Anyone? Would appreciate hearing your thoughts.
Paule

I have not been to Bundi, so I cannot comment on that portion of the trip. We had originally wanted to go to the Rat Temple, but decided we didn't have time. It was a decision that we were happy to have made after seeing enough rats scurrying around the train station at Jodhpur!

The stop at Ranakpur is only a short one which you can do while driving between Udiapur and Jaipur. It does not require an overnight stop and I don't recall much there.

Be sure to stop at the Monkey Temple and the stepping wells on your drive between Jaipur and Agra. You will not need a lot of time at either, but they were so worthwhile.

yes it looks busy but i think it is perfect...keep jaipur, it is an interesting place...

udaipur is a wonderful city--our favorite..

did you find a train from V to agra?? easier to fly..

why 3 nites in jaisalmer??

Thanks for the thoughts, I appreciate them.

June, I was thinking of trying to slow down and see a small village as well as visiting the temple. I was hoping to find something like the town at Narlai, where there is an opportunity to visit some of the small businesses or locals. Perhaps Narlai is worth the splurge? Or is my idea of visiting a small town not realistic?

Bob,
I'll definitely keep Jaipur. I'm still toying with taking one day from Bundi and adding it to another place.

There's an overnight train from Varanasi to Agra, which I thought we'd do rather than flying back to Delhi and changing for the train. It allows us to get into Agra in the morning and we'd visit Agra on that day.

I didn't want to return to Delhi in between. Is it still easier to fly back and change for the train? It's the one train that seemed to make sense to take, although I don't expect a great night's sleep.

As far as 3 days in Jaisalmer, I thought it sounded like a good place to just relax before returning to Delhi. I've read such divergent experiences that it's hard to know what it will feel like, but my hope is that it's just different enough to soak up atmosphere and not much else by this point in our trip.

Again, thanks! It's very helpful to get other people's impressions.

Paule

Smaller villages are not more Indian, they simply live differently. Communication can be harder in villages because English is less prevalent.

Don't eat or drink items given to you by the villagers as you are certain to get sick, but refusing them is going to be hard because it is seen as rude. Just something to keep in mind.

Go to a large hindu temple and you can get a good glimpse of a cross section of Indians. Bring socks because you cannot wear shoes inside temples. You do not need to cover your head and you do not need to be hindu. You can just walk around and look at all of the temple statues. There is no formality like in church. You, however, cannot take pictures inside. That is true for any hindu temple I've been too.

Thank you, Jaya. I appreciate the difficulty in managing to be respectful while also trying to be careful - a difficult balance at times!

Paule

at the rat temple we rented small cloth covers for our shoes.. the place is a hoot..

udaipur is the place to relax..

do you have any starwood points...?? cash and pts at the udaipur sheraton is a steal...

look at ratan villas in jodphur---one of the best places we stayed for sure and an excellent a la carte restaurant too--skip buffet.

you might like reading my 2011 trip report--click on my name

We stayed at the Jagas nivas hotel in udiapur and really enjoyed our stay there. The meals at the roof top restaurant were very good. The price for the accommodations were quite inexpensive.

You may also click on my name for my India trip report. One town you may consider is Gwalior which was quite different from the other towns we visited. You can easily get there by a short train ride out of Agra. The fort was unique, there were interesting temples and Buddhist carvings built out of the mountainside leading up to the fort. Also, since this was one of the least touristy towns we visited, we found less touts and found the people to be exceptionally friendly. I don't understand how this town gets such little recognition. It was one of the big surprises for us on our trip to India.

Thanks, Bob, I've been reading all the trip reports I can find, and look forward to reading yours.

Now that I have my tickets, the trip becomes more real, and the planning is so much more fun - with a little bit of a reality check knowing that I really can't do it all.

Hubby has nixed the rat temple -- he's not fond of rodents of any kind, even the spiritual type -- so that will have to go.

