The Best Exotic Off-Season Holiday: Udaipur/Varanasi/Agra/ Delhi
 

In late August we dropped our youngest son off at college. Twenty-two years of 24/7 parenting suddenly over in a flash.

How to celebrate the transition from sprite soccer parents to achy empty nesters? After much agonizing, we decided on something epic: a round-the-world journey to see the highlights of northern India and find enlightenment for the years to come. In spite of serious obsessions with both exotic travel and dal, neither of us had been to the subcontinent. It was time.

Or was it?

For the trip to coincide with a big birthday and work with our schedules, late September or late October were the only possible options. In September we could manage 11 days on the ground, in October only 8.5. We read multiple trip reports and sent out a desperate query to Fodorites (thanks, India veterans!) but worried that October would be too whirlwind and September too wet.

DEDICATION:
The dogster became very involved in our trip planning. He called it a “sign” when AA canceled the flight we were holding for the eight-day October trip. And in a deleted thread he also said September would be fine monsoon-wise if we “hunkered down,” and suggested the stunning restored palace in rural Rajasthan, Devi Garh, now my favorite hotel in the world.

This trip report is dedicated to him.

BOTTOM LINE:
A magical vacation. Though we are seasoned travelers, we spent most of our time gazing at everything in awe. The sights were breathtaking, the people welcoming, the food delicious, the street life mind-blowing, the discounts impressive…and the weather just fine.

We’re not really spiritual types, but we found ourselves doing yoga, meditating, having ayurvedic treatments, chanting with a Krishna priest during our own private aarti ceremony and achieving peace and serenity at the Anokhi outlet store.

We also saw the requisite wonders, swam in idyllic pools, hung out with locals in the village, flew kites from our rooftop, sampled art/music/dance, consumed only vegetarian food, took thousands of photos and survived a Bollywood film in the most odious of Odeons.

For the most part the monsoon cooperated. And neither of us got sick.

There were a few photography mishaps, shopping regrets, and a Ganges water level issue. But all in all, it was one of those life-altering trips, especially because Mr. C and I discovered we could be great travel companions without our offspring. Since our return we’ve been burning incense, greeting each other with “Namaste,” and still haven’t gone back to eating meat.

Thanks for the report Judy. I have persuaded my wife to do a real trip to India this winter so hope to see some of your photos and more stories!

Oh I'm looking forward to hearing more!

Oh, I've been awaiting your report! We are thinking next year we may go back to India, after all we have 10 year visas. Great start and the perfect dedication to dogster... falling in love with India.

I've been looking forward to this. We found the vegetarian diet in India to be quite satisfying and have had many meatless meals since. Need to hear more...

I, too, am looking forward to your report. I think it is very appropriate to dedicate it to dogster. I'm sure he will be following along from overhead.

Wonderful start! Can't wait to read thhe rest!

Wonderful start to a great upcoming report.....I can just sense it.

Great dedication to a great lover of India travel -- Dogster.

Report wanted! We are following in your footsteps in February and NEED to be prepared. We will not be vegetarians. My DH will probably enjoy the "tourist Western" meals at our hotels, but that is OK because he is coming...he would rather be in Italy. This is the trip I have wanted for years, now getting.

looking forward to more for sure..

how do we know dogster will be looking DOWN?

we often ate meats in India, but very carefully.

Settling in for a good read.

An Indian chicken can certainly do you in...

Dogster is no doubt looking sideways.

No doubt dogster is hovering over an Anokhi outlet awaiting a waft of peace and serenity. Or maybe he was radiating it. Waiting for more details.

Please submit your trip report!
Thank you...

Great start and perfect dedication. Can't wait for the rest...

Thanks so much, everyone. I did feel dogster's presence, especially because many locals asked us if we were "Austrian," meaning Australian.

goodness - I will eventually get around to the trip report, but my M.O. is to cover my pre-travel neuroses in depth. I do promise to be concise when describing our actual adventures. Please bear with me.

Correction: I neglected to mention Khajuraho, one of our noteworthy destinations, in the title of this report. I am going to see if I have enough clout with the Fodors editors to get this corrected.

