Kolkata -> Varanasi -> Mumbai
Is this doable in 28 days? Anywhere I should see in between cities? I'm thinking 5 days in Kolkata. 5 days in Varanasi. 5 days of travel and about 13 days in Mumbai.
Please let me know your stories of India. This will be my last solo-trip for decades to come.
damn OP, RIP bro. I hope those parasites will be worth it.
Just don't eat meat at any place that doesn't have AC. Only drink bottled water too and be weary about raw juices/sauces that would be made with tap water
Also, we always hear about the scammers. There must be "cool" Indians you run into as well? Can drink with, shoot the shit? Is there any sort of nightlife? Do they have their own music they are playing in the clubs, what is the atmosphere like?
Are locals happy to see tourists or hostile?
I haven't been but I'm guessing the music is much like what I always hear my taxi drivers play - they love that bollywood style shit
On this topic, is India considerably less of a hassle if you're willing to pay a lot more, or is it a nightmare no matter what?
I.e., if I were to only eat at expensive restaurants, would the risk of food poisoning drop considerably?
For sure. India can become Dubai-tier of luxury if you throw some money around. It's not even a lot more because of how powerful the dollar is. Street food and more greasy spoon canteens are still really good though so don't avoid them.
The younger crowd, like sub-40s, loves tourists/whiteys. Most of them can speak English and will happily entertain you, they know all the good clubs/pubs. Everyone else will just stare at you but it's not like Japan where they despise your existence.
I was there recently and I took a doxy (with probiotic) and ivermectin every morning. It's dirt cheap at pharmacies there. I took some risks with food and those chewing leaves but I don't think I caught anything. 28 days might be a long time to do that though.
rajasthan area is very cool, especially Jaipur and (I've heard) Aghra. Don't recommend Bangalore. Goa is supposedly a great vacation spot.
What is wrong with Bangalore?
No one has mentioned the women yet
>No one has mentioned the women yet
Just search the archives for India and make sure to include deleted posts.
The janny is especially sensitive about India, so he deletes relevant posts along with plain spam and shitposts.
>make the same thread every day
>make the same shit posts every day
>i-it’s a poo-mod conspiracy!!!
>obviously hasn't checked out what kind of posts are deleted
Thanks for trying, better luck next time.
Check the catalog. The “can I COOM in India” poster creates multiple new threads almost every single day. Not shocking that his posts get deleted here, too.
Sure, but it's not only these low effort threads that get deleted, relevant posts get deleted as well if they touch certain subjects.
Just check the archives.
was very enlightening just looking up "India" deleted posts in the archive
Those are larps
Larps or not, India is relatively easy for white men. Not as easy as Thailand but still pretty easy if you're young and in good shape.
I'm from the U.S. but spent most of my adult life in India. Was living in Kolkata up until last week. Have also lived in Delhi. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask. Not really sure what to recommend unless you provide some more information about your interests.
There's some decent nature between Kolkata and Varanasi. However, traveling around Jharkhand, Odisha, and southern Bihar without a hired care or motorbike can be a bit difficult. These are also somewhat sensitive areas, insofar as multiple districts of Jharkhand and (southern) Bihar are affected by a low-intensity insurgency. Not really something that poses any risk to casual visitors, but it can make independent exploration a little difficult if you're not familiar with the local terrain. Some tribes in Jharkhand have also claimed quasi-autonomy from the Indian state (Google "Pathalgadi" if you're interested), and they occasionally enforce "restrictions" against the entry of outsiders.
Anyway, take everything sighsee tells you about India with a grain of salt. The overwhelming majority of people here who post about India have never been there; many others, like
, are chronic shitposters who create meme-core threads and then constantly reference them at every possible opportunity.
, for example, has posted different renditions of this exact same "question" multiple times over the course of the past 1-2 months.
Pic sorta related, took it in West Singhbhum District in Jharkhand.
>He isn't aware of the sex slave posts
Anon...it's definitely NOT just one guy. I can tell by the way he writes. Must be two guys at least.
Not posting cause the gatekeeping dicklets poojeet mod will get butthurt if you talk about cooming in his country. Seemed legit though.
I love nature and hiking, however I am not an expert. Would love to see fruit trees and wildlife, climb a mountain, etc.
I assume Mumbai will be the most international followed by Kolkata and finally Varanasi?
How is nightlife in Kolkata? Please tell me they have some sort of techno music they enjoy.
Too big of a pussy for a motorbike, so itll be trains and hired help for me.
On your list? Yes, Mumbai will be--by far--the most international and cosmopolitan destination. Kolkata is alright, and Varanasi is a very, very distant third.
