Rural India.

July 19, 2011 11:35 PM

I am planning a trip to India by October and so far, places to see in my list include Delhi, Agra, and Varanasi. There's a whole lot more I want to visit but I don't want to exhaust my self with all the traveling as I will only have 2-3 weeks. In addition to the above mentioned places, where do you think can I visit to get a feel of rural India? Somewhere not so populated, countryside, and great interaction with the locals, possibly homestay too. Only requirement is that, it shouldn't be too far from my chosen destinations, somewhere I can stay for like 3 to 4 days immersing myself with the rural life, local culture.
posted by LittleMissItneg to travel & transportation around India (10 answers total)

How about Mandu? It's a ruined capital on a fortified plateau, where the locals grow crops in between the ruins. At the right time of year it's said to be very lush, and that should coincide with the monsoon, which should've finished up in the North a month or two before you arrive.

It's also *roughly* halfway between Delhi & Varanasi, between Jhansi & Bhopal.
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:50 PM on July 19, 2011

All major cities of India are surrounded by rural places. Within a 2 hour drive of Delhi, you can be in a completely different sort of India. There are a few concerns though: there are very few places in India that can be described as "not so populated" (unless you go quite out of the way), and "great interaction with locals" in rural areas is hindered by lack of English language skills on their part. And in my experience (born and brought up in India), "real" rural homestays are basically non-existent in India. Accessible rural tourism in India looks like this. I don't think that's what you are looking for.

So, my suggestion is that you make any of the 3 cities your base (Varanasi is perhaps best, as it is not as urban as the other two) and explore the surrounding rural areas. You'll have a decent place to stay, and will get to see more than one rural area. You might also be able to arrange a local guide/driver to do interpretation for your interactions with locals.
posted by vidur at 12:27 AM on July 20, 2011

The most common mistake in India that new travellers make is trying to see too much.

This is perhaps best summed up by a cab driver in Mumbai I spoke with in April.

"How long will it take me to arrive at the airport?"

"Well, it is 42 kilos, so I think you will need about 2 hours."

13 miles an hour.

Granted, that is central Mumbai. But overall in India, choose something to see, and go see it. Don't try and move around too much because you will spend a lot of quality time of lackadaisical conveyances along bumpy infrastructure.
posted by nickrussell at 12:33 AM on July 20, 2011

Ranthambhore Tiger Sanctuary, just outside of Sawai Madhopur Junction on the Delhi - Jaipur railway line. It is 5 hours from Delhi and possibly accessible from Agra as well.

The Ranthambhore Bagh is run by an old college friend of mine and its like homestay :) - he can arrange a local guy who can take you to the nearby villages (the whole area is rural) and you can get a pretty nice exposure in 2-3 days to daily life.

MeMail me if you want an intro or contact them directly (asap because Dicky's leaving for Masaai Mara in August) He's a wildlife photographer so if you're into all that, this is the best place in the world :)
posted by infini at 2:22 AM on July 20, 2011

I did a trip like this last year in January. We had three weeks to see Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi and some places in between. We went to the Ranthambhore Tiger Sanctuary - it's quite touristed and not a good place to get a local feel. A traveller recommended Bundi in Rajasthan as a place with a small town feel. I recommend it very much - you can climb up to the castle on the cliffs about town with a "guide" and feel like you're in the country. We did some excursions to a village with ancient cliff paintings, worth it more from the child guides competing to be charming than the paintings themselves.

Enjoy, and don't try to stick to a timetable or do too much; we threw ours out once we got there and did half of what we planned. Next time I go I'll stick to one town, maybe Varanasi.
posted by hannahlambda at 2:56 AM on July 20, 2011

Bundi has a helluva lot going for it; I've been back about 4 times. Friendly, manageable, hassle-free, atmospheric, and with plenty of interesting sites in town or within a short bike ride or autorickshaw. If you're not set on some kind of village homestay (which really doesn't exist in India) it would be a good option. Another goodie (much more villagey, but with historical sites around) is Orchha: closer to the Delhi-Varanasi route than Mandu.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:28 AM on July 20, 2011

Dhamtari when you're in the Punjab. At least a few years ago it was very rural, and there used to be a Mennonite missionary presence setting up hospitals and schools.
posted by R2WeTwo at 4:46 AM on July 20, 2011

Strangely enough (and agreeing with the don't travel dictum above), many of the outlying neighborhoods of Delhi can be somewhat village-like in terms of society and culture; the people just happen to live in the city. I learned this by getting to know the vendors that the people that I stayed with used for buying vegetables, having clothes made, buying pottery, etc.
posted by goethean at 9:44 AM on July 20, 2011

[Above, I am specifically thinking of Pulpehladpur in far South Delhi, near Faridibad, Haryana]
posted by goethean at 9:47 AM on July 20, 2011

Yes.Did you stay with people in Kalkaji, Greater Kailash or Alaknanda by any chance or even Chittaranjan park?
posted by infini at 10:28 AM on July 20, 2011