Only 9 days in India
Jun 19th, 2008, 11:42 AM
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Only 9 days in India
I am planning on a trip to India with my adult daughter in November. I know that 8-9 days is very short to really see the country but that's all the time we have. I can fly into either Delhi or Mumbai. Could someone please suggest a doable itinerary that will give us at least a taste of India?
We enjoy upscale hotels and our budget would only rule out the ridiculously expensive hotels (Over $500 night.)
Do you agree that a private car and driver is the way to go for two females traveling alone?
Any suggestions would be so appeciated.
Firenz
We enjoy upscale hotels and our budget would only rule out the ridiculously expensive hotels (Over $500 night.)
Do you agree that a private car and driver is the way to go for two females traveling alone?
Any suggestions would be so appeciated.
Firenz
Jun 19th, 2008, 01:32 PM
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Without knowing anything about your interests, which you don’t state (i.e. city versus country, museums versus hiking), I will give you some general advice to start:
1. Most likely you should fly into Delhi. With only 9 days, you do not need to bother with Mumbai. If you wanted to do a southern itinerary, then Mumbai might be convenient in terms of getting flights to the south, but I would not budget any time for Mumbai (and you can generally get to the gateway cities of the south from Delhi about as easily). My other suggestion is to look into the possibility of flying into India from Bangkok, which will give you the option of going straight to Varanasi, see below. Also, if you are interested in a southern itinerary, look into flying into Bangalore or Hyderabad from say Singapore or elsewhere. Delhi and Mumbai are no longer the only international gateways to India and often don’t make sense for an itinerary that does not include them. For example, if you want to go to Amritsar, a very interesting city in north west India, you could fly there non-stop from London on Jet Airways. That would be an easy way to get into India and avoid the hullabaloo of Delhi or Mumbai airports.
2. With only 8-9 days, I would not try to “do” more than 2 places with a possible 3rd if it is close by and transport is convenient (does that mean 8-9 IN India, or 8-9 days with international flights as well on those days? If so, stick to 2 places or you will spend all your time in a car or train or airports.)
3. India is quite safe, even for “two females” (I am a female and travel alone there by myself quite frequently), so you need not lock yourself away in a car. With your limited time, you will be flying the longer distances in any event, and for shorter distances (e.g., Delhi to Agra) you can choose the train or the car, the train is faster and is perfectly fine. Within cities, hire a car and driver for the day.
4. International-class hotels in India are on the expensive side to begin with, and you are going in high season, so you will find hotels to be even more expensive, unless you go more basic, which you may not enjoy. "Upscale" hotels in India in November will come close to and in many cases exceed the US$500 mark (the Amarvilas in Agra will cost you about US$750, before taxes, assuming you can get a room at this point for November), but look around and see what you can find. A 2-3 star hotel in India is not an experience I would relish, but would do in Europe (e.g. Switzerland) with not a lot of worry (I know in the latter that the electricity will work, and it will be very clean; two things I would not at all assume about an Indian 2 star or in many cases, a 3 star.) That being said, try Alistair Sawday's book called <i>Special Places to Stay India</i>. This has literally hundreds of very interesting places to stay, many in the range of less than US$60 a night and several in the range of less than US$30 a night. They also have a website at http://sawdays.co.uk/, click on the book for India. The vast majority of these hotels are not in the luxury range and some are in the very low budget range, but all look interesting.
5. I am guessing that you probably want to do the typical tourist route and see the Taj Mahal and then a part of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaislamer or a smaller place in between. Even in you skip Delhi (which is perfectly acceptable if that is what you want, although Delhi offers very good museums, some very good sites like the Red Fort, Friday Mosque, Gandhi’s cremation ground and the Qutab Minar just to name a few, and very good shopping and restaurants and has good cultural offerings), with only 8-9 days this will be a logistical challenge. This will of course only give you a taste of northern India, but should be enjoyable and is somewhat representative (not of geography, but of people, food, religions). Personally, I would suggest adding Varanasi if you can as this is one of the holiest and most interesting places, but this may not work with your schedule. The problem is generally Agra, which you will most likely have to get to by car or train on both ends, which will take up time. You can now fly into Agra, Kingfisher offers service but only to/from a few cities and the flight schedules do not always work. See http://www.flykingfisher.com/
If you are interested in Varanasi, you might consider doing either a round trip or the first leg of an open jaw ticket from your home airport to <u>Bangkok</u>, because you can fly from Bangkok to Varanasi. You might want to look into flight schedules and see how it all works, but Thai Airways goes to Varanasi five times a week from Bangkok. I don’t know that I would give up a non-stop flight from the US to Delhi to do this route, but given the choice of a non-stop to Bangkok and then a connection on to Varanasi, I would seriously consider the latter as a good route that would save you time on a short trip. From Varanasi, you can fly to Delhi and then do the rest of the itin more easily. (It is also possible to fly from Varanasi to Agra via Kingfisher and a connection in Delhi, but it is a tight one, but you might look into that. Kingfisher is IMO the best airline in India and certainly would rank up there with the better international carriers.).
