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What I did in Varanasi was get trapped in a guesthouse for four days by foot-deep floodwater and then get giardiasis when I finally went crazy and waded out through it. I recommend not doing that (either thing). Varanasi is hellish during/after the monsoon. I don't know when you're going, so check the calendar before deciding if you want to go.
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Mar 5, 2014 01:19
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duralict posted:What I did in Varanasi was get trapped in a guesthouse for four days by foot-deep floodwater and then get giardiasis when I finally went crazy and waded out through it. I recommend not doing that (either thing). Haha, WHAT? I'm leaving in half a week. The trip is centered around Holi.
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Mar 5, 2014 01:34
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DNova posted:Haha, WHAT? You will not see the magnificent mudhole that is Varanasi during Monsoon, then. I wanted to also chip in that since you are heading towards Sri Lanka and are otherwise in the north, you could do the UP/Rajasthan cities (Jaipur/Delhi/Agra/Mathura), then head to Mumbai, then Goa (which I enjoy despite not being a beach partier), then Kochi (which you haven't mentioned but is fun), then hop to Sri Lanka. I also wanted to mention that you should make sure you have a multiple entry visa if you're planning on going in and out of India- though maybe you've already thought of that!
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Mar 5, 2014 04:43
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DNova posted:Do any of you have experience with spur-of-the-moment travel in India? I know the trains have some last-minute tickets at higher prices, but I am worried about getting accommodations at whatever destination. Is a couple of days of plans at a time enough, do you think? There we decided that gently caress it we're going to hire a driver for the week. Couldn't recommend it more.
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Mar 5, 2014 06:22
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Couple things to add to this discussion. Logistics-wise, you'll have no problem finding accommodation upon arrival with the possible exception of Holi depending on the city. But even then, if you're patient you shouldn't have a problem. We showed up in Rishikesh during Yoga week in the middle of the night a few days ago and found a place to stay even though the city is packed to the gills. The train shower question has been answered but I wanted to add that many (most?) of the train stations have showers in the toilet area that you can use for like rs20 if you have your own towel. I haven't tried them but if you really want a shower there you go. We've been here for 2 months and have taken maybe 10 long-distance trains. We bought some of the tickets in advance and some the day before and have only really had trouble getting in/out of Goa (too many other travelers). Be sure to ask about tourist quota tickets at the train station - they hold them for non-Indian travelers and you don't have to pay the extra fee associated with Taktal (the last minute tickets). Generally these are only available at larger train stations. Also, keep in mind that any train station can book you on any train. So it may be worth your while to book your first 3 trains or whatever when you land in Mumbai so you don't have that stress/time out of your day during your whirlwind trip through the north. Then maybe book the rest in Delhi. Edit: you need to know some stuff to do this - the train name and number, departure time, and the exact stations where you will get on and get off. "Some train from Mumbai to Jodhpur" won't do unless you have an exceptionally helpful person at the window and/or you speak the language. Have fun! Incidentally, we'll be in Udaipur for Holi. If anyone else is going to be there too, we should meet up. We met another couple in Kerala a few days ago that, as it happens, will be there as well. I will have been in no-meat no-booze Rishikesh for like 10 straight days so I'll be looking to find some beers, stat. Sub Par fucked around with this message at 07:40 on Mar 5, 2014 |
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Mar 5, 2014 07:33
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Sub Par posted:Edit: you need to know some stuff to do this - the train name and number, departure time, and the exact stations where you will get on and get off. "Some train from Mumbai to Jodhpur" won't do unless you have an exceptionally helpful person at the window and/or you speak the language. There are government-run tourist offices in a couple of the major hub stations that will help you with all of this. I was actually pretty impressed with how well they did at translating the mess of Indian logistics into being navigable by idiot westerners. As far as planning goes... Generally speaking, it's pretty easy to get things done there if you know exactly what to ask for... so the kind of "planning" you really need to do is mostly figuring out what the right questions are. You don't actually need to make concrete plans, but it's pretty important to know what you MIGHT want to do, because very often, the people who can help you figure out your plans aren't going to be anywhere near the people who can help you actually execute them.
