My report back from India and Nepal!

mjball

Well I am finally back and believe me, Western life is hard to adjust to after being in India. I was only away for four weeks but it felt like a lifetime!

Varanasi -

Full on city that is difficult to get around. Stayed at Shiva Ganges View Hotel which was fantastic and in a fantastic location. The owner doesn't do the hard sell on you but all his uncles and brothers do...however I really don't think it would be any better anywhere else. Don't get sucked in to going to look at the silk factories and then just 'having a look' at the silk shop because no matter how strong you are, unless you know your silks, you will end up paying way too much. The owner did a fantastic job organising our ongoing travel and it was totally trustworthy.

We also stayed at Alka Hotel which was ok but the monkeys were crazy and the place really doesn't have much of a soul.

Christmas day was a strrrrrrugggle...we tried to find somewhere that served christmas lunch or any kind of western food and ended up going to Taj Ganges Hotel at 3pm in the afternoon! Twas nice in the end but we were very exhausted as all we wanted was a glass of wine and Varanasi being the non-alcoholic city it is...well you can imagine.

Wandering around the old city at night (not too late though) was fantastic...we saw some excellent sights and my photos were superb.

When getting a rickshaw, and this goes for anywhere in India, tell them as soon as you get in that you want to be taken directly to the place and not to their uncles silk shop etc etc. Basically what happens is the rickshaw driver will get commission even for walking you in (that's right, even if you don't buy anything!)

Due to our tight itinery, we flew from Varanasi to Delhi. Easier said than done as the fog meant every flight was delayed for about 7-8 hours. The only way to get on a flight before everyone else is to kick up a bit of a fuss and explain that it is really important to get to your destination asap....this seems to work all over india and unfortunately you have to be pretty tough and sometimes mean to not get ripped off.

Delhi we really enjoyed but were only there for a day before we flew to Udaipur.

Udaipur -

WE were there over New Years so getting accommodation was near impossible. WE were forced to stay in a place that was much more than what we wanted to pay but it was better than sleeping on the street. We stayed at Hotel Hilltop Palace which was ok. A little clinical but a great view over Udaipur. Room service and the restaurant there do not know what customer service is...not that they weren't trying...more that they were hopeless.

Out the front of hilltop was this rickshaw driver called Hakim. He is there all the time and is very honest and will take you on a good tour around town. He took us to the local markets which were fascinating and we got some superb photos.

NYEVE we went to King's ball at the palace - yep we splashed out but it was well worth it. Of course the Prince wanted to chat to us all night because we were Australian and he has studied in Australia...pretty funny...

A great restaurant which the lonely planet will tell you is expensive is Shiv Niwas restaurant at the palace hotel. Sit outside by the pool - divine. We had three courses each for about $15 AUD each so yes it was expensive for India but very cheap compared to home.

Bargaining - well basically you can definitely divide everything by two but sometimes you can divide it by three to get the correct price. I found that standing there with your money on the table works quite well....the walking out doesn't always work.

Silver - get taken to the real shops because the prices are set and you can bargain a little but you can be sure the silver is real. I bought some great jewellery.

Jaipur -

What a fantastic city. There is so much going on and I think it was my favourite. Camels, elephants, pigs, dogs, rickshaws, cows...everything is walking down the street and there is also a lot of colour. I really liked Jaipur because of this and found it great walking down the pink city (old city). HERE YOU HAVE TO BARGAIN! Had the best soup in the world at a place in the old city and the service was like none we had had before...but I can't remember the name - it was something like PK's or something...

Delhi -

Stayed in Paharanj. From my point of view, I loved this area much more than the others. It isn't too clinical yet not as overcrowded as the old city. A perfect mix and there are lots of touristy places to go...which normally when you travel you want to keep away from the touristy spots but in India, well we hardly saw any tourists at all so were glad for the change.

Go to the Government State Emporiums for shopping. The prices are set and are pretty much accurate (although some things may be cheaper elsewhere, at least there isn't the struggle of bargaining). You will find everything from all over india here and people told us that before we left but we didn't believe them.

Agra -

Went to the Red Fort in the morning which was superb. Because it is foggy in the morning, you can't see taj mahal anyway so it is best to do it in this order. WE got an official tour guide at the Fort which was really worthwhile as we found out the background to Taj.

Taj Mahal we had a guide also but didn't find it as useful. Taj is stunning there is no doubt about it. It is huge and we enjoyed having a beer at a cafe nearby watching the sunset.

Train -

I thoroughly enjoyed getting the train from Agra to Delhi. Our train was delayed because of the fog so we had to wait around at the train station. I found this to be one of the best parts of the trip - getting to see the kids who live there....playing with them and just seeing the real India.

India in general -

I have only just been able to get on this website now - I have been back for three weeks but have been trying to readjust to normal life.

Everyone we ran into said that it is a fantastic life changing experience that you only realise in hindsight. This is so true. I can't really tell you what has changed in me but I know I have seen some sights that many haven't....

Everyone should go but don't expect it to be easy. It isn't but it is INVALUABLE......

Would love to post about Nepal on here but I presume we only do India on the Indiamike site!!! NEpal was superb!

Thanks for everyone's help before I left...I was constantly using the information!

