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I live in India, since my birth in Himachal pradesh since then i have been seeing there are large numbers of travel or tourists are mosre likely to visit north region than others south, west, east. .i don't know the exact reason may be big hills or others . .anyway .. i would like to suggest the same you to visit the places in north are; Shimla, Kullu, Manali, Dalhousie, Dharamsha and many more. and spiritual places would be best one is vaishno devi . .must visit . .and take a bless from Indian GODDESS MAA . .
My family of 6 visited India around 4 years ago and it was the most beautiful, humbling experience that I ever had. The people are so friendly, generous and unbelievable nicely dressed. Yes there are many places that are not hygienic, smelly,but hey...if one visits a country one respects their traditions and way of life .I especially loved the Punjab,Golden Temple in Amritsar,Taj Mahal and Shimla near the Himalaya.I am planning to go back, now that I can nicely speak Punjabi (at least I wont get lost, plus people respect you more). It is a MUST place to visit!!!
I've been to my share of "dirty" places (as defined by others prior to my trip) and not only were those were my favorite trips, it was highly exaggerated that it was dirty. I guess when people's travel are only to Europe, Canada, US and Caribbean, anything that doesn't fit a similar description must not be good.
Heh... I spent my honeymoon in Cuba last May and got sicker than I have ever been in over 20 years. I can't even fathom visiting any country that would be considered poorer or dirtier than that (and Cuba really wasn't that dirty from what I saw when I was there). The "sick as a dog by Wednesday" experience has actually turned me off travelling anywhere outside Canada and the U.S. for a while.
While backpacking through we didn't drink tap water (stayed in mid-range hostels/hotels ~$10USD/night) but we ate and drank everything else. Even some delicious but very questionable Lassi.
We also popped about 8 immodium a day and Doxycyclene as an anti-malarial (but it probably helped with other problems too). Whenever we were in some place for more than a day, we'd stop the immodium to "empty out." Worked okay. The food is just too good to pass up, even if it chews you up on the way through.
I have just returned from a trip to India where I had the misfortune to purchase a tour with Bilal Shafi (aka Invicta Tour & travels). Let's call him "shafi the shark" for short. I had done a lot of homework prior to travelling, booking some hotels and working out an itinerary. I originally intended to travel by train taking a few buses here and there. But found it hard to arrange the train tickets online (Indian bureaucracy is astounding) and half jet lagged in the heat trying to avoid street touts ended up organising a car and hotel bookings through Invicta travel.
Travelling through India by car is actually a great way to see Rajasthan and gives you the freedom to visit places slightly out of the way (e.g Bhundi and Ranakpur). However I would urge everyone to book a car and driver directly, as they only charge 9Rs per km. Through "Shafi the Shark" it cost us a lot more and the hotels were a complete rip off (basic ammenities, decrepit bathrooms and awful breakfasts) when you realise that you can stay in well furnished mid-range hotels for under £25 per night (e.g Anjani hotel in Udapiur, Green hotel in Mcleod Ganj, Prince Palonia hotel in Delhi)
Public transport is ridiculously cheap in India (e.g a 12hr sleeper bus journey between Bikaner and Amritsar costs only 400Rs pp) So the best way to organise your trip is by NOT USING INVICTA TOUR & TRAVEL.
India was magical but it's very upsetting to get taken advantage of and I don't mean a modest profit. This guy is a crook - beware.
I beg to disagree.
I have been to India 4 times and used Invicta for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th of those trips. I thought his prices were competitive (and believe me, I shopped around ... my third trip was a 3 month 'Grand Tour' of all of India), and the quality of their service I received was outstanding. He always booked me in decent, clean, and attractive hotels, usually of the "3 Star" range. Shaafi never let me down.
When reading reviews of hotels, restaurants, tourists services one often sees dissenting views. Even the most highly rated hotels get a bad review sometimes. I am going to stand by my recommendation of Invicta Tours and Travels. If anyone would like to visit me here in Philadelphia I will be glad to open up my scrap-books and photo albums and show you of the marvelous places I stayed in India.
My mom's coworker is from India and everytime they go all of her family (except her of course) gets sick. I am prone to stomach problems and I can't even imagine what a place like that would do to my guts. I don't think it would be worth it.
The first time I went, I couldn't stand it either. I love it today, but have a hard time eating it for a week (or more) straight.
Any of the major cities have McDonald's, Subway, Pizza Hut, KFC, and more of our chains in abundance. In addition, every major city has a plethora of non-Indian restaurants. My favorite place in Chennai for a quick bite to eat was an Italian style pasta bar that had a variety of pastas, toppings and sauces. The best part? a filling meal was like $5. I also ate French, Portuguese and American food over there.
Chennai is where I spent most of my time in India. It's a cool city in a beautiful location. The beaches just outside the city are fantastic (inside the city, I found them to be a little dirty) and Pondicherry, about 2 hours South is a great little city with a French influence.
My father actually did something similar. He never went as far as Thailand or Cambodia, but he did it along the coast near Chennai. He bought a vintage looking Royal Enfield and drove it for a while there (just recreationally). He had it shipped over to Boston and it STILL cost less than buying a bike over here. It's a great idea.
Sorry i have to disagree with this one. India does not have everything you have in America, not by a long shot. If you are in the Big 3- Delhi, Mumbai & Bangalore, yes they have some American chains, and they're not really very widespread, like in say East Asia.
Try a random big city like i don't know, Mysore. Good luck even finding a Mcdonalds, and they don't have burgers or Big Mac's, unless you count the Indian spiced Chicken Maharaja Mac.
My mom's coworker is from India and everytime they go all of her family (except her of course) gets sick. I am prone to stomach problems and I can't even imagine what a place like that would do to my guts. I don't think it would be worth it.
It's actually not that bad, IF you take the right preparations or medicines. I even drank the water they gave me in restaurants toward the end of my trip with no issues. Sanitation in India is getter better & better. I was only really sick once.
Sorry i have to disagree with this one. India does not have everything you have in America, not by a long shot. If you are in the Big 3- Delhi, Mumbai & Bangalore, yes they have some American chains, and they're not really very widespread, like in say East Asia.
Try a random big city like i don't know, Mysore. Good luck even finding a Mcdonalds, and they don't have burgers or Big Mac's, unless you count the Indian spiced Chicken Maharaja Mac.
If I'm traveling ... whether to India or Thailand or Peru or Greece or France or Argentina ... why would I want to eat at McDonalds or Burger King?????
Seriously!
Partaking in the cuisine of the country is part of the trip for me! Have I had ever gone to McDonalds in India - yes, a couple of times, because it was quick and convenient and I had to catch a tour or something - but not for dinner!
I go crazy when I have out of town visitors here in Philadelphia (which is one of the very best restaurant cities in the US, by the way, ranking close to NYC, Chicago, and LA) and they want to have dinner at Appleby's or Olive Garden!!! Sheesh. They're even afraid to try a real Philly cheesesteak sandwich.
Incidentally the hotel I stayed in Mysore - The Hotel Siddhartha - had a famous and excellent vegetarian restaurant off the lobby.
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