India

[Shout]

I am planning my first trip to India for Jan 09. I will be by myself so hope to go on an escourted tour. I am interested in North India, but I am a bit overwhelmed with where to go and what to do. I have max 16 days. Whilst I love luxury travel,as I will have to pay a single supplement costs need to be reasonable budget around GBP3/4K.
Any recommendations, tips, info gratefully received.

I went on a 2 week tour of Northern India ages ago with a friend. I think it was with the Imaginative Traveller and it took in Dehli, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi, can't remember all the place names sorry but it was similar to this one www.imaginative-traveller.com/tours/itineraries/itin.php?code=HSCI&lid=HSCI&lpos=touricon-link&PHPSE SSID=1db1dad2b2f458837691abf6bd1badd4 We also spent a week in Delhi beforehand which I enjoyed. My friend went on to Kathmandu for a couple of months afterwards and she loved it.

Overall I liked the trip but it has been my only experience of that kind of tour and I have to say I would rather travel more slowly, going to less places and spending more time in each of them but maybe that's just me.

I really liked the Rought Guide to India best out of all the guide books I read beforehand, if you get that it might help you decide on your plans. Your budget sounds ample btw.

I went for 6 weeks a few years ago - would highly recommend Hampi, Udaipur and Jaipur - beautiful country I loved it.

Thanks for the responses, they all look like the places I want to visit.I'm going to check out the website now,and buy a guide book.

thanks once again

Try not to do too many places. We were supposed to do Delhi/Jaipur/Agra/Varanasi/Kurahjo (sp) in one week Unfortunately DP was ill in Agra so we didn't get to the last two places. But even so the travelling was horrendous. Overnight journeys/up at 4.00am/herded onto coaches etc. Not good!

We went onto Kathmandu after he had recovered which was brilliant!