By the way, I DIDN'T GET SICK AT ALL!!!! The anti-bacterial hand gel was unbelievable...don't leave home without it. And don't leave home without heaps of drugs - CODRAL cold and flu, SINUTAB, all the stomach ones etc. It is hard to get the message across in pharmacies over there!
Varanasi Udaipur Jaipur Delhi Agra

mjball

steven_ber

Glad you enjoyed the trip; it's great to see reports like this, and some great photos too.

I think it is OK to post reports from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal or Druk Yul.

They’re all part of the Indian Sub-continent.

Indiansub-continentmike.com hasn't got the same ring to it.

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How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions.



Train information.

charmedacrobat

i looked at your photos and only saw 4 days worth of your trek in nepal Did you only go for 4 days? my boyfriend and i are plannign a trip over teh sumer adn were looking for a short trek and couldnt find one, so decided to just hire someone there if we could. What exactly is the protocol? and how many days was your trek and for what price? thanks
Sarah

mjball

Not all my photos are up yet and most of my india ones are still being downloaded.

We went to SUNRISE TREKKING (I think they were called that) and they were absolutely awesome. It was without a doubt the best part of our trip. We did a four day camping trek and it was just my friend and I. You must book through this lot...generally you pay for what you get too so it was great.

ACtually I have found their business card...

They are situated in Pokhara and the phone number is 061 521174.

Have I mentioned how awesome and how helpful this crew were? Speak to Basanta....

Totally safe too...

mjball

Oh and I think it worked out to be the following prices:

$50Us per day for the two of us so it was $25 US per day. This was inclusive of the following:

the most delicious food in the world
camping gear
6 porters
tents
fee to park...

everything!

charmedacrobat

thankyou so much. we will try to do it through them. That is a very reasonable price too. shoudl we wait to book there? I mean its still very much in advance but when it gets closer i dont know if i shoudl try to book from here. Shoudl i wait to book there?
Sarah

charmedacrobat

i was just reading that Pokhara gets twice as much precipitation than kathmandu which may be a problem considerign we are goign durign monsoon season...whoops

mjball

It will cost heaps more to book it here....oh unless you want to call that exact place up. Say that Miranda and Michelle recommended you - don't know if it will make any difference but you never know. GOKARNA was our guide. Request him because he is lovely.

Actually now I think about it, perhaps you could speak to Basanta over the phone and book it - if you are on a tight schedule that is.

Otherwise, wait till you get there

DianeN.

Thanks for posting such an exciting and positive review about your trip!!! Fantastic!
I can't believe it. I am going to India NEXT MONTH.
(I'm getting scared, too)

mdchachi

Thanks for sharing your trip report. Please add the hotels you stayed at to the hotel listings section to help out future travelers.
http://www.indiamike.com/listings/listings.php

Jeroen

Nice report, thanks. I'm also interested in what you paid / websites etc for the hotels you stayed at, so yes, please add them to the directory!

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'To see the world in a grain of sand; and heaven in a wild flower; to hold infinity in the palm of your hand; and eternity in an hour'

SHIMLA

Thanks for the nice, positive feedback. An attitude like yours and an open mind are required to enjoy the country, inspite of the initial "culture-shock".

You enjoyed yourself even in the heavily touristed and tout- infested areas of Delhi, Agra and Varanasi .

Good for you .

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Whoever said money can't buy happiness didn't know where to shop !

mjball

Thanks everyone! Ok well the hotels I stayed at are as follows (if I can remember):

Kathmandu - Kathmandu guest house - approx $20US per night - but there were rooms for $6US per night. This was a great place to stay and right in the heart of Thamel.

Pokhara - Lakeside hotel - I think?? This was also $20US per night but had a fantastic view - probably the best around. Right on the water. Rooms are basic but it is worth it. Breakfast omelettes great!

Chitwan National Park - Riverside Hotel $12 US per night (breakfast and dinner included) - fantastic location. Again rooms are basic but nice - right on the water and there really isn't any point in staying inside the park as it is overpriced. Ask for a room with a view. We had cocktails whilst watching the elephants wash in the river....Fantastic - oh and eat the MO MO's at the restaurant - yum!

Varanasi - Shiva Ganges View Hotel (ask for large room on the second floor as it is best) @ 800rp per night for the room

Delhi - The place where the assasanist stayed - you will see it in the lonely planet. It is overpriced and not worth it at all. Plus I preferred staying in Paharanj as we did the second time...can't remember the name of the hotel we stayed at the second time but there are heaps in the area.

Udaipur - Hotel Hilltop Palace - it was the only place we could get into. All the budget places were booked out. Lovely owner and nice hotel. Hallways can be a little noisy but great view. Restaurant somewhat lacking. Think it was about 1500 per night...

Jaipur - Bissau palace - great place in an old home. Right near some cool street markets. Think this was about 2000 per night so rather expensive but huge rooms! And the service was excellent. Travel agent on site who is very good also.

Agra - I wish I could remember the name of this place. It was listed in the lonely planet as one of the best place to stay in Agra and says that it is extremely clean and the owner is very honest. It was quite cheap (500rp per night) and the rooms were basic but great. I think this was my fave place out of all of them as there were lots of travellers around.

We didn't stay in the cheapest places as we were only there for four weeks.

charmedacrobat

how did you get from india to kathmandu? It seemsm so dificult.
Sarah