lyall

I am planning a 10 day trip to North India in either late March (if I can get it organised in time but doubtful) or October.

So far the itinerary suggested looks as follows:

Fly to Delhi
Day in Delhi shopping (stay at Imperial Hotel)
Train to Ranthambhore
Full day Ranthambhore (stay at Ranthambhore Regency)
Train/Flight to Khajarho
Full day K?ho (stay at Clarks Hotel)
Flight to Varanasi - Full day (stay at Palace on the Ganges)
Flight back to Delhi

I have already visited the golden triangle and spent 3 weeks in Rajasthan; also Amritsar and Kerala. The above are places I really wanted to see on my 3 week trip but there simply wasn?t enough time. Any comments on this itinerary would be appreciated ? I wonder if there is any way of avoiding so many flights / are the hotels OK (I have asked for heritage rather than 5* but I still like a reasonable amount of luxury - I can?t find much info on any of them on the internet; apart from the Imperial which I am familiar with and love). Are there things I am missing ? is K?ho worth the effort??

jacketwatch

As for the hotels do a google search. I did one for the Imperial. it is rated 5 * from this evaluator. Here is the C & P.http://www.india.travelmall.com/trav...al+Hotel+Delhi

lyall

Thanks for this but u will see from my message that I know and love the Imperial. It's the other hotels I am concerned about - I have done a number of searches including Google and can only find very little on both the Palace on the Ganges and Ranthambhore Regency - I was hoping that someone out there might have some personal knowledge. But all help is appreciated.

jacketwatch

I found this about http://www.rajasthan-travelinfo.com/ranthambhor2.htmthe Ran. Reg
It seems pretty good. Is this the one you mean?

lyall

That's it - it doesn't look bad does it - but there isn't a lot of info. and I can't find mention of it in any of my guide books (and I have many!). Orginally I was offered the Taj property and might decide to go with this. Any thoughts on the itinerary??

jacketwatch

Where are you flying in from?

scteach

Hello Lyall. I was in India last month and visited all the areas you mention. Very fascinating! I hope you have good luck tiger hunting in Ranthambhore! We didn't see tigers but the park is quite beautiful. Khajarho is interesting for the temple carvings. We saw the two major temples the afternoon we arrived (plane) and didn't feel the next day necessary. I think only worth a few hours. We stayed at the Taj. Varanasi is a fascinating place. We stayed at the Taj. The Taj is a bit of distance from the Ganges, but not too far and it is the most comfortable hotel in Varanasi. Varanasi, to my surprise, is very, very congested and busy, full exhaust fumes and the usual crowded streets with cows, goats, TukTuks, cars,bicycles, bicycle rickshaws, etc.plus all the touts. A bit like Agra. But, you go to Varanasi for the Ganges and that is an awesome experience. Go at least twice, just before sunrise and again at sunset for the ceremonies.You want to cruise along the shore both times. We had a fantastic guide there if you are interested. Varanasi is not a place I think I'd want to do on my own. We were in Varanasi two nights and that was enough time. Your itinerary looks good, but you don't mention how much time you plan to stay in each area.

Cicerone

Please consider going either in late October to avoid the hotter weather. Late March temps will be in the low 80s F, liveable but late October would be better, IMO.

As I count your current itinerary, I only get 7 days, so perhaps you have left something out of what you say is 10 days; is that including flight time?

I would skip Khajuraho entirely and add one more day to Ranthambore, as one day is not enough in the park, and Khajuraho is not really that interesting after the first temple you see. At Ranthambore, there are only 2 jeep tours a day ,one at 7 am for three hours, and one at 3 pm for three hours. If you only go for one day, you will only get two rides. The more rides you take, the better your odds of seeing tiger (we only saw tiger on our 4th ride). More importantly going all that way for one day is not worth it, IMO.

I have not heard of the Regency and know nothing about it. It is supposed to be opposite the Taj hotel (see below), but I don't recall it, perhaps it is new. I would suggest you consider the Sawai Madhopur Lodge run by the Taj group. The website for Taj hotels is "tajhotels.com". Ask for one of their tents which they put up in the cooler months. These are tents built on concrete platforms with attached baths. They are lots of fun and I think nicer than any of the regular rooms at the hotel

Add a day to Varanasi so you can spend more time on the river and also go out to Sarnath, where the Buddha preached his first sermon. I would be curious to hear about the Palace on the Ganges, is that name right? I couldn't find anything about it. However the Taj could certainly use some competition.