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Mar 5, 2014 13:53
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Sub Par posted:I will have been in no-meat no-booze Rishikesh for like 10 straight days so I'll be looking to find some beers, stat. Dude if you're still there, go to Nirvana in Upper Bank (near Bhandari Swiss Cottage) because they've got beers most nights. EDIT: ALSO! Go to the restaurant Savage Garden in Udaipur, it's great! We stayed at Lal Ghat Guesthouse which was really nice and way cheaper than all the other guest houses by far. Udaipur was an expensive place to go, but quite pleasant. I was there for New Years and had an awesome time. Regarding Varanasi, it's a love-it-or-hate-it kind of place. The first time I went, I was visiting an ex-pat friend who had been living there six months, and he showed me a lot of good restaurants and hangouts. I found a lot of things to do in Varanasi, but I like to walk all the time and talk to strangers, so I find a lot of things to do everywhere. Lot of places have concerts, there's always different festivals going on, you can play cricket with kids down along the ghats, watch guys scam tourists near Dadeswamedh, and of course enjoy a lassi or two. Gotta second what duralict said above about "knowing the right questions." That's one of the best ways I've heard w/r/t dealing with everything. Monsoon occurs in the second half of the year so you should be good. It'll be getting hot in India about now, so be ready! Roctavian fucked around with this message at 01:41 on Mar 6, 2014 |
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Mar 6, 2014 01:38
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Here's my currently up to date tentative plan. Bold means stuff that is already booked. I got rid of Mathura because I cannot find accommodations there ahead of time and I'm too nervous that I will be screwed once I arrive. It seems that Holi is a big deal in New Delhi, too, so I will still get to experience the insanity. I hope. Day 6 is pretty grueling but it might be worth it to not spend a night in Agra. It's not in bold so it's not set in stone yet. I have that big gap at the end during which I am tempted to go to Sri Lanka or the Maldives but I can't find a decent itinerary. I'm very open to suggestions. It would be a couple days in Kolkata probably and then moving on. Not sure. Maybe Hyderabad. Too many choices! Jodhpur is costing a lot of train time so the omelettes better be worth it. I'm coming after you guys if Jodhpur sucks.
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Mar 6, 2014 02:29
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Hey DNova, here are my transport experience in India: Buses are always available without reservation, but are usually uncomfortable, especially for longer journeys. You can almost always find a place on a train, but 2AC and 3AC will often sell out for overnight journeys. However, at 10am the day before a train leaves, the station will start selling "tatkal" tickets (which I think you can also buy online). Tatkal tickets cost more. Some trains have some seats reserved for foreigners, but there's usually only a couple seats so they sell out fast. I had trouble getting tickets sometimes and had to take the bus (travelling with two other people). I travelled on 1AC once, for fun, and there was actually a showerhead in the bathroom, so you rinse yourself off. Note that the water just ran down into the squat toilet, so it wasn't exactly luxurious... I think baby wipes will be your friends. Keep in mind that overnight trains often run at weird times and it can be hard to tell what station you're at, so you might get worn out by having to wake up at 4am to peer out the window for an hour, wondering which station you're going through. About going to Sri Lanka... You can fly there for less $100. Try checking the airports near the island, like Trichy (Tiruchirapalli), which has a big temple complex you can visit in the city too. Alternatively, you could visit something in southern India like Hampi or Kerala for a few days before leaving? edit: Forgot about guesthouses. I booked in advance through hostelworld sometimes, but often we just showed up and found a guesthouse without any problems. Every area where tourists visit will have a lot of places to stay. Almost every guesthouse will know a friend of theirs that still has rooms. It might be worth booking if you're going to be somewhere popular during a festival though. Booking in advance tends to be more expensive, unless you show up and all their cheap rooms are gone. Chernori fucked around with this message at 04:59 on Mar 6, 2014 |
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Mar 6, 2014 04:48
