1 month, Mumbay to Delhi, November 08

duffer2205

Dear all,

My girlfriend and I will be travelling to India for one month in November 08.
We will fly London-Mumbay on the way in and Dehli-London on the way back.
Our idea was to go from Mumbay to Gujarat along the coast, then up to Rajahstan, then accross to Dehli....
We do not know much about India, so any advice are welcome.
Which cities, places..we should definitely stop at during our month in India.
We would like to get off the beaten track as much as possible.
Also, would you advise us to book trains in advance?
Last thing, any cheap but ok places to stay in Mumbay and Dehli?
What the weather would be like in Rajahstan in November?

Thanks in advance for your help

jyotirmoy

Weather in Rajasthan will be very good in November.
Plenty of posts about places to visit in Rajasthan section.
Diu is a nice place on the west coast near Gujarat. You can enter Rajasthan like Ahmedabad-Mount Abu-Udaipur.

snonymous

November is a very pleasant time to visit India, however book in advance as the school vacations [for Deepavali] will be on. Rajasthan will also be cool and pleasant.
Since you are starting in Mumbai, you can take a flight or train to Aurangabad and visit the Ajanta & Ellora world heritage sites. Lonar meteorite crater [2nd largest in the world] is also close by and worth a visit. Estimate 3 whole days for this trip. You could also do a couple of days trip to Goa. November is a lovely month to visit Matheran, a small densely forested hill station [600m] 2hr drive from Mumbai. Wildflowers and butterflies abound in this season.
You can also visit the wildlife sanctuaries of Pench / Bandhavgarh / Kanha - 3to 4 days - do a Google search for more details.
If you want to go to Gujarat along the coast, you could also visit Bordi beach - short train ride from Mumbai, its a good long beach but will be crowded during vacations. Or go further North to Daman. The Rann of Kutch area is off the beaten track if you are interested, do a Google search for more detailed information.
Check the Rajasthan forums for better info about that area. For hotels and flights in India try travelguru.com; makemytrip.com; ezeego1.com; yatra.com; cleartrip.com; For railways try http://indianrailways.gov.in/
A lot of cheap but decent hotels are listed on this site, so check the stickys.

zoltan

Hi,

> Mumbay to Gujarat <snip> then up to Rajahstan, then accross to Dehli....
> Which cities, places..we should definitely stop at during our month in India.

Here's one suggestion:
Mumbai => Ahmedabad => Diu => Sassan Gir => Raan of Kutchh => Ahmedabad (?) => Udaipur => Jaisalmer => Bikaner => Delhi.

Not all of these are off the beaten track and some are very touristy. Sassan Gir is an interesting wildlife park - you may be lucky to see a panther or lion (I got very close to a lion - and have the photo to prove it). The Raan is an awesome salt plain which does not get many tourists and is an amazing area. For some areas, you *must* obtain a "restricted area permit" before entering.

> Also, would you advise us to book trains in advance?
For some, but not all the legs of your journey.

> Last thing, any cheap but ok places to stay in Mumbay and Dehli?
For Mumbai, have a look at Hotel Prossers (cnr. Apollo Bunder & Henry Rds). In Dehli, if you want budget, try Smyle Inn or Hare Krishna Guest House. If you feel like a bit of a splurge, Hotel Ajanta (much quieter & well appointed). It's around AU$30 for a good room.

> What the weather would be like in Rajahstan in November?
Absolutely brilliant. It's the best time to be there.

This map may help you work out where to visit: www.mapmyindia.com

Cheers
Zoltan

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