I'm still considering eliminating Bundi, and if I do, will add a day to Udaipur.

Ratan Villas is on my list of places to consider, although I also see that the Haveli Pal Inn (one of the 2, I can't remember the exact name) seems to be well-liked, and one of the more modestly-priced places.

I wish we had Starwood points, but we're not really frequent flyers; we just save toward a good trip every year or 2 (or 3). Money is a consideration but I don't have any qualms about splurging on a special or unique place. Hence India!

Thanks for all the feedback - I'll be busy with your trip report soon.

Paule

I meant, "frequent travelers"

June,
I remember reading your trip report, and Gwalior does sound interesting. I'll look into it some more.

I also stayed at Jagat Niwas hotel in Udaipur and loved it. We did the overnight train from Varanasi to Agra and thought it was great, a real time saver.

We did Jaisalmer for four nites but the Desert fair was on at that time which was amazing. Sadly it will be in Feb this year so you will miss it. We did an overnight camel safari from there through our hotel which we really liked as well. It was very cold, but enjoyable.

I also have a trip report if you click on my name . We travel middle of the road too, most hotels around $50 a night.

Hi, live42day,
I've been savoring and studying your trip report for the last few months, and really love it. What a wonderful spirit you have - I love the fact that you've tried so many different types of places!

Now I'm trying to allocate days to various places and am trying to figure out how many days to spend in each place. I have one week less but I imagine I'm probably spending the same amount of time in Rajasthan as you did. We're leaving January 18, so timing is similar. Anyway, now I'm focusing on the details - my first reading(s) were more about the overall picture.

Thanks for writing!

You may enjoy my report too Paule -- it's a bit old now, but covers many of the places you will be going. Here's the link:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia/trip-report-india-travelawg.cfm
We also did a trip to South India in 2010 -- not sure that will be as helpful, but you might find it interesting -- click on my name - it's named travelaw escapes the IZ or something like that ... You're going to have a fantastic time in India!

travelaw,
I do remember reading --and loving -- your trip report last year when a trip to India was a vague thought. I will definitely go through it again!
Paule

your husband is missing the true essence of india-- leave him home

Ha ha, Bob! Very funny. I'll try framing the temple as exactly that and see if he buys it.

I too have a trip report out there for 3 weeks in Rajasthan & Varanasi that you may want to look at. We did go to the rat temple. You get shoe covers as Bob mentioned. The place stinks but seems clean despite the rats everywhere. You know it is not a place we would go back to but it is a place that we always tell people about! I wouldn't go out of my way to go there

If you need a rat experience, go to the train station in jodpur before dawn. We found hundreds of Indians covered from head to toe in blankets (in the heat) to protect them from the rodents scurrying around them seeking food while the homeless residents of India slept in front of the train station. I couldn't get on that train to jaisalmer fast enough and I worried that rats had boarded the train along with us. Thankfully we saw known once we departed jodpur.

Here are my initial thoughts:

1. You have 21 days, which is longer than many people have; yet you are only covering a rather small part of north India. You have time, IMO, to split between north and south. South India is quite different from north India in terms of culture and food. While the north has forts, the south has fantastic temples as well as churches and colonial architecture. It is also less touristed than the north (other than the beaches of Goa which are easy to avoid but very pleasant if you want a break), and IMO you may have a better opportunity to see and stay in small villages there. It is also in great weather in Jan and Feb. I would suggest you seriously consider re-working the itin to be able to see something of south India. Goa and Kerala would be good choices, although Tamil Nadu has a lot of interesting things as well.

2. January 25 is Republic Day in India. If you can be in Delhi, there is a terrific parade in New Delhi along Rajpath. Rajput soldiers on horseback and elephants. Worth seeing if you can get tickets. You may be able to re-work the itin to skip Delhi in the beginning and go in the middle.

