Roccco

After weighing Thailand against India, I think I will be going to India in February. Thailand seems like an incredible place, but I just don't have time to see all I want to see (Bangkok, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Phuket and Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai (sp.?).

By spending a shorter time in India, I will still be able to go to Italy for two weeks later in the year.

Here is my proposed itenerary (please keep in mind that I have only done a few hours of research so far and I am very unfamiliar with India, as of yet):

2/11 Depart Los Angeles (LAX)
2/12 Arrive Delhi. 2 Nights. I need a recommendation on the very best place to stay.
2/14 Agra. Taj Mahal (on Valentine's Day with my wife...awww, how romantic!). Again, need recommendation on the very best place to stay.
2/15 Ranthambhore. Tiger/wildlife viewing/photographing to add to my African wildlife portfolio. 2 nights. Need recommendation on best place to stay.
2/17 Jaipur. 3 nights at Oberoi Rajvilas Hotel.
2/20 Jaipur-Delhi-LAX
2/21 Return LAX.

Thanks.

Cicerone

Hey Rocco, have seen your posts all over the various boards, looks like you are going to have a great travel year!

OK for Delhi, the "best" hotel IMO is the Oberoi. Take a look at oberoihotels.com. (All the Oberoi hotels, including their luxury "vila" brand hotels are on this website.) However, I am not crazy about the location of the Oberoi. You end up taking more taxis than you want. My very favourite hotel in Delhi is the Imperial Hotel on Janpath. This is a lovely low-rise colonial-style hotel which was refurbished about 3 years ago. It is smaller and quieter than the Taj or the Oberoi. You can walk to the Connaught Place area (and the great Indian handicrafts shop on the way), or walk in the other direction to Raj Path, India Gate and the Parliament buildings. I find it a very convenient location and I like the lower key of the hotel, the gardens and the friendliness of the staff. You can view the hotel on their website at http://www.theimperialindia.com. The place is not quite as luxurious as the Oberoi, but I think the gardens and the location more than make up for it. Also for the price of a standard room at the Oberoi (which are smallish) you should be able to get a suite at the Imperial. Even the size of the Imperials deluxe rooms are larger than the Oberoi, as far as I could see from various stays in both.

There are two hotels in Delhi run by the Taj group, the Taj Mahal and the Taj Palace, which I would not recommend, although others on this site may have different views. I think the hotels are resting on their past laurels and need a redo. That being said, the shopping gallery at the Taj Mahal hotel is very good a worth a trip over if you are interested in very good quality sari silks and Indian artefacts.

In Agra, the best hotel is without question the new Oberoi "vila" brand hotel, the Amarvillas. I would recommend two nights in Agra, as you want to see the Taj at sunrise, sunset and during the day to really appreciate how the marble changes at different times and in different weather. You also want to see the Fort, where Shah Jehan was imprisoned by his son and spent his last days gazing through a mirror at the tomb of his beloved wife. . . Also, I would recommend a trip to Fatephur Sikri, the preserved palace about an hour outside of Agra. Also, please note that I believe the Taj is closed on Fridays, so you would need to arrange your schedule around that.

In Ranthambore there is also a new Oberoi "vila" brand hotel the Vinayavilas. The last time I was in Ranthambore it had not been built, but I am sure it is fabulous. Try a tent. If the Vinayavilas is full, try the Sawai Madhupour Lodge run by the Taj group. The lodge is the former hunting lodge of the Maharajah of Jaipur and was built in the late 1920@s in great Art Deco style, most of which is still there. A very romantic place, not as luxurious as the Vinayavilas but worth considering. I would particularly recommend staying in the tents which the hotel puts up from October to March. These are on a concrete platform with an attached bathroom, so you are not roughing it, but you get more of a feeling of the safari experience, and I think the tents are much nicer than their plain motel-like rooms. Website is tajhotels.com E-Mail: [email protected]

Bring hats and gloves as the sunrise rides will be very cool in February. You should time your arrival and departure at the hotel to get in two morning and two afternoon rides to see the most wildlife. Drive times are regulated by the park and take place at sunrise and around 2 pm and last about 3 hours each. The hotel will arrange the rides for you. Ask for a 4-person jeep and not the larger open vans, as the jeeps can get into smaller places and get a better wildlife view. We were very lucky and saw two adult tigers and two cubs; but even if you don't see tigers there is an abundance of other wildlife to keep you very interested, including crocodiles.

In Jaipur, the Rajvilas is wonderful. We stayed in the tents which were great, not really a tent except it had a canvas roof. They have claw foot tubs on wooden floors, very Out of Africa-ish. My only comment is that it is a bit out of town. You will need to get a car and driver or a taxi to get into town. Not really too much of a drawback, but something to keep in mind. The Rambagh Palace would also be a very good choice, I actually like their gardens and views better than the Rajvillas, but it is not a luxurious as the Rajvillas. The Rambagh also has such an interesting history as it was the home of the royal family of Jaipur, including Gayesha Devi, the third and favourite wife of the late Maharajah of Jaipur, said to be the most beautiful woman in the world from about 1940-1960. (When Jackie Kennedy visited Jaipur in 1961, she stayed there, and from the pictures, Jackie looks dowdy compared to the Maharani. . .) Take a look at the website for Taj to compare options, "tajhotels.com" E-mail is [email protected]

Depending on what time you arrive in Delhi from LAX you might want to consider 3 nights in New Delhi to get over jet lag and also get a chance to see as much of the city as possible.

