India's Golden Triangle

[RaraRachael]

Friend and I are both in our early 60s. She's suggesting we do India's Golden Triangle - Delhi, Taj Mahal and Ranthambhore National Park.

Has anyone done it? I'm reasonably fit but I'm worried it will be too hot, busy and smelly. It's really outside my comfort zone as I've only previously been to Europe and Florida.

4 and 5 stars, all very clean and modern.

Yes. We went last year and weren't ill. Tip...eat vegetarian.

Last year we flew into Mumbai, 3 nights then took train to Goa. 10 nights then flew back to Mumbai
All self organised. Once I got my head around registering for the trains it was easy and prebooked before we went. We only had 2 weeks so made it an easy trip.

We are used to independent travel. I wouldn't hesitate to DIY the golden triangle or anywhere in India actually.

Someone said they felt Mumbai was unsafe, see, we felt the opposite! Loved the beat and rhythm of Mumbai.

@Squirrelchops1 Have you been anywhere else in India? Goa isn’t the real India!

Vegetarian? Can work but anything raw washed in unsafe water won’t be great. The big tip is cooked food. Meat doesn’t make you ill. Unwashed or food washed in contaminated water will.

As you will see, I went to Mumbai
As you will see I comment i only had 2 weeks so we made it easy.
As you will see we took the train so can't get more local than that.
We also went to southern Goa which is a lot less commercial. Stop being a travel snob about what is 'real' or not.
We knew this was a little toe dip into India.
I dont suppose the Dharavi slums were the real India either!

We stuck to vegetarian food as partner is veggie anyway BUT a friend who goes to India a lot swears by that keeping her well so I did the same. The vegetarian dishes are outstanding.

I know about vegetarian dishes but salads can present real problems. No one who has been to Goa will think it’s the same as many other areas of India had they travelled to them. Try a 16 hour train ride and then compare. Also the op was not going to Goa! As you haven’t been anywhere else much I think there’s a gap in knowledge. It’s not the same experience.

India is not the place to eat salad. There are a million better things to eat! Only eat cooked, fresh food.

I don't think so. Having read all the comments, I now realise India isn't for me.

I think that's a good outcome - the competitive travel snobs do my head in. Choose a holiday that suits you where ever that may be and have a good time.

@CharlotteRumpling Absolutely. That’s why just saying vegetarian meals only isn’t great advice! Salads fall into that category.

@RaraRachael India is brilliant for people who are interested in India. We first went in the 80s and it was hard work! Although we had a private driver it wasn’t an easy holiday. However it was utterly memorable as we saw places that are now very busy with tourists. Back then they weren’t.

Now when we go to India, we pay for pretty luxurious hotels. It keeps India and chaos from following you into your haven! You might really like Goa because it is sanitized India. However it’s not got outstanding Indian architecture or the Taj Mahal. In Rajasthan and elsewhere you can stay in historic palaces and havellis and see a bygone era with modern conveniences. You won’t be ill and it’s an amazing place if you spend the money and can overlook poverty. If you cannot do either and don’t value the culture, art, histiry, architecture and temples, it’s not your thing.

Yeah I stuck with vegetarian food in India. Mind you it's probably the best country in the world to eat it as just so much variety

I stuck with veggie too, I also didn't eat salads or consume ice, always ate in good restaurants, drank bottled water etc. People ate the same food as me and didn't ill and then they got ill eating the same food I did - it didn't make sense but over the two weeks we all got ill on different days.
It wouldn't put me off going back - but I'd never tell anyone do this and you won't get ill - it simply was not the case for the 16 people I travelled with - who were not reckless btw - they had all travelled quite a bit before.

Meat can definitely make you ill in India, often because it is not refrigerated properly (or at all). I'd be wary of any meat dishes sat out at a buffet too, it's the same in Egypt.

@tangtastico Often buffets are what’s on offer but it depends on hotel. No issues for us in good ones but I’d not choose to eat meat in a roadside cafe. That’s why hotel choice matters and staff training around food. The best hotels can be trusted.

I've travel a lot, all over the place and completely agree with this.
I see the OP has decided she might like Australia, great choice. Loads to see/do without too much culture shock or lack of comfort. I would suggest she looks at Japan or South Korea as an alternative to India though. They're both clean, polite, well organised places but added in a completely different culture and with loads to see and do. Japan (well, Tokyo) is organised chaos, Korea is organised, no chaos and India is just chaos without the organised bit.

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The best time to see the Taj Mahal is at first light as the approaching sunrise turns it from dusky pink to golden yellow to blinding white, so make sure your group does it before breakfast.