India - your highlights
Discussion
t myself to deathLove the place and been there quite a few times but not recently.
A couple of obvious places -Taj Mahal and Phatapoursikri, a town abandoned centuries ago from drought:
The extraordinary holy city of Varanasi where Hindus go to be cremated on the banks of the Ganges...the cremations never stop
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/sEL2nhD7[/url]
A couple of obvious places -Taj Mahal and Phatapoursikri, a town abandoned centuries ago from drought:
The extraordinary holy city of Varanasi where Hindus go to be cremated on the banks of the Ganges...the cremations never stop
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/sEL2nhD7[/url]
We went to:
Delhi - quick tour of the capital
Chandigargh - for the amazing rock garden
Dharamsala - Kalachakra temple, views of the Himalayas and home of the Dalai Lama
Udaipur - for the Lake Palace
Ranthabore - fort and national park
Agra - Fort and Taj Mahal
Jaipur - the pink city, includes the City Palace and Jai Mahal. Also Jantar Mantar - a collection of astronomical observation structures
Goa - few days on the beach to finish
Its a fascinating country and we would like to visit a few more places there.
We travelled mainly by bus and train to keep costs down so met quite a few interesting characters as a result.
Delhi - quick tour of the capital
Chandigargh - for the amazing rock garden
Dharamsala - Kalachakra temple, views of the Himalayas and home of the Dalai Lama
Udaipur - for the Lake Palace
Ranthabore - fort and national park
Agra - Fort and Taj Mahal
Jaipur - the pink city, includes the City Palace and Jai Mahal. Also Jantar Mantar - a collection of astronomical observation structures
Goa - few days on the beach to finish
Its a fascinating country and we would like to visit a few more places there.
We travelled mainly by bus and train to keep costs down so met quite a few interesting characters as a result.
I have never lived anywhere that had such a profound impact on my life (Mumbai). Too much to identify without writing reams, but it was the most amazing period in my life.
Eat as much as you can - whether it be meat, veg, whatever. It will all be brilliant. Just don't eat streetfood in monsoon season.
Traffic is the best bit. It's like a video game. The white lines on the road are seen by the locals as decoration - they mean nothing.
Immense poverty next to incredible wealth.
Wildlife - big rats, big bats, crocodiles, eagles.
An hours rickshaw ride across the city, very drunk, in torrential rain - absolutely surreal but unforgettable.
Loads more, but it's Friday Night and it's hometime. To be ontinued maybe...
Eta this was an interesting read from a few years ago that another PHer wrote, which put my mind at rest when I was deciding whether to go out there.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Eat as much as you can - whether it be meat, veg, whatever. It will all be brilliant. Just don't eat streetfood in monsoon season.
Traffic is the best bit. It's like a video game. The white lines on the road are seen by the locals as decoration - they mean nothing.
Immense poverty next to incredible wealth.
Wildlife - big rats, big bats, crocodiles, eagles.
An hours rickshaw ride across the city, very drunk, in torrential rain - absolutely surreal but unforgettable.
Loads more, but it's Friday Night and it's hometime. To be ontinued maybe...
Eta this was an interesting read from a few years ago that another PHer wrote, which put my mind at rest when I was deciding whether to go out there.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Edited by SteveStrange on Friday 23 September 19:41
|https://thumbsnap.com/rWZbkJSj[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/xZPNFHxH[/url]
It really is a brutal attack on the senses (the sights, smells, sounds), no real way to describe it.
Nutty roads (i actually took out another life insurance policy before a return trip on the Pune to Mumbai expressway) and you'll be choking on exhaust fumes.
Loved it though, and in the 40 or so days i've spent there, it was the last day of my most recent visit that i came down with a bout of super mega food poisoning that would have finished off a Kryptonian
Nutty roads (i actually took out another life insurance policy before a return trip on the Pune to Mumbai expressway) and you'll be choking on exhaust fumes.
Loved it though, and in the 40 or so days i've spent there, it was the last day of my most recent visit that i came down with a bout of super mega food poisoning that would have finished off a Kryptonian
- Top Tip*
Edited by littlebasher on Friday 23 September 22:06
Edited by littlebasher on Friday 23 September 23:03
I've done various tourist things in India as well as business travel all over, so mixed feelings about the place and mixed experiences. Like most countries there's good and bad aspects, places and people. Most people's photos make the place look great, but you can't smell photos. I'll be there again next Sunday.