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Heh, you're doing almost the same trip I did (plus Kolkata and Mumbai), just in a totally different order. You should really rearrange it so that you finish Rajasthan/Golden Triangle in Agra (Delhi->Jodhpur->Jaipur->Agra or Jaipur->Jodhpur->Delhi->Agra). It'll take the same amount of time as what you've got down now up until you try to get to Varanasi, but Agra->Varanasi is like a 9 hour sleeper train instead of a 20-some hour hell trip. Also you should think about doing a stop in Khajuraho, which is a super awesome series of amazingly-well-preserved temple complexes and are unlike anything you'll see in the cities. There's one train that goes there from Agra every day around noon (and gets in at like 8pm), then another (sleeper) train that goes from there every night to Varanasi around 1130 PM (getting in around 11am), so the timing is incredibly convenient. Plus then you wouldn't have to rush around Agra in one afternoon. In any case you should definitely buy those sleeper tickets (Jodhpur-Delhi and Agra-Varanasi or Khajuraho-Varanasi) as early as possible (go to the tourist office at the Mumbai train station and get them there) because those are the nicer sleeper trains and will sell out. The daytime ones shouldn't be a problem. (incidentally India protip, get sleeper cabin tickets during the day too, the benches are vastly more comfortable than the regular seats and you can climb up on the top bunk if you want to stretch out.)
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Mar 6, 2014 08:48
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Roctavian posted:Dude if you're still there, go to Nirvana in Upper Bank (near Bhandari Swiss Cottage) because they've got beers most nights. Thanks for the recommendations. We have a couple more days in Rishikesh so I'll definitely check out Nirvana - I had heard it mentioned by someone else staying at my hotel. We'll also check out Savage Garden while we're in Udaipur. We're there 4 days I think and are already booked in a guesthouse the name of which I can't remember but it was 900 rupees/night so we were happy.
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Mar 6, 2014 10:16
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Ah poo poo my partner just reminded me the beer is at the corner store NEXT to Nirvana, and we just carried it in. But by the time you read this, whoever served your table probably told you that already.
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Mar 7, 2014 06:00
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Roctavian posted:Ah poo poo my partner just reminded me the beer is at the corner store NEXT to Nirvana, and we just carried it in. But by the time you read this, whoever served your table probably told you that already. No worries, we figured it out. Thanks!
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Mar 7, 2014 13:49
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I assume you won't have an Indian Passport. If you have Indian origin, I highly recommend you apply for an OCI if you have more than 3-4 months before departure; when visiting places like Agra to see the Taj Mahal, you can get in for 20 rupees instead of 750 rupees. We came back from India two weeks ago, and they picked up that we were 'tourists' although we are British Indians, although many of us could speak Hindi (everyone apart from me...) We ended up paying around £30 more than needed, which could have been saved with an OCI - which only two people had on them. OCI has other benefits too, but make sure you read up about things like consular access which technically is lost (the Indian government say). It's probably too late now assuming you have planned your trip and gotten a visa, making it pointless. Enjoy India!
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Mar 9, 2014 11:15
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Happy Holi!
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Mar 17, 2014 16:29
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Happy Holi! My rs150 fake Ray-Bans are never going to be white again, I fear...
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Mar 18, 2014 06:46
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Sub Par posted:Happy Holi! My rs150 fake Ray-Bans are never going to be white again, I fear... Ah man, I thought my 300rs ray bans were a steal! (down from 2500, the cheeky beggar). We missed holi, it was finishing up as our rickshaw pulled in. Am I right in thinking it's just drunk men throwing paint at each other and trying to shake women's hands? We're here at Varanasi for 3 more days if anyone's around!
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Mar 18, 2014 07:39
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Here in Udaipur it was about 30% tourists, 70% drunk/drinking local men. It was more "smearing color on you and then hugging/groping" than throwing, though the kids did throw stuff. The most fun was the water balloons and water guns - that was a blast. Got into a little water balloon fight with some 5 year-olds. I left defeated, having taken a direct hit to the junk.
