INDIA
Due to India's size, geographical, economical, and cultural differences across twenty eight unique states, the country defies a simple description. It's an agglomeration of separate and distinct regions brought together first by the British East India company's military rule then after independence by a common heritage. India's sheer numbers thrust country's politics and economics to front page news. With a population approaching 1.2 billion people, even a small percentage equates to a significant quantity - 400 million people live below the $1.25 per day poverty line benchmark, more people than the 26 poorest African nations combined; 638 million people need to defecate in public (hence recently elected PM Narenda Modi's a "Toilet before Temples" campaign). 29 different languages have more than one million primary speakers. Hindi, the most common language is the primary language for only 41% of the population; the next closest is Bengali with 9% of the population. The magnitude of people and their activities is both India's greatest asset and liability and how the country advanceS will be a major 21st century story line.
INDIA DESTINATIONS
AGRA
|
BODH GAYA
|
CALCUTTA
|
COIMBATORE
|
DELHI
|
JAIPUR
|
JODHPUR
|
KHAJURAHO
|
MATHURA
|
MCLEOD GANJ
|
ORCHHA
|
OOTY
|
SUNDARBANS
|
VARANASI
|
India has a phrase: “Everything will be alright in the end; if it’s not alright, it’s not the end.” It's the only place I've been to that has it's own distinct sense across all five senses: sight, smell, taste, sound, and feel...it's indescribable...it's simply India. There's no place I'd more highly recommend...there's no place with as many caveats. It's intense...it's unfiltered...and for the traveler who can be patient and handle the adversity it's rewarding.
I’ve never ran a marathon but I imagine that the euphoria associated with crossing the finish line is similar to the emotion felt when leaving India. There is a relief and joyous sense of accomplishment for completing your travels which at the starting line seemed to be an insurmountable task.
The best vacations all involve crazy events not covered or discussed in the guidebook - by this measurement India is the greatest vacation ever. The country defies any simple, concise description to the uninitiated traveler; there is simply too many incoherent events and instances of mankind in which the phrase “Only in India” can accurately describe...you see other travelers and there is a silent recognition of the craziness. Although no matter what happens during your Indian adventure...In the end, everything will be alright.
I’ve never ran a marathon but I imagine that the euphoria associated with crossing the finish line is similar to the emotion felt when leaving India. There is a relief and joyous sense of accomplishment for completing your travels which at the starting line seemed to be an insurmountable task.
The best vacations all involve crazy events not covered or discussed in the guidebook - by this measurement India is the greatest vacation ever. The country defies any simple, concise description to the uninitiated traveler; there is simply too many incoherent events and instances of mankind in which the phrase “Only in India” can accurately describe...you see other travelers and there is a silent recognition of the craziness. Although no matter what happens during your Indian adventure...In the end, everything will be alright.
COUNTRY BACKGROUND
HISTORY
600-1200: Regional kingdoms; unification of nomadic Muslim tribes
1500-1800: Moghul empire pacifies those conquered -> uniform rule leads to economic/commercial expansion
1757: Battle of Plassey establishes British East India company rule
1858: Admin of India shifts from British East Co. to UK Govt.
August 15, 1947: Independence from UK (Republic Day Jan. 26) and partition with Pakistan
GOVERNMENT
Democracy - Three National Branches - very strong state governments:
1) Executive: President (Head of State - Pranab Mukherjee, indirect legislative election) appoints Prime Minister (Chief of Govt - Narenda Modi) - 5 year terms
2) Legislative: Upper (elected by state legislatures) and Lower (direct citizen vote)
3) Judicial
Six national parties; Forty seven state/regional parties
28 states and 7 union territories (i.e. Delhi, Adaman Islands, and similar areas)
ECONOMY
10th largest by GDP but 130th per capita
Ease of Business: 132
1991: Shift from protectionist policies to free market; since policy shift 5.8% average annual growth rate
56% services; 26% industrial; 18% agriculture
97% of population below $5.00/day-> 1.179 billion; Poverty varies significantly by state - Kerala lowest; Bihar highest
182,000 millionaires in 2013
EDUCATION
Public (national and state level involvement) and private yet very regionalized; i.e. West Bengal had no English language courses until 2008
Literacy Rate: 73% - Male: 81% - Female: 65%
HEALTHCARE
Universal health care system (with several five year improvement plans) in addition to a more frequently used private sector
Health care tourism to world class facilities which cannot be accessed by the majority of India’s citizens
2012: Polio free
42% of children under three are malnourished vs. 28% in sub-Saharan Africa
From 2001-2006, economy grew 50% but malnourishment rate dropped 1%
1.72 million children die each year under the age of 1 -> diarrheal diseases due to poor sanitation and water quality are primary cause
122 million household have no toilets; 33% lack access to bathroom; 50% (638 million) defecate in the open - Bangladesh 7%; China 4%
88% access to clean water
600-1200: Regional kingdoms; unification of nomadic Muslim tribes
1500-1800: Moghul empire pacifies those conquered -> uniform rule leads to economic/commercial expansion
1757: Battle of Plassey establishes British East India company rule
1858: Admin of India shifts from British East Co. to UK Govt.