Cicerone

Don?t' forget that you will need a visa to enter India. It can take up to 30 days to obtain one. Take a look at the US State Dept's website for visa/entry requirements for US citizens travelling to other countries at travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html. Look under India for information, and there should also be a link to the Indian embassy and consulates in the US

Roccco

Ciccerone,

Thanks for the comprehensive response. Regarding the visa, if I buy from an agent, is this something that the agent could arrange for me? I was just in Zambia and my agent and the lodge took care of my visa.

Has your experience been that you need to handle the visa personally?

I am leaning towards the Oberoi in Delhi and the Amar Vilas in Agra (another Oberoi) and the Vanya Vilas in Ranthambhore (yet another Oberoi) and I would definitely like to stay in a tent in each place (except in Delhi, of course, where it appears to be a grand hotel.

However, I will definitely check the Imperial Hotel.

While I would love to spend more time in India, I think that eight nights is my limit. Would you recommend spending 3 nights in Delhi and only 1 night in Ranthambhore, or 2 nights in each place, if those were the only alternatives. Keep in mind that I would like to get some great photographs of tigers and other wildlife.

Thanks again for the great response.

Roccco

Cicerone,

I took your advice and looked at the Imperial hotel in Delhi and it looks great. I prefer a more colonial styled hotel to a modern hotel and the Imperial fits that description.

The rates look pretty good too, with a rack rate of $259 for a 650 sq. ft. suite:

HERITAGE SUITE KING BED 650SQFT LIVING ROOM VARYING VIEW COLONIAL DECOR WALK IN WARDROBE SHOWER CUBICLE DATAPORT MINIBAR COFFEE MAKER

I have decided to also take your advice and add a night in Delhi. Here is what my revised itenerary looks like:

February 10 - Depart LAX
February 11 - Arrive Delhi. 3 nights at Imperial Hotel in Heritage Suite.
February 14 - Agra. 1 night. Amar Vilas in luxury room with terrace w/ Taj Mahal view (Oberoi).
February 15 - Ranthambhore. 2 nights at Vanya Vilas (Oberoi) in tented room.
February 17 - Jaipur. 3 nights at Raj Vilas in tented room.
February 20 - Depart Jaipur - Delhi - LAX. Shouldn't be any worse than the Hoedspruit (South Africa) - Johannesburg (South Africa) - LAX flight just took five weeks ago (30+ hours).

Thanks again. Any ideas on decent airfare? I cannot find anything under $1,500 USD for a round trip from LAX-Delhi.

Cicerone

How airlines price air fares at any given moment are one of the mysteries of the world, IMO; I don't have any guess as to what they will be in February. $1500 does seem a bit high, assuming that is for coach. Do take a look at around the world fares, as these are generally cheaper. Geographically, Delhi is just about halfway around the world from LAX, so you wont' lose a lot of time going through Europe. You could go out through Hong Kong and then you may be able to go from Delhi to London or Paris and then no-stop to LAX. There is a theory that flying west is better in terms of jet lag, and that has been my experience as well.

For the Indian visa, an agent could get if for you, but if you have the time it is just as easy to do it yourself. If the agent won't charge you, but does it as part of booking the air ticket, then I would have the agent do it. Otherwise I don't see why you should pay someone to do this.

One more thing, I would recommend that you arrange for a hotel car to meet you at Delhi airport. While you could take a taxi, finding the taxi queue can be challenging, esp at night when you will be a bit punchy after a very long flight. Indian airports tend to be crowded and not that well organized. You will appreciate having someone waiting for you at the customs doors as you exit, esp to navigate through the people and find the exit. Worth the extra money. I would do this at all airports and train stations if you can, it does save time and wear and tear on you from the men who will offer to "help" you with your luggage. All the hotels you have booked offer this service.

For intra-India flights, I would take Jet Airways over domestic Indian Air, even if Jet Airways charges more. Jet Airways website is jetairways.com. Given your itinerary, you should drive or take the train to Agra and then drive, take the train or fly to Jaipur. The drive is actually fairly pretty. I think I would prefer that to flying as you will get to see a bit of the countryside. You could then fly from Jaipur back to Delhi for your international flight.

scaredtodeath

Yes--I agree with Cicerone, Roccco-please--driving only

raghu

Hi Roccco,
I am from India and I think $1500 is on the higher side. It is like paying about $350 for a LAX to JFK flight - you arent getting robbed but you can do better. Lufthansa should be in the $1300 range. Try them.
It's a large country and I have lived there over 25 years but only seen Agra and ND. Enjoy your trip!
Regards,
Raghu Srinivasan
http://www.indospectrum.com

Clematis

Hi Rocco! The old email address you have for me is no longer valid and I have lost everyone's email. It has changed to [email protected]. I've been to Thailand and used to live in India, sent me a note.