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Mar 18, 2014 13:42
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Those are great photos! And yeah, those kids spend a lot of time practising their pitch playing Cricket.
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Mar 21, 2014 15:02
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Things I learned in India: 1) Train fares are actually booked up WELL IN ADVANCE and getting tatkal fares is a big time wasting pain in the rear end. 2) Indians cannot tolerate quiet. If there would otherwise be peace and quiet, they make damned sure to take care of that problem by any number of methods, the most common of which seems to be every third person playing music from their cell phones as loudly and as distorted as possible. 3) "24/7 hot water" means that there is a hot water tank on premises 24/7, but it's probably not turned on. 3b) You will care about this much less than you think. 4) a 10'x10' shop requires about 30 electrical switches. 5) Cows will go through you, rather than around you, on their way to wherever. 6) What's personal space? 7) Watching monkeys stalk and try to steal things from unaware tourists is one of the best things. And much more. I had a great time, and I really liked some things that most people say kind of suck, like Mumbai. I spent twice as much time in Varanasi as I had planned to (sacrificing Kolkata almost completely). New Delhi sucked, but maybe I just had a bad experience -- Holi pretty much sucked there and I'm completely bummed out about it. Jaipur and Jodhpur were both definitely worth seeing. I'm by no means done with India after that. 3 weeks is nothing and there is so much more to see. I'll post a few photos here sometime soon. By the way, can someone tell me what exactly it is in those little foil packets for sale everywhere? I got different answers from everyone I asked. Is it tobacco? Betel nut? And if anyone knows details about the stuff those guys with the fresh betel leaves sell, I'd love to hear what it is. Whatever it is, it really wrecks people's teeth.
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Apr 7, 2014 11:04
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DNova posted:By the way, can someone tell me what exactly it is in those little foil packets for sale everywhere? I got different answers from everyone I asked. Is it tobacco? Betel nut? Both! There are packets of supari/betel nut and packets of tobacco. A lot of Indians use both, continuously.
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Apr 7, 2014 19:16
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If you're talking about the ones that are hanging outside of shops like this -- -- different brands choose to include or not include the tobacco. I bought some Parag the last time I was in Kolkata and was given a pack of the betel stuff and a pack of the tobacco separately. For any of you that haven't seen it, it's just this crumbly, powdery white stuff that turns muddy on contact with saliva. I think that it's the fresh stuff that really stains your teeth, though. I've had that too, but only once. DNova, I'm glad to hear the trip went well! What did you find rough about Delhi? I met a Dutch lady who lives in Connaught Place and loves it, but my experience of Delhi was almost entirely negative. The only bright spot for me was Dr. Chen's Dentistry in Paharganj, where I got a broken tooth fixed for $100. Also what did you like in Varanasi? Man I miss that town.
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Apr 7, 2014 21:23
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Roctavian posted:DNova, I'm glad to hear the trip went well! What did you find rough about Delhi? I met a Dutch lady who lives in Connaught Place and loves it, but my experience of Delhi was almost entirely negative. The only bright spot for me was Dr. Chen's Dentistry in Paharganj, where I got a broken tooth fixed for $100. Also what did you like in Varanasi? Man I miss that town. Mostly, my experience in Delhi was kind of tainted by the fact that Holi in Paharganj sucks. It was a terrible miscalculation on my part. I wanted to be in Mathura for Holi because I read it is fantastic there. Surely, then, Delhi would be almost as good, considering its proximity, I thought. I was very wrong. It wasn't -awful- but it just wasn't anything close to the Holi experience that everyone else I met related to me. Also, at the end, just steps from my hotel, some rear end in a top hat spray-painted my ear with some silver paint that was not easy to wash out. I did not explore much outside of Paharganj, which may have further lead me to an unfair conclusion of Delhi. In any case, I didn't have much of a good time there. The appeal of Varanasi is not something I really understand. It's not a place I would have thought I would like as much as I did. It's a moving place. It is relaxed yet overflowing with energy. The mix of life and death is unique in a way that I don't think any other place could capture. There is nothing to do in Varanasi. No itinerary or list of objectives. It's a place you can just experience, without any effort. It's absolutely not what I normally go for, so it took me by surprise. The amount of coincidences that happened to me in Varanasi is ridiculous. From re-meeting people from earlier in my trip in various ways, to the guy who had a train ticket to Kolkata for the exact train and date I needed a ticket for (they were sold out). His plans had changed and he gave me his ticket, saving me a token amount of money but more importantly half a day of frustration and uncertainty. Incidentally, there was a bag theft on my train car to Kolkata. Around midnight the entire car erupted in yelling and the lights turned on from one end to the next. Everyone in the car was involved. We had been traveling at some speed for quite a while, and the thief wasn't located, so I think he must have stolen the bag significantly earlier than the discovery that it was missing. That, or he jumped off or threw it to an accomplice on the ground. The victims were an Indian couple and apparently the bag that was stolen contained a significant amount of cash. The ticket man came through and re-checked everyone but for no gain in the case. It was my first time in sleeper class, and I was grateful to have a side upper, and that I travel light enough to keep all of my belongings up on the bunk with me.
