Hi fellow Fodorites!

Thanks to all the helpful contributions here, I've put together my dream itinerary to India. The trip is planned for Feb 2009, but I know planning that far out is normal for a lot of us. Plus I'm using FF miles.
(sigh... dreaming of Business... Wish me luck!)

I'll probably be solo for the first part, and then a friend will join me in Deli (Arriving PM of Day #22) and finish the last 16 days-- so that's why Rajasthan is at the end.

I know this is a little on the active side, but I think I'll be OK. I've been to Nepal and Chitwan, so I am not compelled to include wildlife parks and I can only do about one (1) day on a beach.... Like many, the emphasis is photography: culture, forts, palaces, temples, etc. And... I can sleep when I come home.

Definitely want to stay at the Oberoi Amar Vilas in Agra, the Lake Palace in Udaipur,and the Imperial in Deli;
but plan to balance this with more modest accommodations elsewhere for a good mix.

I have not seen any packages that include all this, so I imagine it will be a private tour with a guide(s) and driver(s). I'm not opposed to a group tour tho.


OK.... So here 'tis:

Day 1 Leave USA ---

Day 2 Arrive Mumbai ETA 11:00 PM 2 nts
Day 3 Mumbai

Day 4 Mumbai to Aurangabad (Ellora Caves,) 2 nts
Day 5 Aurangabad (Ajanta Caves)

Day 6 Aurangabad to Mumbai - Goa 3 nts
Day 7 Goa
Day 8 Goa

Day 9 Goa to Badami (early AM drive) 1 nt

Day 10 Badami to Hospet/Hampi (mid AM drive) 2 nts
Day 11 Hampi

Day 12 Hampi back to Goa: Flight: Goa to Banglore; drive to Mysore 2 nts
(**POSSIBLE in one day?)
Day 13 Mysore

Day 14 Mysore to Bangalore; flight to Cochin 2 nts
Day 15 Cochin

Day 16 Cochin/ Allepey backwaters 1 nt

Day 17 Cochin to Maduri 2 nts
Day 18 Maduri

Day 19 Maduri to Trichy (visiting Tanjore enroute) – O/N Train to Chennai

Day 20 Arrive Chennai (Madras) 2 nts
Day 21 Chennai

Day 22 Chennai to Deli (AM flight) 2 nts
Day 23 Deli -

Day 24 Deli to Varanasi (AM flight) 1 nt

Day 25 Varanasi – afternoon flight to Khajuraho-- 2 nts
Day 26 Khajuraho

Day 27 Khajuraho to Jhansi- train to Agra (stopping at Ochhra) -2 nts
Day 28 Agra

Day 29 Agra to Jaipur (stopping in Fatehpur Sikri) 2 nts
Day 30 Jaipur

Day 31 Jaipur to Jodhpur 2 nts
Day 32 Jodhpur

Day 33 Jodhpur to Udaipur (stopping at Ranakpur- Jain Temples) 2 nts
Day 34 Udaipur

Day 35 Udaipur to Deli or Mumbai 1 nt
** leaving for USA either after midnight tonight or....
Day 36 Return USA

If I were to revise anything here, I might take a day off Goa and put it somewhere else. Thanks to what I've already read, I know I'd welcome another day in Udaipur and I know Cochin & environs has a lot to offer too... so little time!!

Really appreciate any fine tuning from those who have been, as well as any of the India TAs who also read & comment on this board. I will be farming out the final product to many of the agencies you all have been so kind to recommend.

Thanks all!
Centavo

you might want an additional nite in jaipur??

your schedule does not really allow for any misfires: delayed flights, etc....and this is often a huge problem...

Ah yes... India being INDIA.... Excellent point.
Thanks for the reminder. I should indeed be prepared for just that.

Not exactly sure how to accommodate that into the itinerary tho.... which is why I hope some of the TAs will chime in. Certainly they've dealt with this with a somewhat fixed itinerary in place. Would be interesting to see what they have to say.

Appreciate your reply RHKKMK, and I enjoyed reading your trip report as well!

Centavo

Your itinerary is really tight but doable. Comment about your Day 12 - why are you going back to Goa (long drive/train journey) to catch a flight back to B'lore? I think your time would be better spent if you went directly to B'lore. Seems like unnecessary backtracking to me.

