Varanasi at the beginning..... or the end?

curlyclaire · Mar 7th, 2009, 06:37

Hello!

I am visiting India for the first time in April, and will be staying for one month, flying into Delhi and out from Mumbai.... I can't wait! With so much to see I really want to get the best out of my time, and hope that IM can help - there's so much to read here that before I've even arrived I'm wondering what I would do without it!!

I'll try to post my more general intinerary Qs in the right forum, but I wanted to ask here: will I be better off visiting Varanasi near the beginning of my trip or towards the end? I had initially planned on Delhi-Varanasi-Agra, then through Rajasthan heading south toward Mumbai. However, a friend of mine recommended waiting to visit Varanasi until I have been in India for a few weeks, saying it may be too overwhelming at first - help! Any opinions anyone can offer me on this would be really appreciated

Do I stick to my original plan or do I turn it on its head, essentially going backwards and then flying from Varanasi to Mumbai? Although it is a little out of the way of the other places I plan to visit, I absolutely do not want to miss it!

I am a single female traveller with some experience of travelling alone and living in east Asia. I don't scare too easily, but will definitely need some time to adjust!

arunchs · Mar 7th, 2009, 08:40

I very much agree that Varanasi can get overwhelming.

But would I like to go out of my way like you intend to, taking the long route to get there? I doubt it. Instead, give a short cooling in period of 3-4 days in India before getting to Varanasi. Go to Jaipur, Agra and then get to Varanasi and come back to Rajasthan. That makes it a not-so-roundabout journey, and yet you have given some time in India and got introduced to the country. Your first day in Varanasi is likely to be overwhelming even after spending a month in the country. So just go.

SitaParityaga · Mar 7th, 2009, 08:57

You've been around, you'll do just fine. Much depends on how much time you want to spend in each place, and which mode of transportation you'll be using.

Spending a few days in delhi to rest up and look around is a good idea. Are you set on seeing the Taj? How long do you want to be in Mumbai?

Seems to make sense to start in Delhi, then to Varanasi, then over to Rajasthan, then down to Mumbai.

unclelach · Mar 7th, 2009, 09:13

North India will be hot in early April and very hot by late April. The hill resorts of course have much lower temperatures.

Suggest that the expected temperatures be considered when planning sightseeing and travel as daytime heat can really limit movement.

Varanasi has much too see and wonder at but the big drawback is extreme traffic congestion which almost halts all transport. The place is too large to rely on walking everywhere.

RWeHavingFunYet · Mar 7th, 2009, 11:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by curlyclaire

will I be better off visiting Varanasi near the beginning of my trip or towards the end? ... However, a friend of mine recommended waiting to visit Varanasi until I have been in India for a few weeks, saying it may be too overwhelming at first - help!

Did you ask your friend why it would be overwhelming for you in the beginning ? Also, in what way does it help you in visiting at the end ??

Darmabum · Mar 7th, 2009, 11:31

I am not the Devil, but his Advocate . . . I'd just like to put this thought into your head . . . go to Rajasthan/Agra first (as per your intuition), train to Varanasi then the 27 +/- hour train to Mumbai . . . (or fly, whatever suits your needs) . . . I've spent a great deal of time in Southeast Asia/Java/Bali/Malaysia/Thailand/Pakistan/China too . . . India is different . . . but I'm sure with your experience you'll acclimatize quickly, it's not about "sense" for me, not common sense, not about the most sensible way to see a country . . . the most time-efficient way (as I've never had less than four months in India) . . . it's about "music" for me . . . the prelude, interlude, crescendo . . . IMHO, and I've been chastised for this on other India-sites, Varanasi is absolutely my Indian crescendo . . . (almost half of my two and half years spent in India have been spent in Varanasi) . . . almost no other Indian city elicits such black-and-white opinions . . . it is everything that anybody has ever said about it . . . whatever you decide, you're going to some amazing places . . . you can't make a wrong turn . . . it's just that . . . the Devil made me say this

curlyclaire · Mar 8th, 2009, 20:38

Thank you soooo much for the replies - and now I'm even more excited!

