First trip to India advice
Sep 12th, 2019, 05:03 AM
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you Larry. Good advice. We usually plan our own travel but were uncomfortable doing so for this trip. We have just booked through Tim with Panorama. We are finalizing plans right now and will be there in s few weeks! We are very excited!
Sep 12th, 2019, 05:06 AM
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you inquest ! Great advice! We felt that despite usually planning our own trips, this time we would hire a company to help us and a driver. We are almost all booked now with Panorama. They have been really helpful and expedient in planning a trip so soon.
We are really looking forward to the experience.
We are really looking forward to the experience.
Sep 12th, 2019, 05:34 AM
#24
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
All the best. Enjoy your trip.
Sep 13th, 2019, 05:41 AM
#26
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jan 9th, 2020, 12:54 PM
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Hurrygirl. Very wise to use a travel planner for your trip to India. As others noted above, there are good travel companies people to advise you. Contact several of course, to compare.
For over ten years now, I've been helped in many ways by Tim at IndianPanorama, and the great support staff there. (I think this is the company Kathie meant when she listed "Panorama)". If you see Progol's recent South India trip report, you'll read her mention of the company, as well as in others' India trip reports.
That you "don't love cities and prefer countryside" is a big step in the right direction! for enjoying India!
Email : [email protected]
For over ten years now, I've been helped in many ways by Tim at IndianPanorama, and the great support staff there. (I think this is the company Kathie meant when she listed "Panorama)". If you see Progol's recent South India trip report, you'll read her mention of the company, as well as in others' India trip reports.
That you "don't love cities and prefer countryside" is a big step in the right direction! for enjoying India!
Email : [email protected]
Jan 9th, 2020, 01:00 PM
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi California Lady,
Thank you for the great advice. We used Tim at Indian Panorama to help us plan our trip and we were delighted with the results. He really listened to what our interests are and customized the trip to suit us. We visited Delhi ,Udaipur, Jodhpur , Jojawar, Agra , and Varanasi over 23 days before going to the Maldives for 5 days. We are still digesting the experience over a month later.
Thank you for the great advice. We used Tim at Indian Panorama to help us plan our trip and we were delighted with the results. He really listened to what our interests are and customized the trip to suit us. We visited Delhi ,Udaipur, Jodhpur , Jojawar, Agra , and Varanasi over 23 days before going to the Maldives for 5 days. We are still digesting the experience over a month later.
Jan 9th, 2020, 01:01 PM
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here's another vote for Tim from Indian Panorama. He's actually from New Zealand, to it's quite easy to communicate with him. He does not get irritated if you ask lots of questions, and take forever to plan your trip. The only advice I would give you when working with him is to heed his advice about hotels, and don't cheap out, like I did. Hotels in India are not good value because of high land prices, so you would have to spend quite a bit to get a decent room. Cheap hotels in India are really gross, even worse than dives in the US. Food is a bargain, so it all works out.
I agree with sartoric about where to visit the first time. We visited Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Mumbai (you can skip), and Varanasi. On that trip, we only used a guide in Agra. On my second trip, I used Indian Panorama, because I needed a driver to visit Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
I agree with sartoric about where to visit the first time. We visited Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Mumbai (you can skip), and Varanasi. On that trip, we only used a guide in Agra. On my second trip, I used Indian Panorama, because I needed a driver to visit Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Thank you for the great advice. We used Tim at Indian Panorama to help us plan our trip and we were delighted with the results. He really listened to what our interests are and customized the trip to suit us. We visited Delhi ,Udaipur, Jodhpur , Jojawar, Agra , and Varanasi over 23 days before going to the Maldives for 5 days. We are still digesting the experience over a month later.
Jan 9th, 2020, 01:17 PM
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
hurrygirl,
Congratulations on your decision to visit India! You’ve gotten a lot of good advice here and I just want to second (or third or fourth) the recommendation for Tim and his team at Indian Panorama. We just returned from our second trip to India and they did an amazing job.
India is an incredible place with so many options that it can be so difficult to pare it down for a limited time frame. Of course you know what your own interests are and what you’re looking for, but there is a reason why the “same old itinerary” is recommended and used frequently - it’s an amazing selection of places! You aren’t going to be able to see it all, so focus on those things that are of most interest to you.
On our first trip, we went to Delhi, Varanasi, Agra, and Rajasthan, staying in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bundi, Udaipur, and Jaisalmer, with several fascinating stops along the way. We loved our trip - and as an introduction and seeing some of the world famous sights in real life was nothing short of mind blowing. We loved pretty much everywhere we went.
