India Trip Report
Sep 5th, 2008, 02:38 AM
#21
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Judy, you should probably do a little more research about India before starting your planning(travel guides, trip reports on Fodors, web sites). This will give you more of a feel about the country and help you decide where you want to go, what you want to see, how much time you want to spend in each place, and how you want to travel -- private car, plane, train. India is huge and very varied. Also, do some research on hotels. 5 star hotels in India can be $700 - 800 per night. There are other less expensive alternatives that are also very nice, such as Sheratons & Trident Hilton. And there are also Heritage hotels that will give you more local feel -- some are very luxurious, and others may not be so you have to really do your homework. If you take some time & do some prep work it can really be rewarding.
Sep 5th, 2008, 04:33 AM
#22
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Dogster welcome back to Melbourne, am glad you have kept your sharp wit.
Judy, it sounds to me that a trip to the Balkans will be plenty exotic for you. They are beautiful, historic and still a little rough around the edges.
However for me it is India, what a country of contrasts, my first visit in 1965 was very brief and not very satisfactory.
Last year I spent a month traveling around with a friend of mine, it was wonderful. We were there in October-November and only in the south did I feel the humidity and the heat.
In terms of poverty,it's absolutely there, as in the favelas of South America. I can not personally change the economies of a country, but choose to accept them and be grateful for my lot in life.
It is a fabulous country with many diversities, much history and great people. A lot of unsavoury sights and smells and incredible monuments, people and kindnesses.
Never did stay in 5 star hotels, but where we stayed was for the most part excellent only 1 exception.
It is all about comfort level and how you choose to travel.
Merrisr, am so glad you had a great time and enjoyed it.
Sometimes little bites of something make you want the "whole enchilada"
so to speak. Next time you will linger longer and enjoy even more
Judy, it sounds to me that a trip to the Balkans will be plenty exotic for you. They are beautiful, historic and still a little rough around the edges.
However for me it is India, what a country of contrasts, my first visit in 1965 was very brief and not very satisfactory.
Last year I spent a month traveling around with a friend of mine, it was wonderful. We were there in October-November and only in the south did I feel the humidity and the heat.
In terms of poverty,it's absolutely there, as in the favelas of South America. I can not personally change the economies of a country, but choose to accept them and be grateful for my lot in life.
It is a fabulous country with many diversities, much history and great people. A lot of unsavoury sights and smells and incredible monuments, people and kindnesses.
Never did stay in 5 star hotels, but where we stayed was for the most part excellent only 1 exception.
It is all about comfort level and how you choose to travel.
Merrisr, am so glad you had a great time and enjoyed it.
Sometimes little bites of something make you want the "whole enchilada"
so to speak. Next time you will linger longer and enjoy even more
Sep 5th, 2008, 05:01 AM
#23
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I've been thinking: actually Judy just wants the answers to a couple of easy questions. Let's not get into whether or not she should or shouldn't go to India - that fact is, she IS going.
Why? Well, no reason probably, simply because the cruise stops there. So, while she's there, she may as well do something she's always wanted to do - and that's see the Taj Mahal.
Which is perfectly O.K. by me. Sounds kinda fun.
So, if I was getting off a lovely cruise in Mumbai, the FIRST thing I'd do is go check in to the Taj Mahal [Palace Wing!], just opposite the Gateway to India. I'd do a bit of sightseeing that afternoon, then have a great dinner in the Indian restaurant at the Taj.
Next day, en route to the airport [and I'm not being sarcastic here] go via Dharavi and, in a totally safe way, [yup, there's a tour, really] see something you've never seen before. Ain't nothing like Dharavi in Vegas.
Fly Delhi, overnight, sightseeing
go Agra, overnight - back to Delhi, overnight, rela-a-a-x - and there's your 5 - 7 days.
Mumbai, Delhi, Agra - phew.. that's enough.
Why? Well, no reason probably, simply because the cruise stops there. So, while she's there, she may as well do something she's always wanted to do - and that's see the Taj Mahal.
Which is perfectly O.K. by me. Sounds kinda fun.
So, if I was getting off a lovely cruise in Mumbai, the FIRST thing I'd do is go check in to the Taj Mahal [Palace Wing!], just opposite the Gateway to India. I'd do a bit of sightseeing that afternoon, then have a great dinner in the Indian restaurant at the Taj.
Next day, en route to the airport [and I'm not being sarcastic here] go via Dharavi and, in a totally safe way, [yup, there's a tour, really] see something you've never seen before. Ain't nothing like Dharavi in Vegas.
