Planned itinerary... any tips?

timmy · Nov 12th, 2003, 14:11

Howdy all... I'm new to this forum although I have visited India once before, be it only for two weeks.

Anyway, I'm currently planning another trip. Unfortunately as I can't be away for long it's less than three weeks, in February.

Here's the plan as it now stands, all transport will be by train:

Arr Delhi, four nights. See Red Fort and some other stuff I didn't get time for last time.

Fatehpur Sikri, two nights. This was definitely the highlight of my last trip. I found it absolutely fascinating, and besides, my camera died and I want to go back and get some good photos. My guide was 76yo and a real character. (Taj Mahal was nothing compared to FS, IMHO).

Agra, two nights. Apart from the Taj I didn't see any of Agra last time, so I thought I'd have a look around.

Overnight train to Kolkata, then four nights (first time here).

Varanasi, three nights (first time here).

Delhi again, two nights, then departing.

I know it may seem a bit rushed. In a way I want to complete my first trip as well as add some new places -- hence the trip all the way to Kolkata, which looks like a real crazy place.

Any suggestions? I'm looking for accomm in the Rs450-600 range if anyone can reccommend any.

Cheers.

cyberhippie · Nov 12th, 2003, 14:45

Hi timmy and welcome to the forum!!!
My only suggestion is get yourself out if the cities for a while!! You could take a direct train to Bharatpur and take a look at the bird sanctuary which is just wonderful!! This is also a good base for seeing the Taj only 1 hour 15 minutes by bus to Agra or Fatehpur Sikri ony 25 minutes by bus!! You can also take in Deeg if you've a fancy!!
This a lovely chilled place to hang out and the bird park is amazing, from here it's just a short hop to catch an onwards train from Agra to Kalkota!!!
Plenty of Hotels in you price range as well, this way you get a look at country life in India!!

Happy Travelling!!

timmy · Nov 12th, 2003, 15:35

Thanks cyberhippie, that's cool. Do you think I should blow off Agra completely and stay in Bharatpur instead? If so, then you may be right.

My three day tour (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Delhi) was a nightmare last time as I was travelling alone with a driver who didn't speak a word of english. Not only that, but I had paid in advance for accommodation on the understanding my bookings guy was going to arrange it for me (!) and, as you can imagine, nothing got arranged and my driver put me up in the most disgusting holes you could imagine. So, by the time we were supposed to be going to the bird sanctuary all I wanted was for the journey to be over and to get back to Delhi, so I skipped it.

The joy of travelling, huh? This time will definitely be better.

cyberhippie · Nov 12th, 2003, 15:44

Yeah why not Indian towns are much of a muchness after you've seen the tourist sites!! And it's nice to get back to somewhere quiet after a day in town!!
I reckon you could be at the gates of the Taj within two hours of leaving Bharatpur!! And Fatehpur Sikri, well your there in the blink of an eye so yeah why not dump Agra and stay in Bharatpur!!!

timmy · Nov 12th, 2003, 15:47

Cool... besides, I won't be doing the Taj again, anyway.

Alan D · Nov 12th, 2003, 16:01

Hi Timmy

Six nights in Delhi out of a planned three week stay in India seems a lot. Athough I like the place, I think it's possible to see the sights of Delhi in one or two days.

Your itinerary seems to be heavily weighted in favour of the cities. Fine, if city life is what interests you but for a bit more variety you could take a side trip from Delhi, say to Rishikesh for a couple of days. There are good fast trains from New Delhi Railway station.

I agree with Cyberhippie's suggestion of not staying in Agra - Bharatpur is very handy for both Agra and Fatehpur Sikri and I think you could cover Agra in one day and spend a day in the bird sanctuary.

timmy · Nov 12th, 2003, 16:55

Too many places means too much travelling and less time to relax... I've tried to cover some good ground without being too tired to appreciate it.

cyberhippie · Nov 12th, 2003, 17:16

Going on from alan D's suggestion, if your prepared ro spend a little less time in Delhi then there are many options open to you!! Rishikesh is a good idea, a little taste of the mountains and Hinduism!!
From there you can train it direct to Bharatpur, although you arrive at a bit of a strange time!! Here's the timetable!!
9020 DEHRADUN EXP *HARIDWAR JN 13:10 BHARATPUR JN 02:05
Or another idea would be to take in Gwalior and Orcha before taking the train to Varanasi from Jhansi!!
To get there once again go to Agra from Bharatpur then take the train to Gwalior about 1 1/2 hours I believe from there continue to Jhansi about another 1 1/2 hours.
From here it's about 40 minutes by bus to Orcha which is a lovely wee place full of old buildings and great for walks along the river (as is Rishikesh I hasten to add)
Then get back to Jhansi where you can catch the train to Varanasi!! Here's a few train suggestions!!
1107 BUNDELKHAND EXP *JHANSI JN 19:20 VARANASI JN 10:25
(everyday)

