Elizabeth_S

...one of three!

thursdaysd

Lol. My last trip to India was six weeks, and aside from things like toothpaste all I bought was one pashima (from a government shop where I didn't bargain).

indianapearl

. . . four! Bought salwar kameez in Jaipur, but only because I wanted gifts for the folks back home.

Loved your report!

wkwb42a

Elainee,
I really loved your report. Thank you for writing such a wonderful and detailed account. It is very helpful to us.

We are planning a trip to India for February. This is what we have planned: Delhi (3 nts.), fly to Varanasi (2 nts.), Agra (2 nts.), Jaipur (3 nts.), Samode (1 nt.). We will have a car and driver for the trip, (except for flying to Varanasi and back to Delhi).

We have just eliminated Rathambhore. Now we are wrestling with the idea of adding more nights ( 1 or 2 more) to Jaipur, or leaving the itinerary as is, a total of 11 nights. Alternatively, we could consider Udaipur for a couple of nights. What is a good way to get there (from Jaipur?).
Do you recommend adding Udaipur? Or would 2 more nights in Jaipur be a good idea? (It would certainly be easier).

Thank you so much!

Ladouca

Elainee, I too have been putting India off because of many negatives you mention however you manage to turn them into positives and much more. I do think that the fact of getting a good nights rest with proper services minimises the stress of such a trip. I would also like for you to email me [email protected] concerning the costs of this trip. You have convinced me to do this once and for all. I will be contacting Mr. Singh based on your recommendation.
Thankyou for sharing!

Elainee

Wb2...I am not good on how to get from one city to the next. But 4 nights Jaipur seems a lot to me. But remember...long drives from one city to next. Udaipur was good and so was Jodhpur. I would stay as long as possible.

wkwb42a

Elainee, thank you for your response. At this point, we are thinking of just adding the nights to our stay in Jaipur. More long rides is not appealing to us, nor is the addition of 2 flights. So, we will experience more of Jaipur and environs, at a slower pace, while being away from our winter.

aditigir

Glad to know here that your experience was good for India....welcome

uhoh_busted

I am so pleased to have found your TR. We are exploring itineraries with Mr.Singh for a bit over 3 weeks Feb to March 2014. I still haven't decided if we will do Varanasi or not, as we are adding some time in the South. I HAD decided to drop it, as it would have added an extra RT flight, and I was concerned that I would be overwhelmed by Varanasi. Now your description has me re-thinking that decision. I suspect we can't make a bad decision in any case, as the more we learn, the more we get excited about the trip.
We will fly into Delhi and home from Mumbai. We have added about 2 or three nights to our itinerary (and probaby 2 more if we include Varanasi) already, But we figure that as long as it is going to take 24 hours to get there, adding another night or two isn't going to be a problem.

We are also looking to take at least one cooking class...we LOVE Indian food.

Marija

Don't skip Varanasi!

thursdaysd

Ditto. And stay on the river.

progol

Ditto to both of the above!

Elainee

Varanasi is special. I am so glad we went there. If you must stay only one night but after you have overcome jet lag.

explore_india1

interesting and well phrased

Elizabeth_S

I read an interesting "tip" regarding visiting Varanasi - make it later in your itinerary as it can be an overwhelming way to start a visit to India.

Elainee - working on my itinerary! Thanks again for your help.

progol

Elizabeth_S,
I was glad I visited Varanasi early in the trip when I still had energy -- I would've found it much more difficult toward the end. My husband was more overwhelmed initially, although acclimated pretty quickly. We both loved it - it is definitely a special place, but it is an intense place to visit.

welltraveledbrit

Thanks so much for your trip report. Your descriptions are wonderful and I appreciate your honesty. I think what's so nice about your TR is that you describe the trip you had, explained why it suited you. You're not prescriptive but your honest assessment of your own requirements will be very helpful to others.

kikiv - I'm curious what you're planning for a second trip to Calcutta. If we decide to make a trip to Nagaland we'll probably be going back through calcutta and would be interested in hearing what more of the area your guide suggests. Thanks in advance!

Magster2005

Thanks so mcuh for posting this excellent report! We also did our 1-month trip with Mr. Singh, and like you, we recommend him very highly. Of all the places we visited, Varanasi is the one I think of most (it actually haunts my dreams). It is one of the most unusual destinations I have ever visited. I would not have missed it for anything.

When I was planning the trip, several people advised me to save Varanasi til later in the trip when I could handle it better, but I did it early on and I am so glad. For me, it was much better to go there when I was at my most energetic!

kikiv

@welltraveledbrit My husband and I ended our nearly 4 week trip ten years ago in Kolkata. The five days we spent there flew by and so our fascination with the city started on that trip.
Of all the places we visited ( Delhi, Agra,Jaipur, Jodphur Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Mumbai etc) we found Kolkata to be the most pleasant and vibrant city. I can't imagine why more people don't visit or only stay a few days.
Besides the obvious monuments and temples I found that wondering the streets and alleys were the most unforgettable moments of the entire trip.
The Bengalis are extremely friendly and welcoming and because they are not used to tourism they left us pretty much alone. Once in a while they would come up to us and strike up a conversation. On one occasion a group of young ladies who were selling fruit offered me some just to try and they would not allow me to pay for it.

This time we are flying direct from Delhi to Kolkata for a couple of days then driving with our friend and guide, Anup Saha to West Bengal and Bihar then back to Kolkata for a week for Durga Puja. Afterwards on to Orissa and finally we will finish up in Hardwar.
I could go on but if you are interested in getting in touch with our friend, I will be more than happy to share with you his current email address and phone number.
you can email me directly at [email protected]
Here is a link to an article from the Independent about Kolkata which mentions Anup. By the way the email at the end is no longer correct.
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/...ew-824991.html

arjones22

Elaine, what a wonderful report. We have a three week trip coming up in November / December with a similar independent tour arrangement. Our hotels are more 4 star than 5, but I am sure we will be comfortable after reading the reviews on tripadvisor.

For Anokhi, do they have a good selection of shirts and trousers for men? Would these mens clothes be suitable for wearing by Westerners? Would like to blend in if possible, but not look too costume-ey.

What would be the closest Anokhi shop to the Civil Lines area of Delhi.

Appreciate anyone's input. Thanks.