If you are apprehensive about going then don't go. If you think it will be one big hassle then forget it. However if you don't go there is so much that you will miss. You must decide on your own. You get the picture. I have been 4 times and a 5th is 2 mos. away. Do I share some of these impressions? Yes. However I have MANY Indian friends and you must always remember that despite it all it is HOME for them. No one wants to hear their nationality degraded no matter what problems there are there. I think some in this thread forgot that. All that aside I can say we have had many drivers in our previous trips and most were fine. The 5* holels are terrific. The history is fascinating and there is a reason why the Taj Mahal is one of the wonders of the world. IMHO that alone is enough reason to go to India. BTW Craig where will you be? We will be there at that time too? Maybe we can have a Kingfisher together.

I'd love to meet up, Larry. We'll be:
Agra 2/18 - 20
Jaipur 2/20 - 23
Ranthambore 2/23 - 2/25
Delhi 2/25 - 3/2
Any common times?

Sorry Craig. We will be leaving before you arrive. I'll hoist one up to ya. :-)

:) agtoau..you're right.

Thanks jacketwatch, you expressed it really well.

happy travels!!

You welcome Indie. Namaste. :-)

I am interested in focusing on the negatives, to an extent, so that I can balance them against the positives.

Just saw a bit about Delhi beggars on TV (MHz channel, show called Focus Asia). Apparently, there is a special "beggar's court" to handle the problem of people living/begging on street corners. A person convicted of begging can get 3 years and some lepers are hoping to get convicted so that they can get treatment. So, it seems that begging is seen as something less than a respected profession. Yes, there are beggars and homeless in D.C., but it sounds like it is a couple orders of magnitude different. An Indian made the point that not all of the people should be arrested because begging for food to eat should not be considered a crime.

To nks: Did you ever box or spar? Its like this. You have a great plan but all that changes when you get hit. Get the idea now? BTW 40 USD is about 1800 rupees, not 800.

Craig & nks267, thanks for replying to the list of concerns. No, I haven't been to Kenya. I guess that I am just not ready for visiting third world countries.

To jacketwatch: If i choose to box or spar and get hurt - I would also shoulder the responsibility of not being strong enough to withstand the punches thrown at me and the fact that I CHOSE TO BOX!!! Similarly, the poster made the choice to go...and allegedly she had "researched" the country!!! Newslfash: India has been known as a developing country for quite some time now...didnt become one the minute poster landed!!!
From her rant it seems like she was ready to see the same amenities and infrastructure only with brown people and of course, dirt cheap prices...

The poster here has NOT had a single positive thing to say about the country going as far as to "Warn" travellers going to India... for for me that speaks volumes about her as a traveller...and yes, my beef lies with travellers like her who can only focus on the negative.

She of course has the right not to like a place/country...but what kind of person would write such a condescending write up about a country? I'm no Indophile, just respectful of any country, culture, no matter where I visit...I shudder to think what kind of house guest this poster must make!

Sorry...you're right about the $40=1800 Rs !My mistake. the car rental is 800 Rs

Why get upset over another's opinion? susanwr does not have to say anything good about India. (She did in a later post!) It is just her opinion and probably wont stop anyone going and seeing the place for themselves. Personal criticisms don't help anyone here.

To NKS: I suppose we will just disagree about this. The bottom line is I can understand her level of frustration and shock. I've been there. My viewpoint about it is different as is how I express it I suppose. My point is all the reading and research which gives one an intellectual understanding of a given situation may not prepare you for the actual visceral experience. These two can be worlds apart.

Jacketwatch: You're right - We'll agree to disagree on this one. I've been there too..had HepA while I was there, got into an accident in a rickshaw, dislocated my shoulder - all in a matter of 3 months however I wouldnt post a condescending sermon dissing the country. There's much more to India than meets the eye...or the belly for that matter!

I think India is awesome...and its a pity people who cant handle it, think no one else would be able to either...i would've respected the poster if they had been a bit more balanced in their post- warning people - thats a bit harsh!

True. C'est la vie. BTW you had hep A there. I got typhoid once. Cheers and happy travels sir. Larry

susan - thank you for your posts. just curious, could you tell us which hotels you stayed in and which ones were your least/most favorite. just trying to learn from your experiences - i am planning a trip to india now and am visiting several of the same cities as you.

To Alice...first of all it was not a landslide election...so don't lump all American opinions into one category...and second...from someone from a country with plenty of skelatons in its closet, I really don't feel you're in the position to comment. Happy Travels!

To Asykes1: We stayed at Intercontinental in a Club room for a couple nights and in a standard room in New Delhi. We also stayed in The Taj for a few hours before flying home. I'd vote the Taj as the nicer and newer of the two. We stayed at Udaivilas in Udaipur...it was gorgeous...probably the prettiest room I've ever stayed at. I don't know what the actual rate was since it was part of my Cox and King package, but the rack rate was $475 per night. Good thing I didn't know that before or I would have had heart failure! In Jaisalmer we stayed at Rawalkot and the manager there went out of his way to please...but all in all the room was pretty basic. The hotel next door called Ft. Raw-something looked a little nicer. Both had a nice few of the actual Fort, but were quite a bit away from it. You might see if others liked staying at a hotel INSIDE the fort walls. I think Jaisalmer Fort was quite magical...especially considering that so many people live within the Fort walls. It's not just a shell like some of the palaces and forts. And finally, we stayed at Rambagh Palace in Jaipur but here's the rub: the hotel was gorgeous...almost as nice as Udaivilas...and the service was wonderful. However, it's also the place where I got sick from eating undercooked chicken (which I found out after the path report came back). So, hope that helps.

Susan - at which restaurant at Rambagh Palace did you eat the undercooked chicken? We were thinking of going there for dinner one night and I understand there are several restaurants (we are staying at Jasvilas).

If Susan was more constructive of her criticisms, I don't think there would be such an outcry over her comments. On top of that, I just can't get over the fact that she is angry there are poor people in India. Wake up to world, Susan! That's how many people live!

Susan certainly brought out all the self-righteous posters! All she did was describe the conditions she saw(and fairly accurately it would seem from other posters). RV224, what do you mean by "constructive criticism?" Was Susan supposed to suggest solutions to poverty in the world? From your previous posts regarding shopping, etc. it doesn't sound like you are exactly doing much that is "constructive" about the poverty that exists.