August 15, 1947: Independence from UK (Republic Day Jan. 26) and partition with Pakistan
GOVERNMENT
Democracy - Three National Branches - very strong state governments:
1) Executive: President (Head of State - Pranab Mukherjee, indirect legislative election) appoints Prime Minister (Chief of Govt - Narenda Modi) - 5 year terms
2) Legislative: Upper (elected by state legislatures) and Lower (direct citizen vote)
3) Judicial
Six national parties; Forty seven state/regional parties
28 states and 7 union territories (i.e. Delhi, Adaman Islands, and similar areas)
ECONOMY
10th largest by GDP but 130th per capita
Ease of Business: 132
1991: Shift from protectionist policies to free market; since policy shift 5.8% average annual growth rate
56% services; 26% industrial; 18% agriculture
97% of population below $5.00/day-> 1.179 billion; Poverty varies significantly by state - Kerala lowest; Bihar highest
182,000 millionaires in 2013
EDUCATION
Public (national and state level involvement) and private yet very regionalized; i.e. West Bengal had no English language courses until 2008
Literacy Rate: 73% - Male: 81% - Female: 65%
HEALTHCARE
Universal health care system (with several five year improvement plans) in addition to a more frequently used private sector
Health care tourism to world class facilities which cannot be accessed by the majority of India’s citizens
2012: Polio free
42% of children under three are malnourished vs. 28% in sub-Saharan Africa
From 2001-2006, economy grew 50% but malnourishment rate dropped 1%
1.72 million children die each year under the age of 1 -> diarrheal diseases due to poor sanitation and water quality are primary cause
122 million household have no toilets; 33% lack access to bathroom; 50% (638 million) defecate in the open - Bangladesh 7%; China 4%
88% access to clean water
TRAVEL INFORMATION
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
Very few hostels and Western hotels are typically way overpriced compared to their domestic counterparts.
Room prices range from $2 - $20 per night. $2 is a single, hard mattress and questionable sheets in a room not much larger than 5’ x 8’, shared pit bathroom with hot water bucket for shower, and maybe common area wifi. $20 is a double size and comfortable mattress with clean sheets, private bathroom with continuous hot water, and in-room wifi. Typically there’s no bathtub or shower stall and the hot water is available at fixed times (usually 7-9 am/pm). Bathing by a bucket of hot water isn’t too bad after the first time.
There’s no real set price to quality ratio because in most cases you can negotiate a rate or select between several rooms on arrival but $7 - $12 should cover a tolerable nights stay. There’s a trade off between pre-booking and finding accommodation on arrival: pre-booking guarantees a room in a desired location and there’s no need to deal with touts but an on arrival reservation allows you to negotiate a better rate. Often times only the premium rooms are available for pre-booking online reservations and the difference can be a 50% savings vs booking on arrival. With pre-booking you also run the risk of the hotel looking different than the photos or not offering all the services claimed online (hot shower, A/C, wifi, etc.). WiFi will always be hit or miss with slow speeds.
If you take a rickshaw to your hotel you will almost ALWAYS be taken to a different hotel first. The only way to avoid this is to have your hotel arrange for someone to pick you up - there’s no extra fee associated with this. If you do not go forward with the rickshaw driver “suggested” accommodation it is likely that the driver will not take you to your final location and engineer some sort of an excuse - road closure or they don’t know where your hotel is located - to avoid driving you any farther. Therefore if you pre-book you should ensure your hotel is near a major site to assist with finding once your ride prematurely ends. The hotel your autorickshaw brings you to may be of adequate quality but typically you won’t be negotiating from a position of strength for room price and you’re also hurting a business that conducts itself with a higher level of integrity.
