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Palaces, temples and thali - another trip to India !
Its nearly 8.00am and we’re in Brisbane Airport (BNE) after leaving home two hours ago. Today we travel in economy with China Southern Airlines to New Delhi via Guangzhou. I’m sure the next 20 or so hours will just fly by (sorry).
This is our third visit to incredible India, most of the destinations will be new to us, with the exceptions being New Delhi and Jaipur. I’ve leapt out of my safe zone and forgone a dedicated travel agent to organise the trip, this could turn out fine, or not. All will be revealed. I have booked a car and driver through Namaste India who were responsive and candid. Most accommodation is reserved via booking.com with one via Airbnb, two direct bookings and one generous offer from a Fodors member. We both love to eat and cook Indian food, so I hope to raid a kitchen or two. I have a couple of guides/walks lined up, and a plethora of ideas, suggestions from Fodors friends and “stumbled across” bits. The itinerary looks like this : 3 November Arrive New Delhi 22.50, stay at On the House guesthouse in Safdarjung enclave, 2 nights. 4 November Walk with Delhi by Foot to the Mehrouli area, the oldest area in Delhi. 5 November Pick up by Namaste India driver. Drive ~ 4 hours to Mandawa Stay - Hotel Radhika Haveli in Mandawa. 3 nights Tuesday 6 November Sightseeing in Shekhawati region Painted havelis, an outdoor art gallery. Wednesday 7 November Sightseeing in Shekhawati region - and it’s Diwali ! Thursday 8 November Drive ~ 3 hours to Bikaner Stay - Jaswant Bhawan. 1 night See Junagarh Fort, Rat temple ?? Friday 9 November Drive ~ 3 hours to Osiyan Thar desert by Jeep/camel. Stay - Hacra village camel experience. 1 night Saturday 10 November Drive 3.5 hours to Ajmer Stay - Badnor House. 2 nights. Sunday 11 November Day trip to Pushkar 15 kms away. Monday 12 November Drive ~ 3 hours to Bundi Stay - Hotel Bundi Haveli. 2 nights. Tuesday 13 November Sightseeing Bundi Wednesday 14 November Drive ~ 3 hours to Jaipur Say goodbye to driver. Stay - Airbnb of artist. 2 nights Thursday 15 November Walking tour of history and street food in Jaipur with owner of Airbnb. Friday 16 November Drive 4 hrs to DEL, driver to be arranged. Jet Airways flight dep DEL 12.25, arrive ATQ 13.50 Stay - Johlz Homestay 3 nights Saturday 17/Sunday 18 November Gurinder Singh guide for two days, Golden Temple, Wagah border, street food, cooking class...thanks CaliNurse. Monday 19 November Pick up by Namaste India driver. Drive - 4 hrs to Rupnagar. Stay Prakriti Farm homestay. 2 nights Tuesday 20 November Guide for nearby Ramsar listed wetlands, morning. Wednesday 21 November Drive 2 hrs to Patiala (via Chandigarh for a look at the modern architecture). Lunch at Gymkhana Club, afternoon sights with guide, dinner with VP Singh and his wife. Stay at The Baridari Palace. 1 night Thursday 22 November Drive 4 hours to Rishikesh Stay at Yog Niketan by Sanskriti. 3 nights. Friday 23 November Decompress in Rishikesh. Saturday 24 November Day trip to Haridwar, guide from DBF maybe. Sunday 25 November Drive - 5 hrs to Delhi Stay - yet to be determined. 1 night. Monday 26 November Depart DEL 12.35 Tuesday 27 November Arrive BNE 8.30 Air train to Nerang. As with previous trips, you’re welcome to come along for the ride, warts and all, no holds barred. I value your input on places to see, things to eat or stuff to experience as we trip. So now we will crawl through security screening and pick up a few snacks. Jeez Louise, these long haul days are evil....are we there yet ? |
Looking forward to following along. Sounds like quite a trip.
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Hey Sartoric, bon voyage. Wishing you both a happy and safe journey. Will be following you.Good luck.
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Fantastic, Sartoric! Looking forward to your journey! Safe travels!
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Joining you too. Looking forward to the sights and sounds.
