india for 10 days??
Jul 10th, 2003, 10:58 PM
#3
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I agree with the above poster that 10 days is good to see a bit of India, but you have to plan to see only a bit of it in 10 days. India is a huge country with a tremendous variety of flora and fauna, weather, culture and religions. Do some reading on the various areas. Also think about what you like: seeing cities or countryside, beach or mountains, visiting temples or having a more active outdoor vacation, etc. You can't really compare it to deciding where to go if you had 10 days in the US, as India is larger and more varied, but the analogy does have some validity.
Finally, the time of year you are going should be a factor. North India, including Agra where the Taj Mahal is located is very very hot from April til early July and then pretty hot until about early September. It can be 110 or more. It is a dry heat, but still very hot. June and July can be fairly rainy as the monsoon arrives. The heat will slow you down a bit and you should try to do less. If you don't like hot weather go during the winter or head for northern hill stations or South India. (December through February in Delhi and Rajasthan are delightful, warm days and cool nights. The best time of year to go to North India.)
Agra is 2-3 hours by train or car from Delhi, so the two are often done together. Most international flights go to Delhi, so it is generally the starting point for trips to the north. Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the starting point for trips to South India. I am a huge fan of Northern India/Rajasthan, but parts of the south like the beaches of Goa and Kerala are very beautiful too. Do some research and come back with more specific questions, and let us know what time of year you are planning your trip..
Finally, the time of year you are going should be a factor. North India, including Agra where the Taj Mahal is located is very very hot from April til early July and then pretty hot until about early September. It can be 110 or more. It is a dry heat, but still very hot. June and July can be fairly rainy as the monsoon arrives. The heat will slow you down a bit and you should try to do less. If you don't like hot weather go during the winter or head for northern hill stations or South India. (December through February in Delhi and Rajasthan are delightful, warm days and cool nights. The best time of year to go to North India.)
Agra is 2-3 hours by train or car from Delhi, so the two are often done together. Most international flights go to Delhi, so it is generally the starting point for trips to the north. Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the starting point for trips to South India. I am a huge fan of Northern India/Rajasthan, but parts of the south like the beaches of Goa and Kerala are very beautiful too. Do some research and come back with more specific questions, and let us know what time of year you are planning your trip..
Jul 11th, 2003, 05:43 PM
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I am a teacher so I can go for 10 days in either feb or april. If I wait until summer I can go for a longer period of time, however it is monsoon season.
I realize I can not see all of India in 10 days so I figured that my first am inter
I realize I can not see all of India in 10 days so I figured that my first am inter
Jul 11th, 2003, 05:54 PM
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oops got cut off. I would like to see the taj mahal and therefore would stay in that region. I read about the golden triangle -delhi, agra, and jaipur. I would love to visit some temples and art galleries. I love indian food and yoga. I take a lot of pictures and would love to capture as much of the culture as possible in that short amount of time.
can I do all three cities? should I choose two?
can I do all three cities? should I choose two?
Jul 12th, 2003, 10:08 AM
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Assuming you have 10 full days not including days you will need for the flights, 10 days is sufficient to see the three cities, and you may be able to add some more, see below. I strongly urge you to go in February, as north India is really at its best then. The gardens are blooming and the days are temperate. If you wait until April you chance running into very hot weather.
As you have an interest in yoga, you might want to run a search or post a question here with regard to good places for study. You might also post a question on the website for Lonely Planet books, the website at lonelyplanet.com and the question threads can be found at Thorn Tree Posts. Finally, run a general search on the internet and see what comes up. You may find tours specially for yoga enthusiasts. While I think India is easy to do on one's own without a tour, you might enjoy a yoga tour, or you might find recommendations for yoga centers or teachers. You might also ask your yoga teacher if he/she has any recommendations.
A sample itinerary could be as follows:
Delhi, 2 full days
Agra/Taj Mahal, 2 full days
Jaipur, 2-3 days, not including excursion to Ranthambore
I don't know what your budget is, and you will find hotels of all budget ranges in India. In Delhi, my favourite hotel is the Imperial. You can walk to the Connaught Place area (and the great Indian handicrafts shop on the way), or walk in the other direction to Raj Path, India Gate and the Parliament buildings. I find it a very convenient location and I like the lower key of the hotel, the gardens and the friendliness of the staff. You can view the hotel on their website at http://www.theimperialindia.com. In Agra, take a look at the Sheraton; although there are many other hotels in all prices ranges as well. In Jaipur I am a big fan of the Rambagh Palace, run by the Taj group, go to their website at tajhotels.com. They have several other properties in Jaipur. They have some properties in Delhi as well, take a look; but I prefer the Imperial.
Delhi has some good museums, including art museums.
If you are interested in Indian moghul miniatures, then you might add Udaipur to your itinerary, as it is the center for this type of painting; although that would mean cutting out something or taking fewer days in one place.
In Agra, in addition to the Taj Mahal, the fort is very large and well-preserved and should be included in your itinerary. Fatephur Sikri, an old abandoned but well-preserved palace about an hour from Agra is definitely worth a visit if you have time. Try to see the Taj at different times of day, esp sunset and sunrise, as the marble takes on different colors. (They raised the entrance fee in 2000 to something ridiculous like US$12, so it is not so easy as it used to be to go multiple times to the Taj, but do consider it.)
