Hello fellow travellers. I want to travel to India in around March dates flexible and want to go to Jaipur and Goa, What I need help with is what is the best airport to fly into , should I fly out the same or fly in one and out another.? What is the best I'm an Oz bargainer so cheapest is also a big factor ,and does anyone know what airlines if o any have sales to India and when? i know I'm asking a lot but if there is a stop over involved is it possible to make it worthwhile by extending it by 24 / 36 hour .I know I'm wishing for the moon but any help or advice will be most helpful as this is my first trip to India .
India First Time
Llesleigh02 on 03/11/2017 - 09:26
Comments
or, just drink only branded bottled (sealed) water.
even when i go to tropical countries just the change of diet means my body can't react.
And, not "or". Also OP, stick to hotel food.
What about Steripen?
I thinking of buying one for travel, if it performs…
What is your definition of best?
How long you going for?Can't help with your questions but have a great time! India is top of my list to visit!
Are you male ?
If female, don't go there please.
but why ?
Not safe. But if you go in groups and can restrict outdoor activities only to day time you can reduce the risk.
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/hindi/en/article/2017/10/…
Don't know why i got neg.
If you follow the news, you will see articles of tourists got assaulted / raped in India every now and then.
Just pure statistics. No hard feelings.
Get groped, raped or worse.
March will be Summer in India with peak around May. Average temperate will be around 35+ C. And with the humidity it will feel like 40C. Factor this in. With this temperature, traffic and population you can't do much in a day except to stay indoor. There are plenty of stop over options but will be more than one stop over except Air-India which has direct flight to Delhi from Mel/Syd. You can get cheaper flights from private booking agents. Shop around. But it will be non-refundable etc. I am from South India FYI.
Flying to Jaipur as the first destination, you are better off flying to Delhi and travel by road to Jaipur. Take a flight from Jaipur to Goa in next leg of the journey.
Another option is, use Flyscoot that flies direct to Jaipur (i know its available from Melbourne).
Return from Goa, you can go to Bengaluru or reach Mumbai (equal distance from Goa) and take the flight back. Flyscoot is available from Bangalore and so is Air Asia.
March is the start of summer in India and gets very hot in Jaipur and Goa.
Male or Female, it's fine.
buy a sim card and down load the uber app (or similar "rideshare" app).
when I was in India in March having Uber was awesome.
my friend organised a tuk tuk to a market from my apartment and it cost $3. returning to my apartment I asked several tuk tuk drivers how much and their prices varied from $8 to $15 - exact same route but in reverse.
not a huge amount but the principle.
uber.
It will be very hot and humid. Prepare to be seen as a walking wallet on legs, as people hassle you for money. I didn't have any problems in India regarding food, but consider buying and using Travelan while there. Scammers are common, especially around train stations. Beware of anyone who wants to see your ticket or tells you your train/bus/whatever is running late.
Plan on not going to the toilet all day. You won't find public toilets, and those you do… well, they 'build character' to use. It's usually not a problem anyway, as you tend to drink a lot but sweat it all out.
Having said all that, Jaipur is a very interesting destination and well worth seeing. I haven't been to Goa.
If you are first time traveller, and female then at least take a tour
something like this https://www.flightcentre.com.au/tours/india/golden-triangle/…Thank you all for your replies ,I have done a fair amount of travel in SE Asia so toilets bottled water I know about ,never had trouble with food except for the one time I did eat in a hotel.Come from QLD so heat is normal , but it might be nice not to be steamed everyday. Cheap fares I mean as low as possible so I guess its low season sales are rare for other times? Special thanks to deepudips and apsar .I am female but have reached the age of invisibility ,I wont use uber on principle ( do not like the company and most taxi drivers have to pay taxes and licence fees),and boomramada done one tour in my life and that was enough. Once again thank you for all your helpful comments
I'm also from Qld, and the heat of a Rajasthani summer is a whole different kettle of fish. I've not stayed there any later than March because of it. Not to mention that once the rains start, India becomes a hive of diseases that can be very dangerous to foreigners.
Also the water situation in India is different to SE Asia. You really need to make sure that EVERY bottle you buy is brand new and sealed (no matter where you get it). Food cleanliness standards are also very different too: pay very close attention to how your food is being prepared and served. Most foreigners are advised to only eat hot cooked food.
I'm assuming that by "age of invisibility" you mean that you are more mature than the average backpacker - however, in India, that means that you will be hassled in the streets a LOT more. When the locals see an older western woman, all they can see is $$$.
Regarding cheap flights to North India - they are very rare, and I'm always on the lookout! Use google flights or similar, and you'll see that sometimes the best airlines also have the best prices. Scoot may be another option, as they fly direct to Jaipur (with a stop in Singapore).
