From DC to Delhi and beyond

Old Feb 25th, 2015, 08:42 AM
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From DC to Delhi and beyond

I relied heavily on the Asia Board community to plan our recent trip to India, thank you all so much for making this a really terrific visit. Seeing the Taj Mahal and visiting Varanasi have been at the very top of my MUST DO list for quite some time but because of a break in my work schedule, it was the first chance we had to go in February, which I thought would be the optimal time for the weather. I’ll focus more on logistics and impressions in this TR, rather than details about the sights we saw (not sure my description of the Taj Mahal would be an improvement on others you’ve read) and I’m happy to answer questions.

Background: We are mid 60s/early70s couple (wow that sounds old) who have vacationed quite a bit in SE Asia, France and Italy and visited lots of other places on business. We travel more slowly now and strongly prefer 3 days in one place even if it means seeing fewer things. This was an “Oberoi bubble” trip, the only way I could get DH to agree to go to India (his first time but I was in Mumbai for a week on business around 8 years ago).

We flew from Dulles to Delhi on Etihad Business class thru Abu Dhabi (there was a flash sale in December, very good price so I redeposited the frequent flyer miles we had used a few months earlier). It was our first experience on a Middle East carrier and it was very nice. We left on Jan. 28 and returned on Feb 16.

Our itinerary changed a few weeks before we left because there was a labor strike at our final destination, a small resort in northern Rajasthan between Jaipur and Delhi. It was a real scramble to find alternatives with only a few weeks to go, especially during high season so we ended up with one long drive at the end of the trip. The itinerary would have been very different if we had know that we couldn’t stay at our final , planned destination but we were very happy in the end.

New Delhi, 3 nights, Oberoi
Varanasi, 2 nights, Suryauday Haveli (flew to Varanasi on Air India)
Agra, 2 nights, Oberoi Amarvilas (flew directly from Varanasi on Air India)
Udaipur, 3 nights, Oberoi Udaivilas (drove to DEL from Agra and flew to Udaipur)
Shahpura Bagh, 1 night (drove from Udaipur)
Jaipur, 2 nights, Samode Haveli (drove from Shahpura)
Rathambohre, 3 nights, Oberoi Vanyavilas (drove from Shahpura)
Radisson Blu at DEL (4 hours sleep), drove from Rathambohre

Based on other recommendations on this forum, we used Castle and King to make all the hotel/car/guide/driver arrangements (and rearrangements) beginning in August. I made the internal flight reservations. I laid out the basic itinerary and where we wanted to stay in Oberoi’s. Arvind suggested the other hotels and we were happy with the choices (more details later). Arvind was an incredible help when we had to redo the last few days and tried booking many different alternatives for us until we settled on Rathambohre. A local agent, who was a Castle and King rep, met us at every hotel or airport to be sure that our accommodations were OK and to agree on the sightseeing and travel plans. This meant we had a local contact if there were any problems or if any changes were needed and we did make use of those contacts a couple of times. Krishna was our driver everywhere except Varanasi and he was a very important part of making our trip so successful.

We began taking Rifamaxin as a prophylactic as soon as we arrived in Delhi. I was fine for the entire trip. DH became ill the day after we arrived, no way to tell why, but we suspect it was a reaction to the Rifamaxin (we ate carefully only at the Oberoi and shared our food but I was fine). He “lost” one day in the hotel room, was able to sightsee the next day for most of the day and was fine by our travel day to Varanasi.

Our domestic Air India flights were OK , the planes were clean and we had a 2-hour delay on the flight to Varanasi. One very odd thing, although my reservation had us sitting together, Air India shuffled the seating and split up couples, it was very strange. We only took one carryon for the domestic flights and Krishna kept our bags and brought them to the next destination (he drove from Delhi to Udaipur while we flew so a different driver picked us up at the Udaipur airport since Krishna was on the road). This made check in very easy (especially in Delhi where there were long lines for checking bags) and the security lines were not very long, maybe a 10-15 minute wait (with separate lines for “Ladies” and “Gentlemen”. One amusing thing, I think Filmwill’s trip report has been read by local agents in India….they all insisted that we leave very early for the airport so that there would be no risk of missing our flights. In one case, we left ridiculously early but just didn’t want to fuss about it. Except for our final drive from Rathambohre to DEL, we didn’t drive more than 4 hours between destinations. In every case, whether we drove or flew, we arrived at our next destination in the mid afternoon (typically between 2 and 4pm). We could have done some sightseeing or shopping after our hotel check in but we chose to take it easy and enjoy our hotels, catch up on news and email (we had internet that worked very well in all our Oberoi rooms and it worked fine in the public rooms in the other hotels).

