deewaani

So, I’ve been devouring up the info posted here about India and am excited yet a little nervous about our trip in Nov.

I am Indian by blood and fluent in Hindi, but this will be our first trip ‘home’. Below is my itin, per the advice on this board and others I’ve booked through Compass Tours. We have 3- 4 star hotels in each city and are flying the longer legs of the journey. I need basic comforts (basic for me anyway) and train traveling in India isn’t one of them.

City Nights
Mumbai 03 (arrive in Mumbai)
Udaipur 02
Jaipur 03
Agra 01
Varanasi 01
Delhi 03
Cochin 02
Alleppey 01
Mumbai 01 (depart for USA)

I would love advice on stores, restaurants, or other interesting places to check out in each of the cities. Also, for those of you that have used Compass in the past any specific issues that I should be aware of? Guides/drivers that are recommended or should be avoided?

I appreciate your help!

rhkkmk

craig is one of the first fodorites to use compass so i am sure he will be writing you a response....

it looks like way too much to me but you know the speed you can move at...

driving is very slow from place to place...

the weather will be fantastic....we were there last november....

we choose to eat mostly in the 5* hotel restaurants....but we did eat at a couple of local places that our driver suggested....some good, some not so good....

the "big" stores that your driver will take you to are the worst places to buy things in i found....way over priced....

get the book: the treasurers and pleasurers of india by ron krannich for good shopping advice....avaialbe use on amazon...

flights can be cancelled because of evening fog....not too bad in nov. however....local airlines are not always reliable...jet is perfect i am told...

enjoy and ask more specific questions...

thursdaysd

I agree with Bob that this is way rushed, but it's your trip. However, I would urge you to add another night to Varanasi - you could drop one from Delhi, which I found a bit disappointing. Alternatively you might drop a night from Mumbai. Varanasi is truly amazing, and it's worth doing a half-day trip to Sarnath.

In addition to the Taj, Agra is the base for visiting Fatehpur Sikri and the bird park at Bharatpur. And while you're in Jaipur you could try to visit the painted towns in the Shekhawati region.

Also, 1AC class on the trains is plenty comfortable, and I found taking the train an interesting cultural experience. I preferred 2AC because the people were friendlier, but 1AC is more comfortable.

rhkkmk

i wished i had had more time in delhi and i had about 3 days....moving about can be slow and difficult, even though we had a driver...

we had 4 nites in jaipur and used every minute to explore...

i had two nites and one full day plus in agra and likewise was very busy...
taj alone takes at least 1/2 day....

deewaani

Thanks for your feedback, rhkkmk & thursdaysd.

I also did worry that the stay would be too rushed but I am hitting the major attractions in the cities (I spent months comparing itins and tour inclusions from major tour operators) so I'm okay with the itin. I actually have 2 full days in Varanasi. I'm doing Sarnath and shopping on the 1st day and the early morning boat, ghat and temple tours on the 2nd day.

The extra day in Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur is for shopping!

My idea of shopping is designer saris (Utsav, Satya Pauls) at knock-off prices. I'm also very interested contemporary Indian art, I love MF Hussain's style. Any store suggestions would be appreciated.

As for restaurants, I'm looking for suggestions of great food at reasonable prices.

Another question I have - how does one deal with the beggers and hawkers in India? Most people have told me if you give money to one then 10 will surround you. But how do you turn a blind eye and ignore them? I happen to be quite sensitive and this is one thing that I'm very anxious about.

thursdaysd

Beggars - decide beforehand that you're going to give to a charity. Maybe one that specializes in educating children. Even so, I gave occasionally to the elderly or maimed. You're also going to have to deal with people wanting to sell you things, although if you have a car and driver you'll have some insulation from them, and you won't have to bargain with the rickshaw drivers.

rhkkmk

ignore all the beggers as hard as it may be....actually there are not all that many....

waynehazle

Most important thing to going to India:

Have a great time! You will see sights great than anywhere else in the world. Your itinerary is CRAZY BUSY, but you can rest when you get home

lcuy

Just ignore the beggars, or you will end up with even more surrounding you.

It is hard, but just avoid eye contact, and as thurs said, give some real money to a charity so you can ease your conscience.

I would also ad an estra day to Varanasi. If you are flying, you'll get in in the afternoon and will leave midday the next day. It takes 45-60 minutes to get from the airport to the town, so you really won't have much time.

We also used Compass and were happy that they followed our wishes for the most part. Our only real problem was the guide they assigned us in Delhi. Mr Mohan, if I remember was AWFUL! Totally full of himself, very bigoted, and would lecture us at a high volume.

I would also clarify what kind of car you'll be in. SUV (Qualis) is much more comfortable & safe than a Tata. Ask them to provide a phone for contact with your driver, too.

deewaani

Thurs,lcuy - Thanks for your advice on how to deal with the beggers.

waynehazle - Yup, I do realize that this is a busy schedule, but that's how I generally am on vacation - I rest when I get home.

lcuy - Could you please tell me more about the guides that were good and weren't good on your tour with Compass? Anything else I should be aware of or request of them?

lcuy

We loved our guide in Agra and the one in Jaipur (Mr Sharma, sorry don't know his first name, was nice and interesting, but a little busy on his cell phone. Only bad one was Mr Mohan in Delhi.