If you are at all interested in wildlife, I would recommend that you make a trip to Ranthambore National Park to see tigers and other wildlife. he park is about a 4 hour drive south of Jaipur. There are several hotel options, my recommendation is that you stay at the Sawai Madhopur Lodge, run by the Taj Group. It is the former hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Jaipur, done in 1930's Art Deco style. 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. The park is really at its best in the winter; although it is definitely cold on the sunrise jeep rides to view the wildlife, bring hats and gloves. If you could arrange to arrive in the evening and have a least one full day and half of another you would get 3 rides in. The nature rides in the park last about 3 hours and are at scheduled times, one at sunrise/6 am and one at about 2 pm.
Be advised that morning and evening fog is a problem in Delhi, Bernares and Agra in the winter months. This can mean delays in air travel. I would definitely go by car or rail from Delhi to Agra, as it a short journey. Consider driving or taking the train between Agra and Jaipur rather than flying. Look at the train schedules at www.indianrail.gov.in. You can take a train to Bernares from Delhi, but it is a long one, so air is better; but try to take late morning or afternoon flights to avoid fog delays.
Once you have done some research, come back on this thread with your questions. There are several Indian enthusiasts who post here regularly. If you are interested in a reading list of fiction and non-fiction about India, let me know. There is so much good literature in English about India. (India is also a good place to buy English books fairly inexpensively.)
As you have an interest in yoga, you might want to run a search or post a question here with regard to good places for study. You might also post a question on the website for Lonely Planet books, the website at lonelyplanet.com and the question threads can be found at Thorn Tree Posts. Finally, run a general search on the internet and see what comes up. You may find tours specially for yoga enthusiasts. While I think India is easy to do on one's own without a tour, you might enjoy a yoga tour, or you might find recommendations for yoga centers or teachers. You might also ask your yoga teacher if he/she has any recommendations.
A sample itinerary could be as follows:
Delhi, 2 full days
Agra/Taj Mahal, 2 full days
Jaipur, 2-3 days, not including excursion to Ranthambore
I don't know what your budget is, and you will find hotels of all budget ranges in India. In Delhi, my favourite hotel is the Imperial. You can walk to the Connaught Place area (and the great Indian handicrafts shop on the way), or walk in the other direction to Raj Path, India Gate and the Parliament buildings. I find it a very convenient location and I like the lower key of the hotel, the gardens and the friendliness of the staff. You can view the hotel on their website at http://www.theimperialindia.com. In Agra, take a look at the Sheraton; although there are many other hotels in all prices ranges as well. In Jaipur I am a big fan of the Rambagh Palace, run by the Taj group, go to their website at tajhotels.com. They have several other properties in Jaipur. They have some properties in Delhi as well, take a look; but I prefer the Imperial.
Delhi has some good museums, including art museums.
If you are interested in Indian moghul miniatures, then you might add Udaipur to your itinerary, as it is the center for this type of painting; although that would mean cutting out something or taking fewer days in one place.
In Agra, in addition to the Taj Mahal, the fort is very large and well-preserved and should be included in your itinerary. Fatephur Sikri, an old abandoned but well-preserved palace about an hour from Agra is definitely worth a visit if you have time. Try to see the Taj at different times of day, esp sunset and sunrise, as the marble takes on different colors. (They raised the entrance fee in 2000 to something ridiculous like US$12, so it is not so easy as it used to be to go multiple times to the Taj, but do consider it.)
If you are at all interested in wildlife, I would recommend that you make a trip to Ranthambore National Park to see tigers and other wildlife. he park is about a 4 hour drive south of Jaipur. There are several hotel options, my recommendation is that you stay at the Sawai Madhopur Lodge, run by the Taj Group. It is the former hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Jaipur, done in 1930's Art Deco style. 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. The park is really at its best in the winter; although it is definitely cold on the sunrise jeep rides to view the wildlife, bring hats and gloves. If you could arrange to arrive in the evening and have a least one full day and half of another you would get 3 rides in. The nature rides in the park last about 3 hours and are at scheduled times, one at sunrise/6 am and one at about 2 pm.
Be advised that morning and evening fog is a problem in Delhi, Bernares and Agra in the winter months. This can mean delays in air travel. I would definitely go by car or rail from Delhi to Agra, as it a short journey. Consider driving or taking the train between Agra and Jaipur rather than flying. Look at the train schedules at www.indianrail.gov.in. You can take a train to Bernares from Delhi, but it is a long one, so air is better; but try to take late morning or afternoon flights to avoid fog delays.
Once you have done some research, come back on this thread with your questions. There are several Indian enthusiasts who post here regularly. If you are interested in a reading list of fiction and non-fiction about India, let me know. There is so much good literature in English about India. (India is also a good place to buy English books fairly inexpensively.)
Jul 12th, 2003, 07:20 PM
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Delhi, Agra, Fathephur Sikri, Jaipur, and Varanasi (Benares) all in 10 days??? That really is an AMAZING RACE!! Actually, travelling to Indian during July or August (Monsoon season) is supposedly not that bad, much cooler than April-June. Yes, it rains, but only a few hours a day. (I have been in Thailand and Cambodia for the Monsoons and it only rained from 5-7 PM each day.) However, it would be much better to go in February. Why don't you just to Delhi, Jaipur, and an overnight in Agra. The Taj Mahal is really the only thing worth seeing in Agra. (The Agra Fort is falling apart, although interesting.) The Amber Fort in Jaipur is much nicer and you can take an elephant ride to the entrance. Do not miss visiting the hustle and bustle of Chadni Chowk Market in Delhi, Red Fort, or the Arts and Crafts Museum. I also recommend the Rambaugh Palace in Jaipur, as well as the museum of the Maharaja of Jaipur.