3. You don't have to fly into and out of Delhi for your international flight. Assuming you are coming from NYC airports you can take a non-stop United flight from Mumbai to EWR or vice versa. This works well if you do the south first or last. You could also take the United non-stop from EWR to Delhi and then return via the Mumbai flight.

If you don’t mind connections, then you have lots more options, like flying into or out of Chennai, Bangaglore, Pune, Hyderabad or Trivandrum and connecting either via Asia (Singapore or Bangkok) or going east and connecting in Dubai, Frankfurt, the UK, etc.

There is a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Varanasi (short stop in Gaya, no change of plane), which can be a good way to exit or enter India.

4. I have seen your other post on the camel safari question. Maybe it is me, but I find camels quite uncomfortable to ride. There is something about their gait which is not easy to adjust to. I would not want to be on a camel for more than about an hour to be honest. I prefer horses. Have you looked into a horse safari? I see Hacra offers them. I have used Princess Trails for day rides in Udaipur and they offer safaris, see http://www.princesstrails.com That is probably less touristy to begin with, as many people just do the 2 hour or so camel trek. Fewer people ride in my experience. You could also look into hiking/walking. See something like Oxford Walks at http://www.atg-oxford.co.uk/discovering.php#worldwide. These are longer walks than overnight, but would take you to very small places more off the beaten track and may be what you are looking for. Mountain Travel Sobeck might be another good choice, see http://mtsobek.com/ (and they do camel safaris). Another company is Backroads, they do mostly bike trips, but see http://www.backroads.com/.

Cicerone,
I have thought about the possibility of traveling in other regions, so I will consider it. Tickets are already bought, however, in and out of Delhi.

I appreciate your comments but don't think we're looking to travel beyond Rajasthan and Varanasi. I have a total of 20 nights, including the night we arrive. So it's really 19 nights I have to allocate. We prefer to cover a region well and it seems to me that each of the towns have plenty to offer without leaving the region. So I'm not sure that either of us has a strong desire to travel further afield. I'm still trying to contain my trip within this region.

Thanks for the comments about the camel safari -- I will definitely keep them in mind! Someone wrote about the sore thighs for days after, and that will definitely influence our thinking.

Good to know about Republic Day. Do smaller towns also celebrate? I think I remember Live42day writing about being in a small village and going to a few activities.

June - love it! If I need rats, I'll keep the Jodhpur station in mind!

Jules 39 - I'll look for your trip report. Thanks for mentioning it.

Thanks again everyone for taking the time to write. It certainly gives me more to think about. I'm getting a bit overwhelmed trying to sort it all out right now!

Hi,

You itinerary looks great. It will be hectic but it'll feel so rewarding and worth it when you look back at what you've seen and learnt.

I'm a travel writer (and BBC Journalist) and recently spent 6 weeks touring Nth India.
I stayed in everything from local cheaper accomodation to havelis to the Taj Palaces. Each has it's own charm.Taj Umaid Bhawan palace in Jodhpur I have just reviewed... http://ani-shah.com/2012/07/12/playing-princess-at-jodhpurs-royal-palace-surreal-luxury/

Jodhpur also has many lesser-known stories about it's people and culture. They're fascinating aspects... http://ani-shah.com/2012/07/10/opium-tea-jodhpur-blues-and-mighty-mehrangarh/

Varanasi was a personal highlight for the colour, bustle, evening aart ceremony and culture. So was Haridwar.

I've started reviewing the trip with my photography for an exhibiton - think you may find some inspiration.http://ani-shah.com/2012/06/24/impressions-of-india-portrait-of-a-people/

Lastly, can I tag along? Haha, Enjoy x

Ani- thanks for the feedback-- i'm becoming a bit overwhelmed by the planning right now, going back and forth between possible approaches and I'm still tyying to slow it down a little. It's helpful to hear that it's good.

I LOVE your blog and photos! Beautiful pictures! They capture a wonderful sense of place - very intimate. I so enjoyed the photos of Jodhur in the early hours, as well as the opium tea preparation.

