Must sees of India & Intrepid? Or other tour companies?
Replies: 24 - Last Post: Oct 7, 2012 12:42 AM Last Post By: bomakalu
jump to
Must sees of India & Intrepid? Or other tour companies?
I'm a 23 year old female who is looking to travel in India around Febuary 2013.Going to go with a tour group- looking at Intrepid at the moment, but open to other tour groups that people have had good experiences with? Any trips recommended?
I would like a good cultural experience-not one that is catered for the tourist specifically.
What are the must see places?/ Hidden gems?
3
You need to say how long you intend to go for really for people to offer advice....but you could also look at Tucan travel, they also run good Indian small group holidays.In February, you have plenty of choice...you could go around the South or North if you wish, although too far in the Himalayas will probably not be an option for you.
Must see places for me are Varanasi, Amritsar, Udaipur, Ladakh & Kashmir I guess....but there are literally hundreds of other cool places that are great destinations..
Any trip you do in India will provide a good cultural experience, don't worry about that....you will have culture shoved in your face 24*7.
My advice would be to choose a tour that goes to a few smaller places as well as the bigger...many of the big cities like Jaipur & Agra aren't that nice...and can leave a newbie rather disillusioned with India....Look to include some more chilled out places so you can appreciate that side of India as well as the craziness of the big cities.
I always think Rajasthan is a good place for first timers, it’s beautiful and has an enormous amount to offer.
I think this tour offers a nice mixture of more and less common places.
"Rajasthan Adventure Overview" from Intrepid.
Have fun.
4
Hidden gems?Short tours are very unlikely to cover them nor do people advertise them either as they would not be gems. Try reading up on India a bit.
5
I'm not sure what you mean be a "tour" that isn't for "tourists"...However, I suppose you could look for a specialist programme with a "lecturer" guide. These sort of tours are likely to be more expensive and organised by companies such as Cox & Kings or Abercrombie & Kent. But people who join these tours are likely to be considerably older than you.
Hidden gems? If a tour goes there, it ain't hidden!! (And agree with #4 - people aren't going to be giving out their favourite spots on a mainstream travel forum!)
Edited by: emd_four on Jan 10, 2013 5:15 AM
7
bee_autiful,I see a contradiction in your inquiry. Tour companies sell tours that include typical and most visited places ("must sees" as you call it), where all the participants want to go.
If you're looking for hidden gems you should be doing it by yourself. You'd have more freedom and it would be cheaper too.
8
Yeah I know there is a bit of a contradiction in what I'm asking- I just know some companies are more focused on partying/ very superficial stuff like dressing the tourists up as farmers etc- I don't mind seeing the tourist spots like Agra (obviously)....I know I would see more if I were to travel by myself but as a first time in India I would like to go with a group I think.
Is it better to just stick to Rajasthan for instance, as an introduction to do in a few weeks? I'm interested seeing some wildlife as well- not purely sticking to temples.
Some companies do offer North and South (for 20-30 days)- but, in people's experiences is this too rushed?
Is Koochin worth going to?- I'm interested in the Jewish side of it.
9
"dressing the tourists up as farmers"...? Never heard or seen this before..There isn't much partying in India to be honest, unless you go to Goa.There are plenty of tours that do a stop in Ranthanbore which has wildlife in Rajasthan.
Kochin is ok, nothing too fabulous....Jewish side of it is not a whole lot to see. Madurai is in the south and is pretty cool...but the south is more temples than the north....Rajasthan has a lot more old forts and palaces etc.
You could also look for a tour that goes through Ranakpur/Kumbalgarh as this has some nature, and is chilled.
10
Some excellent advice above.To answer your question - there is only site that is in the World's top 7 Wonders - the Taj Mahal, of course, the sheer beauty of such an edifice is unparalleled anywhere for balance and perfection. All tours will taje you there and really one's first trip to India should be that easy jaunt to include Delhi, Agra and Rajesthan (dont miss Udaiour either).
#5's final line is spot on.
14
For your first venture into India for a 23 year old female then Intrepid is a recognised tour company and I don’t think you would be disappointed. A suggestion would be to book a tour with them for the golden triangle of Rajasthan to do the known highlights of India, then once you are somewhat acclimatised to the "in-your-face" aspect of India, then take a tentative journey independently to one or two places that will provide a "good cultural experience-not one that is catered for the tourist specifically", To do this, you will need to buy the latest edition of the Indian Lonely Planet guide book and see what takes your fancy. Good Luck, India is a wonderful and amazing country, but can be a little daunting for the uninitiated.