There's the Hampi Express train you can catch from Hospet on day 11 (overnight train which leaves around 8pm I think) and arrive in B'lore in the am of Day 12 and head straight to Mysore. Just a thought.

It's easy to get around India by rail. Just get a 30 day pass from Delhi railway station, 1st class. Travel overnight, sight-see by day. I had two seven week holidays there doing just that.

Take a Lonely Planet guide and a map with you.

Sharon 1306:
Going back to Goa on day #12 because I thought I HAD TO! Guess not-- great! Will revise that and take the express train.
~~ Thank-you - Thank-you!

Kaneda:
Given the frequently delayed flights plus the additional cost with air travel -- I'm beginning to realize the O/N train is probably a better answer. I will look into the 30-day rail pass.
~~ Thanks for the sound advice!

Boy! I'm glad I'm getting a good head start on this trip, and appreciate the feedback. I'll check-out seat61 to get a good understanding on what routes are available when....

Thanks again guys!!

Dear Centavo - You are jumping around the country too much, and that is not fun in India where traveling is long and tiresome. Try to plan more from point of view of ease of travel.
First, take the overnight train to Aurangabad from Mumbai. Go 2 AC if possible; 3 AC if not. Both are reasonably comfortable, although 2 AC slightly more so. If you book about 1-2 months ahead on the internet, you should get what you want.
I would skip Ajanta. The paintings are very deteriorated. The Indian govt has responded by lowering the light level in the caves. That, together with the deterioration, makes it almost impossible to see paintings inside the caves. There is a little sculpture to see, but you will see that at Ellora anyway.
I would rearrange the trip. There is an overnight train Hospet to Bangalore, which arrives around 6 am. We caught the 6:30 am train on another track from Bangalore to Mysore. Just buy a platform ticket at Bangalore and board 2 AC or 3 AC or AC Coach, whichever the train has, and pay the difference on board. There is also a 7:30 train with AC.
Instead of going east-west so much, go from Goa to Kochi by ON train.
Temples at Madurai and Trichy were spectacular, but Tanjor was so/so. I would skip it.
Chennai is very uninteresting - unless you have been traveling in India for a while and want a rest. It is also very polluted. Take a bandanna to cover your nose and mouth while in traffic.
Cochin was less interesting that the guidebooks made it sound.
Backwater trip was nice. We went from Kollam and did not take the luxury houseboat because we decided you did not see enough that way. We took the Tourist Office 1/2 day tour which went by handmade canoe through tiny waterways. We really liked it.
Re more modest accommodations - in Madurai we stayed at Rathna Resideny (or something like that). It was clean and comfortable. Next door is Supreme and Park _____, similar. In Trichy we stayed at Ramyas Hotel. Clean and comfortable. Private bath. Hot water. Do laundry. Both hotels in the 20-30 USD range.
There is a day train from Madgoan, capital of s. Goa to Hospet. Takes about 9 hrs. Also one going the other way. Go on the Indian Railways web site and get schedules.

Badami (with nearby Pattadakal, Aihole, and Mahakuta), Hampi, and Ajanta were highlights of our trip to South India.

Travel in India is difficult and unpredictable. I think you would enjoy your trip much more if you visit about half as many places in that period of time.

Travelhol-- Wow- thanks!- I've taken careful note of your recommendations. Your tip about the lighting in Ajanta is very helpful. I have also perused the Indian train site, and really like the idea of ON train travel. I shall weave this into the itinerary ! ( and I'm with you re; the handmade canoe: Much better. )

KennethJ; Yeah-- I know you're probably right. Ideally, I'd like it (as would my boss) if the trip were 30 days... but I've gotta tell ya, I'm at a loss as to what to 'cut'. Chennai, by the sounds of it... Doing a 'north now' and 'south later' is less desirable because I've got several destinations in line after India; regretably, it may be 5+ years before I can get back...

But I will....

