Delhi Travel Forum

Hello there, I am planning a trip to India (Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra) and I have been reading all comments and reviews, but everyone seemed annoyed, disappointed, disgusted, frustrated, cheated, abused, and over all, dissatisfied, to say the least, about their India experience....

Has anyone actually liked this place? Did any one have a good time and can make recommendations? Does anyone has anything good to say or should I really change my travel plans and go some where else...?

Please email me: denissetag@hotmail.com

Delhi is excellent, and I think if you do a little more reading of VT members experiences of Delhi you will find a lot more positive comments and suggestions.

Peter is right - I can't really think where you have obtained such a negative impression. You haven't said where you are from but if from the "west" be prepared to come face to face with a very diiferent culture and environment .

Being a local resident, it is my duty to detail u about the pros and cons of the city.

Delhi, as known to you, is the National capital and thus is being taken care differently in all the aspects. U will we happy to hear that the city is presently having the most advanced Metro running if compareed at world level.

People are friendly to the maximum extent and know good quality of English to solve/guide u.

U will find lots of Ancient monuments itself in Delhi. Some are Qutab Minar, Red fort etc.

Accomodates all class of people i.e from 'The Poor' to 'The Rich'.Thereby provide flexibility to every class of people.

If u are interested in India food & Culture....u will love it..no doubt (get prepared for different taste with spices).Even if u want to stick to your type of food that is also available.

All types/budget hotels are available at your service.

Importantly, Taj Mahal (included in Seven wonders) which is in Agra is three hours by road. Lots of good trains are also commuting in between.

I feel these many points are sufficient to convience anyone. Experiences should be considered but First Impression should be avoided to make an image of a country/City.

U are most welcome for further queries.

U will wonder why I had written only pros.....wut abt cons....u had himself written that u had heard lots of cons that's why not mentioned here. Compare pros & cons and decide urself.

Keep Smiling
Vivek Dadu

You must have looked only at the "warnings" and "tourist traps" sections of people's travel pages. Have a look at the tips instead:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/India/Union_Territory_of_Delhi/Delhi-1099870/TravelGuide-Delhi.html
(also possibly under New Delhi).
Of course India can be annoying (especially the guys at the Taj Mahal who want to direct you where to take your photos from, and be paid wherever you decide to do it!), frustrating, exasperating, and so on but I still think that a) it is one of the most fantastic countries in the world, vastly worth any inconvenience you might encounter and b) if you decide where to travel based solely on other people's gripes, you could hardly go anywhere. Of course, if you can't stand any sort of problem on your travels, perhaps you should indeed go elsewhere, but then how will you ever know what you would have thought of India?!
Incidentally, asking people to e-mail you defeats the purpose of having a public forum, where other people can benefit from answers given to questions they might have had themselves.

Thank you everyone!

I have read pretty much the entire VirtualTourist site, and was left with the feeling that most people disliked India. I was very upset because ever since I was a child, I have been dreaming about visiting India.
I just got back from the book store and I am now armed with Lonely Planet, Footprint and a beautiful book of photography from India!

I am from the Dominican Republic, so beggars, poverty and the chaos in the streets of Third World Countries don't intimidate me, and I have been around (Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and almost most of South America), but I have never read so many warnings and negatives about a place...

Ah! Gaminari, I am new at VirtualTourist, so I just wanted to make sure a got a reply, that's why I also wrote my email address, no harm intended to other travelers and forum readers.

If anyone has personal recommendations on lodging, please send them in my direction, thank you all!

Turn Dreams into Reality............u r most welcome to my country....:-)

Keep Smiling
Vivek Dadu

Turn Dreams inot Reality........u r most welcome to Incredible India!!!

Keep Smiling
Vivek Dadu

India is not a neat, ordered experience.
India is TOO MUCH for some.
It is full of contradictions.
I hope you take the time to discover India for yourself.

Hi there
Just got back from doing this trip last week and have to say that India sometimes is a shock with all the dirt, pollution, begging and poverty!! Nevertheless, the sights are very interesting to visit, so I think it is a must do trip for any traveller. I came back with good and bad memories, but am glad that I did the trip!! I'm sure you'll find that you have many positive experiences while you are there.
Have a good trip!

Thank you Chizz!

I have the same feeling about my trips in Africa, but overall, my good memories outweigh the bad ones and so I hold Africa as a very dear place where I always want to return, I hope that is the case for you and India.

Denisse

Hi Ranger49,

I am actually from the Dominican Republic, a very pretty but rather poor island in the Caribbean, the island is divided into two countries: Dominican Republic and Republic of Haiti.