Varanasi was as intense as intense as any place I’ve ever visited, but also a wonderful experience. It’s not an easy place to visit, yet it captures so much of what we loved about our first trip. Of course, seeing the Taj Mahal is remarkable - and even seeing all the other visitors from all over the world was fun! In Rajasthan, you’ll likely see more forts than temples (although you’ll see the latter, too). My favorite fort was in Bundi, a smaller and less-visited city, and the art work within the fort and palace was stunning. We stayed in a number of heritage hotels and havelis, which we loved. These are usually older buildings that were part of estates, palaces or wealthy homes.
You might want to look at my trip report from that trip:
Just returned from an amazing trip to India!
Our more recent trip was to Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It’s a little less dramatic and probably a good place for those who are timid about the challenges of India. Tamil Nadu has thousands of temples, many of them are part of large complexes, with remarkable soaring towers and smaller temples and shrines within. Here is the heart of the culture in this region.
Kerala is lovely, much of it lush, and no surprise as it is filled with small,waterways, making it a relaxed place to visit. We really enjoyed our stay in Cochin, too.
My current trip report is, alas, only partly written, but you can see some of the (many!) photos from that trip!
A world away in 5 weeks - India to Sri Lanka and back
Hope this helps!
Congratulations on your decision to visit India! You’ve gotten a lot of good advice here and I just want to second (or third or fourth) the recommendation for Tim and his team at Indian Panorama. We just returned from our second trip to India and they did an amazing job.
India is an incredible place with so many options that it can be so difficult to pare it down for a limited time frame. Of course you know what your own interests are and what you’re looking for, but there is a reason why the “same old itinerary” is recommended and used frequently - it’s an amazing selection of places! You aren’t going to be able to see it all, so focus on those things that are of most interest to you.
On our first trip, we went to Delhi, Varanasi, Agra, and Rajasthan, staying in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bundi, Udaipur, and Jaisalmer, with several fascinating stops along the way. We loved our trip - and as an introduction and seeing some of the world famous sights in real life was nothing short of mind blowing. We loved pretty much everywhere we went.
Varanasi was as intense as intense as any place I’ve ever visited, but also a wonderful experience. It’s not an easy place to visit, yet it captures so much of what we loved about our first trip. Of course, seeing the Taj Mahal is remarkable - and even seeing all the other visitors from all over the world was fun! In Rajasthan, you’ll likely see more forts than temples (although you’ll see the latter, too). My favorite fort was in Bundi, a smaller and less-visited city, and the art work within the fort and palace was stunning. We stayed in a number of heritage hotels and havelis, which we loved. These are usually older buildings that were part of estates, palaces or wealthy homes.
You might want to look at my trip report from that trip:
Just returned from an amazing trip to India!
Our more recent trip was to Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It’s a little less dramatic and probably a good place for those who are timid about the challenges of India. Tamil Nadu has thousands of temples, many of them are part of large complexes, with remarkable soaring towers and smaller temples and shrines within. Here is the heart of the culture in this region.
Kerala is lovely, much of it lush, and no surprise as it is filled with small,waterways, making it a relaxed place to visit. We really enjoyed our stay in Cochin, too.
My current trip report is, alas, only partly written, but you can see some of the (many!) photos from that trip!
A world away in 5 weeks - India to Sri Lanka and back
Hope this helps!
We had a fabulous trip to India and are still digesting it over a month later. We were in India 23 days and visited Delhi( briefly), Udaipur,Jojawar, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, and Varanasi. We loved it all. Yes we also found that Varanasi “ challenged us” but we are really glad we went there. We were especially glad that we ended our trip there as we had learned a lot of the Hindu beliefs by then so we were able to understand more.
we especially loved time in the rural areas biking , and walking from village to village and found we really saw how the people lived and were able to connect with them.
Jan 9th, 2020, 01:20 PM
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We had a fabulous trip to India and are still digesting it over a month later. We were in India 23 days and visited Delhi( briefly), Udaipur,Jojawar, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, and Varanasi. We loved it all. Yes we also found that Varanasi “ challenged us” but we are really glad we went there. We were especially glad that we ended our trip there as we had learned a lot of the Hindu beliefs by then so we were able to understand more.
we especially loved time in the rural areas biking , and walking from village to village and found we really saw how the people lived and were able to connect with them.
