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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Holiday in India

30 replies

IndiaSunshine · 20/07/2022 12:32

Hi

Posting for traffic on AIBU

Has any one visited North India? The areas we are looking at are :-

Dehli
Agra (Taj Mahal)
Sawai Madhopur
Jaipur
Barli
Udaipur

Did you enjoy? Did you have to take Malaria tablets? Anything that really put you off?

It is hotel stays, with a family stay at Agra.

Thank you.

OP posts:
IndiaSunshine · 20/07/2022 12:38

I think I have accidentally enabled voting! Doh

OP posts:
hesttreat · 20/07/2022 12:40

Following

SallyWD · 20/07/2022 12:43

I've been to South India many times but can't offer any advice on North India. Regarding malaria tablets contact your GP surgery. They'll have a travel nurse. They're great at giving advice on different regions, prescribing Maria tablets if needed and offering vaccinations if needed. I love India and have loved it more each time I've been. There may be sn element of culture shock the first time you go but you get used to the general chaos and noise. You'll see poverty but also great wealth. I love the people, the food, the colour and stimulation.

SallyWD · 20/07/2022 12:44

Many people hire a driver if touring different places. They seem ridiculously cheap compared to hiring a chauffer in the UK!

Icanstillrecallourlastsummer · 20/07/2022 12:45

we were meant to go right before Covid hit, so I didnt' get to go and the family we were meant to be staying with have now left, so this ia from a planning pov.

We got all the necessary jabs, but weren't planning on taking malaria pills in the areas we were planning to go to (essentially drivable from Dehli). You need to check malaria risk for the areas you are going to. The thing that put me off the most was the hygiene and the polution in Dehli. Other than that it seemed to be an amazing trip we had planned and I was gutted it was cancelled. We were planning a jungle safari, which sounded great!

KittyEmK · 20/07/2022 12:46

Yes - Delhi, Agra, Jaipur (briefly) and Pushkar in October 2015. Loved it, think about it all the time. I didn't take Malaria tablets.

bilbodog · 20/07/2022 12:47

Yes did a trip to north india and across rajastan 30 years ago - wonderful place with lots of palaces and forts. You wll need some jabs and malaria tablets i think.

bilbodog · 20/07/2022 12:47

Go between october and march.

SallyWD · 20/07/2022 12:49

bilbodog · 20/07/2022 12:47

Go between october and march.

Yes really important to avoid our spring summer time as its unbearably humid there during those months and then the monsoon comes!

IndiaSunshine · 20/07/2022 12:52

SallyWD · 20/07/2022 12:49

Yes really important to avoid our spring summer time as its unbearably humid there during those months and then the monsoon comes!

We were intending to go Late April, not a good idea? We can change the dates as we've not booked.

How expensive is eating out etc there?

OP posts:
SweatyAndGrumpy · 20/07/2022 12:53

I've lived in Delhi and visited Agra, Amritsar, Jaipur, Darjeeling Ranthambore and then some areas further south while I was there.

One of my favourites was Amritsar to see the Golden Temple then head out to the border to watch the Wagah-Attari border ceremony. Definately rated highly.

I also loved Darjeeling for the walking and views of the Himalayan range.

I realise neither of those are on your list and Darjeeling is not really North. But I mentioned them because I loved them.

I also loved the Taj Mahal - even though everyone in India rolled their eyes and told me it was over rated (they all ecommended the Golden Temple instead). But I thought it was stunning so I am really glad I went.

I stayed in Ranthambore but it's obviously right next door to Sawai Madhopur. We took a great safari ride through the park and got some great sightings of wild tigers which is a brilliant memory.

Because of a inherited health condition, my GP sent me out with a stock of antibiotics to be taken if I got an upset tummy. The first time it happened I held out before taking them and was very ill. Thereafter, I took the antibiotics straight away and it saw off the bug very quickly. If you can't take any with you then don't hesitate to go straight to professional medical care if you get ill to the point of regular stomach and toilet trouble. Don't try and tough it out. Take immodium with you: but remember this just delays the inevitable so only worth using if you have a journey ahead of you and find yourself with the runs at the wrong time. If it's not getting to crude now, I received some great advice from a long-termer before I arrived: never, ever, ever trust a fart. I'm not joking: it really was good advice.