Fly Delhi, overnight, sightseeing
go Agra, overnight - back to Delhi, overnight, rela-a-a-x - and there's your 5 - 7 days.
Mumbai, Delhi, Agra - phew.. that's enough.
Sep 6th, 2008, 10:11 PM
#24
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dogster, You are correct; we do want to go there. We went to Russia a couple years ago and LOVED it. That is why we would love to go back and see more on a river cruise. We stayed a week in Moscow at the National Hotel. What a perfect location, right across from Red Square. Also went to St. Pete's and loved that too. We were apprehensive about going there and are so happy we went. We hired Red October for St. Pete's guides and they were wonderful.We have to find a reliable tour co. to guide us in Inida. Regent cruises lines wants $9,000 for 4 days for two. However, we do want 4 or 5 star hotels. Thanks everyone for not thinking we are flakes. Judy
Sep 7th, 2008, 02:44 PM
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Sorry it took so long - but I'm back. I'm going to do this in two pieces because it's a little long. One the question of the tour company I would highly recommend Raju India.
Now ....
Tuesday morning off to Chennai (where my husband¡¦s best friend Suresh lives). Bags arrive no problem and Suresh's wife is waiting for us.
Southern India is very different from Northern India (at least this part). The people are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Much cleaner and more organized - a little more modern ¡V slower paced and less stressful!! We stayed at the Madras Club (Suresh is member) ¡V it¡¦s older but the rooms were spacious and adequate. We had lunch at the club (couldn¡¦t go in the dining room because the hubby was wearing shorts! You can definitely still see the British influence here).
I was in for one new experience. I had to eat with my hands for the first time. The food was served on banana leaves. Big deal you say - but it gets more challenging ...you cannot use your left hand - at all- apparently they do things with their left hand that I clearly don't!
. From an etiquette perspective, you are not even supposed to hand money with your left hand! Trust me it was hard and could be an interesting new diet plan ! By the time everyone else was done half my little bowls of Lords knows what were still full!! A sharp contrast to the lunch at the club where I had of all things Shepherd¡¦s Pie (with a fork)!!
The next day we headed for the beaches. We stopped at a very neat place Dakshina Chitra - a preserved Indian village that showed all the different ways of living across the various religions. I got the henna tattoo (temporary done on my left hand (figured I might as well since you can't use your left hand for anything else!). Pretty wild looking!! We had fabulous seafood right on the beach and then saw some very interesting stone temples ( and a man in a thong - eewwhh). All the people have been very hospitable!! We had some Thai food for dinner ( a nice little break and not so different from home) and then turned in for the night.
A relaxed day in Chennai with a little sightseeing and shopping - conserving our energy for Delip's big 50th birthday party! And a party it was - held at a swanky hotel and the Indian women were all decked out - clothing and jewels!! It was a fascinating to see the women combine a mixture of Indian and Western. Suresh said it was indicative of a special occasion and not how women typically dress. We felt at home because all the music was 60's, 70's and 80's American music!! It was a really nice affair.
We got to our room at 1:30 am and had to get up at 4:30 to make our 6:00 train to Mysore- that was not so much fun!!! At the train station the porter carried three of our rolling bags 0N HIS HEAD !!!! The train was not as nice as what we experience in Europe but nowhere near as bad as people had warned me.
In Mysore we saw the railway museum which was surprisingly interesting and an incredible palace. The Mysore Palace is absolutely incredible!! It is particularly interesting because it is a collaboration of many different countries. It is definitely worth the visit! By the way ¡V in many of the religious and historic sites, you cannot wear your shoes. If you have any issues about walking barefoot, it is a good idea to bring a pair of footies to put on.
We were staying in an old palace that turned out to be a bit of a challenge! The Lalitha Mahal Palace is a gorgeous property and could be so much more than it is. The grounds and interior are quite beautiful but the ac and hot water were not working and the rooms had mold and mildew. Suresh was completely stuffed up the next morning. We shared the issues with the manager and he took 50% off of our room rate and took care of breakfast and dinner. I truly hope the fix the issues because it could be a great hotel. In the mean time, I¡¦d pick the Metropole instead.
We started our day with visiting the third largest Christian church in India -very beautiful - and saw the school girls in the courtyard learning the macarena - very cute - got a little video.
I learned something new today - the Indian GPS system. Suresh and his driver are a bit directionally challenged - and that's being kind!! They ask directions and then stop two blocks later and ask again (clearly not like American men). So today Suresh invoked the GPS - you stop and ask a tuk tuk driver (three wheeled gas power tiny vehicle) how much to take you to your destination (25 rupees to the church - about $.75 USD) and then you follow him in your car! ļ
We hit the road for the wildlife sanctuary - two and half hours of very special roads and little towns. I am not sure at what point my organs will return to their natural resting place ?!?!