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oh great. Another TR from India while I am still vacillating about where to go and what to do! just stop it!
Seriously I hope you have a great time and I will be watching with enormous interest. |
Looking forward to joining you on your trip to India!
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Signing on. Sounds like a great trip. Will be interested to read how Shekhawati is doing.
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Have a wonderful time Sartoric. Will be following along as we head off to Mexico in a couple of days.
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Aww, thanks for your interest people, here we go.....
We made it to our guesthouse in New Delhi at around 1.00 am local time, which given the time difference, was almost exactly 24 hours after leaving home. To say we were buggered is an understatement. Only 15 hours were actually in the air, the rest was getting to, through, or waiting in airports. Southern China Airlines were okay, one out of the three meals was quite edible, the other two served to break up the monotony of the long flights. The staff were pleasant enough, we didn’t crash, and our luggage arrived with us, what more could you want ? Our two hours in Baiyan Airport Guangzhou only reaffirms my opinion that China is not somewhere I want to spend any time. We had a beer at the “brew pub” - AUD $28 for two small beers, even more expensive than the notoriously dear Australian airports offerings. Our e visas at New Delhis Indira Ghandi airport worked really well, with the smiling officer telling M that biometric fingerprints weren’t necessary for people over 60. Finding a working ATM was a challenge, but, third time lucky, we were good to go with the taxi driver sent by On the House guesthouse. I’m so glad I contacted them about transport, their website suggested Uber, (impossible without a working SIM, which I still don’t have) and taxis, as we all know, can be problematic. To add another layer of complexity, our guesthouse is located in a gated community, where the usual gate is shut at 10 pm, and our flight landed at 10.50 pm. They offered to send their regular taxi guy, who cost about 1200 rupees including wait time. A night watchman carried our two small suitcases to the third floor, unlocked the door to the “cedar” room, pointed to the remote control for the tv and promptly left. Anyway, our room is highly decorative but functional, the bed firm (we probably could have slept on a brick wall last night) and breakfast this morning was adequate, cornflakes, apple juice, a masala omelette with toast and jam, plus coffee. Good to go, we took Mr Taxi to the Qutub Minar metro station to meet our arranged guide from Delhi by Foot, and avoid the hassle of figuring out how to actually use the metro. Lots of angst followed... coming up in the next instalment. |
Glad you made it OK, worried about the angst.
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oh good, I love a cliffhanger.
Great beginning to the TR, if not to the trip. |
Oh, dear, waiting for the next installment! But let me say now, Welcome to India!
I just completed my e-visa application and my brain is hurting from all the tedious detail! |
Yikes! Hope everything’s okay.
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Signing on.......
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Everything’s good. And yes, the visa process is excruciating. Thanks for reading and sorry for the following long post. I set up the story and now must tell it. Going forward, I will work on my brevity tool.
So Mr Taxi got us to the Qutub Minar metro station about 15 minutes early. He offered to wait with us until the guide arrived, but I said “no, not necessary, you can go”. That was my first mistake. We chilled for 15 minutes, politely fending off the 100 or so auto rickshaw drivers who wanted to take us to Qutub Minar. Twenty minutes past the appointed hour, concern crept in, and I started looking for the details of who the guide is, his phone number and where exactly we were to meet. Doh, the email was downloaded to my iPad and not the phone, I have not yet bought an Indian SIM, and the iPad was back at the guesthouse. Second mistake. After 30 minutes of silently berating myself, I went through the security system into the station itself, sheez, there are 8 exits. Surely the guide would have been looking for us.... Eventually, when another auto rickshaw guy offered