Sure, you can tag along -- but only if you take us to those luxury places! Ha ha to you, too!

Paule

If you take an overnight train and do NOT see some kind of rodent scurrying round your compartment, or on the station platform, i 'll eat my turban!
The rats were in the station mgr's office (in Ludhiana, Punjab) but only a mouse in the compartment. Considering the amount of food and crumbs, it'd be surprising to not see hungry little meeces.
Prepare your hubby.

Good luck with planning; it is stressful beforehand but really worth it once there.
If any way at all, give yourself half a day at least in each place to just rest and soak up the atmosphere. Without that it may become a bit of a whirlwind. But if you're prepared for that, go for it!

CaliNurse,
Thanks for the warning - hubby IS prepared for the onslaught of India -- it was his idea to go, after all. But just in case he has a rodent reaction, I'll make sure to have my smelling salts ready!

ani-thank you! Still going back and forth between eliminating or reducing the smaller places (Bundi, Ranakpur/Narlai) to consolidate the trip and stay in Udaipur and possibly Jaipur for 3 days instead of 2. That's really the dilemma now.

I'm now thinking of taking a day from Bundi and staying 3 days in udaipur. If I completely eliminate Bundi, the drive from Jaipur seems too long, no? But I get the feeling I would enjoy having 3 nights.

Take the train - IMO much easier than so much time on the roads.

Hi, June,
I thought about using the train more, but it just isn't convenient for the smaller locations or stops I'd like to make, making the trip much longer than it needs to be, or taking overnights, which I'm reluctant to do. We will be doing the Varanasi-Agra overnight, but sleeping on trains can be difficult so I'd like to avoid them if possible.

Just realize that the road trips, while often interesting, can also be slow and endless. Many of the roads are poorly paved and the trains can sometimes be quicker. If there are stops to be made in between destinations, then car travel is the way to go, but if not, I would consider a train.

I appreciate what you say, June. It's obviously a lot of tradeoffs. I am planning to leave in Bundi, which really makes the drive between Jaipur and Udaipur doable. I think that's really the only part of the trip that I'd consider a train, but the schedule didn't look all that great and the stopover in Bundi is one I want.

I did consider overnight train rides, but dear hubby (DH in on-line parlance) is not a happy camper (or traveler) if he doesn't get enough sleep, and truthfully, neither am I, so the only train ride we'll have is the overnight from Varanasi to Agra. That should give us the experience without exhausting us too much!

Otherwise, we'll fly between Delhi and Varanasi and also at the end, flying from Jodhpur (after Jaisalmer) to Delhi.

Thanks, though, I do appreciate the comments, and no matter what I decide, there will be challenges to face!

as i remember the jaipur-udaipur drive was not all that bad

our notes say 6+ hours drive on a good road..

Thanks, Bob. We'll be stopping in Bundi for a night, then moving on to Udaipur. I decided to stay one night only in Bundi and 3 in Udaipur. Your comments definitely inflluencedmy thinking.

Getting excited-- hotels are now being decided and reserved! The trip is taking shape!

fantastic

Hello Paule,
I work in Delhi and try to get out the city as much as possible! Bundi has been one of my favorite getaways of the last 6 months (with Varanasi!). 1 night should be enought you're right even if I really suggest you to visit the countryside around! We rent a bike for some hours and drove up to the waterfalls (it will be dry in January but that's really nice!).On this website you can find a lot of details on Rajasthan cities http://www.trip-in-rajasthan.com/places-to-travel

I have not been to Ranakpur, but I know that Ghanerao marble temple is very impressive and according to the budget, my colleagues recommand more frequently Narlai (nice hotel!).

In Jaisalmer, do not miss the night in the desert! Fifu Guest House proposes this kind of activity, it was awesome for me!
Enjoy your holidays.

