India

[NickZ79]

Has anyone been to India? I really want to plan a trip there in the next 12 months.

 

Where should I go? North, South, near the Himalayas? I am a huge history geek so that is a must, not to sure about seeing the big cities though.

 

Anyway if you have been post on how it was.

 

Thank you in advance,

 

[Raikas]

I spent two weeks working in Chennai in 2008 and did usual side travel to Mahabalipuram and Cholapuram which are interesting if you're interested in relgious art and architechture.  We did a weekend in Pondicherry as well, which is interesting if you want to see how French colonialism had a different influence than the British (plus: beaches!).

 

On the opposite coast I've been to Panaji for a couple of family things as well, so there you can see the Portuguese influence, and check out the churches (and beaches!).

 

I've never been to the north, but there are several posters here who are either in India or who have lived there in the past, so hopefully one of them will chime in.

 

How long do you have free to travel?  India is huge, so unless you're going for at least 4 weeks, I'd focus on your favourite things.

Since you're a history buff, what's your favourite angle?  Religious, political, military?  And which periods of history? 

[Ancalagon The Black]

I can tell you a lot about India. I am from India. One trip will not suffice. You need multiple trips to see some of it.

 

What I recommend is choosing one part (North, West, South, East, NorthEast) and then really drilling down if you want to go to the country for 2-3 weeks. There are lots of places to visit. It will be a massive socio-cultural hit (in more ways than one). I recommend having a base in one of the larger cities and then traveling by car/train/tram/boat to whichever places you want to visit.

 

I also recommend traveling light and getting used to drinking the local water and eating local food. . You get used to it after sometime. Contrary to popular belief it is not as dirty as everyone would have you think. It will be a much more rewarding experience. You could even join other travelers in travelling together.

 

I can tell you more if you are more specific about which places you are interested in. I have done a lot of traveling throughout the country. One part is completely different from the other. Every state has its own ethnicity and culture which makes going to faraway states culture shocks for us as well.

[DirtyLittleSecrets]

I loved travelling to Jodhpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer but my favourite city I went to was Rishikesh. I was an exchange student to India 2007/2008 and we were able to go on a white water rafting trip down the Ganges. India is huge and has so many different areas and cultures within them that you have to try and focus what you want to see. Are you interested in a camel safari in the desert? How about a wildlife safari in Kanha National Park? Maybe just eating a ton of amazing food in Punjab? Or have you always wanted to see the Taj Mahal?

It's been a really long time since I've been there but if you end up going to Mumbai make sure while you're in Maharashtra (the state) to have some pav bhaji for me! I've been trying multiple recipes since I left but still cannot make a decent substitute :-/

[Ancalagon The Black]

Pav bhaji is delicious ! Possibly, the best vegetarian food that I have ever had is Indian - and this coming from someone who loves meat of all sorts, shapes and sizes.

 

There are many ways to travel in India. One of my most memorable trips was a motorcycle trip from Delhi to Ladakh - arguably the highest motorable road in the world where tourists are allowed to go. It connects with the China/Tibet border around 18000 feet. That was a very, very rewarding experience. My buddy and I, 2 motorcycles and the road. We slept under the (cold) stars and ate at whatever roadside dhaba (food stall) we encountered.

[AngelaTheGeek]

I went in 2010. We started in Varanasi, then went to Jaipur via Agra, then we went down south to Kerala.

 

Varanasi

Not for the faint of heart. I had a really, really, really rough time there. HOWEVER, it was worth it. It's very old, and I know this is going to sound terrible, but it is very dirty. It was just a fact of life that we dealt with. We visited Sarnath, which is where Buddha gave his first sermon. It was surreal.

 

We had initial plans of bathing in the Ganges, but that changed as soon as we got there. The burning ghat (where they cremate bodies), was right next to our hotel. We saw many, many bodies being burned and released into the river. If they couldn't be burned, they were just weighted down and dropped in the middle. Unfortunately, we saw bodies that floated up to the top. Please, don't let this dissuade you, but be prepared. It was very National Geographic.

 

Agra

We took the train from Varanasi to Agra. Unfortunately, we were there on a Friday and nobody informed us ahead of time that the Taj Mahal was closed on Fridays. We had a tour set up and everything. I had a nervous breakdown in Agra. People there probably still talk about the ranting lunatic that cried for an hour at the train station... It was not a good time. We couldn't stay because we had flights and other reservations. I am still upset about this.

 

Jaipur

Amazing. Just go. Go to the Hanuman Temple! Go to the Forts! GO SEE IT ALL! I wish we had a few more days here!

 

Kerala

We stayed at Kovalam beach. It's sub-tropical and BEAUTIFUL! The back waters were the best part of our entire trip. You owe it to yourself to finish your trip here or in Goa. It will make any hardships on the trip seem like nothing.

 

Here's a link to my pictures: https://indiavacation2010.shutterfly.com/

 

Namaste, friend!

[Ancalagon The Black]

India has some of the most incredible experiences (imho) if you go off the usual touristy beaten path like Delhi-Agra-Jaipur or Bangalore-Kerela-Hyderabad. For instance, very few people visit the north eastern part of the country where people look very different, speak different and act different from the usual north or west or south india that people visit which in themselves have plenty of differences. You can venture off to Bhutan, Nepal or Bangladesh from there if you are interested. It is very easy to do over land.

 

Folks who have grown up in what is generally called 1st world countries may have a hard time in India. Things which you take for granted may not exist.For instance, unless you are living in a hotel or visiting a proper restaurants, you will most probably not find toilet paper or you might have to use a squat toilet. This does not mean that Indians run around with soiled inners. For many folks that I know come from Asia to say, the USA or Canada, the reverse can be quite daunting.

 

India can be extremely clean and extremely dirty, extremely polluted and extremely natural and more importantly, extremely peaceful and suddenly, rather dangerous. This is obviously true for many other places but just something to keep in mind.

[Romily]

I've been to India twice, 3 weeks each time - once in the north and north east (Himalach Pradesh and Rajasthan), flying into Delhi, and once doen in Goa and Kerala, flying into Mumbai. Been to south east asia many times before so it wasn't that much a culture shock, but I struggled in the big cities, it was just a bit too much noise and chaos! But I'm generally not a big city person:)

 

Travelling around with public transport can be challenging, but the people are amazing, and so welcoming, I had a great time. Loved the palaces in Rajasthan, and the time I spend in Himalach Pradesh most I have to say - was planning to head up to Ladakh, but the roads were closed due to mudslides, which was a shame! Will have to go back one year:)

 

Be prepared to travel slow, adapt to a different way of measuring time, and be open minded, you'll have a great time!