9167 SABARMATI EXP *JHANSI JN 18:35 VARANASI JN 11:15 (wed, fri and sun only)

INDB PATNA EXP *JHANSI JN 22:35 VARANASI JN 11:00
(Sun only)

This is just another suggestion, I reckon on balance in order to get a bit more variaty into the trip I'd go with Alan D's suggestion of Rishikesh, lovely countryside and watching the pilgrims at both Haridwar and Rishikesh is great, the water in the Ganges is clean here, good enough for a paddle even a stark comparison to what you'll see when you get Varanasi!! And the walks along the banks of the Ganges are stunning!! I reccomend a rafting trip as well, best three hundred rupees I ever spent, I'd almost have paid that for the meal on the banks of the Ganges!!
Timmy whatever you decide to do have fun and keep us posted with any info you might come across yourself!!

Happy Travelling!!

timmy · Nov 13th, 2003, 10:19

OK, thanks. I'll pencil Rishikesh in and see how it fits once I get to Delhi. February seems to far away...

Poonam · Nov 13th, 2003, 14:03

Hi timmy,
you could book yourself at The Birder's Inn , Bharatpur. They have rooms in your range ,it's a clean/comfortable/friendly place .The added advantage is that the owner is a naturalist .
you could visit there website at www.birdersinn.com

timmy · Nov 16th, 2003, 15:10

OK, Ive now decided to make all my stops in the Delhi-Kolkata direction and do a single big 17-hr trip back:

Delhi
Bharatpur
Varanasi*
Kolkata*
Delhi

*is it worth travelling 2A instead of 3A for the longest legs (V-K-D)? I'm only 5'8" so a smaller bed probably isn't that much of a deal.

steven_ber · Nov 19th, 2003, 13:57

The only real difference between 2A and 3A is that 3A seems a little more crowded for obvious reasons, in 2A they have bays for 4 persons, the same bays in 3A accommodate 6 persons, during the day this is not a problem for most people as the seats are at least 6 feet long.

The berths are the same length and I think the same width in both classes.

At night, there is a little less headroom when the berths are made up, and there is no curtain to go round each individual berth.

One of the hidden secrets of Indian Railways is a 3A side berth, virtually identical to a 2A side berth, though a lot cheaper, and only one person to a seat, and that is a guaranteed window seat, ideal if travelling alone or with one other person.

Click here for a diagram of the layout of seats/berths on Broad Gauge carriages.

Click here for photo's of the interiors of the carriages.

timmy · Nov 20th, 2003, 10:01

Quote:

One of the hidden secrets of Indian Railways is a 3A side berth, virtually identical to a 2A side berth, though a lot cheaper, and only one person to a seat, and that is a guaranteed window seat, ideal if travelling alone or with one other person.

Now that's a really worthwhile tip

MY LP is getting printouts and post-its added to it daily.

Cheers.

mountaingirl · Nov 20th, 2003, 14:41

I can add few more places to your list but that would be a waste as I don't understand why you have chosen these places in the first place? (You have been there before, haven't you?). WHat is your aim for this travel plan and what is it that you are seeking to do/ want to do etc?

timmy · Nov 20th, 2003, 17:26

Delhi as I'll be flying in/out of there.

Bharatpur because I didn't see the bird sanctuary last time, and I want to see Fatehpur Sukri again (IMO much more interesting than the Taj).

Varanasi because people have polated opinions on it and it sounds fascinating.

Kolkata because it looks like the craziest city on earth and I wanted to experience it first hand.

My aims? To experience India in different ways - some will be touristy and others less so. I'm just as happy to watch the world go by as I am to go to historical places. I want to take lots of photos (my camera broke last time and the replacement I picked up there was no better). I also want to talk to people and keep an audio record of my journey so I'll be taking my minidisc for that.

One thing I don't want to do is spend too much time travellimg between points. 17 hours from Kolkata to Delhi is a long time, for example, so I've planned to take overnight trains with the exception of the short Del-Bharatpur leg.

But if you have suggestions that don't take me far off course then I'd love to hear them.