FOOD
On a cost per deliciousness ratio no country can compare to India's cuisine.
While cheap accommodations may leave something to be desired, the cheap food is absolutely fabulous. Three weeks in India and not a single bad meal. From a combination of toast, eggs, vegetables, coffee/tea breakfasts starting at $2 to tandoori chicken, paan, and diet coke dinners starting at $5 the variety, flavor, and taste for the price are unmatched to anywhere else in the world. It’s ironic that most Indians are vegetarians because between kebabs and the tandoori they have mastered the art of cooking meat. A $10 meal in an upscale restaurant will have a better environment but the taste will be about the same as the $5 restaurant. It doesn't make too much financial sense to patronize upmarket restaurants.
Since India isn’t a well trampled travel location the way Western Europe is, I found that tour guide recommendations, such as Karim’s and Kake Da Hotel in Delhi, still had an air of authenticity and locality to them - I was the only Westerner in both places during a crowded lunch hour.
The street food looks tempting but after an early morning walk the sight of where these cooks were washing their dishes had me avoiding this food option for the entire trip. I didn’t get sick for the entire trip so that was a worthwhile trade-off. You should only drink bottle water.
There is no pig or cow products and mutton on the menu typically means goat. Beer can be hard to find but on a positive side, at $1 - $1.50 per liter of Kingfisher, that can typically shave a third off the price of your bill and prevents stumbling along uneven or non-existent sidewalks back to the hotel.
SITES, ATTRACTIONS, ADVENTURES
For most sites the standard single entry fee is 250R (~$4) but 750R (~$13) for the Taj. These prices are typically 10x higher for the foreign tourist than Indian. While Foreigners are charged higher fees there are also dedicated ticket counters and security lines so you aren’t behind a couple hundred people trying to enter places like the Red Fort. Fortunately all of the tout riffraff that exists at the site entrance is not pervasive once you step inside. Although there may be 1,000s of people with you at a site you can actually enjoy the experience without someone constantly pestering you for tour services or purchasing a magnet. For several major sites, such as the Taj, an audio guide is available for download for Apple and Android operating systems for $1.99.
In Delhi, Agra, and elsewhere rickshaw drivers will offer their services to cover multiple locations and act as a chauffeur. This can actually be beneficial and negotiating a single one-day rate reduces the hassle of doing this every time you leave a site - just be sure to research how much these services should cost in advance or arrange through your hotel. If you arrange through the hotel you can place a call to the hotel if the rickshaw driver attempts to charge a higher fare on the way back.
The Sundarbans could be tricky to book on your own especially if you are short on time - the tour group I went with was phenomenal and if you’re interested I can pass along the contact info. The Sundarbans has man eating tigers but there is 0% chance of seeing one.
IN COUNTRY TRAVEL
Train and bus traverse the country. Nobody is riding on top of trains Slumdog style.
Booking train tickets is quite the process and must be done in advance unless you want to gamble you can get a tourist allotted seat or don’t mind riding with the locals in sleeper class. Boarding sleeper class is a zombie like experience in which people start jumping on the train before it stops and going head first through any open windows they can find. I found this website extremely useful for train registration and booking: www.seat61.com
A quick summary on the booking process: to purchase tickets online you must first register with Indian Railways (which has an additional step if you don’t have an Indian mobile phone number) and then register with ClearTrip which allows you to use a credit card to purchase train tickets in advance. Tickets should be purchased at least a month in advance and you are essentially trading flexible travel plans for a reserved seat on a desired train. Train tickets are cheap - a twelve hour journey in class 2A typically costs less than $15.
A key decision is what class and seat to select. 2A berths seat six, 3A seats eight - but otherwise they are very similar - the side seats are exactly the same in 2A and 3A but the key consideration is whether or not there will be space for your luggage in 3A. If you are riding a cross country train for only a midpoint section chances are high that when you board the train the luggage spaces under the seat will be filled and you’ll be stuck sharing your bed with your luggage. 3A also seemed to attract a more boisterous crowd of friends and family members whose seats are in different berths but all congregate in one area - whether this is a positive or negative is relative to how much sleep you were planning when you purchased the ticket.
When booking your tickets try to find a train that originates at your departure station rather than one that passes through - this may not always be possible or fit your time schedule but doing so should help to minimize delays. Originating trains will also be cleaning than hopping on a cross-country train at a midway point.
