kmbing

I have to confess - I'm getting a little freaked out by reading some of the posts about India. I was just about to book a two week vacation for my husband and myself and I started reading posts containing comments about how difficult, dirty, emotionally exhausting, etc. people have found India to be. So, can you tell me what specifically is so difficult about India? What were some of your experiences that made you feel this way? I've done some world traveling and seen "third world" poverty but I'm concerned after reading on this forum that India will far exceed anything I've seen and turn out to be a horrible experience. Don't get me wrong, I've also seen peoples' positive comments about India, but it seems people never fail to also mention the, shall we say, "less good" things. The tour that we'll be doing is the usual Taj/Rajasthan circuit with a private car and driver, guide and Oberoi hotels, so it'll be pretty cushy, but I just want to know mentally and emotionally (and physically?) what to expect since India seems to elicit such strong emotions from folks. Please share your thoughts and stories - I want to know what I'm getting into!

TracyB

Hi.. I kinda felt that way before the first time we went to India..But even after all of the filth and chaos, fell in love with India, and now am going back for the 3rd time next month!!

You will see when you get there..but things happen there, that you just don't see anywhere else..And one minute you may find it disgusting and the next might have been the greatest experience of your life..

Anyhow, just go with an open mind and enjoy and i bet you when you get home, you will be planning another trip back!! That's my 2 cents!!

rhkkmk

i too am about to embark on a similar trip....in over 20 years of trip planning i have never experienced any of the problems i have on putting this trip together....i almost threw in the towel two weeks ago...

i have been in contact with 3 delhi agencies....each has been responsive, but they seem to lack in some follow through and consistency sometimes....i found compass to be the most thorough however...

hotels are exceedingly difficult to book....i think the agencies are trying to get the best price so as to build in their spread (profit)....

one agency told me he could not confirm a certain delhi hotel for me for some period of time (actually had one of my 3 days confirmed but we were 70th on the wait list for the other two days--70th!!!) and i was able to do it in 3 minutes on the telephone with a usa direct hotel group...

the poverty is what it is....i can deal with that and also the touts and the beggars....you just have to be tough, but also in a compassionate way....you can't let it get to you...
i don't think it will be far worse than what you may have seen elsewhere...bad, but not unbearable...

the benefits of travel in india will far outweigh the negetives....just keep that in your mind...at least this is how we are moving forward...

i never use agencies, but all the chatter, and now my experiences have forced me to use it this time....i think next time i will do it 100% on my own...

the problem is getting a good car and driver and the dealing with the crush at airports and public transportation facilities....buying tickets, etc on site....

everything seems so disorganized on the surface....better left to the professionals....and the professionals charge so little for their services---now at least...

move forward with it and enjoy...that is what we are plannin

thursdaysd

India is intense - Asia on steroids - but that's why it's fascinating. With a private car and Oberoi hotels you're going to be somewhat insulated. I did two and a half months mostly trains, rickshaws, few hotel reservations, with one plane and a handful of cars arranged in India and was very ready to leave at the end - but I also knew I wanted to go back. Yes, there is dirt - more in the north. (Sometimes helps to have a poor sense of smell!) Yes, there are lots of aggressive beggars, some very young, some missing limbs. Make a decision beforehand to give to a charity instead. Yes, there is incredible poverty - be glad you're so lucky. In towns there is crazy traffic, crowds of people, and lots of noise (the countryside can be whisper-quiet). But India is still magical - I loved the diversity, the people, the scenery, the food, the fabrics... I so have to go back.

jules39

I agree with thurs especially since I have travelled in similar ways. I think people either love or hate travelling in India. I usually describe India as total sensory overload. Let me now tell you that I LOVE India. I vividly remember my first short 10 day trip I was so ready to leave but within weeks I was aching to return. I have since been back 4 times and I certainly hope to return again. As thurs says with drivers and good hotels you will have some respite. The chaos, colour, noise, smells and invaison of personal space is what makes India so facinating. I have done a lot of travelling in SEA, China, Africa, Europe and Sth America and India I feel is very different to those. As I said though I do love it and would definately return.
J

waynehazle

GO GO GO GO TO INDIA! Do not hesitate!

It is the toughest vacation I have ever loved. In all honesty, my recent trip to Africa became tougher because over the vehicle breakdowns.

