24 year old female travelling Delhi to Chennai in a month.
Replies: 14 - Last Post: Dec 3, 2012 3:40 AM Last Post By: sachpush
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24 year old female travelling Delhi to Chennai in a month.
Hello,If you are taking the time to read my post thanks a lot. I wonder if you can help.
My names Faye and I will be starting off my round the world trip arriving in Delhi at the end of January 2013.
After my arrival I will have around a month to travel to Chennai to catch a connecting flight to Sri Lanka.
I am looking for any positive advise in relation to a route to take and places to visit along the way. Preferably places on route where I am likely to meet other travelers.
I am looking more so for the cheaper places with good free or cheap places to look around. Perhaps smaller places were I can stay for 2 nights and not feel rushed. I would also like to be somewhere were I wont feel too panicky being on my own...as silly as that may sound. So cutting out the big cities.
Really I want to be out of Delhi as soon as possible but after a flight from the UK to Dubai>Dubai to Muscat >and then Muscat to Delhi something tells me I am going to need to take a few days to recover before moving on.
I have spent time in India before however this was in a large group and I was only in Himachal Pradesh, Jaipur and Delhi working voluntarily as a teacher. This time I am traveling alone and I am a 24 year old female.
I am also on a max budget of around £500 (this really is max too) but I am not planning on any particularly expensive activities other then the Taj as I didn't get to go the last time I visited India. My budget is more for travel, eat, sleep,internet and the clothes on my back.
I am more than aware I will be traveling a long distance in a month and the train will be my best friend for part of it so any information regarding routes, trains to get etc would be great. Perhaps trains that may be a bit safer for a western female on her own? Or those that are perhaps more frequent at certain destinations.
I did want to go back up to Himachal Pradesh and the North however have realised this isn't really feasible with the short amount of time I have. I would like to visit Agra, Goa, Hampi and then where ever else is advised as I am aware these places are far more realistic then Leh and Darjeeling.
I would be so happy with more scenic train rides, good food, positive vibes, cheap hostels and other travelers.
Even if all you can just advise of a good friendly cheap hostel to stay in in Delhi on my arrival is great to get me started.
Thanks a lot.
Faye
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hi- last year i started my india trip in chennai and it almost completey put me off!just a word of warning!!! i hated it.
i loved the rest of india loads but the initial introduction of chennai terrified me- so a word of warning dont plan to spend any time there if you can help it.
agra was fun. delhi is an interesting place to wander around and the fort is stunning, though didnnt meet any other travellers there.
goa was brilliant for meeting other people and one of the highlights!!!!!
youll love it!!!!!
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I am aware these places are far more realistic then Leh and Darjeeling.
What is meant by "more realistic" ?
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Why are you going to India...that is the first question... Everyone has their own reasons...India is a challenging place...its crowded, poor, and dirty but its also like a festival everyday...
There are many World Heritage Temples on your itinerary... look those up...it would be a shame to be so close and miss them...
India has a street scene that is chaotic...but offers great photo ops... Some people like the photo op part of India...
Food can be dicey...you have to be careful... Better restaurants where lots of locals are eating are best...try not to be the only person in the restaurant...seek out active businesses...
Every large city has its tourist district...which often has some Western backpackers around... These places are usually next to the main train station in the city.... There are usually a few bars for an evening drink...Hotels have rooftop bars and restaurants ... and you can meet up with travelers there at times... But India is not a big bar scene...by Western standards... But Goa is pretty close
In Delhi...I have made Smyle Inn on Main Bazaar Road my usual place to crash after a long flight...but there are other hotels in Main Bazaar...
Of course Agra is the Taj...which is an absolute must see destination...
As to what is the "real" India...I don't know what that means...its a very diverse place geographically, historically and culturally... So its really a matter of where you are at the time...To me that is the Real India...
India is an Incredible place...and travelers should not be afraid to go there... Its doable...by almost anyone...
India is definitely worthwhile...every minute is like living in a movie set... Only the actors don't take off their costumes and go home at 5pm...