to help, I asked him to hotspot me some wifi. No way, but he did suggest asking at customer care in the station. Okay, back through security to an awkwardly located customer care booth, where the older gentleman took one look at me, pushed back his chair and got a young guy. Young guy whipped out his own phone, gave me his hotspot password, and I downloaded the details of the guide. Back outside I tried several times calling the guide, the phone calls went unanswered. Another young guy who had been loitering outside the station tried calling the number for me...same result. So then he called Delhi by Foot head office. Yay, a person answered. It turned out our guide had been pickpocketed of his phone on the metro and was at the police station reporting the theft. We were asked to wait where we were, he wouldn’t be long. I felt somewhat vindicated in using Mr Taxi, relieved that we hadn’t blown the $145 (prepaid) cost of the tour, and a bit smug that I’d rescued the day, albeit with the help of two nice young men. The tour guide turned up, he was an hour late, but off we went. The tour itself was not what I expected given the company came highly recommended, their website looked great, and the cost. I’d give it a 5 out of 10, perhaps the guy was rattled after the phone loss. He spent an inordinate amount of time explaining the history of the 7 ancient cities of Delhi, which he illustrated with coloured stones while we’re standing in the dirt outside Jamali Kamalis tomb. We visited several more mosques and tombs in the Mehrauli Archeological Park, dusty green and covered in litter and graffiti. A shame really, with a bit of care it would look much better. The walk through the old city and a working mosque was more interesting, the markets lively in the lead up to Diwali and just when it started to look really interesting, guide decided time was up. I protested, what about the street food that was supposed to be included? He begrudgingly bought us a snack, and gave us an extra 10 minutes to eat it, then rustled up an auto to take us away. What about Hauz Khas village ? The auto would take us there. It didn’t. We got dropped off at a deer park, pointed in the general direction of Hauz Khas and set free. No tip for Mr Guide. The day actually turned out okay, we missed Hauz Khas, but we eventually found our way back to On the House, refreshed ourselves with a little duty free gin and tonic, then set out to find a restaurant. Our dinner was fantastic, dum biryani, tandoori mushrooms, marinated paneer and garlic naan, washed down with cold Kingfisher beer. Magical sleep followed until 3.15 am when the time change had me wide awake. Tomorrow we would meet our driver for the next 9 days. Fingers crossed he’s a good one. |
Ugh! That kind of thing is why I prefer guide books! I did Qutb Minar, and in fact all of Delhi, on my own (before the metro, too). And yes, a lot of the Indian sites are/were in dire need of TLC, especially the Muslim ones. At least Humayun's Tomb got cleaned up, and I think they may be working on the tombs at Hyderabad.
Hope the driver is good. If not, ask for a new one before things get too dire. |
Sartoric!!!!! Good morning to you in India!
Found this earlier today. Apologies for being a bit late to the followers’ party. Some inevitable questions and comments soon, but for now, just want to say hello. So glad you’re sharing your story. Love it all, including the warts and “no holds barred” observations! If you’d like, I can recommend a reasonably priced, delightful small B and B (owner lives downstairs) that t is pretty close to the airport, for your last night prior to departure from New Delhi. Let me know...: Looking forward to the next installment. Travel, eat, and drink well!!! |
Here's hoping the rest of the trip is less angst-ridden than the start!
I'm looking forward to seeing and reading about the rest of the trip - the Shekhawati region intrigues me, and I expect that you'll have some wonderful photos. And the rest of the itinerary looks fantastic! I haven't yet made my second visit to India, and now you're tempting me to plan a third! Oh -- got my approval for my e-visa in less than 48 hours! Amazing! |
Thanks CaliNurse, will let you know. Currently considering staying an extra night in Rishikesh, then flying from Dehruden to Delhi on the morning of our flight home. Yes, Progol, painful but quick was my experience too with the e visa. I’m having trouble posting photos at the moment, will do when I can.