For the most part, our stomach bugs could be traced back to: food served at a nice/respectable hotel that was not quite cooked right. For each of us we were suspicious about the food but ate it anyway, believing the hotel to know better. The lesson here is: if it ain't piping hot and clearly cooked through - send it right back immediately.

Even with that inherited condition, I did not take malarie tablets having talked it over with my GP ahead of time. I did have almost every vaccination going, though.

My advice would be to either prebook your travel and guides with a decent firm or be on the clear look out for scams. They are often fairly harmless, such as a suggestion to go to a particularly good clothes shop where the hard sell is then applied etc. You can avoid them with a clear head and being prepared to say NO very clearly, if it's something you don't want - but if this makes you feel uncomfortable then book with a guide/driver/etc you know is not going to try this.

Lots of what you'll see which be historical so I think it also helps to have a basic history knowledge of the country to help everything 'fit' in your mind.

And enjoy!

SweatyAndGrumpy · 20/07/2022 12:55

We were intending to go Late April, not a good idea?

By late April it can be very hot - often limiting what you can do outside. Like it was here in the Midlands yesterday at 41c.

As I recall, because of availability etc we did the Ranthambore safari mid April and it was already too hot, really. It would have been a great eal more comfortbale a month earlier. Most of the rest was done between Jan and end of March which was all much better.

Sseren · 20/07/2022 13:01

Have you been vaccinated for tuberculosis? The BCG isn’t 100% protective but it’s still better to have a bit of protection. One of my colleagues came back from India with tuberculosis.

annonymousse · 20/07/2022 13:12

We did a golden triangle tour in December 2018. It was warm but comfortable. We didn't take malaria pills but check with your gp practice to see if you need any vaccinations before you go.

We had an organised tour with an English and an Indian guide so didn't have to worry about getting from a to b. They also protected us from a lot of the beggars and street sellers.

I would love to go back to India one day. It's such a vast place and we saw a tiny corner of it. It's amazing, beautiful, horrific and shocking in equal measure.

annonymousse · 20/07/2022 13:15

Also forgot to mention be prepared for parties of school kids who will want to 'interview' you to practice their English and also if you are blonde haired lots of people will want selfies with you or ask permission to take your picture. I felt like some kind of celebrity with people sneaking pictures of me.

Hbh17 · 20/07/2022 13:15

April will be hot - we went in November, which was perfect.

Definitely, definitely hire a driver. That's the best advice I could give anybody going on holiday to India. Driving in India is hair-raising, and the professional drivers have safe, air-conditioned vehicles and know all the best rest stops etc.

Agra as a town didn't wow us, but the Taj Mahal is definitely worth a visit.

Jaipur is gorgeous - wish I had had more time there.

Between the two, consider a stop at Fatepur Sikhri (spelling?), which is beautiful.

Delhi is also a fantastic city - again, a driver will make sure you get easily to all the main sights, which are a bit scattered. If you can afford it, stay at The Imperial Hotel - one of the best in the world, and an oasis from the initial culture shock of India.

Or a lovely, homely B&B outside Delhi (city of Gurgaon) called Tikkli Bottom - used to be run by an elderly British couple, who I doubt are still there, but somebody else may have taken it on.

India is well worth the effort, jabs, sickness etc - an amazing country.

IndiaSunshine · 20/07/2022 13:16

annonymousse · 20/07/2022 13:12

We did a golden triangle tour in December 2018. It was warm but comfortable. We didn't take malaria pills but check with your gp practice to see if you need any vaccinations before you go.

We had an organised tour with an English and an Indian guide so didn't have to worry about getting from a to b. They also protected us from a lot of the beggars and street sellers.

I would love to go back to India one day. It's such a vast place and we saw a tiny corner of it. It's amazing, beautiful, horrific and shocking in equal measure.

Oh my goodness, that has made it sound amazing!

OP posts:
mdh2020 · 20/07/2022 13:17

We did the Golden Triangle and the extension to Simla with Riviera Travel. They use one of their tour managers plus a local guide and have an office in India in case of any problems. It was fabulous. You have to visit your GPs travel clinic. You will need jabs and malaria tablets. The most important thing is to use hand sanitizer every time you touch paper money. If you are on a tour they will tell you what you can eat in the different hotels. Eg if salad or ice is safe and don’t eat the rice - it is kept warm too long.
Ranthambore safari was a waste of time and wish I’d stayed in the hotel.