Nov 12th, 2003, 14:11	#1
timmy Back in Australia Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 375	Planned itinerary... any tips? Howdy all... I'm new to this forum although I have visited India once before, be it only for two weeks. Anyway, I'm currently planning another trip. Unfortunately as I can't be away for long it's less than three weeks, in February. Here's the plan as it now stands, all transport will be by train: Arr Delhi, four nights. See Red Fort and some other stuff I didn't get time for last time. Fatehpur Sikri, two nights. This was definitely the highlight of my last trip. I found it absolutely fascinating, and besides, my camera died and I want to go back and get some good photos. My guide was 76yo and a real character. (Taj Mahal was nothing compared to FS, IMHO). Agra, two nights. Apart from the Taj I didn't see any of Agra last time, so I thought I'd have a look around. Overnight train to Kolkata, then four nights (first time here). Varanasi, three nights (first time here). Delhi again, two nights, then departing. I know it may seem a bit rushed. In a way I want to complete my first trip as well as add some new places -- hence the trip all the way to Kolkata, which looks like a real crazy place. Any suggestions? I'm looking for accomm in the Rs450-600 range if anyone can reccommend any. Cheers.

Nov 12th, 2003, 15:35	#3
timmy Back in Australia Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 375	Thanks cyberhippie, that's cool. Do you think I should blow off Agra completely and stay in Bharatpur instead? If so, then you may be right. My three day tour (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Delhi) was a nightmare last time as I was travelling alone with a driver who didn't speak a word of english. Not only that, but I had paid in advance for accommodation on the understanding my bookings guy was going to arrange it for me (!) and, as you can imagine, nothing got arranged and my driver put me up in the most disgusting holes you could imagine. So, by the time we were supposed to be going to the bird sanctuary all I wanted was for the journey to be over and to get back to Delhi, so I skipped it. The joy of travelling, huh? This time will definitely be better. __________________ View my Photo Gallery from my last two trips.

Nov 16th, 2003, 15:10	#11
timmy Back in Australia Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 375	Hmm.. changing plan OK, Ive now decided to make all my stops in the Delhi-Kolkata direction and do a single big 17-hr trip back: Delhi Bharatpur Varanasi* Kolkata* Delhi *is it worth travelling 2A instead of 3A for the longest legs (V-K-D)? I'm only 5'8" so a smaller bed probably isn't that much of a deal.

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Nov 12th, 2003, 14:45	#2
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,009	Hi timmy and welcome to the forum!!! My only suggestion is get yourself out if the cities for a while!! You could take a direct train to Bharatpur and take a look at the bird sanctuary which is just wonderful!! This is also a good base for seeing the Taj only 1 hour 15 minutes by bus to Agra or Fatehpur Sikri ony 25 minutes by bus!! You can also take in Deeg if you've a fancy!! This a lovely chilled place to hang out and the bird park is amazing, from here it's just a short hop to catch an onwards train from Agra to Kalkota!!! Plenty of Hotels in you price range as well, this way you get a look at country life in India!! Happy Travelling!!

Nov 12th, 2003, 15:44	#4
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,009	Yeah why not Indian towns are much of a muchness after you've seen the tourist sites!! And it's nice to get back to somewhere quiet after a day in town!! I reckon you could be at the gates of the Taj within two hours of leaving Bharatpur!! And Fatehpur Sikri, well your there in the blink of an eye so yeah why not dump Agra and stay in Bharatpur!!!

Nov 12th, 2003, 15:47	#5
timmy Back in Australia Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 375	Cool... besides, I won't be doing the Taj again, anyway.

Nov 12th, 2003, 16:01	#6
Alan D Maha Guru Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Southampton UK Posts: 1,866	Hi Timmy Six nights in Delhi out of a planned three week stay in India seems a lot. Athough I like the place, I think it's possible to see the sights of Delhi in one or two days. Your itinerary seems to be heavily weighted in favour of the cities. Fine, if city life is what interests you but for a bit more variety you could take a side trip from Delhi, say to Rishikesh for a couple of days. There are good fast trains from New Delhi Railway station. I agree with Cyberhippie's suggestion of not staying in Agra - Bharatpur is very handy for both Agra and Fatehpur Sikri and I think you could cover Agra in one day and spend a day in the bird sanctuary.

Nov 12th, 2003, 16:55	#7
timmy Back in Australia Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 375	Too many places means too much travelling and less time to relax... I've tried to cover some good ground without being too tired to appreciate it.