After an embarrassing early morning faux pas (beckoned outside to meet the driver, I wrongly assumed the Indian man approaching was him - err wrong, that guy was another another guest) I met our driver Ramesh. R hails from Dharamsala (where they banned single use plastic bags 20 years ago, how progressive) and is enthusiastic, knowledgeable and on our page. I think we’ll be fine. We set off for Mandawa in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan by 8.30 expecting a four hour drive. It was more like 7 hours, don’t trust Rome2rio for drive times in India. The traffic and air pollution in New Delhi is horrendous, a BBC article posted yesterday, said it was 20 times above the recommended safe level, and the worst in years. The sun was a bright red spot in the hazy morning sky. Namaste India loaned me a SIM card, so after an hour or so we stopped at a small town to top it up. Long story short... an hour later I had a working SIM with data, BUT - a new SIM had to be registered under Ramesh’s name, I had to promise R that I wouldn’t call anyone in Pakistan, we had attracted a plethora of interested strangers to the phone shop, had a cup of masala chai (courtesy shop owner) and I found a rather nice necklace in the dirt outside. Husband M has a full grey beard and is invariably called Mr Singh or Baba, he’s loving it. Radhika Haveli in Mandawa is beautiful. It’s a restored mansion with 12 guest rooms and is highly decorative. It’s on the Haveli tourist trail, many people stop in to see the common areas. The staff are unfailingly kind, although I couldn’t help thinking of Fawlty Towers when we waited over an hour for dinner. There were only two other couples in the dining room, and one of them gave up and left before their meal arrived. The food was not bad, and we were assured everything was cooked fresh. M reckons he saw an Uber eats driver pull up (kidding). Slept soundly until call to prayer at 5 am. |
lol, sartoric - an indian Fawlty towers! I hope the service improves.
as for the resolution of the cliff hanger I was expecting something much worse - I'm so relieved I was wrong. Glad the sleep patterns are resolving too. Looking forward to a lot more. |
Really enjoying the travel experiences in India. Sad to note some parts of Delhi were still not clean, although Prime Minister Modi has been promoting Clean India. Sad to hear that pollution is also bad. Wish the folks would make India a healthier place for all.
I am thrilled to follow your trail in India as I am also planning another trip as soon as I can. My biggest problem is obtaining a visa for India. The online forms are horrible. Progol--you seem to be working on an e-visa. That is something new. Do share your experience and some tips for me. I am just really frustrated and trying to find some visa agent to help me. But have not found someone reliable. So, maybe your experience will assist me and I can travel to India and enjoy some new sights and delicious food too. Well, it is Diwali time, so waiting to hear about the festivities. |
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Anything on schedule in India would surprise me. The charm is the 'method and order' in the chaos & anarchy thats India. Hiccups expected on a regular basis.A country where nobody is in a hurry.Turning up on time raises eye-brows.
Satoric, you have experienced all of this, still taking it in your stride.Admirable.Way to go gal !! Nice pics. The palace looks lovely. The vegetarian Shekhawati thali is a lot more elaborate.Running through one would need a great appetite.Your thali seems sumptuous. Guess it was Monica's roof-top restaurant.A cold Kingfisher beer....great place to watch the night sky lit up today. Happy Diwali Sartoric & all you lovely fodorites !! |
Delhi is in a geographically complex location.The city which was once heaven in the past is now 'living' hell. The Himalayas to the north-east ushers in cold winds which fog up the capital.This fog turns to smog with the crop burning in Haryana and Punjab, The dusty dry wind of deserts of Rajasthan,blowing fine dust. The heavy industries in Noida add the necessary pollutants.The diesel vehicles contribute significantly too,along with the 25 million people who call it home.This toxic cocktail hangs in the air, especially in the winter.A gas chamber of sorts.
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That thali looks good! And your "palace" is beautiful!
sartoric, just a few more thoughts... I would never, ever try to do same day flights (unless it's on the same ticket) before an international flight, especially in India! Please fly into Delhi the day or night before! Just saying.... <<Progol--you seem to be working on an e-visa. That is something new. Do share your experience and some tips for me. I am just really frustrated and trying to find some visa agent to help me. But have not found someone reliable. So, maybe your experience will assist me and I can travel to India and enjoy some new sights and delicious food too.>> ileen, there are a few online unofficial guides which might help, but it's more tedious than difficult. Perhaps start another thread and over the weekend, when I have time, I'll see if I can find the few online resources I used for guidance. |
Ha ha inquest, Delhi as a gas chamber is an apt description. The eyebrows are working overtime here, I’m perpetually punctual.