Hello and Thanks Denisse - I did see your post above about where you were from. I only made the comment about not knowing where you were from because your profile had not been completed so had no idea!

If you go ahead with your trip to India I hope you will have a wonderful time - I did and wish I had gone there when I was much younger and could go back again now.

Hi denise, I am in a similar position in that i am planning my trip to india too.
I have been before{kerala and goa} but this time i am arranging it independently.I intend visiting Delhi,Jaipur,Agra and Varanasi.I do have mixed feelings but the pull to do this trip is too great.
So go ahead, do all your reading and then read up on all the reviews for accomadation{trip advisor is good for this!}.
Just make sure that you have done your research[have a look at into- thin air`s travel pages on India,Rob is a real wealth of information!}
Have a great trip,oh! and when are you travelling?I will be there from the middle of march.
Good luck,Laney

Hi Laney6,

We will be there this coming December, we are planning mid-December to early-January, about 22-24 days.
I am very excited about the trip to India, but a bit worried too. We visited Brazil not too long ago and we had an attempt of arm robbery in Ipanema a very popular area of Rio de Janeiro. In our very first night there, two young guys with knives jump us and demanded money from us, there was a struggle (not recommended) and they took off running, luckily for us without harming us and without our money, but I think I am still a bit traumatized by the experience. I have been a victim of pick-pocketing and bag snatching in my own country, but this was different.

I know India is going to be a place like any other I have been to, but I have some worries...

First of all India is a huge country and the experience can differ from one part of the country to the other as does the language, culture and the food.
Last year there was an increase of 20 per cent in tourist arrivals in India and in 2007 more US Citizens ( as an example ) visited India than they visited Ireland or Spain. Obviously there is some attraction.
I have been to India and Dominican Republic (santo domingo) and honestly I felt far more insecure in RD than in India.. At the airport in Santo Domingo, people were trying to steal luggages coming our and some one walked away with my suitcase ( i was coming from Cuba).. India is vast, varied, exciting and you are as exotic to them as they are to you. Kerala is a very friendly place and I found Madras/cennai to be very friendly as well. It is crowded, but you know that already!
Enjoy India and sorry about what happened at Ipanema. Rio is one of the more beautiful cities in the world and unfortunately has become very unsafe

If you want to read something about India, read books written by Indians, three writers i recommend are Sashi Taroor, Pankaj Sharma and Amitav ghosh.

I spent 4 months backpacking around India & Nepal when I was younger.
Yes, you will get stared at, poked at, have to queue up for all kinds of things and put up with some amazingly frustrating red tape!
You will experience all manners of emotions from low to high!
I arrived in Delhi on my own, having friends meeting me a few days later. Walking around, looking for somewhere to stay, I was pushed to the ground by a man on a bike. I remember booking into a horrible place and sitting up on the rooftop with my duty-free scotch bawling my eyes out! Gradually I had an audience, people seemingly coming from no-where circled me & studied my behaviour!
In the time that we spent there, we learned to take things very slowly. We met some amazing people and saw incredible sights. If you take your chill pills with you you will have an awesome time and will have some great memories.

Hi Denisse - India is an amazing experience and you should not let other's opionions deter you from going. Yes, of course there are the problems already mentioned. But you will see sights, hear sounds, and smell smells (okay not all good!) that you have never encountered before.

The people are warm, friendly, and helpful. There are the few who will try to take advantage but that is anywhere and I have never felt unsafe here. In other countries with similar poverty, there are petty robberies, pickpocketing, etc. Not so here. Do your research about what to be careful of (drinking only bottled water, etc.). Bring a laid back attitude because India does run on its own time. Immerse yourself in the culture. Some people actually come and find it more advanced then they thought. There are a lot of western influences in the bigger cities.

The Taj is incredible when you see it in person. (But do be warned the touts there are probably the most aggressive around!) Rajasthan is so colorful and magnificent. I hope you are planning to visit Jaipur. The Hindu religon is fascinating and some of the temples you will be allowed to enter are spectacular. Pushkar is a wonderful religious place that you could visit on your planned itinerary. You are also close enough to some great national parks/tiger reserves. Seeing a tiger in the wild is amazzzzing!

Google holidays and/or festivals during your travel time. India knows how to celebrate! Shop the markets, try the street food, check out a Bollywood movie, etc.,etc. You will never run out of things to do and see. Enjoy!

A good book to read in Culture Shock India. It has good information about the customs and etiquette.

Happy Travels!

Hi Donna-in-India!

