"Best of" recommendations for 80 days of backpacking in India?
August 26, 2013 4:16 PM Subscribe
I'm planning to leave in a few weeks for India to travel with a budget of several (<7) thousand dollars. I may stay up to 80 days (but have the opportunity to come back earlier). Have any of you done a trip like this? Can you point me at any (good) links or recommendations for itineraries, or even out of the way one-off points of interest?
I've done two 3 month trips in India and these are my tips, though they are not definitive of course, just my personal faves.
Take trains, don't fly. Much more fun and you get to intereact with people, see the country side etc.
I loved Sikkim, got there via Darjeeling, got to Darjeeling via the small steam train - one of the worlds top train journeys.
I also loved Megahalya. An amazing place. The menhirs are incredible. Read a bit about the Khasis and the Jantia before going.
And I also loved Kerala and Cochin. If I'd had the bucks I would have taken one of the boat trips.
posted by Kerasia at 5:06 PM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Take trains, don't fly. Much more fun and you get to intereact with people, see the country side etc.
I loved Sikkim, got there via Darjeeling, got to Darjeeling via the small steam train - one of the worlds top train journeys.
I also loved Megahalya. An amazing place. The menhirs are incredible. Read a bit about the Khasis and the Jantia before going.
And I also loved Kerala and Cochin. If I'd had the bucks I would have taken one of the boat trips.
posted by Kerasia at 5:06 PM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
My first trip to India, which was around 90 days, went somethingl like Mumbai > Aurangabad > Hyderabad & Golconda > Bhopal > Orcha > Kujaraho > Varanasi > Lucknow > Agra > Jaipur > Ajmer > Chittorgarh > Mt Abu >Udaipur > Jodhpur > Jaisalmer > Delhi > Chandighar > Amritsar > Delhi. This involved some pretty hard travelling (like the 36 hour train trips and insanely uncomfortable bus trips). Mt Abu and Chittorgarh are both beautiful places, as is Orcha.
My second trip was around four weeks and focussed on the south: Mumbai > Goa > Kottyam > Kochi > Munnar > Mysore > Hassan > Hampi > Hospet > Bijapur > Mumbai. The longest stretch of travelling in this was around 24 hours to get from Kochi to Munnar: boat, bus, train, bus. Hampi is a surreal place. Kochi is lovely.
In general, it's very difficult and time-consuming to travel east-west in south India, because there are few routes over the Deccan Plateau. In the north, most routes run east-west, following approximately the grand trunk road.
Trains are more comfortable and friendly than buses. Go third class once for the experience, but second class (3-tier sleeper) is more comfortable. If going overnight, book the upper berth so that you don't have people climbing over you all night.
Unless you have a constitution of iron, allow yourself a day of not-doing-very-much after each long stretch of travel, because you will be wrecked and exhausted. And because the budget accomodation in India is *very* budget (as in, you may just get a room with no furniture or bedding, and perhaps even no window or door), allowing some money to stay somewhere slightly up the scale occasionally is a good idea (by "up the scale" I mean hot and cold running water and clean sheets).
posted by girlgenius at 5:17 PM on August 26, 2013
My second trip was around four weeks and focussed on the south: Mumbai > Goa > Kottyam > Kochi > Munnar > Mysore > Hassan > Hampi > Hospet > Bijapur > Mumbai. The longest stretch of travelling in this was around 24 hours to get from Kochi to Munnar: boat, bus, train, bus. Hampi is a surreal place. Kochi is lovely.
In general, it's very difficult and time-consuming to travel east-west in south India, because there are few routes over the Deccan Plateau. In the north, most routes run east-west, following approximately the grand trunk road.
Trains are more comfortable and friendly than buses. Go third class once for the experience, but second class (3-tier sleeper) is more comfortable. If going overnight, book the upper berth so that you don't have people climbing over you all night.
Unless you have a constitution of iron, allow yourself a day of not-doing-very-much after each long stretch of travel, because you will be wrecked and exhausted. And because the budget accomodation in India is *very* budget (as in, you may just get a room with no furniture or bedding, and perhaps even no window or door), allowing some money to stay somewhere slightly up the scale occasionally is a good idea (by "up the scale" I mean hot and cold running water and clean sheets).
posted by girlgenius at 5:17 PM on August 26, 2013
indiamike.com will be your bible for this.