ITINERARY - 10-23 September

LAX-LHR-BOM – BA (AA Award)

Mumbai - 1 night Waterstones - near airport (fly to Udaipur)
Udaipur – 4 nights Devi Garh Palace (fly to Varanasi)
Varanasi – 2 nights Suryaudai Haveli (fly to Khajuraho)
Khajuraho – 1 night Lalit Temple View (driver to Orchha, train Jhansi to Agra)
Agra – 2 nights Oberoi Amarvilas (driver to Delhi)
Delhi – 1 night, B-Nineteen B&B (complimentary late checkout)

DEL-BKK-SEOUL-LAX (Thai Airways flash sale)

WEATHER/BUGS:
I think I experienced more anxiety about monsoon patterns than I did about our son leaving for college. I had heard that Europeans flock to India in September because it’s less crowded and there are great deals (30-40% off on some of our hotels), but the mere existence of these bargains made me apprehensive. I even discouraged friends from going with us because I didn’t want to take responsibility for treacherous flooding, unbearable humidity and Dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

What I feared: When I (compulsively) googled “Varanasi September,” a link from a government tourist site kept popping up, warning me that “September is not the best month to visit Varanasi,” along with similar ominous predictions for Agra and Delhi. The historical info was just as bleak.

Even during the trip, the weather sites showed little black clouds with lightning bolts for all our locations for the entire time we were traveling. One site predicted a high of 31 C (87.8F) in Agra, with a “feels like” or “comfort factor” of 48 C (118.4F).

What really happened: Two brief thunderstorms while we were in vehicles in Udaipur and Varanasi and some midday mugginess in Khajuraho and Agra. At least one glorious day in each location, others somewhat overcast in a dramatic way, lows in the mid 70s, highs in the mid 80s. None of the sweatiness in djunbug’s trip report. There were, however, limited sunrises because of morning mist, but many spectacular sunsets. And a few bites at dusk at the posh Oberoi, of all places.

What I learned: Trust dogster.

OUR SECRET FOR AVOIDING DELHI BELLY:
We both travel frequently and I have lived in Latin America, so we know the drill about preventing gastrointestinal incidents. In this case, we thought a vegetarian diet would work because we could eat the spicy food we love without worrying about the spices covering up rancid meat. But when I went to our travel doctor for Malarone, she and I had the following conversation:

DOC
You know, the only time I’ve ever gotten sick while traveling was in India.
ME
That’s awful.
DOC
It was! Are you going for work?
ME
No, I’m going for empty nest enlightenment.
DOC
I see. If you’d like, I can prescribe Rifaximin, a terrific antibiotic that stays in the intestines and doesn’t get absorbed into the bloodstream.
ME
Wow – Sounds excellent, whatever that means….
DOC
Without the Rifaximin, your chances of becoming ill in India are 50%. And with it, you’ll have just a 2% chance, although for my patients, it’s been 100% effective.
ME
Is it safe?
DOC
Yes, it’s been used for years to treat traveler’s diarrhea, but now studies show that it works as a preventative. I’ve prescribed it for those who absolutely cannot afford to get sick – rock stars, politicians and one guy who was doing a three billion dollar deal.
ME
Hmm…we were planning on just looking at temples and buying a few pashminas. But we’d prefer to stay healthy. Are you allowed to prescribe it to garden variety travelers?

Later, I got a second opinion from my internist and he too mentioned the miraculous non-absorption thing, as well as a patient who took it for a two-billion dollar deal! What are the odds of two people in the same neighborhood both doing multi-billion dollar deals in India? And bragging about the amount of their deals to their doctors? It didn’t matter, I was sold. Rifaximin for us.

A few days later Mr. C went to the pharmacy and called with good news and bad news. The good news: Our insurance covered half of our prescription. The bad: The other half cost $25 a pill, or $500 for 10 days. I guess it is designed for those who do billion dollar deals.

Loving it all, crosscheck - yup even (or maybe especially) the pre-travel neuroses.

Now I know why I'd never heard of Rifaximin!

Keep it coming! What a completely fun and delightful report!

Bookmarking. Can't wait to follow along. Still working on our February India trip..I know it is getting close, but travel partner in Peru right now and we are busy getting ready for China trip. Also wanted to wait on your feedback since we are considering a similar (but reverse direction) itinerary...Delhi to Varanasi to Khajuraho to Orchha to Agra to Udaipur to Delhi. 12 total nights on ground.

We, too, are empty nesters this fall after almost 22 years of 24/7 parenting. :-)

I love every detail of your trip and think you are channeling your inner Dogster! I visited India years ago and it's a very fond memory.

Loving your report - wish I had taken that pill, but not at those prices. Glad you had better weather than the heat we experienced. Even so - I'd do it again as India was worth it.

Looking forward to visit the place soon...

lol re finding serenity at the Anokhi outlet. That's MY kind of spirtiual nirvana!

I'll bet you understand now why the villages in Uganda and Kenya seemed so much less vibrant /colorful than expected. But of course, NOTHING compares to India.

sorry, i meant less vibrant to me--since i'd been to India first.