I wouldn't take the train Ranthambore to Khajuraho, a train would take about 12 hours if I am correct, and the nearest train station to Khajuraho is about a 2-3 hour drive away, which is another reason to skip it. You should fly to Khajuraho or Varanasi from Ranthambore, but you would need to train or drive to Jaipur and then fly; and as you may have to connect via Delhi, it might be better to just train back to Delhi and take a direct flight. Take a look at flight schedules and train schedules.

jacketwatch

Hi lyall. I think the above two posters have alot more to add than I. My familiarity is with the north so good luck and I hope you get to see the most beautiful animal on earth (IMHO), tigers. If you would like some info on Delhi I could chime in a bit. Cheers, Larry

lyall

Thanks for your responses. I should have been more specific about my itinerary which is as follows:

I am flying from Birmingham (UK) via Amersterdam with KLM.
Flight arrives in Delhi at 22.50 (Day 1) and I am spending a couple of days at the Imperial ? shopping etc.
From Delhi I am travelling by train to Sawai Madhopur arriving quite late on day 3.
Day 4 at Ranthambhore ? 2 game drives
Day 5 ? Train from SM to Bharatpur ? driver to Agra ? flight from Agra to Khajuraho arriving about lunchtime
Day 6 ? Sightseeing K?ho
Day 7 ? Fly from K?ho to Varanasi arriving mid-afternoon.
Day 8 - Sightseeing in Varanasi
Day 9 ? Afternoon flight back to Delhi
Day 10 ? Delhi with flight home at 00.10 on Day 11

Varanasi and Ranthambhore are my main reason for visiting but I am curious to see Khajaroho ? however the effort and time involved is probably not worth it ? should I just split my time between the 3 places and have an extra day in both Ranthambhore and Varanasi or is there somewhere else in the vicinity which is worth a look.

Checking my itinerary again ? the hotel in Varanasi is actually called ?palace on ganges? and the address is Assighat. The first pass at this trip by the tour operator suggested Taj hotels in both Varanasi and Ranthambhore and from what you are saying I think I might revert to this.

I am curious why you wouldn?t want to spend time on your own in Varanasi ? since I will be travelling on my own.

Larry ? any info. on Delhi would be appreciated. One thing I would like to do is have a meal in Karims (??) in Old Delhi ? any thoughts.

Thanks again for all your help so far ? any further thoughts would be appreciated.

jacketwatch

Hi Lyall: Look for my response to a post entitled "Delhi for 5 day" by the user tommy_toman. I have listed some of the things I remember about Delhi. There is alot to see and do. There are many good places to eat there too. I am not familar with Karims but the 5 * hotels should provide great meals. If you go to CP a good place for lunch is Nirulas. Been going there since 1978 and plan to again whenever we return to Delhi. I hope you enjoy your trip. It sounds really nice. Cheers, Larry

lyall

Have just found a website for Palace on Ganges if anyone is interested - surprising www.palaceonganges.com. Any thoughts on the suitability of this hotel which looks intersting for a lone female traveller - or are the Taj properties a safer bet. I would still like to hear above poster's reservations about Varanasi alone.

Cicerone

I have tour Varanasi on my own and with one other woman. No problem. You probably want a guide as the streets are quite narrow and twisting and it is easy to get lost, plust they will arrange for the small boats to take yoo on the river, etc.. However there is no reason to think it is unsafe on your own.

Have not stayed at the Taj in about 3 years, and it was very average then. Run a search for Palace on the Ganges, I thought someone here had posted on it about 6 months ago.

lyall

Thanks for this - have searched and found the post in question - unfortunately poster subsequently stayed at the Taj so no info. I am tempted to try the palace as the feedback on the Taj is not positive - and I like the idea of being close to the ganges.

Sameera_Anand

Another hotel option in Ranthambore is Sher Bagh - www.sherbagh.com. Cheaper than Vanya Vilas but a tented, jungle experience unlike The Taj.

vanny

Iyall,
You have also posted a message to me on my message which I am having trouble accessing, for whatever reason. You wanted to know about the Palace on Ganges.

As a hotel, it is fine. Clean and the staff is helpful. The restaurant is limited, but just down the road is the Haifa Restaurant that will fulfill all your needs in that area. We met several "tourists" at the airport when we were leaving that were not happy with the Taj. But, that is all I know.

The best part of the Palace on Ganges is the location. It is right on the ghats. Varanasi is not an easy place to visit in many ways, but is well worth the effort.

If you have more questions let me know.

Vanny

alice13

I wouldn't worry about visiting Varanasi alone. It's an amazing place and I'd skip the guide too, except for going on the river. Wandering the lanes of the old town and discovering the sights and sounds for yourself is the second most wonderful thing about the city - after, of course, the ghats and stunning river frontage (and the sacredness of the place if you are a follower or student of Himduism).

Anyway - I've visited twice. Stayed 3-4 days each time in the old town - and felt perfectly safe.

lyall

Vanny - thanks for this. I am going to stick with the Palace and thanks to everyone who has put my mind at rest travelling alone in Varanasi - I am counting the weeks.