The place we are staying is a friend of Delip's resort. It is incredible - tucked away inside a huge coffee plantation - very green with tons of different vegetation and very relaxing. They have three beautiful dogs so we got a little fix of animal loving - but not the same as loving ours!! The name of the resort is Tranquil (www.tranquilresort.com). It is absolutely wonderful ¡V take a minute and look at the website ¡V it is a very special place and the managers (Victor and Ginny) are so welcoming!! The food is fabulous as well.
In the game park we saw elephants, buffalo, wild boar, monkeys, spotted deer, vultures, peacocks and wild chickens (which they asked me to call jungle fowl!). I accidently stepped in elephant poop ¡V just as unpleasant as any other kind!!
Now ....
Tuesday morning off to Chennai (where my husband¡¦s best friend Suresh lives). Bags arrive no problem and Suresh's wife is waiting for us.
Southern India is very different from Northern India (at least this part). The people are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Much cleaner and more organized - a little more modern ¡V slower paced and less stressful!! We stayed at the Madras Club (Suresh is member) ¡V it¡¦s older but the rooms were spacious and adequate. We had lunch at the club (couldn¡¦t go in the dining room because the hubby was wearing shorts! You can definitely still see the British influence here).
I was in for one new experience. I had to eat with my hands for the first time. The food was served on banana leaves. Big deal you say - but it gets more challenging ...you cannot use your left hand - at all- apparently they do things with their left hand that I clearly don't!
. From an etiquette perspective, you are not even supposed to hand money with your left hand! Trust me it was hard and could be an interesting new diet plan ! By the time everyone else was done half my little bowls of Lords knows what were still full!! A sharp contrast to the lunch at the club where I had of all things Shepherd¡¦s Pie (with a fork)!! The next day we headed for the beaches. We stopped at a very neat place Dakshina Chitra - a preserved Indian village that showed all the different ways of living across the various religions. I got the henna tattoo (temporary done on my left hand (figured I might as well since you can't use your left hand for anything else!). Pretty wild looking!! We had fabulous seafood right on the beach and then saw some very interesting stone temples ( and a man in a thong - eewwhh). All the people have been very hospitable!! We had some Thai food for dinner ( a nice little break and not so different from home) and then turned in for the night.
A relaxed day in Chennai with a little sightseeing and shopping - conserving our energy for Delip's big 50th birthday party! And a party it was - held at a swanky hotel and the Indian women were all decked out - clothing and jewels!! It was a fascinating to see the women combine a mixture of Indian and Western. Suresh said it was indicative of a special occasion and not how women typically dress. We felt at home because all the music was 60's, 70's and 80's American music!! It was a really nice affair.
We got to our room at 1:30 am and had to get up at 4:30 to make our 6:00 train to Mysore- that was not so much fun!!! At the train station the porter carried three of our rolling bags 0N HIS HEAD !!!! The train was not as nice as what we experience in Europe but nowhere near as bad as people had warned me.
In Mysore we saw the railway museum which was surprisingly interesting and an incredible palace. The Mysore Palace is absolutely incredible!! It is particularly interesting because it is a collaboration of many different countries. It is definitely worth the visit! By the way ¡V in many of the religious and historic sites, you cannot wear your shoes. If you have any issues about walking barefoot, it is a good idea to bring a pair of footies to put on.
We were staying in an old palace that turned out to be a bit of a challenge! The Lalitha Mahal Palace is a gorgeous property and could be so much more than it is. The grounds and interior are quite beautiful but the ac and hot water were not working and the rooms had mold and mildew. Suresh was completely stuffed up the next morning. We shared the issues with the manager and he took 50% off of our room rate and took care of breakfast and dinner. I truly hope the fix the issues because it could be a great hotel. In the mean time, I¡¦d pick the Metropole instead.
We started our day with visiting the third largest Christian church in India -very beautiful - and saw the school girls in the courtyard learning the macarena - very cute - got a little video.
I learned something new today - the Indian GPS system. Suresh and his driver are a bit directionally challenged - and that's being kind!! They ask directions and then stop two blocks later and ask again (clearly not like American men). So today Suresh invoked the GPS - you stop and ask a tuk tuk driver (three wheeled gas power tiny vehicle) how much to take you to your destination (25 rupees to the church - about $.75 USD) and then you follow him in your car! ļ
We hit the road for the wildlife sanctuary - two and half hours of very special roads and little towns. I am not sure at what point my organs will return to their natural resting place ?!?!
