Moi?!!! I'm famous in the newsletter?! I had no idea, thanks for the heads up!

@Travelawg: Thanks for the info. I have friend from Delhi and she's been instructing me about immunizations and comestibles ("don't drink the water"). It's probably better to be safe than sorry.

If you want info about HK, let me know. We spent a month there last spring. Absolutely wonderful to have that much time. Every day I saw something interesting as I went about my day.

trav I just had the chance to really look at your photos they are great. Thank you so much!! As I am trying to calculate timeing for our trip to India in early 2010 could I ask you to do a very quick outline of your itinerary in Raj & varanasi eg. how many nights you spent in each place. I am trying to figure out how many nights in each spot & how far we can travel in a day!! We do not want to go too fast & it has been long enough since our last trip there that I would love to see what exactly you did. I did do a search to see if I could find your itinerary but I could not find it. Thanks again trav I so much appreciate the talents of those of you who can really write about what you have seen.
J

It was your trip report that I decided to book my flight to INDIA.

jules39: I'm planning a three week trip, part by car, part by air, in Rajasthan, Agra areas, and Varanasi. You can check out Google maps to get exact routes, mileage, and driving times.

I've gotten us to Agra after Rajasthan and am working on the Gwalior, Orchha, Khajuraho, and Varanasi end of the trip.

Hi jules39!
We combined our modes of travel, but really liked having the car in Rajasthan. We were prepared for difficult car trips, but it really wasn't as bad as we had expected. The longest day was probably Jaisalmer to Bikaner, but it really wasn't a bad road and we didn't mind the trip - we broke it up with a stop in Khichan to visit the cranes.
Here are the number of nights we spent in each place:
Mumbai 3
overnight train to Ahmedabad
Udaipur 3
(stop at Ranakpur on trip to Jodhpur)
Jodhpur 3
Jaisalmer 3
Bikaner 2
Mandawa 3
Jaipur 3
Agra 3 (train to Jhansi then short drive to Orchha)
Orchha 1
Khajuraho 3 (fly to Varanasi)
Varanasi 4 (fly to Kathmandu)
Kathmandu 3 (fly to Delhi)
Delhi 2 (fly back to Mumbai and then home)


landineen!!! Yay!!! I'm so glad I helped motivate you to take the plunge. I hope you have a fabulous trip! When are you going? Please let me know if I can help in any way.

Thanks trav! I just about have a first pass at an itin for us in my head! I will start another post and put in there hopefully over the weekend. Unfortunately we don't have as much time as you so I am trying to get that balance of not rushing too much.I think we will get a driver as we enjoy the drives. Have done it before in rough places & haven't regretted it. Thanks again.
J

Thanks trav! We are flying in and out of Delhi. Will drive from there to Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. I think we'll do a day trip to Ranakpur from either Jodhpur or Udaipur. Trying to decide if we should fly or train it to Uttar Pradesh. The drive is too long for old people . . . but perhaps it might be fun.

While we want to see the Taj, I'm concerned that Agra will be overrun with tourists (just like us) and would rather stay in a quieter place like Gwalior and do a day trip to Agra as well. Jansi seems to be a travel hub, but not that interesting, yes, no?

More later.

And thanks again to all who have been so helpful!

Hi indianpearl!

I think you should spend at least one night in Agra -- everyone says the Amarvilas is worth the money, but we were on a little bit lower budget and stayed at the Taj View, which was quite nice -- and we didn't feel like it was overcrowded with tourists. The Taj Mahal itself will have lots of touists, of course -- but we got there as soon as it opened in the morning -- and there were maybe 30 people there with us -- it was great to be there in the relative quiet before the crowds came (if only it hadn't been so foggy!!!). There ARE a few other things to see in Agra beside the Taj, which is why you might want to spend the night instead of zooming in and out. Also, is Fatehpur Sikri on your itinerary? That is close to Agra and can be seen either on your way in or out -- or as a daytrip from Agra.