Progol, I would generally agree about same day flights (especially in India), still might risk it, never claimed on travel insurance before ! ileen, what Progol said is right, they’re more tedious than difficult. They still want to know what you had for breakfast, and ensure you have no connection (however tenuous) to Pakistan. At least the form is more stable than previously. Today reinforced why I love India. The hotel recommended a guide, and we easily agreed to pay the price - 500 rupees, or about $10. We set off at 10.00 for a two hour tour with Krishna. He was informative, engaging and an all round nice guy, 23 years old with a strong social justice bent. The havelis we saw were awesome. The artwork, the architecture, the evocative images of times past... he made it very real. I know a lot more about Shekhawati merchants and Hindu gods now. We ended up at his sisters shop... yes, I know, but there was absolutely no pressure to buy anything (we didn’t), enjoyed the chai, and now have an invite to their house for tomorrow’s Diwali celebration. We wandered the market admiring displays set up for Diwali sweets, the myriad fruit and vegetables, the shiny pots and pans, and oh my, the soft camel leather shoes. I’m trying to become a minimalist...one more pair of shoes wouldn’t hurt right ? A late lunch of thali at Mandawa Haveli restaurant was so delicious, spicy eggplant, tomato paneer, the local tiny green beans, creamy potatoes, spinach paneer, chapatis, pappads, and salad veggies....a perfect visual and taste sensation. The garden setting was pleasant, leafy and quiet until five Royal Enfield motorbikes roared up the pathway and parked a meter away. This was a tour group called Indian Rides, four kiwi guys and their guide. If you’re into motorcycles this would be a great way to see India. A young man who works at the hotel is Rajah, M had seen him earlier today with a dog on a lead, so I had to ask about the dog. Did we want to go to his house to meet the dog ? You bet, so off we went, met Lucy the dog, several aunties and grandma, had yet another cup of tea and admired the spacious home. How to tell him that it’s not good to keep Lucy chained ? Haven’t figured that out yet. We’d seen a sign for Gwala rooftop restaurant, read reviews and decided to try it for dinner. Google maps indicated it was only 50 meters away, but we just couldn’t find it. So, we asked at reception, lol, it was on our roof ! Snacks, beer, bed. |
A sensation is a good way to describe your lunch. Sounds like you've found your groove and are diving into the authentic people experiences.
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sartoric, your experience with your guide sounds terrific! And how lovely that you have an invite for Diwali! I'm sure that will be special. Photos are definitely expected! I love how you keep meeting people and getting invites to their house!
Funny story about the Google maps and your rooftop restaurant! LOL, walk all around and it turns out to be right where you started! |
Thanks for your comments TP and progol, the two things I love most about India are the food and the people, not necessarily in that order.
Day trip to Nawalgarh. It’s about an hours drive to the town of Nawalgarh through dry, dusty and mostly cleared brown land. Kika trees dot the landscape, spiky thorny things that are grown for camel food. Apparently their lips can suck the leaves off without touching the spikes. Newly sown wheat was popping up bright green shoots, adding a bit of contrast to the ever brown. The usual tractors, crazy buses, camel carts, donkey carts and every other mode of transport all share this poorly maintained bumpy road. Driver R lined up a guide to spend about two hours with us for 400 INR. Restoration work by a team of 25 men is ongoing at the Morarka Haveli museum, although because today is Diwali and a public holiday, no one is working. We had this beautiful, mostly restored haveli to ourselves. All rooms were accessible and we finished just as other visitors arrived. A less complete restoration was evident at Bhansidar Baghat haveli, again no other tourists, and it was interesting to see the contrast. Many rooms here were completely unrestored. It’s a shame so many have been allowed to fall into such disrepair. Both these haveli were built in the late 19th century. A third haveli we saw is now a luxury hotel, the Grand Haveli & Resort. Havelied out, we wander the market, absolutely heaving with people making last minute Diwali purchases. Lonely Planet describes it as a “largely pedestrianised market”, be aware, there’s still a trillion motorbikes driven by crazy young men. The people were very friendly and happy to pose for photos. Tour over, we had lunch at Bungli, a reportedly popular restaurant, but not so much today with only two other guests. We ordered far too much food, and it was so good we ate the lot...eggplant bhaji, aloo jeera, okra, spinach paneer, two breads and rice. Plus beer, cold Kingfisher, perfect. Dundlod is a small town we stopped at on the way back to Mandawa. It has a 17th century fort which we wandered around, several more haveli museums which we didn’t visit and a small but lively market. We needed to buy sweets for Diwali gifts, so off to the Mandawa market we went. Purchases made we had a rooftop beer at Mandawa Haveli and watched the sky soften into sunset colours, lovely. Funny incident back at our beautiful Radhika Haveli. It is very much on the tourist trail with many large groups visiting to admire the artwork. One such group was milling in the central courtyard when we returned. M was ahead of me and had unlocked the padlock to our room while I dawdled. A woman followed me closely, almost into the room. “Have a look” I said, and she did, crossing the threshold. The other 20 or so French tourists gathered at the doorway, stepped inside, took their photos (complete with messy bed and our stuff everywhere), nodded thanks and left. M and I laughed for a good half hour. Up next, Diwali celebrations. |
I'm loving your report! The food descriptions and photos are making me hungry!
