India travel tales

Our customers share their travelling experiences in India. Read about first hand stories on travel tips and guides, events, entertainment,shopping, food, business and transportation. Also, you might want to read our Delhi city guide, and Mumbai/Bombay city guide.

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K Sweeney	16 October 2004
Stayed at Ambassador Ajanta - Aurangabad, India.
The Ellora and Ajanta caves are a site to behold. The history, detail, and labor that went into creating them is amazing. After seeing these caves I believe many travellers would recognize that they leave a lasting impression, similar to the Taj Mahal. On the Ellora caves, make sure to venture into the hill side above the caves. You'll find numerous caves that are not on the official tour gide, with streams of clear water running thru them. Incredible.
G Williams	09 October 2004
Stayed at Bajaj Indian Home Stay - New Delhi, India.
We visited Gandhi's memorial and Emperor Humayun's Tomb (the very, very impressive predecessor to the Taj Mahal) in New Delhi, then hired a vehicle for a one-day round trip tour to the Taj Mahal in Agra (it's well worth the trip, but if I had to do it over again I would overnight in Agra to really soak up the splendor of the Taj). Our most unusual experience was riding a camel-drawn cart from the parking lot of the Taj to the main entrance. I'm glad I wasn't sitting near the camel's backside because it sure was stinky. We flew to Madras (Chennai), where we toured a silk farm, then shopped at several stores specializing in silk clothing. We ended our stay in southern India by visiting friends in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai. Something I didn't expect to see was a monkey walking unattended (or otherwise) through a hotel lobby. And no, the monkey wasn't checking in, I think he was checking things out. Nobody seemed alarmed, and nobody said anything; I guess that's just the way it is in India --- wonderful, exotic India!
C Buchet	29 September 2004
Stayed at Radisson Hotel Delhi - New Delhi, India.
Visited Mirik near Darjeeling, specially the Kagyu Monastery of the late Bokar Rinpoche and stayed at the Jagjeet Hotel. Staff was friendly, did everything possible to make stay pleasant.
T Farrell	25 September 2004
Stayed at Connaught House - Mount Abu, India.
Mt. Abu is a good place for travellers to relax and escape the Rajasthan heat. The Jain temples are quite wonderful. Also visit Jaipur House for a great meal and view.
P Brann	17 September 2004
Stayed at Le Meridien New Delhi - New Delhi, India.
YOU ARE ABLE TO BOOK A PRIVATE TAXI FROM THE HOTEL WHICH IS VERY REASONABLE WHO WILL TAKE TO WHERE EVER YOU WANT TO GO (PLUS A FEW OTHER PLACES)HE WILL WAIT FOR YOU WHILE YOU ARE SHOPPING OR WHATEVER. BOOKED A TOUR TO TAJ MAHAL THRU TOUR DESK AT HOTEL AND IT WAS VERY GOOD-TRANSPORT IN 4WD-VERY PROFESSIONAL/FRIENDLY. CRAFT/HANDICRAFT SHOPS
D Flynn	16 September 2004
Stayed at Jaypee Palace Hotel, Agra - Agra, India.
Beware the prepaid taxis! We got one from the train station to the hotel and the driver offered to collect us the next morning, bring us on a tour of the sights - including an English Speaking guide - and return us to the hotel and ultimately to the train station at which point we would pay the agreed fee of Ruppees 650! Unfortunately though we couldn't understand the guide and really he used us as an opportunity to learn English! When collected to be brought back to the train station the guide met us in our hotel demanding we pay him for his services as a guide and demanding we visit more shops with him so that he could earn commission on the sales! Only after this, and subsequently meeting the driver did we cop that the job was a nixer and so we had major hassle trying to escape from both the guide and the driver!
A Wiederhold	01 September 2004
Stayed at Taj President Hotel Mumbai - Mumbai (Bombay), India.
I was a bit disappointed of Elefanta Island. Wonder if it has deserved its status as World Heritage Place. The place is really dirty and seems to be more a picnic place for Indians. However the monkeys were cute and the boat ride is interesting and gives good photo shooting opportunities of the India Gate and Taj Hotel. The water pollution on the way and at the shore of Elefanta Island is incredible.
A Wiederhold	29 August 2004
Stayed at Taj Mahal Hotel - New Delhi, The - New Delhi, India.
Recommend to go to Sheratons Bukhara restaurant, with fabulous central asian and indian bbq food. You can even ask to go into the grill room and they give you a cook hat, so take your fotos! Bill Clinton was also dining in this restaurant.
N Franklin	18 August 2004
Stayed at Clarks Shiraz, Hotel - Agra, India.
Do not go to Delhi in the summer! Go up to the mountains. Big mistake. The weather never cools down even at night. It is very polluted. Be prepared for scammers at every turn. In our first three days we fell for a number of scams, including people at the railway station pretending to be government officials with forged ID. Everyone wants your money at every turn, it really was truly exhausting. One good restaurant in Delhi restaurant for Hotel Ajanta in Paharanj.
C Luly	28 July 2004
Stayed at Ashok Hotel, New Delhi - New Delhi, India.
The texiles of India are amazing, even if, as a foreigner, you would never wear a sari. They are wonderful decorating accents to take home and use creatively. A good place to find them and other things is the Central Cottage Industries Emporium but it is nearly impossible to get there if you are using street transportation--everyone takes you to the place with a similar sounding name where they earn a commission just for dropping you there. On this trip, I wanted a guided city tour so I used the hotel's travel service for safety and convenience. I booked an aircon car, driver and guide for a reasonable price and we spent a couple of hours driving by to look at a few sights.In spite of paying for the tour, I ended up at an expensive, well-mannered but high-pressure shop selling carpets and jewelry. After getting his commission, the guide left and the driver took me around to a few other places that I wanted to visit. When booking tours, it probably makes sense to specify up front that you do not want to go to such places, then be prepared to be insistent and refuse to get out of the car if taken to such places. The Central Cottage Industries Emporium is a good place to shop if you don't have much time or you want to learn about quality and prices before heading out to places where bargaining is done. The State Emporium was rather disappointing but would have been OK if I had been wanting a specific thing that they had in quantity.