To answer some questions....

SitaParityaga - I am definitely set on seeing the Taj so Agra is a must, though from what I've heard of the rest of the city, I think I will only be staying there for a day to see the sights then move on. I'm also planning only a couple of days in Mumbai too - I booked with the idea that if I have the option to fly back from there at no extra cost, I may as well take the opportunutity to see it. My visit there will also coincide with my birthday! Probably crazy but hey, it'll be one to remember!

Unclelach - I will do my best to heed your warnings abut heat - unfortunately April was the only time I could get away with ditching work for a month, so as soon as the chance came up I grabbed it! So long as it's dry heat, I should be able to deal with it. I am fully expecting humidity in Mumbai to knock me out though, lol!

RWeHavingFunYet - my friend basically said that waiting a while to visit Varanasi would allow me to get the best out of it. I don't think she meant in any way that I wouldn't be able to handle it, but she knows I want to do more than just go and then leave saying "yay, I survived!".

The more I think about it all, the more lost and stressed I seem to have been getting over my route, so I took some time out from it yesterday and feel much better now; coming back to it the answer seems obvious... save the best to last

. I don't mind the extra travel - whether I fly to Mumbai from Udaipur or Varanasi seems to make little difference to the cost, and if its an excuse to get one extra train ride then I'm all for it. I'm a huge music lover so Darmabum's comments spoke volumes to me! In all seriousness though, putting it near then end of my trip means I may be able to spend more time there or in the area (I'm expecting it to be more of a place to 'be' rather than just 'see'), maybe joining a short yoga course, or maybe going onward to Darjeeling and relaxing there before Mumbai - I've left a bit of blank space in my itinerary after my third week so that I can do as I please!

Thanks again everyone.

Darmabum · Mar 8th, 2009, 21:22

. . . and another thought . . . depending on when you will be in Varanasi, there is a five day music/dance/singing festival that happens at the Sankat Mochan Temple every year; in '06 it was in early April. The performances start in the early evening and end at sunrise.

As for heat, by April it is starting to warm up some . . . but doesn't (In My Humble Opinion) get debilitating until late May/June.

Varanasi is a large city, and there is much to see, but isn't necessarily a city of "sites", as say Delhi is. There is no architecture standing that is over 300 years old, Varanasi has been razed a number of times in it's 3000 year history. During my last two six-month stays there, I've stayed in the Asi area, at the south end of the city. From there to Dasashawamedh Ghat - the main ghat - it is - depending on traffic (that can get Gordion in it's complexity) about a fifteen minute rickshaw ride, or an hour. At times, it takes less time to walk the distance than try public transport.

To get a very good feel for Varanasi historically and culturally, you might look up a book called "Banaras: City of Light" by Diana Eck (the book is available both on Amazon and in Varanasi).

Choo Choo · Apr 25th, 2009, 04:17

Hello there, just reading the posts about the madness of Varanasi if heading straight there when coming to India... I'm wanting to cross the border into India from Nepal (we'll be spending a month there first) and head straight to Varanasi.. then onto Agra and Rajastan etc... do you think a month in Nepal will help me with the chaos and wonder of Varanasi?

Many thanks
Emma

unclelach · Apr 25th, 2009, 11:14

At the risk of being disloyal to India and Indians, my experience is that Nepalis seem happier than Indians and much more friendly to tourists.

Must say I have had some marvellous friendly conversations with Indian folk on long distance trains and have sometimes been helped with good street directions in India (except Connaught Place vicinity in Delhi).

curlyclaire · Apr 26th, 2009, 01:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclelach

Must say I have had some marvellous friendly conversations with Indian folk on long distance trains and have sometimes been helped with good street directions in India (except Connaught Place vicinity in Delhi).

