Lost and confused about itinerary.. what to see and what to give up

Preeti

Hi everybody!

I am so glad to have been recommended to this website!! I've been going out of my mind trying to plan our itenerary for the past few months, and am now relieved to find that I can get some guidance from those that have done this before!!

I will be departing with my mother during the first of May, and will be returning the first week of June. Although my mom is originally from India (West Bengal), she hasn’t been back in 26 years and would love nothing more to finally see some special places in India (she never traveled growing up there). Furthermore, this is the first real vacation she will have had in 20 years so I would love to make it a memorable and relaxing experience for her, especially since she is always so down due to many unfortunate events. She hasn’t ever really traveled, asides from out mini trip to Vancouver. She suffers from several health problems, as well as a bad back, so I have to ensure that it is not to hectic/busy for her. Out of the time we have there, she said she would love a short tour as possible so she can spend time relaxing, shopping, and visiting relatives. For the time there, we will be staying in Punjab (Phagwara), which is were our relatives stay. We will be seeing Golden Temple while on our way back to the airport. She said that 7-8 days tour will be okay. We will be in Delhi for six days prior to the start of the sight seeing of other places, so we will use that time to see all the attractions in Delhi (India Gate, Laxminarayan Temple, Humayun’s Tomb, Chandni Chowk, Raj Ghat, Old Fort, Qutab Minar, Lotus temple, Red Fort, Jama Masjid, and the Akshdaram Temple)

The places that are extremely meaningful to my mother to see are:
• Agra (Taj Mahal)
• Varanasi (to take a bath in the Ganga River)
• Nanded (to visit the Hazoor Singh Sahib Ji Gurdwara)
• Hometown (Alipurduar)

The places we would have loved to also see were:
• Jaipur (to see Hawa Mahal and elephant rides)
• Udaipur
• Jaisalmer (desert)
• Ajanta Caves
• Mumbai (marine drive, juhu beach, chowpatty, hanging gardens, elephanta island)
• Goa (beaches)
• Shimla
• Manali (mountains)

I was originally was planning an 18 day tour, but I know she would only like to leave our relatives for a week or so. The only thing is, who knows when the next will be for us to go back, so I also don’t want her missing out on anything, but given the time, I guess sacrifices will have to be made! She also has a very strong desire and wishes to go back to her old hometown (Alipurduar) and to see Dajeerling.

All in all, HELP! Im so confused as to how to plan this. I read on another thread that it is not wise to go to Goa if it only for a day or two, and Mumbai is something that can be passed on. The following is a suggested itinerary that I received from a tour company:

Day 01: Delhi - Agra - Delhi
Day 02: Delhi - Varanasi (by flight)
Day 03: Varanasi - Mumbai (by flight)
Day 04: Mumbai
Day 05: Mumbai - Hyderabad (by flight) - Nanded - Hyderabad (by car)
Day 06: Hyderabad - Goa
Day 07: Goa
Day 08: Goa - Delhi (by flight) – Phagwara (home) (by train/car)

However, they quoted us close to $3000 canadian, which is well above what we are able to afford. We are not looking for luxury hotels, but of course, safety and cleanliness is important. Also, because of my mother’s back, I don’t think a squat toilet/bucket bath would be good for her.

I have read about Namaste India Tours and GITC and will be asking them as well. My mom is weary of traveling without a guide because and staying in hotels because of safety (but is still worried that the guide may be corrupt!), but I cannot find affordable/reputable fair companies. Hopefully the above 2 will be my answer!

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice? I kind of feel lost and confused right now, so any help/suggestions/advice will be most appreciated!! Thank you all and I look forward to hearing from everyone!

Cheers!
Preeti

P.S. Sorry for the length of this email!!

ScarletLSG

Namaste India Tours has a very good reputation. But call them as soon as you can, because they book up quickly.

dzibead

The proposed 8 day tour looks too hectic and way too expensive. I'd skip Mumbai and Goa entirely (why go to the beach for a day and a half? - take your mom to the Caribbean or Mexico for a week instead!).

And you might consider going from Delhi to Agra by train, and then instead of coming back to Delhi, go on to Varanasi by train and then spend a little more time in Varanasi than the proposed tour allows. Alternatively, you could fly from Agra to Varanasi to save time and avoid a long train ride.