India can be a challenge at time, but don't worry Mr. Private Car Oberoi Hotels (teasing you) you will be fine and will see things that will never again be equaled.

If you have done "Third World" (ahem... Developing Nation) trips before, then you will be fine.

Four years later I am still dazzled by my trip.
www.waynehazle.com/india/
"The Crucible: 12 Days In India"

waynehazle

By the way, I just went to the Oberoi Site, http://www.oberoihotels.com/, and the first picture that came up was a view of the Taj from a dining room in the Agra Oberoi.

That site ALONE will make up for virtually anything you could go through

one2travel

I just returned from my first trip to India. I did the normal Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur with a stop in Ranthambore National Park). I have traveled somewhat extensively (40 countries) and have been to various 3rd world nations.

The Indian Tourist Authority calls India "Incredible India" and they chose a good adjective. I call India a cacophony of sight and sound. It is one of the most fascinating places I have ever visited. You will not be disappointed.

I stayed at Taj Hotels and they were lovely; the Oberoi are a step up so you will be fine.

That said, there is poverty. But even though you see individuals living on the streets, for the most part, they looked pretty good and seemed to have enough food (I saw many a family on the street but they were cooking rice, vegetables and bread). Beggars and touts are everywhere and often very aggressive; it is best to ignore them.

Of the three cities I visited, I only disliked Agra since it was polluted and had an extreme overabundance of beggars and touts. But the Taj Mahal is so incredible that you put aside your issues with Agra to see it.

Go Go Go!!! This will not be my only visit to India.

waynehazle

and WHEN you go \/ and you are in Agra, don't just see the Taj and then stay in your hotel. Go to the Agra Fort and to Fatehpur Sikri!

TravlinFool

I was freaked out before my first trip, too. Like you, I read too much beforehand. On the plane ride over I kept thinking, "why am I doing this? Why am I doing this?" I ended up having the time of my life and returned two years later for more.

The key is to just go with the flow. Actually, don't just go with the flow -- embrace the flow. The craziness is part of what makes India so special. And definitely make an effort to strike up conversations with people. Indians are extremely friendly and open people.

jacketwatch

IMHO the answer to your question depends on the limits of your tolerance for the unpleasantries you will experience. There will be crowds, poverty, mind boggling traffic, aggressive vendors, offensive odors and other hassles. There will also be beautiful hotels, sights such as the Taj, all the old forts, the history that can be seen no where else on earth. Delhi is a great city IMHO to tour. There are many attractions there. Don't miss the Lotus temple.
If you have been to ther 3rd world countries I think you will be fine. Just be careful about what you eat and drink. Don't worry, just go. BTW my wife is Indian and we've been there 5 times together, most recently about 1 yr. ago. The key question is what time of yr. do you plan to go. Forget the summer!! Its in the 90's now in Delhi BTW. Go in late Nov. thru early to mid Feb. for the best weather and do try to see some of southern India. Its a different world there. As they say, Namaste.

kmbing

Thanks for all your comments! I had considered planning a trip to India last year and ended up getting freaked out and went to Thailand and Cambodia instead. That was a fantastic trip - the best I've ever had, but everytime I've seen something about India since then I've been feeling twinges of regret for not going. So, now seems like right time to take the plunge. We'll be going in late October, so I think the weather should be tolerable. Who knows, maybe India will end up preparing me for China - we plan to travel there in 2007!

thursdaysd

kmbing - no, no, China is much easier traveling than India! In fact, if you stick to the big east coast cities, no worries at all. Thailand and Cambodia should be all the prep you need for China.

BostonHarbor

Hi Kmbing,

China is a piece of cake compared to India--not even close. However, after coming back from China I simply got back into my life, looked at my great photos and put the trip behind me. India is different. India seeps into your pores, and you can't stop thinking about it when you return. It is sort of the "trip that keeps on giving." You know, like a movie you didn't quite "get" when you were in the theater, but it stays with you for years. Also, the faces, colors, flowers, masses of people--it is a photographer's dream. Unlike China, nothing in India is "under control." Even taking pictures is like changing a tire on a moving car. It is hard to take a bad picture in India.

