experiences of india

grumpy 'ol man

hey all,

i have booked flights to india, i'm going for two months,starting july. much to my dissappointment/annoynce, everybody seems to only have horror storys to tell about india....now, while i know a couple of points of view are hardly representative of a country such as india, i'd nevertheless be interested in Irish peoples experiences of India-good and bad..........tbh i suppose i'm slightly apprehensive, particularly of begging, scams,other hassles etc. Perhaps it's a good thing to be slightly wary, this served me well in thailand, keeping sticky situations to a minimum...and i suppose it's all part and parcel of the experience of travelling to such places....ok so before i get too rhetorical, any advice/experiences would be much appreciated..........cheers.

esskay

I have passed through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and India in the last 7 months. Unfortunately, India is the only one I would not consider visiting again. We did have a good time in some places (especially Goa and in the foothills of the Himalayas) but more often than not I was just pissed off and by the end of my time there I was dying to get on the plane. Are you travelling alone? Are you female? My wife found the pervasive staring of the men a bit hard to handle. She was fully clothed, arms and legs covered, and still got stared at 24/7, some men even making rude comments. On the beaches especially, they have the lovely habit of taking pics of white females on their phones. The scams are easily spotted, most people who approach you will be trying to get you to part with some cash. Sorry to be so negative but that is the impression I left with. Still, in Oz now and the india experience makes the rest of my holiday seem like paradise

PunyHuman

Ooh, ooh, I have to put in my two cents here (again). I spent two months in India last year and loved it. I can't wait to go back in the autumn.

Took me a while - two weeks or so - to get used to the slums and filth and traffic and beggars, etc, but after that I loved it. It's not a particularly easy place to travel in, but I found it infinitely rewarding once you get into the swing of things.

A lot will depend on where you're going. Goa is hassle-central, I believe, but I didn't go there. It's also likely to be very hot and/or very wet in July/August. Slightly cooler in the north, maybe.

Touts can usually be deflected with a smile and insistent 'no, thank yous.' It's up to you whether or not you give to beggars; I only gave a few rupees to those who clearly needed it more than others, i.e. amputees and lepers. And the kids usually just want to ask you a hundred questions and get you to take their picture. Many Indian folks who approach you will just want to talk.

I'd recommend taking a relaxed attitude to money and not being overly concerned about being 'ripped off' - what do a couple of euros matter to you? That said, all prices quoted will be at least two times and sometimes a much higher multiple of the Indian price. A good indicator is that a 10-15min auto-/cycle-rickshaw ride might be around Rs20 and a main course in a midrange restaurant should be around Rs70. At least, they were last year - never figured out what Indians would pay, but those prices seemed fine to me.

Practical recommendations : Bring expensive sturdy comfortable sandals from home. Carry plenty of small notes as big ones are impossible to change. Don't eat meat, and eat the best vegetarian food - and likely the best food overall - that you've ever eaten in your life.

Check here for some more tips.

Enjoy!

jhegarty

some tips...

don't buy street food...don't drink the water...(expect sealed bottled water of course)...

don't worry about everyone sounding their horns as they drive , its a good thing over there...... but do close you eyes if you ever get a taxi !!!

don't drink the water....

when you walk past shops people will try and drag you in...

don't drink the water...

and watch this video... http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054930400

and did i mention about the water ?

grumpy 'ol man

thanks for the comments, some good tips there....not sure if i feel a whole lot better though(!)....i'm male, but i am traveling with some female friends also, i wonder how they'll fare with this pervy business.......regardless we're going so no use in getting overly apprehensive....any places/destinations where people had a particularly good time/experience? names of such places will suffice if you dont feel like providing me with a travelogue, although by all accounts fire away! i value irish opinions for the unflaining realism! thanks for the advice, much appreciated.......

Litcagral

I spent eight weeks back packing around India in 1995 and I loved it. It probably has changed a lot since then. I would love to return again but have too many priorities at the moment. It takes a few days to get used to it. The first thing you will want to do when you land is get the next plane out but give it a few days.

The people tend to be friendlier in the south although some of the men can invade you personal space . New Delhi can be quite intimidating but Calcutta is very friendly. It takes a while to get used to being stared at where ever you go.

As other posters have said, the traffic is mental and each taxi/rickshaw journey is a white knuckle affair. You have to haggle the fare as it is increased several times for a westener although it's still very inexpensive. It is also usually necessary to fight with the taxi driver to get where you want to go. They will want to bring you to their brothers/cousins hotel/shop etc.Trains are very comfortable and ideal for long journeys. You can book your seat in advance on many of the top trains. We were on the Calcutta to Madras express for three days due to delays but it was facinating. Buses are extremly cheap (less than the equivelant of 1p in 1995) but very chaotic.

