Hi,
I'm visiting India for 6 days in August.
flying into Delhi.
Would love to hear tips and tricks, itinerary etc
Visiting India First Time
Jason Black on 13/07/2024 - 07:17
Last edited 13/07/2024 - 07:18
Last edited 13/07/2024 - 07:18
Comments
Good to know
Real-life experience from the ozbargain experts are unmatched
I went to India (Mumbai) for work in 2019. I was allowed to go from the hotel, to the office. That’s it.
Try the food
Save on accommodation costs by hooking up every night using the app Tindia.
🤔
Try and pay for things in Indian Rupees some shops don't accept Australian dollars.
Imodium
Gastro Stoplol this is bad Ozbargain advice. It’s much, much cheaper there
Convenience is worth the premium…. don't run the risk of mislabeled blue pills either..
Plugits!
It will be hot and humid there (the opposite season to us) in August.
Travel light as clothes and general items are cheaper there (not as cheap as in Bali)
Avoid street food and anything that is not purified water (including items made from ice - slushies) - stick to big chains or restaurants
Food is the best, Surprisingly, I've tasted better Italian, Japanese and Chinese food in India than here in Melbourne.
Indian sim cards are cheap (e.g., $5/month with 2 GB data every day)
Plenty for sightseeing, if you are into historical monuments.Though most Indians are hospitable as Word of Caution, stay away from "unlicensed" guides or sales men/women, they will follow you for eternity.. mostly are con artists.
Yep be very wary of anyone who approaches you to help with ticket bookings, travel guides etc.
Scammers are common
Why would it be surprising food might be better in India than Melbourne.
Melbourne overrates its food experience the time.
India is a love or hate place. Never known anyone who was indifferent to it
Been many times throughout India and love it.
6 days is also a short time - everything in India takes time, especially commuting around it. That being said, the parts outside the major cities are the bits of India I find most interesting.
Delhi though, that’s a sh.t hole. I hate the place with a passion. Nice sights but the people really irritate me. Weirdly I only have this in Delhi. 2 nights, see what appeals to you (because there’s a lot to see in Delhi) then leave.
Sadly your trip is too short to go Leh, that is stunning! Chandigarh as well. For 6 days I’d just stick to the golden triangle. I wouldn’t even say head south because you don’t have enough time.
You need one night in Agra. I’d see the Taj in the afternoon (the morning is smoggy) and red fort in the morning. Better yet get there early enough (like midday) go to both in the one day. You don’t need longer than this in Agra - there’s nothing else there worth seeing in such a short time.depending on your route in/out stop into fatephur sikri. I’d do red fort and the Taj in the arvo, spend the night and go to Fatephur sikri on the way out of Agra.
Rajastan is also nice, 2 nights on your trip in Jaipur would be enough. Stepwell in Jaipur is really nice and doesn’t come up on too many ‘must sees’ in rajastan.
Excellent advice!
As for food - ease into it. People who get sick in India think they’ve eaten dodgy food but the reality is they’ve gone too hard too quickly and the spice set kills them (not chili but just spice intensity of the cuisine). For the most part the crap you get in Australia as Indian food is nothing like the food you get there.
If you want to be cautious on one thing it’s the chicken.
My tip is find places that are really busy because the food you get is fresh, ease into the food, vego is best, avoid chicken (slow cooked meat curries, are best if you want meat - on that topic try a lal Maas in rajastan)
Take an umbrella just in case it rains.
be sure to say hello to my old friend, Mr Dehli Belly
Be nice to the cows
Sorry to hear
I was in Southern India for 5 weeks in Feb 2020.
I found the food to be excellent if you stuck with the vegetarian options. My partner doesn't like hot food but was quite OK with the local spice level.The Kulfi (icecream) is cheap and tasty.
We did a "street food" tour and a early morning cycling tour in Mumbai and both were great fun and well worth the money.
We had huge problems with transport from town-to-town. We did fly and take trains but sometimes these weren't convenient so we used long distance "taxis". These were terrible (both cars and drivers) and expensive (in relative terms). For road transport, call your destination accommodation and get them to organise transport. It isn't expensive and the car & driver have been vetted. Ditto local transport. Get your accommodation to supply "their guy".
Count on any journey taking 3-4 times longer than google maps says.If a vendor, ear cleaner, bracelet seller, beggar starts harassing you then be polite but cut the interaction off quickly, forcefully and loudly. Generally a kind local will come to your aid if they persist and give them a gob full.
