I managed to put our itinerary together. Now we are planning to go for a month. I came across the Incredible India Tour. Is any one familiar with It? Any coments?

We took the Vantage India tour in October 2007 and loved it. We also took the extension to Vernasi and Khajuraho, which was a highlight. The tour director was super, the local guides top notch and the hotels gorgeous. The trip was fairly strenuous with some early flights and train trips. The few bus trips were very long as the road situation is horrendous, but it was fascinating to watch out the window.

Nalijo,

A month -- that is heaven! Since you have that amount of time, I would definately not do a tour but instead plan your own trip so you have flexibility to do exactly what you want at your own pace.

CFW and gibleum, thakns for answering. Yeah, CFW, we dont'n want to take a tour and no buses... I had been reading so many of the posted mail and many of of them said that you put together a customized program and then give it to a tour group to craf,and implemente it. I was curious about the one I mentioned. I will chek on Castle & King. By the way, thanks for sending their E-mai address. Do I sound confused? Mayby I'm. It's so much to thing of!! Keep them coming, PLEASE!!

Have to finish planing my trip...

Looking for the hotels... I though that going just with one chain would had been the easest thing to do, like the Taj Hotels, but last night serching some of the posts on this forum I came across the inconviniences of the Taj in Varanasi. Wow!!!I wonder how many others will be out of the way, like in Delhi, Agra,Jaipur,Jodhpur, Jaisalmer... Can anyone enligth me, please?
I'm one of those who really appreciate the time that all of you spend posting your mail with you impressions after the trip. You are an icredible help for people like me who is going to India for the first time. Thanks again!

I am not sure I see the point in using the same hotel chain throughout unless you are getting a good deal like a free night for every X night you spend at the chain, or a good discount overall. Otherwise, I would go by each hotel, which for Taj can vary a lot from hotel to hotel.

Also, there are several Taj properties in Delhi and in Jaipur. Can you let me know which ones you mean? The Taj Mahal in Delhi has an OK location, I would prefer to be in Connaught Circle area as you can walk to more things, but it is not really overall a bad location and is in a green leafy neighborhood. However, I have to say that the Taj hotels would not be my first choice in Delhi. If you are want to be in the diplomatic enclave area of the Taj Mahal, then I would stay at the The Mauyra (now part of Sheraton’s luxury collection, see http://www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury; in particular I would ask about ITC One, their boutique hotel-within-a hotel which is quite nice.) The Taj View in Agra has a fine location, not walkable to the Taj, but of course nothing but the Oberoi is walkable to the monument. Many rooms have good views of the Taj, and IMO it is worth paying for one, so ask about this. The Taj in Jodhpur has a good location for getting into the old town, and is near some good shopping, I think it is a good choice for Jodhpur, which seems to have some very average hotels. Of the hotels in Jaipur, I would certainly choose the Rambagh for history, ambience and charm. It is not right downtown, but then you don’t really need to be for Jaipur in any event, and it is nice to have the garden space and the views they have. Again, the Taj hotels in Jaipur may not be the best (Oberoi clearly is), but the Rambagh scores for all the intangibles which many others don’t have, and I would stay there unless you insist on luxury, then go with the Oberoi (same with Agra).

I have not stayed at the Taj Varanasi in some years and it was old then, I would agree that as it does not have a river view, it loses something, but it is not really “out of the way” as Varanasi is small and you can get down to the river areas in a relatively short time. However, I know that Palace on the Ganges or whatever the name is, is a popular hotel on this board and may not be a bad choice.

I know that Ranthambore was originally on your itin, and I am not sure if it still is. The Taj Sawai Madophur has of course been eclipsed by the really upscale luxury resorts which are there now like the Aman and the Oberoi, but again, the Taj has the intangible in that the hotel is the hunting lodge of the former Maharaja of Jaipur, was built in the early part of last century and is quite an art deco jewel, esp. see the bathrooms in the upstairs suites. It just oozes something, IMO. You can have breakfast on the verandah in the winter sunshine afer an early morning game drive and gaze across the little lawn, and it just has a feeling, well, it does for me, what can I say. However, as they seem to have gotten rid of the tents, IMO the better rooms to choose would be one of the few deluxe suites upstairs in the main house itself; otherwise the rooms are in a rather standard block in the back. Good location for getting into the park.

I don’t know the Jaislemer property.

Thanks for the 'heads up' on the hotels Cicerone. A very good overview and shall try to make some changes accordingly. Your information and comments are very refreshing. By the way, we are scheduled to stay in the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur and in Delhi in the Taj Mahal.
Thanks again for taking the time..

if you are planning for a trip to nothern india then i am sure that you can't afford to miss picturesque state of Uttarakhand. "Leisure Hotels" is a one of the largest hospitality chains operating in Uttarakhand and has presence in all major tourism sectors including wildlife, spiritual, luxury or adventure.

here are the contact details of the hotel
Leisure Hotels Ltd
DD-29, Nehru Enclave
Kalkaji
New Delhi-19
011- 46520000/26447803/26413304

To all of you who have been such a great help, here I'm sending my final itinerary with the hope that some of you will take notice of it and give me your imputs one more time. I really appreciate it. After several changes, here it is:

Dec.
28: Leave Houston
29: Arrive Delhi Midnight)
30: Delhi (hotel Met Delhi)- Good location?)
31: fly to varanasi(Begining the New year with the spectale of "Shiva Aad" Any one familiar with it?

Janury

1: 2 Varanasi (3 night,2 1/2 days (Rashmi GH)

3: Fly to Kajuraho (1 night, 1 day)(hotel Jas Radisson)

4: Fly to Walior (1 night,1day) Hotel ?

5: Drive to Agra (63 miles)

6: Agra (2 nights, 2 days) Hotel
Tajview)

7: Drive to Jaipur (155 miles) on the way visit Feterhpur Sikri

8-9: Jaipur (3 nights, 2 1/2 days)
(Hotel Shahpura House)

10: Drive to Bundi (131 mi.)
1 night, 1/2 day
(Hotel Braj Bhushan Haveli)

11: Drive to Kota and fly to Udaipur

12-13: Udaipur (3 nights, 2 1/2
days), (Hotel Lake Palace)
Side trip to Ranakpur (55
miles)

14: Fly to Jodhpur

15-16: Jodhpur (3 nigths,2 1/2days) (Hotel Ratan Vilas), side trip to Rohat (25 miles)

17: Fly to Jaisalmer
18- 19: Jaisalmer(3 nights 2 1/2 days),side trips to Bada Bag, Ramkwada, Lodurva (28 mi.) Hotel Fort Rajwada

20: Fly to Jaipur and drive to Paskar (100 mi) and overnight. Hotel?

21: Drive to Shekhavati Region (200 mi.)
22: Mandawa (2 nights, 1 1/2 days); side trip to Nawalgarh and Samode Palace. Hotel?

23: Drive to Jodhpur and fly to Amritsar
24: Amritsar (2 nights 1/2 days); side trip to Kapurthala-Jalandhar
Hotel Ranjeet Svaasa

25: Fly to Delhi
26: Delhi (1 night 1/2 days) Same hotel.
26: Fly to Houston

I would love to take the train on any leg of this jurney, any suggestions?
I thank you again for taking the time to read all of the above:)