If you can bring yourself to skip the Taj Mahal, you have more time for other places, but many people find that hard to do on a first trip to India. Or if you want a different experience, you could go to a beach area along the west coast (avoid the east in November, too rainy). You could also consider places like Ladakh which are quite different in terms of geography and culture than other parts of India and more off the beaten tourist track.
1. Most likely you should fly into Delhi. With only 9 days, you do not need to bother with Mumbai. If you wanted to do a southern itinerary, then Mumbai might be convenient in terms of getting flights to the south, but I would not budget any time for Mumbai (and you can generally get to the gateway cities of the south from Delhi about as easily). My other suggestion is to look into the possibility of flying into India from Bangkok, which will give you the option of going straight to Varanasi, see below. Also, if you are interested in a southern itinerary, look into flying into Bangalore or Hyderabad from say Singapore or elsewhere. Delhi and Mumbai are no longer the only international gateways to India and often don’t make sense for an itinerary that does not include them. For example, if you want to go to Amritsar, a very interesting city in north west India, you could fly there non-stop from London on Jet Airways. That would be an easy way to get into India and avoid the hullabaloo of Delhi or Mumbai airports.
2. With only 8-9 days, I would not try to “do” more than 2 places with a possible 3rd if it is close by and transport is convenient (does that mean 8-9 IN India, or 8-9 days with international flights as well on those days? If so, stick to 2 places or you will spend all your time in a car or train or airports.)
3. India is quite safe, even for “two females” (I am a female and travel alone there by myself quite frequently), so you need not lock yourself away in a car. With your limited time, you will be flying the longer distances in any event, and for shorter distances (e.g., Delhi to Agra) you can choose the train or the car, the train is faster and is perfectly fine. Within cities, hire a car and driver for the day.
4. International-class hotels in India are on the expensive side to begin with, and you are going in high season, so you will find hotels to be even more expensive, unless you go more basic, which you may not enjoy. "Upscale" hotels in India in November will come close to and in many cases exceed the US$500 mark (the Amarvilas in Agra will cost you about US$750, before taxes, assuming you can get a room at this point for November), but look around and see what you can find. A 2-3 star hotel in India is not an experience I would relish, but would do in Europe (e.g. Switzerland) with not a lot of worry (I know in the latter that the electricity will work, and it will be very clean; two things I would not at all assume about an Indian 2 star or in many cases, a 3 star.) That being said, try Alistair Sawday's book called <i>Special Places to Stay India</i>. This has literally hundreds of very interesting places to stay, many in the range of less than US$60 a night and several in the range of less than US$30 a night. They also have a website at http://sawdays.co.uk/, click on the book for India. The vast majority of these hotels are not in the luxury range and some are in the very low budget range, but all look interesting.