So much better than any guidebook you can buy, or almost any other internet resource.
Also... do you have any thoughts about where you'd like to go, what you'd like to see, what kind of travel you enjoy, etc? Where will you be flying into and/or out of? Is Nepal also on the agenda? India is a huge country, and while you have plenty of time, some focus would be helpful.
I spent about the same amount of time backpacking through India five years ago. I have TONS of recommendations, both in terms of where and how. But without knowing anything about the way you travel, what your interests are, or any other concrete information, it's hard to know where to even start.
Places I loved:
- People bitch about Delhi but I really loved it. Possibly because I saved it for the end of my trip, after I had months of India experience.
- Also Agra. I gave myself two days there because I heard such awful things, but it was lovely and if I'm ever back in India I plan to spend more time there.
- Lucknow was a difficult city to be a tourist (the cheapo backpacker infrastructure isn't there), but the Muslim culture (food, architecture, historical sites, etc) made me desperate to learn more about pre-Partition and pre-Raj India, as well as contemporary Muslim influences on India.
- Varanasi. Just. Seriously.
- Darjeeling in February, though this won't apply to you. Definitely seek out at least one popular tourist place in the off season, though. Since it'll be high summer when you're there, Goa comes to mind.
- I wish I'd spent more time in Kolkata.
- I took a 40-hour cross-country slow train trip in sleeper class. Possibly not for everyone, but definitely an experience that sticks with you.
A few things that really helped me:
- You are 100% allowed to lie to rickshaw drivers if it prevents you from being dragged to their cousin's hotel/shop/restaurant. Or for any other reason.
- Sometimes touts are not such a bad thing.
- It's OK to be lost, confused, and overwhelmed. Feeling weirded out is a very different thing from actually being in danger. Staring* is not rape. Someone panhandling or trying to sell you something is not robbing you. Feeling run down is not a fatal tropical disease.
- If you get really overwhelmed, go to a museum. They tend to be quiet, and often air conditioned as well. Five star hotel lobbies are also good for this. You can totally sit in the lobby of a big hotel, order a tea, and read the paper.
- Don't be so afraid about food and sanitary issues. I mean, don't order the tuna tartare, probably, but drink a lassi without having a panic attack. Actually, yogurt in all forms is a good idea. Eat as much local yogurt as possible, for the probiotic effects. With a few months in country you should be able to build up a degree of resistance to the local bugs.
- Meet, interact with, and talk to locals. In my experience traveling in India, a lot of backpackers tend to interact mostly with other backpackers. (You will even see signs up at some hostels stating that only foreign passport holders are allowed to stay there!) Actual Indians are models for photos, touts to dodge, or beggars to feel sorry for. Meanwhile, my conversations with Indians of all different backgrounds was easily the best thing about my trip and something I haven't been able to replicate in other travels. Especially because so many Indians speak at least a little English, you have a unique opportunity to genuinely meet people on the road. Don't take this for granted, and DEFINITELY don't disrespect or objectify people.
*Staring is not taboo in India. The sooner you deal with this -- especially if you're a woman or are traveling with women -- the better.
posted by Sara C. at 5:40 PM on August 26, 2013 [3 favorites]
So much better than any guidebook you can buy, or almost any other internet resource.
Also... do you have any thoughts about where you'd like to go, what you'd like to see, what kind of travel you enjoy, etc? Where will you be flying into and/or out of? Is Nepal also on the agenda? India is a huge country, and while you have plenty of time, some focus would be helpful.
I spent about the same amount of time backpacking through India five years ago. I have TONS of recommendations, both in terms of where and how. But without knowing anything about the way you travel, what your interests are, or any other concrete information, it's hard to know where to even start.
Places I loved:
- People bitch about Delhi but I really loved it. Possibly because I saved it for the end of my trip, after I had months of India experience.
- Also Agra. I gave myself two days there because I heard such awful things, but it was lovely and if I'm ever back in India I plan to spend more time there.
