Holiday India

[Astressie]

My daughter recently rang me and asked me to go to India with her. I am so pleased as have wanted to go for years and DH not interested. He hates flying. She has asked me to do the research search. Don't know where to start as India's such a massive country. I would like to travel a bit when we're there and see cities but also countryside. Has anyone got any tips for travel itineraries and also what time of year to go.

It depends what you want from your trip but generally the best time is over our autumn/winter. February’s ideal, as is October. Don’t go in summer - it’s monsoon season.

Oooh! Lucky you!

We enjoyed;

Mumbai for a night or two, overnight train to South Goa for beach time. Agonda or Palolem.

Kerala also beautiful - famed for its houseboat home stays.

Then Fort Kochi was wonderful, highly recommend.

We haven't been north but I'd love to!

Kerala, via Mumbai, for sure!

I start by looking up the established tour companies in the region to give me an idea of what is sort of achievable in the time frame I have. I figure they are usually going to the good places!

Then I research those places and make sure they interest me.

Then I do a more detailed itinerary with timings to see if I can achieve it. Then from this make decisions on what to extend and what to cut out.

I'm a bit of a planning nerd though!

I've been to a lot of the sites in Northern triangle if you have any questions - Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur

Yes, you've got to make some choices, as you can't do all of it (unless you've got months/years). But travelling around by train was a wonderful way of doing it. I would love sitting in the doorways, just watching India go past.

I didn't get the chance to see all of it, but some highlights were;
Bangalore as a party town
Pondicherry as somewhere with French history
Mahabalipuram - never seen so many temples
Ooty (short for Udhagamandalam) - a hill town in the South of India. The narrow gauge train journey up the mountain was the highlight, the town itself was a bit of a dump.
The Taj Mahal is essential. It may sound touristy, but it is absolutely breathtaking.
I never made it to Mumbai, but Delhi was very interesting with a lot of sights
Kerala for the countryside and lakes.

It's such a huge country that you can't possibly see it all in one trip.
The Taj Mahal is magical and part of me wishes that Shah Jahan had managed to build his duplicate in black marble across the river but the cost must have been astronomical

Srinagar is beautiful but check the political situation before you go.
The golden temple at Amritsar is a special place and if you make it there then please visit Jallianwala Bagh to see where the British had one of their lowest hours.
And that's just a few bits of north west India.
I wish I could join you. Have fun.

Probably a good place to start is how long you’ve got for this trip and what your budget is? That will rule things in or out! I’ve only been to Goa (which while nice isn’t really what I’d recommend you base an Indian odyssey on!). I’d start by looking at the Indian intineraries of the travel companies that offer non bog standard packages so say Kuoni, Audley, Intrepid etc as well as looking at Lonely Planet online, going to the India section and taking a look at its suggested itineraries. From there, you and your daughter can draft up a rough plan. Use Skyscanner & Kayak for flights. I usually use Booking.com for hotels then check reviews on Tripadvisor.
The British Journalist Monisha Rajesh wrote a book called Around India in 80 trains which may also provide some inspiration. Have a wonderful time, would love to do similar!

Have you considered doing a tour? Friend of mine went with citrus holidays to India and it was really good value. You don't have to do everything with the people on your tour, you just get picked up from your hotel for various excursions and your airport transfers etc are sorted. You can choose different hotels in each place according to your budget.

Just from a safety aspect (don’t want to overplay this but there are numerous cases of rape and other violence against women) a tour would actually be the safest option. However that’s not to say you could travel safely independently. I would want to know the do’s and don’ts though.

Couldn’t not could!

If it's your first trip then Rajasthan area is a very good place to start:

Fly to Delhi then Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodphur type places. So much to see and a well beaten safe tourist trail. It would be very easy to organise your own trip in this area. I did this last xmas with my young teens and they enjoyed it. If you don't fancy crazy busy city then leave out Delhi - we didn't take the kids here.
You could also go to Rathambore National Park to see Tigers - not too far from this area but an amazing experience.

Don't fall into the trap of trying to see too much or you will spend your time travelling too much.

Gosh- thanks so much for all the advice. Will start looking where the 'non bog standard' tours go. I think the area I focus on will define the time of year I travel as I think India has different climates . I really don't want to 'fall into the trap' of trying to see too much but am at risk of this- v. excited. I am wary about safety and will obviously look up what I need to look out for- but would like to spend some time in non touristy places. Thinking of hill towns but also beaches, handicraft markets and would like to see temples and architecture. Not sure how we will travel around and how safe the trains are need to do loads of research.

You do need to understand that different things you want are in different parts of India. Goa has beaches. So does the coast south of Chennai. Not all beaches in India are wholesome! That’s why people go to Goa!

Temples are more plentiful in the South. So you have Madurai and the great Hindu temples. In the North you will find buildings such as the Taj Mahal, are of Muslim origin. There are forts and great sites in the Rajastan triangle. This is slightly more sanitised India. Far fewer tourists in the South.

