Over Sixty in age and traveling to India

bazfaz, where are you staying in marayoor? have you booked anything there, already?
i never book ahead either but occassionally have an idea from lonely planet, for places to check out. one time, i had a stopover in singapore. i looked for a budget hotel, online and chose one that looked lovely in the photos. when we arrived, in the middle of the night, it was in the red light district and as the cab turned the corner in the street where it was, a huge line up of prostitutes was in front of it and a big sign hanging up, giving the hourly rental rate. that was a laugh. luckily, i had noticed a nice small chinese hotel along the way, and i went and stayed there.

My passport is back in my hot little hand. Indian visa safely pasted inside. Phew.... that is a relief. Now, I only need to not lose it between now and when I leave for the airport

You got it BruceMoon! We have met some great people and stayed some super places because we haven't pre-booked. However, we've stayed some really nasty places for the same reason, but usually not for more than a night. I would guess our average room rate a $15. We come off the plane booked for our recuperation period and then we're off!

Bruce, you are so right, I went for 6 weeks with too many pre-paid reservations in order to feel "secure" (1st trip, female, celebrating my 60th) then ended up skipping out on some of them, losing money 'cause I refused to stay any longer in the awful ones! I'll never pay (for more than one night) in advance again and preferably just the 1st night or two (in a well-recommended place) after landing in India. I even did a little backtracking to stay at a favorite place or two that I really liked or that was a step above the usual. One does get tired of "camping out" occasionally.

Too many times they "look good on paper" or in e mail, or on the phone or on the web site, then turn out to be terrible. It is so much more possible to "wing it" in India than most people think, & next time that's what I plan to do!

Bruce, I have booked three train journeys because I read about trains getting fully booked. The first place we are going I have booked because it is a reassurance after a long haul flight to have somewhere to lay our heads. I have a plan of how we should go - this in my opinion is called research - but it can change.

As this will be my first trip to India I have planned out everything, trains and hotels. Trains are booked and paid for. Hotels are booked and 9 of 22 hotel nights pre paid.

I'm thinking prepaid is not such a good idea. They have my $$ so they could put a cot in a janitors closet and say take it or leave it. I hope not.

Once I'm in my comfort zone I could become more flexible. (translated: less rigid) I'm just not there yet. Being loose as a goose may work better for seasoned India veterans.

@Drew, your first trip, i think you have done the right way, and it will help determine what and where and how you want for the second trip. India is just too overwhelming on first view, to have to deal with hotel reservations and transport plans as you get oriented and acclimated.

40 yrs ago--well, no prob--i would not have wanted or known even HOW to prebook anything. But now...well, i like a bit more comfort and predictability for most of the trips. ANd when you have limited time )-; that is a factor too, in how much of it you can take just wandering about. When more time, and fewer schedules (i.e. work return) it will be easier to not have a preset itinerary

@ Vee..HURRAY!!!! BRAVO!!!!! Put it in a safe place and (if you're;like me) don't forget where the safe place is!!

@DaniM--Did you write reviews of your hotels, the bad and ESPECIALLY the ones you loved??If so , are the reviews on Indiamike? Tripadviser?Or just put the the names here? I love learning these things for the future!

Rebecca, no reviews yet as I am up to my eyebrows in taking care of my mom at the moment, after the holidays I plan to do some. On that note, I think I did pretty well overall planning my trip with Tripadvisor, the Lonely Planet guidebook, Expedia, & especially Indiamike friends. Expedia made it easier to pay for hotels (on a stored info credit card), was just too busy before the trip to be too adventurous. Stayed at some great spots, even as I might have occasionally paid a bit more for them, it was nice not to always be in a budget spot.

My 2 rupees worth re Accomodation Bookings.

IF you Really,Really, want to stay in Accomodation which has Good Reviews and is VERY POPULAR amongst travellers, I suggest you TRY and Book Ahead to AVOID Dissappointment.This especially applies IF you are arriving at some destination in the middle of the night or early hours of the morning.

This also applies IF you are Hoping to stay somewhere during the High(Peak) Tourist Season applicable for that area.

I advise NOT paying for more than 1 night in advance in case the place turns out crap and/or if you are not comfortable with the Staff at the place.

vandy

I was just thinking, I've stayed in hotels, and dreamt of a janitor's closet.
I pre-booked the first night in India, in Mumbai. The plane arrived 8 hours late, the driver had gone home, and left his little brother to pick me up, and drive like a mentalcase to the hotel, in the rain, at 3 in the morning, through Mumbai, in an old rickshaw.
I was laughing so much I nearly pissed my pants.
"How old are you Sir?" asked the 14 yo driver, Hassan."I'm 59 I said."

"Have you ever seen a better driver than me?" he asked, as he side swiped a pedestrian.
I chose not to answer, trying to will him into turning around, so he could see forwards.
I arrived at the hotel, and looked like I'd been dragged through a hedge.

I told the Concierge what had happened. He said, "WONDERFUL, Welcome to India."
It was at that moment I knew I was home. It's only got better from there.
Old people, or people over sixty, are respected in India. People show you respect, all the time, unless you're trying to get on a moving train.

I have, occasionally rung ahead to see if a room is available, if it's in a place that has a big festival or something. But pre booking is just not necessary.

I am pre booked into accommodation in Delhi I know I will be happy with because I stayed there the same time last Feb. Bajaj Indian Homestay.
The accommodation I have pre booked in Jaipur I don't know, so I was really pleased when a kind IndianMiker told me I will be happy with it. Laxmi Palace Hotel. I have faith I will love them both.

Apart from the first night in India we hardly never pre-booked a hotel.
But last years we sometimes had a difficulty to find an accommodation. Especially in smaller towns it happened that all hotels were booked up due to a big wedding party.
Our solution is to call a hotel the day, or even the morning, before we travel and just tell them we come. This always works fine.

We stayed at Bajaj Indian Homestay both before & after our 2006 trip (5 nights total). The staff was OK but trying to sell us tours & the room was OK though the bathroom wasn't so nice. Mainly, it was overpriced for what you got. There are so many hotels to choose from in Delhi, especially in Karol Bagh & we have not found one to recommend yet! This past February we stayed in another over-priced one that also kept trying to sell tours, called Delhi Pride but don't think it was a good value. We'll keep trying. If they were less expensive we would not have been disappointed. We did pre-book before we arrived because we don't like to arrive after 24 hrs. of travel without a place to stay.

After that, we book as we go. Usually do well, occasionally a dud.

Camelgirl, what about Saubhag Homestay? I am staying there next month.

i have a confession to make. i am UNDER 60. i know, i know it is inexcusable, but i cant help it. i have to wait 6 more years. i hope you will let me keep reading your posts here. by the way, Rebeccam are you heading south in your journey? it is probably here somewhere but your reply would be quicker. i will be in the south all of january. cheers Zamba.