- Lucknow was a difficult city to be a tourist (the cheapo backpacker infrastructure isn't there), but the Muslim culture (food, architecture, historical sites, etc) made me desperate to learn more about pre-Partition and pre-Raj India, as well as contemporary Muslim influences on India.
- Varanasi. Just. Seriously.
- Darjeeling in February, though this won't apply to you. Definitely seek out at least one popular tourist place in the off season, though. Since it'll be high summer when you're there, Goa comes to mind.
- I wish I'd spent more time in Kolkata.
- I took a 40-hour cross-country slow train trip in sleeper class. Possibly not for everyone, but definitely an experience that sticks with you.
A few things that really helped me:
- You are 100% allowed to lie to rickshaw drivers if it prevents you from being dragged to their cousin's hotel/shop/restaurant. Or for any other reason.
- Sometimes touts are not such a bad thing.
- It's OK to be lost, confused, and overwhelmed. Feeling weirded out is a very different thing from actually being in danger. Staring* is not rape. Someone panhandling or trying to sell you something is not robbing you. Feeling run down is not a fatal tropical disease.
- If you get really overwhelmed, go to a museum. They tend to be quiet, and often air conditioned as well. Five star hotel lobbies are also good for this. You can totally sit in the lobby of a big hotel, order a tea, and read the paper.
- Don't be so afraid about food and sanitary issues. I mean, don't order the tuna tartare, probably, but drink a lassi without having a panic attack. Actually, yogurt in all forms is a good idea. Eat as much local yogurt as possible, for the probiotic effects. With a few months in country you should be able to build up a degree of resistance to the local bugs.
- Meet, interact with, and talk to locals. In my experience traveling in India, a lot of backpackers tend to interact mostly with other backpackers. (You will even see signs up at some hostels stating that only foreign passport holders are allowed to stay there!) Actual Indians are models for photos, touts to dodge, or beggars to feel sorry for. Meanwhile, my conversations with Indians of all different backgrounds was easily the best thing about my trip and something I haven't been able to replicate in other travels. Especially because so many Indians speak at least a little English, you have a unique opportunity to genuinely meet people on the road. Don't take this for granted, and DEFINITELY don't disrespect or objectify people.
*Staring is not taboo in India. The sooner you deal with this -- especially if you're a woman or are traveling with women -- the better.
posted by Sara C. at 5:40 PM on August 26, 2013 [3 favorites]
Go third class once for the experience
Yeah. Pick a short journey (Delhi to Agra or vice versa comes to mind, or if there's a point where you have to change from a big express train to a little local one) and travel the lowest class.
posted by Sara C. at 5:42 PM on August 26, 2013
Yeah. Pick a short journey (Delhi to Agra or vice versa comes to mind, or if there's a point where you have to change from a big express train to a little local one) and travel the lowest class.
posted by Sara C. at 5:42 PM on August 26, 2013
Seconding Sara C's comment about Delhi. It is the worst possible introduction to India, but much more fun once you've acclimatised and worked out how to work the system.
posted by girlgenius at 5:50 PM on August 26, 2013
posted by girlgenius at 5:50 PM on August 26, 2013
One more thing: cleartrip.com is an excellent site for booking trains.
posted by girlgenius at 6:00 PM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by girlgenius at 6:00 PM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Where are you starting? My absolute favorite part of my India trip was the Manali-Leh highway (the second highest motorable road in the world, supposedly), followed by a week in Leh. Completely, mind-blowingly beautiful and unique. However, you'd have to go pretty soon after arriving in India, and it would only work if you were starting from Delhi, because the road closes sometime in September. Failing that, you can easily spend a couple of weeks in the lower Himalayas.
Re: trains, I found second-class sleeper to be the most interesting. You get to chat with middle-class Indians, who are (massive generalization ahead!) extremely friendly, opinionated, and well-educated. Plus you get the chaiwallas and all the snack vendors. You also get to watch the countryside go by more easily than in first class, which has frosted windows.
If you can, try to spend a few nights here or there in a family home. This was harder when I was in India, but should be easier these days with couchsurfing and airbnb. India can be really overwhelming for a Westerner, and if you're spending a lot of time in touristy areas (which is easy to do since there's so much to see in India!) then you're going to meet a lot of scammers and hustlers. But if you can get to know some Indians who are outside of that whole ecosystem/industry, they'll tell you the secrets, show you the cool stuff, and give you a much better sense of the country.
