Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Goa, 14 days mid.-Sept. - late Oct. Best time re: monsoon?

spacecow

hello there,
Just a quick question
I do have a possibility to go to India (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Goa) for 14days in the period from mid. of September till the end of October.
Would like to ask, when its the best to fit those 14days?
As i find out from this great forum and LP guide, mansoons are up till September, how ever dont want to risk and spend my time in India with pouring rain
Thanks.

htid

Quick question and the post can probably be deleted after but what's an LP guide? I've seen LP around here on other threads but don't know what it means.

Thanks

spacecow

its Lonely Planet awsome guide for traveling.

htid

Silly me, I should have realised, after all I'm going to buy an LP guide in about half an hour! I was trying to think of something to do with the internet

spacecow

Im about to buy plane tickets, anyone plz help with my question

godblessatheism

you could plan your trip around festivals to get the most cultural experience, i think that october is quite a good month for this, i know that dassain take place in this month, they celebrate it in nepal, not sure about india. however you should take into account that transport might be delayed or cancelled around these times hindering your trips. you might be better off choosing just one or 2 places to visit as to get from delhi to goa take about 42 hours on the train. from my experience, jaipur is a wonderful place, as is mumbai, a lot less hassle than delhi for tourists, and (this is just in my opinion) more to see and do. saying that, a trip to india would seem somewhat criminal without visiting the taj mahal, but this can be done on a day tip from delhi. all the tour companies should offer you bus or train travel to and from agra.

with this in mind, and considering the amount of time required to get from place to place i would recommend either flying in and out of delhi and then visiting agra and jaipur, allowing for time to visit more of rajasthan. or fly into mumbai and head on to goa (about 12 hours by train) and then possibly visit pune which is supposed to be a real idylic part of india. the 2 different options will give you totally different experiences i think, the second option being more laid back and relaxed. what ever you decide to do, i would recommend steering off the beaten track a bit to experience a more authentic taste of indian life, perhaps arranging a homestay or checking out www.couchsurfing.com where you will find people offering you free accommodation. in goa, i would recommend benaulim for a more relaxed experience, or colva which is aimed more at tourists and as a result there is more to do there in the way of parties etc.

let me know if you want any more advice!

spacecow

Thnx for those u gave
As for more specific itinerary, as i have not so much time and also not so big experience in such hudge cities so planing to stay in Delhi for 1-2 nights aswell as in Mumbai.
After spending night or two in Delhi, will try to get to Agra by train for 1night visit, and go to Jaipur also by train, though for 3 or 4 nights. Hope to book domestic flights before going to India, those will be Jaipur-Goa (according to www.ixigo.com ~4-5k Rs.) and after 3-4 days Goa-Mumbai (~2.5-3k Rs.).
Btw i was thinking about Benaulim also for staying in Goa

Anyway feel free to criticize, maybe im making some mistakes in my plan here
p.s. im a low budget traveller.