Trip Report: Northern India (August 5–23, 2007) (page 2 of 2)

Hello, Kaku in February: I don’t have a specific viewpoint, but by checking the region’s weather stats, you should be able to get an idea. You’ll sleep on camp beds with mattresses, sheets, and blankets. If it’s warm, under the stars; if it’s cold, in tents. Locals (6 in our case) will be with you (but nearby) to prepare meals, set up beds, and keep you safe if that’s a concern. You won’t sleep very well (paradoxically, there’s a lot of noise in the desert). You’ll go by jeep, and the track is bumpy. I don’t see any age-related contraindications, but it’s up to you to form your own opinion.

Have a great trip!

T

Hello,

You were much braver than we were—we’re heading on a package tour to Rajasthan on September 16 for two weeks.

Still, thank you for all this great info—I’ll be keeping it!

I wanted to ask if it’s possible to have silk clothes made there, like they do in Vietnam or Thailand… and what the prices are like? You mentioned jewelry at great prices in Jaipur—could you tell me more? Do you have any addresses for quality pieces?

Thanks in advance!

Flora13

There are tailors everywhere. We went for cotton shirts and trousers. I didn’t check if they did the same in silk. In our case, it was done in Udaipur near our hotel. Very professional, huge fabric selection, measurements taken in the evening, delivery the next morning.

For jewelry, we didn’t invest. Just in Jaipur there’s plenty everywhere. Use a guidebook (Lonely Planet, etc.) to be safer.

Happy travels!

Hi Thierry,

A huge thank you for your detailed and personal account—I really enjoyed your style of observations. I’m planning a three-week trip with our two daughters for next August, so the same setup as yours, including Athiti! Rajeev is very professional, but I’m asking him for some changes since some hotels don’t suit us, and I’ll also be tweaking the itinerary based on your report and others.

Would you be so kind as to answer a few questions?

- When Rajeev gives a travel time between two cities, does that include just one stop for a quick lunch? Or do we have time to stop in one or two villages? - The driver: is it easy to have him follow our preferred order for visits? - You mentioned rickshaws in some places—was that because it was more fun, or because the driver wouldn’t take you to all the walking/excursion spots you asked for? And in the evening, if we don’t want to dine at the hotel to avoid sometimes prohibitive prices, does he take you where you want? - You didn’t mention the heat in August: does that mean it was manageable? And the mosquitoes? - I’d like to know if the lakes in cities are actually mosquito hotspots, and a detail... the smells around the lakes—are they okay? - Based on your advice, I’m cutting Bundi, which doesn’t seem to win everyone over. I’m even wondering if we should keep Chittorgarh—what do you think? - Jaipur: I’m thinking of skipping it or visiting quickly while staying at Samode Palace. Did you do that by spending two nights at Samode, or did you also stay in Jaipur? How long is the drive between Samode and Jaipur?

Thanks so much!!!

Have a great day,

Dominique

Hi there,

Here are my answers to your questions:

1/ I calculated the travel times myself, assuming an average speed of 40 km/h and a 1-hour break for every 4 hours on the road. 2/ You need to be firm with the driver—he might take you anywhere (clarify with Rajeev if needed), and it’s up to you to decide, whether in cities or on the road. 3/ Rickshaws: For us, having a driver felt restrictive, so we loved being independent again. 4/ Dining outside the hotel: Always choose for yourself using guidebooks (paper ones). 5/ Heat: It’s intense but, from our perspective (family with teens), totally manageable. 6/ Mosquitoes: We didn’t encounter any, but we still sprayed ourselves daily just in case. 7/ Lakes: The only lake area we visited was near Udaipur—no odor or mosquito issues while we were there. 8/ Chittorgarh: We didn’t go. 9/ Samode: We didn’t visit Samode; it was just the name of our hotel in Jaipur (Samode Haveli—well-located and very stylish).

That’s all!

A big thank you, Thierry, for your replies! Good evening—I’m in the middle of "fine-tuning" my itinerary, so I might hit you up with a few more questions.

At the hotels, did you get the impression that the rooms Rajeev booked were well-chosen within the property? Good location, quiet, with a view? Basically, did you feel like Athiti’s status as a big client meant they took extra care of their guests?

Thanks, and have a great evening!

Dominique

Nope

I didn’t get the feeling there was any special care taken.

Some hotels were great, others were completely standard.

The only hotel offered by Athiti wasn’t good quality.

Thierry

Hello,

We’re wondering if we’ll finally decide to go to India (roughly the same route as yours) during the last three weeks of July next year. We’re really hesitant because of the temperatures, which are supposed to be quite hot at that time, as well as the discomfort of the monsoon. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Is it still possible to have a beautiful and enjoyable trip despite the heat during that period? By the way, I really enjoyed your trave

Hello

Five years later, we have no memory of either rain or extreme heat.

Sure, it’s hot and humid in the middle of the day, but it’s entirely bearable (at least for healthy adults/teens), and after a few days we were completely acclimated.

Occasionally, we preferred to stay by the hotel pool during the hottest part of the day, but that was pretty rare.

Most of our hotels had air conditioning, as did the car.

Greetings from Trois-Rivières (we have wonderful memories of our trip to Quebec)

Jaipur : ....... Amber Fort is a total tourist trap. ... The elephant ride up is the ultimate tourist attraction: hundreds of tourists on elephants in single file, for 550 INR for two people, and a 10-minute climb with souvenir vendors shouting the whole way while the elephant handler reminds you ten times that you’ll need to tip him. Tourism at its worst. ... ... It’s just a big city packed with shops that pay commissions to touts of every kind. Still, there’s one really nice textile shop that doesn’t look like much but has fixed prices, is cheap, and sells gorgeous-quality products: SOMA (http://www.somashop.com/). The local middle and upper class come here for home textiles (tablecloths, bedspreads, sheets, curtains) and clothing. .... Thierry

A few years later, I’ll add two more thoughts on Jaipur after our 2019 visit:

The elephant ride up to Amber Fort. As soon as we arrived near the fort, we noticed dozens of tourists riding elephants up the hill. The sight was absolutely ridiculous, with their heads bobbing back and forth to the elephants’ steps. They looked so dumb (and I mean that—let me use the word just this once!). Like Thierry said, it’s tourism at its worst. For that reason—and maybe another I’ve forgotten—we decided to skip the fort altogether.

The shops: Nothing to say about SOMA—we didn’t go there this time. But yes, Jaipur has an insane number of shops. The bazaar in the city center is incredible, especially the textile stores. We bought some stunning fabrics and had them made into custom shirts by a Chinese tailor in Saphan Khway (Bangkok). Those shirts later made a few friends green with envy!