Jan 13th, 2020, 10:30 PM
#33
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 4,571
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hurrygirl, Thank you for coming back here to let us know about your trip. Glad you were pleased with the tour planner recommended by several of us here, and even gladder that you had a great trip.
"We had a fabulous trip to India and are still digesting it over a month later." I totally understand!! There's something about India. It "stays" with me long after leaving...which I guess is why i keep returning!!
"We had a fabulous trip to India and are still digesting it over a month later." I totally understand!! There's something about India. It "stays" with me long after leaving...which I guess is why i keep returning!!
Jan 14th, 2020, 02:08 AM
#34
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Progol,
We had a fabulous trip to India and are still digesting it over a month later. We were in India 23 days and visited Delhi( briefly), Udaipur,Jojawar, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, and Varanasi. We loved it all. Yes we also found that Varanasi “ challenged us” but we are really glad we went there. We were especially glad that we ended our trip there as we had learned a lot of the Hindu beliefs by then so we were able to understand more.
we especially loved time in the rural areas biking , and walking from village to village and found we really saw how the people lived and were able to connect with them.
We had a fabulous trip to India and are still digesting it over a month later. We were in India 23 days and visited Delhi( briefly), Udaipur,Jojawar, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, and Varanasi. We loved it all. Yes we also found that Varanasi “ challenged us” but we are really glad we went there. We were especially glad that we ended our trip there as we had learned a lot of the Hindu beliefs by then so we were able to understand more.
we especially loved time in the rural areas biking , and walking from village to village and found we really saw how the people lived and were able to connect with them.
So glad you liked it so much.
We leave for India and Dubai in 9 days.
All the best
Larry
Jan 14th, 2020, 03:06 AM
#35
<<We had a fabulous trip to India and are still digesting it over a month later. We were in India 23 days and visited Delhi( briefly), Udaipur,Jojawar, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, and Varanasi. We loved it all. Yes we also found that Varanasi “ challenged us” but we are really glad we went there. We were especially glad that we ended our trip there as we had learned a lot of the Hindu beliefs by then so we were able to understand more.
we especially loved time in the rural areas biking , and walking from village to village and found we really saw how the people lived and were able to connect with them.>>
I'm thrilled to hear this, hurrygirl! And thank you so much for coming back and letting us know! India is amazing, isn't it? And really stays with you, long after the trip is over. Yes, Varanasi has an intensity about it that isn't easy, but so worthwhile to visit and experience. And how wonderful that you were able to go biking in some rural areas - it's such a slower way to see things, and really gets you close to a place.
we especially loved time in the rural areas biking , and walking from village to village and found we really saw how the people lived and were able to connect with them.>>
I'm thrilled to hear this, hurrygirl! And thank you so much for coming back and letting us know! India is amazing, isn't it? And really stays with you, long after the trip is over. Yes, Varanasi has an intensity about it that isn't easy, but so worthwhile to visit and experience. And how wonderful that you were able to go biking in some rural areas - it's such a slower way to see things, and really gets you close to a place.
Jan 14th, 2020, 06:26 AM
#36
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<<We had a fabulous trip to India and are still digesting it over a month later. We were in India 23 days and visited Delhi( briefly), Udaipur,Jojawar, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, and Varanasi. We loved it all. Yes we also found that Varanasi “ challenged us” but we are really glad we went there. We were especially glad that we ended our trip there as we had learned a lot of the Hindu beliefs by then so we were able to understand more.
we especially loved time in the rural areas biking , and walking from village to village and found we really saw how the people lived and were able to connect with them.>>
I'm thrilled to hear this, hurrygirl! And thank you so much for coming back and letting us know! India is amazing, isn't it? And really stays with you, long after the trip is over. Yes, Varanasi has an intensity about it that isn't easy, but so worthwhile to visit and experience. And how wonderful that you were able to go biking in some rural areas - it's such a slower way to see things, and really gets you close to a place.
we especially loved time in the rural areas biking , and walking from village to village and found we really saw how the people lived and were able to connect with them.>>
I'm thrilled to hear this, hurrygirl! And thank you so much for coming back and letting us know! India is amazing, isn't it? And really stays with you, long after the trip is over. Yes, Varanasi has an intensity about it that isn't easy, but so worthwhile to visit and experience. And how wonderful that you were able to go biking in some rural areas - it's such a slower way to see things, and really gets you close to a place.
Tanya