And it's great that you won't use Uber on principle; but remember that in India, things are different. Chances are, even if you get into a "authorised" taxi, the licensing and taxes behind it aren't as straight forward as here (and chances are they being avoided all together). For a woman especially; Uber (and similar services) offer a level of safety.
But book your trip and make it happen soon; but do keep your safety as top priority over budget! India is a great place, and I love Jaipur (have returned many times). PM me if you want to know more or have any questions.
Thanks prawol, nice to hear from someone who is from QLD and has practical experience I will take on board everything you have said.
Not a problem, glad to help. I don't have any experience in Goa, but I am very familiar with Rajasthan and a few northern states.
Re-reading my comment earlier, I realise it comes off as a little negative: that wasn't my intention. India can be a difficult place to travel, but it is totally worth it. It is seriously one of the most beautiful places to visit.
Indians dont care what you look like, they will mob and grope all females anyway even if its a grandmother.
Honestly its terrible and unlike any other country in asia that i have travelled to so be very very careful. Strongly suggest you use a group tour for your own safety.
Been travelling in few countries in Asia and in India, two different world, one understand the word 'NO' and other doesn't. Group tours are way to go.
Jaipur and Goa not that bad due to tourism but Delhi is a different ball game.
hi lesleigh.
Try Rome2rio.
From Brisbane you can go straight to Jaipur via bangkok and stopover there.
Or cheaper you can go to Delhi and train to Jaipur
many combos, you have a look coz only you know what price options suit you.
Use Rome2rio as a guide, then hone in on airlines and setup alerts for when sales are on.Thanks crozza,never heard of Rome2rio will give them a try , my preferred option price is as low as i can get.
No uber in Goa, only the taxi mafia
Kev98, don't you find any joy in haggling over the price demanding they put the meter on then watching it go at faster than Bolt, all part of travel
Not much haggling there when it comes to taxis. Everything is pretty much fixed price. I agree haggling with rickshaw drivers is a good experience though
When I went in 2011, there was a new airport train from Delhi Airport to Delhi main train station (Central?)
From Delhi book the shatabdi express (aeroplane type fast train) to Agra.
There is an organised day tour to Taj Mahal and places of interest in Agra, it is done by the official railway company and start and end is timed to catch the Shatabdi.
If you're not doing a tour group, might be worth hiring a driver they can drive all the way from Delhi to Jaipur (youll have to pay return or a separate one per city, then train intercity. They get booked out months ahead, you can book online IRCTC or the third party operators like makemytrip.com) From memory the train and driver rates weren't too bad. I think my driver cost 1000 Rupees for a full day - Delhi hire and he brought us to all the spots and then dropped us off to the airport (I can -probably still find his number in my old phone if you need it, but this was back in 2011, I know he had a travel agency near Delhi metro and theres a few of them in there)With food - meat seems to be the main cause of problems during the summer time - they go stale really quickly with the heat. Stick to peelable fruits and cooked carbs. Bit boring not to indulge in Indian food in India but its a bit hard to get sick as well. Always bottled water, even for brushing your teeth. make sure you have all your travel vaccines, and plenty of probiotics before you go and during your trip
Easiest way to get a sim card is from the airport, otherwise you'll have to apply from local shops and these guys can choose to not sell you a sim card.
India is overwhelming for all your senses but it is a very beautiful place. Google scams in India as well so you know what you're avoiding. The Taj is probably the most beautiful place I have seen. They will let people in during the evening as well ( I think its every full moon? you can look that up and its closed I think mondays?)
Thank you therooftop, very helpful information.I really am looking forward to seeing the Taj Mahal.I have most vaccinations Thanks again up to date but would you think it is necessary to have rabies shot as well?
Re rabies, depends on what animal contact you're thinking.
There's also a Shatabdi express that goes from Delhi to Jaipur! The Shatabdi trains are awesome, and food is included.
A few random tips from my trip to India:
- I managed to get cheap flights return to India with Qantas and their partner airline Jet. AirAsia also does budget flights.
- Use Ola over there which is their version of Uber. Uber was also there but Ola got more hits. As such, get a local SIM, you need a photocopy of your ID to get a SIM card there, have this ready.
- Take a train to Jaipur
- Eat at restaurants and don't eat street food as tempting as it may be to avoid getting Delhi Belly
- Consider doing tours at the major attractions, e.g. Palace at Jaipur. The amount of information you get is by far beneficial to just walking around aimlessly. Extremely interesting with guides!!Thanks jchowx I booked with Qantas on the last day of their sale,and I will look into tours. did you book your tours on line here, or when you were in India ?
Take plenty of Imodium.