Snap - I was on the train yesterday, from Varanasi to Mumbai, and was only hanging around for the afternoon to change trains and needed somewhere to leave my bag, but haven't got a chain padlock so the station luggage room wouldn't take it. Despite being in a hurry, an Indian guy I had met on the train (who, by total random coincidence, used to study in South Shields in the UK and I'm from Newcastle!) went out of his way to show me to a nearby hotel with dorms where I could leave it safely locked up for the day. Brits just don't do that.

On Varanasi anyway, I loved it and am pleased I saved it for later on in my trip in the end, but there again I haved't travelled for a while before arriving in Delhi 4 weeks ago. I can;t compare to Nepal, but if you're used to travelling around Asia than you'll be fine. Varanasi is a wonderfully unique place and will certainly be an exciting introduction to India! Be warned though that it is [i]hot[i] there now - it hit 45 when I was there and I was unable to do a lot other than wilt. The Old City alleys were more shaded than anywhere else though for a retreat, and getting up for a sunrise boat trip was totally worth it.

Another point, and this could have been pure bad luck for me, but I came away from Keshwari restaurant - recommended by Rough Guide - with a nasty bout, though thankfully short lived, of food poisoning.

Don't mean to scare you though, the city was well worth visiting - have fun!

Darmabum · Apr 26th, 2009, 08:31

claire - glad, not only that you got there, but that you saved it for the end. Varanasi is many things, but it is - for me - most of all - intense, and I LOVE it for that.

As for the "food poisoning" that you got at the Keshwari - food borne illnesses can take time to develop, you may or may not have gotten it at the Keshwari. Sounds like you had a great trip. Glad to hear it.

curlyclaire · May 2nd, 2009, 17:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darmabum

As for the "food poisoning" that you got at the Keshwari - food borne illnesses can take time to develop, you may or may not have gotten it at the Keshwari.

Hey Darmabum, I definitely picked up a few minor bugs whilst in India which, as you said, can take time to develop, however... the symptoms this time around were exactly the same as the one other time in my life that I've suffered from full on food poisoning, and I won't go into details but it was definitely a result of the meal I had at Keshwari! I'm not suggesting that their standards there were necessarily flawed, but in that level of heat it's important to be wary of how any food is stored and prepared. I'm just pleased it cleared before my 27hr onward journey to Mumbai!

Namaste

sajanjiv · May 3rd, 2009, 16:20

@curlyclaire
I am a Doctor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.
Let me know if you plan to visit Delhi. I will be glad to show you around.

tsang · May 5th, 2009, 00:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by curlyclaire

Hey Darmabum, I definitely picked up a few minor bugs whilst in India which, as you said, can take time to develop, however... the symptoms this time around were exactly the same as the one other time in my life that I've suffered from full on food poisoning, and I won't go into details but it was definitely a result of the meal I had at Keshwari! I'm not suggesting that their standards there were necessarily flawed, but in that level of heat it's important to be wary of how any food is stored and prepared. I'm just pleased it cleared before my 27hr onward journey to Mumbai!

Namaste

It's unfortunate that you got food poisoning in our country. You need to be careful with food and water in India. We can eat and tolerate a lot of things that people from the west cannot in India. It's safer not to experiment. Anyway, I think Varanasi is a unique city and a city which will make one go back again and again. It has its own special appeal for each individual. It is a magical city.

Mar 7th, 2009, 06:37	#1
curlyclaire Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: UK Posts: 27	Varanasi at the beginning..... or the end? Hello! I am visiting India for the first time in April, and will be staying for one month, flying into Delhi and out from Mumbai.... I can't wait! With so much to see I really want to get the best out of my time, and hope that IM can help - there's so much to read here that before I've even arrived I'm wondering what I would do without it!! I'll try to post my more general intinerary Qs in the right forum, but I wanted to ask here: will I be better off visiting Varanasi near the beginning of my trip or towards the end? I had initially planned on Delhi-Varanasi-Agra, then through Rajasthan heading south toward Mumbai. However, a friend of mine recommended waiting to visit Varanasi until I have been in India for a few weeks, saying it may be too overwhelming at first - help! Any opinions anyone can offer me on this would be really appreciated Do I stick to my original plan or do I turn it on its head, essentially going backwards and then flying from Varanasi to Mumbai? Although it is a little out of the way of the other places I plan to visit, I absolutely do not want to miss it! I am a single female traveller with some experience of travelling alone and living in east Asia. I don't scare too easily, but will definitely need some time to adjust!