I got back from three weeks in India in January. I also stayed at Oberoi hotels with a private driver and flew between some cities (our driver drove and met us at the next city). At one point I laughed until my sides hurt because, between the hermetically sealed SUV, the hermetically sealed five star hotels, and our driver driving like a crazy person to catch up with us at the next destination, that we were "doing India as bubble boy." ;-)

The first few days in India are tough. The sensory overload is beyond anything you have ever experienced. Mix it with a little jet lag I got a bit cranky. Things like being approached by lepers, polio victims and tiny children isn't easy. Beggars are everywhere.

However, after that first couple of days, your coping mechanisms kick in and the remarkable beauty, charm, history, religion and friendliness of the people take center stage.

The most fun we had is when we extracated ourselves from the SUV, driver and guides and wandered about by ourselves.

Try to get to Varanasi. Just take my word for it, you will never visit any place in the world quite like Varanasi. It is magical and mystical and wonderful. Go.

fuzzylogic

"China is a piece of cake compared to India" is the biggest piece of misinformation I have ever seen.

But then maybe it depends how you travel. If you have a driver and it all worked out - no need to find somewhere to stay; no need to find out how to get from A to B - then maybe. I wouldn't know!!

Look - India is the easiest of places to travel around. You can go ANYWHERE YOU WANT if you have the desire.

There is always someone who speaks English. In China it is a lottery. You can go to the railway stn to buy a ticket and if you don't get lucky - like meet someone who speaks English, or haven't found a friend to write down your destination on a scrap of paper beforehand - then you are stuffed.

China was easily the most difficult place I have ever travelled around. Absolutely no contest.

Jeez - looking for somewhere to stay or somewhere to eat, you have no idea if you are entering a hotel, a restaurant, a hairdresser or a brothel. Unless, that is, you can read the script.

Same problem sort of in Greece, but it is possible to learn the Greek alphabet quite quickly. Chinese script is of a different order.

Don't be put off going to India. It is brilliant, brilliant. And as you won't be having to organise anything for yourselves - won't be having to piss in the public toilets, or wait in line for anything - hey, why worry!!

Have the most amazing time - you will!!

BostonHarbor

Let me clarify. When I was talking about India being harder than China, I meant emotionally, not the ability to get around and communicate. Obviously, in a country where everyone speaks english, it is easier to get around and ask directions (even if the directions leave a bit to be desired ;-)

BTW, if you read my post you will discover that I LOVED India. However, in MY opinion, I found it harder to emotionally get used to China, which is a far more controlled country.

lordofthejungle

Hmmm it is quiet strange to contribute to a post about India, being Indian, as for me the negatives mentioned are part of life. I now live in the UK and can see why the first time travellers would have a sensory overload. India is like Picaso's paintings, everything is there but not in the right place. In UK we do have disabled people but they are shielded, although the dignity provided to them unsurpassed. In India ''life'' is on display and all you see is all you get. It is a different kind of holiday and good to do it once at least, if only to see the difference in life if one is coming from the West. Have fun!

thursdaysd

It is absolutely not true that "There is always someone who speaks English" in India! In high-end hotels, sure, but go off the beaten track and see how much English your rickshaw driver speaks! And even if he does speak some English, he may not understand your accent. I've traveled "on the ground" in both India and China, and what you need for both of them is a good guidebook. For China, one that has the place names in Chinese characters as well as English. And for China a good phrasebook, by which I mean that it has English and pinyin and characters. Problems with reading the script apply across SEA as well.

BostonHarbor

Geeez, OK, MANY people speak English in India, not ALL people speak English. My bad. However, English is an official language in India which it certainly is not in China.

Let's not get annoyed at each other here because we make a small, ( mistaken in other's judgement) comment. We all love India, we just see it through a different lens.

I am looking forward to going back to India for personal travel as I find it fascinating. I will only go back to China on business travel. That is how I feel. Others I am sure feel entirely differently.

thursdaysd

BostonHarbor - sorry, no offense intended. I was replying more to fuzzylogic, who seemed to be traveling without a guidebook, and quoted from the wrong post. I have a vivid memory of being in Amritsar, early evening, and trying to convey to a non-English-speaking rickshaw driver that I wanted to go to the railway station. Choo-choo, it turns out, is not a universal language...