Wow, thanks everyone. I'm getting very close to posting the actual day-to-day trip report and appreciate your patience.

fun4all4, Congrats to your new college student, and to you on your new lifestyle and your many trips. Crazy that we came up with such similar itineraries. The adjustment has not been so easy for me- spending a lot of time cuddling with our Schnoodle. Hope you don't have to change your screen name!

Cali, Hmm...I'm not ready to compare India and Kenya. Sort of like Sophie's choice. But I will say that when it comes to India, vibrant and colorful is understatement. The wow factor is just beyond belief, on many levels.

TRIP PLANNER:
When it comes to travel I’m a DIY control freak, but for this trip we worked with Louise Nicholson (www.louisesindia.com), a British art historian who wrote the National Geographic guidebook to India, leads cultural tours (often for museum groups), plans cool luxury and mid-range independent journeys and runs a Delhi NGO for street kids. Many rave reviews from India-addict friends…and I admit that it was a great relief to research the big picture stuff, then leave the details to someone with extraordinary taste, connections and an amazing team of helpers.

LOGISTICS:
The perfect 11-day “un-Golden Triangle” itinerary – an urban/rural mash-up with smart/funny/non-drony guides, expert drivers, a road trip, a train trip, plenty of flexibility, and several downtime days on our own. Loved our eclectic mix of accommodations – a heritage palace, an Oberoi, two boutique hotels, a guest house and a haveli…this variety helped keep costs down.

Lots of VIP experiences, but nothing over the top – People kept showing up to escort us through airports during layovers, get us to the front of lines and even fill out our departure forms for us.

While at the Oberoi we got a call about a brand new super highway from Agra-Delhi. The rep suggested that we forego taking the train as planned (would have been our second train trip) and go by car at our leisure instead. Someone promptly came to collect our train tickets for a refund and we were not charged for the last-minute upgraded transportation.

Louise also provided insider shopping advice, which regretfully I didn’t always follow – I fear that a few of our purchases are available at Pier 1 for the same price we paid.

PACKING:
Not nearly as stressful as our safari. I did have a mini-meltdown about shoes because Mr. Crosscheck enforced his carry-on policy, and also became somewhat anxious when I read Louise’s travel tips, which insinuated that my all-black wardrobe would not quite cut it. Obediently packed some bright items from the bottom of my drawer, but I did spot clueless Europeans who looked just fine in dark urban colors.

We each took about three daytime and three evening outfits – which meant a) hotel laundry bliss and b) we looked the same in all of our photos. (I partially remedied this several days into the trip by purchasing some new gauzy scarves.)

Forgot to pack suitcase locks for the train trip – found these at the vegetable market in Udaipur, but never needed them because we kept our luggage with us on the train.

Important: Take an extra pair of sunglasses in case your favorite Ray Bans fall out of your rickshaw while you’re photographing an oxcart in the middle of an Old Delhi traffic jam. (Still recovering from the shock of this trauma.)

DRESS CODE:
I’m fairly certain we were the only Americans in India in September (except for some Home Shopping Network stars – more about them later). The other travelers were Europeans (French, Portuguese, Germans, Brits and many from Spain), Aussies, Japanese and ex-pat colonial types who live in Hong Kong.

Nearly all of these cosmopolitan globetrotters dressed if they came from Portland or Seattle (and we fit right in). The daytime look was outdoorsy – quick-dry convertible cargos/capris, or chic yoga wear. For evening, even at the Oberoi, women showed up in ethnic tops and men in linen drawstring pants. Mr. C lived in his Keens and I had two pairs of sandals and water resistant trail runners. Hats are a good idea, as are “temple socks,” although we never seemed to have ours with us when needed….ditto for the flashlights.

AN UNESSESSARY ACCESSORY:
Worried about yucky puddles, we packed disposable Hazmat galoshes that slip over your shoes http://www.northernsafety.com/Produc...at-Boot-Covers, not very fashionable but such a bargain at $4.95 a pair. Ordered them by phone and the sales guy said they’re a favorite of oil spill workers. They never left our suitcase until we gave them as a gift to the manager of our guest house in Delhi.

TIPS FROM MY INDIAN FRIEND
My pal Deepa is basically a California girl, but was born in Bombay (as she calls it), owns a business there and travels back frequently. She was slightly freaked that we were going during the monsoon, and assured us that her relatives could ”get us into any private hospital.”

