Feedback on India Trip - Rajasthan or Kerala?

nadreg

Hi All,

I plan on taking my soon-to-be-wife to India in early 2008. She's never been to India, so I'm planning a fairly middle-of-the-road itinerary, i.e. nothing too hectic or too tame.

I've narrowed it down to the Golden Triangle or the Kerala Backwaters. I did the Golden Triangle myself a couple of years ago, and would really like to see Kerala. BUT... since I've done a GT before, I know what to show her.

Do any of you have experiences with both of these? I'd love to give her a sense of the depth and breadth of India. She's open for anything, as long as the itinerary covers the following:

1. An elephant ride.
2. Shopping.
3. A camel ride.
4. Shopping.
5. An Indian wedding.
6. Shopping.
7. Shopping.

Any feedback or suggestions would be appreciated.

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shashank.aggarwal

Wow Nadreg !! good to know that you are coming ...

well Kerela and Golden Triangle are two distinct things...

Kerala is all about Natural beauty, GT is all history..

Kerela is peace and relaxation, GT is inquisitiveness and knowledge..

Kerela is a Holiday, GT is a tour..

Kerela is gods own Country, GT is Royal playground...

you need to assess what her taste is, and decide acordingly..

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steven_ber

Hello Nadreg and welcome to indiamike.com

Amber Fort and Jaisalmer immediately come to mind, combined with the Taj, the shopping opportunities, your own knowledge of the area, and a relaxing time in Jodhpur, it'll be hard to find a similar Itinerary in the south.

How long will the trip last?

Another great thing about sticking to the north - you leave the south for a whole new holiday.

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shashank.aggarwal

well said Steve !! A honeymoon in Kerela would be a perfect setting !!

Imagine those romantic moments sailing on a exquisite houseboat in the backwater...day in and day out WOW !!

capt_mahajan

edit:
crossposted with everybody, except nadreg


Tough one. Wonder how many days this trip is.

You can do the middle of the road (not too hectic or too tame) in both places.

Shopping would be generally more varied in the North. Delhi should be the main target, then Rajasthan.

Does Kerala have any decent camel rides? Must be.

Overall, I think that Agra and part of Rajasthan, done slowly, with 3/5 days in Delhi, and maybe (time permitting) a short break in the lower hills (winter) of Himachal or Uttaranchal via Haridwar or Rishikesh maybe a more diverse and interesting introduction to India than Kerala.

I hope winter in North India is not a problem for either of you. Beware of fog, though.


An Indian wedding? Then I have to get divorced first

nadreg

Thanks for the replies all...

I am leaning towards GT for her sake, but towards Kerala for my sake.

I think the trip will last appx 3-4 weeks. It would be an absolute shame for her to go to India and NOT see the Taj. Plus, we could go to Jaisalmer, which I have not been to. So, maybe GT it is! I could maybe catch a Delhi meetup, too!

nadreg

Thanks, Steven! I've been a lurker for sometime and decided to dive in.

sudheer poppa

I would support the north idea, for the reason that she would enjoy you showing her around and it has more of a magical/mysterious feel to it. But one thing you would need to plan well is the touts and the pain they can be. Prepare her with a few youtube videos like the unhappy new yorker ;-)

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Nattusbs

Nadreg

Say you have 4 weeks. You could easily do both to give her a good feel for the variety and breadth of India.

1. Fly into Delhi, stay 2 days.
2. Agra + Fatehpur Sikri - 2 days
3. Rajasthan - 14 days - complete circuit.
4. Fly to Trivandrum (sorry can't spell the new name!)
5. Remaining time relaxing in Kerala backwaters
6. Fly out from Kerala or back to Delhi and out.

Cheers

Nattusbs

Nick-H

That sounds like a nice compromise.

Personally, after Kerala I very nearly didn't go anywhere else --- and when I did it wasn't far.

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nadreg

Not a bad idea. I had thought of it initially, but felt that it might be a little too hectic. But your itin seems very doable!

Thanks!!!

incitatus

If you can get an open jaw ticket then it's certainly possible to do both and a week unwinding in (relatively) hassle free Kerala will help you both to unwind after 3 weeks in Rajasthan!

Regarding the camel ride - long or short trips into the desert are available by camel either from Jaisalmer or Bikaner or even between the two.

They're good value if you fancy the adventure of a night or two in the desert. Your hotelier in Jaisalmer will happily recommend an operator or other IndiaMikers if you're interested.

nadreg

I was planning on doing just that on my last trip to India. I was supposed to go to Jaisalmer through Pushkar. Never made it out of Pushkar!

hfot2

Hi Nadreg,

Great to be talking to you about non-administrative stuff.

If you go during "wedding season" you can't possibly miss seeing an Indian wedding - and you'll probably be invited to watch and join in on the festivities [especially when they learn you are on your honeymoon - congratulations, by the way!]. Be on the lookout for the wedding band led by women with electric lamps on their heads attached by wires to the moving generators. An amazing sight.

As for you other question, I like the reply that combines both north and south, but don't hurry - the last thing you want is an exhausting quick-paced holiday.

I love the south more than the north, and really enjoyed Cochin, but [sorry to say] I found the backwater boat trip a bit dull. It all depends what you are looking for - and after a longish visit to the north, the do-nothing atmosphere of the boat ride may be just the thing.

distaff half of hfot2

shashank.aggarwal

For the wedding thing, get in touch with me 30 days in advacne...

some of my close friends are getting married this winter...

we can go there and I can show you around !!