The place we are staying is a friend of Delip's resort. It is incredible - tucked away inside a huge coffee plantation - very green with tons of different vegetation and very relaxing. They have three beautiful dogs so we got a little fix of animal loving - but not the same as loving ours!! The name of the resort is Tranquil (www.tranquilresort.com). It is absolutely wonderful ¡V take a minute and look at the website ¡V it is a very special place and the managers (Victor and Ginny) are so welcoming!! The food is fabulous as well.
In the game park we saw elephants, buffalo, wild boar, monkeys, spotted deer, vultures, peacocks and wild chickens (which they asked me to call jungle fowl!). I accidently stepped in elephant poop ¡V just as unpleasant as any other kind!!
Sep 7th, 2008, 02:58 PM
#27
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Okay this is the last installment. If anyone wants any more specific information and wants to see some pictures they can email me at [email protected]. I haven't gotten sophisticated enough to post my pictures out on the internet yet (any advice on a simple way to do that would be great).
Here you go ...
The next day we made the long and arduous journey to Coimbatore via Ooty. You go up a steep mountain (7800 feet) and down the other side. The roads continue to be brutal and fascinating ¡V we got held up twice on the mountain road ¡V once by a traffic jam (a car tried to pass a truck on a one lane hairpin turn and got trapped) and once by a fallen tree! The tree was apparently a big local event ¡V there must have been 50 people standing around watching this guy cut the tree up with a chain saw while live electrical wires hung dangerously close!!
Coimbatore is where Suresh¡¦s family lives and where my husband spent a lot of time 30 years ago. We stayed at Suresh¡¦s apartment so not hotel recommendations for Coimbatore. Suresh arranged a dinner with 20+ people so my husband could see all the friends and family that were so kind to him when he visited in 1977. We had breakfast with Suresh¡¦s parents and I was able to show that my eating with my hands skills were much improved!!
Then off to our last stop ¡V Cochin. Another challenging road trip of 5 hours. The worst traffic yet and now five us in the car and I got the hump (I¡¦ll keep my comments to myself but you can imagine)!! We stayed at the Taj Cochin which was a fabulous hotel with great views!! For those who asked, the 5 star hotels in India are quite nice ¡V probably more like a 4 star in the US but the service is usually over the top. Cochin is a big port town so tons of good seafood and an area they call the backwaters. The third highlight of the trip (the Taj being first, and Tranquil being second) was our tour on a houseboat through the Kerala backwaters. It was very relaxing but you see it all!
We saw people washing clothes, dishes and themselves in the river; fishing from cane poles using tapioca as bait (turns out it was the root and not the pudding ƒº - but I called the fishing ¡§pudding fish¡¨ just to make Suresh and Pete crazy); school children being ¡§bussed¡¨ in canoes and practicing their swimming skills and just really getting a feel for how these people live their lives on the river ¡V just fascinating. Incredibly we ran into the family from Tranquil who were cruising on another houseboat ¡V what are the odds?!
The last outing before our departure was to see the Chinese fishing nets that are still used on Cochin. We had to go by boat. The four of us waited on the dock for our ¡§ride¡¨ and when the boat pulled up I almost had a heart attack! It was the tiniest boat I had ever seen! I think if one of us sneezed the thing would¡¦ve probably tipped over (the things I do for my husband!) The fishing nets are over 500 years old and use tree trunks for the structure, rocks for the weights and then men walk out on the trees to raise and lower the nets. It¡¦s wild (if you Google ¡§Chinese fishing nets¡¨ you can see them ¡V pretty interesting).
Then the long journey home! We had to fly from the Cochin Airport (no a/c) to Bombay for a 6 hour layover, then JFK then Atlanta. The security in Bombay is unbelievable!! They scan your bags at check in, again at security and again when you board the flight ¡V only when you board the flight it¡¦s a 100% hand search of every bag! Now you know that¡¦s a speedy process. One American male got agitated because the security person was wrinkling his clothes and then told him his liquids could only be 3oz total ¡V the guy went bizerk ! He started screaming at the guy and calling him a moron ¡V all the other security people just stopped and stared ¡V which slowed the process down even further! ƒº Somehow the guy still got on the flight ¡V I thought for sure he was going to an Indian jail never to be heard from again ¡V definitely did not make me proud to be an American.