Mar 7th, 2009, 08:40	#2
arunchs Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 448	I very much agree that Varanasi can get overwhelming. But would I like to go out of my way like you intend to, taking the long route to get there? I doubt it. Instead, give a short cooling in period of 3-4 days in India before getting to Varanasi. Go to Jaipur, Agra and then get to Varanasi and come back to Rajasthan. That makes it a not-so-roundabout journey, and yet you have given some time in India and got introduced to the country. Your first day in Varanasi is likely to be overwhelming even after spending a month in the country. So just go. __________________ My India travel blog My Images from India

Mar 7th, 2009, 11:31	#6
Darmabum On the Road, wherever I am Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: in the mountains of Idaho . . . now the red-rock plateau of southern Utah Posts: 1,111	First or Last . . . I am not the Devil, but his Advocate . . . I'd just like to put this thought into your head . . . go to Rajasthan/Agra first (as per your intuition), train to Varanasi then the 27 +/- hour train to Mumbai . . . (or fly, whatever suits your needs) . . . I've spent a great deal of time in Southeast Asia/Java/Bali/Malaysia/Thailand/Pakistan/China too . . . India is different . . . but I'm sure with your experience you'll acclimatize quickly, it's not about "sense" for me, not common sense, not about the most sensible way to see a country . . . the most time-efficient way (as I've never had less than four months in India) . . . it's about "music" for me . . . the prelude, interlude, crescendo . . . IMHO, and I've been chastised for this on other India-sites, Varanasi is absolutely my Indian crescendo . . . (almost half of my two and half years spent in India have been spent in Varanasi) . . . almost no other Indian city elicits such black-and-white opinions . . . it is everything that anybody has ever said about it . . . whatever you decide, you're going to some amazing places . . . you can't make a wrong turn . . . it's just that . . . the Devil made me say this __________________ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure - Marianne Williamson

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Mar 7th, 2009, 08:57	#3
SitaParityaga member in the forest Join Date: May 2003 Location: California Posts: 1,146	You've been around, you'll do just fine. Much depends on how much time you want to spend in each place, and which mode of transportation you'll be using. Spending a few days in delhi to rest up and look around is a good idea. Are you set on seeing the Taj? How long do you want to be in Mumbai? Seems to make sense to start in Delhi, then to Varanasi, then over to Rajasthan, then down to Mumbai.

Mar 7th, 2009, 09:13	#4
unclelach Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: melbourne, australia Posts: 263	North India will be hot in early April and very hot by late April. The hill resorts of course have much lower temperatures. Suggest that the expected temperatures be considered when planning sightseeing and travel as daytime heat can really limit movement. Varanasi has much too see and wonder at but the big drawback is extreme traffic congestion which almost halts all transport. The place is too large to rely on walking everywhere.