Train stations vary in quality and services offered. They can be great for Indian visuals but typically there’s not much to do otherwise. The waiting rooms are bad - hard seating and no temperature controls and cow shit can go uncleaned for more than two hours. Train stations have “retiring rooms” and cloak rooms but opening hours may not coincide with your arrival and departure.
I did not travel by bus but this tickets are slightly more expensive (a 12 hour journey may cost about $20) however the tickets can be purchased day of travel or if you absolutely want a seat confirmation a day or two in advance. Traveling by bus is a little more dangerous too - 135,000 people died via bus travel in 2013.
Autorickshaws are a convenient, fun, and cheap way to travel around a city - Delhi had metered rickshaws but every other location you needed to negotiate in advance. The “Only in India” moments would typically occur when the autorickshaw driver would change fare and location mid-ride. It’s one thing to overcharge someone, but to then overcharge them again mid-ride or not drop them at the agreed upon destination is another India travel hassle. There’s not much you can do - fortunately every time this happened I could see or knew where I needed to walk to.
OTHER INFO
Visa Requirements: Yes - I went through CBIT agency to process
Vaccinations: Yes and malaria medication too
City of Djinns by William Dalrymple, How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life by the Dalai Lama, and Calcutta: Two Years in the City by Amit Chaudhuri were all goods reads and provided background for the major cities visited.
Very few hostels and Western hotels are typically way overpriced compared to their domestic counterparts.
Room prices range from $2 - $20 per night. $2 is a single, hard mattress and questionable sheets in a room not much larger than 5’ x 8’, shared pit bathroom with hot water bucket for shower, and maybe common area wifi. $20 is a double size and comfortable mattress with clean sheets, private bathroom with continuous hot water, and in-room wifi. Typically there’s no bathtub or shower stall and the hot water is available at fixed times (usually 7-9 am/pm). Bathing by a bucket of hot water isn’t too bad after the first time.
There’s no real set price to quality ratio because in most cases you can negotiate a rate or select between several rooms on arrival but $7 - $12 should cover a tolerable nights stay. There’s a trade off between pre-booking and finding accommodation on arrival: pre-booking guarantees a room in a desired location and there’s no need to deal with touts but an on arrival reservation allows you to negotiate a better rate. Often times only the premium rooms are available for pre-booking online reservations and the difference can be a 50% savings vs booking on arrival. With pre-booking you also run the risk of the hotel looking different than the photos or not offering all the services claimed online (hot shower, A/C, wifi, etc.). WiFi will always be hit or miss with slow speeds.
If you take a rickshaw to your hotel you will almost ALWAYS be taken to a different hotel first. The only way to avoid this is to have your hotel arrange for someone to pick you up - there’s no extra fee associated with this. If you do not go forward with the rickshaw driver “suggested” accommodation it is likely that the driver will not take you to your final location and engineer some sort of an excuse - road closure or they don’t know where your hotel is located - to avoid driving you any farther. Therefore if you pre-book you should ensure your hotel is near a major site to assist with finding once your ride prematurely ends. The hotel your autorickshaw brings you to may be of adequate quality but typically you won’t be negotiating from a position of strength for room price and you’re also hurting a business that conducts itself with a higher level of integrity.
FOOD
On a cost per deliciousness ratio no country can compare to India's cuisine.
While cheap accommodations may leave something to be desired, the cheap food is absolutely fabulous. Three weeks in India and not a single bad meal. From a combination of toast, eggs, vegetables, coffee/tea breakfasts starting at $2 to tandoori chicken, paan, and diet coke dinners starting at $5 the variety, flavor, and taste for the price are unmatched to anywhere else in the world. It’s ironic that most Indians are vegetarians because between kebabs and the tandoori they have mastered the art of cooking meat. A $10 meal in an upscale restaurant will have a better environment but the taste will be about the same as the $5 restaurant. It doesn't make too much financial sense to patronize upmarket restaurants.
Since India isn’t a well trampled travel location the way Western Europe is, I found that tour guide recommendations, such as Karim’s and Kake Da Hotel in Delhi, still had an air of authenticity and locality to them - I was the only Westerner in both places during a crowded lunch hour.
The street food looks tempting but after an early morning walk the sight of where these cooks were washing their dishes had me avoiding this food option for the entire trip. I didn’t get sick for the entire trip so that was a worthwhile trade-off. You should only drink bottle water.