>How is nightlife in Kolkata?
I lived there for several years. I'm not very interested in nightlife--which was great, because Kolkata doesn't have any. TBQH there are some decent bars and clubs inside shopping malls and five-star hotels, but nothing that rivals what you can (easily) find in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore.
Don't expect to pick up any girls, either, especially at "big" destinations like Roxy in the Park Hotel--most women are a bit prudish, and they tend to go out with massive groups.
>For someone who doesn't handle heat well is September/October an alright time to go? I'm talking anything over 25c being a bit of an issue and high humidity also sucks for me?
RIP, lad. September is an awful time for you to go. The earlier part of the month is the tail-end of the monsoon, and the latter is a brief, hot period before autumn sets in. You'll be roasting if you can't handle 25c.
North Indian cities--Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, and so forth--will start to cool down around the end of October or early November, but it will still be fairly warm during the day (and pleasant at night).
>How is India by bike? I know the roads have a bad reputation but especially if I drive on the Golden Quadrilateral would it be fine?
If you have some third-world driving experience, it isn't too bad. But I'm also saying that as someone who learned to ride a motorbike in India, has another motorcycle in the U.S., and another bike in India. It's something you get used to, but you need to be incredibly, incredibly cautious if it's your first time driving somewhere like that.
cont
>Don't expect to pick up any girls, either, especially at "big" destinations like Roxy in the Park Hotel--most women are a bit prudish, and they tend to go out with massive groups.
tfw i'll never have a priya rai gf
It can happen, but you're probably better off using dating apps than going clubbing. Ask gay guys and friendly, younger women for advice on good nightlife spots rather than friendly, younger men--most of them just go to the same handful of shitty bars and clubs that never have much going on.
I can try to compile a list of okay-tier Kolkata nightlife spots, if anyone's interested, but I'll have to ask my younger in-laws--I pretty much lost all my interest in clubbing once I turned ~25-26.
For whatever reason, I've always found India easier to manage than Bangkok. Every time I've visited Bangkok, it's just fucking sweltering, no matter the month or season. At least most parts of India cool down for a few months each year, Bangkok is just fucking perpetually steamy.
That'd probably work. Goa and Mumbai will still be fairly warm, even in January, but you'll avoid the worst of it by traveling that time of year.
The weather will start warming up between the end of February and mid-March and will be back to "nasty" by April, but if you're in Kathmandu/Nepal/higher elevation areas well before then, you should manage alright.
Picrel is a bike I rented to do the Spiti Valley Loop in 2018 or thereabouts.
I didn't find the humidity to be a huge problem in Bangkok, it was the sun - for some reason it felt extremely oppressive whenever I stepped out of the shade. I can't say I've ever had that experience in a tropical climate before, usually dryer climates.
Yes I'm interested in the Kolkata spots.
If you only had a month, what would your itinerary look like?
My itinerary would probably look different from yours, since I've been to India 20+ times and spent most of my adult life there. In fact, my wife and I are planning to go back for about a month this coming winter: she'll probably spend most of the time with friends and family, whereas I'm planning to piss off to Odisha and Chhattisgarh the entire time.
For a first-timer, it depends a bit on:
>your individual interests
>your intended port of entry
>your budget
and, most importantly,
>what time of the year you're visiting
It also depends a bit on if you're the sort of person who'd feel like you're missing out if you don't see "must-visit" sights like the Taj Mahal. I'd honestly prefer to avoid BIMARU in its entirety, but--for better and for worse--most of India's most recognizable destinations are in Rajasthan, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.
I'd probably recommend a normie-core Golden Triangle + Himalayas itinerary if you only have a month, so that you can get a feel for the country and decide whether you want to come back. Best to avoid trying to see "everything," since India is a big country and you need quite a long time to get a good feel for individual states and regions, let along the entire place.
But again, it depends on what you're into and what time of the year you're going. Personally, I have the most fun when I'm moto-touring and visiting smaller villages and tribal communities. Very, very few foreigners go to places like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh, even though they're naturally very beautiful and have some of the most unique cultures in the country. Plus, aside from limited public transportation, there's very little hassle in these states--local people either don't give a fuck about you or are very friendly, but not autistic in the same way as Northern city-dwellers. Nobody will try to rip you off or misguide you, either (except maybe taxi drivers and the like).
Of course, the flip-side to all this is that not many people speak English in these regions--at least outside of the cities--so you have to learn a little Hindi (or Odia or Telugu, depending on the region), or just be comfortable using Google Translate and/or flapping your arms around like an idiot.