Food, etc.: We ate almost exclusively in our hotels where we had some great meals and some poor ones. All our hotels had very large breakfasts, we pretty much skipped lunch (sometimes had an energy bar, sometimes a snack at the hotel after returning from sightseeing just to tide us over to dinner). I’m glad to say that it relieved me of the anxiety of selecting a good lunch place (not bland, not touristy, not worrying about getting sick). The best meal we had was at Vanyavilas where the chef prepared a special dinner for our wedding anniversary, set up in the mango grove with dozens of lights and lanterns. The worst meals by far were at Udaivilas where we had two dreadful dinners (and then understood after the second one why the restaurants were almost empty). Our dinner at Ambrai, the only place we ate outside a hotel, was great. We drank India wine (Sula and Fratelli) for dinner, Sauvignon Blanc except for one awful bottle of Syrah.

Weather: Perfect. Upper 70s to low 80s in the afternoon, cooling down considerably in the evening and early morning to the low 50s. No rain. No fog, only smog in Delhi and some in Agra

Will continue with some specifics about each place and answer questions as they come.
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Old Feb 25th, 2015, 10:51 AM
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Sounds like a great trip! I'm looking forward to more.
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Old Feb 25th, 2015, 11:09 AM
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so so happy that you had Krishna.. he is simply the BEST.

also sounds like your good planning paid off.

anxious to read more.

bob
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Old Feb 25th, 2015, 11:50 AM
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Yes, Bob, I completely agree, thank you for promoting Krishna, everything you've written is true. It was very sad when we had to say goodbye to him at the end of our trip, I really had a lump in my throat.

I didn't write this in the intro, but we were surprised and didn't feel it was a "difficult" trip, which I attribute to the slow pace we took, the hotels, the weather and of course, Krishna. I am sure that if we took trains, more flights, and rushed to pack more sights and stops, we would have been exhausted after 2 1/2 weeks. As everyone can see from our itinerary, we covered less ground than most for that amount of time.
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Old Feb 25th, 2015, 12:50 PM
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Looking forward to more.
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Old Feb 25th, 2015, 01:51 PM
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Sounds like a great trip! It's bringing back memories of our trip 2 years ago (can't believe it's been so long!). One of our all time favorite trips, visions of India still seared into my mind!

Looking forward to the rest of your trip.
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Old Feb 25th, 2015, 01:59 PM
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So glad to hear that you enjoyed a wonderful trip! Yes, we too thought that Krishna was an excellent, safe driver and a lovely man. Welcome home! Looking forward to more about your journey through India.
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Old Feb 25th, 2015, 02:00 PM
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Thanks, everyone, for your interest. I will start writing more specifics about the destinations soon. Here's one thing I didn't expect -- so many camels! Didn't see a single one in Mumbai 8 years ago, lol.
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Old Feb 25th, 2015, 10:00 PM
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I'm glad to know I'm now famous...

I doubt that my little trip report has had any effect on the local tourism scene but I'd love to think it has.

