We have taken 10 wonderful OAT trips. In the past, when asked to chose my favorite, I always had a hard time picking one. From now on that answer will be easy - INDIA. It was without a doubt the most interesting trip we’ve ever taken. When we scheduled a 25-day trip, I thought that might be too long, but when it was time to return home, I could hardly believe the trip was finished. We had done a lot of research on India - reading books and watching movies and documentaries - and were well-prepared as far as what to expect in India. Even so, there were sights in India that were both far worse and also more splendid than we had imagined. India is a country that must be experienced, and you will have a different outlook on life after that experience.

We began with the pre-trip to Bhutan, an experience not to be missed. The country was even more beautiful than we had expected, with views of the Himalayas, lush, green countryside, and deep valleys with high green hills. The people were very friendly, and it was fun to see them in their native dress and also to see the typical Bhutanese architecture. Our guide, Karchung, did an excellent job of teaching us about life in Bhutan and taking advantage of unscheduled opportunities to experience some of that life. Two highlights were a chance meeting with the 4th Queen of Bhutan, and a brief conversation with her, and an encounter with the King, where he bowed to my husband.

Then came the chaos of India - what a contrast! We loved every bit of it - the insane traffic in the cities, the contrast between the litter on the streets and the women in their beautiful saris, and the interesting aromas - even the constant honking of the horns, which after awhile seemed like the music of India. There were the nerve-wracking rides in rickshaws, the dodging around cows and water buffalo, and the constant hassle of beggars and hawkers. All put together, it was life in India. While we travel to see sights like the Taj Mahal and other famous tourist spots, our main focus is to see and experience life that is different from ours. Nowhere has that contrast been greater than in India.

OAT had warned travelers to India that there would be bumpy roads, flight delays, long days on the bus, beggars and filth, and the possibility of some inconveniences in a few hotels. The hotels that OAT provided were much more than adequate. Most were quite nice, and we encountered none of the possible inconveniences like no electricity or hot water. We especially enjoyed the hotel near the Ranthambore Nature Reserve. We had an excellent guide, Ajay Dudi, who made this trip fun, as well as keeping us well informed on every aspect of the trip and on schedule. He didn’t miss an opportunity for us to have unscheduled stops that looked interesting.

So many experiences on the trip were outstanding. We loved seeing the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort in Agra and the Amber Fort in Jaipur. Among places we visited in Delhi were the Jama Masjid Mosque, the Bahai Lotus Temple, and the Qutb Minar. Staying in the OAT tented camp was fun, especially the camel ride. The Chandela temples in Khajuraho were an eye-opener. The rickshaw rides got you up close and personal with the Indian traffic. The highlight was experiencing Varanasi. Sitting in the boat and seeing the sunrise on the Ganges was incredible. I almost had to pinch myself to believe I was really there. Seeing the Ganga Aarti ceremony and the cremation site at night, and then watching life along the river the next morning really gave one a feeling for life in India.

There’s a lot to see in India, but only so much you can take in on one trip. This trip has left me with a strong desire to return to India and visit other places. I highly recommend this trip to anyone with an adventurous spirit and a willingness to accept a way of life so different from ours.

If anyone would like more information about this trip, feel free to email me at [email protected].

can you tell us more??

I would be happy to give you more details. During our time in Bhutan, our activities included visits to several beautiful dzongs, especially the Punakha Dzong, and learning about the history of Bhuddha, stopping to help some locals thresh rice in a field, visiting the National Memorial Chorten, attending a festival at a temple in Thimphu where we saw historic dances with costumes and masks, visiting the Takin Reserve to see these unusual animals,visiting the Thimphu dzong where we saw the throne room, seeing the 3rd highest mountain in the world, Mt. Kanchenjunga, and hiking to the view-point for the Tiger's Nest Monastery (a few went the whole way). It's a beautiful country and well worth visiting.

The India part of the trip started in Delhi. We stayed in the Crowne Plaza, a very nice hotel. Besides seeing the places I already mentioned, we took a rickshaw ride through the crowded Chandni Chowk Bazaar, visited a Sikh Temple, and saw the Indian government buildings.

We then drove to Jaipur. Along the way we saw many camels pulling carts and also saw monkeys along the road. We stopped at a beautiful place for lunch, the Chomu Palace Hotel. We walked through several busy markets, along with the cows and water buffalo. Besides the beautiful Amber Fort and Palace, we saw the Palace of the Winds and the Jantar Mantar Astronomical Observatory. We had dinner with a very wealthy family in a beautiful home.

Next stop was Ranthambore, where we went on several drives in the Nature Reserve hoping to see a tiger. We weren't so lucky, but did see many other animals and birds. There was also a visit to the old fort there. Then we stopped for a walk through a local village, where we were swarmed by village children. We visited the local school, and were served tea by a local family. This was an excellent experience, where we observed how most people live in the Indian countryside.

We went to the Taj Mahal in Agra early in the morning to get some beautiful photos and to avoid the crowds. It was a magical place. We had also visited the Baby Taj the previous day. The Agra Red Fort is spectacular.

We had a long day of travel, including a 3 hour train ride to Khajuharo to see the Chandela Temples. They are an incredible sight, with beautiful, detailed carvings. Then came a flight to Varanasi, where on our first night we had a very exciting rickshaw ride to the Ganges river. There the 16 people in our group went out on a row boat to see the cremation site and to watch the religious ceremony. We went out on the boat again early the next morning to see the sunrise and life along the river.
All along the way, there were brief unscheduled stops for photos or taking part in something that looked interesting to the group. This is a wonderful trip, but only if you are accepting of a very different culture. If you have any specific questions, just let me know.