Which locations are you planning for UP? We ended up using a combination of train/car/plane there. We trained from Agra to Jhansi (yes, Jhansi is pretty much just a travel hub), where our driver picked us up and drove us to Orchha -- the train stops in Gwalior, too, so that would work for you. We were advised that the drive between Agra and Jhansi was very rough, which is why we took the train. From Orchha to Khajuraho we drove -- which wasn't a bad drive at all. Then we flew from Khajuraho to Varanasi. We really liked Orchha -- it was clean, quiet and walkable -- and the hotels seemed very nice. What few tourists were there were mostly European/Australian than American. We really would have liked to have gone to Gwalior to see the fort, but didn't have enough time. If you go there, please, please do a review, as I would be very interested to hear about your impressions of it.

The trains and planes from east to west seem to be non-existent, so we are back to either flying or driving to Udaipur, then going back through Jaipur with a stop at Ranakpur on the way to Jodhpur. Your story of the hotel at Jodhpur and Mallett make it seem quite charming. We'd then drive to Agra (two days there) by way of Jaipur then train to Gwalior. I'd hate to miss it --- NYT did a great article awhile back along with one or Orccha. Maybe we'll stay in O. instead of Jhansi. We'll drive to Khajuraho, then fly to Varanasi, then to Delhi, then home. We have plenty of time to decide, although we've booked the Delhi B & B for two nights already.

travelaw, I've just seen your posts - we got back some 3 weeks ago, from a 3 week jaunt around various compass points of India - then back to the grind of work the next day, so I've kept away from fodors, just going over & over the impressions & experiences. Now I've seen your reports I've got to tell you they brought it all back, plus memories of our Rajastan trip 4 years ago, great entusiastic & humorous writing; you really got engaged with the place! Fantastic.

Aww,shucks. Thanks so much leon! It's so hard going right back to the grind after being in India -- I know exactly how you feel. I do hope you will have time at some point to post a trip report. I would absolutely love to read your impressions!

Hi Travelaw, did you take a notebook or laptop with you, or rely on internet cafes? If you did use your own computer was it easy to get wifi or connected in India?
If anyone else has any information and brand names to choose I would greatly appreciate it.
I am just thinking it will be easier to have my own computer than rely on internet cafes from now on, but rather than lug my big laptop I will look at a small 'notebook'. I have a blackberry but they are very difficult to write long messages on.
thanks for any help.

Both your monumental reports & the dogster's surreal visions have awed me into nervous inaction, trip report-wise - but for now my memories of February 2005 that clicked into life from your posts:

the wonderful rat temple near Bikaner. I too said there is no way I'm gonna go in there! two minutes later I'm meekly accompanying my significant other (let's call her Zee, warrior princess) into the scuttling scampering amonia- scented (rat pee) temple, to the wry amusement of our driver, the gentlemanly, polite Mr Khan (of whom more below), & actually although I had a moment of 'what the hell am i actually doing here in this crazy place' introspection, it actually was really interesting, if not a great deal of fun. Just kept thinking 'waht a story to tell'; but like you & others, sadly no one else who hasn't spent some time off the beaten track in India really gets what a wonderful confusing incredible sometimes tragic place it is.

We also stayed in Mandawa, almost next door to the Castle Hotel you stayed in, can't remember the name but it was a beautifully restored haveli with divine food & really reasonable. Some morose local guide (can't call him a Jimmy 'cos he just didn't care) listlessly showed around several havelis, some of which had been re-occupied by families/squatters, & saw some tremendous murals - one from about 19thC with very explicit sexual activities in a victorian train.

