Varanasi -- how to choose those boat rides?

pobo1

Dear all,

i guess most of you will intend to try those boat rides to experience the magic of the river. And I also expect the touts coming from everywhere.

May I know what is the best way and place to choose a boat man? what is the price that is reasonable for a 1-hr ride?

Thanks!

aadil

If you are a foreigner then the prices are usually higher than for Indians and even less for locals from Varanasi!!! Try to bargain with the boatman to reduce the price that he quotes first. You may be surprised at what the final price could be brought down to. If you share the boat with other people then it is less, if you hire it alone then it costs more. A fair price would be about Rs150 to 200 for an hour if you take the boat alone for a ride up or down the river and maybe even wait in the waters near the evening aarti ceremony which looks wonderful from the river.

Cheers,
Aadil.

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Darmabum

After a year spent living in Varanasi (two six-month trips) and many, many boatrides, this is my suggestion: arrange for your boat the evening before (for a sunrise ride). This will save you the hassles you know you will get. I find it better to deal with the haggling in the evening (I'm a much better businessman as the day goes on) than first thing in the morning.
aadil's suggestion is good one: aarti is very nice from the river, looking to shore.
Another thing I like to do is to get on the river before the stars are out of the sky. There are more boats available at this time; and to see the complete sunrise from black to pink to orange is awesome.
Also, you might have a less hassled time if you get your boat from a smaller ghat, such as Asi (the southernmost ghat) than from the main ghat of Dasashawamedh.
Enjoy!

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aadil

Thats true, it will be easier to bargain if you are at a smaller ghat like Assi Ghat which is pretty far off from the place where the aarti is done so you will take at least an hour to get there and in the evening it will be really nice. The only disadvantage is that there will be fewer boats at this place than at the Dashaswamedh ghats where the aarti ceremony is held.

Cheers,
Aadil.

Darmabum

When I left Varanasi last - in August of 2006 - work was well under way for a new and larger ghat at Asi; the hope was to draw some of the aarti crowd from Dasashawamedh. Before I left in 2006 aarti was being held at the old ghat at Asi; since then I have seen photos of it being held on the new ghat. While there certainly are more boats at the main ghat, in all my time at Asi (I lived in that area) I never had to go hunting for a boat in the morning . . . the boats would - as they do - find me

Khak

try to negotiate a rate of Rs. 120-150......... you can directly quote the rate to let the boatman know that you are aware of the correct rates

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~Khak~

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zoltan

If you are at all in doubt about prices, take a walk to the VTDC (Varanasi Tourist Development Commission).

I had no idea about anything in Varanasi when I went there many years back. A chat with the staff at the VTDC put me straight on many questions I had - they were fabulous to talk with and they gave me the local prices on everything (including boat rides).

Cheers
Zoltan

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kjluke

I just returned from Varanasi 10/4/08 (see separate post) and I paid 200/hr from Assi Ghat. I did not bargain. But at this time of year, I'm sure I could have negotiated it down some. I did 2 hrs roundtrip in the morning and 1 hr/ one way in the evening.

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