The easiest tourist trail to do and get the classic experience with not too much risk or hassle is the Golden Triangle, Amirtsar, Dharamshala. This is doable in a 2 week, fairly busy, trip, using mostly trains between cities.
The dreaded 'unwell' I've historically had a 50% hit rate, regardless of whether I'm 'careful' or not. I don't try to avoid it now, I just know how to deal with it when it happens.
Note that at the moment India is in the huff with the UK about something or other, so the e-Visa process is not possible, you have to do a 'full' visa application using the awful VFS services. They are essentially a state sponsored scam, so expect to pay a lot more than what you think, and it take longer.
For specific places to go just look at any tourist book. Don't venture off this unless you are confident and worldly wise in a travel sense. In Delhi any 'friendly' person that approaches you and talks to you is trying to scam you, just ignore them or be rude. Outside Delhi and major tourist locations such people are usually just friendly people and are worth talking to.
Any tuk tuk or taxi will offer to take you to shops / retailers. Don't go with them as they get paid a (often large, sometimes 60%+) commission on anything you buy. Nowadays you can find places online and then ask a taxi to take you to nearby and then walk in yourself. Ensure you say straight up to the retailer that you've come there yourself so there is no commission to pay any driver or guide. They will appreciate this as they will give you a lower price, but make more profit themselves.
A few specific places I'd mention, some are in the tourist books, some not:
In Delhi I'd recommend the below places to eat. Both are generally 'safe' for westerners.
https://g.page/UnitedCoffeeHouse?share
https://goo.gl/maps/mbdFbmm1cDfwkZya8
Some of the shops in the Khan Market are also fun to walk around - it's a half local, half touristy place. Frequented by ex-pats.
https://goo.gl/maps/k63UdzUVd5sFQm2DA
I also rate Humayun's Tomb way above the over-romantisiced and over-crowded Taj Mahal. Its history is much better known and interesting, and it's a unique link between the sandstone and marble construction techniques.
https://goo.gl/maps/VqjR3kN3xPH4TjycA
The Waga border ceremony is brilliant. Never been to anything like it anywhere in the world. Wanted to go since seeing in on one of Michael Palin's series. It's completely ridiculous, and odd given a few hundred miles north they are continuously killing each other.
If you do the Golden triangle and Amristar, especially using train, read Kipling's Kim as you go. Many of the places you go and the trains you are on are in the book.
We returned from Dharamasala using the mountain railway from Kangra Mandir station. This train ride was an event in itself. Zero tourists, unlike the tourist train Shimla train. The train had to keep stopping so the driver could get out to shoo the cows off the tracks.
The easiest tourist trail to do and get the classic experience with not too much risk or hassle is the Golden Triangle, Amirtsar, Dharamshala. This is doable in a 2 week, fairly busy, trip, using mostly trains between cities.
The dreaded 'unwell' I've historically had a 50% hit rate, regardless of whether I'm 'careful' or not. I don't try to avoid it now, I just know how to deal with it when it happens.
Note that at the moment India is in the huff with the UK about something or other, so the e-Visa process is not possible, you have to do a 'full' visa application using the awful VFS services. They are essentially a state sponsored scam, so expect to pay a lot more than what you think, and it take longer.
For specific places to go just look at any tourist book. Don't venture off this unless you are confident and worldly wise in a travel sense. In Delhi any 'friendly' person that approaches you and talks to you is trying to scam you, just ignore them or be rude. Outside Delhi and major tourist locations such people are usually just friendly people and are worth talking to.
Any tuk tuk or taxi will offer to take you to shops / retailers. Don't go with them as they get paid a (often large, sometimes 60%+) commission on anything you buy. Nowadays you can find places online and then ask a taxi to take you to nearby and then walk in yourself. Ensure you say straight up to the retailer that you've come there yourself so there is no commission to pay any driver or guide. They will appreciate this as they will give you a lower price, but make more profit themselves.