Her advice:
- Take a fold-up nylon tote, a decent small umbrella (not from the streets of NY) and protein bars that won’t melt
- Beware of pashmina scams
- AC is freezing (Correct! Got a lot of use out of a lightweight cardigan)
- Don’t expect to like Varanasi

All valuable hints, minus the umbrella and Varanasi warnings. We were, however, grateful for the heads up about the protein bars – we took some Think Thin bars from Trader Joe’s, perfect for lunch because hotel breakfasts were so huge. Deepa also reported that she always loses five pounds when she goes to India…We did lose a pound (me) or two (Mr. C), but there wasn’t as much walking as we hoped…and there's an awful lot of ghee in dal.

Next: the actual trip report – thanks for sticking around

Loving this! Congrats on your new life and having such a great trip, just the two of you. India is definitely on the wishlist, but first will be an African Safari - am definitely going to checkout your Kenya report! Looking forward to the next installment!

Wonderful! I'm loving this as well!

By the way, would you mind sharing Louise's packing tips? I'm beginning to think about shoes & clothing - we're going in January for 3 weeks. What does one do about the washing/cleaning?

Love the advice about ditching the dark colors as that's what I usually travel with also, though in India, I ended up purchasing very thin cotton skirts/dresses to beat the heat. Sounds like you had a wonderful assortment of accommodations too.

don't overthink the packing/clothes as crosscheck perhaps did. take what you normally take on a trip to a usually warm destination. comfortable shoes are the most important thing and for ladies no low cut or revealing clothing

we found snacks readily available in india.

"we found snacks readily available in india."

I especially liked the packaged lentil based ones - they replaced my energy bars. I buy them from one of the local Indian grocery stores now I'm home.

I am really enjoying this report and your style. I am going to India for the first time for two weeks in November and have been wondering how to pack, so I am also curious about Louise's tips.

jgg, Hi - When are you in LA? Let's have a gtg! I'll bore you with my Africa photos.

progol, Louise gave the standard sage advice - put everything on the bed, then edit out half. She also said to bring a hat and to avoid all black or all white. Save lots of room for purchases - you can get anything there. And you probably need a jacket or fleece for the winter months.

Laundry - We rinsed a things out and used hotel laundry twice - service was phenomena...and very cheap. Clothes arrived back in gorgeous packaging - At Devi Garh we thought someone had sent us a present! I had a Tide-stick-resistant curry stain on my favorite travel pants in Varanasi, plus lots of caked mud, etc. Results were miraculous...hope they didn't wash them in the Ganges.

miles, Yes, most travelers were wearing locally-purchased items.

rhk, Overthinking is my specialty! But carry-on parameters are somewhat of a legitimate excuse. Check out earth tone issues in my safari report.

thurs, Loved all the lentil snacks as well, including the no-so-healthy spicy deep fried ones from the Udaipur vegetable market.

Hi Crosscheck
Really enjoying your report! We were two other Americans in India in September, but we didn't run into any others.
I had to chuckle at your packing/wardrobe comments. I wore Patagonia skirts and capris paired with LuluLemon tops....the same in every pic.

Looking forward to hearing about your time in Udaipur. After our golden triangle (aka India 101) we're already talking about Udaipur for our next India trip.

Enjoying your report - including the over-thinking!

Hey, CC. Can i join the gtg next time in LA? (I live in Bay Area). I'll show you mine if you show me yours....pix of Kenya, that is!!!
Enjoying your report. Darn, you are testing my resolve to NOT spend 'til the Africa trip is paid off. Ahhhh, Incredible India!!

Nikki, I think we were posting at the same time. Just looked back at Louise's tips. She includes info for people going on her tribal and temple tours (which look very tempting).

Her other suggestions, which you probably know about:
- hand sanitizer and packets of wipes
- copies of passport and extra photos
- long underwear top for winter
- sunscreen, repellant, bite cream (Had to take travel sizes of all of these..BA flight attendant saw me organizing my lotions and gels before we landed at Heathrow, said security there is very strict - one ziplock per passenger. She brought me some slightly larger bags so I could fit more in, but it turned out that nobody cared.

I would add:
- credit card that doesn't charge intl. fee
- $1 dollar bills, although our guides gave us a lot of small change for tips
- unlocked phone
- business cards - we both ran out. Everyone wants a card.
- souvenirs: I bought some Hollywood key chains at LAX, drivers and handlers loved these.

cruisinred - Good choice - Udaipur is a very user friendly city, but don't miss and rural surroundings, which are spectacular.

Kathie - thanks, Can't wait to hear your take on things. A lot of moving around, but somehow relaxing. Could be the other worldliness...you WANT to see more. We never felt rushed or as if we were doing too much.

Cali - By all means, join us!! jgg and I had our own exclusive gtg lunch, with Mr. jgg joining us for coffee.