We have also done Southern India - Chennai to Cochin which was fabulous. You see so many different sights.

Sleepyteach · 20/07/2022 13:24

We went to Delhi, Agra, Sawai Madhopur and Jaipur about five years ago and loved it, went at Easter. Only bit we weren’t keen on was Agra, this would have been better as a day trip for us, but I appreciate that it’s not the same when you’re visiting family! The best bit was Ranthambore, we stayed in Sawai Madhopur and the hotel arranged the safaris for us, the hotel was gorgeous, very traditional but the food there was very average. We also had lunch at the Oberoi there which was incredible, great food and beautiful surroundings, very luxurious but understated. (And eye wateringly expensive to stay in!). We saw the tigers on our second drive, a mum and three babies which was just amazing, we were very lucky.

Get good travel insurance (ours is through our Amex card) our train from Agra to Sawai Madhopur was delayed by 13 hours, we called them and they agreed to pay for a hotel car for the five hour drive, which actually turned out to be a really cool part of the trip, the driver was more like a tour guide and we got to see places we wouldn’t otherwise have seen. We also had a hotel driver in Jaipur to go to the monkey temple (cool but they are very persistent!!) but got tuk tuks the rest of the time around each city only issue we had was that in Jaipur our hotel was fairly new and no one seemed to know where it was! We also got the train from Delhi to Agra and from Sawai Madhopur to Jaipur.

Avoid western food, everyone I know who got sick in India was from eating at western chains (mostly subway and McDonald’s) but overall it was a brilliant experience and I can’t wait till DD is a bit older and we can take her and explore another part of India!!

Sleepyteach · 20/07/2022 13:26

Forgot to say, don’t forget to pick up the form you need for immigration when you arrive - no one had mentioned this, we had visas so thought we were all set, got to the desk after an hour and a half queuing and were sent away. I’d been awake for about 30 hours at this point and I just cried.

BlackForestCake · 20/07/2022 13:27

There are some amazing videos on YouTube of street food in India. I think I would trust that more than a hotel, because it is made from scratch and sold so fast there is no time for illness-causing bugs to grow on it.

lifehappens12 · 20/07/2022 13:28

I went to India 7 ish years ago and we did it mainly by ourselves using trains to move between places. There railways are great and experience in them selves. You can book directly from the uk.

One to watch out for is scammers which can happen anywhere.

But otherwise a beautiful country

mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork · 20/07/2022 13:28

I have been to India several times but not in recent years. I really liked Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Pushkar and Agra (because of Taj Mahal mostly). I did not like Jaipur though it does have some good places to visit: I did not find it a friendly city - some places are just like that. Try not to do too much in the time you have. If you have not been before, India can be a bit of a shock and you need at least a few days to begin to get used to it. BUT do not go in the dry hot season! I was in Northern India once at that time for about a month or more and never have I experienced such heat (and I have been to v hot places). As you breathe in, you can feel your nasal passages and throat drying. You can't do much between 7.30 am and 8.00 pm. The locals stay indoors as much as possible too so the streets in daytime are fairly empty of people.

Anyway, I hope you have a great time whenever you do go.

knackeredagain · 20/07/2022 13:32

Lovely that a few people have mentioned Pushkar. I loved it there. Delhi’s a bit hectic so it was a nice change of pace. Eating out is really cheap - no need for malaria tablets but you will have to have hepatitis boosters.
Personally we are vegetarian the whole time because it is lovely and less risky in terms of tummy upsets. So much tasty food to choose from 😋

karmakameleon · 20/07/2022 13:32

My first trip to India was in April (yes I got the bug and have been back many times!) and it’s doable but you need to do sightseeing early in the morning and head back to the hotel and hang out by the pool in the afternoon. April is also mango season so if you go then be sure to eat all the mangoes!

From the destinations on your list, my favourites are the Rajasthani cities (Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur especially). Also recommend the Fatehpur Sikri, which is easy to incorporate as a stop on the drive.

You can get the train from Delhi to Agra, which I think is the most pleasant way, but Agra is a horrible city. It’s worth getting a good hotel here and just leaving for the sightseeing. No need to venture out for any other reason.

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