Advise for Trip to Delhi and Rajasthan

[zalb916]

My girlfriend and I will be traveling to India in mid-February. We have already hired a driver and have our basic itinerary, which includes Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jhunjhunu, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodphur, and Udaipur. We basically know where we will be each night and have a rough idea of the major things to do in each location.

However, I'm looking for any further advise on places to go, things to do, restaurants to eat at, or any other general advise about traveling in that region. Our time is fairly tight (two weeks) and our itinerary is already set, so I don't need any thoughts on where else I should be going. Our accommodations are taken care of as well, so I don't need hotel recommendations either. Anything else would be greatly appreciated.

 

[RJman]

In Agra definitely visit the Red Fort in addition to the Taj Mahal.

The strange but huge Bah'ai temple outside Delhi is interesting too.

Among other things in Delhi (I think) the resting places of the Mughal emperors is fascinating. Incredibly bloody history. The Gandhi memorial is touching. Nehru's/Indira Gandhi's house is interesting as well for the odd bits of memorabilia -- pictures of her with Saddam, etc. She was shot down by her own bodyguards in the garden of the house, which is now a museum.

I also like Cafe Coffee Day, the Indian version of chain coffeehouses.

If you get a chance to try South Indian food (plenty of restaurants specialize in it) try the Madras coffee. Strong and good.

 

[feynmix]

Originally Posted by RJman

In Agra definitely visit the Red Fort in addition to the Taj Mahal.

The strange but huge Bah'ai temple outside Delhi is interesting too.

Among other things in Delhi (I think) the resting places of the Mughal emperors is fascinating. Incredibly bloody history. The Gandhi memorial is touching. Nehru's/Indira Gandhi's house is interesting as well for the odd bits of memorabilia -- pictures of her with Saddam, etc. She was shot down by her own bodyguards in the garden of the house, which is now a museum.

I also like Cafe Coffee Day, the Indian version of chain coffeehouses.

If you get a chance to try South Indian food (plenty of restaurants specialize in it) try the Madras coffee. Strong and good.

In Delhi, Survana Bhavan has amazing South Indian food. For authentic Delhi chaats (a dish Delhi is known for, its made of yogurt, garbanzo beans and bunch of other things), try Nathu's.
Although I have never tried it, Kareem's is supposed to the best in terms of roadside biryanis and kebabs.

In Agra, watch out for the guides who will undoubtedly try and hire themselves to guide you and then charge you money for it. Get a guide to see the Taj, but make sure he is legit. There are two entrances to see the Taj: A VIP entrance with an entry fee of ~Rs. 600 (about 2 years ago), and the main entrance with an entry fee of ~ Rs. 20. If you don't mind paying that much more, you can take the VIP route and cut through the long lines.

I can ask my parents for restaurant recommendations around Rajasthan. Have fun!

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by feynmix

Although I have never tried it, Kareem's is supposed to the best in terms of roadside biryanis and kebabs.

!

yeah, karim's is great, but it is hardcore - you have to walk about 100 meters through old delhi to get there, if you aren't comfortable with masses or people crowding you, beggars and smell, give it a miss. if you do go, try this - ask one of the doormen from your hotel to come with you, give him 10 bucks or so just to keep you from getting crowded.

other places - dhaba at the claridge, bukhara and the kabab factory are all superior meat resteraunts. bukhara espectially is a special treat.

I like to hit the cottage crafts place by conoaght place, and the small stores near it - its a good option for buying the various gifts and stuff you will want to take home.

 

[Douglas]

As RJ said, don't miss Red Fort. I actually almost prefer it to the TM.

 

[zalb916]

I just returned from the trip. Thanks for the recommendations. We didn't have much time in Delhi, but we went to both Saravana Bhavan and Bukhara, as we wanted to try south Indian and also wanted a nice dining experience. Total opposite ends of the spectrum, but I really enjoyed both. Overall, the trip was excellent. I've traveled a great deal, and this was a very different and unique travel experience.

 

[singhstyle]

...nd youre not going to Punjab? You fu*ked up.

 

[feynmix]

Originally Posted by zbromer

I just returned from the trip. Thanks for the recommendations. We didn't have much time in Delhi, but we went to both Saravana Bhavan and Bukhara, as we wanted to try south Indian and also wanted a nice dining experience. Total opposite ends of the spectrum, but I really enjoyed both. Overall, the trip was excellent. I've traveled a great deal, and this was a very different and unique travel experience.

Excellent. Are you planning to post some pics from the trip? How did you like Rajasthan?

 

[zalb916]

Originally Posted by singhstyle

...nd youre not going to Punjab? You fu*ked up.

There's much more of India that I would have loved to have visited, but we only had two weeks. I hate rushing when I travel, so we tried to stay in just one area. I can't imagine how long it would take to do the country justice.

Originally Posted by feynmix

Excellent. Are you planning to post some pics from the trip? How did you like Rajasthan?

I'll throw a few pics up when I get everything off the camera at some point. Rajasthan was great. The food was generally very good. The history is interesting and something I knew pretty much nothing about. The sites were often spectacular. I've traveled fairly extensively, including to a decent number of third world countries. This was one of the more intense experiences, though. Not necessarily in a bad way, but just the sounds, smells, and number of people was often overwhelming.

 

[singhstyle]

That is true. That is by far my favorite place to visit in India other than Goa. Punjab has great food, great music, and the culture is so rich. When I think of euphoria, I think of Punjab. lol guess I just fell in love with the place when I visited it.

 

[Scrumhalf]

India is like Europe. It consists of multiple states and regions, each with its own unique culture and language and tied together with two things - common history and religion. Much like Europe, there's no way to get all of it in unless you have a month or two to spend travelling around the country.

Zbromer, if you go again next time, plan on visits to the South as well. The temple architecture and culture is completely different from the North and it is an extremely rich cultural experience.

 

[blackdarkeye]

i was in rajasthan for while, its a nice place, but south indias nice if you really want to see the culture of india.

lol Scrumhalf has point, India is only a country mainly due to the bristish, if it were not for the british, india would be composed for 20+ countries similar to europe.