India Itinerary

Hi there, me and my girlfriend are first time round the world travellers starting in India in September this year!

Our current itinerary for India is:

Delhi (3 days)
Varanasi (2-3 days)
Jaipur (2 days)
Bikaner (2 days)
Jaisalmer (3 days)
Jodhpur (2 days)
Pushkar (2 days)
Orchha (2 days)
Udaipur (3 days)
Goa (3 days)
Mumbai (2-3 days)

Other places that we thought about but have left out: Bundi, Lucknow, Jhansi, Khajuraho, Ajmer, Ranakpur

We are going for a month. The days won't add up as we need to leave some for travelling from place to place sleeper trains etc.

What do you guys think? Suggestions and other help/advice would be great.

Thanks!
Dale

I don't think it makes sense to go from Udaipur all the way down to Goa for just 3 days. We did Udaipur to Mumbai (had to do this by bus as the trains only run 3 times a week) and it took 16 hours. We were then lucky enough to get on the 9 hour express train to Goa. This is a lot of travelling for you to do unless you fly - also there aren't direct flights from Udaipur to Goa so it will take longer, once at Goa airport you will still have to travel to the beaches.

So I would advise cut out Goa and stick to Rajasthan - I presume you are flying out of Mumbai that's why you are going there last?

A lot of the trains you will be getting will be overnight trains so you probably won't lose as many days as you think due to travelling and you'll save on accommodation!

wow..thats quited a packed schedule ...do'able though... i guess ur idea is to chill in goa for a couple of days before heading back...not a bad idea

wher is orchaa...thers an orchha in another state called MP..is that what u r refereing to? would leave tht out and do rajasthan..goa..mumbai

cheers!

Thanks guys!

I left out Agra in the itinerary for some reason so that'll be just after Delhi before Varanasi.

Orchha is in MP.

[ Edit: Edited on 25-Jan-2009, at 03:31 by fretblaze ]

umm i wouldn't do that...unless uve seen the Taj mahal earlier...would leave one town in r'sthan n do agra
cheers!

Here's some tips for India:

You can usually exchange money for a better rate in small stores rather than in banks.

Credit cards work in most big stores, like jewelry or department stores.

Always drink bottled water. Make sure the cap is tightened and sealed before you drink it. The only exception is if it is boiled water. You will know because it will be tinted pink or yellow. I would say, it's better to not risk it. Keep bottled water with you all the time.

If you stop at a tiny hole-in-the-wall tea shack... inspect your food thoroughly before eating it. Just for bugs and stuff, nothing serious

ALWAYS haggle the prices at flea markets/booths/etc. They WILL cut you a deal if you don't give in. If they say they must have a certain price for an item, ask them to throw another item in as well.

When you arrive in a new city, ask your hotel to find a driver for you. Hiring a car isn't expensive and makes things a lot easier.

Many hotels offer free or inexpensive dry cleaning. Ask at the front desk.

[ Edit: Edited on 26-Jan-2009, at 10:11 by gracev ]

orchha is only 20 odd kilometers from Jhansi....and Jhansi is the biggest railway station near orchha.....I have lived in Jhanis for 9 years so u can rely on this information....if u plan to stay in Orchha then u can always accomodate Jhansi for a day trip either when u r arriving for orchha or leaving orchha....there is a beautiful Orchha Resort (I think it is a 5 starrer) but if u guys are planning to travel cheap I would say book a hotel in Jhansi and do a day's trip to orchha...there is one Hotel Sita that is pretty reasonable there....there is one more but I dont recall its name.

and I would suggest that u visit Agra for sure....apart from the Taj Mahal, there are several other historic monumnets and sites nearby the city.....a possible leg for ur journey cus be as follows:

Delhi-Agra-Jhansi (by train)
Jhansi-Varanasi (by train)
Varanasi-Delhi (by air)
Delhi-all cities in Rajasthan (I am not very familiar with their respective locations so u can check for them on google earth)
Rajasthan-Goa-Mumbai (either by train or air)

Air travel in India is relativel pretty cheap if u book ahead....for example on makemytrip.co.in I can see tickets from Varanasi to Delhi for 3500-odd rupees for 31st jan.....and the earlier u book the cheaper deals u may get.....but the train tickets are fixed prices and can be sold out as soon as reservation is open....so book early.....and also let us know when do u plan to travel as the India summer can be particularly harsh in the northern regions like Delhi, Agra, Jhansi, Varanasi and Rajasthan with the mercury topping 45 degree celsius in some places.

best of luck and do reply back if any more info is needed.

Happy Travelling!!!!
Travellingtechie!!!