So..What if I don't want to go to Agra?

noladoxiegal

Hi Folks, I'm new to all this and hope you can provide me with some suggestions on my upcoming trip to India in late December, early January. Please don't scream at me telling me why I should go to Agra and see the Taj Mahal. I'm a female, 46 years old, fairly well traveled from New Orleans, LA. Going to India in December with my 21 year old daughter..so two woman traveling alone. We are okay with that and are prepared. I've read tons of threads on IndiaMike, TripAdvisor and read Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Wonderlust and Lipstick and Culture Shock India to name a few. I think I'm pretty well prepared and know what I'm looking for and my daughter and I have come to the realization that we don't really have any desire to go to Agra and see the Taj Mahal. We only have 9 days and need to spend them wisely, doing the things that we want to do. We are off-beat travelers and try to seek out things off the path and don't really get excited about things many travelers do, seeing the "big" monuments in places doesn't really excite me. I've been to New York dozens of times and never went to the Statue of Liberty. I've been to Paris twice and haven't been to Versailles. I have been advised by many good intentioned folks that I absolutely must see the Taj and that a trip to India wouldn't be complete without it. Please tell me, what else can I do other than Jaipur which I will be spending two nights in,besides going to the Taj? We will have a car and driver for the 9 days and the bulk of our trip is already planned so this leaves about 2 days that would be open with Agra up in the air. We can't do a train because we have committed to the driver so, within a decent driving distance from Delhi and Jaipur, any suggestions?
Also, does anyone know if the lake in Pushkar as of today is still empty?
Thanks so much!

PeakXV

Do you like birds & tiggers? Is so, I'd skip that one cow-tout town - Jaipur & do a Ranthambhor &/or Bharatpur instead ...... + Agra.

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Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

noladoxiegal

One Cow town, are you meaning Jaipur?

Hal

/Cross-posted with Peak

If you want something off the beaten path, I'd reconsider Jaipur...and Pushkar. There are a couple of nature reserves in the area you're looking at - Ranthambhore for big game and tigers and Keoladeo in Bharatpur for birds.

PeakXV

Hal

One cow, 47,000 monkeys and 300,000 touts.

noladoxiegal

Sounds like I need to completely redo my trip!

PeakXV

No - not really. Perhaps you can tell us your main interests or what you hope to focus on most in your short time there? Jaipur can be more touristy/tacky/invasive than Agra .... with much less to see & do. That's all. But to each his/her own ......

noladoxiegal

Thanks for the suggestion - Here is what we have so far:
Arrive 9:30pm on 12/30/09 Delhi
Delhi 12/31/09 - possibly New Years Party or something fun like a Bollywood Dance party? Is that too "hokey"?
1/1/10 - Delhi, shopping, sightseeing and recoup
1/2/10 - Delhi train to Amritsar to see Golden Temple
1/3/10 - Amritsar - shopping, Golden Temple, Wagah Border Closing Ceremony afternoon then
1/4/10 - 5am - depart on train back to Delhi meet driver
This is where we were supposed to go to Agra and then on to Jaipur
1/4/10 -PM - NO PLANS
1/5/10 - Jaipur
1/6/10 - Jaipur
1/7/10 - Afternoon/evening back to Delhi
1/8/10 - Delhi final day - shopping and prepare to leave late at night for home

Interested in temples, architecture, shopping, witnessing a wedding would be very cool, I'd love to see the Ghats in Varanasi but think that might be too far to go. would love to get a life/birth chart done by a "real" astrologer and anything else offbeat, interesting, sites, places, weird experiences etc, we are up for it but fighting touts and crowds to see the Taj...not appealing to me.

Hal

You can duck into the Taj and out without too much fuss if you have a car and driver. He can also take you to see it from across the river. But it will take a day whatever you do.

Why not do Varanasi rather than Jaipur/Agra?

steven_ber

If you did the Wagah Border on the 2nd, that would leave all of the 3rd for Golden Temple and shopping, then....

Train 9782 departs Amritsar (F & Su) at 18.00 and gets to Jaipur at 09.35 (2A, 3A, SL.)

However, if it's Ghats you're interested in, Haridwar & Rishikesh should be considered.

Train 4632 departs Amritsar daily at 22.15 and gets to Haridwar at 07.30 (3A, FC, SL.)

or

Train 2054 departs Amritsar daily (not Thursdays) at 07:00 and gets to Haridwar at 13:55 (CC, 2S.)

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camelgirl

Not sure where you got the idea that you would be fighting touts & crowds to see the Taj Mahal. It's a national historical monument and a World Heritage Sight and you walk up to the gate, pay your money & walk in. It's a park-like atmosphere inside & you walk around as you please.

You don't have to see it. It's totally up to you. But it's certainly every bit as wonderful as the Golden Temple. Agra is on the way to Jaipur & you could easily stop to see the Taj and the exceptional Fatipur Sikri. I've been there 3 times & it never gets boring! I also have been to places and missed "must sees" like Versaille, the Eiffel tower, a gondola in Venice, etc. Just didn't work out or I was too cheap Wherever you decide on, I hope you'll enjoy yourselves.

For a first trip, everything you see will be unique. You won't have to go out of your way for interesting, offbeat & weird experiences.

Jaipur is the capitol of the State of Rajasthan. It's a busy city. I happen to like it alot & spent 6 days there on our last trip but apart from going out to Amber Fort--excellent, you will be in another busy city. It does have fantastic shopping!

The suggestions you've received so far are pretty much way off the beaten path, into the forests to look at birds & animals. No shopping or temples. I expect there are as many astrologers in India as their are chiropractors in the U.S.--won't be hard to locate!

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wonderwomanusa

I didn't see the Taj until my 4th or 5th visit to India; a lot of people love the place and want to share it with you, but it's really up to you. I was pretty underwhelmed by it -- because I have other favorite places.

If you're going to Rajasthan, please go to either Mt. Abu or Ranakpur -- two spectacular temples. Or go to New Delhi and eat chicken sandwiches at the Oberoi -- whatever works for you!

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Amalfi

I second the suggestion for Haridwar. It has ghats ,is at the foohills of the Himalayas. The water is cold , fast flowing , clean and clear , the daily evening fire ceremony on the ghats spectacular and Haridwar is life/birth chart making/astrologer central of India. Also, Rishikesh is a stone's throw away.

Also, disregard any suggesions to skip Jaipur. Besides being your only exposure to exotic Rajasthan ,it is also shopping Mecca for women - ethnic clothes - skirts/tunics/scarves/wraps , jewellery - stone/metal/semi precious , bedspreads , home furnishings, Block printed fabrics.

Also, Taj Mahal and Agra is strongly recommended as well. I can't imagine a mother daughter duo (a la Hillary/Chelsea) on a visit to India skipping the Taj. It is not just a beautiful building made of Marble, but possibly the biggest manifesation in the world of the most feminine emotion of them all- ROMANCE. I have during my numerous visits seen many women actually crying at their first sight of the Taj and couples holding hands and sitting in silence. Miss the experience at our peril. I am afraid an overwhelming majority of the people who suggest skipping the Taj will be men.

Savage Garden

Lake in pushkar is still empty. I went there Last week.

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