Too Ambitious? Delhi (Agra), Jaipur, Goa, Hyderabad

Smiilz

Hello all,

As I mentioned in my introduction, I'll be leaving for India this Friday and arriving in Delhi on Sunday morning at about 10 am.

*(edit) It is our first time in India. We really have no preference. I just want to see what there is to see.*

My husband will be working in Hyderabad and we decided to turn it into a bit of a vacation on the front end and I would tag along with him into Hyderabad.

This is the "plan" right now, and I'm afraid it might be too ambitious:

- Delhi, 3 nights, arrive Sunday morning and leave Wednesday morning, includes a day trip to Agra probably by train
- Jaipur, 2 nights, arrive by train or bus, arrive Wednesday and leave Friday morning
- Goa, 3 nights, arrive by plane, arrive Friday and leave Monday morning
- Hyderabad, 1 week, arrive by plane (no choice on this one, this is where he will be working and we have to be there the morning of Monday, December 1st)

Right now, the only things that are booked are our flight into Delhi, the hotel in Delhi, and my flight home from Hyderabad.

Our budget is high and we are in and about 30 years old.

I'm concerned that this is a lot of movement. How easy will it be to travel to Jaipur by train/bus with suitcases/luggage? I will be there for 2 weeks total and my husband for 1 month, so we will have quite a few things with us, I imagine. As well, do we need to pre-book trains to Agra or Jaipur?

This has all come up today since a colleague of my husband has suggested this itinerary, with us only a few days before we leave.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

~Smiilz

Silencio

Hi Smilz

Im struggling with a similar question at the moment as I have just two weeks in January, flying into Delhi and out of Mumbai, trying to squeeze in Jaipur, Varanasi and Goa (was Kerala but just don;t think we have the time).

Ive looked around a lot, and the internal flights and trains seem to be very regular and cheap (Spice Jet in particular). Trains from Delhi to Agra take about 2 hours for the quickest and about 4 to Jaipur so both are reasonable. I would (and am) book in advance though to save any headaches.

The beginning of your itinerary is almost identical to mine, in both destination and duration, including the day trip to Agra.

From what I've read, porters will be clammering to help you with you luggage around the stations so Im not sure whether that would really be a problem.

I should add though, this is my first trip to India so someone else can hopefully offer you (and indeed me), some more advice!

Hope you have a good trip; it would be good to know how you get on so I know if my plan is a bad idea...

Rasika

Well... it's hard to say not knowing your particular interests and whether you have been to India before of course... but seems nice to have a big budget!

I would question the trip to Goa, unless you are really really keen to have a beach holiday. Instead, why not go further into Rajasthan, and maybe go to Udaipur instead? Again, keeping Delhi as your flying base will probably make it easier to leave luggage there and get it before heading to Hyderabad...

Smiilz

Silencio,

Thanks for the advice. I do appreciate the bits of information. I hope you're right...

But we are now even considering Kerala only 2 days before we leave.

The only things I'd like to have booked are our lodgings and flights. I can be flexible with trains/buses and even sights.

I will definitely let you know how it goes.

~Smiilz

Smiilz

Rasika,

Thank you for the suggestions, I will definitely consider this itinerary instead.

I've updated my post to include that it is our first time in India and we really have no preferences, other than seeing the Taj Mahal. I am interested in observing and taking part in another culture.

The reason for the high budget is that a lot of our costs will be covered by my husband's company (his flight to India and our accommodations and food while in Hyderabad). So given our short time, we are willing to sacrifice money in exchange for time and some additional comfort.

~Smiilz

Hal

Your itinerary looks good. You'll have a week in Hyderabad to unwind afterwards.
If you're leaving in 2 days you may have trouble booking trains. You're going on popular routes and the AC classes are often booked weeks in advance. If your budget is high, consider flying to save time. Or for the classic Delhi-Agra-Jaipur (Golden Triangle) trip hire a car and driver. Gives you way more flexibility.

As for packing - you'll probably need less than you imagine. Hyderabad is very business casual. The usual outfit for men is pants and a buttoned shirt. Laundry in India is very cheap and available at any hotel.

Smiilz

Thanks Hal.

I think we will fly wherever possible.

As for the the part where you said itinerary looks good, were you talking about the originally posted one or the one including Kerala?

~Smiilz

Hal

Never been to Kerala or Goa, but I think I'd choose Kerala.

Smiilz

Just wanted to let you know how it all turned out: Delhi, Kochi, Munnar, Hyderabad

We started off in New Delhi and spent 3 nights there. First night was dinner with my husband's work colleague, 2nd day brought us to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, 3rd day was sightseeing around Delhi. I really liked the Qutb Minar. We had a beautiful day and I could have easily spent several hours there if we had that kind of leisure, we only spent 1 hour.

We then took a flight to Kochi where we got of to a slow start as we were watching the aftermath of the attacks in Mumbai. We went to Fort Cochin, Jew Town, etc. I really wasn't all that impressed by this, but it was a sight. The next day we took an elephant ride in Kodanad, and then a boat tour of the backwaters in Vaikom.

The next 2 days brought us to Munnar with the rolling hills, waterfalls and tea estates. This was beautiful, I highly recommend going if possible, but you will need to drive to all of the beautiful vistas. We stayed at Deshadan, "The Highest Resort in Kerala". The views were beautiful. There were many other places to stay both on the resort end and the budget end.

Now, we are in Hyderabad, where my husband is working and I am left on my own during the days. I went for a walk around Sagar Hussain, the lake. Tomorrow I will be more adventurous.

Thank you all for your advice. I hope my notes will give you a bit more information.

Silencio

Hi Smiilz

Thanks for letting us know how your trip went, it sounds like you've had a good trip. Munnar sounds great and I'll definately put some time aside for the Qutb Minar.

Im hoping things have calmed down abit in Mumbai by the time I fly out in January, but Im certainly not going to let it stop me going.

John