A month in India for beginners!

machadinha

Word has it the more train rides you can book ahead the better yes. They may really book out. If stuck somewhere and not for an incredibly long ride, look into a bus, which should be easy to catch. Enquiring about outbound transport as soon as you can in a given town (so when you have an idea of when you'll want to move on, or just upon arrival if swiftly traveling along) can never hurt of course.

Regarding Holi, be aware it can be a pretty rowdy affair. Not everyone reports very favorably on it, and such reports include gangs of drunk or stoned kids and adolescents getting out of control (Holi is something of an occasion to acceptedly get plastered, and it is said to have sadly deteriorated into mostly this in many places), women getting groped or molested, and such. (You can imagine how all that jolly paint-throwing and smearing can be a good and rare occasion to "playfully" get physically close to & touchy-feely with women. Couple this with a tendency for mobs to spiral out of control, let alone again when under the influence.)

Depends where you're at too, no doubt. Three lady friends of mine celebrated it (years ago I should add) in rural Orissa I think and had a lot of fun, with the funny and happy pictures to show for it. But so while I don't want to paint it too bleak, necessarily, and I'm sure it can still just be innocent fun in some places (I don't believe Delhi is renowned for it being so innocent btw, and I wouldn't be surprised if at least the touristed areas there attract the above youngsters to see what they can get away with with foreign women, fabledly rumored to be "loose" in their eyes anyway), maybe do be a little careful, retreat to your hotel room (that you may therefore want to stay a little close to if unsure) & watch from a balcony or so if it gets too much or feels unsafe. Search around this site for "Holi" too for various views and reports on it.

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Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

artisticanurag

mate when you are in Delhi i can help you guys know some good places and have a good time,contact me if you need any adjustments with your Delhi stay etc. cheers !

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Anurag Sahu (Ricky)

Rock & Delhi
When Ricky Plays Critic
Unveiling India

danimal

hey dan,

was just reading your post as i'm doing a lot of the same things as you at the same time... my name is dan too and i'm from London as well... i'll deffo be in udaipur same time as you... so maybe our paths shall cross...