You could possibly then fly from Varanasi to Hyderabad (don't know about flights, though) and go by car to Nanded, then fly from Hyderabad back to Delhi. Or maybe instead, in order to fit in a visit to the hometown, fly from Hyderabad to Bagdogra and hire a car to go to Alipurduar and Darjeeling, then return to Bagdogra and fly back to Delhi. This save the flying for the really long distances.

As for the cities in Rajasthan you want to see, Namaste India Tours can put together a trip for you, starting and ending in Delhi, and tailored to your specific interests and time constraints. They're also very good for touring around Delhi itself.

As for a hotel in Varanasi, I recommend the Hotel Ganges View at Asi Ghat. http://www.hotelgangesview.com/
Asi Ghat, which is the southernmost ghat, is quieter that the more centrally located areas. It has more of a village feel, so I think your mother would find it more relaxing. The hotel is very nice and comfortable, with a pleasant roof terrace and an enclosed veranda overlooking the street. It's an old family home and the family still lives in part of it. They don't have a restaurant as such, but if you tell them you want to eat in, in the evening they'll fix a very good buffet style supper (all veg) - and they'll make a fresh lime soda for you anytime you ask!

Victoria

Wow preeti , that is a very hectic schedule!
If you only have one week, and so much to see and do, my advice is to close down on one section only, and see as much there. Cut out all of the flights or at least minimumise them and the very long train rides.

If you go to Agra, why not (as someone said above) then go down to Varanasi (maybe by plane or train). See Sarnath, relax a day ortwo. Then go up from Varanasi to Darjeeling. Or loop down to Orcha, Kahjuraho, Jhansi etc.
I suggest that in one week, for fix a definate "axe' in which to go and don't fly left right and centre. You might not see AS much but you'll certainly appreciate the places you DO see!

Kingstonian

Hi Preeti - welcome to indiamike!

I don't know how old your mother is, but you mention some health problems and bad back.

My 2-paise worth would be to agree with the others here: "Less is More". Much less.

For many folk, anything that involves moving more than once in 3-4 days counts as "busy". Just looking at that 8-day schedule would leave most bad-back sufferers shuddering with horror. eg: Delhi-Agra-Delhi in one day involves about 8 hours sitting in a car. Then followed by two flights in two days, and then all those other long journeys in quick succession... The overall combination of general anxiety, accumulating exhaustion, discomfort, pain and confusion makes for a very bad mix. I'd have thought 3 places in 8 days would be closer to the right sort of schedule?

Would that leave you feeling disappointed by not seeing more? Can you leave your mother with relatives, and go off on your own for a bit, to satisfy your own travel bug? Sorry - this may be impossible. But you've still got a couple of months to discuss this. I guess even the odd day trip could help, here, perhaps. Maybe Agra as a day trip from Delhi, during your time there, perhaps with other family members?

The elephant ride in Jaipur
I did that last month - my healthy (only slightly nervous) 60-year old friends did it too, and enjoyed it. I wouldn't have got my mother up the steps and onto the swaying elephant for all the tea in Darjeeling. You have to stand in a queue first for quite a while - it was warm enough to be seeking the shade in February, so I guess in May/June she'd find the heat tough, too. If your mother is a bit nervous, the swaying ride, uncomfortable seat without easy hand-hold, awkward mounting/dismounting parts - might be worth checking carefully with her first.

As for the hotels/squat toilets etc - as you've gathered, there is some serious expertise available across this site - take a while to check it out thoroughly (others may come along and provide some good links here ...)

Good luck to you both, and have a wonderful trip!

Preeti

everyone!

You are all absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for being so honest!!

I know you are all right about travelling too much in eight days; I had told the tour operator the same thing, and had also told him that it doesn’t make too much sense to go from agra, back to delhi, then to varanasi. I told my mom that it will be too much, but she says, “when will we have anther chance to see goa?” it breaks my heart! But you are all very right, a smaller peaceful tour with a few places beat a busy hectic one any day! The main things to her are Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, Nanded, and Alipurduar so I’ll contact Namaste Tours to see what they say.

Do you think that for place like these I should organize it on my own, or should I contact a tour company (Namaste India)?

Let’s say she decides to go to Goa and extend the tour, how many days make going there worthwhile?

I could actually go on my own after, except that she would be scared to death of me traveling alone! Im 20 years old, so do you guys think I would be okay to go explore Rajasthan on my own? I feel like I would get lonely…

My mom is in her late forties, but her health went downhill due to stress/depression due to family issues. That’s why I want this trip to be relaxing and memorable- you know, to show her life can still have happiness if you let it back into your life!

