Jaipur OR Khaj/Orc OR chill out and enjoy other places more???

Ad&Sha

Hi Everyone!

We're going to India for 12 days in late August and are definitely going to the following places...
* Kolkata - 2 full days
* Bodhgaya - 2 full days
* Varanasi - 2 full days
* Agra/FS - 1 day (for the tourist spots only)
* Delhi - 2 full days

…so, we have three days left to play with. We can either spend them in:
* Jaipur
* Khajuraho and Orchha (on our way from Varanasi to Agra)
* An extra day in Delhi, Kolkata and Varanasi

We're becoming less keen on Jaipur from reading this forum - seems to have overrated tourist sites, too many touts, and seems to miss the real beauty of Rajasthan. The Khaj/Orc option seems really popular but not sure if it's worth the extra travelling as we will have seen a bunch of beautiful architecture in all the other places we're going to. So maybe we should just scrap the idea and just spend an extra day in Delhi/Varanasi/Kolkata to really take in the culture properly.

I know there's no right answer and we are just going to have to make a decision, but we would really appreciate thoughts and advice from people who have been there / done that. We'd be really grateful for any thoughts you have...

anubisgrau

kaj is far away but VERY worth of visit. the good thing is you don't need much time there, you can do everything in a full day with no rush. if short with time, the western temples are enough.
Orccha is very lovely, again you can do everything in a day without much rush.
I would add a day to Agra and fully explore everything that Shatabdi Exp tourists usually miss. Fatihpur Sikri is a must, count half a day to explore it nicely, also Baby Taj and Akbar's Tomb. Another day for Fort and Taj on a relaxed pace. It is a place to enjoy, not to run.
And try to extend a stay in Varanasi. There's nothing to beat that experience I would do 3 days there and 1 day in Bodhgaya, then I have never been in Bodhgaya so I could be wrong.

Ad&Sha

Thanks Anubisgrau - OK so I guess you definitely recommend Khajuraho over Jaipur!

I guess we put two days in Bodhgaya because it just seems so spiritual being the place of Buddha's enlightenment and also so interesting with all the international temples from around the world. But doesn't seem to be so much on the tourist trail like the other places - maybe because it's in Bihar where everyone seems to be scared of...

And we put one day in Agra because we had heard lots of people saying they didn't like the city itself, but i guess you're right - there are so many places to see there.

Can i ask what you think about Kolkata and Delhi? Other than all the tourist places (particularly in Delhi) they seem to represent "real India" rather than "tourist India" and i am worried that 2 days in each might not be enough to get a real feel for them.

mr_rush

I'd increase the time you're staying in Varanasi and either Delhi or Calcutta rather then add another stop on your very busy itinerary.

Indizen

Skip Jaipur.
Add Khaj and Orchha

India0820

I didn't enjoy Jaipur at all and think you'd be worthwhile spending your time elsewhere maybe avoid the cities a bit because they can be manic

kristinm

We spent 5 days in Delhi quite happily - there is lots to do and see.

zoltan

My suggestions are to fly from Vns to Khaj. This will save you maybe 1/2 a day of travel on some really cr@ppy roads.

From Khaj. head onto Orchha. Definitely drop Jaipur - it's just another bustling city.

> two days in Bodhgaya because <snip>... doesn't seem to be so much on the tourist trail like the other places

Unless I'm very much mistaken, I seem to recall reading on the LP website a few months back, that the commercialisation of the Bodhgaya area is horrendous. And, add to that, it is located in Bihar which is a lawless region to visit.

You may want to do some more research on Bodhgaya, just to make sure it's not going to be a disappointment for you both.

As far as Kolkata & Delhi go, I much preferred Delhi over Kolkata - more to see /do & it (Delhi) had a different vibe.

Cheers
Zoltan

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nedhopkins

I dissent. I spent five days in Jaipur and loved it. Perhaps because I was with a tuk-tuk driver/guide most of the time, I had no problem with touts (though I was gored by a bull).

There's a whole lot to see in Jaipur: Hawa Mihal, high, wide, and just a room (or less) deep ... Jantar Mantar, the finest observatory in India (much better than Delhi's) ... a short walk away, the City Palace and its many buildings ... the Jai Mahal, am Udaipur Lake Palace lookalike ... Birla Mandir, a spectacular contemporary Hindu temple ... and, outside the city, the Amber Fort, elephant rides to the top and the many buildings inside ... the fabulous Singh family tombs ... and the Monkey Temple.

All in all, I think Jaipur has more to offer than Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi, or Udaipur -- though I greatly enjoyed all those places.