Don't be afraid to eat from vendors, street stalls, and hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Just look for places that are popular. Do avoid tap water, ice and raw veggies (no salads, sorry). The only times I got sick in India were when I ate salads from restaurants that catered to backpackers.
OTOH, you WILL probably get at least a little sick at some point. It's just how things go.
Don't try to rush around too much. You won't be able to see everything anyway, and it's definitely better to really soak in a few amazing places, rather than getting the superficial view of lots of places. This is true everywhere, but especially India where travelling can involve a lot of headaches.
If India's getting overwhelming and you need a break, go to Nepal. So close, but such a different experience.
posted by lunasol at 6:05 PM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Re: trains, I found second-class sleeper to be the most interesting. You get to chat with middle-class Indians, who are (massive generalization ahead!) extremely friendly, opinionated, and well-educated. Plus you get the chaiwallas and all the snack vendors. You also get to watch the countryside go by more easily than in first class, which has frosted windows.
If you can, try to spend a few nights here or there in a family home. This was harder when I was in India, but should be easier these days with couchsurfing and airbnb. India can be really overwhelming for a Westerner, and if you're spending a lot of time in touristy areas (which is easy to do since there's so much to see in India!) then you're going to meet a lot of scammers and hustlers. But if you can get to know some Indians who are outside of that whole ecosystem/industry, they'll tell you the secrets, show you the cool stuff, and give you a much better sense of the country.
Don't be afraid to eat from vendors, street stalls, and hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Just look for places that are popular. Do avoid tap water, ice and raw veggies (no salads, sorry). The only times I got sick in India were when I ate salads from restaurants that catered to backpackers.
OTOH, you WILL probably get at least a little sick at some point. It's just how things go.
Don't try to rush around too much. You won't be able to see everything anyway, and it's definitely better to really soak in a few amazing places, rather than getting the superficial view of lots of places. This is true everywhere, but especially India where travelling can involve a lot of headaches.
If India's getting overwhelming and you need a break, go to Nepal. So close, but such a different experience.
posted by lunasol at 6:05 PM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Two places I loved and forgot to mention:
Hampi and Amritsar.
In Amritsar I stayed in the Golden Temple the entire time I was there. (There's a small dormitory for non-Sikhs.) It's "free", though a donation is expected and I ended up paying about what I'd have paid for the same number of nights in a cheap hotel. The Golden Temple is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, to the point that I felt almost honored to get to spend a few days there. It's also very spiritual, though not in an evangelistic way.
Hampi isn't nearly as loaded as all that -- just fun as hell, with a trippy landscape and fascinating ruins to explore. It might be crazy hot this time of year, though.
posted by Sara C. at 6:10 PM on August 26, 2013
Hampi and Amritsar.
In Amritsar I stayed in the Golden Temple the entire time I was there. (There's a small dormitory for non-Sikhs.) It's "free", though a donation is expected and I ended up paying about what I'd have paid for the same number of nights in a cheap hotel. The Golden Temple is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, to the point that I felt almost honored to get to spend a few days there. It's also very spiritual, though not in an evangelistic way.
Hampi isn't nearly as loaded as all that -- just fun as hell, with a trippy landscape and fascinating ruins to explore. It might be crazy hot this time of year, though.
posted by Sara C. at 6:10 PM on August 26, 2013
Have you ever been to India before? India is amazing and wonderful, but if this is going to be your first time in a developing nation, it might be extremely jarring. Allow yourself to be a little overwhelmed for a while; it took me probably two weeks to acclimate. (I was there for about four months.)