Glad everything worked out for you. Sounds like you really benefited from having a constant driver (unlike us). And, yes, Krishna was the very best. It was a crying shame we only had him for a few days.
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Old Feb 26th, 2015, 08:54 AM
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FW: don't be so sure, I think the agents pay attention to what is posted. And we were not brought to any workshops, either, we weren't even asked if we wanted to go!
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Old Feb 26th, 2015, 09:22 AM
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DELHI: It was foggy on the drive to the hotel and very few cars because of the hour so it seems a little eerie. We got to the Oberoi New Delhi at around 5am, where we received marigold garlands, a warm welcome and a lovely Executive Suite. After a cup of tea, we slept for about 3 hours and made our way to breakfast. Late morning, we met with Arvind from Castle and King to pay the balance of the bill, It was great to meet him after corresponding for 6 months,. We spent a few hours with the driver assigned to us for the day (Krisha was to start the next day) and saw some of the major drive by sights in New Delhi. Some of the signs of Republic Day earlier this week and Obama's visit were still visible: flags, police barricades, temporary seating. We were lucky to have a very clear day so that we can see up and down the hills to get great views of India gate at the top of the hill on Rajpath. Shot a great photo that our driver said is difficult to get because of the haze, but today was relatively clear. DH read an article earlier in the week that claimed Obama shortened his life by 6 minutes due to his visit to Delhi (because of the pollution). I guess that goes for us too. Nonetheless, the weather was excellent, sunny and in the upper 60s. While we in Delhi especially, many people wanted to talk to us about Obama and Modi, everyone was very pleased that Obama attended the parade and stayed so long and that it was his second visit to India as president. That invariably led to questions about who we thought would be the next president of the US.

We stopped at the Sikh shrine (Gurdwara Bangladesh Sahib), drove around the Connaught Place area, and tried to find a couple of shops I was looking for (unsuccessfully) and then headed back to the hotel. We only got a glimpse of Delhi, it was purposely low key day to help us get adjusted.

The next morning as we were enjoying our breakfast, DH suddenly stood up and said "I'll meet you back in the room". He didn't need to say anything more; I knew it meant he was hit by Delhi belly. Despite starting Rifamaxin therapy as a preventive, something found its way into his system OR it was a reaction to the medicine. So I went off with Vivek our guide and (finally) Krishna. Because we got such an early start, we had Hanuman’s tomb practically to ourselves. Next we stopped at the Craft Museum, which I thought was a delightful small museum and although many of the exhibits were closed for renovation, I got a good sense of the specialty crafts of different areas, for example the stone and wood carving in Rajasthan, etc. Our next stop was a nice surprise for me...when I asked about the 6 point stars on the facades on Hanuman’s tomb, Vivek told me they were based on astrological symbols. When I told him that they looked like Stars of David, and that I was Jewish, he asked if I wanted to go to the synagogue. Well of course! I try to visit a synagogue or Jewish Museum every place we travel and I knew there was a small one in Delhi but knew nothing about it. Turns out it was close by so we stopped in. It was heavily guided even though it is tiny and there are only 7 families who belong to it. The space is quite small and bare compared to most synagogues we've all seen. Right next to it is a Jewish cemetery, which we also looked in on and which was guarded by someone with a rifle. We spent the next few hours driving around to a few stores to try to find the elusive two toned silk scarves a friend of mine had purchased a couple of years before, but weren't successful and ended up at FabIndia and bought a short kurta.

The next morning, although still not feeling well, DH was a good sport and decided to join us for the first part of our sightseeing -the Qutab Minar complex. The center of the area is the tallest minaret in the world, and Vivek explained that Hindu temples were destroyed to construct most of the structures. Getting up close to the walls you could see the typical Hindu carvings but with certain representations defaced. For example, the heads were destroyed on all of the images, animals etc.

After a quick stop back at the hotel, John decided he was well enough to brave a visit to old Delhi. Even though it was Sunday, when apparently traffic is reduced by 70% compared to the weekdays, the roadways were very busy. We drove by the Red Fort and other notable landmarks. As we drove closer to the center, it was teeming with people, busy buying things, mostly clothing, at what our guide called the Thieves market because so many of the goods are stolen. There were thousands of people, mostly men, picking through piles of clothes and assorted items. We got out if the car at Jama Masid. After the visit, we started our way into Chandni Chowk, with all of its narrow its lanes and alleyways. We boarded a cycle rickshaw and the poor driver had 3 of us, I was amazed at how he maneuvered through the streets. The place was packed with people even though about there quarters of the shops were closed. I cannot imagine what it is like on other days and I am really glad we were there on a Sunday, since we weren't really there to buy, only to observe. It is difficult to describe the scene there: filthy is the first word that comes to mind, and crumbling, but also vibrant, and colorful. There were very few tourists, it absolutely felt like you were observing daily life, people going about their regular business either as workers or customers. Besides the shops, there were the ear cleaners and barbers that you see in many cities in Asia. Our guide pointed out (I would have missed this) on the sidewalk an area where there was a line of boxes. In each box were the tools representing the trade of the worker, paintbrushes in one, a saw in another, etc. so if you needed to hire someone for that type of work, the box was a sort of advertisement for the worker. We walked through the spice market area, which of course smelled like, a spice market on steroids. The guide asked if we wanted to buy any spices, which of course I did, but I told him I would not buy any loose spices on display so he took us to a tiny store where they had spices packaged in sealed bags. The guide suggested we buy saffron because it is locally grown and very cheap compared to the US. So the "salesman" then gave us his pitch that the saffron we buy at home would all be from Spain and Iran!!! I stopped him there with a laugh....no Iranian saffron in the US. We did buy some as well as a few blends, I’m looking forward to trying them out.