I dont give a fuck about sight-seeing. I like an open and friendly populace. I like cities that don't sleep. From what I've heard in my travels - avoid Delhi, but Northern India does fascinate me.
October this year is when I'm going.
Thanks for the intel friend, I would love to visit some of those places listed.
Which place in Andhra Pradesh did you visit.
[cont.]
For the most part, you can just do whatever you want without worry about other vehicles--that's the Indian way, after all. Just remember that:
>you're small, so you never have the right of way
>safe bet that everyone around you is fucking clinically retarded, so never presume you're safe just because traffic is moving slowly or the road seems empty
>people can and will do moronic things like look you straight in the eye before stepping in front of you or pulling a U-turn when you're speeding down the highway, so always be prepared to have someone try to murder you to shave .25 seconds off their daily commute
Bigger roads aren't anything special, and you won't be able to access any "proper" highways (i.e., the few almost-Western-tier freeways) on a "two-wheeler." However, once you're a few kilometers outside of any large settlement, there isn't much traffic. This is especially true if you intentionally take country roads--aside from some other bikers, pedestrians, and cyclists, you'll often by the only person on a vehicle for several minutes/kilometers at a time.
>Is there more to India than buildings and nature? Are the cities any good for entertainment?
Tons of stuff, bro. Bangalore and Mumbai are both good for entertainment. Delhi is decent, too, but you need to know where to go--a lot of the hyped-up spots, like Hauz Khas Village, aren't nearly as popular now as they were 5-6 years ago.
Pic not really related, was off-roading in East Singhbhum (Jharkhand) this past monsoon (this obviously isn't the "off-road" portion). Ignored the local tribal people when they told me the road wasn't good enough for a bike, wound up getting lost in the jungle for a good few hours before dead-ending in a rock pile and finally pulling myself out, kek.
re: weather, I was thinking of a trip south to north - Goa, Mumbai, Rajastan, Delhi and then up to Kathmandu over the course of a few months - would late Jan to April be a good way to do a trip like that?
>RIP, lad. September is an awful time for you to go. The earlier part of the month is the tail-end of the monsoon, and the latter is a brief, hot period before autumn sets in. You'll be roasting if you can't handle 25c.
Oh God oh no. I mean 25c isn't the end of the world but yeah this sounds bad. Might have to go at another time of year, the rest of your advice is pretty good though, thanks.
>take everything sighsee tells you about India with a grain of salt.
Take anything sighsee tells you about ANY country with a grain of salt. I read the dumbest bullshit about Korea on here and I lived there for three years.
Here's some questions for you:
For someone who doesn't handle heat well is September/October an alright time to go? I'm talking anything over 25c being a bit of an issue and high humidity also sucks for me?
How is India by bike? I know the roads have a bad reputation but especially if I drive on the Golden Quadrilateral would it be fine?
What types of accommodation would you recommend, especially for someone who wants to socialise at least a bit with other travellers?
Is there more to India than buildings and nature? Are the cities any good for entertainment?
Are the northeast and northwest worth it? Same for Pondicherry.
I recommend spending some time in a tropical destination and getting used to it, or at least finding out how you personally can cope with the heat, before going somewhere that difficult. I also struggle with high humidity, but a few weeks in SEA like Bangkok and Singapore taught me how to work with it - I'm sweaty no matter what I do, but once you accept that its not so bad. Drink lots of water and shower a few times a day.
The naxalites and 8balls set fire to by bus when i was last there, the BJP cpaign trail shut down all the airports and the drug problem was huge.
Met the generals and government people, then went out to meet the insurgents who's principal occupation seemed to be drinking moonshine and avoiding farming.
>bihar
Not even once.
5 days in varanasi is too much
We were there 3 days, we had a personal driver who took us everywhere and after the second day it felt like I saw everything and the stuff is just repeating over and over again
Thank you, is it even worth going? Could take a plane from Kolkata to Mumbai, but I feel going through the heart of the country will give me a better feel than just port cities
Varanasi is special in a way that you can't prepare yourself for it. The things which I considered shitholes in my eyes became 2 star hotels after visiting it. When I asked some guys on /int/ about the city before I went there I had answers from indians like "don't", "bring a gas mask with you", "try to survive". Its chaoitic, its dirty, it has poverty everywhere. We crossed the border through nepal with a car, we continued with a train to varanasi, agra and then to delhi. Varanasi was like a different place on earth compared to them.
You need to have a strong stomach to it, its perfectly normal to see dead people lying on the street, (I am pretty sure the retarded indian will tell me its not true) or a cow in a little grocery shop.