There is no pig or cow products and mutton on the menu typically means goat. Beer can be hard to find but on a positive side, at $1 - $1.50 per liter of Kingfisher, that can typically shave a third off the price of your bill and prevents stumbling along uneven or non-existent sidewalks back to the hotel.
SITES, ATTRACTIONS, ADVENTURES
For most sites the standard single entry fee is 250R (~$4) but 750R (~$13) for the Taj. These prices are typically 10x higher for the foreign tourist than Indian. While Foreigners are charged higher fees there are also dedicated ticket counters and security lines so you aren’t behind a couple hundred people trying to enter places like the Red Fort. Fortunately all of the tout riffraff that exists at the site entrance is not pervasive once you step inside. Although there may be 1,000s of people with you at a site you can actually enjoy the experience without someone constantly pestering you for tour services or purchasing a magnet. For several major sites, such as the Taj, an audio guide is available for download for Apple and Android operating systems for $1.99.
In Delhi, Agra, and elsewhere rickshaw drivers will offer their services to cover multiple locations and act as a chauffeur. This can actually be beneficial and negotiating a single one-day rate reduces the hassle of doing this every time you leave a site - just be sure to research how much these services should cost in advance or arrange through your hotel. If you arrange through the hotel you can place a call to the hotel if the rickshaw driver attempts to charge a higher fare on the way back.
The Sundarbans could be tricky to book on your own especially if you are short on time - the tour group I went with was phenomenal and if you’re interested I can pass along the contact info. The Sundarbans has man eating tigers but there is 0% chance of seeing one.
IN COUNTRY TRAVEL
Train and bus traverse the country. Nobody is riding on top of trains Slumdog style.
Booking train tickets is quite the process and must be done in advance unless you want to gamble you can get a tourist allotted seat or don’t mind riding with the locals in sleeper class. Boarding sleeper class is a zombie like experience in which people start jumping on the train before it stops and going head first through any open windows they can find. I found this website extremely useful for train registration and booking: www.seat61.com
A quick summary on the booking process: to purchase tickets online you must first register with Indian Railways (which has an additional step if you don’t have an Indian mobile phone number) and then register with ClearTrip which allows you to use a credit card to purchase train tickets in advance. Tickets should be purchased at least a month in advance and you are essentially trading flexible travel plans for a reserved seat on a desired train. Train tickets are cheap - a twelve hour journey in class 2A typically costs less than $15.
A key decision is what class and seat to select. 2A berths seat six, 3A seats eight - but otherwise they are very similar - the side seats are exactly the same in 2A and 3A but the key consideration is whether or not there will be space for your luggage in 3A. If you are riding a cross country train for only a midpoint section chances are high that when you board the train the luggage spaces under the seat will be filled and you’ll be stuck sharing your bed with your luggage. 3A also seemed to attract a more boisterous crowd of friends and family members whose seats are in different berths but all congregate in one area - whether this is a positive or negative is relative to how much sleep you were planning when you purchased the ticket.
When booking your tickets try to find a train that originates at your departure station rather than one that passes through - this may not always be possible or fit your time schedule but doing so should help to minimize delays. Originating trains will also be cleaning than hopping on a cross-country train at a midway point.
Train stations vary in quality and services offered. They can be great for Indian visuals but typically there’s not much to do otherwise. The waiting rooms are bad - hard seating and no temperature controls and cow shit can go uncleaned for more than two hours. Train stations have “retiring rooms” and cloak rooms but opening hours may not coincide with your arrival and departure.
I did not travel by bus but this tickets are slightly more expensive (a 12 hour journey may cost about $20) however the tickets can be purchased day of travel or if you absolutely want a seat confirmation a day or two in advance. Traveling by bus is a little more dangerous too - 135,000 people died via bus travel in 2013.
Autorickshaws are a convenient, fun, and cheap way to travel around a city - Delhi had metered rickshaws but every other location you needed to negotiate in advance. The “Only in India” moments would typically occur when the autorickshaw driver would change fare and location mid-ride. It’s one thing to overcharge someone, but to then overcharge them again mid-ride or not drop them at the agreed upon destination is another India travel hassle. There’s not much you can do - fortunately every time this happened I could see or knew where I needed to walk to.
OTHER INFO
Visa Requirements: Yes - I went through CBIT agency to process
Vaccinations: Yes and malaria medication too
City of Djinns by William Dalrymple, How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life by the Dalai Lama, and Calcutta: Two Years in the City by Amit Chaudhuri were all goods reads and provided background for the major cities visited.