We are signed up for this trip for next November. I have a question regarding flights associated with this trip. Do you know what airlines OAT used for their US customers? ON the last day of the trip, what time were the flights? We see that flights from Delhi to US leave either at 3:30 am or 6:55 sm. Did the US travelers leave Delhi early the morning after their flight into Delhi?

We are booking our airfare (frequent flyer miles) on our own and trying to coordinate with the group.

Thanks,
Meg

Hi Meg,
On our trip, all but one person took the pre-trip. We all flew from JFK on Air India to Delhi, and then on to Kolkata, etc. One final fellow traveler arrived in Delhi later in the day that we got back there from the pre-trip. He had been routed through London on British Air. I have also heard of others going through London. On the flight home, our flight on Air India was scheduled to leave at 12:30 AM, while his flight on British Air left at 3:30 AM. We had flown to Delhi from Varanasi earlier in the afternoon and checked into a hotel near the airport for a few hours rest before the night flight. I'm not sure which airline OAT is planning to use in the future.

Thanks for the information. We may end up staying in Delhi that extra day and taking the midnight flight the next night. Your trip report, by the way, was great - I am very excited about our trip, though 11 months away

I am sorry you did not see a tiger in Ranthambore. But the park is still beautiful.

Did you see Fatehpur Sikr?

My beautiful wife Donna “ she likes it when I say that” and I have booked a trip to India Feb 17th with OAT. You have been so open about the trip I thought I would ask a few questions.

Do you need to take Malaria pills?
Did anyone on the trip get sick?
What were the weight limit for luggage?
Were you on the go most of the time or a lot of down time?
Do you get to see a cremation by the Ganges? We are VERY open to other cultures.
Are there any tips you can give us? We are seasoned travelers but always willing to learn from other people.
Is there anything you wished you would have done and didn’t?
What would you do different if you went again?
The most important question as per Donna Were there a lot of “good” shopping deals?

Thank you in advance,
Bob from Florida
[email protected]

We took this trip in November, 2007--still vivid in my mind, so not that long ago.

Yes, we took malaria meds, in addition had injections for hepatitis A, polio and typhoid. Think my travel companions also had injections for Hep B, but as a former health care worker, I'd had those shots years ago.

Did anyone get sick--a few had minor tummy upsets, nothing serious.

Limit for luggage was I guess the normal 20 kilos or 44 lbs.

The cremations take place 24 hours a day in Varanasi and we were allowed to see them from a distance. Women, incidentally, are not allowed at cremations.

Don't remember much 'down' time. Would guess if you opt out of the optional tours you'd have some down time.

'Good' shopping is always available. It was a great trip--I'd love to go back. Geri

Bcalvary,
We did not take malaria meds although some on the trip did. We had no problem with insects, but did use insect repellent when we thought it might be needed.

About half of the people had some intestinal issues at one time or another, but fortunately I didn't. Take some Pepto with you and also cipro in case it persists.

We had no weight restrictions in India, but there was for flying to Bhutan, if you're going there. They always do a group check-in so it's not a crucial issue.

We did not have a lot of down time, but there was some. We had the most in Varanasi due to the flight being late to Delhi.

We saw cremations going on both times we were on the boat in the Ganges. We rowed right by the cremation site both at night and early morning and actually got off the boat near there to walk through the streets in the morning.

Shopping is very different in India. OAT takes you to some nice places, but they don't have souvenir shops like we've found other places. Everywhere you go, there will be hawkers trying to sell you things. Our guide waited until we were back on the bus and then he would bring in samples for us to look at and if we wanted them he took care of the transactions.

Tips - take along a pair of old comfortable shoes that you can throw away at the end of the trip.
If you do want to tip the beggars, only do it if no one else is around or give it to your guide to give to the beggar.
Don't be afraid to sample street food if your guide recommends it. We did and had no problems.
Some people in our group wore masks, because occasionally we encountered bad pollution.

OAT has an excellent itinerary and I'm sure you'll enjoy the trip. I hope I can go back someday.

" Our guide waited until we were back on the bus and then he would bring in samples for us to look at and if we wanted them he took care of the transactions."

OMG! Can we say "commission"?

Rec. for Cipro is out of date - nasties have been developing immunity.

Thursdaysd can you clarify Cipro is out of date? I am going to the doc tomorrow for this.

Both Duke Travel Clinic and my regular doctor told me that, and gave me prescriptions for something else. Sorry, can't remember what the something else was, and I used it (successfully) on the last trip.

I don't think hawkers give a commission. All our guide did was to take our money and hand it directly to the hawker. Besides, their stuff was so cheap that it was just fun souvenir-type stuff and I don't think there would be much of a commission on something that cost $1-2. Get real!

Piperpat, Thank you for taking the time to answer the questions. I have tried to send a private message to you but for some reason it keeps coming back. Please send a quick email to [email protected].

Thanks in advance,
Bob from Florida

Hmmm - so I should toss the Cipro?

I am still going to use it. I asked my doc and he still said to take it if needed. I have decided not to get sick anyhow.

bcalvary-
Are you doing one of OAT's extensions? We're kind of thrown by what's happening in Nepal.

There is a lot of bacterial resistance to Cipro in India, Nepal, and Thailand (and increasingly throughout SE Asia). You can take the Cipro but it might not work. Our travel clinic uses Azithromycin instead for those countries.

NGail, we are not taking any extensions ( I wish we could but we have to eat.......