Remember the exchange rate and don't argue over 10c.
India was never a place I wanted to visit but I loved it and would go back again.
India not for me.
Be extra careful and streetwise if you travel with a young female companion.
If you get to Mumbai be sure to take a guided tour of Dharavi. It's one of our most savoured travel memories of anywhere in the world. Amazing people and an amazing place.
Please don't do this. Slum tourism might seem nice on a superficial level but it is exploitative.
Agreed, but there are definitely pros and cons.
OP. Please read peer reviewed research in to the topic before making an informed decision. We specifically selected a guided tour after researching this.
😥
I went to India with my ex-gf and she said guys were constantly groping her in the crowds. They are quite rapey over there so women need to be careful.
No drinks with ice. Only eat cooked food and when they say it’s mild it’s freaken spicy.
I visited India for 9 days and found it to be a fascinating destination, but also a deeply frustrating one.
Getting the bad out first: Beware of touts and people who try to divert you from your destination. No, there is no special festival on today. No, your train/plane hasn't been cancelled. Be prepared to say no. A lot. Some people will not take no for an answer and keep harassing you. You are basically a wallet on legs and they want a piece. Every taxi you'll get into has a broken meter. Just accept the charge, it'll be cheap anyway.
I don't know what it's like now, but when I visited the foreigners only train ticket office in Delhi they would only take Euros, Pounds, and US dollars. You could not pay with rupees, and no card either. Lining up for a ticket with everyone else is a 'cultural experience' in the scrum. I suggest bringing some USD with you for emergencies.
Power goes off regularly, so be prepared for that. In my hotel I refused to use the elevator as there were several blackouts per day. Be specific with your requests. If you ask for a beer you've got a good chance of it being delivered warm.
Learn to love car horns. You'll be hearing them 24/7.
Now the good: No problems with the food. It was all delicious. Usual rules apply. Go to a place serving lots of people, especially if they're locals. Bottled water only, of course, and chances are you'll be drinking a LOT.
The sites are fantastic. Yes, there's the famous Taj etc, but be sure to go to Varanasi and see its ghats. Real eye opening experience there. I didn't do much shopping despite India probably being the world center for gems. I can't tell the difference between a sapphire and piece of glass, so opted out.
A weird rule that India has is it's illegal for a non resident to take rupees out of the country. No one checks, but try not to have a large amount of cash on exit. Even residents are allowed only 25,000 (AUD446).
I remember trying to pay for my drink on Air India with rupees. They looked at me like I was crazy - "We don't accept that shit!"
Tip 1: DON'T
Don't buy cooked samosas through a train window at a station unless you want to get food poisoning and have diarrhea and vomiting for 3-4 days.
Best advise, jump back on the plane and fly anywhere else! Or if u can cancel the trip altogether… you won’t miss out on much!
Hi OP - You need to be giving more info.
- When you booked this trip to India, was there a place you had in mind to visit? Taj Mahal? Jaipur? Himalayas? Backwaters?
- What is your travel party? Adults, Kids, Babies?
- What is your budget and luxury level preference?This is considered off-season for the golden quadrilateral, even the most luxurious properties would go even 50% of their on-season price.
If I were a family or a couple going for 6 nights just for the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Jaipur & Agra), I wouldn't go beyond Oberoi Hotels, they are often rated as some of the world's best. They should be less expensive at this time.
India is total chaos. Just go with the flow. If you have ever been to, say, Vietnam then multiply that by 10. Or 20.
There are people everywhere
Just say no. Don’t engage, don’t feel like you are being rude. Wear sunnies and say no or shake your head and keep moving.
Get someone else to organise long distance transport for you
Tours - day tours or multi day tours - are worth it. Otherwise you spend hours trying to get places. Or hire a driver for a day or two. Don’t try to be too independent, you will never figure the system out.
As others have said, you will love it or you will hate it.
Street food are awesome there. Great taste of local culture.
You need to watch some Youtubers travelling through India.
I recommend Harald Baldr.
It's bonkers.
You need to prepare for lots of people staring at you, lots of head bobbling, lots of pests following you, scammers at the air port at night, and foot fungus in your food, cows on the street.
Good luck.
By holding an ordinary pencil down by the rubber end and shaking it at just the right speed, it appears to become made of bendable rubber instead of wood.