Thanks again for all of your advice, my fellow IM family! Having people to talk to this helps a lot, I finally feel like the hurricane in my mind is stopping! THANK YOU ALL!!

Cheers,
Preeti

Aishah

Preeti - I think for 8 days, which is a short time, you would do it most comfortably by car and driver through a tour company. Particularly if your mother is not in peak health - the lugging of bags from one place to another e.g. to bus stand from drop-off by auto etc. is tiring in itself. With a driver and car all this is taken care of.
Consider though May is extremely hot anywhere down on the plains - not at all pleasant for touring Rajasthan. Best to take your mother up to the hills where it is cooler and pleasant - some nice areas are in Himachel Pradesh and Uttarkhand. You could make a good 8 day tour in either of these - I think Uttarkhand slightly better for this.

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dzibead

I think Aishah's advice is good. Rajasthan will be a tandoor when you're planning to be in India! If you and your mom have a good time on this trip, then plan to make another one in the fall or winter in a couple of years, and focus on Rajasthan next time.

Although Namaste India Tours seems to concentrate on the Dehli-Agr-Rajasthan area, I think they can also arrange a car and driver for a trip up to some hill stations north of Delhi. Contact them - mention IndiaMike - they're members here and they'll take good care of you. I don't know whether they can help you with arrangements in Varanasi or the Darjeeling area, but you can certainly ask. In any event, it isn't that hard to book train or plane tickets on line for the Varanasi leg and for a flight to Bagdogra for the Darjeeling leg. Same with hotels - the better ones have e-mail and fax and you can book ahead. I booked the Hotel Ganges View, mentioned in my earlier post, by e-mail - no problems whatsoever. It's a professionally run operation.

As for your mom's question about when she'll ever be able to see Goa, how badly does she want to, and why? Unless she's particularly interested in exploring the Portuguese culture or something, it's mostly just touristy beaches (although at least it will be off-season). In my opinion, a beach is a beach is a beach ... and there are cleaner and more beautiful ones within closer striking distance of your home in Toronto! It just doesn't make any sense to me to do a big detour to get to Goa and, for me, I don't feel there's any point in going to a beach resort unless I can laze around for at least four or five days.

Preeti

Hey all!

Thank you for all the information! Also, Im so sorry that I keep asking so much! I just appreciate your advice and help so much, especially during this confusing time! You are all truly the best, as is this site!!

What is everybody’s suggestion on the following:

Day 1: Delhi - Agra
Day 2: Agra- Varanasi
Day 3: Varanasi – Nanded (by flight by way of Hyderabad?)
Day 4: Nanded – Hyderabad
Day 5: Hyderabad – Delhi – Phagwara (home)

A few days later, after some relaxation at home, either:
Day 1: Phagwara – Delhi – Bogdagara (by flight) – Alipurduar (overnight)
Day 2: Alipurduar
Day 3: Alipurduar
Day 4: Alipurduar – Bogdagara – Delhi – Phagwar

OR

Day 1: Phagwara – Delhi – Mumbai (by flight) overnight
Day 2: Mumbai day tour
Day 3: Mumbai – Goa (leave in noon)
Day 4: Goa
Day 5: Goa
Day 6: Return

** I know it’s a waste of a day or two to leave for the second half a few days later, so if my mom is up to it, from Hyderabad, if we can catch a flight from there (or whatever is closest to Nanded) and we will either head towards Alipurduar, or Goa/Mumbai.

Also, do you think it is it possible to leave delhi in the morning around 11 AM, have sufficient time to see the Taj Mahal, and the Agra fort, and go to Varanasi for overnight stay, or might this be too hectic? Also, would you recommend a flight from agra (or delhi) to varanasi or train?

If someone can comment on the times between travel, I would really appreciate it. Also, are sleeper classes safe (for 2 women)?

Again, I am so very sorry to be asking so many questions - but I value all of your help!

Thanks again…

I look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers,
Preeti

Preeti

Hey dzibead Im so sorry, I forgot to say... im truly not sure what it is about Goa that we are so fixated on! I guess because we have heard so much of it, and the portegeuse influence, we want to look while we are there (if we go that way). But you are absolutely right, it would make sense to go for 4-5 days as opposed to 2-3 ... if all else fails, there's always good ol' Wasaga Beach a few hours from here!

camelgirl

I'm not sure where to begin, maybe at the end!

