Traveling to India in 2004 for first time. Any recommendations on specialist travel agents / tour operators? Focus on culture: art and architecture. Also, any recommendations to prepare for visit? Advance reading, best websites, etc.

Just starting to plan (have been dreaming of this trip FOREVER). Any advice would be much appreciated.

Septimus

If you have dreamt about this trip FOREVER why don't you know what you want to do? You will be disapointed if you have no decent reason to go.

India is a huge country and a trip there takes some planning. You have to decide which parts you want to see, and also pick the best time of year for that region. North India (like Agra where the Taj is located) is generally best from November through late March, before the heat beings to build and the monsoon rains come. South India like Tamil Nadu in the southeast and Kerala in the southwest have heavy rainfall in October and November.

You first need to get a good guidebook, as this site is most helpful when you have done some basic research and eliminated places/regions in which you are not interested. It is hard for people on this site to give good advice until are able to pose more structured questions. Popular guidebooks for India are the Insight guidebooks (by region and some on an entire city, like Delhi) and the Lonely Planet guidebook (you should stick to their top of the line recommendations for hotels and restaurants.)

If you haven't already done so, run a search on this site using "India". Many dozens of posts will come up. I have topped a recent thread with my recommended reading list.

If you have never been to Asia, you might want to consider a tour. Abercrombie & Kent is (which I see you mentioned on another thread) is a very well-respected tour outfit. Cox & Kings is another tour company which has long experience in India and are supposed to give very good tours. (www.coxandkings.com.) However, with a little time and patience, India is not really hard to do on your own.

Cicerone - thank you for your kind and generous emails. I've read most of them (on India) and you've been most helpful. I wasn't sufficiently clear in my inquiry. My target is indeed Northern India (Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi, Khajuraho, Agra,Udaipur) and I am continuing reading and researching. My question should have been: Does anyone have any experience with Cox & Kings, Abercrombie & Kent or "our personal guest" travel agencies? Is there a specific person I should contact at those agencies who has more experience with travel in India?

If you're going all the way to India, you must go to the south as well - especially Kerala. It truly is 'God's own country' (their marketing catchphrase).

Point well taken. My plan is to return in 2005 to tour southern India. Thanks for the nudge.

Bonita -- thanks! I'll be in touch shortly.

I am leaving on a two week tour of India on 11/21. I have been working with an Indian travel company called Compass (do a Google search and you will find several different web sites). Durjay, the owner has been absolutely wonderful. We are using a private car/driver and 5 star hotels. The price is very reasonable.

There is one thing I can add as I have not seen it here and that is health precautions. I an not trying to dissuade you in any way but do be sure to visit a travel clinic before you go. The CDC always seems to have recommendations and the usuals are malaria and typhoid prophylaxis and liver protection such as hep. B vaccine. I have been to India 4 times and became ill with typhoid once so I am not being an alarmist, just a realist. I would not hesitate to return and probably will go in Nov. 2004 but India is a 3rd world country and sanitation is not the same as in the USA or Europe so be careful. The aromas from street vendors are very enticing but it is best to stay away and eat only in better restaurants and if you are from the US, Canada or Europe the exchange rate makes this reasonable. Eat only cooked food, do not eat uncooked food you can't peel and drink bottled water only. Even if the water is OK your sysyem may not be used to the different flora found there so avoid it for the bottled stuff. Enjoy!

Per Abercrombie & Kent: their tours are VERY EXPENSIVE. When I was in Agra, a group from AK was staying at my hotel, Moghul Sheraton. I got to talking to a lady on the AK tour and I found out she paid 2k more for her trip than I did for mine, and we had the exact same itin., hotels, and transportation. I was with General Tours, travelling with my friends from Florida and London. I have been to India twice and it is an amazing experience. My favourite activity was taking a ricksaw through Chandi Chowk Market in Delhi.

If your are visiting to Udipur, Visit to Gujarat, Spl the Kutch Region it is one of best place for beach, tribal life , Handicrafts,Historical sites etc. Best time to visit Oct to Feb.
pavitran_pv

We travel often with A&K in Asia. In other parts of the world, we travel on our own. It is quite pricey, but if you can afford it, the care and information you get is well worth it. Their escorts are superb. Our trip was to northern India and Nepal, with Vikram Singh. He is from Udaipur. The trip was primarily in Rajasthan, but included Mumbai, Varanasai, Agra and Delhi. We also went to kathmandu and Chitwan notional park in Nepal. The entire trip was wonderful,
and i would recommend it. We did not get sick, but were very careful about what we ate (no fresh vegetables, fruit, water etc). We did eat lots of interesting food, just all cooked. We always go to a travel clinic at a major hospital before going on a trip outside of the first world.
The structures in India are astounding, the people fascinating, the food delicious. Enjoy!

Thank you everyone! We leave 4 February and return 10 March. Will post a trip report when we return.