5. I am guessing that you probably want to do the typical tourist route and see the Taj Mahal and then a part of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaislamer or a smaller place in between. Even in you skip Delhi (which is perfectly acceptable if that is what you want, although Delhi offers very good museums, some very good sites like the Red Fort, Friday Mosque, Gandhi’s cremation ground and the Qutab Minar just to name a few, and very good shopping and restaurants and has good cultural offerings), with only 8-9 days this will be a logistical challenge. This will of course only give you a taste of northern India, but should be enjoyable and is somewhat representative (not of geography, but of people, food, religions). Personally, I would suggest adding Varanasi if you can as this is one of the holiest and most interesting places, but this may not work with your schedule. The problem is generally Agra, which you will most likely have to get to by car or train on both ends, which will take up time. You can now fly into Agra, Kingfisher offers service but only to/from a few cities and the flight schedules do not always work. See http://www.flykingfisher.com/
If you are interested in Varanasi, you might consider doing either a round trip or the first leg of an open jaw ticket from your home airport to <u>Bangkok</u>, because you can fly from Bangkok to Varanasi. You might want to look into flight schedules and see how it all works, but Thai Airways goes to Varanasi five times a week from Bangkok. I don’t know that I would give up a non-stop flight from the US to Delhi to do this route, but given the choice of a non-stop to Bangkok and then a connection on to Varanasi, I would seriously consider the latter as a good route that would save you time on a short trip. From Varanasi, you can fly to Delhi and then do the rest of the itin more easily. (It is also possible to fly from Varanasi to Agra via Kingfisher and a connection in Delhi, but it is a tight one, but you might look into that. Kingfisher is IMO the best airline in India and certainly would rank up there with the better international carriers.).
If you can bring yourself to skip the Taj Mahal, you have more time for other places, but many people find that hard to do on a first trip to India. Or if you want a different experience, you could go to a beach area along the west coast (avoid the east in November, too rainy). You could also consider places like Ladakh which are quite different in terms of geography and culture than other parts of India and more off the beaten tourist track.
Jun 20th, 2008, 05:23 PM
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Dear Cicerone,
WOW! Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed answer. You have given us a lot to think about. I will be on business in Dubai so I will be flying in from there. My daughter will be arriving via the US.
We would be most interested in museums and sites rather than hiking or beaches. The consensus seems to be to skip Mumbai...no problem. You're right, it's kind of hard to go to India and not go to Agra.
Thanks again...I'm sure I'll be asking other questions soon.
Firenz
WOW! Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed answer. You have given us a lot to think about. I will be on business in Dubai so I will be flying in from there. My daughter will be arriving via the US.
We would be most interested in museums and sites rather than hiking or beaches. The consensus seems to be to skip Mumbai...no problem. You're right, it's kind of hard to go to India and not go to Agra.
Thanks again...I'm sure I'll be asking other questions soon.
Firenz
Jun 22nd, 2008, 04:20 PM
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For a "short" stay (by Indian standards) I would fly into Delhi.
Visit Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. You can fly to Jaipur and Agra. It is also easy to have a driver from Delhi to Agra.
Check ahead for days that attractions are closed. For example, last I check the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays.
Two women travelling together should be safe. BUT...have your itinerary planned out, don't wing it as you go.
Rent a car and English speaking driver through a licensed service. Make sure the driver KNOWS his way around the area of where you want him to take you. Have the service explain to the driver that you have paid for the service and do not owe the driver any money along the route.
As with anywhere, keep valuables on you, not in the car while sightseeing. Keep jewelry minimal, maintain a modest dress code.
Keep a few water bottles with you as you go sightseeing. Bring granola bar/fruit bars type of thing from US so you can snack while travelling. I also bring moist hand wipes.
The biggest risk to women is travelling alone at night, especially if you have been drinking and appear impaired.
Staying in upscale hotels is a good choice in India.
Have a good trip. Reply with any questions, I will try to help.
Visit Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. You can fly to Jaipur and Agra. It is also easy to have a driver from Delhi to Agra.
Check ahead for days that attractions are closed. For example, last I check the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays.
Two women travelling together should be safe. BUT...have your itinerary planned out, don't wing it as you go.
Rent a car and English speaking driver through a licensed service. Make sure the driver KNOWS his way around the area of where you want him to take you. Have the service explain to the driver that you have paid for the service and do not owe the driver any money along the route.
As with anywhere, keep valuables on you, not in the car while sightseeing. Keep jewelry minimal, maintain a modest dress code.
Keep a few water bottles with you as you go sightseeing. Bring granola bar/fruit bars type of thing from US so you can snack while travelling. I also bring moist hand wipes.
The biggest risk to women is travelling alone at night, especially if you have been drinking and appear impaired.
Staying in upscale hotels is a good choice in India.
Have a good trip. Reply with any questions, I will try to help.
Jun 22nd, 2008, 11:49 PM
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Stick to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur with a night stay at say Samode Palace. You may squeeze in Ranthambore, to break the monotony. It is advisable though not to make a plan like a sales tour, for at the end everything becomes a blur!
Happy Hunting!!
Happy Hunting!!