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Apr 7, 2014 21:53
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thethirdman posted:Both! There are packets of supari/betel nut and packets of tobacco. A lot of Indians use both, continuously. Think of really ratchet skoal. It's the bright red/yellow stuff you see rickshaw drivers spitting constantly. I've also heard it makes you high but I'm not sure I believe that. Indians are weird when talking about drugs. All my security guards are clearly high as poo poo late at night. When I asked what drug they're using, my friends just say "oh, they smoke a lot of tobacco."
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Apr 17, 2014 06:51
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Take your poo to the looooooo. http://time.com/69122/video-unicefs-army-of-singing-dancing-poop
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Apr 29, 2014 01:06
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Hi there. Getting visas in the US to visit India is currently hosed and there's no sign as to when that will be fixed with the new visa processor. I've read about people getting visas abroad. From what I'm reading-- and I'd contact them should I decide go to this route-- I can get an Indian visa as an American citizen in different cities like Amman in Jordan. From what I see as well, I wouldn't need to provide an itinerary with the normal tourist visa and that's good as I will have a RTW ticket that allows me to book flights as I go. Has anybody here received a tourist visa while traveling out of the country?
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Jul 16, 2014 19:39
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Blinkman987 posted:Hi there. Getting visas in the US to visit India is currently hosed and there's no sign as to when that will be fixed with the new visa processor. I got a visa for Russia in Ulan Bator but at least that embassy was so corrupt it was easy to just "pay a little extra." My guess is that you'd have an easier time getting a visa if you had a local partner- a travel agency or something similar. The Indians are so bureaucratic that they might be harder to get a visa from outside the US. Don't forget that Jordan also requires a visa. I had a friend who just got a visa from Cox & Kings- it took him a couple weeks, mailed, though he did it right at the point they switched over. I just got my tourist visa transferred- I went to San Francisco and submitted it in person, on 6/16, and they FedEx'd it back to me 7/7. Not great but not horrible if you have a little time until your trip. If you haven't already planned your trip you could just apply for a 5 or 10 year multiple entry visa and then go any time in that span. I have sympathy though- Cox & Kings is a garbage corporation doing horrible work. On the other hand, welcome to India!
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Jul 16, 2014 22:33
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Last year, I got my visa for travel to India in Istanbul, and it was time-consuming but not difficult. I did have to answer itinerary questions and all that, but I just gave them the address of a hotel I stayed at in India before and said I'd just be wandering around the country. Nobody would ever check you on it, so you can just google a hotel in your arrival city and provide that info.
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Jul 16, 2014 22:41
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I got my Indian visa in Cairo. "Time-consuming but not difficult" pretty accurately describes that experience. They told me it normally takes 4-5 days, it took mine about two weeks. I'm pretty sure that most of that time it was just sitting in a desk somewhere in the consulate because on my fifth visit I just straight up asked the consulate guy if he could expedite it for me and he came back with my sticker like five minutes later.
