food despite our tour guide giving me a bking for doing so. Probably wouldn't go back, but really glad we did it.
Train up to Shimla, yes. Lovely.You're right about Delhi, the pollution is insane, spent 2 days in New and Old Delhi and was blowing black crap out of my nose for a couple of days after.
We finished in Kerala rather than Goa.
We also didn't get sick of curry, even for breakfast but I did make the mistake of sampling the street food despite our tour guide giving me a b
king for doing so. Probably wouldn't go back, but really glad we did it.We finished in Kerala too. I then got us flights to Goa rather than back to Blighty.
Sounds fantastic, always wanted to do Shimla and the North, Mumbai sounds it’s like it’s changed a lot since I was there in 1988 called Bombay back then and a complete crap hole. Did Goa for a month also back then before the airport there was open and tourists hit on mass , went back in 93, and 95 for two week holidays in February which is a good time to visit but never again give me Thailand every time for winter sunshine.
Edited by GT4P on Monday 16th December 08:45
Griffith4ever said:
Train up to Shimla, yes. Lovely.
We finished in Kerala too. I then got us flights to Goa rather than back to Blighty.
We finished in Dubai before heading home. When we booked we felt we might need a little relative normality, food, drink and relaxation but in reality it wasn't necessary, India was far more than we thought it'd be.We finished in Kerala too. I then got us flights to Goa rather than back to Blighty.
AB said:
Griffith4ever said:
Train up to Shimla, yes. Lovely.
We finished in Kerala too. I then got us flights to Goa rather than back to Blighty.
We finished in Dubai before heading home. When we booked we felt we might need a little relative normality, food, drink and relaxation but in reality it wasn't necessary, India was far more than we thought it'd be.We finished in Kerala too. I then got us flights to Goa rather than back to Blighty.
Thats what we want to do for winter/Jan/Feb next year. Fly into Kerala for a week or so, train up to Goa...stay a month ish, then train up to Mumbai, then up via several stops to Amritsar....then head east via the usual stops ending up in Darjeeling...down to Kolkuta and back home. Maybe 2 months ish....
We've been in Goa for over a week now. GREAT VALUE winter escape. It does not have the drop dead looks of Thailand, but, it's hot, sunny, clean, with beach, and cheap.
We are currently on Talpona beach , which is uber quiet. 4 places to eat, 2 of which are the same. NO sunloungers. No 2-week holiday makers. It's great here and there, but, we are getting a £3 tuk tuk up to the next beach , Patnem. At 1st arrival your heart sinks as you see rows of sun loungers, but, take a moment to explore, and you'll find almost all are empty, you can always get a pair at the front. The service i impeccable, the prices are cheap, and there is plenty of choice. I'd gladly come here for an emergency 2 week winter break. (Thailand is where my heart is for longer breaks).
Cold lager - (always with a chilled glass), 90p, £130 for a 660ml (more than a pint). Dinner can be between £1.40 and £4.50. Breads anwhere from 15p to £1. A typical meal is some kind of a amazing curry, garlic naan, shared, £5 tops. I've even had a very good pizza for £4. Booze wise, it's about 50% less than Thailand . Same with cocktails - £3.40 regular, £1.70 happy hour.
Food in India is nothing like Indian food at home. The currys are at most, spicy, not mad hot, they are not overwhelming in size, and the breads are all thin , not puffy, and bloody delicious. The breads are the major part of dining for us.
We scooted up to Palolem but it was horrific before we even reached the sand, turned around, ran.
We are currently on Talpona beach , which is uber quiet. 4 places to eat, 2 of which are the same. NO sunloungers. No 2-week holiday makers. It's great here and there, but, we are getting a £3 tuk tuk up to the next beach , Patnem. At 1st arrival your heart sinks as you see rows of sun loungers, but, take a moment to explore, and you'll find almost all are empty, you can always get a pair at the front. The service i impeccable, the prices are cheap, and there is plenty of choice. I'd gladly come here for an emergency 2 week winter break. (Thailand is where my heart is for longer breaks).
Cold lager - (always with a chilled glass), 90p, £130 for a 660ml (more than a pint). Dinner can be between £1.40 and £4.50. Breads anwhere from 15p to £1. A typical meal is some kind of a amazing curry, garlic naan, shared, £5 tops. I've even had a very good pizza for £4. Booze wise, it's about 50% less than Thailand . Same with cocktails - £3.40 regular, £1.70 happy hour.
Food in India is nothing like Indian food at home. The currys are at most, spicy, not mad hot, they are not overwhelming in size, and the breads are all thin , not puffy, and bloody delicious. The breads are the major part of dining for us.
We scooted up to Palolem but it was horrific before we even reached the sand, turned around, ran.
Edited by Griffith4ever on Monday 16th December 11:21
vikingaero said:
My sister and Indian brother-in-law moved to India in 2016 to build their retirement home in Leh, Ladakh. I went to visit them in 2018 and my brother-in-law met me at Dehli airport. He offered me a choice - a 2 hour flight to Leh, or 24 hours strapped on top of a lorry held in place by frayed blue poly-rope "seatbelts". We went by lorry and it was amazing!