A few specific places I'd mention, some are in the tourist books, some not:
In Delhi I'd recommend the below places to eat. Both are generally 'safe' for westerners.
https://g.page/UnitedCoffeeHouse?share
https://goo.gl/maps/mbdFbmm1cDfwkZya8
Some of the shops in the Khan Market are also fun to walk around - it's a half local, half touristy place. Frequented by ex-pats.
https://goo.gl/maps/k63UdzUVd5sFQm2DA
I also rate Humayun's Tomb way above the over-romantisiced and over-crowded Taj Mahal. Its history is much better known and interesting, and it's a unique link between the sandstone and marble construction techniques.
https://goo.gl/maps/VqjR3kN3xPH4TjycA
The Waga border ceremony is brilliant. Never been to anything like it anywhere in the world. Wanted to go since seeing in on one of Michael Palin's series. It's completely ridiculous, and odd given a few hundred miles north they are continuously killing each other.
If you do the Golden triangle and Amristar, especially using train, read Kipling's Kim as you go. Many of the places you go and the trains you are on are in the book.
We returned from Dharamasala using the mountain railway from Kangra Mandir station. This train ride was an event in itself. Zero tourists, unlike the tourist train Shimla train. The train had to keep stopping so the driver could get out to shoo the cows off the tracks.
I’ve had th e pleasure of spending a lot of time in India. I first visited as a tourist in ‘92 for 2 weeks. Spent time in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur. In Rajastan stayed in a fabulous place called Samode Palace.
5 years later work asked me to go to Delhi. I spent the next 3 years in Delhi, doing further trips out to Agra, Jaipur, Chandigarh & Shiimla. In 2005 I went back for work this time to Mumbai where I was based for 6 months.
My highlights?
Shimla is a lovely Alpine style village
Jaipur is underrated by many. The Taj if you can find a time when it is deserters. Visiting towns off of the tourist trails. Helicopter trips down the coast south of Mumbai, just appreciating the landscape from the air.
India can be an assault on the senses…the smells, the flavours, the contrasts. Its not for everyone, but if its for you its a fabulous experience.
5 years later work asked me to go to Delhi. I spent the next 3 years in Delhi, doing further trips out to Agra, Jaipur, Chandigarh & Shiimla. In 2005 I went back for work this time to Mumbai where I was based for 6 months.
My highlights?
Shimla is a lovely Alpine style village
Jaipur is underrated by many. The Taj if you can find a time when it is deserters. Visiting towns off of the tourist trails. Helicopter trips down the coast south of Mumbai, just appreciating the landscape from the air.
India can be an assault on the senses…the smells, the flavours, the contrasts. Its not for everyone, but if its for you its a fabulous experience.
Good thread!
I've done the golden triangle and Kerala. I much preferred the north and would love to go back. Next time I would like to go further north to Kashmir kind of area.
Highlights for me where the Taj and Seikh Temple serving food to huge numbers of people. It's a mental place!
I've done the golden triangle and Kerala. I much preferred the north and would love to go back. Next time I would like to go further north to Kashmir kind of area.
Highlights for me where the Taj and Seikh Temple serving food to huge numbers of people. It's a mental place!
People are a highlight, so friendly & keen to engage with outsiders , even random small children will try their English on you in a hotel lift!!
(That said they have a hierarchy amongst themselves I could never begin to understand & sometimes quite hard to witness)
Internal airlines were really good & cheap for us to drop into different cities.
You did ask highlights but a serious caution for smells/rubbish/traffic all of which can be very poor, it’s not a place I would probably travel to on a budget as you need to be in nicer hotels/areas.
One place I wish I visited but could never arrange due to times & locations https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampi
Food. I love it so tried everything I could, huge variations in different areas some subtle some very different eg some eat rice, some eat bread all depends what traditionally grew in their area. (Probiotics are apparently the way to minimise impact of bad food), the different area thing also does seem to impact how the people are too (but I won’t list sweeping generalisations/stereotypes despite how true I’ve seen them to be)
(That said they have a hierarchy amongst themselves I could never begin to understand & sometimes quite hard to witness)
Internal airlines were really good & cheap for us to drop into different cities.
You did ask highlights but a serious caution for smells/rubbish/traffic all of which can be very poor, it’s not a place I would probably travel to on a budget as you need to be in nicer hotels/areas.
One place I wish I visited but could never arrange due to times & locations https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampi
Food. I love it so tried everything I could, huge variations in different areas some subtle some very different eg some eat rice, some eat bread all depends what traditionally grew in their area. (Probiotics are apparently the way to minimise impact of bad food), the different area thing also does seem to impact how the people are too (but I won’t list sweeping generalisations/stereotypes despite how true I’ve seen them to be)
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