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Sorry guys I am new to this forum business and to be honest thought I would get email updates when I got a response to my thread.Rosiexx, thanks for your advice. I have heard Chennai is not somewhere you really want to hang about and luckily its the last point of my India trip so should be well used to the hustle and bustle by then. My plan is to be close enough to get a train/bus to the Airport come the day of my flight. I'm not planning my trip around Chennai the place but more the Airport. I have also researched Delhi and looking at staying in Paharganj which is a good place for other backpackers and cheapish accommodation apparently.
premsubramaniam, you're a star if these are all places you would recommend on my route thanks a lot i'll be sure to check them out.
Zoltan, What i meant by 'more realistic' is that places such as Agra, Goa and Hampi are more on my route. They are more realistic places for me to go in a month then traveling up to Leh and over east to Darjeeling...You get what I mean?
Fivejacks, I am not sure what you mean by your post to be honest? I wasn't even aware I had asked directly for a 'travel partner' as you state. I am not totally naive, but thanks for the warning. Also i'm pretty sure your post doesn't relate well to the 'positive advice' I asked for in my original post. If you don't have anything decent to bring to the thread please don't post. Im not stupid.Regards.
Thanks to all for responses.
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OP, you have made a first post which was not clear to a lot of people. While you may not have "directly" asked for travel partners, some people could easily have read that into your original post.We (long term posters on this forum), try to give help and we can only base responses on what we read. Posts here are 2-dimensional (we can't get more information from your post than what is in front of us). Clearer information greatly assists.
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OP,,we have had many posts lately of solo female travelers looking for travel partners/advisers.Thus the "Kansas anymore"comment.I am sorry if you take offence.None was intended.You have been here before in a large group,in the isolation of voluteer work,thus the "Kansas-anymore" comment.again.
Good luck to you,
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Zoltan, I don't really understand how my post in unclear? I especially don't understand how you can judge that its unclear to 'a lot of people' when you are just one sole individual who has had difficulty. I am also surprised that such a seasoned forum user would try and patronise a new user.I am not being rude or fussy, I just asked for 'positive advise' and seem to be getting negative responses due to my lack forum etiquette.
I have some issues with your last post...you have contradicted yourself somewhat.
'OP, you have made a first post which was not clear to a lot of people.(I don't understand how you can speak on behalf of a lot of people) While you may not have "directly" asked for travel partners, some people could easily have read that into your original post (this is you reading between the lines, therefore not reading what is in front of you, thus making a judgement from what I have not said).
We (long term posters on this forum), (I may be new to the forum, but you don't need to patronise, you may be a long term user but I'm sure that doesn't give you a right to speak on behalf of 'a lot of people' on the forum) try to give help and we can only base responses on what we read. (you haven't based your response on what you have read, you've jumped to conclusions) Posts here are 2-dimensional (we can't get more information from your post than what is in front of us) (Major contradiction , you say you can only read what is in front of you..but you made the conclusion i asked for a travel partner).
All I want is some genuine advice of places between Delhi and Chennai that I can visit. Places that are on route and where I may meet other travelers on route.
Regards,
ps fivejacks, Thanks for clearing that up.
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Ideally you should have no more than 6 stops enroute. I have not included Varanasi and suggested Maheshwar instead because during the time of your visit the Khumb Mela will be on in Allahabad and most trains to Allahabad would pass through Varanasi and getting reservations maybe a challenge. While the Ganga is certainly considered the most sacred river in India, the Narmada too offers a lot.You are more likely to find overseas volunteers engaged in textile research at Maheshwar thanks to the pioneering work of Sally Holkar, rather than those flitting by (http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2790243.ece) . To get a sense of the Narmada you could look at Bill Aitkins' book called Seven Sacred Rivers. Orchha too is on the river Betla and besides the built heritage, the riverscape is very attractive.You may want to add a wildlife reserve in your itinerary.And you could do this in one of Madhya Pradesh or Karnataka.Hope you have a great time14
You will get a place in paharganj for as little as 400rs a day, a frend of mine from poland stayed there, will find out the name and give you. Enjoy your trip. You can visit pushkar for serenity, udaipur for beauty, nainitalfor romanticism . And rishikesh for both spirituality and meditation, these places are near delhi and far more realistic in your words :-),
