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India certainly is beautiful, but I'm put off by the heat, the squalor, the wretchedness , the abysmal poverty, the beggars, the foul odors, the risk of dysentery.. I just wouldn't enjoy seeing garbage strewn all over the place and overflowing sewers. Maybe I'm not spiritual enough not to be able to overlook that.
I'll be working on my tolerance level, promise, but I may not succeed in this life.
Having visited, I can tell you that not all of India is like that. The best way to go is have Amex Concierge set up a personal guided tour, and do everything first class. They make sure you see the beauty while not having to deal with all the crap.
Where can you stay in the Maldives for $200 per night (for two, private bungalow): HUDHURANFUSHI / LOHIFUSHI ISLAND RESORT
Google it. Your best be is to look for surf package tours and then get the "nonsurfer" deal. That's how I got ours for $150 per night. This was 2009, so prices may have gone up some. I forget the name of the surf tour company I booked through. I think they were based in Australia.
Be warned, Lohi's is one of the most cheap and laid-back (read: lazy) resorts in the Maldives. I wouldn't go there if you are shelling out thousands to fly from the UK or something, but if you just want a cheap getaway (you'll need it after India if you're backpacking) and are paying $150 or so to fly from Bangalore, I couldn't find a better deal.
You get an AC beachside bungalow, free meals (okay, repetetive), free beer (cheap but hey, it's free!), and that's it. Bring some books, and your surf/bodyboard. The surf is great (you don't have to pay to surf out front, but boats to other breaks/islands are expensive) but it gets repetitive, the one snorkeling spot off the jetty is pretty good too. But it's a tiny island. Be prepared to entertain yourself somehow. Oh, and get fat if you're a nonsurfer, because you eat 3 full meals a day and then spend the rest of it floating around in the knee-deep lagoon, or barside pool.
The bungalows look nice, but the details are a bit grotty, the AC breaks down often, and the staff are pretty "relaxed" about catering to the guest's needs. Just keep calling and eventually somebody will show up after a few hours... or days. The toilets and showers are outside, which would be cute if it wasn't for the gigantic bugs. Again, no big deal if you're used to India hostels. Pretty darn relaxing, in fact. The water and sky are incredible to experience if the weather is good.
India certainly is beautiful, but I'm put off by the heat, the squalor, the wretchedness , the abysmal poverty, the beggars, the foul odors, the risk of dysentery.. I just wouldn't enjoy seeing garbage strewn all over the place and overflowing sewers. Maybe I'm not spiritual enough not to be able to overlook that.
I'll be working on my tolerance level, promise, but I may not succeed in this life.
I've read that Kerala is not like that.
India is an large country with an incredibly large population (about one-sixth of the entire world!), so it's bound to be diverse. It seems like the most popular destinations in India (other than Goa and Kerala) are Mumbai and Delhi (for obvious reasons), and then Agra, Jaipur, Pushkar, Hampi, and Varanasi. These only represent a small chunk of the country.
India is an large country with an incredibly large population (about one-sixth of the entire world!), so it's bound to be diverse. It seems like the most popular destinations in India (other than Goa and Kerala) are Mumbai and Delhi (for obvious reasons), and then Agra, Jaipur, Pushkar, Hampi, and Varanasi. These only represent a small chunk of the country.
If a person is flying into New Delhi, one itinerary I would definitely recommend is heading north to see The Himalayas. Stop off at Chandigarh (India's most modern, clean, and affluent city ... it has a gorgeous rose garden and also a weird mystical "rock garden" full of grottoes and sculptures; then on to the "hill station" or mountaintop town of Shimla - it is charming, walkable and has a fantastic number of shops, restaurants, cafes, and other establishments; then continue on to the green and lovely Kulu Valley which is full of fruit tree groves and the local cottage industry is making scarves and shawls ... and then finally to Manali which is surrounded by snow-capped Himalayan mountains, there is a wonderful Tibetan Market and Tibetan Buddhist Temples, and being an admittedly touristy place there are great and very diverse restaurants, night clubs, beer gardens, coffee shops, internet cafes, etc. Along the way you may also want to see the Hindu holy cities of Haridwar and Reshikesh.
i have been to india last yr, aug...india is just incredible, at one extreme there is poverty while on the other there is richess! you must also get prepared to see things which u could not have imagine, people sleeping on the streets, people taking bath outside, children begging money and coming after u...etc, but a part from that india is just a fabulous place with cultural diversity, different ways of living and different styles of dressing!
Rajasthan is very interesting to visit, the land of kings and palaces, visit udaipur, jaipur, jasailmer etc...visit the palaces and enjoy shopping for crafts and leather products.
delhi is very nice for shopping, karol bagh, the street bazaar is very famous and dont forget to bargain for prices, palika bazaar is also ok.
visit taj mal, the red fort, kutum minar etc...
also i highly recommend u to search on the internet about the places to visit, wuld be of great help
wow!!! I have just come back and..India is incredible.....
It's another "world".
thanks for your help for all info!
ciao
This has just been shown on BBC in the UK. Interesting insight for anyone else thinking of going to India. Part 2 not shown yet but I'll post the link after it is if anyone is interested.
Hello everyone!
first of all, thanks to you for all your answers!
great!
Now, I'm very curious to see INDIA!
for this reason, I ask you yopur help to create a good itinerary!
We are a "young " couple!
I love a mondern city but I would like to see te real India.
I don't like a tour operator ; I prefer to create my trip self service
what is the best way to move from the different part? Train, car, flight...
Then, I would like to do a stop in Sri Lanka.
I have 3 weeks at disposal.
Thanks for your help!!!!
have a great day
Laura
Hey Laura I grew up in India in the mountains in Kashmir but been living in US for some time. It's beautiful there Though it was in turmoil for some time but for past few years things have improved a lot. Lots of foreigners go on trek from Kashmir to ladakh in the summer.
Here are some pictures of Kashmir that have been posted in Kashmir Forum This is kashmir - India Travel Forum | IndiaMike.com
Regarding India being dirty and unhealthy that's like 90% of the entire world
Even parts of NYC and DC are as dirty as India
This has just been shown on BBC in the UK. Interesting insight for anyone else thinking of going to India. Part 2 not shown yet but I'll post the link after it is if anyone is interested.
The Palace on wheels is a luxury train and cost around $500 per day and you are treated like a King on the plane
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" couple!
