Travelling Slowly: 70 Days in India

I just thought I'd post an itinerary showing how it's possible to see lots of interesting places and leaving plenty of time for the unexpected. When I first blocked this out on a calendar, I realized I had about 10 extra days, and could fit more places in.

Now, I'm contemplating travelling in the opposite direction (clockwise instead of anti) to avoid those fog delays at the end of my visit in early January.

So here are the stops I've planned,and the side trips, though it's not quite final yet.

Delhi
Amritsar
Lucknow
Varanasi
Kolkata (Bishnupur. Sunderbans?)
Puri (Cuttack)
Chennai/Mammalipuram
Mysore (Belur. Halebidu.)
Hydrabad
Aurangabad (Ellora, maybe Ajanta)
Ahmedabad
Ajmer
Delhi

Phew, in 70 days, those are quite some distances though, WWU. Are there flights in there?

I must say that very simply put as a chain smoker and now with anti-smoking policies on board (and on any stations you halt), I just can't stand those long train rides anymore. I'd otherwise probably still be fine with it, and in fact can easily enjoy such a ride. (Yes, yes, stop smoking, I know. Not very likely to happen any time soon.)

At some near-6 days a place the pace as such indeed looks pretty cool. But I just don't think I could do such a full circle anymore. Your mileage may of course very well vary, and I do know you're experienced in travel there, far more than I am My last two trips were nine weeks each, I managed quite some grounds even, but not going full-circle, no. Indeed spending like a short week in many a place, give or take. Smoking apart, I just get tired of packing it up and having to suss it all out again all the time, too.

That might be worth considering. The worst delay we suffered was 3 hours but I have seen trains listed over 20 hours late in January in the Delhi area. The fog seems to affect the Rajasthan lines less than those heading east.

Mach, I only smoke 1 or 2 a day now, so the long train rides are no problem -- even the 22 hours' to get to India isn't so bad! You COULD consider using a nicotine patch to get through those long train rides; that's what I used to do.

I want to give these places plenty of time, as I've found people get friendlier the longer we are there. So, maybe only 3 days in Amritsar, but 5 or 6 in both Lucknow and Varanasi, and at least 10 days in Puri. Just passing through Kolkata so I'll want enough time to do some shopping ... I've spent months there already and so it's just a pit stop, with a side trip to Bishnupur!

But that gives me plenty of time for Ellora, and Ajanta, which I saw 40-some years ago. Etc Etc Etc

Some years ago, one of my trains was 6 hours late, and y'know, those six hours in the ladies' waiting room made me very thoughful about this subject.

Also, I'll be coming back to chilly rainy weather and prefer to spend my days warm and dry as long as possible .... so doing it clockwise makes sense to me.

I just looked again at your first post, Have you confused clockwise and anti-clockwise or is it just me confused

I was suggesting Rajasthan first to avoid the winter fogs between Delhi and Varanasi. I've never spent any time in the ladies waiting room but found 3 hours on Old Delhi station quite diverting. I wouldn't have wanted it to be much longer.

Even in the days of digital clocks, I stil recall which direction is which.

I arrive in late October; not much fog then, so I'll go from Delhi to Amritsar and then toward Kolkata and then south. The last bit I'll do will be Rajasthan to Delhi (in early January) and I shouldn't get too much fog in that area.


The ladies all check each other out, noticing sarees, shawls, shoes ... but six hours of that is really too much.

Have you been to Chilka? If not I suggested going there in winter since you are going to Puri. Plan to stay at Barkul.

I may do a side trip to Chilika, to see the lake and the birds. I will spend a lot of time in Puri, with a visit to Cuttack already planned.

And I'll be in Puri for American Thanksgiving; it's pretty easy to find someone to celebrate that! The last time I was in Puri for Thanksgiving, we went out for Chinese food!

But no turkey there!

No, no turkey for Thanksgiving, but I'll settle for Chinese food, tandoori chicken or even grilled fish -- which is really easy to get in Puri! ;-)

Here's a rough idea of the time I'll spend in each place, though it's still subject to change a bit. Yes, there are some days left over ... and some very long train rides. That's the way I travel!

Delhi (3 days)
Amritsar (3 days)
Lucknow (3 days)
Varanasi (4 days) includes Diwali
Kolkata (Bishnupur.) (4 days)
Puri (Cuttack) (7 days)
Chennai/Mammalipuram (4 days)
Mysore (Belur. Halebidu.) (4 days)
Hydrabad (3 days)
Aurangabad (Ellora, maybe Ajanta) (4 days)
Jalgaon (long enough to catch a train)
Ahmedabad (5 days)
Udaipur/Ranahkpur (3 days)
Ajmer (3 days)
Delhi

Hello WWUSA - if you go to Chilika, consider doing boat rides with the reformed poachers of Manglajodi. I went there december and Mridula (also on IM) went a little ahead of me i think. Subsequently Maumi (on IM) went there too. Very non-commercial experience and maximum birds for any part of the lake. I wrote a bit about it here: Trip report: Konark, Bhubaneshwar and Chilika. There're trains to Mukteshwarpuri (2 hour ride from bhubaneswar) that get you right to the village. They stay options are better in Barkul though.

Vaibhav and Jyoti, I've read a bit about Chilika and parts of it sound very good; I will try to go there. We'll see about staying in Barkul; it seems kind of strenuous to get to.

WWUSA, are you planning to spend Diwali or Dev Diwali in Varanasi? Dev Diwali is around 15 days after Diwali.

I'll be there for Diwali, Aarosh; by Dev Diwali I'll probably be in Puri.