Where are you planning on going? I was in Pune for a good long time, and I loved it. It's sort of like...the Boston of India. Tons of colleges, lots of tech, TONS of culture, museums, restaurants, etc, but definitely has that feeling of "not the biggest city." (Though it is...enormous.) If you go, go to my favorite restaurant Savera and get the coconut uttapa. Man, just writing this is making my heart hurt and my mouth water.
posted by Charity Garfein at 6:57 PM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Where are you planning on going? I was in Pune for a good long time, and I loved it. It's sort of like...the Boston of India. Tons of colleges, lots of tech, TONS of culture, museums, restaurants, etc, but definitely has that feeling of "not the biggest city." (Though it is...enormous.) If you go, go to my favorite restaurant Savera and get the coconut uttapa. Man, just writing this is making my heart hurt and my mouth water.
posted by Charity Garfein at 6:57 PM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
I agree trains are best, although I'd fly over taking buses based on uh, a few experiences I had (Manali to Leh was amazing overland, however). They have a number of low cost carriers so the prices are decent and I give you permission to skip "the real India" for a couple of days. I found when I was there that the trains were often fully booked so I had to get a little creative on several legs (I think I was by chance running into festival traffic in most cases).
Other than that eat all the things and keep in mind that India will dictate your reality to you and you are just along for the ride.
posted by MillMan at 7:03 PM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Other than that eat all the things and keep in mind that India will dictate your reality to you and you are just along for the ride.
posted by MillMan at 7:03 PM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Ladakh in th Indian Himalayas is stunningly beautiful and totally different from the rest of the country. If you're an active person, you can trek in areas that feel lost in time. I absolutely loved Leh and the surrounding area, but it's pretty high altitude, so be prepared for a good three day rest when you arrive.
And if you'd rather relax, A multi-day private river boat trip on the back waters of Kerala in India's south might be for you.
Also, 7k is a huge budget for that timeframe. You should be able to stay in luxury if you plan to spend it all.
posted by way_out_west at 3:49 AM on August 27, 2013
And if you'd rather relax, A multi-day private river boat trip on the back waters of Kerala in India's south might be for you.
Also, 7k is a huge budget for that timeframe. You should be able to stay in luxury if you plan to spend it all.
posted by way_out_west at 3:49 AM on August 27, 2013
I'm only planning a 2 week trip to (north) India, but I've found a lot of good advice on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forums. There are a lot of long trip (> 1 month) backpackers/travelers asking and giving advice on there.
Also, my family is originally from way south in India, and I see mostly recommendations for northern cities here, but if you have 80 days, you might be interested in doing a river trip in Kerala or a tour of the ancient temples in Tamil Nadu. I don't think many tourists make it down there, and it's a shame - it's less political/historical, perhaps, but the food and the languages are very different, and it's worth experiencing a little bit (though I completely understand the pull of the north - with the Golden Triangle, Rajasthan, and the Himalayan towns; I'm planning my trip, and I'm pretty excited).
posted by bluefly at 7:20 AM on August 27, 2013
Also, my family is originally from way south in India, and I see mostly recommendations for northern cities here, but if you have 80 days, you might be interested in doing a river trip in Kerala or a tour of the ancient temples in Tamil Nadu. I don't think many tourists make it down there, and it's a shame - it's less political/historical, perhaps, but the food and the languages are very different, and it's worth experiencing a little bit (though I completely understand the pull of the north - with the Golden Triangle, Rajasthan, and the Himalayan towns; I'm planning my trip, and I'm pretty excited).
posted by bluefly at 7:20 AM on August 27, 2013
My favorite place in India is Kashmir. I'm not sure of the safety of travelling there, but if you do I recommend staying at Mr. Butt's Clermont Houseboats in Srinagar. My family has been going there since my Great-grandma used to take her family there for the summer. The houseboats are amazing -- all hand-carved wood and awesomeness.
posted by Margalo Epps at 9:03 PM on August 27, 2013
posted by Margalo Epps at 9:03 PM on August 27, 2013
Nthing Lakdakh and Leh. A totally different culture and pace than the rest of India I saw. Allow plenty of time.
Consider Jaisalmer in the west of Rajasthan. Mt Abu for the place that Indian tourists go. I'd have loved to go to Srinagar.
Trains are great.
posted by Flashduck at 11:15 AM on September 6, 2013
Consider Jaisalmer in the west of Rajasthan. Mt Abu for the place that Indian tourists go. I'd have loved to go to Srinagar.
Trains are great.
posted by Flashduck at 11:15 AM on September 6, 2013
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posted by kdern at 5:01 PM on August 26, 2013