We saw the muslim quarter, the old town, some temples, and the ganges and how are they burning their dead. That was fucking brutal, they are bringing a new corpse to burn like in every minute, the river was totally black because all the ashes.
Also it was worth to see the opening of the ganges during the dawn, especially if you can book a boat which will show it to you from the river
>if you dont want to get scammed by rickshaw drivers your opinion is irrelevant
kys gay
we went to varanasi with a train and we continued to agra and delhi with a train aswell you fucking moron. You are probably an indian with poo in your head
Holy fuck, I should maybe do my 2 weeks there. Did you touch the water? Are there many tourists (foreign)?
>Did you touch the water
no, it was so fucking dirty, but the locals are bathing in it every day
>Are there many tourists (foreign)?
We didn't really see a lot during when we were seeing stuff, so if you are white prepare to be harrassed, and everyone is going to try to scam you. Whatever they are going to offer you, the real price should be minus 80% from their oirginal. Also I wanted to see the burial site where they burn their dead from close and they told me to fuck off
How was their English? Any safety concerns on your trip at all?
In agra, delhi I would say its not more dangerous than any big city in europe or the usa but we didn't go anywhere shady.
In varanasi on the other hand we didnt go anywhere after dark just to the local store near to the hotel because we didn't feel comfortable. Also don't offend them like I did by going closer to the burning site it seemed its a big nono for foreigner, an another guy told me he will smash my camera if I make any pictures
I wouldn't let a white woman to go alone. My gf was non stop harrassed, and by non stop I mean after 3 days (we went on a month long trip from china) she started to cry that she wants to go home because she has enough of pajeets following us everywhere and wanting to make pictures with her
I don't think you even went to India. post visa with timestamp.
Never take a person that hires a personal driver seriously.
Varanasi is a special city, and it takes time to explore and get the feel for it. People that rush in 3 days with a personal driver/tour guide really are getting a surface experience. These are the same people that stay at the taj and don't even ride in trains in India.
Tell us of your experiences in the Holy City, Anon-kun :3
Yes
totally doable! that is a great trip, maybe dont need 13 days in mumbai tho.
I like one home base to get a short-term girlfriend and such. I want at least 2 weeks staying in one spot.
>I like one home base to get a short-term girlfriend and such.
This is not happening in Bombay
I've already fucked girls from Bombay in America, don't tell me what I can and can't do.
When planning a trip in India, is it true you need to be more flexible in terms of timing? For example, and I'm just making this up off the top of my head, if I planned four nights in Mumbai, nine nights in the 'purs' in Rajastan and then three nights in Delhi, would this work fine or would I need to plan for extra days because things like trains and flights fucked me around?
Any tips about food? Not about hygiene, but best dishes, best regions for food, or any tips really.
I love Indian food and honestly half the reason I'd go is for the food.
Google local foods for the state you're in and go to a good restaurant that offers it. For example biriyani in Hyderabad,masala dosa in Bangalore,kebabs and butter chicken in Delhi etc etc
Actual Indian here. If you like nature Udupi and Mangalore in karnataka,Aleppey in Kerala. North India has more scammers and people are more rude and hygeine is an issue.If it's your first time in India visit the aforementioned states. For the tourism checklist go to Jaipur, Shimla,pondicherry,golden temple in Amritsar. Mumbai and Kolkata are shitholes and I dunno why anyone would go there. Varanasi is cool though,make sure to drink the bhang lassi there lol
>Mumbai and Kolkata are shitholes and I dunno why anyone would go there.
They're great cities, and also, a mega city like Bombay, Delhi too, they're part of the Indian experience, for a lot of people they will never experience a city of that size. You mention Shimla, I would take Bombay 1000 times over that boring little stopover. You can't go to India and skip out on city life imo.
>actual Indian here
>here’s my list of lonely planet tier cities
nobody takes actual travel advice from Indians because you people recommend the most cliched shit to foreigners
That's too long in each city.
The interesting part of varenassi is very small, and unless you want to sit around smoking weed with isrealis for a week id only spend a few days there.
Kolkota is a strange place, very interesting attractions but hard to find refuge from the pollution and Bengali tourists.
Try using the night train system, first class overnight trains are great fun and save you a huge deal of time.
Pack light because you can buy everything everywhere in India, you won't need heavy clothing and will be moving around quickly on shody infrastructure.
>varenassi
retard alert
>That's too long in each city.
Nah
QRD on Hyderabad?
Things to see and good foods to try
I’m weary of tap water/ice, uncooked vegetables, street meat, etc.
not much to do, but its Biryani is famous