'tour operator' blues - we used the Ajanta Hotel service from Delhi - their choice of hotels in Rajastan was almost uniformly abysmal, but luckily i insisted on using two places we saw online, the one in Mandawa, & a lovely guest house in Jaipur run by a chap called Freddie. However the driver they gave us in suitably sedate Hindustan Ambassador with curtains in the rear window & no speed greater than 40 mph, was great. A reserved, elderly man, always in a blazer & neatly pressed trousers, Mr Khan was not a regular guide, but once he relaxed a little with us, had some fascinating stories to tell. Despite our constant urging, he never ate with us, but always waited outside ready to drive on -a perfect gentleman, although one who enjoyed the paan, & why not. Just something about his bearing first made me consider that the lot of Muslims in India can clearly be very difficult, not that he would ever complain.

Coming up to date, on this trip we also stayed at Pervez & Lubna's guesthouse after a scary taxi ride in rush traffic - only a minor fender bump en route with both drivers scornfully ignoring each other then driving on, not the full-on road rage of your trip. Pervez made us laugh too - here's this guy arranging trips around India, who readily admits he doesn't travel to these places - seems quite happy in downtown Delhi!

If I'm anything to go by, you will also return - I started with not really wanting to go to India at all (rather like the rat temple) then becoming amazed & almost obsessed - repelled yet fascinated.

And another thing - that 'fog' in Agra. I too opened the window of our grubby little hell hole in the morning to find dense white fog - the diesel taste IMO made it good ol' filthy industrial smog. Maybe a cocktail of the two. We were lucky enough to have a fantastic afternoon view of the Taj. Dog I know you don't do dead buildings, but I have to tell you if the light is right, & your imagination, you can almost shut out extraneous tourist/jimmy babble & feel something of what some of India's (same goes for Angor Wat)incredible buildings were & the people who used them, loved, fought & died in them. Also the Fort, & the lovely Fatehpur Sikri, just wonderful.
Mind you there was fog there too, which made the place utterly mystical.

A thought about taking photo's - last month I was running the cam corder ever so quickly past some women selling fish in Majorda, Goa, & they all shouted at me to stop with very blunt gestures. I stopped & a Dutch tourist with us said that some people believed the soul could be stolen by cameras. Made me realise you have to (try &) respect the style of where you are (unless those beliefs are utterly repugnant) but part of travelling I guess is making insensitive mistakes & learning accordingly. It is really hard because beautiful pictures of beautiful people are such a potent memory of once in a lifetime experiences.

live42day: We did not bring our own computer -- we just relied on the hotels and internet cafes. I know dogster recently mentioned that he took a laptop, but it seems from his posts that that it did not work out very well. Hopefully he will see this and let you know his experience.

leon: Great stuff! So much fun to read your posts! Was it the Hotel Monica in Mandawa? And yes, the lovely fragrance in the rat temple -- I'm afraid I will never forget it!
You know I will return to India -- I can't help myself -- hopefully it will be soon!

Mandawa Haveli; & Hotel Madhuban in Jaipur. No idea if they're still open, but were both excellent value. Your note of the trucks with lavish ornamentation & 'horn please!' reminded me of those honking rigs - what I loved was the scowling face (Kali?) on the axle, & in front the seductive kudgel-painted eyes above the headlights. How many weird & wonderful forms of transport, especially Rajastan, including camels, elephants, donkeys & oxen, plus inumerable variations of 2, 3, or 4 wheel motorised overcrowded heaving straining spluttering noisy conveyances.

Hey trav: that laptop is working fine. It's INDIA that keeps going off line.

P.S.
Guess where I am.... heh.
Not, of course, where I should be.
Where am I going?
Dunno.

You Dog! I have to guess Mumbai. I really thought you might make it to Alexandria, but I guessed wrong . . ha, ha! I should know better by now, shouldn't I? Good to hear from you man, wherever you are -- it'll be interesting to see where you end up!!!

PS It appears it's not India that keeps going offline, but dogster!

We are planning our first trip to india leaving
in 4 weeks. What immunizations are a MUST?
Also, can we fly from Jaipur direct to Kathmandu or do we have to go back to Delhi and fly from there?
Any help would be appreciated.