Many of the moderate hotels do not have windows so they can feel claustrophobic (and a potential fire hazard). Food can be difficult. I lost 2 stones in the time I was there. You'll never feel constipated!

The sacred Ganges river (where people bathe) is absolutely filthy with dead animals etc. floating in it. I found the Taj Mahal a bit disappointing-very overated. The main train station in Calcutta is much more interesting.

It's an unforgettable experience. Hope you enjoy it.

tazdustdevil

Hey, I am going to South India on Monday next for nearly three weeks with a friend. She is planning to stay for 3 months and is well used to travelling/ handling situations on her own. I am looking forward to it. Quite a few people and guide books etc have mentioned that you want to leave when you get there and it takes a few days to adjust- Im not looking forward to that bit.

We land in Chennai, stay two nights, then travel south. We are going to follow some of the advice in guide books, some advice from indian people living in ireland that my friend knows and after that see what takes our fancy. We will be spending my last few days in Goa and a week or so travelling around Kerala state (as that is meant to be a stunning area) before that. Before that we will pick destinations in south india as we go along. We plan to use the 2nd class trains alot. I fly back from Goa to Chennai via Mumbai on the 2nd last day of my trip. My friend plans to keep travelling north etc. Will let you know on return how it went and where we were etc

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Op - you do realise you're goign in the middle of the monsoon....? Beyond that, it does take a bit of getting used to.

I would add one thing: do not talk to street or beach sellers. Nothing to do with them being iffy, but if you show the slightest bit of interest you'll be plauged by them. Best to be firm from the start.

grumpy 'ol man

thanks for the advice litcagral; Taz, i'll be very interested to hear how you got on, here's hoping you have a good time!

so i'm feeling a little calmer,less apprehensive now and at any rate, at least now i have a good idea what i'm in for.......if nothing else, it's going to be an experience...thanks again.

aidan01

good luck mate
im going to india in 2 weeks
im really looking foreward to it
look after yourself over there
cheers

RasTa

I did the hole around the world thing two years ago. USA, NZ, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Aus and ended up in India. Without a doubt the best place I have ever being, Everywere else was cool but India had that certain edge and realness to it that I loved.
I did Mumbai, Varanassi(my fav) Agra, Jodhpur and Dehli. Dont mind what anyone says, they are just not made for travel if they complain about India and prefer Thailand. What I will say is dont expect your home comforts and i got a nasty bit of food posioning but that didnt damper the holiday(only my underpants) and am plaining to go back again next year.
The best place in the world! Well the realest I have ever being to, compared with SE Asia which is turning into Costa del sol atm(although I did have good times in Thailand)

tazdustdevil

:cool: just getting my shades ready.Will do grumpy ol' man. Cant wait now, its just a case of wishing time away until I get there late Monday night!!!!

grumpy 'ol man

cheers rasta, thanks for the advice! for some reason i'm more inclined to feel better about this trip everytime i get some good feedback.....wishful thinking-i think not!

safe trip aidan, good times to you,my friend! keep us posted if at all possible!

bon voyage taz!

aidan01

thanks
im very excited now
3 june 06
the big day
ill log onto the site whenever im in a city, there are bound to be net cafes there
any othe tips any one cares to leave here ill very much appreciate
i have the rough guide and lonely planet guides
its certainly going to be an adventure
wishe me luck
cheers
a

jhegarty

aidan01 wrote:

there are bound to be net cafes there

there will be , and as poor a country as it is you will have better 3g coverage than here....

Gaz

I spent 3 months travelling around India last year and loved it , its hard travel but sure thats half the fun.
I flew into Mumbai then travelled over land to Delhi > Agra > Varanassi > Derjeeling > Calcutta > Chennai > Bangalore > Kerala > Goa > Mumbai.

If you want it easy or to finish off with a little "holiday" goto Goa, its very like the thai island, huts and stuff but its not the real India.
My favourite was up north in Darjeeling, its cooler, the people are nicer and the view is amazing, from there i trekked into Nepal , its amazing to get up at sunrise and check out Everest... dont miss it.