Nov 12th, 2003, 17:16	#8
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,009	Going on from alan D's suggestion, if your prepared ro spend a little less time in Delhi then there are many options open to you!! Rishikesh is a good idea, a little taste of the mountains and Hinduism!! From there you can train it direct to Bharatpur, although you arrive at a bit of a strange time!! Here's the timetable!! 9020 DEHRADUN EXP HARIDWAR JN 13:10 BHARATPUR JN 02:05 Or another idea would be to take in Gwalior and Orcha before taking the train to Varanasi from Jhansi!! To get there once again go to Agra from Bharatpur then take the train to Gwalior about 1 1/2 hours I believe from there continue to Jhansi about another 1 1/2 hours. From here it's about 40 minutes by bus to Orcha which is a lovely wee place full of old buildings and great for walks along the river (as is Rishikesh I hasten to add) Then get back to Jhansi where you can catch the train to Varanasi!! Here's a few train suggestions!! 1107 BUNDELKHAND EXP JHANSI JN 19:20 VARANASI JN 10:25 (everyday) 9167 SABARMATI EXP JHANSI JN 18:35 VARANASI JN 11:15 (wed, fri and sun only) INDB PATNA EXP JHANSI JN 22:35 VARANASI JN 11:00 (Sun only) This is just another suggestion, I reckon on balance in order to get a bit more variaty into the trip I'd go with Alan D's suggestion of Rishikesh, lovely countryside and watching the pilgrims at both Haridwar and Rishikesh is great, the water in the Ganges is clean here, good enough for a paddle even a stark comparison to what you'll see when you get Varanasi!! And the walks along the banks of the Ganges are stunning!! I reccomend a rafting trip as well, best three hundred rupees I ever spent, I'd almost have paid that for the meal on the banks of the Ganges!! Timmy whatever you decide to do have fun and keep us posted with any info you might come across yourself!! Happy Travelling!!

Nov 13th, 2003, 10:19	#9
timmy Back in Australia Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 375	OK, thanks. I'll pencil Rishikesh in and see how it fits once I get to Delhi. February seems to far away...

Nov 13th, 2003, 14:03	#10
Poonam Account Closed Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Ranthambhore Posts: 22	Hi timmy, you could book yourself at The Birder's Inn , Bharatpur. They have rooms in your range ,it's a clean/comfortable/friendly place .The added advantage is that the owner is a naturalist . you could visit there website at www.birdersinn.com

Nov 19th, 2003, 13:57	#12
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: South of England. Posts: 11,569	The only real difference between 2A and 3A is that 3A seems a little more crowded for obvious reasons, in 2A they have bays for 4 persons, the same bays in 3A accommodate 6 persons, during the day this is not a problem for most people as the seats are at least 6 feet long. The berths are the same length and I think the same width in both classes. At night, there is a little less headroom when the berths are made up, and there is no curtain to go round each individual berth. One of the hidden secrets of Indian Railways is a 3A side berth, virtually identical to a 2A side berth, though a lot cheaper, and only one person to a seat, and that is a guaranteed window seat, ideal if travelling alone or with one other person. Click here for a diagram of the layout of seats/berths on Broad Gauge carriages. Click here for photo's of the interiors of the carriages.

Nov 20th, 2003, 14:41	#14
mountaingirl Mother Goose Join Date: May 2003 Location: underground Posts: 441	I can add few more places to your list but that would be a waste as I don't understand why you have chosen these places in the first place? (You have been there before, haven't you?). WHat is your aim for this travel plan and what is it that you are seeking to do/ want to do etc?

Nov 20th, 2003, 17:26	#15
timmy Back in Australia Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 375	Delhi as I'll be flying in/out of there. Bharatpur because I didn't see the bird sanctuary last time, and I want to see Fatehpur Sukri again (IMO much more interesting than the Taj). Varanasi because people have polated opinions on it and it sounds fascinating. Kolkata because it looks like the craziest city on earth and I wanted to experience it first hand. My aims? To experience India in different ways - some will be touristy and others less so. I'm just as happy to watch the world go by as I am to go to historical places. I want to take lots of photos (my camera broke last time and the replacement I picked up there was no better). I also want to talk to people and keep an audio record of my journey so I'll be taking my minidisc for that. One thing I don't want to do is spend too much time travellimg between points. 17 hours from Kolkata to Delhi is a long time, for example, so I've planned to take overnight trains with the exception of the short Del-Bharatpur leg. But if you have suggestions that don't take me far off course then I'd love to hear them.