Thanks, SMT, I'll check out the website. I have a colleague who is thinking about volunteering in India and this would be great for him. I only wish I had the time to do it!

Paule

SMT, this is a wonderful organization! I'm going to contact them and see if there is any way I can visit one of the programs. I agree, it is a a wonderful way to be more in touch with REAL India. Thank you again for the link.

Paule

Of course, seeing that SMT has only just signed ip and then posted thismon several threads about India leaves me wondering a little anout ner connection. But it does look like a good organization doing valuable work.

bookmarking

Love my last post - nothing like iPad gibberish, made all the more nonsensical since the post I responded to has been removed!


Still working on visas, but hotels are all reserved, flights are all reserved and train tickets to be bought later this month!

Paule

Your trip sounds AMAZING! I am myself just beginning to put together a 4 week trip in January as well. I think I will try to go sometime in the North and sometime in the South.
Whatever you can share with me in terms of contacts (car driver, etc.) would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, travelon, I sure hope it will be! It's just 4 months away but places are booked and all flights are reserved. I finally sent off my visa application this past weekend, so I hope to have that in hand shortly.

As far as car/driver, i'm working with Nikhil of TGS tours, based in Jaipur, and he will be making most of the driving arrangements. Although I will have some of the places pick us up or drop us ar airport or train. I decided to do most of the booking myself, but his input has been invaluable. There are also times where it is very helpful to have him make arrangements & reservations.

I'm glad to have most of the bookings out of the way as I have a very hectic work period right now and wouldn't be able to focus on planning as much. By mid-December, I'll start looking more into the finer details (such as they can be), like when and where we should arrange for a guide and finding out more about those unique experiences that are of interest to us.

Anyway, it is an adventure, and we haven't even gone!

Be sure to request and have your travel planner GUARANTEE a driver who is fluent in English. It makes a huge difference , especially when you are asking questions about the places/sites/people you pass!

Thanks, I will do that, Cali.

Thanks for your contact Progol. If you don't mind my asking, how much of your trip is going to be via car and driver? It looks as if you might have booked them to pick you up in Jaipur?
I like your itinerary a lot and am looking at doing something quite similar, although i will be able to add 2 weeks in the South as well.

Hi, travelon,
I'm planning on having the car/driver upon leaving Agra. There are several stops between Agra and Jaipur I'd like to make. You're right, tho-much of the trip,after that will be with car/driver. I haven't worked out those details yet regarding the specifics of how this will work, as it's still several months away.

If you are interested in the non-commercial side of Udaipur (southern Rajasthan) I have some great friendly village recommendations. I worked in two small villages in Udaipur for over a year. I really feel that the "typical" tourist misses out on the fulfilling experiences of the village life. By interacting with the real people that live in these areas you really gain an understanding of their day to day lives. I wish more people took the same initiative you are. If you are interested you can private message me so I can give you my recommendations on which villages are friendly, fun and safe to visit in Udaipur.

I wish you the best!
Happy Travels

In Jaipir, the Ramada hotel is pretty nice. In Udaipur, we stayed at the Jaiwana Haveli, where the hosts were fantastic. They arranged a car to pick us up from Jaipur for Rs 5500, which was much lower than the other websites. They also arranged for a tour of Udaipur. Their open rooftop restaurant overlooks the Lake Palace hotel. also, there are paintings and other artifacts well worth buying from Udaipur.

Thanks, I've got all my hotels and guesthouses booked, but will keep all options open for unique experiences and sights, so I welcome all suggestions!

I prefer to go to smaller towns. I'm not opposed to going into the larger towns but specifically, can anyone tell me that Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer are must make stops? Also, what other towns should not be missed?

Hi! Just back from Rajasthan! Made a tour blog. Please visit. I'd skip Jaipur. Udaipir (Venice of India), Pushkar and Bundi were favorites. Also Bijapur was great too, especially the castle. Good luck!

http://rottenwaves.blogspot.com/