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Jul 17, 2014 02:53
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I'm landing in Trichy at 11:30pm, will I get killed walking on the street? Any tips on late night transport in India? Do I have to book accommodation in advance for India? Thanks heaps  !
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Jul 27, 2014 11:34
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Kerala is relatively safe. You can use radio taxis in big cities (like Meru Cabs), and tuktuks are around in most cities too. Late night, they'll just charge extra but for guys the risk of any mugging etc is pretty low. The safety situation is quite bad for girls sadly. Accommodation you generally won't have to book in advance. Train tickets on the other hand, you'll need to book weeks in advance if it's a popular route. What places are you planning to visit in India?
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Jul 28, 2014 09:36
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Anarkii posted:Kerala is relatively safe. You can use radio taxis in big cities (like Meru Cabs), and tuktuks are around in most cities too. Late night, they'll just charge extra but for guys the risk of any mugging etc is pretty low. The safety situation is quite bad for girls sadly. I'm a dude, and an ugly one at that so I'm safe from rape and maybe theft although I've dropped about 10kg of muscle since I started backpacking  . Currently I want to check our Kerala, Goa and fly out of Delhi. I was going to take the train to get around but I guess I'll have to minibus or fly after what you've said. I'm not much of a planner. I'm mainly there for the food and a half way point between Asia and Africa. I've learnt a hell of a lot about cuisine in SE Asia and Japan thus far and real Indian food has always been a mystery to me.
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Jul 28, 2014 10:23
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Be aware that the cuisine in the south of India is very different from the one in the north, which is the one that usually gets all the attention outside of India. The food I got in Tamil Nadu is very heavy on rice, vegetables and tortilla-like bread. It's a lot subtler dimension of flavours compared to the north. It's still delicious, mind you, just different 
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Jul 28, 2014 13:06
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cent0r posted:I'm a dude, and an ugly one at that so I'm safe from rape and maybe theft although I've dropped about 10kg of muscle since I started backpacking You can check availability for the trains on Cleartrip.com (they should walk you through the process of signing up for an IRCTC account). See here for more details. If you don't want to plan, you can always try to buy taktal or tourist quota tickets in person. Show up to any train station at 10am the day before your planned journey with cash in hand and try to buy the ticket. There will be an extra fee on the ticket, though. I was there Jan-Apr and the only places we had problems getting our tickets with 3-5 day advance notice is Goa-Kerala and Delhi-Haridwar. We worked around the first problem by going to Bangalore first, and used taktal tickets for the second one. If you're there for the food, give yourself a couple days in Delhi so you can get a taste of some of the North Indian cuisine. I actually preferred the food in the south, and you can get "north Indian" food at any touristy restaurant in the south, but it's not as good/cheap. Favorite dish: dal makhani. Favorite street food: aloo tiki. Have fun!
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Jul 29, 2014 08:36
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Dal makhani is the perfect Indian dish. Usually safe, found most anywhere, cheap and available in so many different tasty variants.
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Jul 29, 2014 19:54
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Sub Par posted:You can check availability for the trains on Cleartrip.com (they should walk you through the process of signing up for an IRCTC account). See here for more details. Cheers I'll give that a try. India covers a huge expanse of land so I expect food to be different in the south and north. Flying out tomorrow. Thanks for all the help guys
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Jul 29, 2014 21:39
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South Indian food is actually quite diverse, though I guess when people refer to South Indian they primarily talk about the vegetarian stuff that dino covers in great detail in his thread in GWS. But apart from that (which is quite tasty in itself), you'll see tons of beef dishes in Kerala, great seafood in the coastal region of Karnataka & Maharastra (quite similar to malaysian dishes with coconut milk), pork sausages & curry in Goa etc. Delhi & Kolkata are a blast for cheap street food.
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Jul 30, 2014 06:38
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Hell yes, Kolkata kati rolls. Totally worth it even if it does come back to haunt you on that sleeper train.
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Jul 30, 2014 19:37
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