Thank you for your advices and recommendations, our plan so far is to visit Delhi, Rajasthan and Agra. Thank you for pointing out some places of interest in Rajasthan, like Jaipur, I read about it yesterday and it is in my list of places to visit

I am much more relaxed now after reading everyone's reply/comments, thank so much to all! If anyone has anything else to add, please do!

cochinjew: I have been to your beautiful Cuba (playa Ancon, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Pinar del Rio, Habana...)! So incredibly beautiful!

Thank you betska!

I will watch out for men in bicycles and I will remember to pack my "chill pills", lots of them! :)

Since you spent a long time traveling through India, do you have any comments about transportation?

Donna in India,

I just noticed in your profile that you actually live in India, can you recommend a good hotel in Delhi, something not too inexpensive but not too pricey? :)

Hi denise,what an awful experience.I guess ive been lucky in the years ive been travelling.I havent had any real bad times,with me its usually that i get homesick after a few days{but then i do get over it!}
Try and put the experience behind you, i know its difficult but it would be a shame if it didnt allow you to enjoy a new country.I must admit that i found the people in goa and kerala delightful,there is good and bad everywhere.
have a great trip and im sure that it will go well for you.

happy travels, laney

Denisse,
With regards to transport, we tried all kinds.
The train system is a must to experience. Slow but charming and of course you will meet people from all walks of life.
The first bus trip we took was also our last. Just too scary. Our driver overtaking constantly on blind corners, we honestly didn't think we would be coming home. Because of the size of the country, we also took a few flights. After using the train to get to Goa & back, we flew from Bombay (Mumbai) to Calcutta. We also flew from Patna to Kathmandu, and Katmandu to Agra.
Rajasthan was our favourite (Goa a close 2nd) try to get out to Jodphur and Jaismelmer, we spent christmas out in the desert on a camel safari-it was fabulous! Udaipur also a very interesting place, with the amazing palace on the lake.

Mmmm – You say that “I have read pretty much the entire VirtualTourist site, and was left with the feeling that most people disliked India”
Did You miss my page ??
Although I did think that India certainly wasn’t the easiest country that I have ever travelled to, I Do think that there are Lot of rewards there for the determined traveller.
I tended to stay in budget type accommodation -- I have listed the accommodation that I used and given a truthful appraisal of the pro’s and con’s, You might find them useful, I have also quoted what price I paid, so it will also give you an idea as to how far your money will go.
I was in India for 6 weeks visiting Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra amongst other places,Itravelled mainly by train, I have also written my experiences of that up.You might also find it useful.
Good Luck and happy Travels
Rob

Hi again betska!

How was the weather around Delhi during December, some people said it goes down to freezing temperatures, others say about 45F... Do I need to bring winter clothes?

Thanks again!

Hi Denisse - sorry I can't help with a hotel in Delhi. I haven't stayed overnight there. I think you'll be able to find some good recommendations on the tips pages.

Hello into-thin-air!

Just finished reading your ENTIRE Indian page and I now recall reading parts of it because I remember reading about your own designed rucksack covers and hotel reviews!

I have to say that although I had read the same things about the scams in Delhi’s train station and taxi drivers, you do put it as a minor inconvenience, without adding much drama to the story, and so it sounds more like an adventure than a hassle.

I have questions: while looking through your photos I noticed that sometimes you and your companions were wearing summer clothes and in others sweaters. I am planning to visit Delhi, Rajasthan and Agra from mid-December to early January (22-24 days), any advice on temperatures/weather?
Also, did you have any problems in train stations and/or train rides? Many in VT mentioned chaining bags to train seats and keeping a watchful eye at all times or else… but you didn't mention anything about that?

Thank you!

I think that one's attitude going in plays a large role in shaping one's experiences in, and memories of, a trip to India. It's not like a day at the pool,a walk in the park or a visit to Disney World. It's not always easy. It won't be fun all the time. What a trip to India CAN be is incredibly rewarding in more ways than one can begin to list. Visitors to India seldom speak of their India "holiday". It's usually "trip", "adventure" or "experience". This won't be like home, wherever you are from. Be prepared for a full on attack on ALL your senses, and don't forget to take along your sense of wonder, patience, compassion and sense of humour. An extraordinary experience is there to be had.

Try South India for a much more rewarding experience. Except for snow, South India has it all - beaches, mountains, heritage, temples, culture, plantations, ayurveda, yoga, brilliant food and very courteous people.

Look through
keralatourism.org
tamilnadutourism.org
karnatakatourism.org

Thanks Miharika9!

I will check those web sites you recommended, not sure if we will have time to make it to the South, we will only be in India for about 23 days...

Did u say everyone !!!