progol

We're 5 months away but am now booked for our 3-week trip to Delhi, Agra, Varanasi & Rajasthan. We leave Newark on January 18, and return on Feb. 8th! I've also booked 2 internal flights. I will take one overnight train, which I'll take care of next month.

Between this board and TA, I've revised my itinerary multiple times and have one that I feel pretty pleased about. Thanks to many of you, I have a mixture of nicer havelis and smaller guesthouses. I really took the message "you get what you pay for" to heart and have not gone the real budget route, but have kept it within the budget-to-moderate range.

I'm also working with Nikhil at TGS, who has also made recommendations to the selection of lodgings. I'm booking directly with the accommodations to keep costs down, but will have him arrange the car/driver and some of the touring components of the trip. He has been very quick to respond and has good suggestions.

My itinerary & lodgings:
Arrive Delhi 1/19/13
Delhi - 2 nights/Colonels Retreat (my first choice, Saubhab B&B, was booked)
Fly to Varanasi
Varanasi - 2 nights/Kedareswar guest houses
Varanasi-Agra overnight train (1 night)
Agra - 1 night/Garden Vilas (B&B)
Jaipur - 2 nights/Pearl Palace Heritage
Bundi - 1 night/Bundi Haveli
Udaipur - 3 nights/Jagat Niwas (lake facing room)
Fort Dhamli - 1 night (originally it was Rawla Jojowar, but they never returned my emails, and I sent quite a few)
Jodhpur - 2 nights/Ratan Vilas
Jaisalmer - 3 nights/Garh Jaisal (went back and forth and decided to go for staying within the fort)
(Day tour with Hacra.org) Return to
Jodhpur - 1 night/Ratan Valas
Fly to Delhi
Delhi - 1 night/Colonels retreat

So that's the outline of the trip; all the accommodations are set. We will have the experience of driving, flying and taking the train (one overnight) as well as having a few smaller places with the more typical Rajasthan cities.

I'm intrigued by the idea of a "village safari", which I plan to do with Fort Dhamli and a day tour with Hacra.org. Of course, I haven't included the places I expect to visit while traveling from location to location.

I'm starting to pull material together to do the visas; otherwise, I think I'm all set, except for the train, which we will be able to buy 120 days prior to the travel day.

So that's it; I'm not looking to change anything, but if you feel that some place is awful and/or not worth going to, please do let me know.

Many thanks for all your help!
Paule

dgunbug

Looks good. Are you driving between Agra and Jaipur? We loved stopping at the monkey temple and the stepping well.

progol

Thanks, dgunbug, I'm pleased with the plan. It's hectic, but there are rest spots, which should give us some degree of down time.

Yes, we'll pick up a car and driver from Agra on. I'll have those suggestions on the list for the drive -- they sound great!

progol

PS - forgive typos in first post! I was hungry and dinner was about to be put on the table!

And for those interested, it's Saubhag B&B, not Saubhab.

rhkkmk

you will love ratan.. their a la carte menu is delicious--the buffet looked iffy. lovely new pool there too.
we loved our day out visiting the villages outside town

progol

Very excited - can't wait! I'll keep in mind what you said about ratan vilas' food.
Paule