Mar 8th, 2009, 20:38	#7
curlyclaire Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: UK Posts: 27	Thank you soooo much for the replies - and now I'm even more excited! To answer some questions.... SitaParityaga - I am definitely set on seeing the Taj so Agra is a must, though from what I've heard of the rest of the city, I think I will only be staying there for a day to see the sights then move on. I'm also planning only a couple of days in Mumbai too - I booked with the idea that if I have the option to fly back from there at no extra cost, I may as well take the opportunutity to see it. My visit there will also coincide with my birthday! Probably crazy but hey, it'll be one to remember! Unclelach - I will do my best to heed your warnings abut heat - unfortunately April was the only time I could get away with ditching work for a month, so as soon as the chance came up I grabbed it! So long as it's dry heat, I should be able to deal with it. I am fully expecting humidity in Mumbai to knock me out though, lol! RWeHavingFunYet - my friend basically said that waiting a while to visit Varanasi would allow me to get the best out of it. I don't think she meant in any way that I wouldn't be able to handle it, but she knows I want to do more than just go and then leave saying "yay, I survived!". The more I think about it all, the more lost and stressed I seem to have been getting over my route, so I took some time out from it yesterday and feel much better now; coming back to it the answer seems obvious... save the best to last . I don't mind the extra travel - whether I fly to Mumbai from Udaipur or Varanasi seems to make little difference to the cost, and if its an excuse to get one extra train ride then I'm all for it. I'm a huge music lover so Darmabum's comments spoke volumes to me! In all seriousness though, putting it near then end of my trip means I may be able to spend more time there or in the area (I'm expecting it to be more of a place to 'be' rather than just 'see'), maybe joining a short yoga course, or maybe going onward to Darjeeling and relaxing there before Mumbai - I've left a bit of blank space in my itinerary after my third week so that I can do as I please! Thanks again everyone.

Mar 8th, 2009, 21:22	#8
Darmabum On the Road, wherever I am Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: in the mountains of Idaho . . . now the red-rock plateau of southern Utah Posts: 1,111	. . . and another thought . . . depending on when you will be in Varanasi, there is a five day music/dance/singing festival that happens at the Sankat Mochan Temple every year; in '06 it was in early April. The performances start in the early evening and end at sunrise. As for heat, by April it is starting to warm up some . . . but doesn't (In My Humble Opinion) get debilitating until late May/June. Varanasi is a large city, and there is much to see, but isn't necessarily a city of "sites", as say Delhi is. There is no architecture standing that is over 300 years old, Varanasi has been razed a number of times in it's 3000 year history. During my last two six-month stays there, I've stayed in the Asi area, at the south end of the city. From there to Dasashawamedh Ghat - the main ghat - it is - depending on traffic (that can get Gordion in it's complexity) about a fifteen minute rickshaw ride, or an hour. At times, it takes less time to walk the distance than try public transport. To get a very good feel for Varanasi historically and culturally, you might look up a book called "Banaras: City of Light" by Diana Eck (the book is available both on Amazon and in Varanasi).

Apr 25th, 2009, 04:17	#9
Choo Choo Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: UK Posts: 38	Hello there, just reading the posts about the madness of Varanasi if heading straight there when coming to India... I'm wanting to cross the border into India from Nepal (we'll be spending a month there first) and head straight to Varanasi.. then onto Agra and Rajastan etc... do you think a month in Nepal will help me with the chaos and wonder of Varanasi? Many thanks Emma

Apr 25th, 2009, 11:14	#10
unclelach Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: melbourne, australia Posts: 263	At the risk of being disloyal to India and Indians, my experience is that Nepalis seem happier than Indians and much more friendly to tourists. Must say I have had some marvellous friendly conversations with Indian folk on long distance trains and have sometimes been helped with good street directions in India (except Connaught Place vicinity in Delhi).

Apr 26th, 2009, 08:31	#12
Darmabum On the Road, wherever I am Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: in the mountains of Idaho . . . now the red-rock plateau of southern Utah Posts: 1,111	claire - glad, not only that you got there, but that you saved it for the end. Varanasi is many things, but it is - for me - most of all - intense, and I LOVE it for that. As for the "food poisoning" that you got at the Keshwari - food borne illnesses can take time to develop, you may or may not have gotten it at the Keshwari. Sounds like you had a great trip. Glad to hear it.

May 3rd, 2009, 16:20	#14
sajanjiv Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: AIIMS, New Delhi Posts: 11	@curlyclaire I am a Doctor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. Let me know if you plan to visit Delhi. I will be glad to show you around.