I think your instinct toward Udaipur is good, it’s a small place and if you can spend time on or near the lake you can get a relaxed feeling, and/or visit one of the forts up in the hills. I also find it one of the few cities where you might want to rent a bicycle and ride around a bit; it’s mostly flat and again not really a large place so you can see a good bit on bicycle. I also think Jodhpur would be a good choice if you take the time to really wander off into the little lanes below the fort where tourists do not go, you can find interesting little houses here. Prepared to be lost a little bit, but it is certainly fun doing so. You can also take day trips to nearby village areas which might be interesting. Jaipur of course has a lot of shopping and the huge City Palace museum which an enormous collection, so I don’t think you would be bored there either, it’s just a much larger place. A tough call, really. I usually go with my gut, so if your gut says Udaipur, perhaps you should stick with it.

If I could comment on your itinerary which I saw on your other post, I would actually spend 2 nights in Varanasi and 1 in Khajuraho. With your flight schedule, you will only have one morning in Varanasi which of course you will want to spend at the Ghats along the river, and then you have an afternoon flight out that day, which means you probably would not get to Sarnath that day, and it seems unlikely with an afternoon arrival the day before that you will get to Sarnath on your first day. I personally think Varanasi offers a lot to see and do, Sarnath being one of them (hugely important to Buddhists) and just wandering the little alleyways of Varanasi itself is very interesting, its also a center for music (and a great place to buy brass…and fill up little brass pots with Ganges water, you can also buy them pre-sealed, these make great gifts for Hindus for the rest of your trip or friends back home, by the way). I find it a more interesting place that Khajuraho (which I would actually skip, but I see it is part of your overall trip to Jhansi, etc). I think you will find Khajuraho to be a bit dull after about the 3rd temple you will see on the first day, not sure what you will do there for 2 nights. This would also give you two mornings in the river in Varanasi, which IMO would really be good, it’s hard to take it all in at once. Many people only do this once, and to have a second opportunity would I think be quite special.

sorry, meant to post this on your other thread....

When in India particularly Delhi, be careful not to shop at the government run Central Cottage Industries. They are unreliable though the guide books tell you otherwise. Above all else, do not ship home. They say they are insured but they truly are not.

Goodness, rob1. You have been pulling up India posts all day just to warn people off of CIE. What happened to you there?

By the way-- I have revised the trip-- shaving it down to 32 days. I'll throuw that out for comments when things are finalized, but in the meantime >>>>robi1--- do tell.....

Hi Centavo

Wow - you really seem to have a lot on your platter and seem to be criss crossing all over the place.

Personally I would amend the first section of your trip as follows :-

Day 02 - Arrive Mumbai
Day 03 - Mumbai
Day 04 - Mumbai / Goa - Flight
Day 05 - Goa
Day 06 - Goa
Day 07 - Goa / Badami- Visit Hampi Caves
Day 08 - Badami / Hospet - Enroute - Visit Aihole & Pattadakal Temple complexes.
Day 09 - Hospet - Visit - Hampi - world heritage sites.
Day 10 - Hospet / Chikmagalur or Hassan - Overnight.
Day 11 - Hassan / Mysore - enroute vidit Belur and Halebid.
Day 12 - Mysore
Day 13 - Mysore / Bangalore - surface and
Bangalore / Cochin - Flight
Day 14 - Cochin
Day 15 - Cochin / Alleppey - Surface and overnight cruise to Kottayam.
Day 16 - Kottayam / Madurai - Surface - Evening arti ceremony at Meenakshi Temple - Overnight.
Day 17 - Madurai - Visits - Later
Madurai / Chettinad - visit the mansions, village etc - Overnight.
Day 18 - Chettinad - Visits - Later
Chettinad / Trichy - Visits - Overnight.
Day 19 - Trichy / Tanjore - evenign arti ceremony - Overnight.
Day 20 - Tanjore - Mornign visits and let fly to Chennai.

----
Rest of the tour is fine - though I would suggest cutting off a day in Khajuraho - as it is a very small place and one day is enough (unless you wish to visit Panna Nationbal parks and some seasonal waterfalls around the place).

-------------

Hospet - Hampi ruins are fabulous and so are the temple and cave complexes at Badami,Aihole and Pattadakal - they are considered to be the cradle of the Temple - architecture in India.

You do have a grand tour of India ahead of you - and I wish you all the best.

Shall be glad to be of more help - if you require it.