We had a great trip !! Suresh traveling with us through the South added a tremendous element that most of you wouldn¡¦t have the benefit of. We were so appreciative that he took all the time away from work and gave us background and a perspective that we would never have gotten from a travel guide. I¡¦ve enjoyed writing the trip report because it¡¦s allowed me to reflect on and relive the trip!
Thanks for reading and keeping up with our travels!
Here you go ...
The next day we made the long and arduous journey to Coimbatore via Ooty. You go up a steep mountain (7800 feet) and down the other side. The roads continue to be brutal and fascinating ¡V we got held up twice on the mountain road ¡V once by a traffic jam (a car tried to pass a truck on a one lane hairpin turn and got trapped) and once by a fallen tree! The tree was apparently a big local event ¡V there must have been 50 people standing around watching this guy cut the tree up with a chain saw while live electrical wires hung dangerously close!!
Coimbatore is where Suresh¡¦s family lives and where my husband spent a lot of time 30 years ago. We stayed at Suresh¡¦s apartment so not hotel recommendations for Coimbatore. Suresh arranged a dinner with 20+ people so my husband could see all the friends and family that were so kind to him when he visited in 1977. We had breakfast with Suresh¡¦s parents and I was able to show that my eating with my hands skills were much improved!!
Then off to our last stop ¡V Cochin. Another challenging road trip of 5 hours. The worst traffic yet and now five us in the car and I got the hump (I¡¦ll keep my comments to myself but you can imagine)!! We stayed at the Taj Cochin which was a fabulous hotel with great views!! For those who asked, the 5 star hotels in India are quite nice ¡V probably more like a 4 star in the US but the service is usually over the top. Cochin is a big port town so tons of good seafood and an area they call the backwaters. The third highlight of the trip (the Taj being first, and Tranquil being second) was our tour on a houseboat through the Kerala backwaters. It was very relaxing but you see it all!
We saw people washing clothes, dishes and themselves in the river; fishing from cane poles using tapioca as bait (turns out it was the root and not the pudding ƒº - but I called the fishing ¡§pudding fish¡¨ just to make Suresh and Pete crazy); school children being ¡§bussed¡¨ in canoes and practicing their swimming skills and just really getting a feel for how these people live their lives on the river ¡V just fascinating. Incredibly we ran into the family from Tranquil who were cruising on another houseboat ¡V what are the odds?!
The last outing before our departure was to see the Chinese fishing nets that are still used on Cochin. We had to go by boat. The four of us waited on the dock for our ¡§ride¡¨ and when the boat pulled up I almost had a heart attack! It was the tiniest boat I had ever seen! I think if one of us sneezed the thing would¡¦ve probably tipped over (the things I do for my husband!) The fishing nets are over 500 years old and use tree trunks for the structure, rocks for the weights and then men walk out on the trees to raise and lower the nets. It¡¦s wild (if you Google ¡§Chinese fishing nets¡¨ you can see them ¡V pretty interesting).
Then the long journey home! We had to fly from the Cochin Airport (no a/c) to Bombay for a 6 hour layover, then JFK then Atlanta. The security in Bombay is unbelievable!! They scan your bags at check in, again at security and again when you board the flight ¡V only when you board the flight it¡¦s a 100% hand search of every bag! Now you know that¡¦s a speedy process. One American male got agitated because the security person was wrinkling his clothes and then told him his liquids could only be 3oz total ¡V the guy went bizerk ! He started screaming at the guy and calling him a moron ¡V all the other security people just stopped and stared ¡V which slowed the process down even further! ƒº Somehow the guy still got on the flight ¡V I thought for sure he was going to an Indian jail never to be heard from again ¡V definitely did not make me proud to be an American.
We had a great trip !! Suresh traveling with us through the South added a tremendous element that most of you wouldn¡¦t have the benefit of. We were so appreciative that he took all the time away from work and gave us background and a perspective that we would never have gotten from a travel guide. I¡¦ve enjoyed writing the trip report because it¡¦s allowed me to reflect on and relive the trip!
Thanks for reading and keeping up with our travels!
Sep 7th, 2008, 03:26 PM
#28
Thanks for the report Merris! Another hotel option for Mysore: www.greenhotelindia.com. I was ablt to see the Chinese fishing nets from the bank, but I'm sure the view from the river was even better.
Sep 8th, 2008, 06:52 PM
#29
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Thursdayd
I wish I'd seen the Green Hotel before we went - it looks very nice. The Metropole is very nice but I believe it is more expensive. I'll share this hotel with our friend Suresh
I wish I'd seen the Green Hotel before we went - it looks very nice. The Metropole is very nice but I believe it is more expensive. I'll share this hotel with our friend Suresh
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