So I’m heading to India for 3 weeks in the new year for a holiday and am hoping that the fine Indian population of AF can give some inside tips for places to go and things to see. Also keen to get some tips from anyone who has visted India.
Plan so far are to fly into New Delhi and do the Golden Triangle, so Delhi, Agra and Jaipur which I think will take just over a week. Aiming to have around a week at the end to chill out at a beach resort in Goa but not somewhere in the middle of nowhere as we’ll still want to see some sights rather than sit on the beach all week.
Anyone have any tips for the middle week? Any good places to go off the beaten track? Any tips for the best place to stay in Goa? Is it true that it’s been annexed by the Ruskis? aka the worst nationality to share a holiday resort with.
Indian Architecture - Rajasthan has Jodhpur (instead of Jaipur, much more beautiful and colourful), Jaisalmer, Udaipur and all of them very beautiful. Khajuraho is great too, but a bit off from where you are presently planning.
Goa - North goa, more party stuff… South goa, very laid back… Retreat ZURI is supposedly very very good (not something I could afford, so I personally havent stayed here. But know someone whom I trust stayed here and raved about it).
If you like the hills, you got to see Leh/Ladakh, though summer just got over in Leh now. You could probably research a bit more before deciding this place. Just read your post again and understood you are coming during the New Year - not at all sure this is the time to visit Leh.
White desert at the Rann of Kutch - something you will not get to experience in the UK and you could try this out. Colourful, offbeat stuff you were looking for.
Good luck and safe trip. Hope you find the country interesting. Dont hesitate to message me, if you are looking for any specific help.
Besides the infamous Rahul Roy I am yet to see another Indian on this section of the forum. In 3 weeks you can visit only one portion of the country i.e North, South, North East etc. Since you have chosen the North I will stick to the north.
Using New Delhi as your base is a good idea, Stay in the newer parts of the city which are connected with the urban metro rail system. Visit Hauz Kaz village which was a derelict area now inhabited exclusively by young urban Indian Muslims who have re-built the palce with an authentic tinge. It is basically New India and Old India colliding in one square mile.
Visitng the Taj Mahal will be easy since it barely half a days drive from Delhi, Jaipur is an excellent pick if you want to see the deserts of Rajasthan but a better city would be Udaipur which has the palaces of a bygone era. All this should take you 4-5 days.
It would be a tragedy to go that far and not visit Kashmir and the Himalayas. My advice would be, head to Kasol in Himachal Pradesh which is a hill station. You will smoke the finest hashish in the world and from there head to Kashmir- Leh / Ladakh to be specific. Believe me, you haven’t seen anything like it.
From there if you are insistent you can fly down to Goa which yes has been annexed by the Russians. They stick to certain portions though. South Goa is where couples stay in private resorts run by Radisson, Leela and the like and they come complete with their own private beaches.
The true vibe of Goa lies in the north though. Anjuna beach is well known for it’s drug scene. Baga beach is one you can visit on the first day to familiarize yourself with the vibe. From there head to Arambol and Palolem beach. There are off shore casinos near Mondovi river if you fancy a hand of poker. For the night one beach shack will definately be open all night. You just need to find it. Alternatively you can visit Club SinQ and Waterfront.
From Goa there is a destination known as Gokarna which is about 4 hrs away. It is a small place with only 4 beaches frequented by young urban Indians and a few foreigners who know about it. You saty in beach shacks which are set up about 100m away from the shore line when season comes around. The shacks are then dismantled till next season.
With 3 weeks you might capture the vibe of about 20% of the country. Also,
I will disagree with you sir.We don’t know if OP wants to go “a foot deep and miles wide” or “a foot wide and miles deep”…If later is the choice then Zid’s point of view is applicable…
I just re-read and saw that you wanted to experience something else in Goa. Goa is known for sun, sex and drugs. That is all.
Spend 3-4 days and perhaps you can use the remaining 3 days for something else.
Spend it in Dharmastala in the North which is home to the Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetian population and remains one of the main friction points b/w the Indians and the Chinese. Take a flight to Port Blair, Andaman which have the best snorkelling sites in the world untouched by rampant commercialism or perhaps spend it on a houseboat travelling the backwaters in Kerela. You could spend 3 days touring the Temples in South India if you wish or just relax in cities like Bangalore.
The options are numerous, Fly in to Delhi, fly out from Bangalore. Stay away from Mumbai - You won’t be able to handle her speed. Read the book Maximum city by Mehta to see if you want to experience Mumbai in all her grime and glory. There is no city like Mumbai in the world, where diamond merchants share the same trains with slumdwellers and everyone trying to build a better life.
India is changing at lightening speed and if you keep your eyes open she will astound you. Take the Mrs and do this tour if you do find yourself in the city of gangsters and bollywood stars.
Be sure to catch the Sharmawarma Abs Museum. Some of the best abs casts out there.
At the Shamalamadingdong theater, they play a great SRK documentary 24 hours/day called “Seriously, guys, No Homo”. It’s a must see.
At the New Delhi Economics Musem, there are some really good exhibits teaching you about PPP and how it’s the same thing as an exchange rate. Really high quality stuff there.
If you’re into academics, you should stroll around on of India’s many top-4,000 colleges. Great experience.
It’s a very culturally rich country. Hope you have fun!
Goa is like a second home for me, so it’ll be such a shame if I don’t offer my view, so here it goes.
If you are someone who likes psychedelic and euphoric experiences induced by chemical substances, Goa is the place to be, infact, it’s best in the world for that. Freedom has a totally different meaning there, it’s like a large do what you want party sponsered by the govt whereas you are safe all the time under the watchful law enforcement and drug mafia who work hard in tandem to provide you the best possible experience. Go to UV bar at Anjuna and drop some acid and I am sure you are going to thank me for life for suggesting that.
If you are not in the mood to experiment and you just want to chill on a beach; stay in the northmost part of Goa, like Aarambhol, it’s beautiful. The north part of Goa is the hippy Goa and in my opinion the best part of it. It’s filled with well behaved Indians and foriegners from all around the world who come there to experience the psychedelic trace parties, pristine beaches, and authentic sea food of Goa. The south and Central part of Goa is the shit Goa, where you won’t find either good music, or good food, or good beaches, but you’ll find it extremely crowded with stereotypical Indian families, old forigners, indian college students and teenagers, bourgeoisie fashionstas, and a lot of inebriated Indian boys ogling at whatever inch of white skin they can see around them.
Don’t worry about ruskies, in Goa, they are not as bad as their reputation goes, they are also hippies just like most other foriegners in Goa, all you need to worry about is drunk Indian boys because some of them will not leave the opportunity to show you a level of horror you can’t even imagine, it’s shameful but it’s a reality. Goa is actually the safest cities for women though, it’s the northern part of India which is a hell for a female traveller as she is always just one wrong step away from getting raped in north India. But, wherever you are in India, it’s good to be a bit cautious if you have a women with you, so be safe and enjoy.
Curiously enough, ‘Curry’ isn’t as popular in India as it is outside of India.
There are a vast number of cuisine styles that will probably not be available to you outside India that I encourage you to try. Squid Kalamari (Goa) to Pav Bhaji (Maharashtra) to Idli (South India).
The suggestion that India is not safe for female travellers is a product of media hype and if you are aware of your surroundings everything will be fine. It reminds me of Barrack Obama’s recent ‘it’s on us’ speech.
Anyway, a tip - download Ola Cabs, Taxi for sure etc app on your phone and use it for transport within the cities. Prompt, Convenient and comfortable.Also, please don’t be ‘that’ white guy who’se here to ‘find’ himself while experimenting with mind altering drugs…jk.