Other places in India like Delhi or Varanassi can be a hell of a shock if your not used to travelling in these types of places (seeing dogs fight over a dead baby will haunt me for ever), just take it slow and use common sense , regarding the girls your travelling with, I was with my girlfriend and she had no problems, you will get stared at and the odd comment but nothing more, if they do get touchy feely just scream at them and they will leave very embarrased.

And expect to get sick, i lost 1.5 stone , its unaviodable.

Wonderful country ... will definitely go back someday !! have a great time

pclancy

Interesting thread, indias on my list of places i must see. To those that have been is it hard communicate with people? what do they think of irish people?

jhegarty

pclancy wrote:

Interesting thread, indias on my list of places i must see. To those that have been is it hard communicate with people? what do they think of irish people?

everyone speaks perfect english (with a strong acent, but you will have no trouble after a few hours... )....

no problems with been irish... I don't think it even came up in converation with the locals more than once....

aidan01

i wonder how taz is getting on

aidan01

i go on saturday
im so excited
lol

comet

RasTa wrote:

I did the hole around the world thing two years ago. USA, NZ, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Aus and ended up in India.

Is this some new kind of trip? I've heard people say "it's a hole of a place" so your trip was visiting "The Biggest Holes of the World?

tazdustdevil

Hey india lovers
I will never forget this trip. Have been in Chennai, Mamallapuram, Kaniyakumari, Kollam, Kottayam, Kochi and now Palolem. Will post a more detailed message on my return grumpy ol man. You will love it. Took a few days to get used to at first. Now i have 3.5 days left and wish I could stay another 3-4 weeks. No major sicknesses that a few immodium tablets didnt solve. monsoon ruined our wildlife trip in Periyar Sanctuary, Kerala- well actually it was the leeches that ruined it. We also had an ole elephant ride, an ayurvhedic massage and went to see Katakhali dance in Periyar so those activities made up for the rain.

Now in Palolem a resort in SOuth Goa mainly designated to backpackers. Monsoon raining on and off with some cool electrical storms but its still about 28-30 degrees celsius all the time and there are good long breaks for sunbathing.

All your posts are so realistic everyone. I wont be going to North INdia though. Catcha later

grumpy 'ol man

great to hear you had some good times taz! so all bodes well for me? sorry i havent been around to reply sooner- family and work commitments etc etc. so give us the complete low down taz.....warts and all! wonder how aidans getting along?

tazdustdevil

Well Grumpy Ole Man!!
You have the rest of the summer to get excited as this is a great trip.
Now I havent done any other exotic holidays so I dont claim to be an uber backpacker like many of the 'westerners' on the travel circuit and I dont believe in haggling poor indian locals to death for a few euro either.

We lived it up. I spent 450 euro in 2 weeks 4 days on food, accommodation, liquour, pressies, duty free and sightseeing. You would probably spend that in 2-3 days in europe, not that I have it!!!! Some of the accommodation was very basic and took getting used to and we did 2 overnight sleeper trains as well.

If you are going to South India, Kerala and Goa were the easiest to get used to, the cleanest, the friendliest and the most european like. However all the other places we went were well worth the visit. Kaniyakumari was an inspiring place, even more so because of the sense you had of the tsunami there.

People everywhere were so friendly. We, as females did get a few looks and stares when we went into all male bars before Goa but it was never in any way nasty, although a little tiring to be stared at so much.

Unfortunately I came down with suspected Dengue fever and have been sick for the past week. I had 4 flights home (bad planning)= Goa- Mumbai; Mumbai- Chennai; Chennai- Frankfurt; and finally Frankfurt to Dublin (by which time I thought I was in the afterlife!!! Possibly Dengue Fever was from a mosquito bite about 5 days before my return. It was a terrible dose but I am much better today and yesterday after a week recuperating. Although the journey home was horrendous, the dengue didnt take away from the holiday at all. I only wish I could have stayed longer. :cool:

nodisco

Hey

India certainly is......different. I really enjoyed it - I wasn't there for a long time but really enjoyed it. A lot of people I know who have travelled there say the same thing - the longer you stay in India, the more you will enjoy it. A lot of people who go there for 2-3 weeks find it difficult and very intense. After a while, you get used to the bad things and really enjoy the good things. The biggest plus about India is its diversity - its one of the only countries I have ever been to that has such amazing contrasts in terms of geography, lifestyles etc but it seems wherever you go, the people are all the same. I would advise you to see Ladahk, Kerala and if you are in the region go to Ranthambore national park - one of the best places in the world to see a Bengal tiger in the wild. Don't stress about negative comments about the place - different strokes and all that.........
Have a great time