Goa is a STATE not a town, not a city. It's got dozens of beach towns. Most Europeans get package tours to some beach town like Kovalam and spend a week relaxing. Other travelers go to several different places. 2 days in Goa will not be relaxing for your mother, it's a waste of your time and money. Saying you want to go to Goa is like saying you want to fly to Florida from Toronto for a couple of days. Would you even bother.

Forget Goa if you can't spend at least 3 days and you'd have to decide where.

You cannot see anything much in Agra if you plan to spend the night in Varanasi. You need to get a map of India and do some research on the distances.

You can easily spend an entire day. There is also Fatipur Sikri nearby and it's not to be missed if you go to Agra.

Get a car and driver for a week (through a tour company before you leave home), plan on a minimum of 2 nights in each place. You will want to come back at the end of each day and relax, not race to an airport to cram in another city.

You have to come to terms with the fact that you simply cannot do it all. You're traveling during a very hot time of the year and you will be exhausted at the end of every day. I'm sorry your mother's going through a rough patch--but she's actually very young and maybe this trip will help her bounce back.

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Aishah

Hi Preeti - It all sounds hot to me but I see home is in Punjab and I guess you're used to travelling around in these hot summer temps! If it was me, and this is the choice above, I'd be doing the last one, got to be more pleasant near the sea breezes!

NeeliAankhen

I'd give a high priority to a car and driver for this trip. I think you will feel less as if you are carrying the whole thing on your shoulders, and your mom will feel more deeply secure, if you have a good, solid, knowledgeable, reliable driver who is with you all the time, as much of the time as possible.

Travel is tiring in India, more than elsewhere, for various reasons I'd say, and I wasn't even there in hot weather. Also I noticed that travel took even more out of a depressed person.
Before I went, someone advised me to have a travel day, then at least three no-travel days. Probably impossible but worth holding as an ideal.

And - if mom is depressed and has a dream of going to Goa - I'd say don't drop it, drop something else. She may know that the sun and the sea in India will do something good for her.

steven_ber

The car & driver may have been OK for Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan, but not for the rest of the trip.

Fitting in Nanded + Alipurduar is going to be the difficult part, and as these are essential, you should try to fit your tours around these, but I'm certainly not trying to be nasty when I say that you need a reality check about the distances and time involved in getting to Nanded + Alipurduar.

Even if you fly to Bagdogra, you'll then need to get to Siliguri, then a train to Alipurduar will take just over 4 hours, and trains in this region are notoriously late running, then a train back to Siliguri (another 4+ hours), and up to Darjeeling (another 4+ hours), then another 4+ hours from Darjeeling to Bagdogra.

Nanded isn't a whole lot better, a flight to Hyderabad, then to Hyderabad or Secunderabad train station, then a 5.5 hour train to Nanded, OR a Delhi-Mumbai-Aurangabad flight, then a 3.5 - 4 hour train to Nanded, and the same for the return journey.

The following wouldn't be easy (and sounds tiring), but there is no easy way to include the things you want to include, (though I've missed out Goa), I'd still say that you'd need about 10 days to do the following (not including Darjeeling), but it's a lot of traveling.

Maybe Delhi-Agra then overnight train to Varanasi, then overnight train to Alipurduar (15 hours, dep 22:30, arr 13:22), then to Darjeeling or Bagdogra, then flight to Hyderabad (via Kolkata, dep 13:05, arr 18:55)(meaning you'd need to stay in Hyderabad, or take the slow overnight passenger train (First Class, non air con) departing Hyderabad at 22.40, getting to Nanded at 07.00.

From Nanded back to Phagwara would be one hell of a trek, Nanded to either Hyderabad or Aurangebad, then flights to Delhi, then the journey from Delhi to Phagwara.

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How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions.



Train information.

Preeti

I dont think you're being nasty whatsoever Steven, only helpful!!!! That goes for everyone posting helping me trying to figure out what to do about this tour! After all, it is through this that I will be able to plan the most effective trip! I was basing my travelling schedule based on what one of the tour operators provided me with, but I guess I know better now! So, Goa and Mumbai are definitely out of the programme (until a later trip maybe next year ) as is Dajeerling. The only things that were of main importance was the Taj Mahal, the Ganga River, the Gurdwara in Nanded, and my mom wanting to see her hometown. So I am going to stay focused on these! Steven, thank you so much for the sample schedule... im going to use this as a guideline. I have found the India train site, but are there any other sites that may be useful in trying to figure out how to go about planning? Thank you so much everyone, I honestly cant say how happy I am to have found such an amazing and helpful community!

Regards,
Preeti