By then, DH was ready to go back to hotel and we had a tough rickshaw drive back to the car, with lots of traffic jams in the alleyways. But we got there eventually, drove back to the hotel to drop off DH, the guide and I went with the guide to Lodi Gardens. We walked around the Central Park equivalent in Delhi for about half an hour. Although there were some ruins that we visited, I mostly enjoyed observing the hundreds of families who were picnicking.

On to Varanasi in the morning.
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Old Feb 27th, 2015, 06:11 AM
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Varanasi: Although the Air India flight was late, we found a lounge at the terminal and a Starbucks (for an extra package of VIA).As we drove to our hotel we had the first glimpse of the crumbling roads, the wandering animals, the insane traffic that we’d read about but seeing it in real time gives you a little shock. Our hotel, Suryauday Haveli was right on the Shivala Ghat so we have a great view of the Ganges from the large window in our room. We rested a bit, then walked along the ghats and observed cremations taking place at the small cremation ghat that is close to our hotel.

Back at the hotel, we met our guide at 5:30 and at 5:31 we realized that it would be a disaster. He was impossible to understand and what we can make out is a garbled explanation of Hindu philosophy. Nonetheless, we took the boat ride and saw several cremations going on at the large cremation ghat, it is a fascinating ride at sunset. Although the guide doesn't really answer any of our questions we were close enough to another boat so I could hear what another guide was explaining. After watching the cremations, enjoying the beautiful sunset, the boat took us to the ghat where the evening aarti ceremony takes place. We watched the one with 7 performers who dance in place with flaming props. There are hundreds of spectators on boats and in the stands on the ghats.
When we got back to the hotel, our travel rep was there and we ask for a change of guide for the next day (friends of ours had a similar experience with a guide in Varanasi a few years ago, their trip was organized by one of the high end luxury tour operators so I know this was not unique to our TA. Also, our guides everywhere else were excellent to outstanding….so this one lapse did not diminish the enjoyment of our trip). Our second guide was really outstanding and we got a good explanation of the cremation rituals, which take place 24/7 on the Ganges only. After the boat ride we wandered through the alleyways of Varanasi and peeked into a temple and a mosque. There were lots of security guards in the area because apparently there has been tension recently. It is almost impossible not to step in dung of some kind when walking on the streets or ghats of Varanasi and whenever we returned to the hotel we had our own ritual of removing our shoes before entering our room and washing our hands thoroughly.

After breakfast and a rest, we made our way with our guide to Sarnath, the holy sight for Buddhists where Buddha preached his first sermon, which we enjoyed very much. Later in the afternoon we went to Baa Baa Black Sheep for some shopping (a place recommended by a friend who went there recently) and bought some lovely scarves and pillow covers. We took another evening boat ride with our guide, this time WITH explanation about the aarti ceremony and the meanings of the props. It was even better the second time not only because our agent arranged for our boat to be decorated with flowers and a red carpet but we also understood what we were watching.

