Backpacking India

[nochee]

I know a few on here have traveled a bit, but has anyone been around India?

Im getting itchy feet again and thinking that after Glastonbury i might take another trip for 6 months. India is a place that ive never been to, and because i have it in my head that its dirt cheap, fancy having a peek at.

Can anyone give me some tips/info?

[BANGKOK RED]

I wouldn't consider backpacking for India myself. From what I have heard, if you don't stay in some degree of comfort then you are very prone to fall very ill.

I think that Bob's Orange stayed there for a bit although not as a backpacker. He should know more than I do.

[nochee]

I think these days "backpacking"  includes comfort. Im sure India has a backpackers route with hostels and cheap hotels. I dont really plan to rough it, just check it out in an easy, laid back stoner way.

I was just hoping to get some do's and donts from some who have been. i only really came up with the idea last night, so its ifs and maybes.

[BANGKOK RED]

Backpacking or not (and I am no stranger to 'roughing it' myself), for me the words 'hostels', 'cheap hotels' and 'India' are enough to make me stay at home or or go elsewhere. You might get away with it if you are streetwise to the country but I doubt that you are.

Having never been to India myself I may be wrong but I have heard from plenty other people that you should go either 5 star or not at all.

[china red]

A few friends have spent some time in India and really liked it.  Even if your not impressed there are plenty of other places within a short flight to make the trip worthwhile. 

[nochee]

Im not a 5 star hotel kind of person myself. Im not keen on the falseness of the staff that kiss your ass with their "yes sir, of course sir " crap, and then charge you a fortune for the privilige. Of course, a clean room, decent wash facilities are always welcome, but you can get this in cheaper, more down to earth places.

Im reading a few blogs of travellers in India and i find the best stories are the ones that have had some kind of adventure. Sometimes the hardest and toughest trips make the best memories and stories.

Im not ignoring your advice completely, i have also heard that it is a tough country to travel. Hence wanting some advice from those that have already experienced the place.

[nochee]

A few friends have spent some time in India and really liked it.  Even if your not impressed there are plenty of other places within a short flight to make the trip worthwhile. 

Such as, china red? Where would you recommend?

[china red]

Such as, china red? Where would you recommend?

Yeah China is worth a trip, some love it others hate it to be honest with you.  Lot's of cities worth a visit, really would depend on what you wanted to see.  I live in the south west which is less developed than the east coast but we have things like the Three Gorges, plenty of panda preservation projects in and around Chengdu.  I always advise people to visit Yunnan province which is an amazing place, especially Dali, Li Jiang and Shangri La.  Quite easy (but quite expensive) to get to Tibet these days but you can also go to western Sichuan or Qing Hai which both have massive Tibetan populations.  I live in a city called Chong Qing which is surrounded by mountains (more like big hills really), it's interesting for a few days and is reputed to have the most beautiful girls in the whole country.  Other places worth visiting are Beijing, Xian for the terra-cotta army, Nanjing for a bit of history, Suzhou and Hangzhou are really nice.  The lonely planet guide for China is quite reliable and worth having a look at if you do plan to visit.

Also the Trans Siberian from Moscow to Beijing is apparently an interesting way to get to this part of the world and I have friends who have done it for about 500 euros.

Ever considered a working holiday?  Really easy to get work as an English teacher (no tefl/celta/degree required here) and you can combine working and traveling.

[BANGKOK RED]

Whoosh.

[Bob's Orange]

I went there with work Nochee and stayed in a 5 star hotel (paid by work thankfully).

My dad came out for 1 week to stay as well and we both found the staff at the hotel an absolute pleasure. Very very hard working, very friendly and would do anything for you. Would always get a 'Good Morning Mr Orange etc and they were geniunely lovely people. In fact in general the Indian people are fantastic. This may sound harsh, but India is a shithole, but the people are very very proud of their country and love to show it off to tourists.

We stayed in Bangalore which didn't quite have the hustle and bustle of Mumbai which to me was good. We visited Delhi which I wasn't massively fond of but you must must must go and see the Taj Mahal.

I came back with lots of memories, some good some not so good but I wouldn't change my 3 months their for anything, was a great experience. Oh and the food there is brilliant as well .

[Amir]

I'm off to India for 6 months at the start of June(plus Nepal and Bangladesh), then off to SE Asia for 5 months after that.  If you are thinking of going around that time, you should start to organise your vacinations pretty soon.

As for level of comfort etc. having spoken to a lot of people about it, there is plenty to chose from and you don't have to break the bank to get somewhere good.  For instance, friends of ours went recently and budgeted themselves £250 a month each, and still managed to stay in a nice-ish place every once in a while.

[thedarkprince]

China Red - I should be in Beijing for a few weeks at some point in the near future.  Anything you'd advise I definitely see when out there other than a rather large brick wall?  

Only been to South India and have to say have enjoyed it both times.  Its a bit weird first of all as there's extreme poverty alongside extreme wealth so can be a bit disorientating.  Only really been in and around Bangalore (work) but have ventured out to Mysore, Mangalore and Chennai (Madras).  If you're into partying then hit Goa.

Heard great things about Kashmir but that's a whole different ball game given the tension between India and Pakistan... and the frequency of bombings that largely goes unreported outside of India.

You'll also need to watch out for the monsoon season as it differs all across the country. 

[thedarkprince]

We stayed in Bangalore which didn't quite have the hustle and bustle of Mumbai which to me was good.

Bangalore.  5 Star.  Leela Palace?

[Luci]

Im very envious.  Always wanted to go to India and some people I know who have been did 6 months and said it was an amazing experience.

For info if you haven't looked already, I'd highly reccommend the Lonely Planet forums - there is so much information on there its unreal.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa

Nepal & Bhutan might be worth considering too depending on budget.

[oxford_fan]

india would be great for backpacking. a few mates have done it and loved it

i went to goa (nothing like the rest of india apparently) a few years back, was proper nice.