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Waiting for more. Thanks!
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oh what great experiences. I am so looking forward to reading about your Dawali celebrations.
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Following, and having a wonderful vicariously enjoyable time doing so as your love for India was rekindled and reinforced. Thank you!
So glad you've had great guides after the first day 's fiasco. Loved how you said "he made it real" Exactly--a great guide makes it come alive! \Can hardly wait t for the next segment... |
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1b6cd4bb5.jpeg
Nawalgarh market https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...25612a261.jpeg Photo bombed https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b6d769277.jpeg Morarka Haveli https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...27bed2818.jpeg The roofs of Nawalgarh |
Loving this report! Wonderful photos! I love the shot of the rooftops and of course, the colors of the marketplace. I see you’re contributing your own bright colors, too! That is you, isn’t it, wearing the lovely blue outfit?
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Such a lovely report, great photos. I am so jealous that you are having so much fun at Diwali in India.
The sweets are so very, very sugary and many of them are so delicious. My mouth is watering. So keep enjoying. So try some sweets like a "laddoo," "Jalebi" (my favorite when freshly prepared in the morning and served Hot), "Rasmalai" and very popular during cooler months "Gajar Halwa." Waiting for some Diwali photographs. Have a safe trip and enjoy the moments. |
The architecture is very interesting. I would love to visit for this reason alone.
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Following every word of it and loving it immensely!
Keep them coming sartoric. |
Thanks to all for your encouragement. Yes, progol, that was me in the market. CaliNurse can I have the details of your guesthouse in Delhi, decided not to risk same day flights. Ileen, we will be looking out for those sweets !
My strategy for Diwali was to spend the three nights leading up to the finale in one small place and ingratiate ourselves to become “family” for a short time. It worked well. We donned our finest Indian clothes and headed up to the rooftop with the other guests of Radhika Haveli. Here we lit hundreds of small candles to stand in the wall cutouts, it looked beautiful with fireworks exploding into the night sky. We shared sweets and stories with the other travellers, then Rajah procured a bottle of Indian rum and it was drinks all round. Our guides brother in law came to lead us to their family home, a warren of alleyways, narrow stairs and sharp corners. Waiting for us was a simple but delicious thali which we ate with delight, then it was time for the puja. The family shrine was in a small separate room, I followed instructions, and was blessed along with sister and grandma while wearing a red bejewelled shawl. We both received a red forehead dot for good luck. Sister decorated my right hand and arm up to the elbow with henna in an elaborate swirling pattern. Then it was fireworks time ! The family have two small boys who were the chief lighters of rockets. There were giant sparklers to hold, all very dangerous to my mind, coming from a country that banned fireworks so many years ago. To add another element of risk, we were standing on a narrow balcony, many floors up with a balustrade about 15 cm high. We survived. After thanks all round, on our return to Radhika, Rajah was waiting for us with special rockets to light. Oh my ! These were huge colourful Catherine wheels that lit up the sky in every shade. Rajah and I retired to sit in the small alcove outside our room for deep and meaningful conversations about life, love and the universe. He’s a smart young man who will go far. A huge night. On departure the next morning we took photos together, and were gifted two Rajasthani puppets as a reminder of our stay. An unforgettable experience. Tomorrow, into the Thar desert and Bikaner. |
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