Brillaint - saw lots of "you's" on the highways :-)AB said:
We finished in Dubai before heading home. When we booked we felt we might need a little relative normality, food, drink and relaxation but in reality it wasn't necessary, India was far more than we thought it'd be.
Same here. We though't we'd "need" Goa to decompress but you just don't, especially if finishing in Kerela! - India is just so lovely, as are the people. So many sterotypes burst for me. TV is responsible for a LOT of it.Griffith4ever said:
We've been in Goa for over a week now. GREAT VALUE winter escape. It does not have the drop dead looks of Thailand, but, it's hot, sunny, clean, with beach, and cheap.
We are currently on Talpona beach , which is uber quiet. 4 places to eat, 2 of which are the same. NO sunloungers. No 2-week holiday makers. It's great here and there, but, we are getting a £3 tuk tuk up to the next beach , Patnem. At 1st arrival your heart sinks as you see rows of sun loungers, but, take a moment to explore, and you'll find almost all are empty, you can always get a pair at the front. The service i impeccable, the prices are cheap, and there is plenty of choice. I'd gladly come here for an emergency 2 week winter break. (Thailand is where my heart is for longer breaks).
Cold lager - (always with a chilled glass), 90p, £130 for a 660ml (more than a pint). Dinner can be between £1.40 and £4.50. Breads anwhere from 15p to £1. A typical meal is some kind of a amazing curry, garlic naan, shared, £5 tops. I've even had a very good pizza for £4. Booze wise, it's about 50% less than Thailand . Same with cocktails - £3.40 regular, £1.70 happy hour.
Food in India is nothing like Indian food at home. The currys are at most, spicy, not mad hot, they are not overwhelming in size, and the breads are all thin , not puffy, and bloody delicious. The breads are the major part of dining for us.
We scooted up to Palolem but it was horrific before we even reached the sand, turned around, ran.
Where are u staying....take it you flew in, how did u get there from the airport.....We are currently on Talpona beach , which is uber quiet. 4 places to eat, 2 of which are the same. NO sunloungers. No 2-week holiday makers. It's great here and there, but, we are getting a £3 tuk tuk up to the next beach , Patnem. At 1st arrival your heart sinks as you see rows of sun loungers, but, take a moment to explore, and you'll find almost all are empty, you can always get a pair at the front. The service i impeccable, the prices are cheap, and there is plenty of choice. I'd gladly come here for an emergency 2 week winter break. (Thailand is where my heart is for longer breaks).
Cold lager - (always with a chilled glass), 90p, £130 for a 660ml (more than a pint). Dinner can be between £1.40 and £4.50. Breads anwhere from 15p to £1. A typical meal is some kind of a amazing curry, garlic naan, shared, £5 tops. I've even had a very good pizza for £4. Booze wise, it's about 50% less than Thailand . Same with cocktails - £3.40 regular, £1.70 happy hour.
Food in India is nothing like Indian food at home. The currys are at most, spicy, not mad hot, they are not overwhelming in size, and the breads are all thin , not puffy, and bloody delicious. The breads are the major part of dining for us.
We scooted up to Palolem but it was horrific before we even reached the sand, turned around, ran.
Edited by Griffith4ever on Monday 16th December 11:21
romft123 said:
Where are u staying....take it you flew in, how did u get there from the airport.....
Flew into Goa airport. Taxi, booked online was 1700.irp £17. 1 hour 45. Apparently state taxis are even cheaper. You can queue up for a state approved taxi outside arrivals.Costing us £27 to get back.
Staying in talpona but id choose Patnem given the choice again. Talpona is unspoilt but not enough to keep us interested for ten days.
Edited by Griffith4ever on Monday 16th December 16:20
Interesting never been to that part of Goa sounds nice.
Back in the 80s Colva was the place a lovely long beach with only one hotel and very few people. Fast forward to the 90s about a dozen hotels. Palolem was a paradise where they did the bounty advert in the 80s, but like every where they eventually get destroyed, it’s happened in places like Ko Lanta in Thailand over the last 15 years.
The beaches and food are lovely in Goa but the sea can be rough not the calm turquoise waters you get in Thailand and you use to get a lot of hassle on the beaches from vendors and day trippers from Bombay when the train line went in
Back in the 80s Colva was the place a lovely long beach with only one hotel and very few people. Fast forward to the 90s about a dozen hotels. Palolem was a paradise where they did the bounty advert in the 80s, but like every where they eventually get destroyed, it’s happened in places like Ko Lanta in Thailand over the last 15 years.
The beaches and food are lovely in Goa but the sea can be rough not the calm turquoise waters you get in Thailand and you use to get a lot of hassle on the beaches from vendors and day trippers from Bombay when the train line went in
williamp said:
Always wanted to go to India. But..
Rice. Can you survive in India without eating Rice? I dont like it, Never have..
There is a line that cuts across diagonally from roughly Calcutta to Goa, that is the equivalent of the beer/ wine (or olive oil/ butter) split in Europe.Rice. Can you survive in India without eating Rice? I dont like it, Never have..
South & East prefer rice, North and West prefer wheat. Because that is also what grows in the regions. And because much of Indian food in the UK has Bengali roots, it's mostly rice based
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