For hill towns you could go to Ooty in the South or Shimla further north and look at Dajeeling too. We have also been to Bandhavgarh National Park which is a great place to see tigers. It’s not easy to get to but has less visitors than

For s first time visitor, Rajasthan makes sense. Great heritage hotels and a certain amount of luxury. Don’t expect markets though. Shops are the norm and government run craft ones are good! Off the beaten track has to be South India. Cox and Kings run interesting itineraries. Check them out. Also Lonely Planet is always worth a read for their itineraries and advice.

Finally: don’t use cheap hotels. You want a calm oasis at the end of the day! The heritage hotels or havelis are wonderful. Focus on one or two areas and places that are truly Indian! I can tell you there are better beaches in the world than Goa. Kerala isn’t that wonderful. The temple towns in the South are unique! The Taj Majal is unique! Choose wisely and it will be unforgettable. India is amazing!

The trains are safe. It takes hours though to get anywhere. Always go first class. Take good with you from a trusted source. Try not to use the loos!!!

Take food with you!!

@BubblesBuddy your info. with an overview is really helpful. It is difficult to get your head round the place. My daughter has just come home for a couple of days and says she thinks we should stick to the 'Golden Triangle' but I am tempted to do something a bit different. Temple towns in the south sound interesting and you have made think again about Kerala. Don't know much about the north. I have also thought it would be nice to use 'heritage hotels' if we can afford it.

Have a look at the Cox and Kings small group southern India tour and you’ll get an idea of what you can see. The south is a completely different experience. In over 2 weeks we met a group of Hungarian tourists who popped up at the same places a couple of times! Otherwise not s tourist in sight, except for Indians. You can end with a beach resort. I felt Kerala was ok but I didn’t feel excited by it. We did stay at a lovely hotel and not on a houseboat.

We had already done two trips to India and wanted something different. We certainly got it!

We did the same as gold pendant but also went to Hampi and Ooty (tea plantation)
It was very hard work as I got hassled to death and i was with my boyfriend, now DH. It was just before I became aware of the extent of all the super violent gang rapes.
I'd recommend going with a tour group too.
The best thing was the food which was out of this world.
It does take hours to get anywhere, that's true!

We did a golden triangle tour. We had our own driver and had a fantastic 10 days.

I think, to be fair, tourists are safe. However I would recommend either a driver, as we had in Rajasthan, or a small group tour. The distances are longer in the southern tours.

Hi, @midwestfornow what were your highlights on the golden triangle? Will have a look at Cox's tours @BubblesBuddy. Ooty and Hampi look lovely, @IdblowJonSnow.

Obviously they are not the only tour operator but I would look for smaller groups and interesting itineraries.

I would recommend Travelsphere for long haul.

DH and I did this tour with Jules Verne two years ago. Only eight people on the tour. It was one of our best holidays.

SIKHS & EXILES
Off-the-beaten-track to the Golden Temple, residence of the Dalai Lama, hill stations and heritage hotels. Ideal for returning traveller, revealing India’s complex religious history in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Day 1 Fly overnight from London Heathrow to Amritsar via Delhi.

Day 2 Afternoon arrival. Transfer to the boutique hotel Ranjit Vilas for two nights. (D)

Day 3 Visit the Golden Temple, volunteer kitchens and Jallianwala Bagh, scene of the 1919 massacre. Optional early evening Wagah Border ‘Changing of the Guard’ ceremony at the India/Pakistan border (£14, bookable locally). Later, attend the Palki ceremony at the Golden Temple. (B)

Day 4 Drive to Dharamsala (5 hrs/1,700m) for lunch. Afternoon village walk with fine views. Two nights at the unpretentious, but scenically located, Cloud’s End Villa. (B, L, D)

Day 5 Visit the Tibetan monastery, museum, library and Norbulingka, which preserves Tibetan arts and crafts. (B, D)

Day 6 Visit Kangra Fort and Museum. Travel to Pragpur village. Evening village walk. Overnight at the heritage hotel Judge’s Court, a country manor built for Justice Sir Jai Lal. (B, D)

Day 7 Drive to Shimla (7 hrs/2,000m). En route stop at Garli heritage village. Stay three nights at the heritage Clarkes Hotel, located on the Mall. (B)

Day 8 Morning tour of Shimla including the Vice Regal Lodge, museum and the Mall. Afternoon free. (B)

Day 9 Day at leisure or optional tour to the surrounding area including high tea at Wildflower Hall and a gentle walk along Mahasu Ridge (£42, bookable locally). (B)

Day 10 Take the Himalayan Queen ‘Toy Train’ to Kalka (5 hrs). Join the Shatabdi Express train to Delhi (4 hrs), with light dinner on board. Two nights at the Maidens Hotel, a heritage property. (B, D)

Day 11 ‘Return to Delhi’ tour including Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, the Red Fort, Agrasen ki Baoli stepwell and the Railway Museum. (B)

Day 12 Fly to London Heathrow, arriving later the same day. (B)

Key B - Breakfast L - Lunch D - Dinner