Although Varanasi is a difficult place to visit, we are so very glad we did. I can't imagine it is like any other place on earth in its contrast of spirituality, chaos and filth. I’m really glad that we stayed on the ghats because we were experiencing what we went to Varanasi to see 24/7. I would highly recommend the haveli, the location is great, the staff is wonderful and our room was very comfortable (good food also, we ate dinner there both nights, no alcohol). As many others have said, Varanasi is a unique place and my expectations and hopes were absolutely fulfilled.
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Old Feb 27th, 2015, 12:12 PM
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glad you were able to ditch the bad guide
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Old Feb 27th, 2015, 12:58 PM
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Yes, Bob, I finally learned my lesson...on many trips we've taken there has been one rotten apple....this is the first time I was assertive about a making a change as soon as I could. It got straightened out right away, we knew that we could rely on C&K to back us up if there were any problems making a change but there weren't.
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Old Feb 27th, 2015, 01:20 PM
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I am following as well. Great TR! Looking f/w to more.
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Old Feb 27th, 2015, 02:59 PM
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We also found Varanasi an amazing place to be, and felt very much like you describe -- despite the challenges, it's an experience like no other.

Wonderful report! Look forward to more.
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Old Feb 27th, 2015, 03:44 PM
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AGRA: The one-hour flight from Varanasi to Agra only goes 3 times per week so we scheduled our itinerary to take advantage of it (and the full moon although that part was a bust). Krishna and the company rep were waiting for us when we arrived and after a short but bumpy ride from the airport we got our first glimpse of one of the wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal. We are greeted warmly at the Oberoi Amarvilas and..long story very short…got upgraded to a suite with an incredible view of the Taj and an enormous balcony that allowed us to enjoy it even more (every room at the hotel has a view of the Taj, with or without balconies).

In the late afternoon, the hotel puts on a local dance performance on the roof above the pool. Three different dancers swing to the music, first individually and then as an ensemble. We were able to watch it from our balcony, lovely and colorful. It was difficult to tear ourselves away from the fabulous view of the Taj so we had dinner in our room the first night. Our scheduled meeting time with our guide was for 6:45am to see the Taj in the morning light and get there ahead of the crowds. Security lines at the Taj, again there are two, separated by sex. Once inside the grounds, it was difficult to put the camera down. There is a breathtaking view from every angle, our guide pointed out the best spots for shots but even then it is click, click, click away. If there is a more beautiful building in the world, I would like to know what it is and I will plan my next trip to see it. The perfect symmetry of the building, the marble shining in the sunlight in dazzling white, the intricate inlay work of semiprecious stones, the towers and gardens, is over the top magnificent. In a spot facing the Taj in the gardens is a small bench. Apparently Princess Di spent quite a bit of time sitting on that bench and gazing at the Taj. It is now a popular monument in itself and it was funny to see people crowding around that bench but leaving others empty. We spent quite a lot of time wandering around and enjoying the views from different spots including a view of the river and the fort where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son (apparently the son felt his father was spending too much money building the Taj Mahal and took over).

Back to the hotel for breakfast and a short rest, our guide took us to the Agra Fort, and the Baby Taj, which we really liked, thought it was also gorgeous. For anyone considering a day trip to Agra, you would probably miss these wonderful structures so I strongly encourage at minimum an overnight. Dinner that night in the hotel’s Indian restaurant was really excellent. A musician entertained the diners, lovely and low key. We were very glad to have two nights in Agra although if we were in a different hotel, I might not have felt the same way.
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Old Feb 28th, 2015, 12:21 AM
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Did you travel with India Visa in passport? Or go thru the online Visa on Arrival parade?
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Old Feb 28th, 2015, 02:01 AM
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We had a visa in passport. We got it in November for our trip in late January. VOA hadn't been implemented yet (postponed a few times) and we were going to be out of the country for most of December and January so we couldn't take th chance to wait for it. When we arrived in DEL we saw signs directing people to the VOA desk but I don't know how easy it is once you get there.
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Old Feb 28th, 2015, 06:38 AM
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Loving this, missing India. We stayed at two of the same places - Suryauday Haveli and Amarvilas (also in a balcony room, but not a suite). Sorry about the Rifaximin rec, if the Delhi Belly was indeed a reaction. That flight from Varanasi to Agra sounds like a game changer - there were no flights to Agra at all when we went two years ago.

We also did not think India was difficult, partly because of all the drivers and guides that fended off travel glitches, but also because of the otherworldly level of wonder and spirituality. There are so many other places I want to to see, but also feel as if I must go back.

Looking forward to more.
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