Thyra

Hey all, our recent trips to Egypt and Kenya have finally convinced us that we are ready to follow the dream to India! Whew! Ok, I am just getting started, but from the look of things, we would like to do the typical "first timers" itinerary of Rajasthan but then, I would really like to head east to one as-yet-undecided region near the mountains. Is this insane? Can it be done? How do you travel between provinces/states I am assuming train.. and what would be a good amount of time to spend in total..can it be done in 2.5-3 weeks? We are active mid-30's and plan to use an Indian TA as yet also undecided.. thanks for all help!

Lyndie

Hi Thyra. India is so easy to travel around. Not like Africa where air and luxury train are the most effective ways to get around.

In India you have a choice of car/driver, trains (which we found excellent & efficient)long distance & intercity buses and air sectors or air passes.

Rajasthan is a big state and to see most of it would probably take 3 weeks. You can pick out two or three cities i.e. Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and spend a few days in each or do a whistle stop tour with a car & driver and see all the major attractions. You must see the Taj Mahal too. If you want to add the Himalaya then the weather is a major factor. The best time to see Rajasthan is Nov/Dec/Jan and that is not the best time to go to the mountains as it is very cold, even in the foothills.

I'm researching a 6 month trip now for 2006 (our 3rd trip to India) to include the Himalaya and Apr,May,June look like good months for the mountains but not for Rajasthan.

www.indiamike.com has helped me a lot with travel planning. You could ask their experts toi help with an itinerary. They have a special category for itinerary assistance. I also suggest you invest in a Footprint Guidebook or similar as the info in the good guide books is invaluable. Good luck!

Thyra

Lyndie thanks very much for the detailed response. You confirm what I had suspected.. It was just a case of NE India looking SOO appealing! I have not heard of Footprint guides, but usually opt for a combo of Insight or Nat. Geo and Frommers..I will research of course, but what, in your opinion is the most lovely rural local in Rajasthan? Thanks again!

Lyndie

Sorry Thyra, but rural locations were not on our list of interests. I suspect Jaisalmer with it's forts & camel rides in the desert may be wonderful. I dislike camels so we did not pursue that option.

There are others here who will be happy to add their input. Just be patient. All the best.

hobbes

The spot many people consider not to be missed in the north east in India is Leh, Ladakh and as Lyndie mentions it is open only from May-Sept. This is clearly not the right time for Rajasthan. However, other North East options include Sikkim (Gangtok and Darjeeling), Meghalaya, Aruncahal Pradesh. IN Rajasthan the on the beaten track destinations are Jaipur, Udaipur. Jaisalmer is one of Rajasthan's most beautiful places, less visited coz not accessible by air. You can travel between places by a combination of train and car eg in Rajasthan you may choose to ahve a dedicated car and driver then you take a train from your last point. I think using an Indian TA is a good idea. What kind of budget are you thinking.

Thyra

Thanks very much Hobbes and Lindie. As far as budget goes..that is a big ??. Typically, at this point in our lives we are what I would call upscale tourist class types.. you know 4 star NOT 5 star.. on the high side of the middle . Not backpackers any longer. At this exact moment, I have queries in to a TA or two.. Our average 2 week or less trip runs (incl air) $4.5-$7K for two.. but I think India is in the pricy side if you want nice places.. would this be a fair assessment?

JaneB

Here's what we did in January, 2005:
Rangoon - Calcutta (flight)
Calcutta - Darjeeling (flight and taxi)
Darjeeling - Delhi (taxi and flight)
Delhi - Jodphur (flight)
Jodphur - Jaisalmer (train)
Jaisalmer - Jodphur (train)
Jodphur - Jaipur (flight)
Jaipur - Agra (train)
Agra - Varanasi (train)
Varanasi - Delhi (flight)
Delhi - London - home (flight)
We only used TA's as we went along--no advance reservations. It worked out just fine.

Thyra

Dear JaneB, thanks that looks quite ambitious.. may I ask, how many days were you there in total? What your approximate budget was? What did you like the best?

JaneB

Thyra, we were in India for 3 weeks. We must have spent $1500 each for transportation in country, and $125 to $200 a night for lodging. I have no idea what the food cost, but breakfast was always included. We rented taxis or the 3 wheel things in each town we visited. Sometimes we had them "wait" for us at places but usually, we just hired another one when we were ready to leave.
We had wanted to go to Napal but there was some kind of uprising--same with Kashmir. We had planned to stay another week but got totally bummed out with the constant harassment everwhere we went. You cannot say NO enough times to discourage them! I think people on a tour are somewhat insulated from this but it wore us down.
The best--the Taj Mahal. It's much more beautiful than the pictures. And Varanasi and Jaipur are not to be missed.

hobbes

Actually, India is a cost effective place to go if you do ot want to stay in the super luxury properties. I think your budget is doable tho I am not clear where you are flying into India from and hence how much of that will go in air fare. Post if you want a local TA reco - I have a good one.

Thyra

Dear Hobbes, yes TA info would be quite welcome. Thanks a lot! Oh into India from Los Angeles.

hobbes

President Travels india hqed in New Delhi. Phone: 91-11-51533631/32. E-mail: [email protected]. Website - www.presidenttravels.com. Quite a bit of your budget will go in LA-Delhi flights but is still reasonable. India is an enchanted place - ENJOY!